Yoda Longbottom

To you not even Confrontation With Count Dooku/Finale is worth opening and listening to?

Replying to MSM's question, after seeing "True Lies", I seriously thought Arnold Schwarzenegger could try out one James Bond movie at least.

The first time? What took you so long? Eleven years is not that long. Trust me if I say so. Getting to watch Ben Hur took me 42 years, since I saw it 3 years ago for the very first time. It's never too late. I've yet to see so many great movies, incl. ESB and ROTJ, that I've already gotten used to being overdue.

I literally laughed my bum inside out when Howard Shore was presenting the award for the Best Score to John Williams. That moment when Shore opened the envelope and said "Ladies and gentlemen, standing ovations please, applaud to the return of the king!" I thought they gave Shore old envelopes with past winners or awarded him again this time for an extended ROTK release or what. It seemed John Williams must have thought exactly the same. It was cool that the camera closed up on Williams right as he shouted: "What, oh gees, you win again? Tragedy!!" and Bee Gees came to perform their two of the best hits. It was a well- thought out sequence of the night. I taped it. I loved it.

My copy starts with track number 3, "Yoda's Hair Care Complex", so I'm obviously missing at least two tracks, which means that fox fanfare and main titles were left out of my copy, I can't complain about that track then. But what eats me most is that the warning says "Won't play on your CD Player. Use Super Video Player instead.", so I haven't yet listened to the score because I've yet to buy the SVP player. I don't complain, I've still planned to long. I like that the track titles glisten in ultra-violet light and the STAR WARS logo using Star Trek typeface was a coolest of moves.

Would it be possible to compose the score without seeing the movie (like CMIYC)? I mean, it's practically granted the composed material will come through series of editing, so why does John Williams have to watch the early cuts of the Episode III when it always ends up being re-edited? Suppose JW knows the story of Episode III very well, he could sit down and write out a symphonic score starting tomorrow, allowing himself as much time as he wills. I wouldn't mind the edits then given that they would have to suit the composed material to shot scenes. We would at least be granted an un-touched version of Williams' original material, so we wouldn't have to scratch our heads over what will have been done to the score in the movie. Roman.-)

Between 24th and 26th of July "we're filming" exteriors for the upcoming PINK PANTHER movie. I signed in for the scenes filmed at the football stadium in Teplice town so I might very well be "one in the crowd" of many. Well, it's quite well paid so why not come and be there. Shall be my first movie appearance ever suppose cameras will spot on me once in a while over the three days of screening. Elijah Wood is also filming a new movie here, at least that's what they told us at KARLOVY VARY festival that I attended last week . I saw Elijah for the first time in my live from like 5 meters the first day and the next day they passed us by too, only we noticed fairly late! It was thrilling week!

I saw Sling Blade last night and liked it a lot. I was surprised they showed it on our TV channel, but I hope those who saw didn't have to regret watching.

I'm shocked it came out this soon, but even so much the better. What's your favorite cover-art anyway? I like all 7 I have seen so far, can't really decide. The 2nd and 3rd disc with extras don't work for me. I can't even figure out how to make Visiting Lucas' Wonderland goodies work on my PC. Where's the 21st century fox fanfare? My favorite tracks are those narrated with George Lucas himself. Sort of copied the idea of Hannibal score release, but it's still cool so I'm buying it. Whose is the voice on 6 tracks mutedly shouting "cut this whole section off of the CD, darn you!"...?

I'll vote after I've bought and heard The Terminal, which is the only score from the list I'm still lacking. Decca hasn't still announced the released date for the score in my country for the June--September season, so it might be released in winter I suppose. I'll keep checking, though. The Roman

I intended to ask Morlock privately, and I'm sure he knows the answer. I'd care to know...

If a composer, regardless of genre, needs to be fully grasped (and hence appreciated) through listening to what you call "representative" of him, then you unintentionally confirm my belief that there's something about Hans Zimmer that I don't like and I won't get better with hours of listening to his music added. I can't imagine --ever-- chasing stuff that is best representative of a composer/filmmaker or whoever in the biz or art to make a fair conclusion on his potential for the field he works in. How many scores did I list? And how many movies did I list I saw? And yet I'm not entitled to judge the composer thru this "thin" list? Too bad for the composer, then. Then each time he releases his new score the CD better contain a label with warning: "This score is not very well representative of me, skip it suppose you want a fair judgment on me." I came across and got hooked on Williams' music thru Seven Years In Tibet that I think is not considered "representative" of him, yet I fell in love. But, fairly, what is? Who can say? Apply to whatever you will. No no, it's okay with me. Yet, I should have known this would turn into such an interesting talk. It's your turn, now. Shame I'm so pressed for time at work. We could try a chat... Roman.-)

8O In an unabridged form: Because I'm regarding you in a friendly way, I'll post a list of goodies that have Hans Zimmer's name on them that we (me and my friend) share in possession. The DVDs or VHS (watching films and hearing the score that plays there SHOULD do when judging the score) and I've seen each 3 times at least: Black Hawk Down Gladiator The Rock Nine Months As Good As It Gets The Thin Red Line Mission Impossible I and II Pearl Harbor Tears of the Sun The CDs we own: Black Hawk Down Gladiator The Rock Nine Months (horribly unoriginal) Beyond Rangoon ((horribly unoriginal) As Good As It Gets (horribly unoriginal) The Thin Red Line (one of the worst scores of all-time) Mission Impossible II Pearl Harbor Tears of the Sun Prince of Egypt Hannibal (perhaps my only Zimmer's favorite and frequently played) Well, Zimmer can't write a good music in my opinion and I don't want to endlessly try out scores by score to give him another umpteempth chance to show me he can deliver. You like him? Alright. I don't. When Zimmer works with electronic instruments, the result is overall satisfying and it is very popular among moviegoers. The fact that I don't like that kind of scoring is one thing, but being at least a little more original and varied is another thing. Still, that kind of scoring when he's massively noisy on his synthesizers with a strong thematic idea plays to his strengths, while his now more-and-more frequent approaches to utilize symphonic ensembles reveals his weakness. But Hans Zimmer himself is not perhaps worthy of me wasting so much time and space discussing him here. We have his CDs and movies with his music, but he never impressed me. He managed rather the opposite reaction from me ever since I started my interest in film music. But my friend likes him a lot. One of us is right. I don't care who, though. In an abbreviated form: I think I couldn't here anymore...

(!!!Fans of Hans Zimmer's music are strongly advised against reading the following post!!!) I hope Spielberg won't decide to collaborate with Zimmer in the future. I have also never heard or read of any hints that would suggest that Spielberg has a "hidden" liking for Zimmer's scores. I mean, even to the untrained ear, Zimmer's scores do all sound practically the same, hardly innovative or evocative beyond the service for the particular scene in a film. He writes the loudest synthesized stuff I have heard and even if he occasionally lets the "living" orchestra perform it, it still sounds synthetic (Gladiator, Black Hawk Down,...). I presume Zimmer would have made a better living writing pop or techno music as he can write catchy themes, perhaps they could be a good team with Moby, of whom Zimmer's music reminds me the most. I can see he's very popular with young moviegoers and I would understand it, but in my humble opinion Zimmer isn't THE Composer to replace anyone currently working in film industry. And because it all comes down to tastes, I'll rather stick with saying that he doesn't represent the composing techniques I like to here in movies. The stuff he wrote that sounds quite good is a copycat off classical pieces and his "own" unique sound is like an overture to a techno party frenzy. I can't understand what would it be Spielberg would have liked about Hans Zimmer's music. Williams' is his exact opposite in any thinkable angle so I think Steven was just joking suppose he'd ever mentioned Zimmer as is future collaborator. Even the composers who write music I don't listen to usually spice up the world with something of some kind of interesting, but not so much is this the case with Zimmer, though.

So here we have two totally different breeds of scores composed in a nearly side-by-side schedule. I haven't heard the Terminal yet, but did JW show the same craftsmanship this year like he did in 1993 (Jurassic Park/Schindler's List) and 1999 (TPM/Angela's Ashes)? And when exactly were Heartbeeps composed? Did they collide with composing schedules of E.T., as they are two scores --again-- that are totally different? Roman.-)

Yes, and since it's bound they will employ the London Symphony Orchestra for the recording of the score, I suggest that the ensemble aborts recording for James Horner. The sound of the ensemble has become Hornerish even on their non-scores material, and it's a dreadful finding. They need the time to get a grip on themselves and realize they're gonna work on Star Wars again. I won't conceal LSO used to be my favorite orchestra years way back when I was picking up recordings of classical music. In recent years, I've been associating them solely with film music, and James Horner respectively. No wonder Howard Shore employed London Philharmonic. But back on subject...

I bought Schindler's List in a regular music shop in Prague. They have a separate rack for gold CDs, and they also had "Dances With Wolves" and Nirvana's "Nevermind". I wanted Apollo 13 too but they didn't have it. I may try to get the SL and DwW for you, if you want one. I'll call the shop to check if it's still available. SL cost me approx. $30.00...

You're not supposed to hear any earth-shattering difference between the standard and gold release now. The gold plated disc is supposed to outlive our generation and be playable in hundred years from now, should be more durable, too. Also, it's a master disc from which they CAN make copies. That's what I read in our HI-FI magazine times ago. This is the only gold disc I have. John Barry's "Apollo 13" and James Horner' "Dances With Wolves" were released on gold as well.

You must have a very sensitive and details-friendly system, a 3-way speakers I guess? I listen to music on my two-way speakers (Dynaudio 50) and they don't play the lowest frequencies (below 50 Hz), which could explain that I don't hear anything annoying about that recording. They're perfect for jazz, though. Also, the amplifier I have doesn't have tone corrections, so there's not much I can do about the sound anyway. Roman, a friend of two-way speakers.

8O 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O Oh God this score marks one of the better-recorded CDs among Williams' 90's output, only perhaps second to Rosewood. But it comes down to tastes. I have no problem with sonics of SYiT score, really...!!!

:oops: It's really in the movie? I want to see it all the more now...

My posts must have already become all too predictable, so you know what I'm gonna say all the time. I mean, Jeff, frankly, at least you can get the CD. I know means may mean a problem, but face it. I won't be able to get this CD in foreseeable future, because it's not planned to sell here at all. And I don't care for CD-Rs as far as new, gettable stuff is concerned. But, as other suggested, if I'll listen to Sabrina, CMIYC, Stanley & Iris and "Schindler's Workforce" over one afternoon, I might get the feeling as if listening to The Terminal. ;)

Which I think is quite a shame and I would welcome Hagrid character having it's own motif. perhaps he's deserving of one more than, say, professor Lockhart... a theme for Hagrid could be comic in nature.

As for the screening I went to on Wednesday, the sound mix was horrible and the whole experience was marred for me by kids. Perhaps due to the fact that I went to the dubbed version because kids can't read subtitles, but we couldn't almost hear the dialogues, let alone the music. The only scene that had a reasonable volume was Quiddich, but the rest was barely audible. I'll have to go to see it to another town to enjoy or wait until September when it opens in my town where we have a fantastic theatre and we'll have the option to watch un-dubbed version of the film in the late-night screenings. Anyway, the movie is pure classic to me, although I haven't read the books and I have thus missed a lot of things, but I loved it despite that. It's my most fav movie since "Jurassic Park" and I have only seen it once. But the score from John Williams is a real treat. Buckbeak Flight is on par with E.T.'s flying theme, at least it is how it works with me and the whole other parts of the score are fantastic. I never heard any similarity between the Knight Bus and CMIYC, which is of which I have read somewhere as a slight drawback, but that's okay. I haven't enjoyed Williams' score this much since E.T. !!!!!!!! I bought it the day I went to the movie and listened to it a couple of times since. It's just incredible. Although there's nothing literally copied from Star Wars, I had a similar feeling from a number of cues (in the film). Dementors Converge is my favorite piece of music as is any music each time werewolf appear on the screen. Flying sequence is musically classic Williams and if it's not considered to be among you, I'm not a real JW Fan. Well, I have seen dubbed version into Czech so I'm not familiar with English names of characters and places, so forgive if I refer to them wrongly. For example, as I understood Dementors were translated into Czech in a way that could be back translated into English as Brain-gluttons. Well, I'll stop here. I don't mean to review the score (it's still too soon to do but also...) because it was done much better by many of you, but let me just say that it's a brilliant work not any worse that E.T., Star Wars or Close Encounters (of which I was reminded a couple of times as well). All in all, this score for Harry Potter is less Potterish than Attack of the Clones and Attack of the Clones sounds being less Star Wars than is Prisoner of Azkaban. Confusing, maybe, but at least this is how the music left me impressed. ***** out of 5 Roman, you-know-who.-) P.S. Daniel as Harry finally showed he can act.