Quintus

To be fair, the three people of whom you speak don't really concern me. Let them think what they want

Me too. I've read that report before. But I could never find the plaintiff's piece, online at least.

Damn I keep reading about this ET case yet I find no internet sign of it. Please tell me the ET theme is original to Williams! Or at least provide an audio link so I can see for myself

The crash of percussion after the first statement of the fanfare was just so feeble compared to the Williams version. And numerous others

I can't find it, please help! EDIT: I'm blind. I've found it D'oh.

I assume they're mainly referring to The Battle Ballet? What a load of bullshit. Sure, there exists some nods to Mars, but thats about it. Its a single repeated note for christs sake, it keeps the tempo. This will go in Zimmers favour. TGE - Who thinks the Gladiator score is outstanding.

Yeah, I picked up the 25th anniversary dvd in Liverpool city center HMV today. Special features galore this time around! Going to watch the Williams recording sessions tonight, can't wait. The isolated score is a nice touch too. About time!

Outstanding.

I thought he was gonna launch himself from the stage at one point. Methinks the guy loves that theme as much as us lot do A decent enough performance by the orchestra though. Anyway thanks for the link. That is actually the first full video I've ever seen of a Williams performance, any more in existence? Check this out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emt5G8PFLZs...john%20williams Its crap, but listen out for the Cantina Band as they film their surroundings, its quite sureal. Imagine hearing the echos of that tune playing out one morning. Everywhere they went, people could hear it, but where was it coming from?.... Williams had begun his conquest for worldwide brainwashed domination!

With windows media player you just have to add each track individually and edit out/segue in any silences in the music. Thats the easier answer. If you want it to sound fairly pro you have to take your time getting it just right.

I think its during the very end of the first season that Faure's 'Pavane' plays, but with a very catchy modern beat. Does anyone know if this particular remix is available? I tried google but quickly drawn a blank. I'd love to get hold of this if it is at all possible.

Take a chance and watch the movie again. Regardless of Arnie (I love him in this btw), Total Recall is a solid sci-fi flick. Actually its more than a mere good film - its an excellent piece of escapism. Goldsmith did the movie proud and Verhoeven repaid the favour gladly. Or should that be the other way around?... The score/images are seriously cinematic in places.

But the movie MUST come first... Chicken or egg?

... are we all fundamentally movie score lovers? (A new fan sub-genre?) Maybe its a weird question, but I know what angle I'm coming from so go figure...

Have to disagree with you there. I do believe that Shore's LOTR is a masterpiece, but its just one (or 3 depending on your angle) instance of his incredible talent - on the vast scale. He was clearly on fire when he scored those movies, but can he repeat it? Williams did repeat his grand scoring talents time and time again. Williams is just too damn prolific to be compared against the relatively new appreciation of Shore. Not only that, but there is not a man on the planet who can write action cues as good as Williams. His complex orchestrations in these instances are always worthy of examination and the way he riddles the stuff with his themes is spellbinding. Howard Shore has shown the odd glimpse of action cue understanding ("They have a Cave Troll" and Legolas vs Mumaki for instance), but I often find some of his action scoring rather bland. Thankfully his pulsating style suits the material very well, but it doesn't really entertain me as stand alone work. Having said that, I do love his emotional strings stuff. But Williams just has a back catalogue that speaks for itself. It going to take some undoing. Regardless of all that Williams vs Shore nonsense, I still rate the LOTR scores as the greatest scores I've ever heard. They may turn out to be Shores one and only beloved, or crowning achievement, but it was a time when I believe Shore was in a league of his own.

ha ha, but regardless of the albums crapiness, it is a good intro for new comers.

Eye/ear of the beholder etc. The Last March Of The Ents matches what you explain in terms of audience effect. And I LOVE Binary Sunset.

Your comments would normally suffice. But superman has but ONE (or maybe three, damn you Williams!) theme.

Exactly. It may seem simplistic, but its profoundly effective. SEE: Superman Fanfare.

Thats the second time I've heard that 'joke'.

Nah, the opening crawl music sold the film. Hook, line and sinker. The audience was truly in a galaxy far far away once the LSO struck up a chord. I find it difficult to disagree with you because I love Williams' work on Star Wars more than nearly anything. But I can't get into it right now because I've had three glasses of lovely white wine, sorry for the cop-out.

Not to take sides, but the above comment is very true. NEVER (even more than the Star Wars PT) has a series of films been so at the mercy of the fans than the lotr movies. Lucas had the advantage of 'owning' a massive legion of fanboys/nuts who would kid themselves into loving his PT no matter what. I used to be one until I saw the light, or rather TPM sunk in - three years between movies is an eternity as far as hindsight is concerned. P Jackson never had that asset. The daggers were out for him if he fucked up. End of story. Thankfully he came through in spades. Who'd have thought it. EDIT: Bowie, I've just noticed your answering comments (you posted as I submitted my last post) and I will respond when I get the chance

I'm talking the same arrangements.

Bowie: Well, without getting into another lotr vs 'Wars debate I have to disagree with part of your comment. It is true to an extent that Williams' score raised the pulpy space adventure (EpIV) into the realm of the epic or opera, but Peter Jackson's movie didn't 'make' the score, as you suggest. Howard Shore's work is a massive sweeping palette of music which not only complimented the film/s, but also found an audience on headphones and hi-fi's, regardless of the movies. Sure you could say that it was a direct result of the movies success, but that wouldn't make sense. Besides, the same could be said about the Star Wars score/s - something Williams himself suspects. But thankfully good music will always be just that - good music. Sometimes good music can be found in not so good films. Take a look at The Phantom Menace for evidence. By your own reasoning, Williams score for TPM should have 'made' the film, but alas it didn't. A film needs to stand on its own two feet before the score recording has even taken place. There has to be a high degree of film making artistic integrity all ready there. So by your book does that mean that Williams failed where Shore succeeded?

On the contrary, I've never thought of that theme as being the 'nature' theme, but rather the 'hope' or 'force of good' theme. When thought of in this context its perfectly suits all the moments you mentioned, especially as it plays at the arrival at the Pelennor. In fact one could say that this theme is ironically a distant cousin of the Force theme. Both pieces serve the exact same purpose within their respective films - too rally the audience behind the events on screen and to create a feeling of movie myth.