Bayesian

My (slightly early) Christmas present is a subscription to Gramophone, which enables me to search through back issues all the way back to 1923. After a little searching, I found this in the March 1978 edition.

 
According to the Bank of England's inflation calculator, £5.50 in 1978 is the equivalent of about £27.50 today - ironically, more or less what the specialist labels are charging for a decent expansion today!
 
 
A year later, Superman got damned with faint praise, but in April 1983 they saw fit to give Williams a bit more credit:
 
ET (Williams). Film soundtrack recording [sic]
After Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, it would have been easy for John Williams to repeat himself in ET and settle for musical clichés, all too redolent of composers in a hurry to meet the deadline set by their producers. So it says much for his collaboration with Steven Spielberg that each of his scores has been carefully thought through , and that on this occasion he has capped all his previous work with a consistently magical series of compositions culminating in no mere hollow apotheosis, but a genuinely triumphant conclusion where the fanfares joyfully celebrate ET's departure for home to the image of a cascading rainbow. Another aspect of these selections I rejoiced in was the absence of all recent trends in 'pop' scoring; the track "ET and me" is a glistening composition for harp and strings, while in "ET phone home" the composer's use of a celesta to pinpoint the child /alien relationship, conjures up a happy comparison with Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. Elsewhere one recognizes other now familiar touches from Williams such as the rushing scales on high winds and the ostinato figures that propel his sketches along. The recording has been made at a somewhat lower level than usual, though nothing a notch or two on your amplifier won't rectify; as far as the musical quality of this score is concerned I need only reiterate that no purely instrumental soundtrack has given me as much delight to review as this one.
ADRIAN EDWARDS
 
 
Back to March 1976 for this one (again, for comparison, £2.90 equates to about £18 in today's money):
 
JAWS (John T. Williams). Music from the film soundtrack conducted by the composer. MCA MCF2716 (£2.90).
Ever since his lively and inventive score for The Reivers I have considered the American John Williams one of the best of today's film composers, and this is one of his finest works to date. Writing on the sleeve, director Stephen Spielberg compares him to Erich Wolfgang Korngold, and listening to the twelve short tone poems recorded here one sees exactly what he means. I don't think I have heard the ocean conveyed so successfully in music since Korngold's score for the Errol Flynn sea adventures, and in many ways this surpasses them. Although he has composed a striking main theme Williams has eschewed the lazy way of Hollywood composers nowadays, whereby every track is a variation on it. Instead he has written an original piece of music for each occasion and incident in the picture and the results are both graphic and exciting. One can imagine each scene even without seeing the picture, so vividly pictorial is his writing. For once this is a record to play again and again. Incidentally it is technically magnificent as well, a recording of the highest possible quality. Recommended not only to those who want a film souvenir, but to anybody who enjoys truly exciting music.
P .M .

And the Raiders March will be programmed twice in both of them. As it should be, you ingrates.

And the Raiders March will be programmed twice in both of them. As it should be, you ingrates.

Those are exactly my sentimonies. I just left the theatre and what amazed me most about this film wasn't the 3D (which was stellar, by the way), but the way it just works as a worldbuilding adventure, as a family-focused story, and as an action film.
 
Allow me to dwell on this last point because I think it speaks to a key reason why this movie might get a lot of repeat viewing from audiences. Cameron has given us a phenomenally well-made action film. Particularly in the last hour. It's completely engrossing, edge-of-your-seat entertainment, imho, and it's all the more impressive considering that the scale of the action is actually smaller than in the original. Most of the last hour takes place near a single island in relatively shallow water. There's only one giant watercraft involved (you've seen it in the trailers) instead of two or three like the first movie. Everything about the third act conflict is smaller in scale, but all the more absorbing because it's family focused. And because Cameron puts you in the middle of everything and lets you understand how characters get from point A to point B and then to point C. And because, by putting you front and center, you see rich details that make the action actually memorable.
 
By memorable, I mean:
the human/sky people's technology is rendered with such astonishing complexity and detail, you'd swear it was all real-life vessels, machines, tools, objects that were filmed (and destroyed) over real water. Everything and everyone actually follow the laws of physics for once. You can't imagine what a difference that makes for keeping one's attention. The way that Cameron sets up the conflict between the two sides is surprisingly nuanced. I don't want to give away spoilers, so I'll save my elaboration on this point for a later post. This movie isn't without faults (paper-thin plot and some clunky dialogue chief among them), but I'm astonished how little any of them matter in the face of such remarkable worldbuilding and filmmaking. It's the greatest of ironies that the most cutting-edge CGI tech the film industry has ever seen was developed to serve the needs of a filmmaker who is so fundamentally old-school and old-soul, at least in the action genre. Avatar TWOW has got the exact same earnest heart beating at its core as Top Gun Maverick does. And as Waterworld, Die Hard, and Raiders do.
 
About the worldbuilding: yes, the Pandoran sea is diverse and wonderful to look at, but just as mesmerizing are human/sky people elements we get to enjoy a closer look at. The maglev. The new base. The whaling ship. The crab suits. The subs. The exo-suits. I could watch 20 hours of that shit. It's flabbergastingly wonderful to see actual realistic fucking sci-fi again. Please please PLEASE let this movie make enough money so that Cameron gets to finish Avatar 5 because I badly want to see how he visually renders a dying Earth and we supposedly will get to see that in the fifth one.
 
Go see this movie. It's worth the 13-yr wait.

And the Raiders March will be programmed twice in both of them. As it should be, you ingrates.

And the Raiders March will be programmed twice in both of them. As it should be, you ingrates.

And the Raiders March will be programmed twice in both of them. As it should be, you ingrates.

Part 2 out now! Sorry for the long wait, but as I said earlier, these take VERY long to produce.
 
http://celluloidtunes.no/celluloid-tunes-75-the-complete-john-williams-television-music-walkthrough-part-2-25th-international-edition/
 
 

What is this gluttony? You’ll get a short album and a short FYC promo and you’ll like it!

22 minutes of original music and 9 minutes of classical music. 

Well, we know of course JW remains keen to write music. When he says he doesn't want to spend 6 months of his autumn years working on a score, I take it to mean he has no more patience for experiences like Rise of Skywalker (i.e., endless rewrites and butchering of his hard work in the final cut).
 
From that POV, Indy 5 is almost assuredly the last blockbuster score with wall-to-wall music we will see from JW. But one or two more smaller scores for Spielberg are easy to imagine.
 
 

It makes sense to have Quaritch return as the villain because the first Avatar can be seen (in retrospect) as being all about setting up Quaritch’s personal vendetta against Sully and that needs payoff. In that regard, TWOW feels like the perfect extension of that storyline and, indeed, it’s clear that it can (and will) continue into the third Avatar. 
 
As for Quaritch’s presence in the fourth and fifth Avatars, I didn’t know that was confirmed or anything. I can see how the same vendetta-driven conflict could get repetitive by then, but I have confidence in Cameron and his story team that they know what they’re doing.
 
I said it earlier and I’ll say it again: I hope this movie earns enough for Disney to greenlight Avatars 4 and 5. The moviegoing public deserves the chance to see this story played out in full.

Apostasy! If this movie fails to maintain its frontrunner status as best pic and JW fails to win his sixth Oscar because of it, I’m pinning the blame on your indifference to the film!

I love the opening.  A very well-observed portrait of a family.
 
For me, the movie benefited a lot from being seen in a theater.  But I guess I'm glad people have a way to watch it now, even if they're typing on their phone while it's on....

No idea, but it is an interesting philosophical prospect -- that the avatar tech basically secures eternal life.

I see it has some Golden Globe nominations.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/golden-globes-nominations-2023-list-nominees-1235279872/
 
 
 
 

Those are exactly my sentimonies. I just left the theatre and what amazed me most about this film wasn't the 3D (which was stellar, by the way), but the way it just works as a worldbuilding adventure, as a family-focused story, and as an action film.
 
Allow me to dwell on this last point because I think it speaks to a key reason why this movie might get a lot of repeat viewing from audiences. Cameron has given us a phenomenally well-made action film. Particularly in the last hour. It's completely engrossing, edge-of-your-seat entertainment, imho, and it's all the more impressive considering that the scale of the action is actually smaller than in the original. Most of the last hour takes place near a single island in relatively shallow water. There's only one giant watercraft involved (you've seen it in the trailers) instead of two or three like the first movie. Everything about the third act conflict is smaller in scale, but all the more absorbing because it's family focused. And because Cameron puts you in the middle of everything and lets you understand how characters get from point A to point B and then to point C. And because, by putting you front and center, you see rich details that make the action actually memorable.
 
By memorable, I mean:
the human/sky people's technology is rendered with such astonishing complexity and detail, you'd swear it was all real-life vessels, machines, tools, objects that were filmed (and destroyed) over real water. Everything and everyone actually follow the laws of physics for once. You can't imagine what a difference that makes for keeping one's attention. The way that Cameron sets up the conflict between the two sides is surprisingly nuanced. I don't want to give away spoilers, so I'll save my elaboration on this point for a later post. This movie isn't without faults (paper-thin plot and some clunky dialogue chief among them), but I'm astonished how little any of them matter in the face of such remarkable worldbuilding and filmmaking. It's the greatest of ironies that the most cutting-edge CGI tech the film industry has ever seen was developed to serve the needs of a filmmaker who is so fundamentally old-school and old-soul, at least in the action genre. Avatar TWOW has got the exact same earnest heart beating at its core as Top Gun Maverick does. And as Waterworld, Die Hard, and Raiders do.
 
About the worldbuilding: yes, the Pandoran sea is diverse and wonderful to look at, but just as mesmerizing are human/sky people elements we get to enjoy a closer look at. The maglev. The new base. The whaling ship. The crab suits. The subs. The exo-suits. I could watch 20 hours of that shit. It's flabbergastingly wonderful to see actual realistic fucking sci-fi again. Please please PLEASE let this movie make enough money so that Cameron gets to finish Avatar 5 because I badly want to see how he visually renders a dying Earth and we supposedly will get to see that in the fifth one.
 
Go see this movie. It's worth the 13-yr wait.

In regards to Snyderverse vs Gunnverse news...
 

 
Karol

The DCEU looking back was such a clusterfuck. All of those movies until I’d say maybe James Gunn’s “Suicide Squad” were just awkward. I can’t watch them without cringing I don’t know what the writers and directors were on. Editors were definitely on acid. The MCU at least had good acting and writing so they are easy to watch and look past the thin plot. However I would say now even the MCU is going downhill. It’s not turning into the DCEU though it’s turning into the CWverse, which might be even worse.

I’m burnt out on cinematic universes. I agree with the standalone movie route. I love James Gunn and everything he’s made comic book wise has been great (I’m sure GOTG 3 will be epic as well) but he’s going to get burnt out quick and to restart a cinematic universe this quickly is risky. Let’s give it time. The hype will build and then people will be ready because as of now at least for me I’m done with these shitty movies.

Just finished the score! Overall I think it’s a good album but there are some issues. While Simon Franglen did a good job bringing back the textures and feeling of the first Avatar I feel as if his own themes are unmemorable and there’s a lot of material here that is very meandering and sounds like it should be in a documentary. Most of this is relegated to the beginning of tracks which eventually blossom into something grander (This is why I was so let down by the samples as they only played the openings of the tracks). His action material is decent in some sections where it sounds most like Horner (God the brass writing at 1:02 in “Na’vi Attack” sounds like Horner revived I cannot wait to hear this in theaters) but other times it sounds like Zimmer rip-off ostinato-filled POS garbage. There are a few of Franglen’s own themes that I noticed but they were hard to pick up on. The instances where these themes shine are some of the highlights of the album. Notable performances of his themes include “Hometree,” “Friends,” and “The Tulkun Return.” I can’t wait to see the film and also listen to the expanded album as I’m sure I’ll have a greater appreciation for what Franglen did at that point.
 
Also pretty cool that he put in the “Danger” motif a few times and 0:32 of “Knife Fight” is a direct lift of Horner. Franglen really tried to make this score sound like it was done by Horner.
 
Speaking of which the other best part of the score are the times when Horner’s themes appear. Here are which ones show up and when.
 
AVATAR MAIN THEME (“I SEE YOU”)
Happiness Is Simple - 1:35 Hometree - 2:48 Train Attack - 0:51, 1:00 Masks Off - 2:47 Friends - 1:19 Cove of the Ancestors - 1:15, 1:54 Na’vi Attack - 1:14, 2:19, 2:38, 2:51 WOODSPRITES MOTIF
Converging Paths - 1:02 Cove of the Ancestors - 2:14 NA’VI CULTURE THEME
Na’vi Attack - 0:49 NA’VI BATTLE THEME
Train Attack - 0:55 Masks Off - 3:13 Na’vi Attack - 2:42 GRIEF THEME
Eclispe - 1:31 I’ve heard that there are more uses of Horner’s themes in the actual film as most of these are really just hints or cameos. This score is very interesting as it sounds like Horner’s Avatar but there aren’t any memorable new themes for me really and occasionally you’ll hear the old Avatar themes and you get excited. Gotta see if the extended album adds much but I honestly doubt it as why would he leave the best parts off this album. I’m assuming the extended album will mostly just be more atmospheric stuff. It’s still pretty neat to hear a score that sounds this much like Horner in today’s age.

MV has posted a very awesome update:
 
Greetings from Santa's Workshop.

Thank you all for not only the most successful Black Friday batch in our 20 year history, but the most successful batch of all time...so successful we had to borrow some of Santa's elfs to help our monkeys pack up orders. At the end of this weekend, we should be caught up with all the orders over the last several weeks. All 5 releases have been selling like Cabbage Patch dolls in the 80s and I can say with certainty THE BURBS will be sold out first due to its limited run, so if you want to grab one I would do so sooner than later. Just a reminder, we are closing up shop December 20 and will reopen in 2023 on January 2. Get your orders in now if you can.

Have a safe and happy holiday season...and thanks to all you on the Nice list for making 2022 our most successful year yet!

Here is to 20 more years!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM MV AND THE LLL GANG
 
https://filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=149995&forumID=1&archive=0
 
I hope everyone who wants The Burbs sees this message in time..

Those are exactly my sentimonies. I just left the theatre and what amazed me most about this film wasn't the 3D (which was stellar, by the way), but the way it just works as a worldbuilding adventure, as a family-focused story, and as an action film.
 
Allow me to dwell on this last point because I think it speaks to a key reason why this movie might get a lot of repeat viewing from audiences. Cameron has given us a phenomenally well-made action film. Particularly in the last hour. It's completely engrossing, edge-of-your-seat entertainment, imho, and it's all the more impressive considering that the scale of the action is actually smaller than in the original. Most of the last hour takes place near a single island in relatively shallow water. There's only one giant watercraft involved (you've seen it in the trailers) instead of two or three like the first movie. Everything about the third act conflict is smaller in scale, but all the more absorbing because it's family focused. And because Cameron puts you in the middle of everything and lets you understand how characters get from point A to point B and then to point C. And because, by putting you front and center, you see rich details that make the action actually memorable.
 
By memorable, I mean:
the human/sky people's technology is rendered with such astonishing complexity and detail, you'd swear it was all real-life vessels, machines, tools, objects that were filmed (and destroyed) over real water. Everything and everyone actually follow the laws of physics for once. You can't imagine what a difference that makes for keeping one's attention. The way that Cameron sets up the conflict between the two sides is surprisingly nuanced. I don't want to give away spoilers, so I'll save my elaboration on this point for a later post. This movie isn't without faults (paper-thin plot and some clunky dialogue chief among them), but I'm astonished how little any of them matter in the face of such remarkable worldbuilding and filmmaking. It's the greatest of ironies that the most cutting-edge CGI tech the film industry has ever seen was developed to serve the needs of a filmmaker who is so fundamentally old-school and old-soul, at least in the action genre. Avatar TWOW has got the exact same earnest heart beating at its core as Top Gun Maverick does. And as Waterworld, Die Hard, and Raiders do.
 
About the worldbuilding: yes, the Pandoran sea is diverse and wonderful to look at, but just as mesmerizing are human/sky people elements we get to enjoy a closer look at. The maglev. The new base. The whaling ship. The crab suits. The subs. The exo-suits. I could watch 20 hours of that shit. It's flabbergastingly wonderful to see actual realistic fucking sci-fi again. Please please PLEASE let this movie make enough money so that Cameron gets to finish Avatar 5 because I badly want to see how he visually renders a dying Earth and we supposedly will get to see that in the fifth one.
 
Go see this movie. It's worth the 13-yr wait.

I don't long for it but I'm more convinced he can make it work. He's still got his directorial flair and he's clearly not afraid of making his universe insane so I give in. Let James Cameron keep making Avatars. Good movie.

Id rather have Avatar than the next MCU movie, ad nauseum

Another awesome detail I never picked up on until today: JW sneaks in the ostinato motif from Duel of the Fates! Listen extremely closely to the viola part at 0:14.