Alejandro

That's debatable. There are instances where i sense that Williams serves Spielberg's worse instincts too dutifully and my recent examination of ROSEWOOD confirmed this. I do not mean that another composer would necessarily be above this - and certainly not JG, who especially later in his career bowed to bad musical decisions, see MULAN'S DECISION - but Williams could be more gritty and adventurous and elevate Spielberg's stately movies into a more interesting musical sphere. Case-in-point are SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, LINCOLN or AMISTAD (which surprisingly is the most successful of those due to JW's experiments with african music). Here the music goes the most obvious route - solemn americana, well-behaved, stately, all in perfectly good taste...and rather boring. Now i know that a lot of people like such predictability in their respectable movies but it is not, i think, the best choice. Spielberg's attachment to sometimes mawkish sentimentalism could be more effectively countered on the soundtrack by not always reinforcing those instincts by 150% (even the sparsely scored LINCOLN had overdone swells that felt spoon-feeding to me). I think A.I. and the first 1/4 of Minority Report showcase the idea that Williams can go beyond Americana. The whole Pre-Crime section I think is very non-Williams yet brilliant.

I agree with Koray that some directors would benefit from working with a different composer rather than their go-to composer. Howard Shore did a great job at Ed Wood ... and now ... JJ Abrams is going to work with John Williams, hopefully, and it'll open up JJ's eyes to a better level of brilliance.

I think Jerry Goldsmith would have been great for Spielberg. Great for any director, actually.

Still, nothing like "The Wedding ..." from The Terminal along with "Come Phil" from Heartbeeps.

I didn't quite embrace Avatar. All that effort for a tree.

Ridley Scott is a poor communicator when it comes to music.

Are u referring to Theatres or studios? Theatre chains get to keep larger percentages as the weeks go by.

Movie Theatres get a share of the ticket prices a few weeks after the initial release. So that's part of the reason why studios want gigantic openings. Piracy has little affect on the overall attendance rate at the movies.

Ticket prices rise because budgets rise and studios wants higher and higher profits.

From wiki. 1993 was the last year that I remember where there were so many interesting movies to see. The big tent pole movies were limited, just jurassic park and last action hero I think. Franchise films Wayne's world 2, sister act 2 and stakeout 2 were just ok. But look at the variety of films and budgets. No way would we see a slate like this again in a single year. And these films stuck around for a while in Theatres. Why? Because of a 6-month window to rental and another 90 days to buy used. Sure, some of these were bad, but as a kid I enjoyed going to the movies every week and having lots of choices At the theatre near me last week, with 16 screens, there were only 6 movies playing!! And 4 were sequels. The Age of Innocence, directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder Alive, starring Ethan Hawke, Vincent Spano, Josh Hamilton Amos & Andrew, starring Nicolas Cage and Samuel L. Jackson Another Stakeout, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Emilio Estevez, Rosie O'Donnell Army of Darkness, directed by Sam Raimi, starring Bruce Campbell and Embeth Davidtz Benny & Joon, starring Johnny Depp, Mary Stuart Masterson, Aidan Quinn Blood In Blood Out (aka Bound by Honor), directed by Taylor Hackford, starring Damian Chapa and Benjamin Bratt Boxing Helena, starring Sherilyn Fenn and Julian Sands A Bronx Tale, directed by and starring Robert De Niro, with Chazz Palminteri, Lillo Brancato, Jr., Francis Capra, Joe Pesci Carlito's Way, directed by Brian De Palma, starring Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Penelope Ann Miller, Luis Guzmán, John Leguizamo Cliffhanger, starring Sylvester Stallone, John Lithgow, Michael Rooker, Janine Turner Coneheads, directed by Steve Barron, starring Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin Cool Runnings, directed by Jon Turteltaub, starring John Candy The Crush, starring Cary Elwes and Alicia Silverstone Dave, starring Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Frank Langella, Ving Rhames, Charles Grodin Dazed and Confused, starring Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, Milla Jovovich Demolition Man, starring Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Sandra Bullock Dennis the Menace, starring Walter Matthau and Mason Gamble Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, starring Jason Scott Lee and Lauren Holly Falling Down, directed by Joel Schumacher, starring Michael Douglas, Robert Duvall, Barbara Hershey, Rachel Ticotin, Frederic Forrest, Tuesday Weld Fearless, starring Jeff Bridges, Isabella Rossellini, Rosie Perez Fire in the Sky, starring Robert Patrick and D.B. Sweeney The Firm, directed by Sydney Pollack, starring Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Holly Hunter, Wilford Brimley, David Strathairn, Ed Harris Free Willy, directed by Simon Wincer, starring Jason James Richter, Michael Madsen, Michael Ironside, Lori Petty The Fugitive, directed by Andrew Davis, starring Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Joe Pantoliano, Jeroen Krabbe, Sela Ward, Julianne Moore Geronimo: An American Legend, starring Wes Studi, Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall, Jason Patric Gettysburg, starring Tom Berenger, Jeff Daniels, Martin Sheen The Good Son, starring Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood Groundhog Day, directed by Harold Ramis, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell Grumpy Old Men, starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Burgess Meredith, Daryl Hannah, Kevin Pollak, Ann-Margret Heart and Souls, starring Robert Downey, Jr., Charles Grodin, Kyra Sedgwick, Alfre Woodard, Elisabeth Shue, Tom Sizemore, David Payme Heaven & Earth, directed by Oliver Stone, starring Tommy Lee Jones and Joan Chen - (U.S.A./France) Hocus Pocus, directed by Kenny Ortega, starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, narrated by Michael J. Fox Hot Shots! Part Deux, directed by Jim Abrahams, starring Charlie Sheen and Lloyd Bridges In the Line of Fire, directed by Wolfgang Petersen, starring Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich, Rene Russo In the Name of the Father, directed by Jim Sheridan, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Pete Postlethwaite, Emma Thompson - (Ireland/U.K./U.S.A.) - Golden Bear Award Indecent Proposal, directed by Adrian Lyne, starring Robert Redford, Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson The Joy Luck Club, directed by Wayne Wang, starring Rosalind Chao, Lauren Tom, France Nuyen Judgment Night, starring Emilio Estevez, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Denis Leary, Stephen Dorff and Jeremy Piven Jurassic Park, directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Samuel L. Jackson, Wayne Knight Kalifornia, directed by Dominic Sena, starring Brad Pitt, Juliette Lewis, David Duchovny, Michelle Forbes Last Action Hero, directed by John McTiernan, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Austin O'Brien M. Butterfly, directed by David Cronenberg, starring Jeremy Irons and John Lone Mad Dog and Glory, directed by John McNaughton, starring Robert De Niro, Uma Thurman, Bill Murray, David Caruso, Kathy Baker Malice, directed by Harold Becker, starring Alec Baldwin, Nicole Kidman, Bill Pullman, Anne Bancroft, Peter Gallagher, Bebe Neuwirth, George C. Scott The Man Without a Face, directed by and starring Mel Gibson, with Nick Stahl Manhattan Murder Mystery, directed by and starring Woody Allen, with Diane Keaton, Anjelica Huston, Alan Alda Matinee, starring John Goodman Menace II Society, starring Tyrin Turner, Larenz Tate and Jada Pinkett Mr. Jones, directed by Mike Figgis, starring Richard Gere and Lena Olin Mr. Wonderful, starring Matt Dillon, Annabella Sciorra, William Hurt, Mary-Louise Parker, Vincent D'Onofrio Mrs. Doubtfire, directed by Chris Columbus, starring Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan - Golden Globe Award for Best Picture (Musical or Comedy) Much Ado About Nothing, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh, with Michael Keaton, Keanu Reeves, Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington - (U.K./U.S.A.) Naked, directed by Mike Leigh, starring David Thewlis - (U.K.) Naked in New York, starring Eric Stoltz, Mary-Louise Parker, Jill Clayburgh, Ralph Macchio, Kathleen Turner, Tony Curtis The Nightmare Before Christmas, directed by Henry Selick Glenne Headly - (Canada) The Pelican Brief, directed by Alan J. Pakula, starring Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington A Perfect World, directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Kevin Costner, Eastwood, Laura Dern, Bradley Whitford Philadelphia, directed by Jonathan Demme, starring Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Antonio Banderas, Joanne Woodward, Jason Robards The Piano, directed by Jane Campion, starring Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, Anna Paquin - (New Zealand/Australia/France) - Palme d'Or award Poetic Justice, directed by John Singleton, starring Janet Jackson and Tupac Point of No Return, starring Bridget Fonda, Gabriel Byrne, Dermot Mulroney, Anne Bancroft and Harvey Keitel The Program, starring James Caan, Halle Berry, Omar Epps, Craig Sheffer and Kristy Swanson The Remains of the Day, directed by James Ivory, starring Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, James Fox, Hugh Grant, Christopher Reeve - (U.K./U.S.A.) Rising Sun, directed by Philip Kaufman, starring Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes RoboCop 3, directed by Fred Dekker, starring Robert John Burke and Nancy Allen Robin Hood: Men in Tights, directed by Mel Brooks, starring Cary Elwes, Dave Chappelle, Amy Yasbeck, Roger Rees, Richard Lewis Romeo Is Bleeding, directed by Peter Medak, starring Gary Oldman, Lena Olin, Annabella Sciorra, Juliette Lewis, Roy Scheider Rookie of the Year, directed by Daniel Stern, starring Thomas Ian Nicholas, Gary Busey, Albert Hall Rudy, directed by David Anspaugh, starring Sean Astin, Ned Beatty, Charles S. Dutton, Jason Miller, Jon Favreau The Sandlot, directed by David M. Evans Schindler's List, directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes - Academy and Golden Globe (drama) Awards for Best Picture Searching For Bobby Fischer, directed by Steven Zaillian, starring Joe Mantegna, Joan Allen, Ben Kingsley, Laurence Fishburne The Secret Garden, starring Maggie Smith - (U.K.) Shadowlands, directed by Richard Attenborough, starring Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger - (U.K.) Short Cuts, directed by Robert Altman, starring Tim Robbins, Robert Downey, Jr., Julianne Moore, Madeleine Stowe, Chris Penn, Lori Singer, Lily Tomlin, Tom Waits Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, directed by Bill Duke, starring Whoopi Goldberg Six Degrees of Separation, directed by Fred Schepisi, starring Stockard Channing, Will Smith, Donald Sutherland Sleepless in Seattle, directed by Nora Ephron, starring Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Bill Pullman, Rosie O'Donnell, Rita Wilson, Rob Reiner Sniper, starring Tom Berenger and Billy Zane So I Married an Axe Murderer, starring Mike Myers, Nancy Travis, Amanda Plummer Sommersby, directed by Jon Amiel, starring Richard Gere, Jodie Foster and Bill Pullman Son in Law, starring Pauly Shore Swing Kids, starring Christian Bale and Robert Sean Leonard The Thing Called Love, starring River Phoenix and Samantha Mathis Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould - (Canada) This Boy's Life, directed by Michael Caton-Jones, starring Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin, Leonardo DiCaprio The Three Musketeers, directed by Stephen Herek, starring Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris O'Donnell, Oliver Platt, Rebecca De Mornay - (U.K./U.S.A./Austria) Tombstone, directed by George P. Cosmatos, starring Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Dana Delany, Michael Biehn, Powers Boothe, Billy Zane True Romance, directed by Tony Scott, written by Quentin Tarrantino, starring Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Gary Oldman, Michael Rapaport, Brad Pitt Undercover Blues, starring Kathleen Turner and Dennis Quaid The Vanishing, starring Jeff Bridges, Kiefer Sutherland, Nancy Travis The War Room, directed by Chris Hegedus and D. A. Pennebaker Wayne's World 2, directed by Stephen Surjik, starring Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Christopher Walken, Tia Carrere, Kim Basinger The Wedding Banquet, directed by Ang Lee - (Taiwan/U.S.A.) - Golden Bear and Golden Space Needle awards What's Eating Gilbert Grape, starring Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenburgen, Leonardo DiCaprio What's Love Got to Do With It, directed by Brian Gibson, starring Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne - Nominated for 2 Oscars, won the American Choreography Award

I blame Blockbuster Video and how they failed to get studios to delay selling DVDs at reasonable costs like VHS with a 6-month waiting period. New release VHS was $99. As a consequence, windows were cut to 3-4 months and cheaper, meaning people went to the theatre less for smaller films. Thus the reason why studios don't make a lot of mid budget films. Remember 1993? Holy Moley that was an awesome year and summer. With the removal of a lot of smaller and mid budget films in Theatres, studios rely on tent pole movies, and the most reliable ones are franchise films. So there is a lot of meddling from all sort of suits, leaving us with bland films that don't take a lot of risks.

I don't understand why people want an expanded born on the Fourth of July. Williams, like he did for JFK, wrote a few long pieces and Stone reused them throughout the film if i understand correctly. All the pieces are on the original album no? Except for some alternates prolly based on the boot. I wish Police Academy had the end credits to Police Academy 5. That is my favorite end credits suite from the series.

How do you know it is not the other way around?A interview with Kunzel in FilmScoreMonthly. Kunzel also noted that he was usually the first to request a printed score from Williams.

^^ yep, and that's why Erich Kunzel fixed it and Williams uses Kunzels version now.

^^ I was thinking the same thing after seeing Now You See Me and Star Trek II

I skip the theme as presented on the OST because of the ending. I used to use iTunes to stop the track early. Now I just listen to Welcome to JP. Erich Kunzel added a new ending which I prefer, and that's used as a standard now--even Williams uses it.

That's odd. You've never heard Rosewood before?

Yes!!!!

Star Wars definitely. Jaws, perhaps. And, Superman IV is only enjoyable because of Courages' work on the old and new Williams themes. I think the first half of Harry III sucks as a film, but the latter half is awesome. And Williams music in the last quarter is outstanding.

Williams has said he doesn't like to watch movies, and he doesn't really listen to film music.

Does anybody know where the interviewer is coming up with the fact that Zimmer was 'frozen for three months', when coming up with the Man of Steel score? I think this is also such an interesting topic, and I'm glad he asked the question too. I'm curious what JW will think of the new superman score. I don't think Williams will either see Man of Steel nor hear the music to it.

But what a great typecast!

For me, "Taking Pictures" from Stepmom makes up for the entire rest of the score, though the end credit reprise is very, very nice. For me, "Letters" from Stanley and Iris standouts, though I tend to listen to the entire score once every couple of months. Very relaxing.

I just listened to Accidental and Stanley this weekend! I know some people dismiss the more intimate side of Williams as something too saccharine, shamelessly sentimental or dramatically mishandled, but I think they're very balanced, delicate and dramatically pitch-perfect. Especially The Accidental Tourist is a masterful example of drama scoring I admit I have a very deep personal attachment for this kind of wistful, quiet lyricism of JW. I find it very sincere and close to my own sensibility. Me too, Maurizio, me too. But I don't think people discriminate Williams' intimate and authumnal scores for the reasons that you have provided here. I think it's because they lack the crucial 'excite and brass' factor that Williams is synonymous with. Most fans love him for the symphonic approach of Star Wars, E.T., Indiana Jones and Potter. It's the reason why they want Williams for the new Star Trek movies too, for that franchise would mean that Williams is obliged to write another exciting, symphonic and heraldic score. Go ask around, most fans want Williams' music to embody the uplifting, I-can-conquer-the-world spirit of the eighties. Nobody is waiting for a gloomy The Accidental Tourist Part Deux or Stanley And Iris: The Elderly Years. Alex

Super 8 and Star Trek.