LSH

Ahh, fuck it. Close the thread.

THIS IS JUST FOR FUN - NO ARGUMENTS Let's say you're a director in Hollywood; who would you go for? From the current platter of talent. No dead people. Be realistic. Choose your [specific] genres too. Mine would be: Fantasy / Sci-Fi : James Newton Howard Animation : Dario Marianelli / Thomas Newman Action / Thriller : John Powell / Christopher Lennertz Romance : James Newton Howard / Craig Armstrong Western : Thomas Newman / Bear McCreary / David Arnold Drama : Thomas Newman / Johan Söderqvist I'll add more when I think.

Yeah, that's a pretty good description. I've got the CD somewhere collecting dust... I'll have to give it another listen. Thanks for the reminder.

Thank god, I thought it was just me. Has anyone actually met the maniac besides me?

Yes..?

That's actually... quite... good. Crikey. It sounds almost Thomas Newman-y in parts. In a good way. Especially those few bars that lead into the Force theme (quite a lovely version of that by the way) at the beginning. Wow. By the way, who the hell is Joseph Shirley?

I don't really know what to say. It's fucking great. Yes, it's derivative (it's Horner), but it has some of my favourite iterations of his trademarks. Re-Entry & Splashdown is an absolute powerhouse cue of emotions. The torturous four minutes of 'radio silence' in the film scored tensely but with complete reverence (children's choir and snare drums - what a great combination) --- and then that explosive thematic release. Utterly gorgeous, tear-jerking stuff. I mean, we're only talking 1995 and yet we'll never ever hear music like this in a film again. How sad.

Thor-bait if I ever saw it. Anyway, I have to side with Thor on the Powell thing here. I remembered his name from Antz (1998). And I was only eight at the time. And we're talking a big DreamWorks animation feature that essentially competed with Pixar's similarly themed second release, A BUG'S LIFE, that same year. That's enough to define a breakthrough in my eyes.

I'm glad I'm not the only one to notice this. It's great, isn't it! I quite liked the film too and was happy that the score is quite prominent in the mix.

I'm doing a mid-nineties James Horner binge. I'm also getting drunk during it. Starting with this score and a Diplomatico-Reserva Rum Old-Fashioned. I've only listened to this one a couple of times all the way through. I do like it though. I even like the song. But then, I'm a considerable Steve Winwood fan. He actually grew up on the same street as me... fun fact about me.

Williams ain't gonna be around forever. And that fact motivates two different things: 1. Get as much out of him now while you still can. 2. Nurture a new generation of younger composers to continue the franchise. Looks to me they are doing a bit of both.

THE ROCK dir. Michael Bay What can I say. It's Bay's best film by a long shot... at least the one with the most re-watch value (hence my 58th viewing or thereabouts). Connery and Cage are the most unlikely duo. But they're great together. Snappy dialogue (from various sources I'm told), crunchy 90s-style action sequences (which I genuinely think benefit from Bay's music video aesthetic), superb score (the peak of Media Ventures), and most surprisingly of all... an honourable antagonist (one of Ed Harris' best characters IMO). All in all, a superb 90s action film that absolutely takes itself too seriously in the right measure... but ultimately accepts that it's fluff. I miss this sort of stuff.

Come on, it might be. Let's face it, he's had enough time to count. EDIT: That was a cruel joke. He's very talented and I genuinely wish he got more gigs.

I don't normally get so aggy awaiting a release but I really want to hear his score for the recently released DOG. It has been mentioned favourably in a few film reviews.... Vanity Fair: The great film composer Thomas Newman does invaluable work, his compositions gracefully leading us to pockets of feeling that would otherwise go unreached. The Guardian: ...it looks and sounds the part (Thomas Newman score – check)... The Playlist: ...Thomas Newman’s score is evocative, even if he’s riffing on familiar themes... Tilt: Gorgeous vistas across the Pacific Coast are accentuated by Thomas Newman’s plucky score... MSB Reviews: ...Briggs and Lulu share emotionally impactful interactions that will generate a lot of smiles, a few laughs, and, who knows, a tear or two - Thomas Newman's fantastic score will surely cause that. **** And the director made this weird albeit encouraging comment in an interview with BoxOfficePro: We have a big score with Thomas Newman and an orchestra, really providing a sonic experience for everybody that’s going to be a lot better than watching it on your iPad or something. Just release the fucking thing.

I used to be massively anal about my organisation of music but I gave up on it recently. I realised that I was caring too much about impressing myself. I can find what I'm looking for when I need it... and that's enough.

Ok, I get what you're saying. I guess 'fair' is a pretty arbitrary term in this messy system.

Yes. At least it should. ASCAP, BMI, etc legislation, no?

No, I completely agree. I was being totally flippant with my comment. It's just a shame. Film music is a very unique art amongst art. Yeah, I understand that. And with all honesty I shouldn't really care. I'm an armchair critic as much as most of us are. I love film music, more than most genres, and it's my fucking crutch in the worst of times. I care about the people that make it as much as I care about the people who provide any other material substance in my life that I enjoy... which is utmost respect. So yeah, get the credits and royalties right. I can't do much from where I'm sitting but I hope it gets better because film music is not an art-form that deserves this sort of internal madness.

I'd like to know how prevalent it is outside of the Zimmer camp, I really would. I mean, I don't think the likes of Thomas Newman, Howard Shore or Alan Silvestri outsource composition duties. James Newton Howard has rebutted claims that he does. I agree with you though, Edmilson, it is upsetting.

Oscars mean jack shit in a creative sense and it's so very awfully sad that it's deemed a stamp of quality... and a plus-point on your CV.

Not entirely on-topic but I've got to offer all film composers my absolute respect. I write music, and I love doing it (wrote music for some student films back when I was at university), but I don't think I could hack it as a film composer in Hollywood despite any shred of talent that I might have. Very much in the same way that I love cooking but couldn't be a chef. Too much politics and meddling. Fuck that.

Nail on the head really. I mean this is a prevalent practice in a lot of industries and it's probably worse now than it ever was. Working in middle management for the past eight years has proven this to me. You never get recognition/reparations that are due. I'm bitter and little drunk.

Not heard this one but I can kinda predict what you mean. I've heard some of the other 'Disneynature' - Harry Gregson-Williams has done a few - and they are similar to what you describe. I'm not a patriot one bit but leave nature documentary fayre to the BBC please. Aww man what a lovely one this is. There are many pleasing Newman trademarks out there but the noodly oboe over warm string chords and airy synth pedal-note just breaks me. It's my Achilles' Heel. It's so pretty and it fucking kills me every time. More of this please Tom.

I met Deborah Lurie at an event a good few years ago and she is one incredibly lovely, talented and forward-thinking individual. She spoke very highly of Christopher Young, of whom she replaced on AN UNFINISHED LIFE but ultimately assisted completing Spiderman with if I remember rightly.