MikeH

https://filmmusicreporter.com/2026/05/15/james-newton-howard-scoring-m-night-shyamalans-remain/
e
It's done
 
JB

All my love scenes are extended!

If only there was a whole book you could read... 

Some photos from the LA Times article covering the event:
 

 

 

 

 



Even the class photo reflects his brilliance from day one.

“His music is all melody-driven” is such a pretentious take. As if being melodic were a flaw, or as if music automatically becomes deeper the more atonal or inaccessible it is. It is the usual elitist reflex: dismiss what moves people, then pretend the dismissal itself is sophistication.

I'm not someone who really knows much about recording, orchestration, or performance technique but it's something I've picked up on too. At least as somebody who played trumpet a decade in school, this was the kind of sound that made me wanna be a trumpet player, it has this lovely ringing, brilliance. 
 
 
Compared to this similar rising gesture, which falls flatter to my ears. 
 

I'm dazzled by all JW's London recordings from around the new millennium. ROTS suffers somewhat from the percussion being recorded separately with close mics, but otherwise it still sounds spectacular. A dozen years later, Galaxy's Edge gave us another taste. Glorious.
 
 
For TLJ, I think the rough edges are somewhat smoothed by reverb; they went with a wetter sound for that one. But I still hear that unflattering sound in the trumpets—just not as much as in a score like KOTCS.

Williams did visit us and wrote a piece based on his impressions.
 

I dont know if this has ever been posted before, but I found this video of Stéphane Denève and the New World Symphony performing the suite from "The Book Thief". I dont think I had heard this full concert version before. A really wonderful suite that lines up wonderfully beside pieces like the "BFG Suite" or the "War Horse Suite".
 
 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DX7KLzFFM_t/
 
Anybody planning on attending? https://www.laphil.com/events/performances/4032/2026-06-04/gustavo-dudamel-celebrating-the-musicians-of-the-la-phil

I really like this score. The one thing that drew me to it was that stellar rendition of the main theme with the racing strings heard in the teaser trailer (which is actually from the chandelier crash in The Point Of No Return). Absolutely love that part, the clear highlight of the score for me. This combined with the images from that teaser (even if unfortunately a bit too epileptic for my taste) really had me hooked. I do wish the film had lived up to it. I don't think it is as bad as some people say, but yes, it definitely has its fair share of problems, chief amongst them of course being Gerard Butler's performance as The Phantom. Talk about miscasting...
 
Oh, well. We'll still have that teaser:
 
 
 
The Journey To The Cemetery cue is another excellent one:
 
 
 
I would love to get a recording sessions leak or a complete score release of that one. The Deluxe Edition was far from perfect, being one of those releases where the producers thought it was a genius idea to include sound effects and such (plus, it is missing some music as well).

I've said before but if I'm still as sharp and alert (and alive!) in my 90s as JW is in this video, I'd be very happy, regardless of any mobility issues.

So glad to finally see new footage of the Maestro speaking! I feel like we haven’t had a recording of him doing anything more than waving in a long time. His speech is definitely a touch slurred - a few words slipped by me - but he’s definitely still mentally very sharp, sense of humor and all.
 
Between this little speech, and the fact that we know he was at least conducting some sessions of Disclosure Day, it’s really miraculous that a man approaching his mid-90’s while recovering from two strokes is in such relatively great condition like this!

His mind is sharp. We can expect another brilliant -and lengthy- work from the Maestro in 7 weeks.

1M4
 

I found the deeper glimpses into Williams' personal life the most fascinating, and the most touching were the parts that explored grief in Williams own life and the extra details behind the creation of the Elegy and the effects it had on the mother of the children the piece was dedicated to. Williams struggled with his own grief, but his music helped others deal with equally or more tragic deaths. It reminds me of Horner's lack of ability to recognize emotions in person, but excelled at doing that through his art.
 
However, the few times when compositions were mentioned that we didn't know existed stopped me in my tracks, especially the 4 or 5 alternate pieces for Obama's inauguration.  I turned each page (digitally) always hoping for details about a previously unknown piece. There were three or four cases that have stayed in my mind: The short 1970s TV theme and the extra unused songs written for Cinderella Liberty.

If anyone was turned away by the paywall, I made the decision to make this series free to all. I think you'll enjoy it.
 
Tim

The way CD jewel cases were manufactured from 1982 to early 90s was the height of the craft. Cases were sturdy, stayed closed, and the center nubs had the right amount of grip. When you held an 80s jewel case in the hand, the weight and rigidity told you you were holding something important. Today’s cases are so flimsy, you’d think they’re designed to be disposable.
 
Enshittification comes for everything eventually. Remember the sturdy nature of the first dvd cases? And then the first blu ray cases? Same thing happened to them.

Getting a cool new Bond song by David Arnold was certainly not on my bingo card today… The lyrics aren’t all great but Lana Del Rey’s got a great voice for Bond and WOW, that orchestra!

I’m getting “Surrender” vibes (and maybe even a touch of “Gollum’s Song” at the beginning?)… this is SO good, IMO, and apparently Nicholas Dodd is back too! Who had any idea they were involved with this major new Bond game?
 

Yavar

yesterday - Copenhagen, Denmark, April 10th 2026 - ROYAL ARENA
 
STAR WARS - THE LAST JEDI ( 2017 ) - live to film 
 
Stockholm Concert Orchestra - conducted by Julian Bigg
 
fantastic and enthusiastically performed by the orchestra ... without any real audible mistakes
 
 
The sound was mixed so beautifully that everything important came to its right ... and all the lovely musical highlights:
 
-A  large part of the space battle sequences....
 
-Rey on the island as she follows Luke around / Rey's training...
 
- AND YES :  ......LUKE and Leia reunion it was so movingly arranged.....and performed so fantastic  by the orchestra.....
 
-crait battle... / the spark.... so fun to watch the orchestra...
 
Every time I hear Rey's theme - and in all the arrangements it appears in, it dawns on me how fantastic a composition it is ....  Johnny you scored a HOME RUN with this theme......
 

I felt it was appropriate to share this here. In the first episode of Tim Grieving’s exclusive podcast, Why We Love Spielberg-Williams, for paid subscribers to his Substack, Behind the Moon, at the end, @Maestro mentions that, although he knows almost nothing about the music itself (he mentioned at the beginning that despite reaching out to both John Williams and Steven Spielberg’s camp, he was not allowed to attend the scoring sessions due to the secrecy in an effort to build anticipation for the project), he does know that “there is a lot of it. And from my sources on the inside, there are … moments in the film where that old Spielberg-Williams magic is absolutely back.”

Nothing too descriptive but nice to see. Further confirmation the score is done. 
 
 
 
https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/issue-preview-steven-spielberg-disclosure-day/

I adore the very gentle tension in Saving Private Ryan when they are looking through the dog tags.  I tear up when seeing it because the acting, directing, scoring are all so moving.  But it's not a grand moment, not a big theme or anything.  Very subtle.  Here it is transcribed.
John Williams - Looking for Ryan.mp3  
 

I was thinking this recently with quite a few Horner/Williams tracks, how there are certain moments specifically that resonate more with me, that I know are not particularly loved by others, and was wondering if anybody else had their own moments like these? If so, give them their moment in the spotlight here.
 
Mine:
 
"Death of Topthorn" from War Horse. Specifically from 0:54 to 1:15.
Death of Topthorn
The best I can describe it is like fine music walking down some stairs, but dragging one foot. Each step brings forth a sad memory, one from recent years, the next from childhood, the next losing a parent, etc. and then the last step is coming to terms with it and moving on stronger than before. Probably reads as insane, but that's what I picture/sort of feel when listening to this. Honestly the most striking part of the score in my opinion. Can't even remember it in the movie, and glad for it.
 
"Setting the Trap" from Home Alone 1. From 1:48 to 1:55
Setting the Trap
The 'Christmas Star' melody juxtaposes the rising chords of the "Somewhere in my Memory" melody while the bass note goes DOWN in the background. It ALMOST sounds chaotic, but it blends together so freakishly well it brings about this strange magic sound to it. Superb.
 
"Farewell Neverland" from Hook. From 2:19 to 4:12.
Farewell Neverland
The entire choir section in general is stunning, but it's because of the CHORDS. The incredible chords. First listen, you have no idea where it's going, and on the 1000th listen you realise how magical the chords are, straight out of a fairytale. Something about the random "cliffhanger" and "end of story with a but" chords that are utilised here, and so often. It's incredible. Best part of the score imo. The crescendo ending is the cherry on top.
 
 
Some others:
 
"Hedwig's Theme" from Harry Potter 1, the bass drum at 4:22, and the flutter of flutes in the background add such terrific magic at 4:43.
 
"Escape/Chase/Saying Goodbye" from E.T., at 9:49, the melancholy cellos giving a very Schindler's List-y sad but beautiful vibe.
 
"Mom Returns and Finale" from Home Alone 1. 1:21, when Kate calls Kevin's name at the end of the movie and he realises she's behind him. This tiny little moment of fluttering strings is just the perfect embodiment of the emotions in that moment. "Could it really be her?" So beautiful.
 
"Main Title 'Somewhere in my Memory'" from Home Alone 1. The end credits music with the main theme, there is a specific moment during the choir singing that has always sent chills down my spine. It's the word "me" in "Christmas joys all around me". The lower note gives the vocals a humming. Mixed with the equally low harmonies and the orchestra surrounding it, it gives a sort of comforting 'wall-of-sound' effect that is stunning.
 
 
 
Do you have any specific moments you love from a JW score?