MrScratch

Turner Classic Movies is showing four JW films: Fitzwilly 6/3 4:15am Penelope 6/7 8:00am Missouri Breaks 6/21 4:45am Man Who Loved Cat Dancing 6/22 2:00am I don't believe any of these are available on DVD yet, so get those VCRs ready... I am particularly looking forward to Fitzwilly, probably my favorite of JWs 60s scores, aside from The Reivers.

I like the Prologue and the Fighting Donnelly's along with Land Race, but this is not an album I can pop in and listen all the way through. I also like Book of Days. Does anyone know if Enya and Williams worked together at all since they both contributed to the film? Has anyone seen the film? It doesn't look that interesting, I doubt that I will ever get around to seeing it, but how does Book of Days fit into the movie? Is it an End Credits piece? Catch Me If You Can (Williams)

Is this the oscar promo TTT DVD? I have that but it only plays on my computer DVD player. :cry: The Patriot (Williams)

"Far and Away" is not the most played of my JW CDs but this track is killer and, in my opinion, JWs best action cue of the 90s. Anyone have any thoughts on this cue/soundtrack?

All this talk of the LOTR theatrical and extended DVDs I'm wondering... Will you buy both versions of each film? Will you hold out for the extendeds? Or, will you stick with the theatricals? Personally, I don't mind paying for quality plus I have a little of the collectors blood in me. So I'm going to pick up both versions of each LOTR film plus the inevitalbe complete set of all three films after they've all been released. Same goes for the soundtracks, I'm buying the collectors (leatherbound) edition of each soundtrack plus the complete LOTR boxed set that is sure to come out after all films have been released.

I'm going also, I'm in the pavillion as well but I'd rather see JW than fireworks. Do you happen to know if Williams will conduct music to the fireworks? I'm hoping not. The Baltimore Symphony does that sometimes here at their outdoor concerts, Star Wars or some other scifi music going with fireworks going on during the music. Its kind of neat, but with JW at the podium, I don't want anything interfering with his music. This is also my third time. I saw him in 1996 in Boston, again in 1999 in Boston for the first public performance of Phantom Menace music and now Phillie for an all-Williams lineup.

Its been a rough day... Jeff - Who feels like a fool :roll:

!!! You live in Boston and you haven't seen JW conduct??? If Williams were conductor of my local orchestra I'd try to see him at every performance, or at least several times a year! What are you waiting for! Tix are on sale now! Jeff

If this is true I don't think I want to participate in this message board any longer. I'm a huge John Williams fan but by no means do I like every track on every JW CD I have. So, we are not allowed to discuss a John Williams piece and why we may or may not like it? Somebody clarify this for me please! Jeff - Disappointed that he can't intelligently discuss his opinion on any given JW piece.

If the Hulk grows THAT much bigger, what happens to his pants? I mean, Bill Bixby's pants couls still fit on Lou Ferrigno's Hulk, albeit ripped. But the CGI Hulk is so huge that surely no pair of pants would remain intact on him after getting so big. Does he run around naked??

I live in Baltimore and I'm a Red Sox fan. I like the O's too, but I love the Sox. Jeff - Who has been to Boston twice (both times to see JW) but has never been to a Sox home game. :cry:

I was listening to "By Request" the other day and I was reminded of how much I loathe the Liberty Fanfare. Am I the only one? What does everyone think of the piece? The "triumph" and "majesty" of the fanfare sounds forced and uninspired to me. To my knowledge, this piece has never been recorded since, and I'm not surprised.

What about the exciting renditions of Yoda's Theme in the ESB score? Its used as an action motif when Luke is chasing Boba through Cloud City and (although it was cut) Williams used it in the Luke and Vader Bespin duel. I'm not saying everytime Yoda is on screen we need to hear the theme, that of course is cheesy. But imagine these exciting Cloud City versions of Yodas theme playing during parts of the Yoda-Dooku duel, I think it works. Again, I'm not talking about tracking the scene with the ESB cues, I'm talking about scoring the scene and using Yoda's theme similar to the way Yoda's theme was used in ESB. Jeff - Whose favorite version of the Yoda Theme is "The Death of Yoda" from ROTJ. The Towering Inferno

Because I'm a pessimist and I have no faith in George Lucas I'm going to say yes, I think there will be. However part of the reason that AOTC was tracked during its final act was because it was all CGI action sequences that Lucas kept tinkering with right up until the films release. Because of the chaos of the battle, this gave Lucas the opportunity to tinker with it because he doesn't need actors to tinker with generic action sequences. With the more personal storyline of the Episode III, hopefully the second half of the movie will involve conflict between individuals and not armies. Therefore, Lucas has to have his actors filmed and his scenes edited by early 2005. He can't rely on CGI clone troopers and space ships to make up his finale for Episode III. So the cut that Williams sees and scores should (I say SHOULD) be completed. But you can't trust Lucas who will have even more "advanced" technology and special effects by then.

Let me know what you think of the film and score after seeing the movie! BY THE WAY, I lost sleep last night because of this post. All of the talking about the film and the score made me pop in the CD right before bedtime last night and I HAD to listen to the whole thing!! Thanks A LOT!!

What about the moment in AOTC that I described in my earlier post? Just that image of Jedi lighting their sabers and ready to kick some ass is as perfect a moment as any to throw in a quick, heroic quoting of the SW theme. Then all of the ensuing action could have been scored with little or no use of the Main Theme. I don't think thats overusing it, do you?

Could you clarify this statement? It almost sounds like you are supporting the use of tracked music, and I know that just cannot be the case, right? Neil - who has an unusually violent reaction when hearing the tracked, edited and looped music in Attack of the Clones. NO, I definitely don't want tracked music, especially repetitive and boring tracking like the final act of AOTC was. My point was that, since AOTC was tracked, anyone on this board could have done WAY better than what was used (and reused) in the final film, given the hours and hours of music available from all previous SW films. Regarding EpIII, no I don't want any tracked music at all. But I would like JW to use his themes, Imperial March, Yoda's Theme, The Main Theme and any new ones he comes up with AND for us to actually hear them during the film. Given Yoda's bigger role in the prequels than in the OT, I would like to have heard Yoda's Theme incorporated more into the prequel scores, same goes for the Main SW theme. Its the "Main Theme" afterall, why is he holding back? The Force Theme is the only one he seems willing to use the most. I think we really need to hear Luke and Leia's theme also, and more prominently than in ROTJ. Again, not tracked, but incorporated into the score.

I really want JW to bust out the SW music. There were so many times he could have thrown in the Star Wars main theme in the prequels. Why is he holding back? For instance, as discussed in another tread, I was watching AOTC and trying to sync up the "Love Pledge/Arena" track from the CD. It fits great, except toward the end, when Mace Windu steps into the Arena and Jedi show up. This is probably Lucas and Burtts doing. But anyway, if it were me, I would have played the Star Wars theme full throttle when all of the Jedi show up and ignite their sabers. That is a Star Wars moment right there, very heroic and you know when you see scores of armed Jedi, you're in for some intense action. Why not underscore it with the Main Theme from the saga. I mean, it seems silly to have the great Star Wars main theme playing over the opening scrawling text but then to not hear it anywhere else in the film. I mean, I think any of us could have tracked in better music than what ended up in the final film. Why not take advantage of existing themes. Anyway, thats what I am hoping for in Ep3, dominant themes, whether they are old or new.

Because of JWs beautiful score for Jane Eyre, I read the novel and have watched several film versions of the novel, including the JW-scored version. Its still for sale at ccvideo.com, just go here: http://www.ccvideo.com/item.cfm?itemid=TLS001101 JWs is, by far, the best Jane Eyre score that I've heard, even better than Herrmanns Eyre score, which is also terrific, but a little more darker and gothic than JWs. JWs is more romantic and longing. My favorite tracks are To Thornfield, Festivity At Thornfield (which I don't think was used in the film) and Trio-The Meeting. But really, all of the tracks are outstanding and really tell the story. JW captured the tension between the two lovers and the longing and the forbidden love. This is a must have for any JW fan, casual or completist. As for the film, its probably the best telling of the Jane Eyre story, in my opinion but still falls short. I'm not sure if any of you are familiar with the novel or other film versions, but the final third of the story (Janes "romance" with St John) always seems to be rushed through in ANY film version and never fully explained like it is in the book. This leaves viewers (who haven't read the book) uncertain of why St John is after Jane and why Jane wouldn't go for such a "great guy". The highlight of the film (besides the score) is, without a doubt, George C Scott. He IS Rochester. His is the most commanding Rochester in any film I've seen, but without seeming like a grumpy jerk like so many other Rochesters. Scott also fits the physical description of Rochester according to Bronte. Orson Welles was just too damned handsome, though he was fine otherwise! Also noteworthy is Susannah York. Though she is a bit aged to play Jane, in the book I believe Jane was 18 or 20. I suppose 20th century audiences wouldn't go for a romance between a 35-40 year old and an 18 year old. However, York is (and I'll quote Adam again) "very English and very pretty" like the JWs music. You must own this score and I highly recommend the film and the book. Check out Herrmanns Jane Eyre too!

I know I have the lyrics to it. I actually have an LP with long "remixes" of Lapti Nek. I picked it up at a flea market for a few dollars, and on the back cover it has all of the lyrics and (if I remember correctly) the English translation. I'm thinking I have the sheet music to it also, but I would have to double check when I got home. I'll let you know... Jeff - Who likes the as-of-yet unreleased film version of Lapti Nek the best.

I think a more appropriate question would be, "am i the only one that likes 'Attack Position'?" I love this cue, when Han flies directly at the Star Destroyer but then hides behind it. Its never been performed outside of the movie (to my knowledge) and is just as exciting as the Asteroid Field, but sadly much shorter.

One of JWs greatest action cues, and he's written a lot of great ones. No recording of it has even come close to the Original Film Version. Jeff - Who also hates it when people refer to score tracks/cues as "songs". The Asteroid Field!

I'm going to the Phillie JW concert in July and my wife and another friend of ours is going. My wife is not a film music fan at all and my friend is a very mild film music fan. He owns several Williams scores (Star Wars, Jurassic Park) and a few others (Braveheart, Last of the Mohicans) but I don't really think he listens to them that much. Anyway, I'm preparing a JW CD for us to listen to in the car on the way to Phillie. Its about an hour and a half drive, so a 60-75 minute CD is perfect to wow them with JW music and prep us for the concert. Here is my current tracklist: SUPERMAN: Main Title/The Planet Krypton ATTACK OF THE CLONES: Across The Stars JAWS: Theme THE PHANTOM MENACE: Duel of The Fates WITCHES OF EASTWICK: Dance of the Witches EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: The Imperial March HOOK: Flight To Neverland STAR WARS: Here They Come! INDIANA JONES & LAST CRUSADE: Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra 1941: March HARRY POTTER: Harry's Wondrous World EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: The Asteroid Field RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK: March CLOSE ENCOUNTERS: Theme (Kunzel cond.) E.T.: The Bicycle Chase (Kunzel cond.) STAR WARS: Main Title My main goal was to keep the album upbeat for the casual fans (no EMPIRE OF THE SUN or SCHINDLERS LIST, if it were just me, these would be definites!) and lots of the familiar stuff that we are likely to hear at the concert but also introduce some music that they might not know (WITCHES, 1941, HOOK). Any thoughts? Suggestions? I like the Kunzel recordings of Close Encounters and E.T. above any other concert recording out there and the 15 minute Adventures on Earth was too long for this CD. For the Superman intro, I took the Williams/BPO recording of the Superman Theme and mixed it with Kunzels recording of Planet Krypton. (Sorry, JW!!) I tried to use as many concert recordings as I could so to give the CD a concert feel. The only exception to this being ESBs The Asteroid Field, I don't like the existing recordings of the concert version. I like it bookended with the IMperial March and the Love Theme.

They are definitely similar, I love them both. When I first heard Across The Stars, I thought it sounded like a slowed down version of the Hook Theme. Both are fantastic though, I love them both. I also think that Marions theme and the Han and Leia love theme from ESB sound very similar and those were written in the middle of JWs creative peak.

I hope I'm not too late to chime in with my opinion... While this is not my favorite Williams score it is one that demonstrates Williams chameleon like abilities. Its sort of a mix between The Reivers and Schindlers List. And if you hadn't known it, to listen to the spiritual tracks, you would never know they were composed by an old white guy.