Horner's Apocalypto: what is known?

[Sandor 798]

Just read this on AICN:

Watching it the second time - the temp score kills me, but he's got James Horner working on a score that will use 100% primative instruments.

Sounds promising. This is Mel Gibson's new film by the way.

[scissorhands 16]

Tonny Hinnigan, colaborator of James Horner, said the following in his website some weeks ago:

"I have lately been "wrangling" for a forthcoming Mel Gibson movie.This means that I am charged with the task of assembling the, somewhat specialist, musicians from several corners of the globe. I also have to, as I did with "Troy", procure strange and exotic instruments including, for example, a Tromba Marina. The name may imply that it's some kind of deep-sea trumpet but, in fact, it's a stringed instrument, popular in Medieval Europe until it fell into obsolescence in the eighteenth century. You play it with a bow and the vibrating string passes over a "floating bridge", which rattles against the soundboard making a noise like - a deep-sea trumpet!

This, along with sets of Swedish bark trumpets and Ugandan wildebeest horns, have come from the kind musicians at the "Shakespeares' Globe" theatre in Southwark, London. In addition to myself, with my usual arsenal of ethnic instruments, there will be Bob White, Jan Hendrickse and Guo Yi, all possessed of equally formidable equipment. Gary Kettel and Frank Ricotti, on drums , will finally ensure that the cavernous Studio 1 at Abbey Road will have no floor space for the duration.

I have also contacted Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in Pakistan, who will be singing and, as I mentioned earlier, composer James Horner has asked me to find an Ethiopian female singer, hence the "wrangling almost complete" tag.

The movie, by the way, is called "Apocalypto", and is set in Pre-Columbian Central America. I'm told that all the dialogue is in Mayan, hence the orchestra-free primitive style approach to the score from James.

On a slightly different note, there is a new webcast on the site and some new whistle reviews. Even more whistles arrived in the post this morning so watch the "Old Grey Whistle Test" for imminent updates.

Pint of whistles, anyone?

Yes, very witty. Sides currently splitting.

[Justin 2]

Is the Shakuhachi flute considered primitive? If so then this will be nothing new...

Justin

[futuremartymcfly 0]

well, I wonder how the Sons of Scotland theme sounds on a Tromba Marina.

[Ollie 1,069]

LOL

I have a feeling this film will tank.

[Luke Skywalker 1,807]

Pre-coumbian america.

And they hire a ethiopian or pakistani vocalist??

Its almost a worse usage than HULK...

[Ollie 1,069]

The reason I think this film won't succeed has to do with Gibson's drunken tirade, there is no advance hype like there was for Passion, and the subject matter doesn't sound like something that will grab the attention of today's audiences.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

The film itself looks interesting, but Gibson's antics will probably take up most of the press on this one, instead of focusing on the film itself.

[Red 75]

I wish he would've just shut his mouth.

[Vaderbait1 1]

This movie would tank anyways, because it's not what people want to see. It may be a great movie, but it won't do Passion-like numbers because there isn't a Mayan religion that is heavily predominant in the world today.

I look forward to it, but anyone who expects this to be a hit is fooling themselves. And it's not about his tirade, we've all seen that tirades and embarassments do nothing to affect box office numbers, it's just that the movie itself won't interest 70% of the population.