Composer Threads James Newton Howard thread

[crocodile 7,984]

Not nearly enough good ones though

Karol - looking forward to The Happening score (but not a film).

[JoeinAR 1,949]

sure there is, Batman, that was enough. Everything else is a lesser film.

btw, I've been unable to find the score in any local establishment, that ticks me off.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I'm watching Dateline on NBC right now, and they're using the entire Michael Clayton score throughout the program.

[Delorean90 42]

sure there is, Batman, that was enough. Everything else is a lesser film.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and Batman Begins are hardly lesser films, and they are both superior to B89 in faithfulness to the character.

-Ben, who wants to hear The Happening, if only to stay on-topic.

[Ollie 1,059]

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

Now that one has a fantastic score by the late Shirley Walker.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Indeed it does.

However, let's stick to ol' JNH. Who here is a fan of Dreamcatcher or Freedomland? Terrible movies, but pretty decent scores IMO.

[Jamesyboy 3]

I'm a fan of Dreamcatcher! Very good score IMO.

Freedomland was a little slow for me, but this will give an excuse to put it on and listen to it again.

Jamesyboy

[Vaderbait1 1]

Nothing he does could ever top Signs! Just thought I'd let you all know.

[Saxbabe 28]

Hehe, yeah...I ended up getting sucked into Atlantis on TV tonight again...and gah, what a great score that is.

So...there is a half-hour feature showing this week on Fox Movie Channel called "The Happening: Taking Fear to a New Level" that shows some behind the scenes from the movie and interviews with the actors as well stuff about Night's style of filmmaking, it's pretty good if you can catch it on.

I'm going to see the movie on opening day, and wait (boy it is hard!) to hear the score in film. Looking forward to it from everything you guys have written so far!

[Bryant Burnette 654]

Indeed it does.

However, let's stick to ol' JNH. Who here is a fan of Dreamcatcher or Freedomland? Terrible movies, but pretty decent scores IMO.

I've never been able to get into Dreamcatcher, although it's not at all bad. I hate the movie. Not one of my favorite King novels in the first place, and the movie made zero improvements; took steps backward, if anything.

I look forward to having The Happening on CD. I didn't pay a lot of attention to the music when I saw the movie (that happens to me a lot), but it seemed to be fairly good the few times I did notice it.

[Ollie 1,059]

The Fugitive and Waterworld remain his top scores for me. Also add Wyatt Earp to the mix.

[Saxbabe 28]

No one has posted in this thread for a while...

Even though I am a big JNH fan, I have gotten behind in his output in the last couple of years (also because I haven't seen some of the films he's scored) and was going to ask some advice on which of his recent scores are really worth getting to know? (Post Lady in the Water, and besides The Happening)

I just recently have been listening to Lady in the Water again, getting to really know the score, and it keeps climbing higher up in his output for me. I'd like to edit together the last three tracks as they are a full piece unto themselves...and absolutely stunning. It is such a magical score. There are tracks, or there's a theme rather, that when you listen to them, really get to you, like get under your skin - specifically the end of the Prologue and end of The Healing, the repeated note theme over the gently shifting layered string harmonies. :cool: Ooooh!

Anyone notice that JNH tends to write more minmalistic-type music for the Shyamalan films? There's definitely a similar stylistic thread running through those scores. Echoes of Phillip Glass and even Arvo Part..when I listen to his scores for Night it makes me wonder what his concert music would sound like, if he wrote any.

I wonder if it would be kind of like those scores, or if it would be totally different, perhaps more atonal like JW. I am curious!

Anyway - are any of his other scores recently a standout? What is I Am Legend like? (I need to see that film.)

[Ollie 1,059]

Well I'm gonna guess you won't get the new Batman score....

I was kinda underwhelmed by his score for The Waterhorse.

[Richard Penna 3,673]

I Am Legend is similarly dark, but it does have a couple of standout cues, Evacuation being one of them. The main theme is one of the most memorable things he's written lately and it's flexible enough to be used in lots of contexts. I loved Water Horse as well - what was it you found underwhelming Mark?

I've been a massive fan of all of his output lately, excepting Michael Clayton which I haven't been able to get into thus far.

Planning to See Dark Knight on Thursday, and I'm sure the music will work great, but it's mostly failed to ignite me on CD,

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I Am Legend was a pleasant surprise for me because I didn't expect it to be so gentle and soft. Then again, the movie was a pleasant surprise as well, because I thought it would be mostly action while it focused mainly on Will Smith's separation anxiety.

I love Michael Clayton. Still probably the only one here. It's very malleable music, and I thought it fit the style and tone of the film extremely well. It is somewhat sad that the record label or whoever owns the rights to the music sold it to NBC for use in their Dateline programs.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

Not familiar with much of his non-Happening work of late other than The Water Horse, which I highly recommend. Do you have that one yet, Greta?

[Ollie 1,059]

I loved Water Horse as well - what was it you found underwhelming Mark?

It wasn't as magical sounding, if that makes sense. I expected more of an uplifting score.

[Morlock 11]

I was initially underwhelmed by it, but it grew on me. I find myself going back to the End Credits rather regularly.

[publicist 4,643]

I was initially underwhelmed by it, but it grew on me. I find myself going back to the End Credits rather regularly.

"Swimming" is certainly one of the best long lyrical/fantasy cues in the last 10 years. The score may be slight as a whole but has some really good craft behind it.

[Bryant Burnette 654]

I was initially underwhelmed by it, but it grew on me. I find myself going back to the End Credits rather regularly.

"Swimming" is certainly one of the best long lyrical/fantasy cues in the last 10 years. The score may be slight as a whole but has some really good craft behind it.

Isn't there also a great cue on Waterworld called "Swimming?"

[Ollie 1,059]

Yes it's track #6. I can't remember if it's one of the good tracks on the score.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

Yeah, but it's a lot lower-key than the track of the same name from The Water Horse. Really cool atmosphere and use of synths.

[Richard Penna 3,673]

I loved Water Horse as well - what was it you found underwhelming Mark?

It wasn't as magical sounding, if that makes sense. I expected more of an uplifting score.

Funny... those are two words I would use to perfectly describe this score. I mean Swimming has it all. But if you don't see it that way that's cool, notice the 'bone chilling' thread

[nightscape94 965]

Damn, long time since this thread was active! Hopefully the new "The Last Airbender" score will revive some of you JNH fans.

[Richard Penna 3,673]

Revive yes, but not in a good way.

Last Airbender goes down as an official disappointment for me. I'm sure it works great in the film but on CD it's just too generic and leans dangerously close to Zimmer's sound quite often. I kept 30 mins from the album, and 1/3 of that is due to the suite which I only enjoy the first third of.

He can do much, much better than this.

[Brónach 1,301]

I also like that section of Airbender Suite. I wonder why that theme doesn't appear again in the score. Maybe it's just that way or they handled the release stupidly.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I haven't listened to the whole score yet. I'm waiting for the official release to enjoy it in full glory. I wonder if Salt is getting a release.

[Richard Penna 3,673]

Samples from JNH's next, Water for Elephants, are here.

I'm not impressed.

[Jay 37,300]

That movie looks weird

[Wojo 2,453]

Anything with Robert Pattinson after GOF looks weird.

[Jim Ware 526]

Last Airbender goes down as an official disappointment for me. I'm sure it works great in the film but on CD it's just too generic and leans dangerously close to Zimmer's sound quite often. I kept 30 mins from the album, and 1/3 of that is due to the suite which I only enjoy the first third of.

Yay! Someone agrees with me!

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I thought it was very dull. I was amazed when people were calling it JNH's best work in ages, I thought I was listening to the wrong album.

[Richard Penna 3,673]

My opinion of The Last Airbender has improved since writing that, although it comes with the caveat that he's sounding more like Zimmer every day.

I'm starting to think the JNH I loved during the noughties has gone.

[Kevin 22]

Last Airbender goes down as an official disappointment for me. I'm sure it works great in the film but on CD it's just too generic and leans dangerously close to Zimmer's sound quite often. I kept 30 mins from the album, and 1/3 of that is due to the suite which I only enjoy the first third of.

Yay! Someone agrees with me!

And me!

The thing that really kills The Last Airbender is the lack of overarching main theme to tie everything together.

[Richard Penna 3,673]

There is a 'main theme', just not one that makes a big impression immediately. It's the repeat-two-note-thing in the Prologue and at the end of Flow Like Water.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I'm starting to think the JNH I loved during the noughties has gone.

There's nothing to think about, he has evolved. I recall us discussing this in great detail when The Last Airbender first came out.

Personally I'm not a huge fan of what he's become, although to be fair, he hasn't been getting the best release schedule. We never saw a release for The Green Hornet, which could be something great, but I wouldn't know. I think there was another big film he scored that didn't get a release, as well. I'm liking the samples for Water For Elephants, the film doesn't look too bad either.

As for Airbender, I think the score is great, but it can run a little long sometimes. Worth it for "Flow Like Water" and the suite though.

[Richard Penna 3,673]

I'm not a fan full stop.

I still say "think" because any composer can do something different, or return to their roots, when given the right material. The Green Lantern has potential.

[Brónach 1,301]

Green Lantern = Unbreakable meets Atlantis.

[Red 75]

Green Lantern = Unbreakable meets Atlantis.

That sounds pretty daggum good.

[Trent B 337]

I'm hoping that The Green Lantern will be good. Hopefully Hans Zimmer's writing style hasn't fully rubbed off on JNH, I rather have liked him but the last few scores of his are, meh.

[Kevin 22]

Defiance was JNH's attempt at Schindler's List

[Richard Penna 3,673]

And a damn good one (if you ignore the completely autopilot action material).

I'd say it's also far more listenable.

[Ollie 1,059]

Green Lantern = Unbreakable meets Atlantis.

Uhhh, meh......

Unbreakable is fine but I would expect something more exciting for the Green Lantern. Atlantis isn't anything special.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Defiance was JNH's attempt at Schindler's List

Hardly, the only thing they really have in common is the prominence of the violin. Either way, solo violin is somewhat of Howard's signature.

Green Lantern = Unbreakable meets Atlantis.

Unbreakable is fine but I would expect something more exciting for the Green Lantern. Atlantis isn't anything special.

I think he means that's what the movie will be like, superhero + wondrous unknown world. I don't want to hear what the scores would sound like combined, they're so different.

[Jay 37,300]

The Water For Elephants OST is out today. Anyone heard it?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004Q56748

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I'm about halfway through so far, and while it isn't anything highly impressive, it's his best in awhile and a nice listen. The elegance and gentleness makes it sound a lot like Desplat, but with a richer and more prominent use of strings.

For $10, definitely worth it.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

I got two of his scores yesterday, The Prince of Tides and Intersection. They were only cheap.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I find The Prince Of Tides to be rather boring. Never heard Intersection.

Okay, Water For Elephants just got a whole lot more interesting. More propulsive percussion and orchestra "thumps" that sound like the new ol' Newton Howard.

[Matt C 452]

Unbreakable is fine but I would expect something more exciting for the Green Lantern. Atlantis isn't anything special.

Maybe Unbreakable meets King Kong or Waterworld?

Green Lantern is being recorded in L.A., hopefully WB will let Varese handle CD duties (like they did with Unknown and Cats & Dogs 2). I can't see Watertower doing a physical release for this, outside of their Harry Potter and Hans Zimmer titles.

[Ollie 1,059]

Thoughts?

I'm to the point where JNH isn't a priority anymore.

What happened to him.....