The Quick Question Thread

[Ollie 1,059]

Actually, of all places, the bridge section in Jabba the Hut's concert arrangement could be interpreted as erotic scoring. Those glistening strings would have given Jerry a boner!

You sure it's not the heavy breathing of the Tuba player?

[Faleel 5,346]

I have listened to LOTR, AUJ, and SOuN, what other scores has Shore done that are as good as LOTR (or better)?

[Incanus 5,714]

I have listened to LOTR, AUJ, and SOuN, what other scores has Shore done that are as good as LOTR (or better)?

In my opinion he hasn't surpassed his LotR material but off the top of my head Eastern Promises, The Fly, A History of Violence, Looking for Richard and Silence of the Lambs and Dogma are definitely worth checking out.

[indy4 155]

Ed Wood is a fun one too, although stylistically it's very different form LotR (and not as awesome IMO).

[crocodile 8,008]

Middle Earth music is quite unique sound in his oeuvre. He's an extremely intelligent composer, but most of his works require some patience to fully appreciate. Hence, nothing will match the entertaining factor of his Tolkien-related works.

Hugo is a nice score, if you like accordion and Paris music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaalyEBRkOg

And so is The Aviator, which has some really exciting passages sprinkled in there too.

The Fly is a classic horror score as well.

And I also love this track (but then Shore wrote only a handful of cues for this film):

His other works, or most of them at least, are more moody and difficult. I'd encourage you to give them a try, of course.

Karol

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

Warning: Massive Se7en spoiler if you haven't seen the film.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Quite a simple cue maybe, but incredibly effective.

[Quintus 5,399]

Question: in Captain America, we see the little guy be the lab rat and become this chiseled adonis super soldier, Captain America. It seemed like a quick process and straightforward to accomplish. They had the machinery built. So why didn't America just make more super soldiers like him? Instead it's just this one guy running around with his shield, which seems like a bit of an oversight.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Because creating an army of supersoldiers would make them evil Nazi-like villains?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Question: in Captain America, we see the little guy be the lab rat and become this chiseled adonis super soldier, Captain America. It seemed like a quick process and straightforward to accomplish. They had the machinery built. So why didn't America just make more super soldiers like him? Instead it's just this one guy running around with his shield, which seems like a bit of an oversight.

If you remember, the Hydra spy (played by Thorin Oakenshield) destroyed the lab and killed the man that behind the serum.

The Avengers even states that many scientists afterwards tried to replicate to formula but failed (Doctor Banner tried and become the Hulk).

This conceit kinda works if you completely ignore that doctor Eskrine must have totally ignored all scientific method and didn't write down his formula.

An army of Captain America soldiers would have been as boring as the 40 something Iron-Men suits we saw in the end of the third film.

[Quintus 5,399]

I had no idea David Banner was attempting to replicate the same process. I thought his work was his own?

But yeah, it ties together reasonably enough IF you're willing to overlook the fact the scientist chap who got killed didn't write down his formula ANYWHERE. Which is bullshit, but easy to let off in this sort of movie.

Also, I had no idea till now that was Armitage.

Because creating an army of supersoldiers would make them evil Nazi-like villains?

Yeah my bad, I always forget that America are the moral compass who would never do anything sinister like that if they had the opportunity.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Did you even see this film?

Dr Eskrine says the serum would only do what he designed it to do with people of good character.

That's why Agent Smith looked like a Red Skull, he was a baddie who used the serum.

The titbit of Doctor Banner trying to replicate the serum was mentioned in The Avengers.

[Quintus 5,399]

I was sipping wine whilst we were watching. Now that you mention it I do remember Eskrine explaining about how it makes good people great and bad people worse. I'd forgotten that part, or probably wasn't really paying proper attention at that point.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Sipping or chugging?

I had a rather nice Grenache last night.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Because creating an army of supersoldiers would make them evil Nazi-like villains?

Yeah my bad, I always forget that America are the moral compass who would never do anything sinister like that if they had the opportunity.

Sarcasm or not, in this type of movies that certainly is the rule (it's called Captain America, for crying out loud).

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I agree. Captain America reminds me of Christopher Reeve's Superman. That same "Gee whizz" kinda old-fasioned goodness and morality.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Which is why I actually quite liked it. It didn't have the saccharine attitude most modern day comic book movies have. It's much more adventurous.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I like the movie, though nothing much seemed to happen in the second half. Just Cap destroying Hydra bases, and fighting unnamed baddies.

[crocodile 8,008]

I like Silvestri's score, but the film I can't really remember.

Karol

[Quintus 5,399]

Which is why I actually quite liked it. It didn't have the saccharine attitude most modern day comic book movies have. It's much more adventurous.

It's why I enjoyed it as well, as mentioned in the movie talk thread. It felt like pre-Nolan Hollywood.

Marc, you have misunderstood me. I was simply referring to the perceived common sense of the matter. The moralistic aspect had no bearing on my query. Yes, I know that America are the 'goodies' in these movies. No need to get your knickers in a twist!

I like Silvestri's score, but the film I can't really remember.

Karol

It was alright I suppose, and at least it was old fashioned and rollicking in style. But Silvestri's theme drought hurt it I thought. With a strong theme the movie would have left a bigger impression.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

His theme is quite good, but not used very much.

Same as in The Avengers I guess. (which really works once Silvestri's horns starts to blare it out in full)

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Here's a question that someone (Koray) can probably answer: I'm wondering about the origin of the famous drones heard in the Inception soundtrack that have become so iconic and so frequently imitated. Were these written by Hans Zimmer? Because they appear in several of the trailers for the film, i.e. 23 seconds into this one:

Zack Hemsey wrote the trailer music based on Zimmer's score. It's a Zimmer original, though technically it's just the Edith Piaf song played in the film slowed down to a hundredth of a second.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

I like the movie, though nothing much seemed to happen in the second half. Just Cap destroying Hydra bases, and fighting unnamed baddies.

True, it loses some steam once he gets to Europe and has had his first encounter with Red Skull.

Marc, you have misunderstood me. I was simply referring to the perceived common sense of the matter. The moralistic aspect had no bearing on my query. Yes, I know that America are the 'goodies' in these movies. No need to get your knickers in a twist!

Truth be told, I had no common sense answer, so I just went with the first thing that came to mind. I remember other movies having the Nazi's build superhuman armies (didn't The Rocketeer have something similar?), so I found it interesting there's a story where the creation of superhuman soldiers in WWII is an American pursuit, rather than a German one. The whole idea of creating this superhuman character seems more like something Ze Germans would do at the time than the American Heroes that are always portrayed in WWII adventure stories. Just saying. It's interesting, from a storytelling point of view (even though the actual Captain America story pretty much glosses over this).

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Fuckin' fascists! - The Dude

[Jay 37,353]

I like Silvestri's score, but the film I can't really remember.

Karol

It was alright I suppose, and at least it was old fashioned and rollicking in style. But Silvestri's theme drought hurt it I thought. With a strong theme the movie would have left a bigger impression.

[Incanus 5,714]

Now that's a theme for the star spangled hero fighting for the American way!

[indy4 155]

Here's a question that someone (Koray) can probably answer: I'm wondering about the origin of the famous drones heard in the Inception soundtrack that have become so iconic and so frequently imitated. Were these written by Hans Zimmer? Because they appear in several of the trailers for the film, i.e. 23 seconds into this one:

Zack Hemsey wrote the trailer music based on Zimmer's score. It's a Zimmer original, though technically it's just the Edith Piaf song played in the film slowed down to a hundredth of a second.

Thanks!

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Reminds me of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Which isn't a bad thing at all. I might have to check this one out.

[Ollie 1,059]

Unfortunately that piece isn't on the actual CD, it's only available as a download from iTunes.

I don't think Amazon had it available.

[Jay 37,353]

Yup iTunes only, it's not even on Spotify

[Delorean90 42]

I don't own any of the Omen scores yet, and I'm wondering what the situation is like with those. It seems that The Final Conflict is the only one in print. Is there still music missing from any of them? Should we be hoping for any expansion, or simply unlimited reissues? I'd like to own them but I want to know what's up before I invest any money.

[Omen II 1,235]

I don't own any of the Omen scores yet, and I'm wondering what the situation is like with those. It seems that The Final Conflict is the only one in print. Is there still music missing from any of them? Should we be hoping for any expansion, or simply unlimited reissues? I'd like to own them but I want to know what's up before I invest any money.

I would recommend getting the box set of all three scores, all of which are worth having, if you can find it for a reasonable price (and assuming you cannot find them individually for cheaper, as the box itself includes nothing that is not already on the individual releases). The film version of the climactic cue The Altar did not survive from the original The Omen, but I don't think there is anything else significant missing.

Here is a link to the box set on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Omen-Trilogy-Jerry-Goldsmith/dp/B000B8I8UK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377373478&sr=8-1&keywords=omen+trilogy+goldsmith

[indy4 155]

I concur

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Wasnt The Altar just edited together?

[Naïve Old Fart 9,520]

A quick "Home Alone" question: wht the *&^% is a "gingerbread feeling"?!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,520]

What was the last score to be credited to Johnny Williams, what was the first score to be credited to John Williams, and why is "The Long Goodbye" credited to

John T. Williams?

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

I thought I'd read something about the Johnny/John transition in John Takis' liner notes for Heidi, but I can't find it. Anyway, the old Label X release is credited to Johnny, while the new Quartet release credits John.

[indy4 155]

Daddy-O is credited as "John." Obviously he switched back to Johnny at some point.

[chuck 154]

Who has composed the most number of Western film scores in their career? Elmer Bernstein? Ennio Morricone? Jerry Goldsmith? John Williams? Hans Zimmer?

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Morricone did around 30-something.

There are a bunch of other Italian composers that have done a lot of westerns. De Masi, Cipriani, etc.

[chuck 154]

All I know from EM that he did was The Dollars Trilogy...

[Koray Savas 2,251]

So you didn't know about his other Leone westerns?!

[chuck 154]

Nope. I haven't waded in some Leone films yet.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Well Morricone's got plenty of essential western scores. I can give you a list if you're interested.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,520]

A quick "LOTR"/J.R.R.Tolkien question:

When did he write "The Silmarillion", et al? Did he write them all when he wrote "LOTR" or did he write them after? Were all the other books ("The Silmarillion", et. al) meant to be part of a much greater whole, of which "LOTR" formed only a part, or were they written as stand-alone books? If the former, has anyone tried to collate all the writings into one big narrative?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Naïve Old Fart 9,520]

Thanks, Blood.

[Faleel 5,346]

And finally, as far as I know, no one ever tried to collate all the writings into one big narrative, because it can't be done.

http://www.chronology.org/noframes/tolkien/faq.html

[Naïve Old Fart 9,520]

Thanks, to both Faleel, and Blood. My next question is: why did he not complete the whole story?

[Incanus 5,714]

Thanks, to both Faleel, and Blood. My next question is: why did he not complete the whole story?

Tolkien worked on his imaginary world through his whole lifetime and even that was not enough. He also changed his concepts on many things in later life and wrote essays on rather esoteric subjects like the relation of the spirit and body of the Elves etc.

And of course one simple explanation is that the history of Middle Earth is not one single story in the first place although long storylines run through it since many characters are in essence immortal. His legendarium grew and changed up until his death, which left his estate and his son Christopher a very large body of miscellaneous stories, histories, drafts and half finished materials, which Christopher Tolkien with great distinction edited into the History of Middle Earth book series. It was not Tolkien's intent I think to gather everything he had ever written into a coherent whole but rather gather the central stories of his work into a collection of tales with an inner logic and coherence, which The Silmarillion essentially is although it is still edited posthumously by Christopher Tolkien, who I gather, collected the materials together his father had planned to be in the work.

Since then Christopher Tolkien has released e.g. the tale of Turin Turambar (story from the First Age, also part of Silmarillion in shorter form) as an individual novel The Children of Hurin, where he presents a fuller more fleshed out narrative of the character in a lengthier form that could be gleaned from his father's papers.