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Had to say "hello". . . .


Uni

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After putting my two cents in on the Superman post, I couldn't resist popping in to say "hi" to the rest of you. It's great to see the boards are still alive and as active as ever (210 pages of posts on the General Discussion board, fercryinoutloud!).

I should've come back sooner--at the very least, I should've given my report last year after seeing the Colorado Symphony Orchestra do an evening of John Williams music. The conductor (I forget his name, doggonit--I don't have a program close to hand) had been a violin player in the recording sessions for several of Williams' most famous scores, including Jaws and Close Encounters. It was kinda wild, seeing a man whose instrument lent its voice to some of the music I love most. His choice of music was excellent as well. A couple of years ago I put together a recording of the Williams pieces I would perform if I ever had the privilege of conducting a concert of my own. It was too cool to see this guy lay out several of the same pieces, and in much the same order. (Best of all: he started with the theme from Superman, just as I would, and--just as I would--he finished with "Adventures on Earth" from E.T.) He had another rare treat for us, too: "You Are the Pan" from Hook. Not only is this a great piece of music, but as he explained, it was one that only Williams himself ever conducted. He had never made the rights available to anyone else for public performance. This guy went to Williams and asked specifically if he could perform the piece just this once, for just this one concert. Williams gave him the go-ahead. It made for an extraordinary few minutes; you can't help but tear up when you're blessed to be present for something like that.

Anyway, I've got a bit more time on my hands than has been the case over the past few years, so I'll try to check in a little more often. One quick question, though: as I'm scrolling down through the posts I'm getting cut off before I reach the end of each page. (Right now, I can't even look at my own post on the Superman thread.) Is the website having a problem, or is it something wrong with my own damnable machine? (My money is definitely on the latter.)

Good to see you guys again.

- Uni

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Anyway, I've got a bit more time on my hands than has been the case over the past few years, so I'll try to check in a little more often. One quick question, though: as I'm scrolling down through the posts I'm getting cut off before I reach the end of each page. (Right now, I can't even look at my own post on the Superman thread.) Is the website having a problem, or is it something wrong with my own damnable machine? (My money is definitely on the latter.)

Good to see you guys again.

- Uni

Again, it's great to see you, Uni.

What kind of machine do you have? (Operating system, Web browser)

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Hi Uni...I don't really remember you. I was around in 02 but still don't quite remember you. Welcome back at any case. :P Yup even after all these years the board is still thriving. :)

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Again, it's great to see you, Uni.

What kind of machine do you have? (Operating system, Web browser)

"Crap" would probably be the best term for it. It uses Windows Vista (insert "crap" here as well), and I'm just using good ol' Internet Explorer.

- Uni

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Again, it's great to see you, Uni.

What kind of machine do you have? (Operating system, Web browser)

"Crap" would probably be the best term for it. It uses Windows Vista (insert "crap" here as well), and I'm just using good ol' Internet Explorer.

- Uni

Vista definitely has its shortcomings, but you shouldn't have major issues for simple tasks like Web browsing. And if you're using Vista, I would expect that you have a fairly new system. What version of IE? (You should update to IE8 if Windows Update hasn't done it for you, already.)

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If you really want a good web browser download Mozilla Firefox. I've never had any problems with it and I don't use IE any more, only Firefox.

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If you really want a good web browser download Mozilla Firefox. I've never had any problems with it and I don't use IE any more, only Firefox.

For once in our lives, we are actually in agreement, Trent! The world is ending!

A couple of sites still demand IE (unfortunately), but for that, there's IE Tab! :P

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Welcome back Uni...if you are indeed the real Uni that is.

If he's an impostor, he does it brilliantly. I don't think we're getting Weebo'd. ;)

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If you really want a good web browser download Mozilla Firefox. I've never had any problems with it and I don't use IE any more, only Firefox.

For once in our lives, we are actually in agreement, Trent! The world is ending!

A couple of sites still demand IE (unfortunately), but for that, there's IE Tab! ;)

You guys are funny when you speak Hungarian. . . .

I don't have the slightest idea what any of that means, which is probably why I'm stuck with such a rotten system. For what it's worth, my computer got wise on the fact that I was tattling, and suddenly the pages are opening up just fine. All I need is a "snitch" attachment, and I'm fine. . . .

- Uni

"hello"... is it me you're looking for?

Interesting . . . sort of the online equivalent of a guy in a trenchcoat and hat sidling up in a smoky bar and whispering the secret code sentence in my ear ("He who locks the barn door afterward has gone forward on. . . ."). Sorry, buddy. No microfilm today.

I don't think I'm looking for you, but it's nice to make your acquaintance anyway.

- Uni

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However, I think you were here a long time before I was, so welcome back!

Way back in the ezBoard years (circa 1999-2000), he was actually one of the board's most popular members, well known for his mad sleuthing skills. :) I believe fellow member Trumpeteer has actually met Uni and can attest that his popularity and regard was not ill-founded, regardless of his level of familiarity with Lionel Ritchie. ;)

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Uni was at the time probably the nicest and level headed member, always trying to calm the rest of us unruly bunch down.

Those were the days. I was magnificent then.

Ah, yes, the Golden Age of Stefancos.

Indeed, as I've written elsewhere, "[uni's] singular combination of wit, care in thought, and generosity of spirit is rare; it's a shame the pickings are so slim."

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Now, if we can just get Figo (who struck me as a somewhat more contentious, slightly less writerly version of Uni) to return, all will be right with the world.

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Hi Uni!!! Welcome back!

Now, if we can just get Figo (who struck me as a somewhat more contentious, slightly less writerly version of Uni) to return, all will be right with the world.

I do miss Figo.

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Now, if we can just get Figo (who struck me as a somewhat more contentious, slightly less writerly version of Uni) to return, all will be right with the world.

I do miss Figo.

Yes, he was highly opinionated (aren't we all, though) but quite well-read and generally raised the level of discourse when he was around.

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The conductor (I forget his name, doggonit--I don't have a program close to hand) had been a violin player in the recording sessions for several of Williams' most famous scores, including Jaws and Close Encounters.

That sounds to me like Richard Kaufman, Uni. Was it Richard Kaufman? Please tell if it was Richard Kaufman. I gots to know if it was Richard Kaufman!

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Uni was at the time probably the nicest and level headed member, always trying to calm the rest of us unruly bunch down.

He's also one of the members I miss the most from the old times.

Those were the days. I was magnificent then.

Had more hair too....

Yeah, what happened to you?

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Between slapping meat around and drooling over crack, I'm really not so sure about your sexuality Koray... :lol:

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Between slapping meat around and drooling over crack, I'm really not so sure about your sexuality Koray... ;)

I've been using that "Mmmm... crack" bit for some time! And you took my words out of context about slapping meat.

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Hey Uni,

Dumb question here but even though you may have been absent from the boards for a long time, I hope you at least kept up with the limited edition purchases and such? ;)

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You made Lionel Richie sad :(

However, I think you were here a long time before I was, so welcome back!

You shnookered me there. I don't listen to Lionel much (hasn't done enough film scores), but I didn't mean to cause him any undue grief. Barry Manilow I can take down a few notches, but Lionel, I have no problem with.

- Uni

Oh my goodness!

I guess good things do happen to bad people like me!

Welcome back, welcome bacK!

Are you still a devout Christian?

Oooo. . . . Are we straying close to a religious topic here. . . ? Anyway, the answer is yes--though the "devout" part is a bit superfluous.

As for the "bad people like you" thing: I don't want to hear that kind of talk from you, Stef. You're evil. Good things don't happen to evil people like you; moderately less bad things happen, and they seem like good things.

I'm glad we got that cleared up. . . . ;)

- Uni

Uni was at the time probably the nicest and level headed member, always trying to calm the rest of us unruly bunch down.

Those were the days. I was magnificent then.

Ah, yes, the Golden Age of Stefancos.

Indeed, as I've written elsewhere, "[uni's] singular combination of wit, care in thought, and generosity of spirit is rare; it's a shame the pickings are so slim."

See, this is the kind of thing I missed. (That, and watching one of my topics rapidly degrade into a discussion about drug-induced meat-slapping.) I do need to spend more time around here. . . .

Seriously, though, you guys flatter me to tears. We had a lot of fun back then, and I'm glad I'm not the only one with fond recollectins of the early days. We'll have to relive a few of those memories sometime. . . .

- Uni

I don't know you.
;) Hi Uni!

Neil

But you...I never forget a face, Mr....Bulk! Isn't it? I never thought to see your face again.

Neil, who is this?

Criminal, kiptin! A product of early twenty-first century message board engineering!

(Are we in the right thread for this. . . ?)

- Uni

Hey Uni,

Dumb question here but even though you may have been absent from the boards for a long time, I hope you at least kept up with the limited edition purchases and such? :)

There are no dumb questions here, my friend. Only dumb questioners. By the relevance of your inquiry, however, I don't take you to be one of those.

It depends on what you mean by "limited edition purchases." Naturally I went right after the new Indiana Jones boxed set (Temple of Doom was the most prominent of Williams' incomplete scores from his Golden Years; I waited for what seemed an age of the world for them to get around to that one), but if you mean some of the more eclectic releases--such as those featured on the home page here at JWFan--then no, I haven't picked up all those yet. It's actually been a few quieter years as far as keeping my collection up with new releases. I don't truck much with some of the directions film composing has been taking, so it's not as exciting as it used to be for me.

I really ought to get back to it, though. What with the market opening up to the rereleases of complete scores (not all by Williams, either), there're probably some good gems to be found out there.

- Uni

The conductor (I forget his name, doggonit--I don't have a program close to hand) had been a violin player in the recording sessions for several of Williams' most famous scores, including Jaws and Close Encounters.

That sounds to me like Richard Kaufman, Uni. Was it Richard Kaufman? Please tell if it was Richard Kaufman. I gots to know if it was Richard Kaufman!

I gots to check and see. It's been so long I honestly don't remember off the top of my head. (Now where did I put that program. . . ?)

- Uni

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Well I should have clarified my question a bit better...I mean not just by Williams but I mean all the others that Intrada, FSM, LaLa Land and Varèse has released through out the years. You've at least kept up on that front as far as what's come out and such, yes?

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Well I should have clarified my question a bit better...I mean not just by Williams but I mean all the others that Intrada, FSM, LaLa Land and Varèse has released through out the years. You've at least kept up on that front as far as what's come out and such, yes?

Again, you'll have to be specific with which ones you mean, but in general I'd say probably not. For instance, I haven't read a copy of FSM in years, so I'm not aware of what they've been putting out. I have a few rare pieces in my own collection, 2,000-issue copies of scores like Krull and High Road to China, but those are from way back when.

It's probably best I don't know about too much of what's out there. Finances can take a heavy hit when a filmusic-phile knows more than is good for him. (I stumbled across a two-disc set of the full score for The Dark Crystal a while back, and I'm still trying to get the drool stains off the desk.)

- Uni

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I'd estimate 90% of the interesting releases these last few years have come as limited releases from FSM, Intrada, Varese and the like.

Indeed.

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I don't know you.
:) Hi Uni!

Neil

But you...I never forget a face, Mr....Bulk! Isn't it? I never thought to see your face again.

Neil, who is this?

Criminal, kiptin! A product of early twenty-first century message board engineering!

(Are we in the right thread for this. . . ?)

There's no wrong thread for it, sir. :D

As long as it's kept in small doses, that is.

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I'd estimate 90% of the interesting releases these last few years have come as limited releases from FSM, Intrada, Varese and the like.

Indeed.

Since I won't likely have the time to do much research on the subject, what would you guys say have been the most interesting/rare/valuable of these limited releases over the last few years?

Just curious.

- Uni

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Crap....there's been a lot but one notable release was LaLa Land's complete score for David Arnold's Godzilla. That had been a highly requested one. It's of course sold out but it's an awesome score.

Varèse also recently released an expanded version of The Matrix score. Still far from complete but there a lot of nice unreleased cues now released. It's a limited edition set, which I think is still available.

Varèse also released an expanded version of Stargate, which has 7 new cues including the never before released "Transporter Horror" and even sounds better than the old Milan release. It's also in film order and a non limited title.

Also the complete release for Shirley Walker's Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm and a 2-CD set of her music from the Batman: The Animated Series that LaLa Land released.

Oh and the Superman FSM box set which is worth owning, if you don't have one I suggest getting a copy. It's worth the price tag. You not only get a fully remastered version of Superman: The Movie but remastered and complete versions of Superman II-IV and even music from Superman: The Animated Series by Ron Jones. I don't think they'll be making any more editions after the second pressing of it goes out of stock so if you don't have a copy as I suggested get one before they do sell out, other wise you will end up kicking yourself in the ass for it.

Intrada released the complete score for Goldsmith's Alien which is a non limited title.

Oh and Varèse released the complete score for Home Alone 2, all though I'm sure you know that and probably have it...but it recently sold out.

There have been others too that I'm sure people can name off.

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I'd estimate 90% of the interesting releases these last few years have come as limited releases from FSM, Intrada, Varese and the like.

Indeed.

Since I won't likely have the time to do much research on the subject, what would you guys say have been the most interesting/rare/valuable of these limited releases over the last few years?

Just curious.

- Uni

For Williams, the Indy box with expanded versions of the first three scores, the Superman Blue Box (which is more than just Williams), Monsignor, and Images.

Non-Williams wise, probably Goldsmith's Alien and the complete Lord of the Rings. But that's just picking a couple out of many, many incredible releases we've been blessed with the last few years, and it doesn't look like they're done yet.

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