Jump to content

The Thomas Newman Thread


Jay

Recommended Posts

Quote

inspired by John Lennon’s & Yoko Ono’s song Happy Xmas (War Is Over) and centers on a chess game played across enemy lines with the help of a heroic carrier pigeon. Lennon & Ono also serve as executive producers and ElectroLeague CEO Brad Booker is producing the project

 

What? He's alive? Oh I think they probably mean one of his sons.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was a typo on FMR's website.  They've fixed it now to this:

 

Ono also serves as executive producer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

I just noticed that Newman is credited on both Wikipedia & IMDB as the composer of Yorgos Lanthimos' new film Kinds Of Kindness.

 

Has this been known for a while, because I missed an announcement. Or is it just speculation?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, JNHFan2000 said:

I just noticed that Newman is credited on both Wikipedia & IMDB as the composer of Yorgos Lanthimos' new film Kinds Of Kindness.

 

Has this been known for a while, because I missed an announcement. Or is it just speculation?

 

It's been known since it appeared here in 2023:

 

https://www.gsamusic.com/wp-content/uploads/Newman_Tom.pdf

 

(The film's been retitled from "And" to "Kind of Kindness" since then)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, JNHFan2000 said:

I just noticed that Newman is credited on both Wikipedia & IMDB as the composer of Yorgos Lanthimos' new film Kinds Of Kindness.

 

Has this been known for a while, because I missed an announcement. Or is it just speculation?

After POOR THINGS being such a success at the Oscars (and financially), maybe Lanthimos will stay with Jerskin Fendrix. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
5 hours ago, DangerMotif said:

It seems like it’s a straight to Hulu movie 

Thats a shame if it’s not being released in cinemas this year. Is there confirmation? 
 

Not sure if we might get a third film from Tom this year along with White Bird. 
 

Wonder if this was the reason he didn’t continue with Kinds of Kindness

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, cwg24 said:

Maybe it’s an April Fool’s Joke…


But IMDB is showing Thomas Newman as composer for an upcoming documentary called TIGER

 

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt31497750/?ref_=nm_flmg_unrel_1_com

 

Would be nice if it's true; Disneynature has yielded some quality scores.

 

I'll certainly take more Indian-flavoured Newman! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The director has previously worked with Ramin Djawadi (Elephant) and Harry Gregson-Williams (Penguins, Monkey Kingdom) so it's not implausible - Disney isn't skimping on the music budget, at least. If it does happen it will be a good excuse for Jon Burlingame to invite Newman back on his For Scores podcast.

 

White Bird feels so far away, and even considering the Hollywood strike the release schedule is bizarre. Why release it only in Italy, Slovenia and Croatia in January and then sit on it for 10 months? Just delay it everywhere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Quppa said:

The director has previously worked with Ramin Djawadi (Elephant) and Harry Gregson-Williams (Penguins, Monkey Kingdom) so it's not implausible - Disney isn't skimping on the music budget, at least. If it does happen it will be a good excuse for Jon Burlingame to invite Newman back on his For Scores podcast.

 

White Bird feels so far away, and even considering the Hollywood strike the release schedule is bizarre. Why release it only in Italy, Slovenia and Croatia in January and then sit on it for 10 months? Just delay it everywhere.


That’s good there’s a possibility it could be accurate and we get a new TN score at the end of this month. 
 

White Bird baffles me so much, it’s the worst release schedule plan. So many countries have had it released yet no score release yet. The late October date for the USA and nothing yet for the UK is a strange one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Quppa said:

If it does happen it will be a good excuse for Jon Burlingame to invite Newman back on his For Scores podcast.

It would be cool, but that podcast is done. Williams was his final guest. He's doing a podcast for Dolby now I believe 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

https://filmstories.co.uk/news/in-the-blink-of-an-eye-digging-into-wall-e-director-andrew-stantons-ambitious-upcoming-sci-fi/
 

Really interesting article about Newman’s next film. Seems really suited to his strengths, especially the lack of dialogue in places and the description of the tone of the end of the script. A nice read…

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although I'm not as big a fan of his WALL-E score as everyone else (although I adore the film), and thought PASSENGERS only had moments of brilliance, I'm still excited to hear more sci fi Newman.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wall-E is a beautiful score but with an album that would've benefitted from a little bit of trimming.

 

Passengers... hmm. It has bits that work very well on album but it's largely a background thing for me. Also messes with chronology in a way that bizarrely loses you narratively but also doesn't seem to me to help with the listening experience either. I'm not sure what Newman was trying to do here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
On 02/04/2024 at 12:50 AM, cwg24 said:

Maybe it’s an April Fool’s Joke…


But IMDB is showing Thomas Newman as composer for an upcoming documentary called TIGER

 

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt31497750/?ref_=nm_flmg_unrel_1_com

 

No Newman, after all - Nitin Sawhney had scoring duties for this. There's an album out now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Quppa said:

 

No Newman, after all - Nitin Sawhney had scoring duties for this. There's an album out now.

 

And very nice it is too!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Fingers crossed that there is some new Newman on the horizon in 2024. We should have the score for White Bird in October and maybe In The Blink of an Eye if the release date is confirmed soon. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Give us something New, Man!

 

Honestly, Thomas Newman and JW are the only film composers whose new albums I am willing to stay awake until midnight for and listen to immediately upon release. I can't believe Elemental and Dial of Destiny are already a year old...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Another Emmy nomination for Newman, this time for the main title theme of Feud: Capote vs Swans.

 

Outstanding Main Title Theme Music:

 

Feud: Capote vs. The Swans – Thomas Newman
Lessons in Chemistry – Carlos Rafael Rivera
Masters of the Air – Blake Neely
Palm Royale – Jeff Toyne
Shogun – Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross, Nick Chuba

 

https://filmmusicreporter.com/2024/07/17/2024-emmy-awards-nominations-announced/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good see him getting a nomination, it’s a lovely piece of music. He might even win! 
 

The new Newman drought continues from Elemental. Black Bag seems to have been removed from his IMDB and there is zero buzz around In The Blink of an Eye. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got around to watching Meet Joe Black - certainly not a good film, despite Anthony Hopkins' best efforts, but what a score. I'm not sure how much unreleased music there is (the pizzicato strings piece from ~0:41:53 stood out), but bring on a remaster/expansion. It's also a shame the Anything Goes arrangement didn't appear on the original soundtrack release.

 

Is there a list of expanded/recent Thomas Newman soundtracks? I can think of:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...
40 minutes ago, JNHFan2000 said:

This is nice

 

 

amazing, especially there is so little leaked sheet music from his scores. His whole work sometimes feels like a mystery – compared to John Williams' music.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Same. Why is Newman suddenly doing all these thriller projects. It's like he doesn't want to do other stuff where he gets to write more broader music. Really miss that Newman. Elemental showed a bit of that, but it still wasn't like he did back in the day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Indeed. Although I really liked LET THEM ALL TALK (2020), TOLKIEN (2019) is the last time I heard the Newman I love. OK, it's only 5 years ago, so no need to call the ambulance yet, but still. Newman fairly recently entered my top 10 film composers at an 8th place, after much consideration, so he lives "dangerously" at the moment if he keeps this up. Need to eye the much belated WHITE BIRD now instead. Maybe that turns things around.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is exactly what I thought it would be: a close relative to his The Little Things score.

 

That being said, I have to confess that I still love Newman's sound palette, unique textures, rhythmic grooves, unnerving atmospheres, and stellar production. The man has such a unique compositional voice (and it seems he has passed a lot of that on to his daughter as well!).

 

But even then, this kind of score does not necessarily merit a 72 minute album! The Little Things was pushing it at 55 minutes but also had several moments of Newman reflective/emotional catharsis (which Monsters sadly does not).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m really hoping Andrew Stanton’s upcoming IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE has given him some melodic scope at the very least.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like he's co-composing with his daughter, so maybe Newman's just taking the initial steps towards choosing fewer projects and retiring? Not everyone keeps working like Williams.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Richard Penna said:

so maybe Newman's just taking the initial steps towards choosing fewer projects and retiring?

Not only he's doing that but also making sure his daughter have a future in the industry (and thus continuing the Newman family legacy). 

 

I think most composers from his "generation" are at a point where they're more interested in doing concerts, personal works, fewer movies, less blockbusters... And those who have musically inclined offspring (like Giacchino and Beltrami) are trying to help them succeed in the career.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

As it happens, I'm listening now, and playlisting like there's no tomorrow. Has some nice cues, but is much too long. Will comment later.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Based on my first listen, I really enjoyed this (surprise, surprise from a die-hard Newman fan).

 

Thor is correct, the album is a little long (it is strangely one of the longest Newman OSTs), mainly dragging during a handful of slower ambient/drone-based cues. But there is some excellent material to be found in the score as well, including iconic Newman chords and emotional atmospheres/textures (and even cues where the orchestra plays a major role!).

 

It's definitely a highlight amongst his recent works, and sits comfortably alongside Elemental, 1917, and Tolkien in the upper echelon of modern Newman. Hoping for more good stuff to come!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm glad I went into this with such low expectations! It's still a comfortably average effort from Newman but there are some lovely moments that I will return to.

 

Going forward, I'm now keenly anticipating his score for Andrew Stanton's In The Blink Of An Eye, whenever that is due.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are some good things in this score -- shades of the slow, shimmering, magical textures that only T. Newman can do so well, and similar to TOLKIEN from a few years ago (although that score is on a much higher level). Also a little bit of those SHAWSHANK string chords that he also does well, especially towards the end of the album.

But it also falls into some of his usual traps, like having many short tracks that are over before they've properly settled. And the album is much, much too long for the type of music on display. And the narrative flow seems confused.

I've tried to whittle it down to make it work better. Down to 40 minutes out of the 70+ something, and since the title track is the perfect album ender, I put the "Songbird" track earlier in the album. This will have to do for now.

 

white-bird.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anybody remember this…

 

IMG_2564.png
 

I think this is a great score, and the one that truly put him in the era he is in now sonic-wise.

 

Having said that, in my 34 years, I would never have expected a collaboration of Thomas Newman and Richard Ashcroft.

 

Even after Peter Gabriel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Guidelines.