What post-2005 films do you wish Williams had scored?

[Marcus 390]

Not too many post 2005 films come to mind... The Artist would have been an ideal canvas to explore the entire history of film music (which Williams is better equipped than most to do), but at the same time add more flair and personality than what was present in that film's actual score. It could have also generated a lot of fun concert material...

Although I'd generally rather have Williams pursue his own personal musical interests at this point (more chamber music, please), I do think it would be wonderful if he were given the opportunity to write music that was truly conceived as the driving force behind its film (the film serving the music just as much as the other way around), or to be given the chance to write more autonomously, giving the score its own identity as a counterpoint to the film at hand ("non-underscore").

Something I'd love to see, would have been a collaboration with a truly outstanding director of similar spiritual inclinations as Williams (profoundly humanistic). I'd be very curious to hear Williams respond to the most recent films of Michael Haneke, for instance. In general, I think Williams could work miracles for something intimate and slower paced.

[KK 3,307]

The Artist would have been a fantastic opportunity to hear how Williams would pay tribute to the greates of the early years of film music, especially considering his incredibly expertise.

I would have loved to hear Williams score more films like Children of Men or Tree of Life. The kind where we can hear him experiment more. I keep thinking that Williams would have channeled the Penderecki sound and atonality for Children of Men, and it would have sent the chills down my spine in context (although the music used already does this).

I may be alone here, but I'd have also liked to have heard The Da Vinci Code scored by him. I'd be curious what he'd bring to table for all the religious overtones. I liked Zimmer's score, but to think what it could be in the maestro's hands.

Basically I would have liked to see Williams branch out more. Of course as much as everyone else, I too would love to see Williams helm every blockbuster summer movie, but I'd rather see him score more films like Memoirs of a Geisha. The films that truly inspire him to write something passionate. Instead of the usual historical dramas or action adventure films, it would have been interesting to see the maestro try his hand at more Malick-ian films or more intelligent/thought-provoking sci-fi that might pull out the minimalistic devices we heard in A.I..

That and a biblical epic. In his massive career, he has yet to score religious epic a la Ben Hur. Hopefully, somewhere along the way, he'll get that Moses film under his belt!

[publicist 4,643]

Or - to get really out there - MOON or THE FOUNTAIN.

[KK 3,307]

I'd definitely be curious to hear that.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Clint Mansell's scores are utterly perfect for those films, though.

[Damien F 1,742]

I saw Olympus Has Fallen a few weeks ago and although it is a weak sub-standard Die Hard knockoff, I couldn't help thinking a JW score would be awesome, kinda like his Air Force One. There is an extended action scene in the first act where the white house is taken over and all I could think while watching it is how cool the action cue would be if JW had scored it.

[Jay 37,364]

Yea, Williams hasn't scored that many straight up action thrillers that had no sci-fi elements, eh?

[King Mark 3,631]

I wish he'd scored all the Harry Potter films

That's about it

oh and maybe one superhero film, like Ironman

[gkgyver 1,645]

Man Of Steel, duh.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,533]

Off the top of my head, I can't really think of scores that he could have composed. He jolly well should have been allowed to have scored all the "Harry Potter" films, but I guess that Mike Newell put a stop to that. At least let him finish what he started.

To say that JW could have scored this, or could have scored that, is, imo, to take something away from the fine work that other composers do. At the end of the day, the film gets the score that it gets: we either like it, or we don't. The only example of a score being changed after the film has been released is, I believe, "Legend", and look what it did to the film...

Yes, I have often wondered what a JW-scored film "X", or film "Y" would sound like, but it really is no use going down that path. No-one forces us to either like, or dislike, scores. I'm grateful that I have well over 120 CDs of JW's work to hear. I know some people have a lot more, but I'm working on it...

As a humerous aside, I watched "The Omen" (2006) with a friend, and he asked me "why didn't the other bloke (JG) score it?"...

[indy4 155]

I saw Olympus Has Fallen a few weeks ago and although it is a weak sub-standard Die Hard knockoff, I couldn't help thinking a JW score would be awesome, kinda like his Air Force One. There is an extended action scene in the first act where the white house is taken over and all I could think while watching it is how cool the action cue would be if JW had scored it.

There was a blatant JW knock-off in that film, several times they used JW's war theme from War Horse/Lincoln

[p0llux 398]

Ponyo On The Cliff

haha, Joe Hisaishi is one of the few composers that I respect as much as Williams. His scores are as untouchable as Williams. It'd be fascinating to see what Williams' approach would be for this film though.

[Andy 4,130]

Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness.

[Jay 37,364]

Oh, wow. Good choice!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Faleel 5,350]

A Bloodboal post without any humorous connotations? that is unheard of!

[filmmusic 1,829]

Ponyo On The Cliff

haha, Joe Hisaishi is one of the few composers that I respect as much as Williams. His scores are as untouchable as Williams. It'd be fascinating to see what Williams' approach would be for this film though.

I didn't mean any offense to Hisaishi. I love his music as well. I just though it would have been interesting to hear Williams' approach on a Miyazaki film.

I would LOOOOOOOOOOVE that too very much!!

I love Ghibli films and for one to have a Williams score! Wow!

(especially the upcoming biographical anime which seems to be something very BIG)

[Alejandro 26]

Super 8 and Star Trek.

[A24 4,337]

There is a tendency to pat JW on the back just because a given score is not sounding like STAR WARS, but apart from their beautiful main themes, is there really that much of musical interest in ACCIDENTAL TOURIST, STANLEY AND IRIS or STEPMOM? I at least don't see Williams as shining force in this area (compared with, say, North, Herrmann or even indeed Tom Newman).

I know some people dismiss the more intimate side of Williams as something too saccharine, shamelessly sentimental or dramatically mishandled, but I think they're very balanced, delicate and dramatically pitch-perfect. Especially The Accidental Tourist is a masterful example of drama scoring

I admit I have a very deep personal attachment for this kind of wistful, quiet lyricism of JW. I find it very sincere and close to my own sensibility.

Me too, Maurizio, me too. But I don't think people discriminate Williams' intimate and authumnal scores for the reasons that you have provided here. I think it's because they lack the crucial 'excite and brass' factor that Williams is synonymous with. Most fans love him for the symphonic approach of Star Wars, E.T., Indiana Jones and Potter. It's the reason why they want Williams for the new Star Trek movies too, for that franchise would mean that Williams is obliged to write another exciting, symphonic and heraldic score. Go ask around, most fans want Williams' music to embody the uplifting, I-can-conquer-the-world spirit of the eighties. Nobody is waiting for a gloomy The Accidental Tourist Part Deux or Stanley And Iris: The Elderly Years.

Alex

[Naïve Old Fart 9,533]

Given that "The Accidental Tourist" had a happy ending, wouldn't any part II be called "The On-Purpose Tourist"?

[Pieter Boelen 740]

I'm going to admit that I, for one, definitely prefer his adventure-type scores. He's written more high-quality ones of those than anyone else and I'd never say no to more of that.

He did write a lot of different music that is also good in its own right; but it doesn't interest me as much at all.

[Alejandro 26]

I just listened to Accidental and Stanley this weekend!

There is a tendency to pat JW on the back just because a given score is not sounding like STAR WARS, but apart from their beautiful main themes, is there really that much of musical interest in ACCIDENTAL TOURIST, STANLEY AND IRIS or STEPMOM? I at least don't see Williams as shining force in this area (compared with, say, North, Herrmann or even indeed Tom Newman).

I know some people dismiss the more intimate side of Williams as something too saccharine, shamelessly sentimental or dramatically mishandled, but I think they're very balanced, delicate and dramatically pitch-perfect. Especially The Accidental Tourist is a masterful example of drama scoring

I admit I have a very deep personal attachment for this kind of wistful, quiet lyricism of JW. I find it very sincere and close to my own sensibility.

Me too, Maurizio, me too. But I don't think people discriminate Williams' intimate and authumnal scores for the reasons that you have provided here. I think it's because they lack the crucial 'excite and brass' factor that Williams is synonymous with. Most fans love him for the symphonic approach of Star Wars, E.T., Indiana Jones and Potter. It's the reason why they want Williams for the new Star Trek movies too, for that franchise would mean that Williams is obliged to write another exciting, symphonic and heraldic score. Go ask around, most fans want Williams' music to embody the uplifting, I-can-conquer-the-world spirit of the eighties. Nobody is waiting for a gloomy The Accidental Tourist Part Deux or Stanley And Iris: The Elderly Years.


Alex

[publicist 4,643]

Me too, Maurizio, me too. But I don't think people discriminate Williams' intimate and authumnal scores for the reasons that you have provided here. I think it's because they lack the crucial 'excite and brass' factor that Williams is synonymous with. Most fans love him for the symphonic approach of Star Wars, E.T., Indiana Jones and Potter. It's the reason why they want Williams for the new Star Trek movies too, for that franchise would mean that Williams is obliged to write another exciting, symphonic and heraldic score. Go ask around, most fans want Williams' music to embody the uplifting, I-can-conquer-the-world spirit of the eighties. Nobody is waiting for a gloomy The Accidental Tourist Part Deux or Stanley And Iris: The Elderly Years.

Maybe some of the quieter scores Williams has written are just not that good? You and Maurizio make it sound as if the sketchy STANLEY AND IRIS or the rather monotonous ACCIDENTAL TOURIST or the middling STEPMOM or the bland ALWAYS are brilliant beyond any reasonable doubt because it is impossible that 'quiet' and 'intimate' Williams is anything but.

Mind you, i know most of them have at least a good theme or a handful of good cues but they are hardly misunderstood masterpieces that only a special regiment of gourmets can appreciate.

[Marcus 390]

And what if they are? What if they truly are small intimate wonders of musical and musico-dramatic craftsmanship?

What if your casual relativism is what's off?

Fanboys needn't always be wrong...

[publicist 4,643]

Outside of your little world, they certainly aren't.

[Marcus 390]

My "little" world? I wonder what world you're referring to... Actually, I've had more than one director that I've worked with praise Williams' score for "The Accidental Tourist". I've been pleasantly suprised by how treasured some of these smaller, more intimate scores are by professionals not only in the world of film and film music, but in the theater world as well, and in the world of classical music.

Perhaps it isn't such a "little" world after all...

[publicist 4,643]

I spoke to several important chancellors, ministers and presidents of large western economies who confided in me that they found Williams' ACCIDENTAL TOURIST rather one-note and felt that americanized Chopin isn't his greatest talent.

But wait, it's Marcus who always finds a way to dress up his unconditional devotion into the most erudite prose, so i refrain and just accept that of course all those scores mentioned are the pinnacle of what western music possibly could produce ion the last 100 years. Aw shucks, make that 200!

[Marcus 390]

Really?

Sigh...

I had no intentions of "dressing up" an argument, I merely stated an observation that I've made (having occasionally discussed Williams in a professional context).

It has simply been my experience, be it in the world of classical music (my "main" world) or film and theater (two of my "auxiliary" worlds) that this aspect of Williams' work is both well known and highly regarded.

[Faleel 5,350]

I actually think I prefer Williams' softer side (War Horse, Angela's Ashes etc.)

[Muad'Dib 1,802]

Agreed!

[Alejandro 26]

For me, "Taking Pictures" from Stepmom makes up for the entire rest of the score, though the end credit reprise is very, very nice.

For me, "Letters" from Stanley and Iris standouts, though I tend to listen to the entire score once every couple of months. Very relaxing.

[King Mark 3,631]

Me too, Maurizio, me too. But I don't think people discriminate Williams' intimate and authumnal scores for the reasons that you have provided here. I think it's because they lack the crucial 'excite and brass' factor that Williams is synonymous with. Most fans love him for the symphonic approach of Star Wars, E.T., Indiana Jones and Potter. It's the reason why they want Williams for the new Star Trek movies too, for that franchise would mean that Williams is obliged to write another exciting, symphonic and heraldic score. Go ask around, most fans want Williams' music to embody the uplifting, I-can-conquer-the-world spirit of the eighties. Nobody is waiting for a gloomy The Accidental Tourist Part Deux or Stanley And Iris: The Elderly Years.

Alex

Wait, is that a post by Alexcremers that's about John Williams. I have to quote it just for the hell of it