Alan Silvestri's READY PLAYER ONE (2018)

[Breadstick Basilisk 108]

38 minutes ago, Thor said:

The 1941 thing is tentative, at best. I doubt it's deliberate.

 

How is it not deliberate? It's a direct quote, note-wise; only one real rhythmic difference. Even happens a couple times in the track.

[Ricard 2,242]

Silvestri interview from the L.A. Times:

 

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-ready-player-one-alan-silvestri-20180330-story.html

 

Quote

 

It's impossible to imagine Steven Spielberg's cinematic reign without John Williams. The composer has given life and indelible melodies both to Spielberg's blockbuster adventures ("Raiders of the Lost Ark," "E.T.") and his heartbreakers ("Schindler's List," "Saving Private Ryan").

 

But recently, time and circumstance have forced Spielberg to find his musical soul elsewhere. Since his theatrical debut "The Sugarland Express" in 1974, the director had only once hired another composer — Quincy Jones for "The Color Purple" — but Williams was unable to score "Bridge of Spies" in 2015 because of pacemaker surgery and his busyness on "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

 

When time came to score "Ready Player One," Spielberg boxed himself in by fast-tracking "The Post" — and Williams could score only one of them.

"Of course it kills both me and John to have missed two opportunities to collaborate over the last three years," Spielberg said in an email. "We are more than just collaborators. We are brothers."

 

Enter Alan Silvestri, the two-time Oscar nominee who has given musical identity to "Forrest Gump," "The Avengers" and the "Back to the Future" movies. It was the latter that made him a natural pinch hitter for "Ready Player One," a movie that prominently features the iconic DeLorean and a device called the "Zemeckis Cube."

 

"It's way beyond a tip of the hat," says Silvestri, 68. "Even in Ernest Cline's book, the homage to Robert Zemeckis and 'Back to the Future'... I think he called it one of the 'sacred trilogies.' "

 

Zemeckis is the Spielberg to Silvestri's Williams: The pair have been inseparable since 1984's "Romancing the Stone." Spielberg mentored Zemeckis since his student days at USC and produced the younger director's "Back to the Future" series and "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" — overseeing the work of Silvestri.

 

"There was a family-once-removed kind of relationship there," says the composer.

 

So with some intimidation, Silvestri took the reins normally belonging to the legendary composer of "Jaws" and "Jurassic Park." He confessed up front that he wouldn't be able to provide expert demos on the piano like Williams does — so Spielberg sent him off with an early cut of the film, scheduled a full-day orchestra session for after "The Post" wrapped and had Silvestri begin writing his score with total freedom.

 

A few weeks later, Spielberg flew back to Los Angeles and arrived at the Sony scoring stage with no idea what to expect. The first thing Silvestri conducted, with the director characteristically sitting eight feet away, was a brass fanfare for an early scene.

 

"It ended," Silvestri says, "and Steven popped up out of his chair, raised his right hand and said 'Sold!' "

 

That anthemic, ceremonial fanfare became the main theme of the film.

 

"It was the most loving way to audition me," Silvestri says. "We hugged each other, and what we walked out with was: 'This could work. We can do this.' And it was that lovely every step of the way."

 

Silvestri recorded 30 minutes of music that first day, and much of it remained in the final score.

 

He and Spielberg then set about the more normal back-and-forth collaboration for the remainder of the score. Silvestri wrote a nostalgic, wistful theme for both eccentric creator Halliday (Mark Rylance) and the film's young protagonist, Wade (Tye Sheridan), who share a pure-hearted love of virtual reality wonderland OASIS.

 

In a film stuffed with pop culture Easter eggs, the composer also nodded to his "Back to the Future" scores. A recurring motif is one Silvestri first wrote for the clock tower climax of the original 1985 film.

 

"That is pure Steven," says Silvestri. "He said, 'This is a "Back to the Future" moment.' 'Oh, so you want something really like "Back to the Future"?' 'No, I want "Back to the Future," and I want it exactly the way it was in the movie.' "

 

Spielberg praised Silvestri for giving his film "a lot of exhilarating propulsion. His music is not subliminal accompaniment, but it's a central character and is intended to be noticed in a big way. Like John Williams, Alan understands the purpose of tailoring the themes you walk out of the movies humming in order to identify characters, and the epic movements in movies that are designed to be somewhat operatic."

 

"It's incredible that there is this chance to write melodic, orchestral, thematic material, and there are folks that still want that," says Silvestri, who also just finished scoring "Avengers: Infinity War." "We have Mr. Williams to thank for showing us, clearly, the power of thematic material in a motion picture, over and over and over again."

 

Williams, 86, even showed up at the scoring stage one day and sat with Spielberg while Silvestri conducted his score.

 

"I felt so supported by both of them," Silvestri says. "I did my work. I felt confident about it. Steven seemed to really be liking what I was doing. And so it really was business as usual — with this surreal layer for me. To have been invited on this journey, and now see those two men sitting there — it was beyond beyond a wildest dream."

 

 

[Will 2,215]

I've listened to this several times by now, and I saw the film this afternoon. (My thoughts on the film will be posted in the other thread shortly.) I was a little disappointed that "Main Title" was an album arrangement and not the actual main title theme, although I'd kind of expected that anyway given how over-the-top retro it was. Sure to be among my favorite handful of cues this year. I liked how that theme was used throughout the score (and, as someone else remarked earlier in this thread, I was pleasantly surprised by how versatile the theme could be in terms of mood). The fanfare in "Why Can't We Go Backwards?" for when (not too major of a spoiler)

 

Spoiler

Wade finds the first key

 

made a big impression on me in the film. I especially liked how they showed a little virtual "band" on screen that crashed their cymbals right when the score did so. Very satisfying. Also glad to hear I wasn't the only one who thought they heard some 1941. Still, I'm on the fence about whether it was likely intended or not. 

 

Ultimately, this is a classic Spielberg children's film score, very sweet and heartwarming in many parts (e.g. "What are You?" and the subsequent finale), with the main thematic material always coming back like a comforting friend. The action music, particularly on the second half of the album, really kicks ass, too. It's grown on me since my first listen -- this is the kind of awesome action writing that's hard to find these days. 

 

All in all, while this score may not be the epic triumph that I hoped for after hearing the stunning "Main Title" last week, this is still some really great stuff. Silvestri has done JW proud. Now time for another listen! (that's another thing about this score, it hasn't gotten boring for me despite its length!)  

[James 119]

It is a sweet score without much identity and although Spielberg complain of composers copying to each other is noticeable the influence of Horner in the first tracks ((at least the military stuff). In the middle there are also two tracks reminiscent of punk-like score for Dark Knight. Spielberg has worked extensively with Horner on the Amblin Studios films, which justifies his admiration for him.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

The OST main title sounds like something you'd hear at EPCOT Center.

[King Mark 3,625]

it's better than a lot of scores I've heard recently, but it's the one movie that called for big bold 80's style themes and Williams didn't do it. I'll be permanently dissapointed

[Thor 7,465]

13 hours ago, Breadstick Basilisk said:

 

How is it not deliberate? It's a direct quote, note-wise; only one real rhythmic difference. Even happens a couple times in the track.

 

Because I see no narrative reason to reference the theme. It's only a similarity in the first few notes, anyway.

 

13 hours ago, Jay said:

The "Main Title" track is nice, but comes way too late.

 

I disagree. It's the perfect placement. The first, full statement of the theme as it's been building towards it throughout the musical journey of the album. That's one of the album structure elements that actually works.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

"HING HONG"? Did I read that right?

 

1941, eh? So JW did score RPO...from a certain point of view 

[JoeinAR 1,949]

On 3/30/2018 at 3:51 PM, Breadstick Basilisk said:

 

How is it not deliberate? It's a direct quote, note-wise; only one real rhythmic difference. Even happens a couple times in the track.

I heard it too and it seem damned deliberate to me as well 

[Thor 7,465]

Again: Why would he reference 1941? There is nothing in the scene or film to suggest that.

[Joe Brausam 214]

Seeing the film would have to support this, but track 10, "Sorrento Punked" has the Terminator percussion in it, it first appears about :40 into it.  I think it pops up in a subsequent track as well.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Well they do reference T-2 in the film.visually anyways

[Will 2,215]

My God, the ending of "There's Something I Need to Do" is absolutely magnificent.  You just don't hear that classic, big romantic sound very often these days. Those rich harmonies...

 

Also love the Christmas-y bit earlier in the cue -- the bells-with-emotional-solo-woodwinds thing is of course far from original in film music, but it always gets me. I assume the RPO bit must be for when the snow starts falling and a certain two characters kiss. 

 

I think this film will stick with me for a long time, and a large part of that is because of just how well the film merges with the score in certain key moments. I can't even really say I regret JW not doing this. Silvestri did very well. 

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

This is a nice score.  Silvestri is a great composer and great guy.  Glad he's getting some big projects this year.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

On 3/31/2018 at 1:01 AM, King Mark said:

it's better than a lot of scores I've heard recently, but it's the one movie that called for big bold 80's style themes and Williams didn't do it. I'll be permanently dissapointed

 

At least we got The Post! You should be grateful!

[Kasey Kockroach 2,343]

Yes, grateful for all the extra sleep I gained trying to listen to it!

[Muad'Dib 1,800]

Anyone care to make a (play)list of the best stuff from the soundtrack?

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

2 minutes ago, Muad'Dib said:

Anyone care to make a (play)list of the best stuff from the soundtrack?

Here you go

 

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Welcome to the Rebellion scene sounded like Horner.

[Ricard 2,242]

Oops....

 

Quote

It's a film that is clearly a love letter to pop culture of all stripes, varieties and eras; from '80s pop music (add to that John Williams' score and you have a film with a seriously killer soundtrack) to cult science fiction to vintage video game consoles.

 

https://www.channel24.co.za/Movies/Reviews/ready-player-one-20180322

[Jay 37,282]

haha

[Kasey Kockroach 2,343]

I can't wait until La La Land releases John Williams' THE COLOR PURPLE expanded with liner notes!

[crocodile 7,983]

Coupled with the rejected Bridge of Spies.

 

Karol

[Thor 7,465]

I'm having a flashback to the Napster era, where BTTF was frequently credited to John Williams!

 

 

[Pieter Boelen 740]

56 minutes ago, Ricard said:

Oops....

 

 

https://www.channel24.co.za/Movies/Reviews/ready-player-one-20180322

It was going to happen sooner or later.

 

10 minutes ago, Thor said:

I'm having a flashback to the Napster era, where BTTF was frequently credited to John Williams!

 

 

Oh, the memories!

[natedog 7]

Not overstruck on the high five theme. Sounds too much like your generic marvel hero theme. Orchestrations on the whole are very williamsesque. A decent score overall

[Thor 7,465]

My review (in Norwegian -- so use Google Translate) here:

 

http://celluloidtunes.no/ready-player-one-alan-silvestri/

[Ricard 2,242]

Has anyone attempted to make a chronological playlist for this?

[Jay 37,282]

Isn't it already chronological?

[Ricard 2,242]

I don't know. Is it?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I...don...know...

[Jay 37,282]

I think it is.  I haven't seen the movie, but that's what I've understood from discussion on here and FSM.

 

I believe the track called "Main Title" is a concert arrangement of the theme, and the film's main titles are very short and "scored" with a pop song from what I've understood.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

So the creator, moderator and most frequent poster of this place don't really know if the score to the new Spielberg film got a chronological release?

 

We're a sad bunch.

[Jay 37,282]

Well, I haven't been able to get out to see the film yet.  I might see it Sunday

[Ricard 2,242]

New interview with Alan Silvestri from The Hollywood Reporter:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/ready-player-one-what-is-james-hallidays-motivation-1098908

 

Quote

 

'Ready Player One' Composer Alan Silvestri on Its Touching Final Moments

 

"He was really handing over his child to someone else," the Steven Spielberg collaborator says of the film's most intimate scene.

[This story contains spoilers for Ready Player One]

 

For composer Alan Silvestri, Ready Player One was a blast from the past, with him not only revisiting his work in Back to the Future, but also helping re-create an iconic piece of movie history.

 

In one of the film's more crowd-pleasing moments, Parzival (Tye Sheridan) and his team of Easter egg hunters head to the Overlook Hotel, the setting of Stanley Kubrik's 1980 adaptation of The Shining. There they must solve a puzzle on their quest to save the virtual universe known as the OASIS. 

 

This version of the Overlook used both physical sets and CGI to re-create the haunting location of the original Kubrick film. Director Steven Spielberg was adamant about the sequence's authenticity and Silvestri's work was key to that.

 

"Steven wanted the original score, to be faithful to that film," said Silvestri, who took inspiration from the music by The Shining's Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind. "It was very fun to re-create that and see how he mirrored the shots in the film.”

 

Despite the film's futuristic setting, Silvestri didn’t want to go for a futuristic sound that might date the film or make it feel emotionally hollow.

 

“With this score, I never tried to project the idea of what music in 2045 would sound like. It was all about playing on the emotion of the characters and playing up the action, which has a very timeless feeling," he said.

 

Crafting the climax scene’s score was especially challenging for Silvestri. The scene sees Parzival meet the avatar for OASIS co-creator James Halliday (Mark Rylance), the man who set up the contest for control of the OASIS after he was diagnosed with an illness and knew he would be dying. The moment takes place in a re-creation of Halliday's childhood bedroom, and is perhaps the film's most intimate scene as he passes ownership of the OASIS to Parzival.

 

"After talking with Steven, it appeared to me that after Halliday got his bad diagnosis, he was really handing over his child to someone else. The OASIS was his creation and it was a culmination of his life’s work," said Silvestri. "He designed a great way to find a new parent for this child that he could no longer care for.… And he found someone pure of heart, who loved the good things about the OASIS just as he did.”

 

The composer admitted that working with Spielberg could be intimidating given his work with John Williams (whom Silvestri calls "possibly the greatest artist to ever score a film") on Indiana Jones and, more recently, The Post. At one point, the director was working on both Ready Player One and The Post simultaneously with both Williams and Silvestri.

 

“Steven showed me a very early cut of the film, then he went off to shoot The Post while I wrote 30 minutes of music. He was very supportive of what I came up with based on the assembly cut.… We actually spent a day in the studio with a live orchestra playing my early ideas," he said.

 

For Spielberg, it was vital that they payed musical homage to the pop culture references in the film, particular Robert Zemeckis' Back to the Future trilogy, which Spielberg produced and Silvestri scored.

 

“There were several instances where Steven said, ‘I don’t want something similar to the Back to the Future score, I want the exact score and I want this particular section of it. I want it the way it was in the film.’ Steven had a lot of fun with the score," said Silvestri, who also noted that the director wanted to present a positive view of where VR technology could take humanity.

 

“This film has a very hopeful and optimistic way to look at virtual reality. It treats it as a grounds for love and companionship, unlike seeing it as a removing-from-nature and distracting tool," said the composer.

 

While Ready Player One is still going strong in theaters, Silvestri is just weeks away from releasing his next big film.

 

“It’s funny because I feel like everything is still shaking… the dust hasn’t quite settled just yet," he said last week by phone. "I wrapped Infinity War yesterday, and it was a really different experience than anything I’d done before, especially in regard to the approach and balancing quick shifts in tone."

 

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Nice!

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

6 hours ago, Thor said:

My review (in Norwegian -- so use Google Translate) here:

 

http://celluloidtunes.no/ready-player-one-alan-silvestri/

 

An interesting and thorough review!

[crocodile 7,983]

Created a slightly tighter (largely synth-free) 55-minute playlist for my own listening pleasure:

 

To be honest, I'm quite tempted to remove 5-minute Hold On To Something as well. We'll see.

 

Karol

 

[Ollie 1,059]

Amazon emailed me to expect the cd on April 13th.

[Kasey Kockroach 2,343]

What a peculiar world this would be if Silvestri had scored The Post and Williams got this..

I don't think anyone would bother giving attention to The Post.

[Thor 7,465]

2 hours ago, crocodile said:

Created a slightly tighter (largely synth-free) 55-minute playlist for my own listening pleasure

 

 

Thanks for the tip. I intend to make one too, once time allows. But I have a LOT of albums I need to do this with; so it will have to join the queue.

[leeallen01 2,133]

I love this score. It's thematically rich. The ways he adapts and reprises the main theme is wonderful, and the delicate woodwind parts of the B and C phrase of the main theme throughout are perfect. Full of blood-pumping fanfares and ostinatos. One of Silvestri's best.

[publicist 4,643]

There's so much musical water-treading, it's a 30-minute score at best. I'd choose, with a benign blind eye:

 

[DrTenma 116]

Honestly I think the choice of Silvestri for this movie was quite smart. He nailed the score, made the enough references to previous material and compose some very good themes in the spirit of the 80's cinema.

[Bryant Burnette 654]

I loved the movie, and I loved the score, too; in fact, it set me on a bit of a Silvestri buying spree.  Not a bad thing, that.

[mrbellamy 6,272]

Enjoyed the movie and 100% happy with Silvestri's score in Williams's stead. I think any upgrade (or downgrade) in quality would not have been that big with Williams's version, but would have been fun to see him do!

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

24 minutes ago, mrbellamy said:

Enjoyed the movie and 100% happy with Silvestri's score in Williams's stead. I think any upgrade (or downgrade) in quality would not have been that big with Williams's version, but would have been fun to see him do!

The main thing that interested me with Williams' involvement was the possibility for electronic experimentation but they (wisely) went a mostly traditional route so I'm fine they went with Silvestri.  I'm glad Williams chose to do The Post instead

[Fancyarcher 350]

The score has been growing-on me on more listens. I love the themes, and the music cameos. I would have liked to have seen Williams score this, but I'm quite fine that we got Silvestri instead. 

[Thor 7,465]

4 hours ago, Not Mr. Big said:

The main thing that interested me with Williams' involvement was the possibility for electronic experimentation but they (wisely) went a mostly traditional route so I'm fine they went with Silvestri.  I'm glad Williams chose to do The Post instead

 

I had actually hoped Silvestri would delve into some of his brilliant Synclavier sound of the 80s for this, but alas the electronic elements were just contemporary noodlings that went nowhere (much like several tracks of COSMOS).

[crocodile 7,983]

Yeah, Sorrento Makes an Offer starts off well and sounds vaguely 1980's but later tracks are more generic.

 

Karol