Steven Spielberg is Making a John Williams Documentary

[Jay 39,241]

Thanks to @thx99 for the head's up.  The documentary will be 1 hour, 45 minutes long:
 

https://debut.disney.com/fyc/twds/movie/music-by-john-williams-1726612788788?tab=synopsis

[Brando 2,111]

Link doesn’t work for me

Nvm, @Groovygoth666sent me an updated link. Just a brief description of the documentary, nothing else.

[LB Makes Stuff 265]

Hopefully we can get a trailer here soon. Preferably without any 70s songs and aggressively annoying MIDI percussion and brass.

[mrbellamy 6,681]

Shorter than I hoped but pretty standard doc length. 

 

It's still a little unclear to me if Williams himself was interviewed for this? It seems like that should be obvious but the Legacy of John Williams is the only site I could find explicitly saying he was, not sure where Maurizio sourced that. 

[JohnnyD 1,306]

17 hours ago, Jay said:

Thanks to @thx99 for the head's up.  The documentary will be 1 hour, 45 minutes long:
 

https://debut.disney.com/fyc/twds/movie/music-by-john-williams-1726612788788?tab=synopsis

Great; I can’t wait to see it!

[kingtolkien 5]

The duration is not good. I hope there will be a longer uncut version. I hope they will mention his jazz roots and the great jazz music he has written through the years. Also his performing skills. And I really hope that members of his family are interviewed. I do not really care of the opinion of some of the directors and producers listed. I am a lot more interested about the musicians opinions. Other film composers and Mike Mattesino that takes care of Williams work the last years have opinions and views with a lot more gravitas than say Kathleen Kennedy.

[Thor 8,238]

I think everyone needs to adjust their expectations for this film.

I will bet $100 that this will be a fairly superficial documentary, covering all his "greatest hits", but little in the way of the lesser known, at least for us fans. Perhaps some montages and stuff to cover the pre-JAWS scores, if we're lucky, but not much. Doesn't matter that Spielberg is involved on the production side (and might pony up a brief recording session snippet or two), it's a Disney+ documentary aimed at the general masses, directed by a guy who's notorious for superficial featurettes on DVDs. It will not be like the Morricone documentary, lovingly directed by one of his frequent collaborators.

I think you're better off having those kinds of expectations to the Tim Greiving book next year.

[Holko 10,158]

Yep

[Mr. Hooper 3,188]

1 hour 45 minutes is a respectable length for a doc. I'm expecting a little more than a superficial puff piece, but of course it won't satisfy the aficionados who know everything and want a really deep dive into the details of his life.

[Andy 5,110]

Just enjoy it, peeps.  

Do you really think a Disney+ Nu-Spielberg/Boozaroo doc is gonna drill down into Williams’ tortured soul and feature 30 minutes of recording sessions from The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing?*
 

*which should’ve been the title of the doc

 

 

[mrbellamy 6,681]

I think the most encouraging thing about the press release was Bouzereau's statement that the film's message is about "the survival of orchestral music, and musicians.” It makes me hope it'll be a bit of a love letter to studio orchestras and composers, if it doesn't cover every JW obscurity I can think of.

 

I'm not expecting a deep dive and yes, I'm guessing the chronology will get to Spielberg and Star Wars within the first half hour, if not sooner. But I'll probably find it a total hoot to watch 100 minutes on the greatest hits with hopefully some new personal stories I haven't heard and footage of Williams I haven't seen, and some lip service paid to things most people won't be so aware of like early life and career, Boston Pops and Tanglewood, Olympics, concert work etc, and a lot of "the magic of the symphony orchestra" sentiments. Reminder that I currently have no feature length documentaries on John Williams's biography to enjoy so even a simple one is exciting to me.

 

I'm mainly just hoping Bouzereau resists too many montages of scenes from the films in order to demo all the hit tracks. Like I know he wrote a lot of brilliant Star Wars themes but I've seen enough clip shows set to these things for a lifetime. I will tolerate an absolute maximum of 10 seconds sampling "The Imperial March" with clips of Darth Vader....

 

And I'd really rather they not waste any time showing me how JW's music has "endured" with clips of Rogue One, Jurassic World, Fantastic Beasts. That is my nightmare version of the doc is that it just plays in part like a commercial for his franchises. 

[Andy 5,110]

Hear me out.  I don’t want to see montage after montage.  But I have to say Bouzerau does do them well. 
 

1:03

 

17:59

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mrbellamy 6,681]

I mean, for sure, they're very precise, but he's a big part of the reason I don't need to see any more! 

[Andy 5,110]

I don’t disagree, but the clips chosen aren’t obvious, they’re often emotionally charged.  Which is nice for what it is. 
 

His greatest power is his access to vaulted footage.  Any time a new doc from him comes, I always see something new.  That’s all I can hope for here. 

[Holko 10,158]

36 minutes ago, Andy said:

Any time a new doc from him comes, I always see something new.

Just enough that you want to slap him for cutting away after 10 seconds!

[mrbellamy 6,681]

Well that is the thing lol. But it'd be 10 seconds more than we had. I'm sure the interviews will have surprises and funny moments of their own as well.

 

Regarding his early career, it got about 2 minutes in the AFI special before reaching The Sugarland Express, so there's the low bar  I brought it up earlier in the thread but I am somewhat expecting this to be an extended version of that type of doc style. Nice and flashy, highly watchable, but you can sort of feel the Wikipedia of it. The more patient and candid the doc is in showing interviews and archival footage, the better, I think. 

[Sandor 840]

I'm just looking very much forward to the documentary and am thankful people are putting time and effort in this project. I'm sure Spielberg's heart is in the right place on this one and I very much expect it to be made for a larger audience than just the 'die hard fans' lurking around this place.

 

I think it's a wonderful prospect that this documentary will introduce John Williams, his legacy and the impact of his music to many, many people. If it includes stories well known to us (the introduction of the Jaws theme to Spielberg, the recording of the E.T. finale and -yes, yes- the 'But they're all dead!' anecdote regarding Schindler's List), so be it. For millions of people, it will be the first time they'll hear it and it's great to have it documented like this. 

[bollemanneke 3,572]

I for one am happy with the runtime and confident I'll enjoy it. How bad can it be with 105 minutes of opportunities?

[mrbellamy 6,681]

Honestly nothing would make me happier than the Schindler's List story trending on social media when this premieres. 

[Brando 2,111]

2 hours ago, Andy said:

Hear me out.  I don’t want to see montage after montage.  But I have to say Bouzerau does do them well. 
 

1:03

 

17:59

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think a montage over the end credits could be a good way to end it. Also choosing the Jaws 2 End Title for that montage is perfection🤌🤌

[Marian Schedenig 8,934]

14 minutes ago, Brando said:

Also choosing the Jaws 2 End Title for that montage is perfection🤌🤌

 

Anything set to the Jaws 2 End Title is perfection.

[Brando 2,111]

[BB-8 3,898]

"Please note that all reviews for MUSIC BY JOHN WILLIAMS are under embargo until 10/23/24 at 10pm PT."

 

Now Disney really own him.

[Richard Penna 4,113]

What I'd hope it contains more of than anything else is Williams and SS (and other directors) talking about a scene on the scoring stage, like we've seen snippets of here and there from different composers - you see them working in their natural environment and exchanging honest views on how the music is working.

 

Hearing the classic quotes would also be quite fun, actually. The only thing that I think is inevitable, and requires some expectation management is that it might just turn out to be 100 minutes of a narrator going through Williams' filmography or eras, and featuring talking heads talking about why each score is the greatest thing ever. Nobody learns anything from such interviews.

 

The documentary as a whole is worth making to celebrate Williams' career, but I hope it's going to have some substance for film score fans.

[Tom 5,042]

1 hour ago, Richard Penna said:

What I'd hope it contains more of than anything else is Williams and SS (and other directors) talking about a scene on the scoring stage, like we've seen snippets of here and there from different composers - you see them working in their natural environment and exchanging honest views on how the music is working.

Maybe a clip of the real story behind Schindler's List when Spielberg objected to the use of violin as too sentimental.  Rumor is that Williams responded like this:

 

 

[TownerFan 5,098]

It's easy for hard-core fans to get jaded when it comes to these things, and in this particular case I believe all fans had their own wishes and very specific ideas on what would be the ideal scenario, but let's be realistic and look at the positive side--a feature-length documentary about John Williams has been made, in full cooperation with him and his closest collaborators and friends, telling the life story of our beloved Maestro. This is something to really look forward to.

[Thor 8,238]

Sure, but let's not lose all critical thinking, or set expectations too high.

[Tom 5,042]

If indeed the big angle is about Williams's contribution to helping to preserve orchestral music, then expect even less about his early scoring life and more on the mid-70s forward.   

[Bayesian 1,428]

I’m most looking forward to the part at the end where Spielberg says in some b-roll-style footage that JW is already working out ideas for his UFO/alien movie next year that will knock everyone’s socks off. 

[SF1_freeze 135]

On 23/09/2024 at 6:27 PM, TownerFan said:

It's easy for hard-core fans to get jaded when it comes to these things, and in this particular case I believe all fans had their own wishes and very specific ideas on what would be the ideal scenario, but let's be realistic and look at the positive side--a feature-length documentary about John Williams has been made, in full cooperation with him and his closest collaborators and friends, telling the life story of our beloved Maestro. This is something to really look forward to.

 

Well said.

[Alex 2,883]

I know what I’m going to be waiting for in this documentary.

 

 

[Tom Guernsey 2,625]

2 hours ago, Alex said:

I know what I’m going to waiting for in this documentary.

 

 

We all joke about that comment but I don’t actually know which dead composer I’d have picked instead! 

[Jurassic Shark 12,970]

They're awfully slow workers.

[Davis 2,795]

If one looks at that Spielberg joke, it’s actually derogatory towards John Williams in a way. 
Williams says (admits) to him that he (Williams, that is) is not a good enough composer to do the score to his film, and Spielberg actually AGREES with him, saying that yes indeed Williams isn’t a good enough composer for the film, but alas all the composers who could write a better score than Williams are already dead, so he has to go with him. If you look at it this way, not so flattering. 
Yes, I know it’s a joke by Spielberg, but if you were a composer you wouldn’t want to hear it from your director that he hired you not because you are the best but because all the better composers are already dead, so he has to choose you.

Well fy, Spielberg.

 

 

[BB-8 3,898]

2 hours ago, Davis said:

If one looks at that Spielberg joke, it’s actually derogatory towards John Williams in a way. 
Williams says (admits) to him that he (Williams, that is) is not a good enough composer to do the score to his film, and Spielberg actually AGREES with him, saying that yes indeed Williams isn’t a good enough composer for the film, but alas all the composers who could write a better score than Williams are already dead, so he has to go with him. If you look at it this way, not so flattering. 
Yes, I know it’s a joke by Spielberg, but if you were a composer you wouldn’t want to hear it from your director that he hired you not because you are the best but because all the better composers are already dead, so he has to choose you.

Well fy, Spielberg.

 

 

 

The actual reason for his "bruised vanity".

[Marian Schedenig 8,934]

8 hours ago, Davis said:

Yes, I know it’s a joke by Spielberg, but if you were a composer you wouldn’t want to hear it from your director that he hired you not because you are the best but because all the better composers are already dead, so he has to choose you.

 

Luckily, Williams's ego isn't so big that he's offended by someone suggesting he's not the greatest composer who ever lived.

[Tom 5,042]

Williams realizing that he is being told that he is not the best ever:

 

 

 

[Mr. Hooper 3,188]

2 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

Luckily, Williams's ego isn't so big that he's offended by someone suggesting he's not the greatest composer who ever lived.

But I dare say that the dead composers couldn't have come up with a much better theme.

[Jurassic Shark 12,970]

They already did. Lots of them. 

[Thor 8,238]

Funny thing is that I prefer Williams over all those dead guys anyway.

[mrbellamy 6,681]

3 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

Luckily, Williams's ego isn't so big that he's offended by someone suggesting he's not the greatest composer who ever lived.

 

Spielberg and Williams both often share their appreciation for standing on the shoulders of those who came before, so I think that spirit is why Williams is obsessed with loves the anecdote and feels flattered by it. It's simultaneously humbling and self-aggrandizing. Also it's obviously based on the premise that Williams thinks there are better living composers as well as dead. 

[Davis 2,795]

1 hour ago, mrbellamy said:

Also it's obviously based on the premise that Williams thinks there are better living composers as well as dead.

Has Williams

mentioned anyone in particular? John Adams maybe?

[Jurassic Shark 12,970]

1 hour ago, Thor said:

Funny thing is that I prefer Williams over all those dead guys anyway.

 

I find it relieving that you're not into dead guys. 

[igger6 948]

4 hours ago, Thor said:

Funny thing is that I prefer Williams over all those dead guys anyway.

Hokey composers and ancient melodies are no match for a good Maestro at your side. 

[Doo_liss 6,266]

30 minutes ago, igger6 said:

Hokey composers and ancient melodies are no match for a good Maestro at your side. 

Cue Toto.

[WilliamsStarShip2282 318]

On 22/09/2024 at 8:16 PM, Thor said:

I think everyone needs to adjust their expectations for this film.

I will bet $100 that this will be a fairly superficial documentary, covering all his "greatest hits", but little in the way of the lesser known, at least for us fans. Perhaps some montages and stuff to cover the pre-JAWS scores, if we're lucky, but not much. Doesn't matter that Spielberg is involved on the production side (and might pony up a brief recording session snippet or two), it's a Disney+ documentary aimed at the general masses, directed by a guy who's notorious for superficial featurettes on DVDs. It will not be like the Morricone documentary, lovingly directed by one of his frequent collaborators.

I think you're better off having those kinds of expectations to the Tim Greiving book next year.

 

I am HOPING for something a lot more, like the bonus DVD that came with the Sony box set a few years back (I feel like that is already like.... 8 years ago). But I think the above statement is probably more accurate.

[JohnnyD 1,306]

8 minutes ago, WilliamsStarShip2282 said:

 

I am HOPING for something a lot more, like the bonus DVD that came with the Sony box set a few years back (I feel like that is already like.... 8 years ago). But I think the above statement is probably more accurate.

Refresh my memory. What box set are you referring to? The John Williams & Steven Spielberg Ultimate Collection set from seven years back?

[WilliamsStarShip2282 318]

8 minutes ago, JohnnyD said:

Refresh my memory. What box set are you referring to? The John Williams & Steven Spielberg Ultimate Collection set from seven years back?

 

Yes, I liked that there was a lot of footage from the recording and a lot of them speaking, instead of just random montage or obsessing over oscars and the usual none sense.

[JohnnyD 1,306]

I thought that is what you were referring to; I wanted to be sure I was not missing anything.

[CGCJ 483]