NYT: "John Williams on 'Indiana Jones' and His Favorite Scores" (6/24/23)

[Dr. Know 338]

Don't know if this New York Times article has been shared here, but here it is (my gift):

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/24/movies/john-williams-indiana-jones-dial-of-destiny.html?unlocked_article_code=80wcQSOOVSi4HIv5N7l4DFf7HscNSwr06N8eLKYHOOc4LJyo9p_irWXkgHY_gB7nbA81oAIKXpvnBFWFERngH4F28u8HA_58evP9cSDc-QhENy1QNdg_6-O5fJeMSgAfVhxFyELwFyuR-mw-8aJrQhns8BMRIGrslj9tfAHMA5b_G2LMRtsbxWW4xMc8qAfZRrDQ3JMm2WGW2hZ-X4XMvC_vMPkP33RylOj5Sl09_-DPNDoig44AU_T0DHVDfVR2ZnkyBPrP04zUojbg72eOU5fy7HAU-dA26LjuFvzQvvnc8zo4_Axi-G0H_oc1m8pxAeemKVTMUZaIaTIa9bG1HohIDAa-2fBG-i52H7Rlw1m_0wag&smid=url-share

[Edmilson 8,180]

NYT? Meh, it probably has a paywall. Can someone who actually pays for this shit copy and paste the content here?

[mrbellamy 6,543]

The link is unlocked 

[Courtney Sees Ghosts 274]

Scoring “The Rise of Skywalker” in 2019, after more than 40 years with “Star Wars,” Williams said he didn’t want it to be over. “My feeling was, ‘This is fun. Let’s go back and do nine more.’”

Imagine if homie scores Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and James Mangold's movies. LMFAO

[Dr. Know 338]

58 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

NYT? Meh, it probably has a paywall. Can someone who actually pays for this shit copy and paste the content here?

I gifted it to everyone here.

[Edmilson 8,180]

2 minutes ago, Dr. Know said:

I gifted it to everyone here.

Yeah, I just saw it. Thanks!

[Tom 4,893]

Nice article--sounds like Williams was in a good mood when giving it.  Nice to hear him talk just a little about How to Steal a Million.  

[Darth Mulder 154]

Will anyone even dare to SAY NO to Williams, today? Helena's theme is great but could have been MORE 60's, you know, if the director had the guts to have comments on Williams' work. Richard Donner initially rejected Williams' theme for the villains. Williams wrote a new one. It seems to me that everyone praises Williams these days because he is JOHN WILLIAMS.

 

 

 

[Tydirium 1,185]

I don’t disagree with you that directors should have the guts to express disagreement with Williams. But according to Mangold’s quote, in his opinion Williams ended up being right about the theme. Remember, it was Mangold who suggested that he perform it at the Hollywood Bowl 9 months early, which was basically unprecedented. Elsewhere, he has also been highly complimentary towards the score. It’s not like he has had beef with this theme this whole time, but held his tongue just because it’s John Williams; it seems to me that he actually loves Williams’ music for the film and is more than content with what he got from JW.

[Darth Mulder 154]

52 minutes ago, Tydirium said:

I don’t disagree with you that directors should have the guts to express disagreement with Williams. But according to Mangold’s quote, in his opinion Williams ended up being right about the theme. Remember, it was Mangold who suggested that he perform it at the Hollywood Bowl 9 months early, which was basically unprecedented. Elsewhere, he has also been highly complimentary towards the score. It’s not like he has had beef with this theme this whole time, but held his tongue just because it’s John Williams; it seems to me that he actually loves Williams’ music for the film and is more than content with what he got from JW.

 

Yes, that's all true. I still think Helena's theme would fit better to Indy's love interest (woman closer to his age), than young female character in turbulent 60's. I'm curious how it works in the movie.

[Luke Skywalker 1,882]

JJ made williams change his music with a lot of alternates…aside from re-cuts and reshoots, maybe he asked for something different in some instances… 

[Tom 4,893]

10 hours ago, Darth Mulder said:

Will anyone even dare to SAY NO to Williams, today? Helena's theme is great but could have been MORE 60's, you know, if the director had the guts to have comments on Williams' work. Richard Donner initially rejected Williams' theme for the villains. Williams wrote a new one. It seems to me that everyone praises Williams these days because he is JOHN WILLIAMS.

 

 

 

I wanted to go radio-silence, but here I am.

 

Mangold TOLD Williams to write a theme reminiscence of the 40s/50s, not the 60s.  Why suggest that Williams is therefore out of step with the director after doing exactly what he was told to do?  

 

Mangold's comments likely have more to do with how the theme would be used in film with respect to other dimensions of her character, which Williams knew would not be a problem.  

[JohnnyD 1,259]

This was a really nice interview with the Maestro.

 

52 minutes ago, Tom said:

I wanted to go radio-silence, but here I am.

 

Mangold TOLD Williams to write a theme reminiscence of the 40s/50s, not the 60s.  Why suggest that Williams is therefore out of step with the director after doing exactly what he was told to do?  

 

Mangold's comments likely have more to do with how the theme would be used in film with respect to other dimensions of her character, which Williams knew would not be a problem.  

 

9 hours ago, Tydirium said:

According to Mangold’s quote, in his opinion Williams ended up being right about the theme. Remember, it was Mangold who suggested that he perform it at the Hollywood Bowl 9 months early, which was basically unprecedented. Elsewhere, he has also been highly complimentary towards the score. It’s not like he has had beef with this theme this whole time, but held his tongue just because it’s John Williams; it seems to me that he actually loves Williams’ music for the film and is more than content with what he got from JW.

 

 

[Sunshine Reger 3,552]

He is going to grace us with a blockbuster theme / score at the age of 92 or more, isn't he?

[Bayesian 1,410]

Thanks for sharing that with us, @Dr. Know. (You sure "know" how to make a JW fan's day!)

[Thor 7,951]

17 hours ago, Tom said:

Nice article--sounds like Williams was in a good mood when giving it.  Nice to hear him talk just a little about How to Steal a Million.  

 

Indeed. But he neglected to mention that he had worked with John frickin' Ford many years before Wyler and HTSAM.

[mrbellamy 6,543]

Not on a movie, though 

[Thor 7,951]

I know. I was trying to be tabloid!

[GerateWohl 4,789]

This doesn't really read like an Interview with Williams but rather like some collecting of random statements about his scores from Mangold, Matessino etc. and the Maestro himself.

[Marian Schedenig 8,580]

19 hours ago, Darth Mulder said:

Will anyone even dare to SAY NO to Williams, today?

 

John Williams is many things, but he's not a man you can say no to.

[Brando 1,988]

The little anecdote about the Superman theme shouting “Superman” was neat.

[mrbellamy 6,543]

Yeah, I wonder if he's confirming that occurred to him while composing or if in retrospect he agrees that's why it works. 

[ricsim88 253]

43 minutes ago, Brando said:

The little anecdote about the Superman theme shouting “Superman” was neat.

If I recall correctly this anecdote is actually very old. But still good. Donner was really enthusiastic about the score for sure.

[Brando 1,988]

2 hours ago, ricsim88 said:

If I recall correctly this anecdote is actually very old. But still good. Donner was really enthusiastic about the score for sure.

It is, I believe Donner mentions it in the Making Of documentary, and I remember asking if there was any truth about it being Williams idea in a pm thread here, and no one knew if it was or not, but I see this as a confirmation.