Jay 37,369 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 It sounds like a joke, but it's real https://www.nch.ie/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=Alfred-Hitchcocks-The-Birds-07Nov23&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::context_id= Matthew Nolan, electric guitar / synths / electronics / percussion Seán Mac Erlaine, reeds / piano / electronics / percussion Sharon Phelan, vocals / field recordings Eivind Aarset, electric guitar Hitchcock’s classic thriller featuring a new live score written and performed live by Matthew Nolan in collaboration with Seán Mac Erlaine, Sharon Phelan and Eivind Aarset. Wealthy reformed party girl Melanie Daniels enjoys a brief flirtation with lawyer Mitch Brenner in a San Francisco pet shop and decides to follow him to his Bodega Bay home. Bearing a gift of two lovebirds, Melanie quickly strikes up a romance with Mitch while contending with his possessive mother and boarding at his ex-girlfriend's house. One day, during a birthday party for Mitch's younger sister, a flock of birds attacks the children in what seems to be a random incident. In fact, it signals the beginning of a massive and organised avian assault on the residents of the town - a mysterious spate of violence that no one can explain... and from which no one might come out alive. The Birds is generally regarded as the last great Hitchcock movie (it was shot in 1963, when the director's reputation was at its peak). Might it also stand as the essential Hitchcock movie, the purest and most confident, a brilliant distillation of the themes that had fuelled him ever since he sent the lodger creeping to his upstairs room? Hitchcock juggles shrill B-movie histrionics with chill arthouse gloss. The formal precision of his camerawork, the deft economy of Evan Hunter's dialogue and a sense of location so sharp and assured that it feels that you’ve been there. For all that, the most impressive thing about The Birds is not what it puts in but what it leaves out. At the age of 63, Hitchcock was secure enough to dispense with the grinding gears of narrative logic. The beautiful, bruised Notorious had its plot MacGuffin in the form of its wine bottles filled with iron ore. Electrifying, insurrectionist Psycho still felt the need to wheel on a psychiatrist to explain Norman Bates to the audience. But The Birds floats free. There is no motor driving it and nothing to hold it aloft apart from that up-draft of sensual atmosphere and existential dread. The Birds I dir. Alfred Hitchcock I USA I Colour I 1963 I 119mins Presented by NCH bruce marshall and Naïve Old Fart 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bespin 8,483 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 ...a "new live score"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,544 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 Sounds intriguing. I'd watch a double bill with ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S THE WORKING CLASS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edmilson 7,466 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 How can a score be performed live to picture when the movie doesn't have a score? Will they emulate the bird sounds live? Brando 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bespin 8,483 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 You can't do that to such a classic movie. I hope Hitchcock will haunt those responsible for that and snap their balls in their sleep. Brando 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,544 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 3 minutes ago, Edmilson said: How can a score be performed live to picture when the movie doesn't have a score? Will they emulate the bird sounds live? That is my understanding. Either that, or there is a brand new score. Judging by the poster, I'd say the latter. 3 minutes ago, Bespin said: You can't do that to such a classic movie. I hope Hitchcock will haunt those responsible for that and snaps their balls in their sleep. Whoa! Get you, Mr. Alpha Male Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 8,200 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 30 minutes ago, Jay said: For all that, the most impressive thing about The Birds is not what it puts in but what it leaves out. Actual music, for example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,369 Posted October 28, 2023 Author Share Posted October 28, 2023 13 minutes ago, Edmilson said: How can a score be performed live to picture when the movie doesn't have a score? 32 minutes ago, Jay said: a new live score written and performed live by Matthew Nolan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,544 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 35 minutes ago, Jay said: For all that, the most impressive thing about The Birds is not what it puts in but what it leaves out. I wish it had left out Tippi Hedren "Fascinating new personality"? Think not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Faleel 5,356 Posted October 28, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted October 28, 2023 3 minutes ago, Jay said: a new live score written and performed live by Matthew Nolan He is writing the score live? Brando, Naïve Old Fart, JTN and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 8,200 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 9 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said: 11 minutes ago, Edmilson said: How can a score be performed live to picture when the movie doesn't have a score? Will they emulate the bird sounds live? That is my understanding. Either that, or there is a brand new score. Judging by the poster, I'd say the latter. IT's right here: 31 minutes ago, Jay said: featuring a new live score written and performed live by Matthew Nolan in collaboration with Seán Mac Erlaine, Sharon Phelan and Eivind Aarset. I'm not categorically against such rescoring experiments, but I doubt this one has a big chance of being successful. And in my experience, there are two types of rescoring classic (often silent) films projects: Those that come from a film music perspective (like Carl Davis's rescores), and those that come from an "art" perspective, as in: Instead of doing "commercial" film music, let's show a "respectable" film and get some "respectable", non-commercial composer to write music for it that's as far away from "film music" as possible. I've attended a few of the latter, and mostly they just show *why* "commercial" film music is what it is: Because it work (and because a "real" film score still doesn't mean the music cannot be challenging and sophisticated - see Goldenthal and North and plenty of Goldsmith for instance, not to mention that of course Williams & Co have enough challenging parts in their scores even if they're generally more easily accessible). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,544 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 Just now, Presto said: He is writing the score live? You really are an eejit, aren't you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faleel 5,356 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 Well, I am on JWfan.... Naïve Old Fart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,512 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 He, he. While there isn't any non-diegetic score in THE BIRDS, there is that constructed sound design thing that Herrmann himself supervised, as previously noted. By the way, I encountered a similar "problem" when I was the guest editor of a film magazine called Z four years ago. The issue was about the director/composer relationship and one of the articles was about Herrmann/Hitchcock. But when the art department decided to put THE BIRDS on the cover (that decision was out of my hands!), I got a lot of reactions. Here's the "reveal video" that we did of that issue. Anyways, sounds like an interesting idea for an LtP-type event. Naïve Old Fart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edmilson 7,466 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 But isn't one of the movie's strengths the hability of creating dread without music? I don't know this Nolan guy (is he a relative to Christopher and Jonathan?) nor his music, but I feel that would be like adding color to Charlie Chaplin's movies or repainting the Mona Lisa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,512 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 9 minutes ago, Edmilson said: But isn't one of the movie's strengths the hability of creating dread without music? Sure is. Like in Michael Haneke's films. But there's an interesting experiment to be had nonetheless, with new music for a sound film that had none (new music for silent films, on the other hand, are dime a dozen). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bespin 8,483 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 This is not a silent film! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Marian Schedenig 8,200 Posted October 28, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted October 28, 2023 15 minutes ago, Bespin said: This is not a silent film! And now even less so! JTN, Naïve Old Fart and Edmilson 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edmilson 7,466 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 I think there is a difference betweem re-scoring a 1910s/20s silent film (which didn't have a traditional score like the ones we know due to the technical limitations of time) and a 1960s movie released when film scores were fairly common but it chose not to have one. That would be going against the intentions of the movie. Anyway, I haven't seen the final score and I dunno, maybe Nolan's new score will fit the movie like a glove. But I still think it's weird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Tom 4,664 Posted October 28, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted October 28, 2023 This is one step away from digitally adding characters and dialogues to films whose directors, etc. are long since dead. In short, it ain't right from an artistic or ethical perspective. Edmilson, Brando and Bespin 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faleel 5,356 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 1 minute ago, Tom said: This is one step away from digitally adding characters and dialogues to films whose directors, etc. are long since dead. In short, it ain't right from an artistic or ethical perspective. No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bespin 8,483 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 5 minutes ago, Tom said: This is one step away from digitally adding characters and dialogues to films whose directors, etc. are long since dead. In short, it ain't right from an artistic or ethical perspective. The movie could be enhanced through the digital insertion of birds with attitude. Perhaps by adding tiny sunglasses and leather jackets to them, giving a more menacing and stylish appearance as they attack. Tom and Faleel 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bollemanneke 3,349 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 1 hour ago, Naïve Old Fart said: Sounds intriguing. I'd watch a double bill with ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S THE WORKING CLASS Sounds like money-grabbing to me. The movie sounds attrocious as it is and it didn't have any score at all. So don't give it a score now then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,544 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 I didn't expect this luddite attitude, especially from JWfaners. Let's give a chance, at least. It'll all be on YouTube, soon, so we'll all have a chance to listen for ourselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bespin 8,483 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 And what's next? Are they going to add a techno score to E.T. to enhance live screenings? I say NO. bollemanneke 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Edmilson 7,466 Posted October 28, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted October 28, 2023 1 minute ago, Bespin said: And what's next? Are they going to add a techno score to E.T. to enhance live screenings? John Williams' score for E.T. is too old-fashioned, too antiquated. With that in mind, Lorne Balfe will be called to provide a new score filled with all the stuff the kids like: horn BWAAAAHMS, synths, The Dark Knight ostinatos for the final chase scene and a redo of the main theme with EPIC CHOIR! Jurassic Shark, Brando, bollemanneke and 2 others 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Bespin 8,483 Posted October 28, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted October 28, 2023 Trope, mrbellamy, Naïve Old Fart and 2 others 2 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,544 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 Hell, yeah! Bespin and Trope 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,079 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 5 hours ago, Jay said: Hitchcock’s classic thriller featuring a new live score written and performed live by Matthew Nolan Nolans and their subversions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTN 2,030 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 Jurassic Shark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Penna 3,694 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 5 hours ago, Edmilson said: How can a score be performed live to picture when the movie doesn't have a score? Will they emulate the bird sounds live? Even before I'd opened the topic, I thought hang on... I rented this movie years ago and I don't recall hearing any music in it... And electic guitar/synths/percussion?! This sounds like some weird experimental stuff. Why not just show the movie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muad'Dib 1,802 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 They should get Giorgio to do it! bruce marshall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brando 1,864 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 5 hours ago, Bespin said: I really wish this forum had a throwing up emoji.... JTN 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bespin 8,483 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 44 minutes ago, Brando said: I really wish this forum had a throwing up emoji.... It has! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faleel 5,356 Posted October 28, 2023 Share Posted October 28, 2023 2 hours ago, Richard Penna said: And electic guitar/synths/percussion?! This sounds like some weird experimental stuff. Why not just show the movie? Because that's not the project they were inspired to do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien F 1,742 Posted October 29, 2023 Share Posted October 29, 2023 I passed that billboard on the bus last week and was very confused until I looked it up and realised it is a new score. Not really a fan of that concept. It was Hitchcock's decision to have no score. It feels a bit conceited to basically overrule that artistic choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faleel 5,356 Posted October 29, 2023 Share Posted October 29, 2023 31 minutes ago, Damien F said: I passed that billboard on the bus last week and was very confused until I looked it up and realised it is a new score. Not really a fan of that concept. It was Hitchcock's decision to have no score. It feels a bit conceited to basically overrule that artistic choice. Put it up on youtube it's fine, but put in the concert hall then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brando 1,864 Posted October 29, 2023 Share Posted October 29, 2023 5 hours ago, Bespin said: It has! Yes, but as a reaction! JTN 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted October 29, 2023 Share Posted October 29, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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