Potterdom Film/Score Series Thread

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

For a book about teenagers, I don't think so.

[Marian Schedenig 8,211]

I should really stop going on about OotP, it's making me seem like I hate it, and pretty soon I'll probably start believing it. It's really a good book. Just a little more flawed than the others.

I pretty much agree here, except that after the second reading, I don't see that many flaws. It's a slow book, but the characters keep it alive.

Marian - who still doesn't see anyone being out of character in HBP.

[gkgyver 1,646]

Marian - who still doesn't see anyone being out of character in HBP

Umm, what about Hermione? Dumbledore?

[JoeinAR 1,949]

hey gkgyver, I started this thread, because of negative people like you, hoping negative people like you would stay away,

get a f/ing brain, this is a message board, its not governed by democratic rules, its actually a dictatorship, and if Marc or Ricard, chose to be authoritarian, then they can be.

The simple fact that this thread has existed for over 2 years now may not indicate quality, but it does indicate quality of interest.

so let me ask can a negative person such as yourself, say anything positive about Harry Potter.

[Marian Schedenig 8,211]

What about them?

Marian - ?

[Henry B 50]

why hasn't anyone ripped the end credits from the Prisoner of Azkaban DVD?

I have. I used all five channels but center (had Harry's voice) for the extended leadup to Hedwig's theme, then the entire mix for the Double Trouble portion. I was hoping for a clean rip of the alternate ending to "Buckbeak's Flight," but, unfortunately, "The Knight Bus" kicks in too soon for it to be usable. So, I supplied the album version of "Buckbeak's Flight," then cut straight to the end of the credits, with Hedwig's theme, and an added rip of Pettigrew's theme.

[gkgyver 1,646]

hey gkgyver, I started this thread, because of negative people like you, hoping negative people like you would stay away,

Well, it's not always pleasant when people disagree with you, but you can't force them to shut up. That's a dictatorship.

Like you found out by observing this site very sharply, this is a message board and therefor you should start allowing other people to express their point of view, and may they be not so positive, without yelling at them "Shut up!"

If you think you can open a thread and get 100 % positive answers, then you're in the wrong place.

I have read your first post here, and let me remind you that this thread was originally a "it's 4 months until PoA, what do you expect?" question.

And why you think I hate Harry Potter or something is way beyond me. I love Harry Potter, I don't like HBP; where's the problem?

so let me ask can a negative person such as yourself, say anything positive about Harry Potter.

As a matter of fact I can. I love the first three movies and their scores; I even like GoF( except its music); I think the first 5 books are brilliant; I stayed up until the sun came out because I couldn't detach myself from OotP; I think PoA is the best Williams score of the past 10 years; I also think the Potter scores, even CoS outdo the SW prequel scores by a great length.

Is that enough praise? Because I sure as hell believe in every letter I've typed here.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

your last paragraph is very well stated, though I disagree on one point, I prefer SS to the POA score, but not by much.

[Marian Schedenig 8,211]

The GOF score is far better than the GOF movie as a whole, and any Potter book is far better than the first, second and fourth movie.

Marian - who considers these facts.

8O The Blue Max (Jerry Goldsmith)

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Marian - who considers these facts.

Haha, pretty funny joke.

Anyway, I reckon all the Harry Potter movies are better than the novel HAP because they at least don't feature the utter stupidity of Dumbledore, a horribly written prose style that sounds like it's describing a Disney cartoon, and they've made better films than Book 6 will ever make. Is a huge chunk of the film going to be devoted to Penseive scenes and "O.C." style romances? If it is, it may as well be direct-to-video.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

for stupid post of the week look above.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Wow, I didn't realize liking Books 1-5 and the movies, but disliking Book 6 comes with so much baggage.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

I noticed that in OotP and HBP Rowling started to write long passages to describe simple things. Rather than saying "they cleaned up the house while Sirius was mostly being very grumpy," she fills up two chapters with describing how people are taking stuff off the walls, walking from one room to the other, etc. I know there's some stuff hidden in there that matters to the plot or various sub-plots (Sirius' family relations, the golden locket, Kreacher, the Dixie venom, etc.), but I remember thinking she used a whole lot of pages to describe that sort of things, and it's not just in the cleaning of Grimmauld Place.

While I very much enjoy OotP (except for the boring Grawp chapters), and didn't feel any particular dislike for HBP (although yes, very little actually happens over the course of this book, except for the gripping finale - this book is mostly exposition needed for book 7), these two weren't as tight as the first four. Even GoF with its considerable length was still tighter than these two books.

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

Looks like she's pulling a Tolkien. All we need now is spontaneous burstings into song and chapters about what they eat and why...

[Damo 0]

Meh...I already falling behind with the potter books. I haven't finished OoTP yet. I started it ages ago and then one time i just stopped and i haven't even got back reading potter books since then.

[mcdaid72000 0]

To All John Williams Fans:

Do you know if John Williams is doing the music this time for the whole soundtrack or is he doing just the themes again like he did for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. If he is just doing the themes. Do you think they got Patrick Doyle or will they have some one else do the music?

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

As of now, there is no indication that Williams will ever return to the Potter series.

No composer has officially been announced for Order of the Phoenix.

- Marc, wondering how often this is going to be asked before november 2007.

[Snowster 23]

Can someone give us a timeframe, of when the producers usually have to announce the composer?

-Snowster

[JoeinAR 1,949]

- Marc, wondering how often this is going to be asked before november 2007.  

well since Order is coming out in the Summer of 2007, Nov. 2007 will be a bit too late

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Damn you, IMDB!

[Datameister 2,044]

IMO, it'll really be a pity if Maestro Williams doesn't return to the Harry Potter movies. Doyle's attempt at the GoF score was admirable, but I didn't enjoy it much. I thought his scores for both SS and PoA were much more enjoyable, although they couldn't have been much more different from each other.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Doyle's attempt at the GoF score was admirable,

if you mean that by admirable, it was deplorable, I would agree.

[nightscape94 965]

I really wasn't all that interested in the Doyle material either, but the finale tracks 18-21 are pretty good (from the Voldemort scene to the credits).

Tim

[Morlock 11]

The GOF score is far better than the GOF movie as a whole, and any Potter book is far better than the first, second and fourth movie.

Marian - who considers these facts.

And you'll have no argument from my corner. I was listening to the GoF score a bit this week.It is still not nearly as good as the JW ones.....but ti does reveal more about itself with each listen. The themes and motifs are often buried- but they sure are in there! I didn't realize half of the uses of different themes the first time around. I found myself humming part of the music, and just by humming realizing that it is actually a variation on a one of the themes. I wish I recalled where everything was in the film, it would mean much more.

Two other observations about the score- Overall, it sounds fantastic. I mean the actual sound of the orcehstra- it sounds big, and rich, and full.....a really wonderful sound.

And the second observation- Doyle makes excellent, excellent use of JW's theme. Yes, he could have used it more (I think it was used 3 times in the score, two of them on the album), but when he used it...it sure packed a punch. and the way he uses it- when it is used for the title of the film, I feel as if I am hearing some ancient, established, famous piece of music, that the composer put in there because the piece couldn't possibly exist without. Not just another theme JW wrote five years ago, I sense a great respect for the theme.

[gkgyver 1,646]

I mean the actual sound of the orcehstra- it sounds big, and rich, and full.....a really wonderful sound.

I'm soorry (I'll just leave it like this; consider it as the short version of "so sorry"), but I have to disagree with you here. To me, the brass sections, thanks to the monotone percussion, sound like synthesized. When I open my SAM Horns, I get much of the same effect; the opening of "Golden Egg" for instance.

when it is used for the title of the film, I feel as if I am hearing some ancient, established, famous piece of music, that the composer put in there because the piece couldn't possibly exist without. Not just another theme JW wrote five years ago, I sense a great respect for the theme.

In other words, it's another theme bombastified by Doyle.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Hedwig's Theme already much of the "established, famous piece of music" you're talking about here?

Do you mean a theme has to be played in a no holds barred way to earn your respect?

Do you mean that only because JW used Hedwig's Theme in a more subdued way it's less of a JW theme?

I hope these are not the points you're actually trying to make.

@ MAcdaid72000

John Williams didn't do anything for Goblet of Fire, not even the themes. The album says "Harry Potter themes by John Williams" because Doyle used some of Williams' established material; and not enough, I can tell you that.

[Marian Schedenig 8,211]

I'm soorry (I'll just leave it like this; consider it as the short version of "so sorry"), but I have to disagree with you here. To me, the brass sections, thanks to the monotone percussion, sound like synthesized. When I open my SAM Horns, I get much of the same effect; the opening of "Golden Egg" for instance.

You can only be talking about the introduction music for the Bulgarian Quidditch theme. That does sound synthesised and simple, and gives the strong impression that it was meant to be just that. It's "look here, we're cool" Quidditch team music.

The rest of the score doesn't sound anything like it.

The album says "Harry Potter themes by John Williams" because Doyle used some of Williams' established material;

Actually, he only used one theme.

Marian - happy the rest was original Doyle.

Koyaanisqatsi (Philip Glass)

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

I'm soorry (I'll just leave it like this; consider it as the short version of "so sorry"), but I have to disagree with you here. To me, the brass sections, thanks to the monotone percussion, sound like synthesized. When I open my SAM Horns, I get much of the same effect; the opening of "Golden Egg" for instance.

You can only be talking about the introduction music for the Bulgarian Quidditch theme. That does sound synthesised and simple, and gives the strong impression that it was meant to be just that. It's "look here, we're cool" Quidditch team music.

No, he's talking about the opening of "Golden Egg"; a.k.a. the First Task. And while I disagree with him that it sounds synthesised, it's annoyingly loud/bombastic enough to have been written by an amateur using their computer...

[Morlock 11]

In other words, it's another theme bombastified by Doyle.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Hedwig's Theme already much of the "established, famous piece of music" you're talking about here?

Do you mean a theme has to be played in a no holds barred way to earn your respect?

Do you mean that only because JW used Hedwig's Theme in a more subdued way it's less of a JW theme?

Yes.......if by other words you mean your own (not that I entirely understand what you mean). He could have used it in a 'well, we gotta put it in there, because it's Williams, let's get it out of the wat' kind of way, where as I feel he used it in a 'well, we gotta put it in there, because it's so friggin' great, and it's not Harry Potter without the theme, so let's make every time we use it count'.

It has nothing to do with subdued or not subdued. He used it differently than JW did, and used it very well.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Interestingly, apart from the opening title, this would be the first Harry Potter score where Hedwig's Theme is in fact Hedwig's theme.

[Marian Schedenig 8,211]

No, he's talking about the opening of "Golden Egg"; a.k.a. the First Task. And while I disagree with him that it sounds synthesised, it's annoyingly loud/bombastic enough to have been written by an amateur using their computer...

That's the music for the arrival of the Durmstrang students and their weird "performance". Same story as the Bulgarian Quidditch music I mentioned above.

Marian - resting his case.

Spirited Away (Joe Hisaishi)

[gkgyver 1,646]

'well, we gotta put it in there, because it's Williams, let's get it out of the wat' kind of way, where as I feel he used it in a 'well, we gotta put it in there, because it's so friggin' great, and it's not Harry Potter without the theme, so let's make every time we use it count'.

If he indeed had this kind of attitude, he would have used it more. And not only Hedwig's Theme. I'm very sorry, but I can't share your feelings here. Hedwig's Theme feels just out of place in GoF.

[Panthera 0]

Yay! The DVD is out!

[gkgyver 1,646]

Shame it's the same movie ...

no, seriously, I like GoF, just nor as much as the previous three.

You know, in eager anticipation of the GoF DVD, I thought about GoF a bit, and stumbled over one pretty obvious question: why in the world was Cedric Diggory chosen by the goblet? Isn't it the goblet's duty to find the student with the best abilities? I mean, wouldn't it be only logical if a Slytherin was picked out? A Hufflepuff as Hogwarts' best man ... I never really bought that.

[Morlock 11]

Yay! The DVD is out!

Luckily my best friend wants to see it, so I'll have a chance to reconcider the film, which I currently think is quite bad.

[nightscape94 965]

I just bought it, haven't watched it again yet. I only saw it the one time in the theater. The impression I got was that it was rushed (despite the 2.5 hr running time). They just tried to do too much in one film. I understand they have to cover a lot of information, and not including some would be detrimental in future films, but having read the book, I can't imagine how much sense this made to someone who didn't. I, of course, could fill in the blanks, or completely understand character motivation because I had greater access. But within the isolated film universe, it was just chaotic.

Tim

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

You know, in eager anticipation of the GoF DVD, I thought about GoF a bit, and stumbled over one pretty obvious question: why in the world was Cedric Diggory chosen by the goblet? Isn't it the goblet's duty to find the student with the best abilities? I mean, wouldn't it be only logical if a Slytherin was picked out? A Hufflepuff as Hogwarts' best man ... I never really bought that.

But that was just it - nobody was expecting a Hufflepuff to be champion. And why shouldn't Cedric have been chosen? He clearly displayed the qualities the Goblet chooses by, as well as abilities. I don't get why you didn't buy it.

[Marian Schedenig 8,211]

He's pretty much the perfect champion. Unlike Harry, he's a flawless star.

Marian - who has yet to order the DVD, but remembers the movie being really poor overall with tons of wonderful moments.

[Richard Penna 3,696]

Yay! The DVD is out!

Not in UK or US it isn't - out on the 20th March here and I thought the movie was brilliant, definitely buying it.

[nightscape94 965]

I know this CD was mentioned before, but can someone confirm if it's any good? It's performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic and contains music from all four films. So, please don't start on a rant about how much you hate Doyle or whatever. I'm just curous about the quality of sound and performance. It has a 6:30min version of the end credit suite for PoA, and I didn't know what it was like. The film version is a cut and paste edit job, but I assume the one on this CD is a straight through performance with a different arrangement.

Anyone have any info?

Tim

[JoeinAR 1,949]

the DVD of GOF is pretty good, the extra's documentaries are very well done

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Not out here until April 4th. Hrumph.

- Marc, who went to the store just to pick GoF up, only too find out he was a month too early. banghead

[Richard Penna 3,696]

You Americans get everything before us grrrrrr.

We've gotta wait another week! The torture....

I've shown huge restraint and only seen this once too, highly unusual for a big movie like this (same goes for King Kong - can't wait for that either )

[nightscape94 965]

I was just listening to a recent interview with John Williams, and he said this about the Potter score....

"The fourth film has been done by a colleague of mine, in London, because I was not available to do that because of other commitments here (Los Angeles), but I love doing the series."

He didn't say anything about actually doing the next film, but I obviously expressed his intent on wanting to do it through these words.

Tim

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

Very interesting...which interview is that from?

Ray Barnsbury

[nightscape94 965]

It's from a radio show in L.A. called "The Record Shelf", which is broadcast on a classical station. In February, Williams was a guest for 3 hours while they talked and played music from various, more recent scores (CMIYC, SPR, Munich, Geisha, PoA...). There were quite a few points that Williams brought up about PoA, and its director. He kept going back to it, mentioning his appreciating for Cuarón and what he did, stylistically, for the film, saying it was more complex and much tighter. It was as though Williams wanted to make it clear that it was his favorite of the three scores (though he didn't come right out and say it).

Tim

[HPFAN_2 0]

It's from a radio show in L.A. called "The Record Shelf", which is broadcast on a classical station.  In February, Williams was a guest for 3 hours while they talked and played music from various, more recent scores (CMIYC, SPR, Munich, Geisha, PoA...).  There were quite a few points that Williams brought up about PoA, and its director.  He kept going back to it, mentioning his appreciating for Cuarón and what he did, stylistically, for the film, saying it was more complex and much tighter.  It was as though Williams wanted to make it clear that it was his favorite of the three scores (though he didn't come right out and say it).

Tim

And you didn't record this or tell us about it!

[nightscape94 965]

It's only been on the main JWFan page for about a month, though I missed it too for a while.

Tim

[Panthera 0]

Yay! The DVD is out!

Not in UK or US it isn't - out on the 20th March here and I thought the movie was brilliant, definitely buying it.

I got mine in the US. It came out on the 9th for us. I noticed a lot of good music that they left off the soundtrack.

[Bowie 45]

The fact that they're yet to announce a composer, to me suggests the studio or whatever is currently, right now, deciding between John Williams and Patrick Doyle.

Clearly Doyle was only given a one-film contract... and that's probably because Williams said how busy he was and couldn't do the fourth film but MAY come back for the later films.

I reckon they've been paying attention to the Oscar nominations: two last year for Williams and two in previous years for Potter scores. I wonder what would be some reasons they would keep Doyle? Does David Yates prefer British composers? Would somebody in a high position actually creatively and musically prefer Doyle's themes and musical style? Any suggestions?

[King Mark 3,631]

The only thing going for Doyle is that GoF made tons of money anyways,and he probably works for cheaper than Williams.

K.M.