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The best nods to William's music...


BigMacGyver

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Composers sometimes include little (or bigger) "nods" to William's music (more or less intentional). Now what are some that you consider as the best?

Please note: this is not about pointing with the finger at a composer and laughing your butt off about how they rip off other scores or about the composer being oh-so lazy and all that nonsense.

Now, these are my favs:

Alan Silvestri - Siegfried & Roy: The Magic Box:

Apart from some powerful williams-esque arrangements in that score, Silvestri included a short quote of the grail theme from Last Crusade in the first cue. Now there have been other instances where this theme shines through for very brief moments in silvestri's scores but never as prominent as in that one. A really lovely nod.

Trevor Jones - Around The World In 80 Days

I think there are a lot of hints to Williams scores in this one that you could almost open an entirely new topic that only deals with the quotes in that score. Jones was certainly forced to include these hints due to the temp track. However, my favourite one is Balloon Chase which is almost a re-arrangement of The Ultimate War from Hook.

David Newman - The Nutty Professor 2

An exact arrangement of a portion from the Star Wars end titles suddenly takes over in one of the cues. It was so hilarious and a joy to listen.

Now it's your turn :thumbup:

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What's the Joel McNeely score with that action cue which is Indy's first adventure from TLC remodelled?

The Phantom Train of Doom is very Hook-like. A bit of Last Crusade too.

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I don't know who did this, but in Jimmy Neutron, there's an episode where Jimmy, Sean, and Carl get sent back in time and confront a t-rex. When they see it, you hear the four note t-rex/raptor motif from Jurassic Park.

It was funny because Carl stopped moving because Sean said the T-rex wouldn't see him, but then Jimmy is like "That's an outdated view that's been proven inaccurate." and then Sean is like "In that case, RUN CARL!" lol

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I found the same quote in the Jimmy Neutron series when they bring a raptor back in time during a party, and it runs around a corner and stops, looking at the boys. That four-note theme was there, too, and it was another instance where I was just so excited!

~Conor

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John Williams using the Jaws theme for the opening of 1941.
JW using JW's Yoda theme in ET.

Then I add the little part of Raiders' "Basket Game" in Temple of Doom.

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Family Guy: Williams was nominated for best score in the porn awards and they show him conducting symphony orchestra playing a piece that sounds almost like beginning of the Desert Chase from Raiders. Williams can be seen in the front row in a tuxedo fingers crossed. :baaa: Hilarious and a nice nod to his numerous nominations for just about every award.

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Yes,I saw that Family Guy bit 2 nights ago by random luck of TV channel surfing...hilarious!I suppose that take on "Desert Chase" was supposed to score sex scene.

The Simpsons bit of "John Williams conducts the music of Itchy and Scratchy" is very funny because the orchestrations are spot on.

K.M.

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I love Jerry's nod to Superman in Supergirl when the kids are looking at the poster.

I was going to mention this when I saw the thread title.....in fact doesn't Williams get a little credit for it? Something like "All tracks written by Jerry Goldsmith, except <<whatever the track is called>> - 50% Jerry Goldsmith, 50% John Williams" on the back cover of the CD....

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Every time Alf Clausen uses a Williams piece.

There's also an episode of Family Guy in the first season I think, where they sort of spoof the basket chase from Raiders, and there's a piece of music that has orchestration very similar to The Basket Game.

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The statements of the Krypton and Main themes from Superman in various episodes of Smallville. Chilling every time.

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Subdued? I have the 26 track CD and the version I have is not subtle at all. It's not tracked either. It includes the harp arpeggios and the woodwind runs over the accelerating strings playing the shark theme just like Jaws. It's pretty much the exact same thing, not a slight quote or suggestion.

Tim

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Every time Alf Clausen uses a Williams piece.

Like Bart escaping from an underpants-clad Homer to the Raiders march. Brilliant!!!

That wasn't the real actual March. It was very similar to it.

I don't think Clausen have never used real Williams' music, he just compose cues which are very similar to them.

Like (and this is the 3rd time we end up naming this episode ;) ) when Homer talks with God and God removes the Simpsons' house's roof. It's an "heven choir" very similar to the Ark Theme, but it's not that.

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Every time Alf Clausen uses a Williams piece.

Like Bart escaping from an underpants-clad Homer to the Raiders march. Brilliant!!!

That wasn't the real actual March. It was very similar to it.

I don't think Clausen have never used real Williams' music, he just compose cues which are very similar to them.

It most definitely is. It's a re-recording of a small part of In the Idol's Temple (right before Indy picks up the idol), and the latter half of Flight from Peru.

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Several times, always in establishing shots of Mr. Burns' office.

He did it in A Star Is Burns and Marge Gets a Job I think.

He also used a slightly altered version of the Flying Theme from E.T. in Bart's Dog Gets an F. Not an exact replica, but obvious enough, especially together with the visuals.

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Several times, always in establishing shots of Mr. Burns' office.

He did it in A Star Is Burns and Marge Gets a Job I think.

The clip show, too (the roast of Homer).

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The Moon Raker had one Williams nod. Drax' Venice laboratory has an electronic lock on it. The sequence which unlocks the door is the CEO3K 5 note pattern. It was kind of funny when I first saw the film.

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Family Guy has used actual cues from Williams scores in a few of the episodes, Flight From Peru, the short quote of Vader's theme as his helmet is lowered on to his head from TESB for a similar scene in one episode. Also similar takes on the Map Room from Raiders, Mine Car chase from TOD to name a few.

What's the Joel McNeely score with that action cue which is Indy's first adventure from TLC remodelled?

It's actually a note for note copy at times for the film Iron Will.

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Isnt Jaws in 1941 tracked? (as in GL' movies)

In the film, yes.

On the CD Williams uses a more subdued quote from his own Jaws theme, not really stating, just suggesting it.

I heard it and it really 'stated' there.

I suppose Sipelberg though it was not bold or long enough to make the conncetion quickly...

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  • 3 weeks later...

Found another hilarious nod in one of my favourite series:

Parker Lewis Can't Loose - season one, episode 21

Frank Lemmer is digging for a school relic of the class of 70 and Dennis McCarthy hints Williams' discovery theme from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Many of you will probably not know this funny high school series from the 90's because it is not available on DVD but it is full of such parodies.

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Am I the only one who can hear well pronounced hints of Vader's theme in "An Angry God" from the Final Frontier?

It's quite similar, in the same style, but definitely not the same theme. ;)

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Family Guy has used actual cues from Williams scores in a few of the episodes, Flight From Peru, the short quote of Vader's theme as his helmet is lowered on to his head from TESB for a similar scene in one episode. Also similar takes on the Map Room from Raiders, Mine Car chase from TOD to name a few.

Wow, that show really does steal decade-old Simpsons jokes. They were doing Williams jokes ages ago. I'm getting tired of them (especially the "porn movie music" one, and I haven't even seen it)

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They did a joke recently where Peter was showing Stewie how much fun he could have with a cardboard box, only to keep the box for himself.

Would have been funny, if The Simpsons hadn't done it better 10 years before. :music:

Still, I'm usually laughing my ass off at most of their jokes anyway.

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Does anyone know the music at the end of NBC's coverage last night. It was played with the highlights and showing the credits. IS this John williams? IF so what song is it? If not, does anyone know who composed it?

thanks

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Everybody Loves Raymond had a quote from Jaws I believe.

Ray peaks thru his mail slot on his door and sees his parents coming toward him. The music is from the scene where the camera zooms in on Brody during the Kintner attack.

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