Anticipated Upcoming Scores

Probably every fan makes a short list at the commencement of each year of the upcoming movies to which he or she is most looking forward. For some, it's whatever Jerry Goldsmith and John Williams do; for others, it's whatever big genre movie is coming up. Or both! Here's one reader's to-see list; send yours, address below!

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The Race Is On

by Christopher Moore

So far this year, the only spectacular score to take some notice of has been Titanic--and that's from last year. Other scores have been somewhat lackluster, even with prominent composers like Jerry Goldsmith, whose U.S. Marshals was lacking something he may yet satisfy us with Mulan. James Horner's work on Titanic, to be sure hasn't been satisfying to eveyone, and not everyone has been disappointed with Goldsmith's out put so far. However, www.filmtracks.com makes an excellent point about Goldsmith that can be argued as the situation of the scores so far this year. To paraphrase, it starts out slow and then gets better by summer and fall.

The summers are generally more exciting fare as far as movies go, and the scores that follow hold a promise that we may yet see as favorable. The following are five scores that seem enticing and, hopefully will have more substance in their sound:

ARMAGEDDON, the second of two meteor movies this summer has Trevor Rabin, who assisted Mark Mancina in making Con Air an adrenal gland's dream. The previews of Armageddon, and the music Rabin composed for it promise a patriotic Independence Day reminiscent score with a testosterone edge of rock and roll.

GODZILLA, Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin's answer to the Jurassic Park movies with their own larger-than-life formula has a buzz as hot as Independence Day. But does "size matter"? Will David Arnold's music reflect that fact as well as his last collaboration with the Centropolis team? Arnold's work has proved that he does posess some skill at drawing audiences to listen as well as see the film. If he does this well with Godzilla, odds are that this may be the most anticipated score of next summer's movie blowout.

MULAN, whose Japanese Joan of Arc (the legendary title character) fights mongols may call upon the great Jerry Goldsmith to create a score akin to The Ghost and The Darkness in scope and the Shiwan Khan music of The Shadow in thematic material. The previews of this film feature a scene in pencil test form featuring a band of mongols riding down a hill that looked impressive. To think Goldsmith will add music to this scene is enough to consider possibly paying some attention to the film.

THE MASK OF ZORRO. It's about time that James Horner got back to doing a straightforward adventure film with some good old-fashioned violence. Audiences may not expect another Star Trek II or Aliens here, or any other score that Horner's done that fleshes out the films he's scored. Hopefully not! The assumption one can argue is that Horner will add his usual motifs to spanish ethnic sounds and tempos. Zorro provides Horner with an opportunity to do more than making a Spanish version of Braveheart, Willow or Krull. Such an idea is just too ludicrous. Let's hope Horner doesn't go there. This score could very well be a treat for Horner fans and those who most likely will enjoy this swashbuckling adventure film.

THE AVENGERS. Michael Kamen will obviously score this film away from its cousins The Saint and Mission: Impossible. And that could be a pleasant surprise. The Saint is hardly heard about as far its score is concerned and Danny Elfman provided a wonderfully suspenseful score to match Mission: Impossible. Kamen lately has chosen very different films to score and has proven his versatility. Summer movie adrenaline with familiar characters is not unusual territory for Kamen; what Kamen can do for them should be noticed.

These picks aren't the only scores to look for, and any selection here listed assumes that a score album alone will be released. A soundtrack featuring songs designed to sell new artists the way Batman & Robin did is a loathesome thought and the idea of a soundtrack is to fetaure music FROM the film. Any of the above picks might be cursed with the release of a soundtrack that only has a minimal amount of the work composers put into a film. Also these films may change composers at the drop of a hat. For now, this list of possibilities is exciting to ponder. So here's to the summer movie race and the scores resultant, and the hope that the work therein is wonderful. It's hard to wait for.

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While we're mentioning anticipated things coming up, this might be as good a place as any to run another review of an overlooked work from last year:

Lee Holdridge: Into thin Air - Death on Everest

The Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Lee Holdridge

Citadel STC 77112 ****1/2

Review by Mark Huebner

Often television productions are supported by great scores. For the lack of international attention these scores remain unknown at least until the distribution of a TV series or movie has made its worldwide spread. Anyway, a lot of TV scores have set high standards such as The Winds of War (Bob Cobert) or Lonesome Dove (Basil Poledouris). Another highlight in the row of these scores is the new soundtrack to the Columbia TV movie Into the Air - Death on Everest by Haiti-born Lee Holdridge (53), composer of the marvellous Old Gringo score (1989).

The music fiercely illuminates the devastating icy atmosphere of the Mount Everest. It evokes the incredible efforts and loneliness of an expedition to the top of the world. Holdridge has created a perfect mixture of harsh brass and percussion rhythms with both heroic and romantic string arrangements. Already the opening bars of the main title, a short burst motif in horns and percussion that became the basis for the whole score, squeeze the listener breathlessly into his seat. The composer delicately worked out fine solo sections for the oboe and piano. A colorful array of gongs and daiko drums give an additional unusual texture to the traditional symphonic orchestral sound. In this case, the score is brillantly performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra, London (just remember the famous Silva re-recordings of Lawrence of Arabia or The Big Country!). Engineer Mike Ross (who already was responsible for both mentioned Silva scores) did a great job in the warm acoustic atmosphere of CTS Studios Wembley. The orchestra was positioned in the traditional way and the high-ceiling room was kept open with no sound-absorbing baffles (used frequently in film scoring sesions). The result is, indeed, a wonderful immediacy and presence of the music. A must-have - highly recommended!

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There you have it. Be here tomorrow for a first-look at John Barry's The Beyondness of Things non-soundtrack album. And send your list of the five scores you are most looking foward to: MailBag@filmscoremonthly.com