Film Score Friday 12/17/99

by Lukas Kendall

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AMPAS Letters Continued

See the Monday mail bag for reactions to the recent disqualification of the South Park and Tarzan scores from Oscar "Best Score" consideration, due to the amount of songs each movie has.

Incidentally, Marc Shaiman's score to South Park received the Los Angeles Critics award for best score of 1999.

From: "John Takis" <takisjoh@pilot.msu.edu>

The Academy's decision to bar Shaiman's "South Park" and Mancina's "Tarzan" for Oscar Nomination only goes to prove that the Acadamy couldn't find their noses with both hands. Both scores are eminently worthy of nomination. Disqualifying them on the basis of "too many songs" is rather like disqualifying "The Phantom Menace" for having too many themes! We're quibbling over the method a composer chooses to employ melody? Ridiculous! It would be more fair to disqualify John Williams in the fear that his very reputation promotes a bias (not that I'm suggesting such an action.) The same John Williams who won an Oscar for "Fiddler on the Roof," which, if memory serves, had a lot of songs! The MPA needs to survey Mancina and Shaiman's peers -- how many of them do you suppose would try to diminish the acheivements of their fellows in this manner?

From: Erik Chapin <dj_intrepid@yahoo.com>

The Academy Awards is nothing but a big political candidate race. It does not reflect the best work of the year at all. If it was, then why would the voters be receiving so much miscellaneous crap from the studios vying for their vote? If it was then why would Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast' get nominated for Best Picture and not the much deserved 'Malcolm X' back in 1991? Let's not forget those two Italian scores, 'Il Postino' and 'Life is Beautiful', that were redundant as hell and won over other scores that were two to three times better! Let's not forget Alan Menken's back to back winning's which, in my opinion, were completely undeserved. Every year there are always nominees and winners who don't deserve even the nomination itself. This goes for just about every category within the main Oscar telecast.

I think the Academy should reevaluate their stance on the film score category. This IS a major category and a MAJOR part of the film itself. Limiting it to only one category will make for an extremely unfair situation. The two film score categories that were in effect last year were just perfect. Don't change things just because there is conflict. It is the Academy's fault in the first place for not properly defining the difference's of each film score for the voter's. They need to do this. Otherwise they're getting paid for nothing.

Last but not least, the Academy needs to tighten up on the studio campaigns. It is the campaigns that are influencing voters to vote for undeserved crap. Jar Jar Binks as best supporting actor?! Oh No! Stop the studio campaigns!!

From: Andy G <andrew.goldsbrough@magdalen.oxford.ac.uk>

Maybe it would be better if the Academy gave an award for the total musical contribution to a film. Songs and score. Treat them as an inseparable whole. Call it something dumb like Musical Direction for a Musical. Nominate all the composers and lyricists who worked on it.

Unfortunately they still have to separate original works from compilation scores of pre-existing music. You can't go out giving Oscars for people's record collections.

From: Randall Derchan <DSPY007@aol.com>

I can't believe anyone really cares what the Academy decides. Their whole process is, has, and always will be unfair. To really pick the best anything, in any year, is really unfair. There are always so many wonderful things out there. I think acknowledgment is more important than awards. When was the last time a score won that deserved it, that didn't have a prestigious film behind it?

The answer to this question is The Milagro-Beanfield War which won for 1988, by Dave Grusin. Maybe not the best score but certainly an unexpected choice.

Saving Private Ryan Performance in Texas

From: "David Kozamchak" <kozam@trinitylubbock.org>

I just wanted to let your readers know about an interesting church Christmas program happening this Sunday, Dec. 19, at Trinity Church in Lubbock, TX. The title of the program is "No Fear Christmas". In the program we will be performing John Williams' "Hymn to the Fallen" from Saving Private Ryan with our full choir and orchestra. The music will be underscoring famous audio clips from the past century that will set the tone for the rest of the program. I know that this may sound a bit strange to some of you, but believe me, it works magnificently. Both me (I am the orchestra director) and our "video guy" are soundtrack fans and this past Easter we incorporated music from The Edge to underscore a video we made for our Easter program and it fit perfectly. So, if you would like to attend a church Christmas program with a different twist come worship with us out this Sunday, Dec. 19th, at 8:30, 10, or 11:30 a.m. at Trinity Church in Lubbock, TX (7002 Canton Ave.).

Varese Compilation

From: TRISTRAMJUDGE69@cs.com

Hi There! I recently brought Varese Sarabande's compilation of some of the years selections (The Phantom Menace & Other Film Hits), which I have to say are very good. The significance of purchasing the CD was really due to the premiere recording of The Phantom Menace concert suite, but after many listens the recording is terribly flawed which is very surprising as their Royal Scottish recordings have always impressed me.

The primary cause of this is due to the amateurish conducting by a Frederik Talgorn and very poor recording and general orchestral balance. The Flag Parade is without a doubt one of Williams best adrenaline pumpers, but Talgorn obviously has no understanding of tempo as he seems to be late for his tea with the speed he took it at. Duel Of The Fates is also an embarrassment, apart from a number of wrong notes the recording levels are awful, with obtrusive trumpet blasts and over zealous percussion. I won't even start on The Mummy and Saving Private Ryan, the latter of which is painfully slow and lacks any sort of emotion.

It is a great shame that a professional like Robert Townson didn't pick up on these blatant flaws with so many exceptional Royal Scottish recordings under his belt. What happenned to John Debney or Joel McNeely anyway? I would be interested to hear opinions on this matter.

I haven't heard this new CD yet so I can't comment. I'm sure the use of a conductor depends on availability more than anything else.

Have a Jolly Holly Holiday Weekend!

Visit www.soundtrack.net for a new interview with Carter Burwell.

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