FILM SCORE FRIDAY 9/13/02
By Scott Bettencourt
Remake fever has hit the cinema for the ten millionth time. On October
8th, Walt Disney Records will release William Ross's score to TUCK
EVERLASTING. This is the second filming of Natalie Babbitt's novel
about a family who discovers the fountain of youth, and stars Academy Award®
winners William Hurt, Sissy Spacek and Ben Kingsley, as well as Gilmore
Girls' Alexis Bleidel and Jonathan Jackson, the talented young actor
who appeared in Deep End of the Ocean and Insomnia, and who
for a while was considered a major contender for the role of Anakin Skywalker
in Attack of the Clones. The film reunites Ross with director Jay
Russell -- the two previously teamed on the sleeper hit My Dog Skip.
The same day, Sanctuary Records will release Mark Mothersbaugh's
score to WELCOME TO COLLINWOOD. Collinwood is produced by
Steven Sodergergh and George Clooney, and is the second remake of the classic
Italian caper comedy Big Deal on Madonna Street. The previous remake
was Louis Malle's 1984 film Crackers, about which the less said
the better. The new version features a talented cast including Clooney,
the great William H. Macy, Sam Rockwell, Patricia Clarkson, Michael Jeter
and Clooney himself. For those who have seen the trailer, we can only hope
the movie is better.
One week later, Varese
Sarabande will release Michel Colombier's score to the Guy Ritchie
remake of Lina Wertmuller's SWEPT AWAY, starring Mrs. Ritchie, known
to some as Madonna. Mr. Colombier's scoring work is underrepresented on
CD, while Mrs. Ritchie's acting is overrepresented on film. The film is
a romantic comedy about a man and a woman trapped together on a desert
island. It's hard to decide which is the more hellish predicament -- being
trapped on an island with Madonna, or watching a Guy Ritchie film on that
subject.
The score to the TV remake of LATHE OF HEAVEN by Angelo Badalamenti
was due this week from Milan, but I have yet to come across it in stores
or at the online soundtrack dealers. Badalamenti has two features due out
shortly -- SECRETARY, a dominance-themed romantic comedy starring
James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal, and AUTO FOCUS, a Paul Schrader-directed
biopic on the life and death of Hogan's Heroes star Bob Crane, played,
in inspired casting, by Greg Kinnear. Both films have soundtracks announced
(Auto Focus due on September 24th, Secretary on October 8th),
but it is unknown how much if any Badalamenti music they will feature.
But at least they aren't remakes.
On October 1st, Nonesuch will release Philip Glass's score to
NAQOYATSI, the final film in the trilogy begun by Koyannisqatsi.
For readers wondering what happens in this film -- trust me, nothing will
happen in this film.
According to the Varese website, their BALLISTIC: ECKS VS. SEVER
soundtrack will only feature 6:25 of Don Davis's score. Honestly,
Varese -- it's bad enough when Milan releases CDs like this, but you're
supposed to be the label that's synonymous with movie scores. YOU'RE the
guys who put out the cool score album after some OTHER label has put out
the crappy song album. Sorry for the griping. Your other discs rock.
A promotional CD has been released of Bruce Broughton's score
to THE PRESIDIO. Intrada de-listed it from their site weeks
before it was even released, but at the moment it can still be found at
screenarchives.com and footlight.com.
CDS AVAILABLE THIS WEEK
City by the Sea - John Murphy - Varese Sarabande
Invincible - Hans Zimmer, Klaus Badelt - Milan
Lady in Cement - Hugo Montenegro - Harkit
Max Steiner at RKO - Max Steiner - BYU/Screen Archives
The Presidio - Bruce Broughton - promo
Rebecca - Franz Waxman - Varese Sarabande
Spirited Away - Joe Hisaishi - Milan
They Came to Rob Las Vegas - George Garvarentz - Harkit
COMING SOON
September 17
The Four Feathers - James Horner - Sony Classical
Trapped - John Ottman - Varese Sarabande
September 24
Buffy, the Vampire Slayer: Once More With Feeling - Joss Whedon,
Christophe Beck - Rounder
Red Dragon - Danny Elfman - Universal
The Wicker Man - Paul Giovanni - Silva
October 1
Naqoyatsi - Philip Glass - Nonesuch
The Tuxedo - John Debney, Christophe Beck - Varese Sarabande
October 8
Tuck Everlasting - William Ross - Disney
Welcome to Collinwood - Mark Mothersbaugh - Sanctuary
October 15
Below - Graeme Revell - Varese Sarabande
Swept Away - Michel Colombier - Varese Sarabande
Date Unknown
The Busy Body/The Spirit is Willing - Vic Mizzy - Percepto
The Emperors' Club - James Newton Howard - Varese Sarabande
The Hours - Philip Glass - Nonesuch
Star Trek: Nemesis - Jerry Goldsmith - Varese Sarabande
The Swarm - Jerry Goldsmith - Prometheus CD Club
IN THEATERS TODAY
Barbershop - Terence Blanchard - Song Album on Epic/Sony
How I Killed My Father - Jocelyn Pook
Igby Goes Down - Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen
Stealing Harvard - Christophe Beck
DID THEY MENTION THE MUSIC?
CITY BY THE SEA - John Murphy
"The score, meanwhile, could do without the annoying and out-of-place
Native American chanting that gets laid on rather thick in some early scenes."
Luke Y. Thompson, New Times
"The soundtrack uneasily mixes the interesting counterpoint of Chopin
and a cheery dance-era theme with John Murphy's literal minded scoring."
Robert Koehler, Variety
SWIMFAN - John Debney, Louis Febre
"Before you know it--and you know this plot kink and every other development
long before they happen--Madison is hunting Ben down, accompanied by her
very own psycho-chick refrain, though here the shrieking notes sound lifted
from an old Carol Burnett sketch instead of the Bernard Herrmann catalog."
Manhola Dargis, L.A. Times
DID SHE MENTION THE MUSIC?
A special "Pauline Hates John Williams" selection of the writings of
Pauline Kael (before you organize groups to go spit on her grave, don't
forget that in earlier selections she praised Williams' scores to E.T.,
The Fury, and The Long Goodbye):
THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST
In a movie with such hesitant tempos, and a rippling John
Williams score that's like some semi-serious Frenchie on a binge, it's
impossible to tell if the desperate Muriel is meant to be spontaneous.
(from Movie Love, published by Plume)
BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY
And John Williams' music is like a tidal wave. It comes
beating down on you while you're trying to duck Robert Richardson's frenzied
camera angles.
(from Movie Love, published by Plume)
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND
It's too bad that John Williams, who did the score, thinks
he's still working on Jaws. Movie music in general has reached the
point where if it isn't meant to cheer you or to scare you, the composer
doesn't know what to do. Except for the great duet here, Williams provides
emotional noise, rising and shrilling in the Bernard Herrmann manner. The
score fails to match the witty use of rapturousness in such images as that
of Barry trotting out of his house at night -- just a speck on the prairie
under a blanket of stars and a huge roiling cloud.
(from When the Lights Go Down, published by Henry Holt &
Co.)
EMPIRE OF THE SUN
Spielberg is stranded with his proud moments. That's where
John Williams comes in; his editorializing music swells and swooshes for
hours of this movie, trying to make us feel that something religious is
going on. It's musical glue poured over candied images.
(from Hooked, published by E.P. Dutton)
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
John Williams' pounding score could be the music from any
old Tarzan movie, though with a fuller orchestra and at ten times the volume.
Like just about everything else in the picture that misses, the klunky
music can be said to be intentional -- to represent fidelity to the genre.
(from Taking It All In, published by Henry Holt & Co.)
SUPERMAN
But Superman, one of the two or three most expensive
movies ever made, and with the biggest event promotion yet, is a cheesy-looking
film, with a John Williams "epic" score that transcends self-parody --
cosmic fanfares keep coming when there's nothing to celebrate. The sound
piercing your head tells you that you should remember each name in the
euphoric opening credits.
The other miracles don't have enough tension to be memorable: each
one wipes out our memory of the one before. And the insufferable shimmering
metallic music -- as congratulatory as a laugh track -- smudges them together.
(from When the Lights Go Down, published by Henry Holt &
Co.)
THE WORDS YOU'VE NEVER HEARD
A Star Beyond Time (Love Theme From Star Trek -- The Motion Picture)
Lyrics by Larry Kusik, Music by Jerry Goldsmith
There's a star beyond time
Floating in space
Waiting for you and me
Though we're planets apart
Love is the bridge
Joining our galaxies
Come with me
We'll star trek the unknown
Where no one's ever flown
To one star that we'll make our own
Where the universe ends
Our world begins
Somewhere beyond the dawn
Originally published by Ensign Music Corporation
WHERE ARE THE MARK SNOWS OF YESTERYEAR,
ROUND TWENTY
Before this section of Film Score Friday takes a hiatus, I would
like to present one more composer pair, two titans of film music, masters
of every genre as well as Oscar® winning arrangers of musicals - Alfred
Newman and John Williams:
Airport - Earthquake
The Battle of Midway - Midway
The Blue Bird - Hook
Dead End - Sleepers
The Diary of Anne Frank - Schindler's List
The Grapes of Wrath - The River
Gunga Din - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Heaven Can Wait - Always
How Green Was My Valley - Angela's Ashes
How to Marry a Millionaire - Valley of the Dolls
Leave Her to Heaven - Presumed Innocent
Pinky - I Passed For White
The Razor's Edge - Seven Years in Tibet
The Snake Pit - Images
Wilson - Nixon
Wuthering Heights - Jane Eyre
From: Tor Harbin <choyt19@yahoo.com>
About FSD
8-16-02:
"'Goldmember' score cancelled": Since you won't say anything,
I will: It sucks bowling balls that the score album has been cancelled.
George S. Clinton wrote a terrific score for the film and I (as well as
others) believe it merits a release.
"CDs available this week": "101 Dalmatians - Oliver Wallace"
Heh-heh-heh. No. It was the underrated George Bruns who composed the score
for the 1961 Disney masterpiece.
"Where are the Mark Snows of Yesteryear, round 16" - Not
bad. I, myself, had thought to put Michael Kamen in a tag team with John
Barry. Here's a list of what I envisioned:
The Black Hole - Event Horizon
Born Free - 101 Dalmatians
Hanover Street - Shining Through
Howard the Duck - Hudson Hawk
King Kong - The Iron Giant
Midnight Cowboy - Don Juan DeMarco
Robin & Marian - Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Somewhere in Time - Frequency
Thunderball - License to Kill
I tried to think of more, but came up empty.
Have a nice day.
Thank you for keeping the spirit of "Where Are the Mark Snows of Yesteryear?"
alive. I wouldn't have put Barry together with Kamen, mostly because I
think Barry is infinitely more talented, and I'm not just saying that because
Kamen once called a movie I wrote "really stupid." Black Hole and
Event Horizon is an especially nice pairing, particularly since
an event horizon is actually part of a black hole.
You're right about Bruns doing 101 Dalmatians -- I was so wrong
that I even had my Dalmatians CD filed under Wallace instead of
Bruns.
As far as the lack of a Goldmember score CD is concerned, I share
your pain. I've seen the film three times (yes, I have a lot of free time
on my hands -- what's your point?), and it gets funnier with each viewing.
The score is terrific, as George S. Clinton adds new elements to the Austin
Powers scoring formula -- a parody of David Arnold's Bond scoring for
the main title action sequence; Casino Royale-style horns for Austin's
father; 70s style orchestral funk for Foxxy Cleopatra; and a wonderfully
myterioso theme for Goldmember himself.
The earlier Austin Powers song albums at least each had a score
montage cue; this time the score montage was left off, probably because
New Line Records had already announced its since canceled score album.
However, that Goldmember score montage does exist on a virtually
impossible to find composer promo titled The Shagadelic Music of George
S. Clinton.
The CD is 28 minutes long, and features cues from seven of Clinton's
movies -- Astronaut's Wife, Joe Somebody, 3000 Miles to Graceland, Wild
Things, and the three Austin Powers films. The Goldmember
suite, titled "Soul Shag," is 6:03, and features the following brief score
cues (not sequenced separately):
1. Austinpussy opening action sequence (0:52)
2. Light jazz sneaking around music, with Asian undertones (0:49)
3. Goldmember's theme (0:35)
4. Foxxy Cleopatra action music (0:37)
5. Light comedy music for Austin and Mini-Me sneaking around the sub
in a big trenchcoat (0:30)
6. Fat Bastard fight -- Matrix-style techno music, including "You take
the high road" played on a bagpipe (1:04)
7. An accordion version of Dr. Evil's theme for a flashback of his
mother's death (0:47)
8. Action finale, including chimes (0:53)
MailBag@filmscoremonthly.com
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