FILM SCORE FRIDAY 8/22/03
By Scott Bettencourt
This fall, Percepto
will continue their series of Vic Mizzy releases by presenting
soundtrack CDs of two of his scores for Don Knotts comedies, THE GHOST
AND MR. CHICKEN and THE RELUCTANT ASTRONAUT.
On September 30th, Varese
Sarabande will release Graeme Revell's score to OUT OF TIME,
a romantic thriller that reteams Devil in a Blue Dress's star and
director, Denzel Washington and Carl Franklin. The same day, the label
will also release the soundtrack to THE EVENT, an urban drama starring
Parker Posey, Don McKellar and Olympia Dukakis, from the director of The
Hanging Garden. The CD will feature songs as well as selections from
Christophe Beck's score. And along with everything else, I'd like to
thank the label for their extraordinarily prompt delivery of my order of
their new CD Club releases. Mine was sent Tuesday and arrived Wednesday,
virtually unheard of in the L.A. postal system.
New Line Records will release Patrick Doyle's score
to SECONDHAND LIONS on September 23rd. The film stars Haley Joel
Osment, Michael Caine and Robert Duvall and the plot involves bank robbers
and the fortune they stole, but I'd rather believe it involves Osment recapturing
the Oscar Caine stole from him three years ago.
Director Robert Rodriguez has scored the third
in his Mariachi/Desperado trilogy, ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO
(actually shot before Spy Kids 2!), reteaming Antonio Banderas
and Salma Hayek and adding Johnny Depp and Willem Dafoe to the mix. Milan
will release the soundtrack on September 9th.
A segment on the great Jerome Moross will air on
NPR's "Fresh Air" program, possibly today. (Unfortunately, I only just
learned about this and it might have aired yesterday).
James Newton Howard fans may be interested to learn
that his second film for My Best Friend's Wedding director P.J.
Hogan, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE (aka Who Shot Victor Fox?), bypassed
a theatrical release and debuted on the STARZ cable network. Entertainment
Weekly gave the comedy-drama a D and said of the film "it blows." The
film is also set to be released on DVD by Warner Home Video on October
7th.
THE SCORES OF THE REST OF 2003
THE ALAMO - Carter Burwell
BAD SANTA - James L. Venable
BEYOND BORDERS - James Horner
BIG FISH - Danny Elfman
BROTHER BEAR - Mark Mancina
CABA DE LOS BABYS - Mason Daring
CABIN FEVER - Nathan Barr, Angelo Badalamenti
CALENDAR GIRLS - Patrick Doyle
THE CAT IN THE HAT - David Newman
CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN - Christophe Beck
COLD CREEK MANOR - Mike Figgis
COLD MOUNTAIN - Gabriel Yared, T. Bone Burnett
THE COMPANY - Van Dyke Parks
THE COOLER - Mark Isham
DICKIE ROBERTS: FORMER CHILD STAR - Christophe Beck, Waddy Wachtel
DUPLEX - Rolfe Kent
THE EVENT - Christophe Beck
GOOD BOY! - Mark Mothersbaugh
GOTHIKA - John Ottman
THE HAUNTED MANSION - Mark Mancina
HIGHWAYMEN - Mark Isham
HONEY - Mervyn Warren
HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG - James Horner
THE HUMAN STAIN - Rachel Portman
IN AMERICA - Gavin Friday, Maurice Seezer
IN THE CUT - Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson
INTOLERABLE CRUELTY - Carter Burwell
THE LAST SAMURAI - Hans Zimmer
LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION - Jerry Goldsmith
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING - Howard Shore
LOST IN TRANSLATION - Kevin Shields
LOVE ACTUALLY - Craig Armstrong
LOVE DON'T COST A THING - Richard Gibbs
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD - Richard Tognetti,
Christopher Gordon, Iva Davies
MATCHSTICK MEN - Hans Zimmer
THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS - Don Davis
THE MISSING - James Horner
MONA LISA SMILE - Rachel Portman
MYSTIC RIVER - Clint Eastwood
ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO - Robert Rodriguez
THE ORDER - David Torn
OUT OF TIME - Graeme Revell
PARTY MONSTER - Jimmy Harry
PAYCHECK - John Powell
PETER PAN - James Newton Howard
PIECES OF APRIL - Stephin Merritt
RADIO - James Horner
THE RUNAWAY JURY - Christopher Young
THE RUNDOWN - Harry Gregson-Williams
SCARY MOVIE 3 - James L. Venable
THE SCHOOL OF ROCK - Craig Wedren
SECONDHAND LIONS - Patrick Doyle
SHATTERED GLASS - Mychael Danna
SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE - Alan Silvestri
THE STATION AGENT - Stephen Trask
SYLVIA - Gabriel Yared
THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE - Steve Jablonsky
TIMELINE - Brian Tyler
21 GRAMS - Gustavo Santaolalla
UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN - Christophe Beck
VERONICA GUERIN - Harry Gregson-Williams
UNDERWORLD - Paul Haslinger
WONDERLAND - Cliff Martinez
THE YOUNG BLACK STALLION - William Ross
CDS AVAILABLE THIS WEEK
Gigli - John Powell - Varese Sarabande
Justine: The Deluxe Edition - Jerry Goldsmith - Varese Sarabande
CD Club
Passionada - Harry Gregson-Williams - Varese Sarabande
Predator - Alan Silvestri - Varese Sarabande CD Club
The Story of Ruth - Franz Waxman - Varese Sarabande CD Club
The Wonderful Country/The King and Four Queens - Alex North
- Varese Sarabande CD Club/Masters Film Music
IN THEATERS TODAY
The Battle of Shaker Heights - Richard Marvin
Marci X - Score by Mervyn Warren, Songs by Marc Shaiman and
Warren
The Medallion - Adrian Lee
My Boss's Daughter - Teddy Castellucci
Thirteen - Mark Mothersbaugh - Song CD on Nettwerk with 2 score
cues
COMING SOON
August 26
Freddy vs. Jason - Graeme Revell - Varese Sarabande
Jeepers Creepers 2 - Bennett Salvay - Varese Sarabande
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life - Alan Silvestri
- Varese Sarabande
September 9
Once Upon a Time in Mexico - Robert Rodriguez - Milan
September 23
Major Dundee - Daniele Amfitheatrof - DRG
Secondhand Lions - Patrick Doyle - New Line
September 30
The Event - Christophe Beck, various - Varese Sarabande
Out of Time - Graeme Revell - Varese Sarabande
Date Unknown
The Abominable Dr. Phibes/The Shuttered Room - Basil Kirchin
- Perseverance
Amerika - Basil Poledouris - Prometheus
Battle Cry - Max Steiner - Screen Archives/BYU
Cabin Fever - Nathan Barr, Angelo Badalamenti - La-La Land
The CBS Years vol. 1: The Westerns - Bernard Herrmann - Prometheus
The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal - various - La-La Land
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken - Vic Mizzy - Percepto
The Hellstrom Chronicle - Lalo Schifrin - Aleph
Mighty Joe Young, etc. - Roy Webb, et al - Monstrous Movie Music
Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation - Henry Mancini - Intrada Special
Collection
Night and the City - Franz Waxman/Benjamin Frankel - Screen
Archives
Point of Origin - John Ottman - La-La Land
The Reluctant Astronaut - Vic Mizzy - Percepto
A Summer Place - Max Steiner - Screen Archives/BYU
This Island Earth, etc. - Herman Stein, et al - Monstrous Movie
Music
THIS WEEK IN FILM MUSIC HISTORY
August 23 - Marvin Hatley died (1986)
August 23 - David Rose died (1990)
August 25 - Leonard Bernstein born (1918)
August 26 - Humphrey Searle born (1915)
August 26 - Ralph Vaughan Williams died (1958)
August 27 - Miles Goodman born (1949)
August 27 - Dimitri Tiomkin begins recording score to 36
Hours (1964)
DID THEY MENTION THE MUSIC?
AMERICAN SPLENDOR - Mark Suozzo
"American Splendor uses scratchy comic book frames and captions that
evoke the comic's edginess, and the free-floating jazz score by Mark Suozzo
might remind you, subliminally, of Peanuts -- which is also about a bunch
of neurotics (disguised as kids) hanging out and griping and developing
odd fixations."
David Edelstein, Slate.com
OPEN RANGE - Michael Kamen
"Only grating element is Michael Kamen's score, which swells as often
as a pigeon's breast."
Todd McCarthy, Variety
"Costner's direction is, for the first time, understated; it delves
only occasionally into the sentimental (his aesthetic Achilles' heel) and
really springs to life in an excitingly staged shootout marked by plosive,
startling violence. (Which almost, but not quite forgives/makes up for
the tinny, syrupy Michael Kamen score.)"
Scott Foundas, L.A. Weekly
"The music is grand, stirring and shows the influence of too much Elmer
Bernstein. And maybe even too much Leonard Bernstein."
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
UPTOWN GIRLS - Joel McNeely
"A spinning teacup ride at Coney Island serves as a deft metaphor for
the state of mind the two discover they share, but these sequences are
undercut by a treacly patch of music in composer Joel McNeely's otherwise
appropriately lively score."
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
I HAD A POLL IN AFRICA
FROM: "Ron Pulliam"
SUBJECT: John Barry poll
My favorite John Barry main theme is one of his OSCAR winners --
"Out of Africa"
I'm sure its exclusion was an oversight?
Mr. Pulliam had more to say on this subject on the Message Board:
Figure this: They list Born Free and Lion in Winter and
Dances With Wolves -- THREE of his FOUR Oscar-winning scores.
WHERE IS "OUT OF AFRICA"? It's my Favorite Barry Score -- and I
cannot vote because someone decided it shouldn't factor into Barry's "best
main titles"!
Also, NO "GOLDFINGER" and NO "DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER."
HELLO!?!? Where is "SOMEWHERE IN TIME"????
Whatever -- apparently they're seeking to SWAY the results by removing
titles that might get more votes than the desired titles.
WHAT OTHER REASON FOR LEAVING OUT BARRY's MOST-LOVED MAIN TITLES?
"The WRONG BOX" -- ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME???
The poll DESERVES its current stupid results of 800-plus votes for
"The Specialist."
I know these things are supposed to be "for fun," but they OUGHT
to attempt to make some sense, too!
Unless I am very much mistaken, Somewhere in Time's opening credits
feature no music, and thus the film has no John Barry "main title."
Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever feature songs over
their opening credits, so I didn't think it would be fair to pit them against
instrumental cues. Apples and oranges; or at least, oranges and tangerines.
(I know, the spectacular main titles of Lion in Winter and Last
Valley feature vocals, but they aren't songs per se) Which is
why O.H.M.S.S. is the only Bond theme I included; From Russia
With Love has an instrumental main title as well, but it's an adaptation
of a Lionel Bart song and thus not fully a Barry piece. Mind you, I love
the Bond songs as much as the next man, especially Diamonds Are Forever
and You Only Live Twice. Hell, I've even been known to defend my
beloved The Man With the Golden Gun on numerous occasions. After
all, his eye may be on you or me. Will he bang? We shall see.
On the other hand, the omission of Out of Africa was not merely
an oversight but a dumb and inexcusable mistake on my part. I saw the film
recently but missed the first reel and, apparently confusing it with Somewhere
in Time (I hadn't seen Africa since 1986), I'd forgotten that
it had a main title cue and was apparently too lazy to just walk into the
next room and look at either of the Out of Africa CDs (MCA or Varese)
to check. So there. Mea culpa.
However, there was definitely no attempt to "SWAY the results by removing
titles that might get more votes than the desired titles."
THE THREE STIGMATA OF MELVIN GIBSON
FROM: Graeme Wearmouth
SUBJECT: RE: The Passion
I too share the same trepidation
as Mr. Goodridge about the forthcoming score for what may be Mel Gibson's
magnum opus. I'm especially troubled with the music that accompanies the
sneak preview. All the footage and brilliant edits showcase what looks
to be a work removed from the Hollywood failings of late, yet the music
(apparently taken from Peter Gabriel's "Rabbit Proof Fence" score) has
such a ubiquitous stench about it that I'm starting to believe even many
talented filmmakers have no sense of the function and power of music in
film. If the music in this preview is any indication of the direction Gibson
plans to go, we're going to get another Lisa Gerrard/Zimmer/Horner pastiche
that will perhaps sell a record or two, but will hardly offer even a moment
of brilliance and artistic integrity that this film yearns for. Here's
hoping Mel sees the Light.
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