FILM SCORE FRIDAY 2/18/05
By Scott Bettencourt
During last Sunday's Grammy ceremony, awards were given in the following
film music related categories:
BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK ALBUM FOR A MOTION PICTURE, TELEVISION OR OTHER
VISUAL MEDIA
THE LORD OF THE RINGS - THE RETURN OF THE KING: Howard Shore
BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR A MOTION PICTURE, TELEVISION OR OTHER VISUAL
MEDIA
INTO THE WEST (From The Lord Of The Rings - The Return Of The King):
Annie Lennox, Howard Shore & Fran Walsh
BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK ALBUM FOR A MOTION PICTURE, TELEVISION
OR OTHER VISUAL MEDIA
GARDEN STATE: Zach Braff
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts give their
Anthony Asquith Award for Achievement in Film Music to Gustavo Santaolalla
for THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES. They also awarded a special Academy
Fellowship to John Barry.
In honor of Sam Peckinpah's 80th birthday (February 21st),
next Wednesday, February 23rd at 7:15 P.M., the American
Cinematheque will present the World Premiere of Nick Redman's new 40
min. documentary A SIMPLE ADVENTURE STORY: SAM PECKINPAH, MEXICO AND
THE WILD BUNCH at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. It will be followed
by a screening of The Wild Bunch, and between the films there will
be a discussion with Redman, authors Paul Seydor, Garner Simmons and David
Weddle, and Peckinpah's daughter Lupita.
On National Public Radio, Andy Trudeau is currently presenting
his yearly guide to the five Oscar nominated scores. For more information,
go to NPR's
website.
The site also lists Trudeau's ten favorite film scores:
BATMAN (Elfman)
BATTLE OF THE BULGE (Frankel)
JAWS (Williams)
KING KONG (Steiner)
PLANET OF THE APES (Goldsmith)
PSYCHO (Herrmann)
THE SEA HAWK (Korngold)
SILVERADO (Broughton)
SPARTACUS (North)
THE
TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE (Shire)
On Friday, February 25th, Richard Kaufman will conduct
the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in "A Night on the Red Carpet," a concert
featuring music from Oscar-nominated films including a suite from Jan A.P.
Kaczmarek's score for Finding Neverland. Among the selections will
be pieces from Ben-Hur,Mutiny
on the Bounty, The Natural, Silverado, To Kill a Mockingbird, and
The Untouchables, and a tribute to Jerry Goldsmith. For more information,
go to this website.
A new concert piece by Danny Elfman, "Serenada
Schizophrana," will be performed by the American Composers Orchestra at
New York's Carnegie
Hall on Wednesday, February 23rd. For more information, go to this
link. Our thanks to James Phillips for the news.
Varese
Sarabande will release three new CDs on March 29th. SIN CITY
is based on Frank Miller's acclaimed series of noir graphic novels, and
is co-directed by Miller and Robert Rodriguez, with an all-star
cast including Bruce Willis and Clive Owen. Rodriguez composed the score
with John Debney (who collaborated with Rodgriguez on the first
two Spy Kids scores) and Graeme Revell (who scored Rodriguez'
From Dusk Till Dawn).
KUNG FU HUSTLE is the new action comedy from Hong Kong star-director
Stephen Chao, with a score by Raymond Wong. DUST TO GLORY
is a documentary about the Baja 1000 off-road race, with a score by newcomer
Nathan Furst, who is, interestingly enough, the son of Animal
House/Babylon 5 co-star Stephen Furst.
CDS AVAILABLE THIS WEEK
Constantine - Brian Tyler/Klaus Badelt - Varese Sarabande
IN THEATERS TODAY
Because of Winn-Dixie - Rachel Portman - Song CD on Nettwerk
with 3 score cues
Constantine - Brian Tyler, Klaus Badelt - Score CD on Varese
Sarabande
Schultze Gets the Blues - Dirk Niemeier, Thomas Wittenbecher
Son of the Mask - Randy Edelman - Song CD on New Line with 3
score cues
Turtles Can Fly - Hossein Alizadeh
COMING SOON
February 22
The Film Music of Clifton Parker - Clifton Parker - Chandos
Hide and Seek - John Ottman - Kirtland
March 1
Million Dollar Baby - Clint Eastwood - Varese Sarabande
March 8
Dear Frankie - Alex Heffes - Silva
March 15
Robots - John Powell - Varese Sarabande
March 29
Dust to Glory - Nathan Furst - Varese Sarabande
Kung Fu Hustle - Raymond Wong - Varese Sarabande
Sin City - Robert Rodriguez, John Debney, Graeme Revell - Varese
Sarabande
Date Unknown
The Big Empty - Brian Tyler - La-La Land
The Deadly Spawn - Michael Perilstein - Perseverance
Filmmusik - Nathan Larson - Commotion
The Foxes of Harrow - David Buttolph - Screen Archives
Hitman/Hitman 2 - Jesper Kyd - La-La Land
Killer Klowns From Outer Space - John Massari - Percepto
Marjorie Morningstar - Max Steiner - Screen Archives
Mirrormask - Iain Ballamy - La-La Land
The Prodigal - Bruce Broughton - Intrada Signature Collection
Son of Fury - Alfred Newman - Screen Archives
We Are Not Movies? - Mark Mothersbaugh - Commotion
THIS WEEK IN FILM MUSIC HISTORY
February 18 - Nathaniel Shilkret died (1982)
February 20 - William Lava died (1971)
February 21 - Ron Grainer died (1981)
February 21 - Morton Gould died (1996)
February 22 - Angelo Francesco Lavagnino born (1909)
February 22 - Maurizio De Angelis born (1947)
February 22 - Gary Chang born (1953)
February 22 - Jerry Goldsmith records his score to Hawkins
on Murder (1973)
February 22 - William Loose died (1991)
February 23 - Allan Gray born (1902)
February 23 - Erich Wolfgang Korngold wins Original Score Oscar
for The Adventures of Robin Hood, the first year the award goes
to the composer instead of the head of the music branch; Alfred Newman
wins Score Oscar for Alexander's Ragtime Band (1939)
February 24 - Fred Steiner born (1923)
February 24 - Michel Legrand born (1932)
February 24 - George Harrison born (1943)
February 24 - Rupert Holmes born (1947)
February 24 - Elmer Bernstein begins recording score to The
World of Henry Orient (1964)
February 24 - Franz Waxman died (1967)
February 24 - Walter Scharf died (2003)
DID THEY MENTION THE MUSIC?
BRIDE AND PREJUDICE - Craig Pruess, Anu Malik
"As a musical, 'Bride and Prejudice' feels drowsy. The songs, by Craig
Pruess and the outrageously prolific Anu Malik, are sugary and snappy,
and Saroj Khan's choreography is her usual pleasing blend of grinding,
twisting, and twirling."
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
HITCH - George Fenton
"As in many a romantic comedy, the juiciest supporting player is Manhattan,
a backdrop that goes a long way toward setting the mood, along with George
Fenton's score."
Brian Lowry, Variety
INSIDE DEEP THROAT - David Steinberg
"Production values are colorfully showy, and a vibrant, imaginative
score by David Steinberg gooses things along."
Todd McCarthy, Variety
ON OSCAR DISCUSSIONS
FROM: "Cary Wong"
In response to Ron's letter where he mentions my quote
"I was surprised that either Rolfe Kent's 'Sideways' nor Craig Armstrong's
'Ray' were nominated, but neither were their composers' best scores." His
argument is that the nominations shouldn't have to be the composers' best
works, just the best work of that year. Well, I totally agree with Ron
on that. However, since their scores aren't outstanding to begin with (like
I obviously feel with James Newton Howard's superb "The Village"), it wasn't
that disappointing that they weren't nominated (as they are both scores
to nominated Best Picture nominees which was the context of the quote).
And for the record, I didn't know Armstrong's score was ineligible.
Living in New York, I am far away from the politics of the business, so
I can make impartial decisions, but the downside is that I will make errors
such as this. If only someone who is fond of making lists could create
this informative list when the rulings are made....hmm, Scott?
FROM: "John Archibald"
SUBJECT: Composer's "Greatest Work"
In response to Mr. Pulliam's observation that "it has been
the rare music that has been nominated AND been the composer's greatest
work," I venture to nominate Miklos Rozsa's score for BEN HUR. Of all the
scores it has been my great pleasure to experience, I think perhaps it
is this one that most closely not only accessed its composer's creative
core but may even have extended it. Rozsa's contribution enhances the film
to such an extent that it transforms a literate spectacle into a transcendent
experience. There are few other works, in any media, that can be said to
do the same.
Perhaps the challenge is to say the same things, long repeated
over the centuries, but to express oneself about these things from the
personal truth of oneself. I believe Rozsa was able to access this most
closely in this score.
And though the Academy may have honored it, as they often do, because
it accompanied the movie that made the most money, in this instance, at
least, they struck greater pay dirt than they imagined.
I'd also suggest E.T. for a composer's greatest score that also
won the Oscar, but with Williams (like Rozsa) it's murderously hard to
pick a greatest score.
FROM: "Randy Derchan"
He was livid that "Beauty and the Beast" was nominated
for Best Picture. "It's not like it's the greatest animated film of all
time," he declared.
The hell it's not. He stands alone on that one.
I totally agree with the prospect that the best score doesn't have
to be the composer's best work, just the best of the year. What I despise
the most is when a score is nominated just because the film was so highly
praised by the academy. I think the best scores are really the ones that
are not only written well, but tend to make the film better than it was,
generally meaning, it wasn't that great of a film to begin with.
I also have a problem with non-film composers getting nominated
or getting Oscars. Clint Eastwood is a man of many talents who I admire
a great deal, and I'm glad he can hire himself, cough) Lennie, uh, I mean
himself to write the score to own his own movie, but I don't think he should
get nominated or win an award for it -- I'm just using this as an example.
There are so many talented composers who do this for a living that will
never or have never seen a nomination. This category is for them. They
should be the ones who get full honors. That's just my take on it. Most
film music fans probably know where I'm coming from. Of course, I've stopped
putting too much meaning into the Academy Awards anyway.
Life is not always fair, which the Oscars often demonstrate.
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