THE 2008 TOP FORTY COMPOSER COUNTDOWN, PART EIGHT

By Scott Bettencourt

1 OSCAR NOMINATION
1 GRAMMY NOMINATION
TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. Pan's Labyrinth--37 (U.S. gross in millions)
 
He is scoring the Brendan Fraser/Helen Mirren fantasy adventure Inkheart, from director Iain Softley (who usually works with Edward Shearmur), and scored Jean Jacques Annaud's His Majesty Minor. The news that Guillermo del Toro is expected to film The Hobbit for New Line has fans wondering if Navarrete will follow in Howard Shore's footsteps as a Tolkein composer.

1 EMMY NOMINATION
TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. The Wedding Date--31
2. Magnificent Desolation--22
3. First Daughter--9

He scored the upcoming John Malkovich comedy (there's a phrase you don't hear very much) The Great Buck Howard, and the yet to be released indie Elvis and Annabelle (starring Max Minghella and Blake Lively). He is set to score the Matthew McConaghey comedy Surfer Dude, and has been busy in TV with episodes of Brothers and Sisters and Eli Stone.

BEST PICTURE NOMINEES: The Piano
TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. The Piano--40
2. Gattaca--12
3. The End of the Affair--10
4. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover--7
5. The Libertine--4
6. Carrington--3
7. Ravenous--2

No new films released in the U.S. lately, though his daughter Molly has taken her father's role as Michael Winterbottom's composer, scoring (with co-composer Harry Escott) such films as The Road to Guantanamo and A Mighty Heart.

TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. Spy Kids--116
2. Curious George--58
3. Riding in Cars with Boys--30
4. Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights--14
5. Real Women Have Curves--5
6. Illegal Tender--3

Pereira provided additional music for Bee Movie, and performed on the scores for Pirates 3 and The Simpsons Movie. He scored last year's thriller Illegal Tender, wrote the dueling guitars piece for August Rush, and scored the upcoming fish-out-of-water comedy Beverly Hills Chihuahua (aka South of the Border) as well as the indie The Canyon and the documentary Running the Sahara.

TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. Shopgirl--10
2. Hilary & Jackie--4
3. The Mangler--1
4. Truly Madly Deeply--1

Anand Tucker's And When Did You Last See Your Father is due to be released in the U.S. in June, but without the "And." (That should make all the difference at the box-office)

TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. Lord of War--24
2. Perfect Stranger--23
3. City of God--7
4. Central Station--5
5. Love in the Time of Cholera--4

The City of God followup City of Men came and went with little fanfare, while Love in the Time of Cholera was a deserved flop, though Pinto's score was perhaps his most memorable score yet. His work on the dopey thriller Perfect Stranger suggests that other mainstream assignments could be on the way.

TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. Monster House--73

No new films since Monster House, but he's attached to the delayed horror film Trick 'r' Treat and director Gil Kenan's live-action follow-up to Monster House, the fantasy City of Ember.

TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. Eyes Wide Shut--55
2. The Merchant of Venice--3

She scored the film version of the acclaimed novel Brick Lane, which has been released in the UK (and on CD) and is due in the U.S. this year.

1 OSCAR, 3 NOMINATIONS
1 EMMY NOMINATION
2 GRAMMY NOMINATIONS
BEST PICTURE NOMINEES: The Cider House Rules, Chocolat
TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. Chocolat--71
2. The Manchurian Candidate--65
3. Mona Lisa Smile--63
4. The Cider House Rules--57
5. The Lake House--52
6. To Wong Foo--36
7. Addicted to Love--34
8. The Joy Luck Club--32
9. Because of Winn-Dixie--32
10. The Legend of Bagger Vance--30

Portman has not had a new film in theaters since 2006's Truman Capote biopic Infamous, but is scoring the Keira Knightley period drama The Duchess and is reportedly doing the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants sequel.

TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider--131
2. Daredevil--102
3. The Hand That Rocks the Cradle--87
4. Freddy vs. Jason--82
5. Sin City--73
6. The Saint--61
7. The Chronicles of Riddick--58
8. Spawn--54
9. Blow--52
10. The Crow--50

Revell seemed to be working largely under the radar in 2007, scoring the dreary action film The Condemned and the documentary Darfur Now (as well as providing "themes" for the Hayden Christensen thriller Awake), but he's returned to much bigger projects in 2008. Already in release are the lavish but silly horror film The Ruins and the guilty pleasure cop thriller Street Kings (with a surprisingly dominant instrumental score for a contemporary urban film), and upcoming are two comedies, Pineapple Express (with Seth Rogen) and Step Brothers (reuniting Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly).

2 OSCAR NOMINATIONS
BEST PICTURE NOMINEES: A Room with a View, Howards End, The Remains of the Day
TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. Howards End--25
2. The Remains of the Day--23
3. A Room with a View--20
4. Le Divorce--9
5. Mr. and Mrs. Bridge--7
6. The Golden Bowl--3
7. Jefferson in Paris--2
8. Maurice--2
9. Surviving Picasso--2
10. A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries--1

The latest James Ivory film, The City of Your Final Destination, is reportedly due out this year.

TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. Wayne's World-- 121
2. Cocktail--78
3. Encino Man--40
4. Rumble in the Bronx--32
5. The Bank Job--29 (as of 4/27/08)
6. Cadillac Man--27
7. 15 Minutes--24
8. Vampire in Brooklyn--19
9. The Believers--18
10. Wes Craven's New Nightmare--18

His ongoing collaboration with director Roger Donaldson led to a modest hit this spring, the '70s caper The Bank Job. He also scored the well-reviewed gay indie drama Shelter.

TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. Swimming Pool--10
2. Look at Me--1

The old-fashioned romance Angel, from director Francois Ozon, still has no U.S. release date.

2 EMMYS
TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. Ladder 49--74
2. Tin Cup--53
3. The Little Rascals--52
4. T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous--51
5. My Dog Skip--34
6. Black Sheep--32
7. My Fellow Americans--22
8. Tuck Everlasting--19
9. The Evening Star--12
10. Look Who's Talking Now--10

The historical drama September Dawn had a brief release last year, and he won his second Emmy, for his music direction of the 79th Academy Awards. Upcoming is a sports film, Our Lady of Victory.

6 OSCAR NOMINATIONS
4 EMMY NOMINATIONS
4 GRAMMYS, 16 NOMINATIONS
TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. Rush Hour 2--226
2. Rush Hour--144
3. Rush Hour 3--140
4. Bringing Down the House--132
5. The Amityville Horror--86
6. Sudden Impact--67
7. Enter the Dragon--47 (approx)
8. The Beverly Hillbillies--44
9. Money Talks--40
10. Magnum Force--39 (approx)

The third (and presumably final) Rush Hour did respectable business, but still much less than its predecessor. He is reportedly scoring Raul Ruiz's drama Love and Virtue.

1 OSCAR, 2 NOMINATIONS
5 EMMY NOMINATIONS
1 GRAMMY, 3 NOMINATIONS
2 TONY NOMINATIONS
BEST PICTURE NOMINEES: The Conversation, All the President's Men, Norma Rae
TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. Saturday Night Fever--94
2. All the President's Men--70
3. Short Circuit--40
4. 2010--40
5. Zodiac--33
6. Only When I Laugh--25
7. Norma Rae--22
8. Oh God, You Devil!--21
9. Max Dugan Returns--17
10. Vice Versa--13

Shire's score for Zodiac was one of the finest of the year and received deserved raves from mainstream critics. His latest stage musical, Take Flight, opened in London last year.

TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. The Punisher--33
2. Under the Same Moon--11 (4/27/08)
3. Fluke--3

The sentimental immigration drama Under the Same Moon is doing decent business.

TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. The Hills Have Eyes--41
2. The Mothman Prophecies--35
3. The Covenant--23
4. The Rules of Attraction--6
5. P2--3

The parking garage thriller P2 did little business and Right at Your Door did even less; next up is another thriller, The Strangers (apparently an unofficial remake of the French film Them).

1 GRAMMY NOMINATION
TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. Dreamgirls--103
2. In Good Company--45
3. In the Land of Women--11
4. American Dreamz--7
5. The Savages--6
6. The Station Agent--5
7. Feast of Love--3
8. Hedwig and the Angry Inch--3
9. Camp--1

Trask has become a specialist in small-scale comedy-drama, with the long-delayed In the Land of Women and the Oscar-nominated The Savages released last year, as well as Robert Benton's romantic ensemble Feast of Love. Next up is Paul Weitz's Cirque du Freak.

1 EMMY NOMINATION
TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. Constantine--75
2. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift--62
3. Rambo--42
4. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem--41
5. The Hunted--34
6. Darkness Falls--32
7. War--22
8. Timeline--19
9. Annapolis--16
10. Paparazzi--15
 
Though he has yet to score a true blockbuster, Tyler is working steadily, with such projects as the latest installments in the Rambo and Alien vs. Predator series. Next is one of his biggest films yet, the Nicolas Cage remake of Bangkok Dangerous.

TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. Hannibal Rising--27
2. Jet Li's Fearless--24
3. House of Flying Daggers--11
4. Curse of the Golden Flower--6
5. 2046--1

Still working regularly in international cinema, with the drama A Simple Love Story and the German comedy Absurdistan.

1 EMMY NOMINATION
TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. Scary Movie 3--110
2. Scary Movie 4--90
3. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back--30
4. Jersey Girl--25
5. Superhero Movie--24 (4/27/08)
6. Clerks II--23
7. Deuce Bigalow, European Gigolo--22
8. Eurotrip--17
9. Iron Monkey--14
10. The Powerpuff Girls--11

Venable parodied Elfman's Spider-Man for the modestly successful spoof Superhero Movie. Next is the Kevin Smith/Seth Rogen comedy, Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

1 OSCAR
1 GRAMMY MOMINATION
BEST PICTURE NOMINEES: Shakespeare in Love
TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. Shakespeare in Love--100
2. Mystery Men--29
3. Captain Corelli's Mandolin--25
4. Billy Elliot--21
5. Two Brothers--18
6. Mrs. Brown--9
7. Proof--7
8. Quills--7
9. Birthday Girl--4

His most recent film was the modestly enjoyable '60s caper Flawless.

TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. School of Rock--81
2. Reno 911! Miami--20
3. Laurel Canyon--3
4. High Art--1
5. Roger Dodger--1

The Ten got little notice in theaters but could develop a cult following on video. Next is another David Wain project, Little Big Men.

TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby--148
2. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy--84
3. March of the Penguins--77
4. Hollywood Homicide--30
5. A Lot Like Love--21
6. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind--15
7. Play It to the Bone--8
8. Run Fatboy Run--5 (4/27/08)
9. Thirteen Conversations about One Thing--3

The Nines was frustrating and uneven, while Run Fatboy Run deserved to do better business. He scored the cable movie Bernard and Doris (with Ralph Fiennes and Susan Sarandon) and Steve Conrad's directorial debut, The Promotion (but surprisingly not the new Adam McKay film, Step Brothers).

1 OSCAR, 3 NOMINATIONS
1 GRAMMY, 3 NOMINATIONS
BEST PICTURE NOMINEES: The English Patient
TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. Cold Mountain--95
2. The Talented Mr. Ripley--81
3. The English Patient--78
4. City of Angels--78
5. 1408--71
6. Shall We Dance--57
7. Message in a Bottle--52
8. Autumn in New York--37
9. Wings of Courage--15
10. The Lives of Others-11

The Stephen King adaptation 1408 was a change-of-pace project for the composer and a surprise hit. He scored the recent, British TV remake of A Room with a View, and his usual collaborator Anthony Minghella's final project, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Coming up are the bullfighter drama Manolete and the Paul Schrader film Adam Resurrected.

TOP GROSSING FILMS:
1. The Good Shepherd--59
2. Hollywoodland--14
3. Kissing Jessica Stein--7
4. The Door in the Floor--3
5. You Kill Me--2
6. Strangers with Candy ? 1

Two indie films, the ensemble drama The Air I Breathe and the relationship comedy Ira & Abby, gained little attention. An intriguing project, Barry Levinson's Hollywood satire What Just Happened?, received weak reviews at festivals despite its all-star cast, and has no U.S release date yet.

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