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 Posted:   Oct 26, 2009 - 4:01 PM    Reply to Post
 By:   Blue_Kirby2   (Member)

INTRADA Announces:



EXTREME CLOSE-UP
Composed and Conducted by JAMES HORNER
INTRADA Signature Edition ISE 1034


The 1990 MGM TV-movie Extreme Close-Up tells the story of David (Morgan Weisser), a teen on the cusp of adulthood, who is struggling to recover from the sudden death of his mother (Blair Brown) in a fiery car crash. Returning from the hospital, David ensconces himself in home movies, and it quickly becomes apparent that he has spent much of his young life viewing the world through the prism of his video camera. Adrift in a sea of confusion, grief and adolescent turmoil, he combs through stacks of tapes for answers, editing and narrating films in an attempt to construct meaningful narratives. Through frequent video “flashbacks,” the mother's struggles with manic-depression, hallucinatory fantasies and suicidal impulses surface. David’s tragedy and fixation spark a friendship and budding romance with classmate (Samantha Mathis), but also bring him into conflict with teachers, siblings, and especially his long-suffering father (Craig T. Nelson).

Edward Zwick co-wrote the story with writing partner Marshall Herskovitz and served as one of the film’s executive producers. It was composer James Horner’s second project with Zwick, coming between the Oscar-winning Glory and Legends of the Fall, both of which Zwick directed. Horner’s score for Extreme Close-Up is one of the most restrained and intimate of his long career. The predominant element is piano, with a handful of carefully selected synth instruments and subtle, atmospheric textures. The film is rife with conflicting emotions, and Horner’s response is elegant in its simplicity. His main theme for the film is both evocative in its tenderness and freeing -- it is not inherently tragic or melancholy (or even uplifting) in a way that would lock the character down to one dimension. It expresses all of these facets over the course of the score, but in nuanced ways which develop in response to David’s emotional journey. Horner accomplishes this by adopting an almost minimalist approach. The score is built on small recurring patterns and ideas, delicately modulated. The effect is hypnotic: a constantly shifting sea of music, over which the theme and variations can float. This dovetails with the film’s distinctly non-linear feel, and expertly mirrors the mental state of David, who seems to exist in a private limbo, and whom we fear is in danger of permanently disconnecting from time and space.

This album features the premiere release of James Horner's score to Extreme Close- Up and is limited to 1500 units.

INTRADA Signature Editions ISE 1034
Retail Price: $19.99
SHIPS 10/27/2009
For track listing and sound samples, please visit
http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.6377/.f

 
 Posted:   Oct 26, 2009 - 4:05 PM    Reply to Post
 By:   orion_mk3   (Member)

Excellent job in calling this one, Blue_Kirby. I've got my order in already and am loving those samples!

 
 
 Posted:   Oct 26, 2009 - 4:05 PM    Reply to Post
 By:   Thor   (Member)

Interesting. I haven't even HEARD OF this Horner score, and I'm a longtime Horner fan!

 
 Posted:   Oct 26, 2009 - 4:08 PM    Reply to Post
 By:   The Mutant   (Member)

Cool. Never heard of it, but I'll take it! More Horner! woooooo!

 
 Posted:   Oct 26, 2009 - 4:11 PM    Reply to Post
 By:   Shaun Rutherford   (Member)

This is the kind of Horner I could listen to all day. Uncovered treasure!

 
 
 Posted:   Oct 26, 2009 - 4:21 PM    Reply to Post
 By:   Blue_Kirby2   (Member)

Excellent job in calling this one, Blue_Kirby. I've got my order in already and am loving those samples!

Haha, I had just sent you a private message elsewhere. Didn't expect you to be on here already!

 
 Posted:   Oct 26, 2009 - 4:23 PM    Reply to Post
 By:   Wedge   (Member)

I thought this one might interest you, Thor. I had the distinct pleasure of doing the notes for this, and it was a fascinating discovery. Horner did relatively few scores in this vein -- sparse instrumentation, subtly developed, almost meditative throughout -- and of them, I'd say this is probably the best and most mature. I'd go so far as to say that anyone who wants to have a comprehensively representative selection of Horner scores in their collection (as opposed to completism for the sake of completism) should definitely pick this one up. It fills a niche in his ouvre that nothing else quite does.

It's a heck of a great film, too. Hopefully it'll be released on home video someday.

 
 
 Posted:   Oct 26, 2009 - 4:30 PM    Reply to Post
 By:   Bond1965   (Member)

Uh oh. Does DMD know about this??? He better order fast!

James

 
 Posted:   Oct 26, 2009 - 4:34 PM    Reply to Post
 By:   drivingmissdaisy   (Member)

I do know and just ordered!!!!! I'm very excited as I know nothing about this score! I'm so happy to get all these JH titles!!

 
 
 Posted:   Oct 26, 2009 - 4:36 PM    Reply to Post
 By:   henry   (Member)

I do know and just ordered!!!!! I'm very excited as I know nothing about this score! I'm so happy to get all these JH titles!!

I happy for you dmd!smile

 
 
 Posted:   Oct 26, 2009 - 5:14 PM    Reply to Post
 By:   Spymaster   (Member)

WOO-HOO!! I never thought this would ever see the light of day. A fantastic release (and a massive surprise) from Intrada. This is truly the "Year of Horner" - Brilliant!!

Thanks people!!

 
 Posted:   Oct 26, 2009 - 5:26 PM    Reply to Post
 By:   drivingmissdaisy   (Member)

Thanks Henry!! I'm quite excited for this release!! I'm sure Justin Craig is too sling with all the other Horner fans.

 
 Posted:   Oct 26, 2009 - 5:32 PM    Reply to Post
 By:   Moonie   (Member)

Im glad you guys have money, have to pass on these.

 
 Posted:   Oct 26, 2009 - 5:46 PM    Reply to Post
 By:   LeHah   (Member)

Here I am going - "Unless its something really, really good, I have to pass this time."

And I'm saying this as I'm happily listening to House Of Cards for the zillionth time.

And then this CD pops up and I'm all "Hmm, I doubt I can make it work but..."

Then I hear the sound clips and the next thing I know, I've ordered it. Oh how weak willed I am for this type of music.

 
 Posted:   Oct 26, 2009 - 5:48 PM    Reply to Post
 By:   SillyString   (Member)

What a fantastic release!

 
 
 Posted:   Oct 26, 2009 - 6:40 PM    Reply to Post
 By:   AJ   (Member)

The samples sound like a 1990s mock up for "The Life Before Her Eyes."

AJ

 
 
 Posted:   Oct 26, 2009 - 6:54 PM    Reply to Post
 By:   henry   (Member)

Very nice sound samples.

 
 Posted:   Oct 26, 2009 - 8:17 PM    Reply to Post
 By:   Mr. Jack   (Member)

EXTREME CLOSE-UP! WHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! big grin

Anyways, the sound clips I sampled didn't do much for me. Typical Horner "sensitive" piano and synth ensemble. Plus, I've been spending too damn much on CDs lately. I'll pass.

 
 Posted:   Oct 26, 2009 - 8:23 PM    Reply to Post
 By:   DavidCoscina   (Member)

HEard the main theme and the bottom register Lydian mode piano line reminds me too much of my favourite Horner outing The Spitfire Grill and rather than sully my nice associations with that score and my constant assertion that it was one of his most original scores of the '90s, I'll just pass on this one.

 
 Posted:   Oct 26, 2009 - 9:08 PM    Reply to Post
 By:   Matt B   (Member)

Interesting rationale there.

Me, when I hear music that's a lot like other music I love, I usually buy the thing.

 
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