Revisited this on DVD after not having seen it since it premiered in '93. I must say, it really holds up. Debney's score is a delightful thrill ride. The film is still highly entertaining and visually well done. Midler, Najimy & Parker's chemistry and comedy was, if you'll pardon the expression, bewitchingly funny. I hope people look back upon this film fondly as well as the score.
The Roxette song ALMOST UNREAL was intended for this film but ended up in SUPER MARIO BROS (both were Beuna Vista productions). Roxette were apparently furious.
I am sure I saw a song credited to James Horner and the same guy who wrote lyrics to the ludlows theme in Legends Of The Fall. Was Horner originally on this score and did he do some pre-production work? If he was on the score why did he leave it?
I am sure I saw a song credited to James Horner and the same guy who wrote lyrics to the ludlows theme in Legends Of The Fall. Was Horner originally on this score and did he do some pre-production work? If he was on the score why did he leave it?
Horner was originally on this project but because of scheduling delays had to depart it. But because songs are often written/recorded in advance if on-screen lip-sync'ing has to be done to their playback or they're centrepieces involving moving the plot along, the song stuff with Horner and Brock Walsh was completed and remains as part of the picture.
I remember reading something by our own Lukas to the effect that producers approached Horner about who he'd recommend to score it since he had to leave the project and he recommended Rachel Portman. I distinctly remember reading that Portman screened the film to that point but "had no idea about how to score it" and couldn't quite get into its uneasy tone (dark horror? comedy? kiddie flick? 'Nightmare Before Christmas' macabre thing?) and when they returned to Horner to ask again, he recommended Debney.
By the way, if you search the ASCAP database, ACE ( http://www.ascap.com/ace/ ) for "Horner James" under "Writers", and click-through, you will see an entry for "Hocus Pocus cues". But sometimes the ASCAP listing is overly general or really just references song snippets (like in and out of a song) so it shouldn't be taken literally as a count of any cues he may have written or if so, what remains in the film.
The promo says that it is a promo on the back side.
Hmmm. Mine does. Still have a weird feeling about it. If it's an unmentionable, it's the most professionally done I've ever seen. My gut feeling is that it's a copy of the promo done by somebody who has the ability to press, not burn, small runs of cds. No way to be sure, I guess.
Debney actually makes use of Horner's song melody in his underscore; it shows up quite a bit in the film mix and the unmentionable that I've heard.
I think that may be why it's never gotten a legitimate release; the rights must surely be very complicated (to say nothing of the fact that performer rights from the movie's leads probably factor in as well).
Debney gave me away some years ago something called "The Score Archive". It contains 38 tracks (with variations on some cues) in 52 minutes. Does anybody knows anything about this?
Debney gave me away some years ago something called "The Score Archive". It contains 38 tracks (with variations on some cues) in 52 minutes. Does anybody knows anything about this?
