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Posted: |
Jan 16, 2020 - 2:22 PM
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By: |
Wedge
(Member)
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Well, shucks! Thanks for the very kind words, Joan! I'm so pleased to hear you're enjoying the set, and the liner notes. I admire the hell out of Frank, whose background in music theory and education gives a depth and breadth to his writing (also excellent!) that is rarely equalled in this field. So it was a tremendous pleasure to collaborate with him on this project and harmonize our voices, as it were. I, too, lament the diminished profile of the western in today's Hollywood. We have more tools than ever before when it comes to scholarship about the American West, and there exists such a wealth of underrepresented (or misrepresented) voices and stories of that era to draw upon. Not that I'm immune to the pleasures of quality cinematic throwbacks, of course, but one of the things you appreciate when you fast-forward through three decades of moviemaking is that the genre was always evolving. And while it could be hidebound and at times reactionary, sometimes in deeply problematic ways, it could also be quite novel and forward-looking (as in WALK LIKE A DRAGON, for example, with its sincere examination of the Chinese immigrant experience; or WILL PENNY, which sought to capture a new level of verisimilitude regarding the cowboy life). I would love to see a fresh crop of films to challenge and expand the traditional boundaries of what the western can be -- and we have, in fact, seen some of that in recent years! But with growing diversity in the filmmaking community, and an increasing public appetite for fresh voices and perspectives, it seems to me that the time is ripe for a new flowering of the genre.
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Posted: |
Jan 16, 2020 - 4:29 PM
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By: |
Wedge
(Member)
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Perfectly stated. Let's hope Hollywood revisits the western genre with visionary eyes. Indeed! It's worth noting that quite a few westerns ARE still being made, especially with the proliferation of cable networks, streaming services, direct-to-video companies, etc. It's just that quite a lot of EVERYTHING is being pumped out these days -- every genre, from every conceivable source -- and much of it poor or unimaginative, so that the impact of the genre is quite diluted. And of course, when we talk about westerns in the context of this thread we are probably thinking about big studio westerns (or at least budget westerns from big studios), which indisputably constitute a smaller share of the pie. And when we DO get a big studio production, it's often a remake or superficial reimagining rather than a bold act of cinema. (What's the last "prestige western" that wasn't a remake that had people talking around the proverbial water cooler? Has there been one since BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN in 2005? Does THE REVENANT count?) But hope springs eternal! And for the next great western SCORE as well!
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Perfectly stated. Let's hope Hollywood revisits the western genre with visionary eyes. Indeed! It's worth noting that quite a few westerns ARE still being made, especially with the proliferation of cable networks, streaming services, direct-to-video companies, etc. It's just that quite a lot of EVERYTHING is being pumped out these days -- every genre, from every conceivable source -- and much of it poor or unimaginative, so that the impact of the genre is quite diluted. And of course, when we talk about westerns in the context of this thread we are probably thinking about big studio westerns (or at least budget westerns from big studios), which indisputably constitute a smaller share of the pie. And when we DO get a big studio production, it's often a remake or superficial reimagining rather than a bold act of cinema. (What's the last "prestige western" that wasn't a remake that had people talking around the proverbial water cooler? Has there been one since BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN in 2005? Does THE REVENANT count?) But hope springs eternal! And for the next great western SCORE as well! John just directed me to your comments, Joan, so let me add my thanks for your kind words of appreciation. John and I are not only friends but also across-town neighbors in the hinterlands of Michigan, so it is particularly fun to collaborate with him! He is a gifted writer who always does amazing research for his projects (and sometimes, as a courtesy, for mine!). We both had a lot to discover about these western scores, and we're glad to be able to share it with fellow enthusiasts.
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John does THE HATEFUL EIGHT not count, for some reason? There have been other good western films over recent years, like HOSTILES, THE SALVATION, and THE SISTERS BROTHERS, but I confess I don’t think any others that generated much conversation among the general public, that weren’t remakes (does Tarantino’s DJANGO count as one?) I guess the Coens’ BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS got a limited theatrical release, and since done by high profile directors (as with Tarantino), it may have been a bit more widely discussed. (I loved it!) Yavar
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Oh, it's wonderful, though it's really a sequence of six fairly unconnected short films. But you get six very different (but wonderful) original Carter Burwell scores! The opening two stories are probably the least compelling, but some of the later ones are just amazing, IMO. Would love to hear what you think of it! I think Hateful Eight qualifies because literally every Quentin Tarantino movie (love him or hate him) is a big event, and people talk about it. Yavar
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It's interesting to imagine what the oeuvres of the more recent generations of composers would look like were they scoring one or two westerns every year... If by “interesting” you mean “agonizing because imagine all that great music that exists in some alternate universe”. BTW, I don’t see how RANGO wouldn’t be considered a 100% full fledged western. What other genre is it a hybrid with? Yavar
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Hmm...so everything’s some degree of comedy or drama, right? But we don’t call western dramas hybrids. Or even ones with comedic elements. (Is The Ballad of Cable Hogue a hybrid? A comedy? A drama?) My copy of Support Your Local Sheriff (one of my favorite westerns) for branding at the top just says “WESTERN CLASSICS”, not “WESTERN COMEDY CLASSICS”. These are important matters of course...but to me RANGO was a pretty straightforward western tale despite the characters not being human. Yavar
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And a well-deserved Oscar it was, in my book! Delightful and creative treatment of the western, and incredibly gorgeous to boot! In fact it might even be my favorite Gore Verbinski movie, though Mousehunt is a ton of fun I must admit... Yavar
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Posted: |
Jan 19, 2020 - 12:11 PM
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By: |
eriknelson
(Member)
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I just finished listening to this amazing set. So much great music I've never heard before! My favorite, however, is Raksin's WILL PENNY. Raksin had an unmistakable and unique style that I find intoxicating. And, as usual, his cue titles were witty (e.g., The Wholly Family, Quincemeat, Twixt Sap and Bark, Sulpher Little Children and Smoked Cad). Such fun. I also really appreciated John and Frank's outstanding booklet, which was so helpful while listening to these great scores.
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