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Ha, thanks everyone! Much appreciated.
I remember that meeting in Bath, Richard. I spent an awful lot of time in that HMV!
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my favourite review site of movie scores!
thank you, james for all your hard work, so much appreciated!
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James is still after many years my favorite film music reviewer, because his writing is unique and funny, his taste is excellent (even when it doesn't perfectly align with mine it's always well justified), and his selection of what titles to review hits many things (such as Morricone) that other reviewers ignore. Thanks James, and keep up the great work!
Yavar
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Posted: |
Jul 27, 2020 - 3:30 PM
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By: |
EricHG30
(Member)
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Although, as a fan of better synth scores, his complete disdain for Moroder (and by association Faltermeyer) is something I have to ignore.  (I mean his blanket statement about Moroder, "I used inverted commas around "scores" because they weren't dramatic film scores per se, they were just a series of instrumental pop songs which happened to be playing at the same time as the film," definitely doesn't describe the scores for Midnight Express, Cat People, or even Thief of Hearts, etc (which do all have instrumental variations of usually one pop song theme that shows up in places but no more than a song theme comes up in many scores by Horner or Menken or Goldsmith), whether one likes them or thinks they're good or not (and ironically his site loved--as I do too--the Tron: Legacy soundtrack which owes so much to Moroder). Of course many of these scores are badly presented on their albums, to be fair, often being presented as pop albums (I'm surprised we haven't had a proper expanded Midnight Express release yet). Of course I'm also a big fan of Burt Bacharach's film scores, and he is often criticized for writing "instrumental pop songs" as scoring (something he has admitted to, though I think that doesn't give credit to his best film scoring). But I digress
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Well, that was an arrogant thing to say even by my standards! I don't remember saying it so hopefully it was a long time ago and I can blame being young and stupid.
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When I first started getting into collecting in the mid-late nineties, Movie Wave, Movie Music UK, and Filmtracks were the three places I frequented whenever I had access to a computer with the internet. I learned a ton about film music from all three and spent countless hours on the free library computers reading reviews when I should have been doing homework. It was the dark ages for me and those three websites offered the faintest glimpse of light. I can remember getting really excited anytime a new "big" score was released because I liked to see how the three sites differed and were similar in their reviews.
FWIW, that was a big part of getting into film music for me and I don't know that I would have without sites like Movie Wave.
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When I first started getting into collecting in the mid-late nineties, Movie Wave, Movie Music UK, and Filmtracks were the three places I frequented whenever I had access to a computer with the internet. I learned a ton about film music from all three and spent countless hours on the free library computers reading reviews when I should have been doing homework. It was the dark ages for me and those three websites offered the faintest glimpse of light. I can remember getting really excited anytime a new "big" score was released because I liked to see how the three sites differed and were similar in their reviews.
FWIW, that was a big part of getting into film music for me and I don't know that I would have without sites like Movie Wave.
This was also my holy trinity so to speak. Filmtracks, Movie Music UK, and Movie Wave. And then later I eventually found this wonderful discussion board, and I must say that I quite like all you people and our shared hobby! My sincere thanks to all of you and these sites for deeply enriching my life.
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We should start a campaign to get James back to reviewing new (and old) film score releases.
We can't let bullies like Zimmer win, who like to shoot down any (perceived) criticism with the support of their factory drones.
Hell, it wasn't even criticism.
I think it was the one word, 'exactly' in response to someone else's opine.
Bully Beef Zimmer has had his chips!!
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"You can't know how to move ONE MILLION people in Rome, James"
"Only GODS like ME and JUNKIE...and MAYBE THE POPE can move that many people in Rome, James"
"When YOU have composed LIFE in Rome with millions of people, then you can comment on these things, James"
"Only then, James...ONLY THEN"
"You will only ever play for Accrington Stanley, James...only Accrington Stanley"
"Exactly"
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Posted: |
Mar 8, 2021 - 7:58 AM
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By: |
TominAtl
(Member)
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I'll just copy and paste what I wrote in the other post..
I really really hope and expect James to change his mind regarding this. One the one hand, I know and see and read how much passion and love he has for this art form niche that we all enjoy as well and how much he has enjoyed over the years giving reviews and updates and insight into this medium. And then to read a remark from from basically an industry A lister, for whom he has given high marks before and reviewed countless numbers of his works, basically be an ass...yeah, it can hurt and make you doubt yourself perhaps.
On the other hand...
In the lawless, massive world of the online social media swamp, he got a REACTION from an industry A lister!!! Meaning, you are being read and looked at and he has a voice that is being heard!! And obviously way more than he or anyone else perhaps thought. He rankled Zimmer's feather and he became snarky and snippy.
I could imagine just how much HATE mail must have come Siskel and Ebert's way back in the day. Hell, ALL of the influential and widely ready reviewers for that matter.
I hate it that Zimmer had to be way less than at least professional. Perhaps he had one too many cocktails and felt he had to be a big brother, who knows. Pretty much uncalled for nonetheless.
James should take this as a positive though and be proud he is obviously being read by more than just us film score fans. To get a reaction like that means he is actually doing something right and influential. Shake it off and keep up the good work.
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Or maybe, someone can't think straight.
If you are a film music reviewer, do not enter in personal territory, because, isn't professional, you have to review stuff in the more objetive way, not other way.
As a fan of film music, i'm not one to say a guy who lives of composing movies (they studied music, i'm not) what is good or bad, even i can't say for someone he is wrong on what's composing, because is not composing for us, is for the director and the movie. I read James' reviews for a long time (i won't argue Zimmer's response was overreacted and not pleasent), but in occasions, he goes for some statements i don't agree, at all.
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please stay with us, james!
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