La-La Land has announced two new releases for this month: a 60th anniversary edition of what is arguably John Barry's most popular 007 score, GOLDFINGER, remastered and re-sequenced in film order; and the seventh volume of their STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES - THE 1701 COLLECTION series, this edition featuring some of the series' most memorable scores - Alexander Courage's music for the two pilots, "The Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before," Sol Kaplan's "The Doomsday Machine," and Gerald Fried's "Amok Time," which introduced both Spock's theme and the fight music that is probably the most widely recognized incidental music from the original series.
The latest release from Caldera features the score from the 2024 thriller IN THE LAND OF SAINTS AND SINNERS, starring Oscar nominees Liam Neeson, Kerry Condon and Ciaran Hinds, with music by Diego Baldenweg with Nora Baldenweg and Lionel Baldenweg. (It's become alarming how rare it is to have a score from the current year show up on CD; ostensibly Lakeshore is releasing Thomas Newman's White Bird today, but I won't truly believe it until I have a copy literally in my hands.) (And I just checked Amazon, and it no longer lists CD as an option for the White Bird score)
CDS AVAILABLE THIS WEEK
The Other - Jerry Goldsmith - Varese Sarabande CD Club
Sudden Death: The Deluxe Edition - John Debney - Varese Sarabande CD Club
IN THEATERS TODAY
Blink - Tamar-kali
Daaaaaali! - Thomas Bangalter
Joker: Folie a Deux - Hildur Guonadottir - Song CD on Warner/Interscope
Lovely Jackson - Jacques Brautbar
Monster Summer - Frederik Wiedmann
The Outrun - John Gurtler, Jan Miserre - Score CD due Jan. 10 from Decca
The Problem with People - Steven Argila
Sam and Colby: The Legends of the Paranormal - Nate Hardy
Scarygirl - Ack Kinmoth
Things Will Be Different - Jimmy LaValle, Michael J. Muller
White Bird - Thomas Newman
COMING SOON
October 11
Goldfinger - John Barry - La-La Land
Star Trek: The Original Series - The 1701 Collection - Alexander Courage, Gerald Fried, Sol Kaplan - La-La Land
October 25
Leonardo Da Vinci - Caroline Shaw - Nonesuch
November 1
Coraline - Bruno Coulais - Mnrk Music
November 15
The Matrix: 25th Anniversary Edition - Don Davis - Varese Sarabande
November 22
Nosferatu - Robin Carolan - Sacred Bones
January 3
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse - Isobel Waller-Bridge - Sony (import)
January 10
The Outrun - John Gurtler, Jan Miserre - Decca (import)
Coming Soon
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice - Danny Elfman - Waxwork
Bernard Hoetger - Carsten Rocker - Alhambra
The Brian May Collection Vol. 1 - Brian May - Dragon's Domain
The Browning Version - Mark Isham - Quartet
Buffalo Kids - Fernando Velazquez - Quartet
Desire Hope - Szymon Szewczyk - Kronos
Desperate Voyage - Bruce Broughton - Dragon's Domain
Elliot Goldenthal: Music for Film - Elliot Goldenthal - Silva
Geo - Matteo Cremolini - Kronos
Godzilla: Minus One: Deluxe Edition - Naoki Sato - Rambling
Haunted Heart - Zbigniew Preisner - Caldera
I 3 serpenti d'oro - Roberto Pregadio, Walter Rizzati - Beat [CD-R]
In the Land of Saints and Sinners - Diego Baldenweg, Nora Baldenweg, Lionel Baldenweg - Caldera
Johnny Yuma - Nora Orlandi - Beat
Le choice des armes/Garcon!/La garce - Philippe Sarde - Music Box
The Moonwalkers - Anne Nikitin - Silva
Silence of the North - Alan McMillan, Jerrold Immel - Dragon's Domain
Zondebokken - Joris Hermy - Kronos
THIS WEEK IN FILM MUSIC HISTORY
October 4 - Bernard Herrmann records his score for The Alfred Hitchcock Hour episode "You'll Be the Death of Me" (1963)
October 4 - John Williams begins recording his score to Penelope (1966)
October 4 - Shawn Clement born (1968)
October 4 - BT born Brian Transeau (1970)
October 4 - George Romanis records his only Mission: Impossible score, for the episode “The Visitors” (1971)
October 4 - Henry Mancini begins recording his score for Sunset (1987)
October 5 - Malcolm Lockyer born (1923)
October 5 - Harold Faltermeyer born (1952)
October 5 - Alex Wurman born (1966)
October 5 - Jerry Fielding's score for the Star Trek episode "The Trouble With Tribbles" is recorded (1967)
October 5 - David G. Russell born (1968)
October 5 - Dennis McCarthy records his score for the Star Trek: Voyager episode “Timeless” (1998)
October 6 - Stanley Myers born (1933)
October 6 - David Raksin records his score for Daisy Kenyon (1947)
October 6 - Tommy Stinson born (1966)
October 6 - Giuseppe Becce died (1973)
October 6 - James Horner begins recording his score for 48 HRS. (1982)
October 6 - William Butler born (1982)
October 6 - Nelson Riddle died (1985)
October 6 - Ron Jones records his score for the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Who Watches the Watchers" (1989)
October 6 - James Horner begins recording his score for Jack the Bear (1992)
October 6 - Jay Chattaway records his score for the Star Trek: Voyager episode “Scientific Method” (1997)
October 7 - Franz Waxman begins recording his score for A Christmas Carol (1938)
October 7 - Gabriel Yared born (1949)
October 7 - Richard Markowitz records his score for The Wild Wild West episode “The Night of a Thousand Eyes” (1965)
October 7 - Marco Beltrami born (1966)
October 7 - Thom Yorke born (1968)
October 7 - Robert Drasnin records his score for the Mission: Impossible episode “The Play” (1968)
October 7 - Hans Zimmer begins recording his score for The Thin Red Line (1998)
October 8 - Walter Schumann born (1913)
October 8 - Toru Takemitsu born (1930)
October 8 - Gavin Friday born (1959)
October 8 - Michael Abels born (1962)
October 8 - Bernard Herrmann records his score for The Alfred Hitchcock Hour episode “Consider Her Ways” (1964)
October 8 - Frank Skinner died (1968)
October 8 - Richard Markowitz records his score for the Mission: Impossible episode “Robot” (1969)
October 8 - Dennis McCarthy records his score for the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “The Last Outpost” (1987)
October 8 - David Bell records his score for the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “Take Me Out to the Holosuite” (1998)
October 9 - Camille Saint-Saens born (1835)
October 9 - Bebo Valdes born (1918)
October 9 - Rod Temperton born (1949)
October 9 - Barry Gray begins recording his score for Thunderbirds Are Go (1966)
October 9 - Steve Jablonsky born (1970)
October 9 - Sean Lennon born (1975)
October 9 - Bill Conti begins recording his score for The Fourth War (1989)
October 10 - Giovanni Fusco born (1906)
October 10 - John Green born (1908)
October 10 - Marco Antonio Guimaraes born (1948)
October 10 - David Raksin begins recording his score for Whirlpool (1949)
October 10 - Midge Ure born (1953)
October 10 - Giant opens in New York (1956)
October 10 - Valentine McCallum born (1963)
October 10 - Andrea Morricone born (1964)
October 10 - Hugo Montenegro begins recording his score for Hurry Sundown (1966)
October 10 - Hawaii opens in New York (1966)
October 10 - Walter Scharf records his score for the Mission: Impossible episode “The Ransom” (1966)
October 10 - Michael Giacchino born (1967)
October 10 - Vince DiCola begins orchestral recording sessions for his Rocky IV score (1985)
October 10 - William Goldstein records his scores for the Twilight Zone episodes
“The Card” and “Time and Teresa Golowitz” (1986)
October 10 - Jay Chattaway records his score for the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Remember Me” (1990)
DID THEY MENTION THE MUSIC?
THE CRITIC - Craig Armstrong
"In addition to the acting and melodramatic tone of Marber's script, the score crafted by Craig Armstrong ('Romeo + Juliet') has a tremendous impact in elevating the tension in this thriller. With violins getting progressively more noticeable towards the film's climax, the music accompanying every scene from Erskine and Land's problematic agreement to 'The Critic''s tragic ending is anxiety-inducing. The score and script here couldn't have been a more fitting pair. Even though all the characters (especially the protagonist) in this film are far from innocent or admirable, 'The Critic' shows that the perfect recipe for a melodrama is to have antiheroes as the leads. The more chaotic their decision-making is here, the more interesting it becomes for the viewer. The script, cast, score, and lighting all make this play-like project work on screen, even though this genre is often hard to translate off the page. The operatic feel of this film is what keeps it engaging from start to finish, keeping viewers at a crossroads between love and hate. A film filled with intensity, this is a worthwhile, deliciously vile watch."
Isabella Soares, Collider
"One of the central plays depicted in the film is John Webster’s giddily gruesome 'The White Devil' after all. But 'The Critic' never attempts to draw connections between the genre pieces that Jimmy attends and his own increasingly unscrupulous activities. Instead, the film smothers sentimental music over collections of miniature scenes, obscuring whatever dramatic beats go unrealized in Patrick Marber’s script. Where the film could offer acerbic fun, it’s merely mawkish. And where it could invest emotionally in the specific impact of the criminalization of queerness in 1930s London, 'The Critic' substitutes amoral atmosphere."
Dan Rubins, Slant Magazine
"Tucker seamlessly captures the racism, sexism, and homophobia that ran rampant at the time. This period drama may be a bit slow during some scenes, but the devious dark plot is such a pleasant surprise the payoff is worth it. On top of that, 'The Critic' has a beautiful score, excellent set design, and great cinematography."
Simone Cromer, Film Threat
"At that point, 'The Critic' begins to ramp up its own descent into melodrama. Where last year’s period look at a British gentleman of a certain age, 'Living,' was exceptionally low key and delicate, this film turns into a potboiler that grows darker and crazier as Jimmy becomes more devious and vicious. McKellen is often shot from above, his face bathed in artfully arranged shadows while the sound of itchy, insistent strings suggest that things are getting seriously dark."
Steve Pond, The Wrap
A DIFFERENT MAN - Umberto Smerilli
"Every scene is thoughtfully constructed and individually compelling – and thanks to the strength of its parts, we can imagine the sum potential. Cinematographer Wyatt Garfield shoots the city with a deadpan chill that evokes classic alienation tales from 'Taxi Driver' to 'Joker.' And Umberto Smerilli’s outstanding score keeps pace with every moment, skittering from jittery nerves to ominous dread."
Elizabeth Weitzman, Time Out
"Adam Pearson co-stars as Oswald, a British gentleman who happens to share the exact same facial disfigurement Edward once had. You may recall Pearson from his striking supporting performance in Jonathan Glazer’s 'Under the Skin' or Schimberg’s previous film, 2018’s 'Chained for Life.' His condition is called neurofibromatosis, but Oswald is so radiantly confident he immediately dazzles everyone he meets. He’s a rakish ladies’ man with a quick wit and an inquisitive approach to life. He is, in short, everything Edward has never been -- which sends Edward into even more of a desperate tizzy. Composer Umberto Smerilli’s rich score beautifully reflects his tormented state, with just the slightest wink."
Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com
"Maybe Ingrid, who has an endless rotation of strange men to choose from, simply doesn’t see Edward as a sexual being. Or maybe she develops feelings for him too, but denies them to herself because he’s not the kind of guy a woman like her 'should' want. Or maybe the manic pixie dream girl energy that Edward projects onto her masks the fact that she’s a narcissistic sociopath who has no regard for other people’s feelings? It’s hard to see things clearly under so many layers of social coding, and Umberto Smerilli’s woozy, clarinet-driven score makes hard truths melt away like warm butter sliding off a knife."
David Ehrlich, IndieWire
"The Kafkaesque reversal-of-fortune humor that follows -- centered on how outgoing, beloved Oswald’s mere presence pours salt on Guy/Edward’s identity crisis -- is as shrewdly conceived a comic bad dream as we’ve gotten since the heyday of 'Zelig'-era Woody Allen or Charlie Kaufman (whose film 'Synecdoche, New York' this feels like a cousin to). Adding to the movie’s throwback mood is Wyatt Garfield’s grainy 16mm photography and Umberto Smerilli’s striking dirge of a score, both of which go a long way toward establishing an unforgiving, lose-yourself metropolis, which occasionally put me in mind of Roman Polanski’s 'The Tenant.'"
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times
"Schimberg infuses these opening passages with weighty despair and dark romanticism courtesy of Umberto Smerilli’s haunting score and recurring musical theme, which lend the film a distinctly noir-ish ominousness. He additionally interjects regular moments of bizarre and unsettling humor, as when Edward and Ingrid’s dinner together at a casual restaurant is interrupted by a man who materializes at their window, waving crazily at Edward (for what reason, who knows?). 'A Different Man' laces its action with off-kilter weirdness that speaks to its protagonist’s distorted headspace, and that further escalates when the trial’s drugs start working -- first by rapidly healing a cut finger, and shortly thereafter by causing his tumors to fall off in great big clumps until he resembles the unblemished, handsome Stan. It’s a bewildering and exhilarating metamorphosis, and it prompts Edward to make a clean break from his current reality by faking his death and establishing a swanky and successful new life as a playboy celebrity realtor."
Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
"That being said, it’s a well-polished production. The work of make-up designer Mike Marino is super impressive and both Umberto Smerilli’s score and Wyatt Garfield‘s cinematography (shot on 16mm) creatively evoke the noir aesthetic Schimberg is going for. And while Stan is beyond committed to his role it’s Pearson whose presence captivates the screen the most. Which, we guess, is sort of Schimberg’s point. We guess."
Gregory Ellwood, The Playlist
"'A Different Man' shares how it feels to be ogled and avoided by strangers as Edward rides the subway home, relying on Umberto Smerilli’s score to amplify our uneasy sense of identification. He startles Ingrid (Reinsve) the first time she sees him, moving in next door to his filthy apartment (there’s a disgusting black leak in his living room ceiling). But she shows no sign of unease when she stops by later that day to borrow detergent, which Edward isn’t sure how to interpret. Stan’s body language -- stooped shoulders, hesitant gestures, ducked head -- positions Edward as a pitiful character, which in turn is how Ingrid depicts him in a play written expressly for him to play the lead."
Peter Debruge, Variety
"The antics are captured in grainy naturalistic visuals by Wyatt Garfield ('The Kitchen') and backed by a score from Umberto Smerilli that shifts between indie vibes and the classic melodies of Hollywood B-flicks. 'A Different Man' shifts between several genres as well, but Schimberg manages to tie things neatly together by asking the same question, in various ways, until the very last scene: What’s in a face?"
Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter
THE NEXT TEN DAYS IN L.A.
Screenings of older films in Los Angeles-area theaters.
October 4
CLUE (John Morris) [Vidiots]
DARK CITY [BrainDead Studios]
THE DOOM GENERATION (Dan Gatto) [Vidiots]
THE EVIL DEAD (Joseph LoDuca), DEMONS (Claudio Simonetti) [New Beverly]
FROM DUSK TILL DAWN (Graeme Revell) [New Beverly]
THE LURE (Ballady i Romanse) [Vidiots]
MANIAC COP (Jay Chattaway) [Nuart]
NOSFERATU [Alamo Drafthouse]
PEARL (Tyler Bates, Tim Williams) [Alamo Drafthouse]
PULP FICTION [Vista]
SAW (Charlie Clouser) [Egyptian]
SHAUN OF THE DEAD [BrainDead Studios]
SLITHER (Tyler Bates) [New Beverly]
SPACE IS THE PLACE (Sun Ra) [UCLA/Hammer]
UNBREAKABLE (James Newton Howard) [Vista]
October 5
BLUE VELVET (Angelo Badalamenti) [Egyptian]
A BOY AND HIS DOG (Tim McIntire, Jaime Mendoza-Nava), THE HOT SPOT (Jack Nitzsche) [Aero]
DUNE (Toto) [Egyptian]
THE EVIL DEAD (Joseph LoDuca), DEMONS (Claudio Simonetti) [New Beverly]
FANTASTIC MR. FOX (Alexandre Desplat) [Vidiots]
FIGHT CLUB (Dust Brothers) [Vidiots]
FRANKENSTEIN [Academy Museum]
THE GREEN FOG [Aero]
THE HIDDEN (Michael Convertino) [Egyptian]
THE HILLS HAVE EYES (tomandandy) [El Capitan]
MAD MONSTER PARTY? (Maury Laws) [Vista]
MANIAC (Jay Chattaway) [New Beverly]
NOSFERATU [Alamo Drafthouse]
PLANET OF THE APES (Jerry Goldsmith) [New Beverly]
PRACTICAL MAGIC (Alan Silvestri) [Vidiots]
PULP FICTION [Vista]
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (Richard O'Brien, Richard Hartley) [Nuart]
THE ROOM (Mladen Milicevic) [Landmark Westwood]
THE TIME MACHINE (Russell Garcia) [Fine Arts]
UNBREAKABLE (James Newton Howard) [Vista]
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (John Morris) [Vidiots]
October 6
ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (Max Steiner) [Vidiots]
THE BLACK CAULDRON (Elmer Bernstein) [Vidiots]
EVENT HORIZON (Michael Kamen, Orbital) [Egyptian]
THE EVIL DEAD (Joseph LoDuca), DEMONS (Claudio Simonetti) [New Beverly]
GODZILLA MINUS ONE (Naoki Sato), SHIN GODZILLA (Shiro Sagisu) [Egyptian]
HARDCORE (Jack Nitzsche) [Alamo Drafthouse]
L'AVVENTURA (Giovanni Fusco) [Vidiots]
THE LOVE LIGHT [UCLA/Hammer]
MAD MONSTER PARTY? (Maury Laws) [Vista]
PLANET OF THE APES (Jerry Goldsmith) [New Beverly]
PULP FICTION [Vista]
THE SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD (Christopher Dedrick) [Aero]
SECONDS (Jerry Goldsmith) [Los Feliz 3]
TETSUO: THE IRON MAN [BrainDead Studios]
TETSUO II: BODY HAMMER [BrainDead Studios]
VERTIGO (Bernard Herrmann) [Academy Musuem]
October 7
THE ASPHALT JUNGLE (Miklos Rozsa) [Culver]
THE FORBIDDEN ROOM [Los Feliz 3]
HARDCORE (Jack Nitzsche) [Alamo Drafthouse]
MY WINNIPEG [Los Feliz 3]
PHANTASM (Fred Myrow, Malcolm Seagrave) [Alamo Drafthouse]
SILENT RAGE (Peter Bernstein, Mark Goldenberg), HERO AND THE TERROR (David Michael Frank) [New Beverly]
October 8
THE BLACK CAT, THE RAVEN [New Beverly]
CREEPY (Yuri Habuka) [Los Feliz 3]
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2 (Alexandre Desplat) [Alamo Drafthouse]
SPEED (Mark Mancina) [Egyptian]
TOKYO SONATA (Kazumasa Hashimoto) [Los Feliz 3]
October 9
THE BLACK CAT, THE RAVEN [New Beverly]
DAYS OF HEAVEN (Ennio Morricone) [BrainDead Studios]
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (Jon Brion) [Academy Museum]
KING KONG (Max Steiner) [Academy Museum]
THE VISITOR (Franco Micalizzi) [Alamo Drafthouse]
October 10
CURE (Gary Ashiya) [Aero]
KWAIDAN (Toru Takemitsu) [New Beverly]
PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE [Los Feliz 3]
[REC] [Vidiots]
October 11
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (George Gershwin, Johnny Green, Saul Chaplin) [Academy Museum]
THE BLACK CAT [Los Feliz 3]
FROM DUSK TILL DAWN (Graeme Revell) [New Beverly]
KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE (John Massari) [Nuart]
KWAIDAN (Toru Takemitsu) [New Beverly]
LAURA (David Raksin) [Aero]
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (Danny B. Harvey) (Johan Soderqvist) [New Beverly]
THE RAGE: CARRIE 2 [Alamo Drafthouse]
THE SHINING (Wendy Carlos, Rachel Elkind) [BrainDead Studios]
THE SIXTH SENSE (James Newton Howard) [BrainDead Studios]
October 12
BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (Franz Waxman) [Academy Museum]
THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (James Bernard) [Alamo Drafthouse]
CLUE (John Morris), MURDER BY DEATH (Dave Grusin) [New Beverly]
DEAD AGAIN (Patrick Doyle) [BrainDead Studios]
DOUBLE INDEMNITY (Miklos Rozsa) [Egyptian]
THE EXORCIST [Vidiots]
THE FACULTY (Marco Beltrami) [New Beverly]
GET OUT (Michael Abels) [BrainDead Studios]
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (The Beatles, George Martin) [Vidiots]
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET PART 2: FREDDY'S REVENGE (Christopher Young) [Vidiots]
NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE (Popol Vuh) [Alamo Drafthouse]
PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE (Danny Elfman) [New Beverly]
PET SEMATARY (Elliot Goldenthal) [Egyptian]
RAISING VICTOR VARGAS (Roy Nathanson) [Academy Museum]
READY OR NOT (Brian Tyler) [El Capitan]
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (Richard O'Brien, Richard Hartley) [Nuart]
THE TRIP (The Electric Flag) [Los Feliz 3]
20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA (Paul J. Smith) [Egyptian]
THE WORLD, THE FLESH AND THE DEVIL (Miklos Rozsa), THE QUIET EARTH (John Charles) [UCLA/Hammer]
October 13
ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (Frank Skinner) [Vidiots]
CLUE (John Morris), MURDER BY DEATH (Dave Grusin) [New Beverly]
THE CRANES ARE FLYING (M. Vaynberg) [Egyptian]
FREDA [Acaemy Museum]
FRESH KILL (Vernon Reid) [BrainDead Studios]
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (Johan Sodervist) [Vidiots]
MICROCOSMOS (Bruno Coulais) [UCLA/Hammer]
PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE (Danny Elfman) [New Beverly]
PLANET OF THE APES (Jerry Goldsmith) [Vidiots]
REAL LIFE (Mort Lindsey) [Alamo Drafthouse]
SHAUN OF THE DEAD (Daniel Mudford, Pete Woodhead) [Alamo Drafthouse]
WELFARE [Egyptian]
THE WILD BUNCH (Jerry Fielding) [Academy Museum]
VIVA LA MUERTE [Los Feliz 3]
ZODIAC (David Shire) [Egyptian]
THINGS I'VE HEARD, READ, SEEN OR WATCHED LATELY
Heard: Classic TV Game Show Themes (various); The Silents (Davis); The Quinn Martin Collection Vol. 1 (various); Classic Film Scores for Bette Davis (various); Cruel Intentions: Suites and Themes from the Scores (Ottman); Forbidden Planets: Music from the Pioneers of Electronic Sound (various); Day Watch (Potyenko); A Charlie Brown Christmas (Guaraldi); The General Electric Theater (Goldsmith)
Read: Merrill Markoe's Guide to Love, by Merrill Markoe; The Sugar Syndrome, by Lucy Prebble
Seen: Hail the Conquering Hero; The Wild Robot; Never Let Go; Megalopolis; The Ox-Bow Incident; The Car; Crash!; The Gold Rush; The English Patient
Watched: Godzilla Raids Again; Star Trek: Discovery ("The Examples"); Alfred Hitchcock Presents ("Back for Christmas"); Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; Star Trek: Picard ("Watcher); Arrested Development ("The One Where They Build a House")
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