Varese Sarabande is expected to announce their final CD Club releases of 2021 today.
CDS AVAILABLE THIS WEEK
Call of Duty: Vanguard - Bear McCreary - La-La Land
The French Dispatch - Alexandre Desplat - ABKCO
It's a Wonderful Life - Dimitri Tiomkin - La-La Land
The Navigator/Steamboat Bill Jr./Seven Chances - Claude Bolling - Music Box
IN THEATERS TODAY
Black Friday - Patrick Stump
Bruised - Aska Matsumiya
C'mon C'mon - Bryce Dessner, Aaron Dessner
The Feast - Samuel Sim
The First Wave - H. Scott Salinas
Ghostbusters: Afterlife - Rob Simonsen - Score CD due Dec. 3 on Sony (import)
Hide and Seek - Tim Jones
King Richard - Kris Bowers
Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time - Alex Mansour
Mothering Sunday - Morgan Kibby
Paper & Glue - Adam Peters
The Power of the Dog - Jonny Greenwood
Procession - Keegan DeWitt
The Real Charlie Chaplin - Robert Honstein
COMING SOON
November 26
The United Way - George Fenton - Gearbox
Zero Zero Zero - Mogwai - Rock Action
December 3
Ghostbusters Afterlife - Rob Simonsen - Sony (import)
December 17
Altrimenti ci arrabbiamo - Guido & Maurizio De Angelis - Digitmovies
Encanto - Germaine Franco, Lin-Manuel Miranda - Disney
The Serpent - Dominick Scherrer - Svart
Zombie Flesh Eaters - Franco Micalizzi - Beat
January 7
The Wheel of Time: The First Turn - Lorne Balfe - Milan
January 28
Without Remorse - Jonsi - Krunk
Date Unknown
Byleth il demone dell'incesto - Vasco Vassil Kojucharov - Beat
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons - Barry Gray - Silva
Gabriel Yared: Music for Film - Gabriel Yared - Silva
Gli occhi freddi della paura - Ennio Morricone - Beat
Gli occhiali d'oro - Ennio Morricone - Caldera
The Hitcher - Mark Isham - Silva
Le Professionnel/Le Marginal - Ennio Morricone - Music Box
Les specialistes/Moi vouloir toi - Eric Demarsan - Play Time
Matalo! - Mario Migliardi - Beat
Mychael Danna: Music for Film - Mychael Danna - Silva
Shigeru Umebayashi: Music for Film - Shigeru Umebayashi - Silva
THIS WEEK IN FILM MUSIC HISTORY
November 19 - Salil Chowdhury born (1925)
November 19 - Harry Robinson born (1932)
November 19 - Paul Glass born (1934)
November 19 - Trade Martin born (1943)
November 19 - Joel Goldsmith born (1957)
November 19 - Lyn Murray records his score for the Alfred Hitchcock Hour episode “Thanatos Palace Hotel” (1964)
November 19 - Dee Barton begins recording his score for High Plains Drifter (1972)
November 19 - Dennis McCarthy records his score for the Star Trek: Voyager episode “Concerning Flight” (1997)
November 19 - Dennis McCarthy records his score for the Star Trek: Enterprise episode “Carpenter Street” (2003)
November 20 - Louis Levy born (1894)
November 20 - Kevin Gilbert born (1966)
November 20 - Recording sessions begin for James Newton Howard’s score for Primal Fear (1995)
November 20 - Russell Garcia died (2011)
November 21 - Malcolm Williamson born (1931)
November 21 - Hans Erdmann died (1942)
November 21 - The Best Years of Our Lives opens in New York (1946)
November 21 - Magnus Fiennes born (1965)
November 21 - Don Ellis begins recording his replacement score for The Seven-Ups (1973)
November 21 - Ralph Burns died (2001)
November 22 - Benjamin Britten born (1913)
November 22 - Craig Hundley aka Craig Huxley born (1954)
November 22 - W. Franke Harling died (1958)
November 22 - Carlo Giacco born (1972)
November 22 - Francois de Roubaix died (1975)
November 22 - Fernando Velazquez born (1976)
November 22 - Gil Melle begins recording his score for The Sentinel (1976)
November 23 - Jack Marshall born (1921)
November 23 - Johnny Mandel born (1925)
November 23 - Jerry Bock born (1928)
November 23 - David Spear born (1953)
November 23 - Bruce Hornsby born (1954)
November 23 - Ludovico Einaudi born (1955)
November 23 - The Magnificent Seven opens in New York and Los Angeles (1960)
November 23 - Jean-Michel Bernard born (1961)
November 23 - Ennio Morricone begins recording his score for White Dog (1981)
November 23 - John Scott begins recording his score for Shoot to Kill (1987)
November 23 - Clifford Vaughan died (1987)
November 23 - Irwin Kostal died (1994)
November 23 - Nicholas Carras died (2006)
November 24 - Alfred Schnittke born (1934)
November 24 - Pino Donaggio born (1941)
November 24 - Michael Small died (2003)
November 24 - Kan Ishii died (2009)
November 24 - Harold Faberman died (2018)
November 25 - Virgil Thomson born (1896)
November 25 - Stanley Wilson born (1917)
November 25 - Michel Portal born (1935)
November 25 - Eleni Karaindrou born (1941)
November 25 - Daniele Amfitheatrof begins recording his score for The Last Hunt (1956)
November 25 - Maurice Jarre begins recording his score for Grand Prix (1966)
November 25 - Raymond Legrand died (1974)
November 25 - Michael Small begins recording his score for The Postman Always Rings Twice (1980)
November 25 - Craig Safan records his scores for the Twilight Zone episodes “The Uncle Devil Show” and “Opening Day” (1985)
November 25 - Chico Hamilton died (2013)
DID THEY MENTION THE MUSIC?
FREELAND - William Ryan Fritsch
"'Freeland' opens in the midst of that conflict, even as Devi works overtime to block it out. Her initial deal with a truck driver, captured in the midst of an empty landscape, epitomizes the shrinking scale of her customer base, while the city has started cracking down on her illegal operation. As she comes to grips with her limited options, 'Freeland' sags into a series of wistful conversations and soulful asides, but even during its meandering middle section it’s clear that Devi’s halcyon days are behind her. Guided by William Ryan Fritch’s pensive score and often awe-inspiring natural scenery, 'Freeland' settles into a melancholic rhythm that hums along until a series of complications toss Devi into a more isolated position."
Eric Kohn, IndieWire
"Contrary to the film’s title, the lack of opportunity, or rather how time and age rob an individual of independence, circulates among meditatively approached co-themes, which include the impermanence of experience and loneliness; comparable films often outwardly address their substantive topics, but 'Freeland' relishes in contemplation, deciphering through the revelatory serenity found in silence -- a zone that often exposes shards of regret for Devi. By associating the woman’s existential plight with harvesting a perishable substance within an ever-shifting industry, Devi’s journey into her golden years adopts an aura of decay, an uneasy atmosphere boosted by William Ryan Fritch’s horror-esque score and Furloni’s captivating cinematography."
Jonathan Christian, The Playlist
"Where 'Freeland' is an unadulterated success is in capturing the physical, psychological and spiritual space Devi inhabits. From its first moments, the movie makes evocative use of the gorgeous Humboldt scenery, as shot by DP Furloni. William Ryan Fritch’s ethereal score, the knowingly detailed production design (Alex Irwin, Laura Donlon) and leisurely yet concise editing by Chris Donlon and Sara Newens also invaluably contribute to a tale that feels texturally just right even when its story content falls short."
Dennis Harvey, Variety
"William Ryan Fritch’s nuanced score and the subtle sound design by Peter Albrechtsen work in graceful tandem as the directors slowly ratchet up the tension. The music thrums, nearby laughter hovers ominously, and Devi’s mounting unease shifts into suspicion, paranoia and, at a course-changing moment, righteously unhinged fury."
Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter
LANGUAGE LESSONS - Gaby Moreno
"Morales and Duplass have an effortless chemistry that shines through the confines of cellphone and computer screens, and their nuanced deliveries of the film’s naturalistic dialogue helps them avoid overselling certain emotions. They’re alternately zany and fragile, vulnerable and goofy, and angry and defensive, and how they communicate that range is relatable: faces leaned in toward the screen and wide smiles vs. eyes diverted away from the screen and standoffish body language. And purposeful technical lapses (fuzzy or frozen shots, dropped dialogue) are more tolerable and appropriate than the film’s recurring use of background music while the pair chats, which sometimes feels overly slick and more 'cinematic' than the rest of the realist 'Language Lessons.'"
Roxana Hadadi, RogerEbert.com
"The big shift comes early on, after a number of lessons left deliberately vague, when Adam is late for their weekly appointment and Cariño calls to find him in a near-catatonic state in bed. Stunned by sudden tragedy, he shares halting details of what happened, and her calm compassion becomes a welcome cushion from his sorrow. The introduction of Gaby Moreno’s gentle guitar and percussion score around this point elegantly marks the shift from light humor into more emotional territory."
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
PASSING - Devonté Hynes
"The story passes from summer to winter, seasonally and tonally, and Hall’s chief allies in bringing her smart script to screen are Edu Grau’s stunning black-and-white photography (reason alone to see the film), Dev Hynes’s piano jazz score and two extraordinarily thoughtful central performances from Negga and Thompson."
Dave Calhoun, Time Out
"The closing shot of 'Passing,' Rebecca Hall’s sleek and transfixing adaptation of Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel, peers down from a great height at a courtyard on a cold December night, a vision partially obscured by falling snow and set to the graceful tinkling of piano chords. The image -- composed by Eduard Grau in a nearly square frame and a black-and-white palette - has a hushed, frozen-in-time loveliness that feels faintly unreal. You almost expect the camera to pull back and reveal that this piercingly sad story has been unfolding inside a snow globe, trapping its characters in exquisite clothes, repetitive motions and the slow-shifting mores of a society that has left them scant room to breathe."
Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times
"Hall, Grau, editor Sabine Hoffman, and composer Devonté Hynes do an excellent job of casting a hypnotic spell on the audience. This is a deliberately paced film with enveloping moods that feel like symphony movements. There’s heavy material here, but 'Passing' doesn’t belabor its points. When Brian rightfully tries to warn his sons about the racist trouble they’ll face in the world, Irene argues that they should have some innocence in their youth. We understand both arguments even though we know one of them is very, very naïve. The entire film exists in this perpetual state of a deceptively gentle push and pull. It’s a masterful balance of tone. And even though we anticipate the ending, it comes with a surprising amount of empathy and sadness, two things that were always subtly present during the runtime."
Odie Henderson, RogerEbert.com
"For her debut feature, Hall makes sure everything that’s captured on screen is appropriate with the times, right down to the black-and-white imagery, the 4:3 full-frame aspect ratio, and a melancholy, tickled-ivory jazz score from the experimental artist Devonté Hynes (a.k.a. Blood Orange). As for the story itself, it often moves with a moody, morbid vagueness that makes the film seem like a Gothic ghost story, except that everyone’s alive."
Craig D. Lindsey, The Onion AV Club
"'Passing' is an impressionistic experience, much like the Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou piano piece that composer Devonté Hynes incorporates into the score, a portrait of an identity that refuses to be pinned down, for better and for worse."
Josh Larsen, Larsen on Film
"This is a somber story, but it’s filled with unusual light, from the spare, gentle, jazz-piano trills of Devonté Hynes’ score to the glowy, glorious black-and white photography from DP Edu Grau ('A Single Man'). Sometimes Grau’s compositions are strikingly strange: Clare, stretching against the sunlight, or an embrace framed so the image is mostly tree branches and sky. But more often, the lovely illuminated monochrome is brought to bear on ordinary things, wispy domestic details like a crack in a bedroom ceiling or a stirring curtain. The camera seems trained, with graceful, unconscious bias, on the things a woman of that period might have noticed. It’s as though Hall’s distinctly feminine attention propels the imagery toward the swinging hemlines and crooked stocking seams of chattering matrons, or the crease on the back collar of Irene’s flowing morning peignoir (a garment that, like all of Marci Rodgers’s costuming, manages to be both beautiful for us to look at, and real for the character to wear)."
Jessica Kiang, Variety
"Like that 1989 medium-length British feature, Passing is shot in gauzy black and white, in this case framed in the old Hollywood standard 4:3 aspect ratio to suggest portrait photography but also a strictly contained world of self-imposed boundaries -- 'safe,' except when it’s suddenly not. Visually, this is Spanish cinematographer Edu Grau’s most expressive period work since 'A Single Man,' his images enhanced by top-notch craft collaborations from production designer Nora Mendis and costumer Marci Rodgers, both of whom provide rich detailing. The underscoring of composer Devonté Hynes’ gentle jazz piano strains contributes further to the vivid conjuring of a lost world."
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
RON'S GONE WRONG - Henry Jackman
"And 'Ron’s Gone Wrong' is nothing if not perky. The film’s constantly in exhausting motion: Directors Jean-Philippe Vine and Sarah Smith (who worked together in different capacities on the charming Aardman stop-motion 'The Pirates! Band of Misfits') keep the pace up, but because the content is excruciatingly formulaic, it feels like it’s dragging us kicking and screaming to the next expected step; meanwhile the overbearing score waves sonic flags indicating that 'It’s time to have fun!' or 'It’s time to feel something!' These strained sensory muscles could be overlooked if 'Ron’s Gone Wrong' wasn’t painfully long for such a vapid movie, with every gag driven into the ground and tons of time spent on the power struggle between Marc and Andrew. (Who cares? Not kids and not me.)"
Jacob Oller, Paste Magazine
THE NEXT TEN DAYS IN L.A.
Screenings of older films in Los Angeles-area theaters.
November 19
THE AGE OF INNOCENCE (Elmer Bernstein) [Academy Museum]
ENTER THE DRAGON (Lalo Schifrin) [New Beverly]
GIRLHOOD (Para One) [Brain Dead Studios]
JAYWALKER (Stephen Endelman) [Brain Dead Studios]
KILL BILL VOL. 2 (Robert Rodriguez, RZA) [New Beverly]
THE NEW WORLD (James Horner) [Aero]
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (John Williams) [Los Feliz 3]
REAR WINDOW (Franz Waxman) [Hollywood Legion]
ROUND MIDNIGHT (Herbie Hancock) [Los Feliz 3]
SEVEN SAMURAI (Fumio Hayasaka) [New Beverly]
THE WIND RISES (Joe Hisaishi) [Academy Museum]
November 20
AMERICAN GRAFFITI [Aero]
ATLANTICS (Fatima Al Qadiri) [Academy Museum]
DIAL M FOR MURDER (Dimitri Tiomkin) [Hollywood Legion]
LIQUID SKY (Slava Tsukerman, Brenda I. Hutchinson, Clive Smith) [New Beverly]
McCABE AND MRS. MILLER (Leonard Cohen) [Los Feliz 3]
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (John Williams) [Aero]
REPO MAN (Steven Hufsteter, Humberto Larriva) [Los Feliz 3]
RUSHMORE (Mark Mothersbaugh) [Brain Dead Studios]
SEVEN SAMURAI (Fumio Hayasaka) [New Beverly]
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (Dimitri Tiomkin) [Hollywood Legion]
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (John DuPrez) [New Beverly]
THE TOLL OF THE SEA [Academy Museum]
TRAFIC (Charles Dumont) [Los Feliz 3]
WR: MYSTERIES OF THE ORGANISM (Bojana Marijan) [Los Feliz 3]
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S ROMEO + JULIET (Marius De Vries, Nellee Hooper) [Brain Dead Studios]
November 21
CABARET (John Kander, Ralph Burns) [Alamo Drafthouse]
DUEL (Billy Goldenberg) [Los Feliz 3]
KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE (Joe Hisaishi) [Academy Museum]
NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION (Angelo Badalamenti) [Alamo Drafthouse]
ONE TWO THREE (Andre Previn) [Los Feliz 3]
PERSEPOLIS (Olivier Bernet) [Academy Museum]
TRON (Wendy Carlos) [Academy Museum]
November 22
BADLANDS (George Aliceson Tipton) [Los Feliz 3]
DEATH DIMENSION (Chuck Ransdell), THE TATTOO CONNECTION (Anders Nelsson) [New Beverly]
EMMA (Rachel Portman) [Academy Museum]
PATHER PANCHALI (Ravi Shankar) [Academy Museum]
PEEPING TOM (Brian Easdale) [Alamo Drafthouse]
November 23
BRIGHT STAR (Mark Bradshaw) [Academy Museum]
CABARET (John Kander, Ralph Burns) [Alamo Drafthouse]
DAYS OF HEAVEN (Ennio Morricone) [Los Feliz 3]
NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION (Angelo Badalamenti) [Alamo Drafthouse]
PORCO ROSSO (Joe Hisaishi) [Academy Museum]
A SUNDAY IN THE COUNTRY (Philippe Sarde) [Los Feliz 3]
TIE ME UP! TIE ME DOWN! (Ennio Morricone), HIGH HEELS (Ryuichi Sakamoto) [New Beverly]
November 24
ELECTRA, MY LOVE (Tamas Cseh) [Los Feliz 3]
NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION (Angelo Badalamenti) [Alamo Drafthouse]
THE NEW WORLD (James Horner) [Los Feliz 3]
PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES (Ira Newborn) [Aero]
PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES (Ira Newborn) [Alamo Drafthouse]
TIE ME UP! TIE ME DOWN! (Ennio Morricone), HIGH HEELS (Ryuichi Sakamoto) [New Beverly]
THE VIRGIN SUICIDES (Air) [Brain Dead Studios]
November 25
EYES WIDE SHUT (Jocelyn Pook) [Academy Museum]
MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (Hugh Martin, Ralph Blaine, Georgie Stoll) [New Beverly]
NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION (Angelo Badalamenti) [Alamo Drafthouse]
PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES (Ira Newborn) [Alamo Drafthouse]
PRINCESS MONONOKE (Joe Hisaishi) [Academy Museum]
November 26
ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES (Marc Shaiman) [Brain Dead Studios]
AIR FORCE ONE (Jerry Goldsmith) [Los Feliz 3]
AMERICAN GRAFFITI [Los Feliz 3]
APARAJITO [THE UNVANQUISHED] (Ravi Shankar) [Academy Museum]
BODY AND SOUL [Academy Museum]
ELF (John Debney) [Alamo Drafthouse]
THE FUGITIVE (James Newton Howard) [Los Feliz 3]
KILL BILL VOL. 1 (RZA) [New Beverly]
KILL VILL VOL. 2 (Robert Rodriguez, RZA) [New Beverly]
LOVE ACTUALLY (Craig Armstrong) [Alamo Drafthouse]
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD [New Beverly]
SHAFT (Isaac Hayes) [Los Feliz 3]
November 27
AIR FORCE ONE (Jerry Goldsmith), THE FUGITIVE (James Newton Howard) [Aero]
BATMAN RETURNS (Danny Elfman) [New Beverly]
BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD DO AMERICA (John Frizzell) [Brain Dead Studios]
DAUGHTER OF SHANGHAI [Academy Museum]
ELF (John Debney) [Alamo Drafthouse]
THE FRENCH CONNECTION (Don Ellis) [Los Feliz 3]
GONE IN 60 SECONDS (Trevor Rabin) [Los Feliz 3]
LOVE ACTUALLY (Craig Armstrong) [Alamo Drafthouse]
THE MERCHANT OF FOUR SEASONS [Los Feliz 3]
MOANA (Mark Mancina) [Academy Museum]
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD [New Beverly]
THE PANIC IN NEEDLE PARK [Los Feliz 3]
PICCADILLY [Academy Museum]
RIVER'S EDGE (Jurgen Kneiper) [Brain Dead Studios]
ROSEMARY'S BABY (Christopher Komeda) [New Beverly]
SHADOW OF A DOUBT (Dimitri Tiomkin) [Hollywood Legion]
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (Nacio Herb Brown, Lennie Hayton) [Aero]
SPIRITED AWAY (Joe Hisaishi) [Academy Museum]
SUSPICION (Franz Waxman) [Hollywood Legion]
November 28
BATMAN RETURNS (Danny Elfman) [New Beverly]
THE CONFRONTATION (Paul Arma) [Los Feliz 3]
CRY BABY (Patrick Williams) [Brain Dead Studios]
ELF (John Debney) [Alamo Drafthouse]
HARLAN COUNTY U.S.A. [Academy Museum]
IF... (Mark Wilkinson) [Brain Dead Studios]
THE LAST PICTURE SHOW [Brain Dead Studios]
THE LAST PICTURE SHOW [Los Feliz 3]
LOVE ACTUALLY (Craig Armstrong) [Alamo Drafthouse]
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD [New Beverly]
PARASH PATHAR [THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE] (Satyajit Ray, Ravi Shankar) [Academy Museum]
TAKING OFF [Los Feliz 3]
THINGS I'VE HEARD, READ, SEEN OR WATCHED LATELY
Heard: Waltz with Bashir (Richter), Little Women (Desplat), Hanns Eisler Film Music (Eisler), Max Steiner Conducts Gone with the Wind and Other Themes (Steiner), Norma Rae (Shire), The Molly Maguires (Mancini/Strouse), Harlan County U.S.A. (various), Hud/The Lonely Man (Bernstein/Van Cleave), It's a Wonderful Life/A Christmas Carol/Miracle on 34th Street (Tiomkin/Addinsell/Mockridge), Suites Symphoniques & Versions Instrumentales (Legrand), Decision for Chemistry/Sounder (North)
Read: Yellow Dog Party, by Earl Emerson
Seen: Clifford the Big Red Dog, Belfast, Red Notice, Dune [2021], Straight Time, Thief, Tick Tick...Boom!, The Paper Chase, September 30, 1955
Watched: Lie with Me; Star Trek: Discovery ("There Is a Tide...", "That Hope Is You, Part 2"); Penny Dreadful: City of Angels ("How It Is With Brothers")
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