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| Film Score Friday 3/21/25
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| Posted By
Scott Bettencourt
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3/20/2025 - 10:00 PM |
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Intrada has just released their latest Kickstarter-sponsored re-recording, of Frank Skinner's score for the horror-comedy classic ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, plus cues from ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE KEYSTONE KOPS, composed by William Lava, Henry Mancini and Herman Stein.
The latest releases from Buysoundtrax and its related labels are -- STARSHIP INVASIONS, the 1977 sci-fi B-movie starring Robert Vaughn and Christopher Lee, with a score by Gil Melle; a re-release of Elmer Bernstein's symphonic score for the little-seen 1989 sci-fi adventure SLIPSTREAM; and STAR TREK: A SYMPHONIC CELEBRATION, a two-disc re-release of the mid-80s Label X re-recordings of suites from original Star Trek episode scores, featuring music by George Duning, Jerry Fielding, Gerald Fried, Sol Kaplan, Samuel Matlovsky and Joseph Mullendore, plus the series theme by Alexander Courage.
Mutant recently announced an upcoming LP of Alan Silvestri's score for Netflix's megabudget science-fiction adventure THE ELECTRIC STATE, directed by Silvestri's Avengers collaborators the Russo brothers. This is of course part of the current trend of major films and scores getting released on vinyl only instead of on CD, as was still the norm pre-pandemic. For those interested in other (fairly) recent and upcoming vinyl-only scores (I am of course not counting download releases), there is a list at the end of this column.
CDS AVAILABLE THIS WEEK
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein/Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops - Frank Skinner, Wiliam Lava, Henry Mancini, Herman Stein - Intrada
Anthology: The Paris Concerts - Howard Shore - Deutsche Grammophon
The Apprentice - Martin Dirkov, David Holmes, Brian Byrne - Filmtrax
Far from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog - John Scott - JOS
It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown - Vince Guaraldi - LMFP
The Reivers - John Williams - La-La Land |
| Comments: (read on)
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| Aisle Seat 3-18: March Madness Edition
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| Posted By
Andy Dursin
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3/17/2025 - 10:00 PM |
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| Sylvester Stallone’s 90s “comeback” was spearheaded by “Cliffhanger,” kept on going thanks to “Demolition Man,” and survived letdowns like “Judge Dredd” via some critically acclaimed work in James Mangold’s “Cop Land.” Along the way, Sly signed various deals with Universal, the first film of which, DAYLIGHT (116 mins., 1996, PG-13; Kino Lorber), proved to be a middling recycling of ‘70s disaster movies – more or less in line with similar fare like the dueling “volcano films” of the era (the okay “Dante’s Peak,” the less-than-stellar “Volcano”). |
| Comments: (read on)
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| Aisle Seat 3-11: March Mayhem Edition
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| Posted By
Andy Dursin
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3/10/2025 - 10:00 PM |
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| The 20th century didn’t exactly go out with a bang at the movies, at least not in the summer of 1999. Kubrick’s last gasp, “The Phantom Menace,” a pair of weak Julia Roberts vehicles, leering teen comedies, and a tepid Austin Powers sequel made for a drab time at the multiplex, brightened up only by the likes of “The Sixth Sense” and “The Mummy.” Finally, after so much disappointment, genre fans soaked up director Renny Harlin’s “comeback” movie, DEEP BLUE SEA (107 mins., 1999, R; Arrow), basking in what was (and is) solid summer fun, now remastered on 4K UHD. |
| Comments: (read on)
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| Film Score Friday 3/7/25
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| Posted By
Scott Bettencourt
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3/6/2025 - 10:00 PM |
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Daniel Blumberg won the 2024 Original Score Oscar for THE BRUTALIST, only his second feature film score (his first film, 2020's The World to Come, was directed by Brutalist co-writer Mona Fastvold). Original Song went to "El Mal" from EMILIA PEREZ, for the songwriting team of Clement Ducol and Camille, with lyric co-written by the film's director, Jacques Audiard (who didn't get a chance to speak as Camille kept singing).
The In Memoriam montage featured Jan A.P. Kaczmarek and Quincy Jones, and Jones - who was the receipient of an ultimately posthumous Honorary Award - recieved a musical tribute featuring a performance of "Ease on Down the Road" from The Wiz (Jones did not write the song, but he was nominated for his score adaptation for the film). Another Honorary Award was given to 007 producers (and siblings) Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, and the show included a song-and-dance tribute which includes "James Bond Theme," "Live and Let Die," "Diamonds Are Forever" (I was starting to worry they wouldn't include any John Barry melodies) and "Skyfall."
The latest release from La-La Land is an expanded, two-disc edition of John Williams' first Oscar-nominated original score, THE REIVERS, the 1969 film version of the William Faulkner novel, directed by Mark Rydell (Williams replaced Rydell's nominated The Fox composer Lalo Schifrin, and would go on to score The Cowboys, Cinderella Liberty and The River for the director). The set features the full score, the original LP sequencing, and the concert suite Williams adapted from his score (narrated by the film's narrator, Burgess Meredith), plus extras.
CDS AVAILABLE THIS WEEK
Cape Fear - Bernard Herrmann, Elmer Bernstein - Quartet
A Fistful of Dollars - Ennio Morricone - Beat
L'Esorciccio/Paolo il Freddo - Franco Godi - Beat
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim - Stephen Gallagher - Mutant
Pandemonio (Switch) - Guido & Maurizio De Angelis - Beat |
| Comments: (read on)
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| Aisle Seat 3-4: OCN Wrap-Up
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| Posted By
Andy Dursin
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3/3/2025 - 10:00 PM |
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| The early ‘70s were a fertile time for “Disease of the Week” movies, both on the big-screen (where “Love Story” was all the rage) and on the small-screen as well, where the emotionally charged “Brian’s Song” showcased the bond between Chicago Bears player Gayle Sayers and his cancer-stricken teammmate Brian Piccolo. Though based on a 1956 book by Mark Harris, BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY (96 mins., 1973, PG; Cinematographe) fits comfortably within that genre, though the sincerity of John Hancock’s film and its central performances lift the material, making it worthy of rediscovery on Cinematographe’s freshly remastered 4K UHD and Blu-Ray limited edition set. |
| Comments: (read on)
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Today in Film Score History:
March 24 |
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| Alberto Colombo died (1954) |
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| Alex North wins an Honorary Oscar, “in recognition of his brilliant artistry in the creation of memorable music for a host of distinguished motion pictures;” John Barry wins his fourth Oscar, for the Out of Africa score (1986) |
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| Arthur B. Rubnstein begins recording his score for WarGames (1983) |
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| Brian Easdale wins his only Oscar, for The Red Shoes score (1949) |
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| Fred Steiner's score for the Star Trek episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" is recorded (1967) |
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| Gabriel Yared wins the Dramatic Score Oscar for The English Patient; Rachel Portman wins the second Comedy or Musical Score Oscar, for Emma (1997) |
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| Gerard Schurmann died (2020) |
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| Ira Newborn begins recording his score for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) |
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| John Barry begins recording his score for The Deep (1977) |
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| John Barry wins his fifth and final Oscar, for the Dances With Wolves score; Stephen Sondheim wins his first Oscar, for the song "Sooner or Later" from Dick Tracy |
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| Michael Masser born (1941) |
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