Intrada Soundtrack Forum

12/6/05

MUNICH. If you're interested in Steven Spielberg you'll be fascinated with this week's TIME magazine. He's on the cover, gives an exclusive interview.

I think Spielberg's the greatest of all directors. My friend Larry says he's never made a perfect movie, but all his movies have perfect stuff in them. Neat observation. We know he makes the movies he wants to make. But so does Atom Egoyan, so does John Sayles, so does Woody Allen. Spielberg does something those other guys don't appear to do, though. He crams what he wants to show and tell into products for everyone to see. Not just a tribe of personal fans. We're talking masses. A whole lot of people.

And it's what I admire the most. He pleases himself, decides what he wants to show, then lets it all out for virtually everyone to pick at. He does this knowing full well that everyone WILL go out and see what he's up to. And he just keeps raising the bar.

I always see something I hadn't seen before. I never saw lines like I did for JAWS back in 1975. Nor a horror movie quite like it. I never saw anything like CE3K when it came out. I doubt you had. Want dinosaurs? He sure raised the bar on them. War? After RYAN, combat intensity was elevated so high you couldn't watch an old war movie the same way ever again. Who'd want to make a PG battle scene today? (Even Michael Bay preped an R version of PEARL HARBOR for the home market.) The Saturday matinee. Friendly aliens. The Holocaust. Popcorn or serious. Spielberg raises the bar every time.

I was sure I'd see something new in WAR OF THE WORLDS. I did. And somewhere during it I was thinking about how Spielberg is more audacious and daring and skilled and whatever than any other moviemaker around. Which is what great moviemaking is to me. Make something people will pay to see and then use the medium like no one else can.

I love reading about how Spielberg's growing up. So what's the big deal? Everyone grows up. On the other hand, maybe it's like Aaron Copland. His accessible music paved the way for his mature stuff but the guy never turned his back on his roots. Like Copland, like Spielberg.

Like Spielberg, like Williams.

EMPIRE OF THE SUN. It's my favorite Spielberg movie, it's my favorite John Williams score. Williams is also in that league with Copland, with Spielberg. He's grown up, too, but he's also never turned his back on what once was. Maybe it's just part of being a great artist. You get some new stuff in there while ensuring your masses stay comfortable. You walk a narrow line between wide public appeal and personal expression at the same time. The opposite of self-indulgence - or something like that. Anyway, whatever it is, Williams has it, Spielberg has it.

No wonder they keep working together.

MUNICH. I know I'll see something I've never seen before. I know I'll hear something I've never heard before.

I can't wait.

12/7/05

Lot's going on. First, we've got an exciting new feature readying for launch here. Possibly this coming weekend. Other cool developments are under way but this one's something you've been asking us to do. Okay... we listened! And now that we've built it, hopefully you will come. Stay tuned!

Plus... SILVERADO's arrived early!! Stacks of boxes everywhere. Jeff's swamped, George wants to call in sick, Regina wants vacation time. I just want to walk through our lobby without tripping. And it'll be even more crowded in a few hours. ECHO OF THUNDER also makes an early arrival in the morning!

So... please be patient. We'll grease our elbows and start the pre-orders rolling this afternoon.

Finally, for you 20th Century Fox fans, on the heels of WARLOCK and VIOLENT SATURDAY, watch for yet another stereophonic double-header coming up for announcement in just a few days as well!

12/9/05

We'll be unwrapping our new forum within the next few days. It's the first of several new developments we've got underway. While this one's partly in response to requests we've had over the years, it's also designed to finally give us a place to archive past columns and articles. It'll be our spot for posting new bulletins and official announcements as well. And, of course, it'll include a place where you get to talk about our favorite subject. We'll even add new features as we progress.

So in a few days we'll be inviting you to share with us a new film music forum. We'd like you to visit it often, read our columns and announcements, join in the discussions... and then go over to our store and order CDs. Even more often!

As long as composers keep providing us with new music and labels keep responding with new albums to preserve it we'll have plenty to talk about and celebrate!

12/12/05

Are there still just 24 hours in a day Orders for SILVERADO and ECHO OF THUNDER going out, other releases going out, piles of new releases coming in! If there's time (yeah, right) we'll be playing the LORD OF THE RINGS set and KING KONG more than once today. (Plus constructing our new forum has our attention, too.) So assuming you'd rather have me working instead of babbling, my chat in this corner's gonna be brief today. I'd rather get back to Shore (as in Howard) and Howard (as in James) anyway!

12/15/05

Please take a few minutes to visit our new soundtrack forum. We invite you to discuss your movie music views and interests with other listeners around the world. As we continue we'll add more features. We've got our basic forum up and running now but we're also open to your feedback, too. We welcome you to participate and have fun!

12/20/05

Here's my take on the new KING KONG. No spoilers unless you didn't know there was a giant ape.

It delivers a lot of goods. I got my $10 worth, there's spectacular stuff on display. But it's too long. Never boring, just too over the top. Credibility isn't an issue. If they tell me Superman can fly I say okay. If they say there's a giant ape on a skyscraper I say okay. But I have issues with the narrative.

Everything with bugs in it could go, they added nothing to the story. Too many characters on the voyage to Skull Island. I like Jamie Bell as much as the next guy but he - and many other sailors - can go. Lots of time is given to people that once I start caring about just disappear.

It's great looking, great sounding. In fact, it's my choice for best animation feature this year. (It's hard to call it live action when all the sets, backgrounds, stunts, action scenes and the big star himself are computer generated.)

James Newton Howard had the tough job of scoring this monstrosity in short order. He delivers mostly serviceable music. Lots of it. I wish it'd been dubbed louder but what soundtrack fan doesn't? His minor key love theme is the highlight. Oboe, strings, piano. Absolutely gorgeous.

I had high hopes for this movie. There was just too much of it. Too much of everything. Getting to the theater, lines, twenty minutes of undesireable pre-show garbage followed by a half dozen trailers or so. By the time KONG started I was already worn out. And there was still more than three hours of showtime to go! Someone in the movie business just has to sort this out. It's supposed to be fun, it isn't supposed to be an endurance contest.

Anyway, Howard's album comes off quite well. Enough major setpieces are there and the love theme just shimmers. I don't need to see the movie again but I'll visit the CD often.

12/24/05

If you've got kids you're running in circles just about now. So try to relax for a few minutes, wrap a last-minute gift or two and play some Christmas music. Those old Percy Faith arrangements that've been around since the late fifties still can't be beat!

So here's wishing you and your families a meaningful Merry Christmas!

12/31/05

End of a year. I wrapped by watching MUNICH. Sobering to say the least. It's my choice for "Best Score of 2005" and it's used with incredible discretion in the movie. Spielberg examines terrorism on levels not previously done. Williams collaborates with a meld of dark, intense music and melodies that serve as pleas for peace.

Strings. No one today writes for them like this composer. Solo cello gets some extra time but the entire body is really spotlighted.

This score also has one of the neatest things I've heard in ages. As the main theme unfolds, Williams keeps dropping in subtle "wrong" notes within his harmonies, sort of reflecting the onscreen sequence of a young girl playing piano. It's a very mature harmonic scheme, minor key mostly but incredibly haunting. The biggest statement of the main theme plays out over the end credits and the idea stayed with me for hours after I left the theater.

Typically, I wait to see a Spielberg movie first, then listen to the album. It's a habit unique to these two artists. In terms of film and music, these guys have probably created the richest body of work the movies have ever had.

Here's hoping that Williams gets another Oscar. He's earned it.