Film (movie) Music

[Sergeant Rock]

The problems he's having putting "Valkyrie" together may indicate his luck is running out.



46, and he still looks like a boy dressing up for Halloween. 

Thomas

Yes, exaclty. He was brilliant in Risky Business but failed to grow up in subsequent films. Maybe Tropic Thunder will convince me he's worth something.

Sarge

[DavidRoss]

Yes, exaclty. He was brilliant in Risky Business but failed to grow up in subsequent films. Maybe Tropic Thunder will convince me he's worth something.

Why?  Does he play a complete asshole, as in Magnolia?  I'm not sure that giving a convincing portrayal of himself demonstrates any ability as an actor. 

[Sergeant Rock]

Why?  Does he play a complete asshole, as in Magnolia?  I'm not sure that giving a convincing portrayal of himself demonstrates any ability as an actor. 

Asshole + comedy might convince me, yes 

Sarge

[Bogey]

Now that you remind me: The third Harry Potter had a very good score from Williams, some exciting set-pieces. War of the Worlds, of course, is much darker colored.



Thomas

Actually, we have this one Thomas....I beliveve I enjoyed the second score (Chamber of Secrets) more, but will give this a spin seeing it has been quite a while.  As for the War of the Worlds score, I disliked the movie so much that it was difficult pay attention to the music.  I will look for this one as well, and listen to the music on just its own account.

Sarge,
After your blip, that 13th Warrior one is now on my list as well.  As for a Beautiful Mind: For as much grief as I give Horner for not breaking away from"his sound", I sure seem to have a decent handful of just that on my shelf.  Maybe I have not dug into enough of his scores to paint a complete picture of his works.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Bogey]

As for Cruise, these four worked very well for me and are now favorites:

Mission Impossible (1996)
Minority Report (2002)
Collateral (2004)
Mission Impossible III (2006)

[karlhenning]

Minority Report (2002)

Agree he is a good fit, and that the movie overall is nicely done.

[M forever]

I liked that movie. It had some weaknesses, but overall, they took more care in creating a "realistic", "historical" athmosphere than many movies do. Great sets and scenery, too. I also liked the idea that what looked like a "fantasy" story with a monster turned out to be an, at least in theory, possible encounter with a surviving pocket of Neanderthals in a very remote area, and that Crichton had taken his inspiration from an authentic text from that period, the account of the Arabian Ibn Fadlan of his travels to the lands of the northern barbarians in the 10th century. What an incredible adventure that must have been!

[drogulus]

     Interesting, M. It sounds like a rental in the near future.

[M forever]

Actually, I don't remember specifically if the bad guys in the movie were supposed to be Neanderthals or just really wild modern people who still lived in a deep stone age culture. In the book, IIRC, they are supposed to be Neanderthals. The book is pretty good, too, BTW. It has no pictures, but to make up for that, it is fairly short.

[drogulus]

    M is pulling our collective legs (we're in the way of a millipede). Bad M!

    I refuse to rent this film unless the bad guys are Russians. They sound like Russians to me, all Neanderthal and everything, a well documented fact.

[M forever]

What legs am I pulling? That is the story of the book/movie (its rough outlines, at least). Well, the bad guys live in an a remote area somewhere in Eastern Europe, and the "Vikings" that Ibn Fadlan met were the people referred to as "Rus" who came from Sweden and who founded Russia by ruling the local population. So, if you want, you can see the bad guys as some sort of evil proto-Russians (they also wear fur caps).

[drogulus]

What legs am I pulling? That is the story of the book/movie (its rough outlines, at least). Well, the bad guys live in an a remote area somewhere in Eastern Europe, and the "Vikings" that Ibn Fadlan met were the people referred to as "Rus" who came from Sweden and who founded Russia by ruling the local population. So, if you want, you can see the bad guys as some sort of evil proto-Russians (they also wear fur caps).

    M, you may not believe this, but I was just joking about Russians. So this is about the "Rus"? It seems I joked at the wrong time. I know some of what you're saying, so that makes it more interesting. I'll have to rent it now.

[M forever]

I wasn't joking though. They really wear fur caps. With horns. IIRC.

The book and the movie are totally fictional, of course, but Ibn Fadlan's accounts aren't. They are among the most important written testimonies about the "Vikings" and extremely interesting to read.

[Kullervo]

Probably not the right thread, but we played The Money Pit with Tom Hanks in the store the other day and strangely enough, one of Handel's organ concertos popped up repeatedly throughout the movie. Strange, because AFAIK those concertos haven't made the jump to Eine Kleine Nachtmusik or O Fortuna pop culture status.

[karlhenning]

    M, you' may not believe this, but I was just joking about Russians.

Anyone would have seen that for a joke, Ernie.

[karlhenning]

Probably not the right thread, but we played The Money Pit with Tom Hanks in the store the other day and strangely enough, one of Handel's organ concertos popped up repeatedly throughout the movie. Strange, because AFAIK those concertos haven't made the jump to Eine Kleine Nachtmusik or O Fortuna pop culture status.

This is the disused thread you were looking for 

[sound67]

Actually, we have this one Thomas....I beliveve I enjoyed the second score (Chamber of Secrets) more

BTW, Chamber of Secrets was scored by William Ross, based on Williams's themes. It's been reported that Williams was so dissatisfied  with Ross's work he decided to take on the next one himself (again).

Thomas

[Wanderer]

BTW, Chamber of Secrets was scored by William Ross, based on Williams's themes. It's been reported that Williams was so dissatisfied  with Ross's work he decided to take on the next one himself (again).

I was not aware of that. I only have the first one (Philosopher's Stone) on CD and I find Williams's music (the main themes at least) quite inspired.

[Bogey]

BTW, Chamber of Secrets was scored by William Ross, based on Williams's themes. It's been reported that Williams was so dissatisfied  with Ross's work he decided to take on the next one himself (again).

Thomas

Huh? Did not know that.  On the cover it says Music Composed by John Williams and under in smaller print Music Adapted andConducted by William Ross.  Johnny may want to relisten and give Ross a "high-five" here.  Fawkes the Phoenix (track two) is some of the most gorgeous music I have ever heard, and that goes for any genre.  Maybe Johnny realized this as well and that is why he truly came back. 

What is truly unfortunate is that Chris Columbus stopped directing the movies after the second installment (now it has turned into a turnstile).  Top this with  the death of actor Richard Harris in the role of Professor Albus Dumbledore.  In short,  they have fallen off for me and have moments of capturing the books, but little more than that. 

[drogulus]

Hollywood pays well too. You'd figure the famous and rich ones (i.e. John Williams) would try their hands at something a little more serious & substantial...and conversely, perhaps some composers of the past (ie Prokofiev, Shostakovich) did it in-part because they needed the money? I think Schoenberg & Stravinsky who lived in Hollywood were offered but they turned it down.

    I don't know why composers aren't more attracted to writing concert music. Watching the Mike Leigh movie about G & S you see Sullivan lamenting "I haven't written a symphony in 20 years". It seems like an antiquated notion today, that concert music has some extra dimension. Perhaps it has by subtraction, since it must stand on its own. I don't assume that the better film composers are incapable (I don't think we're talking about Walton or Prokofiev). They are providing as much as film allows for and I don't assume they can't provide more if they apply themselves to the concert music problem. If they don't it's because concert music is a tough racket to break into with it own cultic pretentions. A film composer will not be given a pass. John Williams has been roughed up quite nicely here, and one can only imagine what bile would accompany the premiere of a symphony.