Cinemusic.net: News Archive... AKA The Old Blog

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Has Horner lost his mind?

Daniel Schweiger host of "On the Score" sends word on his latest show... My question is did Horner know the interview was being taped?
Tune in to a new edition of On the Score at Film Music Radio for an in-depth and ultra-rare interview with composer James Horner.

In this extensive, on-demand show, Horner gives a candid and completely frank interview about his career, scoring All the Kings Men and the controversial music decisions of Troy and The New World. It's an interview that you'll only find at Film Music Radio, the show and station that listens to the words and music of today's top composers.
Brian Tyler's website has an update on his 2007 slate:
Brian has four projects lined up for 2007 -- Time to Kill starring Nicholas Cage as a hitman in Thailand, directed by brothers Danny and Oxide Pang (The Eye), Alien Vs Predator 2 for 20th Century Fox, directed by 'The Brothers Strause' (Colin and Greg Strause) set for a Christmas 2007 release, Rogue starring Jason Statham and Jet Li as bitter rivals in a mysterious action thriller directed by Philip G. Atwell and a third collaboration with director Justin Lin for his mockumentary comedy Finishing the Game about Bruce Lee's unfinished film.

Monday, September 25, 2006

In memory of Sir Malcolm Arnold

Sir Malcolm Arnold, who composed over 130 film scores in his successful career, including his Oscar-winning effort The Bridge on The River Kwai, has died. He was 84. More at BBC News.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Preview: Elfman's "Serenada"

Danny Elfman's career as a film composer truly is a unique one. Completely self-taught, an instant hit and the scorn of his peers for a decade. Now, over $8 billion in worldwide box-office receipts later, after Grammy, Golden Globe, Emmy and Oscar nominations, Efman has branched from the cult pop-rock of Oingo Boingo, to the gothic grandeur of Batman to the concert hall, with his first commissioned piece, "Serenada Schizophrana".

Written for orchestra, female voices and electronics, "Serenada" was first performed in New York on February 23rd, 2005 at Carnegie Hall by the American Composers Orchestra, the piece received a positive review from the New York Times ("Mr. Elfman gave us music comfortable in its own world and highly professional in its execution ... The composer of this piece has an ear for symphonic colors and how to balance them.", Bernard Holland). It was later performed in San Francisco by the Redwood Symphony, before finally being adapted for the IMAX film Deep Sea 3D.

Elfman then took time to tinker with the piece before the score for Deep Sea 3Dwas recorded in Los Angeles. During additional sessions Elfman re-recorded the revised version of "Serenada" with John Mauceri conducting the Hollywood Studio Symphony at the FOX Newman Scoring Stage. It is this slightly revised "Serenada" that will hit stores on October 3rd from Sony Classical.

Here are clips from each of the 7 movements, plus an additional original piece "Improv For Alto Sax".

1. Pianos
2. Blue Strings
3. A Brass Thing
4. The Quadruped Patrol
5. I Forget
6. Bells and Whistles
7. End Tag
8. Improv For Alto Sax

Billboard Film & TV Conf

The Hollywood Reporter/Billboard Film & TV Music Conference will be taking place on November 14 and 15 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. At last year's conference, leading composer and electronica musician BT and innovative director Rob Cohen discussed their collaborations on such films as Stealth and The Fast and the Furious. In addition to last year's guest speakers, award-winning director Paul Haggis and award-winning composer Mark Isham discussed their collaboration on Crash.

For a schedule of events and to register visit www.billboardevents.com.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

"Give the Solar System an enema"...

Intrada Announces:

Saturn 3
Composed and Conducted by Elmer Bernstein
Intrada Special Collection Volume 36

The late 70s and early 80s were a renaissance period for the science fiction genre, spurred on by the remarkable success of Star Wars. One such entry was the 1980 film Saturn 3. The remote Saturn 3 botanical research station, named after its location on Saturn's third mood, finds Adam and Alex (Kirk Douglas and Farah Fawcett) enjoying solitude and romance, until bad guy Benson (Harvey Keitel) shows up to wreak havoc and turns the station's robot, Hector, against them. Soon the thriller switches into high gear as Hector is stalking Adam and Alex through the botanical station's warren-like biomechanical corridors.

Composer Elmer Bernstein, who had scored sci-fi early in his career(Robot Monster, Cat Women On The Moon), had not scored a horror film per se. Saturn 3 plays as much horror as it does sci-fi, a sub genere revitalized the year before with Alien. Bernstein's brilliant effort went largely unheard in the final film. He wrote for a massive orchestra including extra brass, divisi string parts, a stunning array of percussion players, large male chorus, solo soprano, piano, xylophone, and harp. The score ranges from complex, experimental writing for strings to explosive percussion riffs, from delicate harp arpeggios and haunting solo soprano lines to powerful brass fanfares and dynamic hammer-and-anvil rhythms. Saturn 3 was probably the most challenging score in Bernstein’s impressive repertoire.

This Intrada release features the complete score to Saturn 3 in the original chronological sequence that was intended, mastered from the original stereo two-track masters. This release is limited to 2500 copies.

For cover art, track listing, and sound samples, please visit Intrada.com.

Monday, September 18, 2006

Anticipating Intrada and more

Not much going on with film music these days... Everyone is just waiting to hear wha the next limited Intrada release will be... And buy it before it disappears as fas as Inchon did.

Danny Elfman was featured in last Thursday's issue of Variety as a "Billion Dollar Composer". Three articles from the issue are available at Variety's website (subscription req'd).

Milan Records will release Alexandre Desplat's score for The Queen (no, it's not about the rock band), on September 26th. The have added a preview of the album to their website.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Happy Birthday...

... Hans Zimmer, who turns 49 today.

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

'Inchon' gone

Just as soon as Intrada announced their re-issue of Jerry Goldsmith's Inchon, the title, limited to 1500, has already sold out.

Katie Couric recently debuted at the CBS Evening News anchor desk. James Horner's theme trumpeted her debut. Read about how Horner landed the gig at the Wall Street Journal.

Mikael Carlsson at Film Music Magazine has reported that John Ottman is off Night At The Museum and is now on The Visiting, the third remake of Invasion of The Body Snatchers. Danny Elfman passed on the picture, and now Alan Silvestri will score Night At The Museum.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Intrada introduces 'Inchon'

Intrada Announces:

Inchon
Composed and Conducted by Jerry Goldsmith
Intrada Special Collection Volume 35

The 1982 epic war opus Inchon chronicles the massive force invasion of Southern Korea led by General Douglas MacArthur. The film had all the right ingredients: a cast that included Ben Gazzara, Jacqueline Bisset, and none other than Sir Laurence Olivier in the role of MacArthur; James Bond veteran director Terence Young at the helm; and a world class composer -- the unequaled Jerry Goldsmith, who gave the film its spirit. Nonetheless, the production was plagued with both natural and man-made troubles, resulting in a film that cost over $44M, was cut from its original 140-minute length to 105 minutes when it went into "wide" release in September 1982, closed relatively quickly, and fell into obscurity.

The film may be forgotten, but what lives on is Jerry Goldsmith's dynamic, colorful and percussive score. The lively score features an augmented percussion section, including snares, bass drum, cymbals, timpani, triangle, xylophone, woodblocks, boo bams, and many others. At the time of the release, Goldsmith had artfully assembled a 38-minute album capturing the highlights and delivering an irresistible listening experience. In 1988, Intrada released an expanded edition that featured the complete score, without all the unique assembly of the LP.

Now, Intrada presents the definitive release of Inchon. This 2-CD set features the original LP presentation as Goldsmith had initially presented his score, plus a second disc featuring the score in chronological order, remixed and remastered for optimal sound. The score, recorded in a church wine seller with musicians crowded around and sitting on crates, has never sounded better.

This release is limited to 1500 units.

Intrada Special Collection - Volume 35. In stock now. For cover art, track listing, and sound samples, please visit Intrada.com.