AND John Williams - FILM SCORE MONTHLY

Volume 8, Number 1 Original Music Soundtracks for Movies & Television

Trek’s Over pg. 36

7 225274 93704

01>

$4.95 U.S. • $5.95 Canada

The Best & THE WORST

Our annual round-up of the scores, CDs andcomposers we loved

In TheirOWN WORDSShore, Bernstein, Howardand others recap 2002

DVDs & CDsThe latest hits of the new year

AND

John WilliamsThe composer of the yearin an exclusive interview

The Best & THE WORST

Our annual round-up of the scores, CDs andcomposers we loved

In TheirOWN WORDSShore, Bernstein, Howardand others recap 2002

DVDs & CDsThe latest hits of the new year

AND

John WilliamsThe composer of the yearin an exclusive interview

v8n01 covers 1/28/03 2:18 PM Page c1

C O V E R S T O R Y

14 The Best (& the Worst) of 2002One of the best years for film music in recent

memory? Or perhaps the worst? We’ll be the

judges of that. FSM’s faithful offer their thoughts

on who scored—and who didn’t—in 2002.

14 2002: Baruch Atah Adonei...By Jon and Al Kaplan

18 Bullseye!By Douglass Fake

21 Not Too Far From HeavenBy Jeff Bond

22 Six Things I’ve Learned About Film ScoresBy Jason Comerford

24 These Are a Few of My Favorite Scores By Doug Adams

15 In Their Own WordsPeppered throughout The Best (& the Worst) of

2002, composers Shore, Elfman, Zimmer, Howard,

Bernstein, Newman, Kaczmarek, Kent and

Goldenthal chime in on their 2002 efforts.

By Jeff Bond

F E A T U R E S

10 God Almighty!We finally interviewed John Williams.

Enough said.

By Jeff Bond

26 Where No Note Has Gone BeforeBereaved friends and loved ones…let us not be

mired in the death of the Star Trek movie series,

which the failure of the stinky Nemesis may very

well portend. Instead, let us celebrate life. Behold,

this inspiring retrospective on the series’ music!

By John Takis

J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 3

Abagnale & Bond both get away clean!12

Film scores in 2002—what a ride!21

We’ve got a bad feeling about this.26

D E P A R T M E N T S

2 EditorialListening on the

Bell Curve.

4 NewsGolden Globe winners.

5 Record LabelRound-upWhat’s on the way.

6 Now PlayingMovies and CDs in

release.

7 Upcoming FilmAssignmentsWho’s writing what

for whom.

8 ConcertsFilm music performed

around the globe.

9 Mail BagBallistic: Ennio vs. Rolfe.

30 ScoreThe latest CD reviews,

including: The Hours,

Catch Me If You Can,

Narc, Ivanhoe and more.

48 PukasWork Sucks.

36 FSM Marketplace

Film Score Monthly (ISSN 1077-4289) is published ten times a year (with double issues in May/June and November/December) for $36.95 per year byVineyard Haven LLC., 8503 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232. Periodicals postage paid at Culver City, CA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Film Score Monthly, 8503 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

CONTENTS

ON THE COVER: God Almighty!

F I L M S C O R E M O N T H L Y 1 J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 3

v8n01 issue 1/28/03 12:36 PM Page 1

E D I T O R I A L

V O L U M E 8

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Contributing WritersDOUG ADAMSSTEPHEN ARMSTRONGJASON COMERFORDANDY DURSINANDREW GRANADESTEVEN A. KENNEDYDARREN MACDONALDJOHN TAKISGENEVIEVE WILLIAMSCARY WONG

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J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 3 2 F I L M S C O R E M O N T H L Y

E ditorially speaking, I feel that thewhole idea of “best” and “worst” issomewhat misguided. It’s silly to qual-

ify a work of art (or a reasonable facsimile likecommercial filmmaking) as “best” without awidely accepted empirical measure. It’s not likewe’re measuring processor speed, gasolinemileage—or safety. Film music, thankfully, israrely life-threatening; of course,some might argue otherwise.

As a member of the audience, Ican certainly report on my experi-ence going to the movies on a givenSaturday night. But as a filmmakerwho has worked on a couple of stu-dent and independent projects, Itake a different view. Frankly, youhaven’t experienced compromiseuntil you’ve worked on a projectcompletely dependent upon theskill, cooperation, dedication andcommitment of a bunch ofstrangers. I tend to be a lot more charitabletoward the work of other filmmakers andcomposers after having suffered a few crush-ing disappointments on the set or in the edit-ing room myself.

This experience makes it difficult for me torate films and scores from best to worst. Ofcourse there are always a few clear-cut, merce-nary hackworks and pointless efforts thatdeserve to go to the bottom of the pile—but Iusually don’t waste my time watching them.And those few magical convergences of creativ-ity, zeitgeist, dumb luck and good timing thatmake a really good movie are few and farbetween. So what’s left, is the great big middle ofthe bell curve.

Rather than trying to quantify the best andworst film scores of the year, I like to rememberthe ones that gave me the most pleasure. Andoften, that pleasure is dependent upon howmuch I liked the movie (unless it’s music writtenby faves like Jerry Goldsmith or ChristopherYoung, who don’t get the projects worthy of theirskill often enough.) I’m a big believer in filmscores as souvenirs of the movie-going experi-ence. So I like sequentially ordered score pre-

sentations (although I usually don’t mind if acomposer wants to tinker with his album order)and I can enjoy a couple of pop songs here orthere (especially if they’re high-grade pop like“Come Fly With Me.”)

I ’ll bet you just guessed that Catch Me If YouCan was one of my favorite soundtracks of

2002. This makes this issue’s specialguest, Maestro John Williams, a realtreat. We’ve devoted more ink in FSMto his music and work than just aboutanyone else, and now we get to quotehim directly. As the article on page 10says so enthusiastically: WOW!

But I was talking about myfavorites of 2002. The others, in noparticular order included: CQ, byMellow and Roger Neill (a spot-onvalentine to ’60s silliness); The KidStays in the Picture by Jeff Danna;Metropolis by Toshiyuki Honda

(Dixieland jazz—in the “future”?); Far FromHeaven by Elmer Bernstein; Signs by JamesNewton Howard; Unfaithful by Jan A.P.Kaczmarek; Enigma by John Barry (the lighthasn’t dimmed yet); Swordfish and Star TrekNemesis (see previous remarks).

My favorites are chosen for the pure pleasurethey provide, and are a varied bunch to be sure.And despite my earlier remarks, I do like readingother people’s best and worst lists of the year.Such lists are a good reminder of the pleasuresof the past 12 months, or perhaps a reminder torevisit a missed opportunity. As you delve intothe varied and opinionated views of the Bros.Kaplan, Jason Comerford, Doug Fake, Jeff Bondand Doug Adams, remember this: Whether youagree or disagree, we all love the music. It’s thereason for FSM’s existence.

Here’s to a great film score year in 2003!

Joe SikoryakDesign Director, FSM

Listening on the Bell CurveA love/hate relationship with “The Best & the Worst”

AACCCCEEPPTT NNOOSSUUBBSSTTIITTUUTTEE::

John’s the real deal.

v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:30 AM Page 2

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C O N C E R T S • N O W P L A Y I N G

R E C O R D L A B E L R O U N D - U P

T H E S H O P P I N G L I S T

U P C O M I N G F I L M A S S I G N M E N T S

Ron Goodwin1925–2003

Popular English film com-poser Ron Goodwin died

suddenly at his home nearReading, England, on Jan. 8. Hewas 78.

Goodwin learned to play thepiano at age 5, and at 15 he hadalready conducted his own orches-tra. He wrote arrangements forbandleaders such as Stanley Blackand Ted Heath, and composed forradio broadcasts in the 1950s.

An American producer signedhim to score his first feature,Whirlpool, in 1958; he would scoremore than 60 films over the next30 years. His film career thrivedduring the ’60s, when he worked inseemingly every genre. He scoredall four of the Margaret

Rutherford-Miss Marple comedy-mysteries, both Village of theDamned and Children of theDamned, and had great popularsuccess with the period adventurecomedy Those Magnificent Men inTheir Flying Machines.

He also specialized in World WarII adventures, his scores in thatgenre including Where Eagles Dare,633 Squadron, Operation Crossbowand Force 10 From Navarone.When Sir William Walton’s score forthe epic Battle of Britain wasrejected, Goodwin was hired towrite the replacement score, andboth scores are featured on Ryko’ssoundtrack CD of the film. He sup-plied another first-rate replace-ment score for Alfred Hitchcock’sFrenzy, when the master of sus-pense decided that HenryMancini’s original score was tooHerrmann-esque. During the ’70s,

Goodwin scored some of Disney’slive-action comedies, and his finalscore was for an animated featurecalled Valhalla.

More recently, Goodwin touredthe world, conducting a mixture ofclassical music, popular tunes and

film themes. In 1994, producer SirGeorge Martin presented him withthe Ivor Novello award for LifetimeAchievement in Music. He is sur-vived by his wife Heather and hisson Christopher.

—Scott Bettencourt

NEWS

Y es, it may be difficult to look beyond scary Sharon Stone’s desper-ate, psychotic and utterly unattractive cries for attention. And

aging chain-smoker Lara Flynn Boyle’s fairy princess slut-fest may stillbe a little too fresh in our minds. But there were actually a few prizeshanded out at the strange affair that is the Golden Globe Awards. As faras FSM readers are concerned, here are the ones that mattered most:

Best Original Score - Motion Picture ELLIOT GOLDENTHAL, FridaBest Original Song - Motion Picture

“The Hands That Built America,” Gangs of New York; Music and Lyrics: U2

Elliot’s Our Golden Boy

After a four-year stint in LosAngeles, the Grammy Awards

telecast will make its return to NewYork City with the 45th annual cer-emony staged at Madison SquareGarden on Feb. 23, 2003. The showwill be broadcast on CBS. Thefilm-music-related nominees are:

Best Score Soundtrack Album fora Motion Picture, Television orOther Visual MediaA Beautiful Mind JAMES HORNER Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

JOHN WILLIAMSThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of

the Ring HOWARD SHORE Monsters, Inc. RANDY NEWMANSpider-Man DANNY ELFMAN

Best Instrumental Composition “Hedwig’s Theme” (from Harry Potter and

the Sorcerer’s Stone) JOHN WILLIAMS “Inspiration” KENNY WERNER“The Ride of the Doors”

(from Monsters, Inc.) RANDY NEWMAN Signs Main Title JAMES NEWTON HOWARDSix Feet Under Main Title

THOMAS NEWMAN

Best Compilation SoundtrackAlbum for a Motion Picture,Television or Other Visual Media Dogtown and Z-BoysI Am SamSix Feet UnderStanding in the Shadows of MotownY Tu Mama Tambien

Best Song Written for a MotionPicture, Television or OtherVisual Media“Hero,” Chad Kroeger, songwriter;

Spider-Man“If I Didn’t Have You,” Randy Newman,

songwriter; Monsters, Inc.“Love of My Life—An Ode to Hip Hop,”

Erykah Badu, Madukwu Chinwah,Rashid Lonnie Lynn, Robert Ozuna,James Poyser, Raphael Saadiq & GlenStandridge, songwriters; Brown Sugar

“May It Be,” Enya, Nicky Ryan & RomaRyan, songwriters; The Lord of theRings: The Fellowship of the Ring

“Vanilla Sky,” Paul McCartney, songwriter;Vanilla Sky

Other categories whose nomi-nees included film composers orfilm-related performances are:

Best Instrumental ArrangementSix Feet Under Title ThemeTHOMAS NEWMAN, arranger

Best Musical Show AlbumHairsprayMARC SHAIMAN, producer

SCOTT WITTMAN, lyricistMARC SHAIMAN, composer and lyricist

Best Rock InstrumentalPerformance

Love Theme From The GodfatherSLASH, guitarThe Kid Stays in the Picture

(JEFF DANNA, composer) FSM

Grammys Return to the Big Apple

LLOOOOKKIITT WWHHAATT II GGOOTT:: Goldenthal shows off his trophy.


v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:30 AM Page 4

1M1 Available now is the double-scorerelease of Eliza Fraser andSummerfield (both BruceSmeaton). www.1m1.com.au

AlephDue in spring 2003 is TheHellstrom Chronicle.

www.alephrecords.com

All Score MediaForthcoming is Pornorama—BonVoyage (lounge music).

www.allscore.de

BMGThe Caine Mutiny (Max Steiner)isn’t dead yet—stay tuned.

Brigham Young University Forthcoming are limited-edition

releases of The Big Sky (DimitriTiomkin, including the completescore from archival sources and a36-page color booklet) and ASummer Place (Max Steiner, fea-turing the complete score frommagnetic tracks). 540-635-2575; www.screenarchives.com

CinesoundzUpcoming are re-releases of thetwo classic Mondo Morriconealbums, plus a third volume withlounge music by the Maestro.Also forthcoming: the Germanscore-and-dialogue release ofMission Stardust—Perry Rhodan(Anto Garcia Abril and MarcelloGiombini); and the second vol-ume of the Morricone RemixProject.

tel: +49-89-767-00-299; fax -399;

pre-orders by mail: [email protected]

CitadelDue for an imminent release isSonny (Clint Mansell).

www.citadelrecordsusa.com

Disques CinémusiqueDue in March is the limited-edi-tion, remastered, 2CD set of LaRévolution Française (The FrenchRevolution)—First and SecondParts (1989; Georges Delerue, per-formed by The British SymphonyOrchestra and Choirs).

www.disquescinemusique.com

DRGAvailabe now is Murder on theOrient Express (Richard RodneyBennett).

FSMThis month, as promised, we pres-ent a pair of seafaring scores. TheGolden Age Classic is MiklósRózsa’s Plymouth Adventure(1952), featuring the completescore plus extensive suite of alter-nate cues, all in mono. The SilverAge Classic is Ice Station Zebra

(1968), remixed and restored to itsoriginal glory, with an additional49 minutes of music, all in spectac-ular stereo. Next month: Music from today andtomorrow.

HollywoodAvailable now Feb. 4: ShanghaiKnights (various).

La-La LandAvailable now is Richard Band’scomplete, remastered score fordirector Stuart Gordon’s H.P.Lovecraft’s Re-Animator in stereo.The first 40 to order will get copiesautographed by Band and Gordon.Forthcoming is Elia Cmiral’s scorefrom Wes Craven’s They.

www.lalalandrecords.com

Marco PoloDue in May is John Morgan andWilliam Stromberg’s new recordingof Tiomkin’s Red River, followed bya June release of a Max Steiner CDfeaturing two scores from BetteDavis films: All This and HeavenToo and A Stolen Life. Also on thedocket for 2003 is the first full-

Record Label Round-UpN E W L Y A N N O U N C E D P R O J E C T S

A N D I N C O M I N G A L B U M S

25th Hour TERENCE BLANCHARD Hollywood Antwone Fisher MYCHAEL DANNA TraumaCity of God ANTONIO PINTO, ED CORTES Milan Confessions of a Dangerous Mind ALEX WURMAN DomoDarkness Falls BRIAN TYLER Varèse SarabandeDeliver Us From Eva MARCUS MILLER Hollywood**Gods and Generals JOHN FRIZZELL, RANDY EDELMAN Sony ClassicalThe Guru DAVID CARBONARA Universal**A Guy Thing MARK MOTHERSBAUGH n/aHow to Lose a Guy in 10 Days DAVID NEWMAN Virgin* Just Married CHRISTOPHE BECK n/aKangaroo Jack TREVOR RABIN Hip-O*Lost in LaMancha MIRIAM CUTLER n/aMax DAN JONES n/aNarc CLIFF MARTINEZ TVT National Security RANDY EDELMAN n/aNicholas Nickelby RACHEL PORTMAN n/aP.S. Your Cat Is Dead DEAN GRINSFELDER n/aShanghai Knights RANDY EDELMAN Hollywood*Spider HOWARD SHORE Virgin (France)The Recruit KLAUS BADELT Varèse Sarabande The Wild Thornberrys Movie VARIOUS Jive*WXIII KENJI KANWI n/a

*mix of songs and score **song compilation with less than 10% underscore

NOW PLAYING: Films and scores in current release


v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:30 AM Page 5


Win An Autographed

CD or Poster!

Film Score Monthly

and TVT Soundtrax

are giving you the chance

to win an autographed copy

of the NARC soundtrack

with music by

Cliff Martinez

& Baby Namboos featuring Tricky

or a movie poster.

Enter now at

www.tvtrecords.com/contest/narc-fsm/

Entries must be received no later than Friday, March 7, 2003

R E C O R D L A B E L R O U N D - U P

length, complete recording ofKorngold’s The Adventures ofRobin Hood, to commemorate thefilm’s 55th anniversary. Availablenow are Dracula and Other FilmMusic by Wojciech Kilar (re-record-ings) and Fall of Berlin/Unforgettable Year 1919 (DmitriShostakovich, re-recordings).www.hnh.com

MilanAvailable now is City of God(D’Antonio Pinto and Ed Cortes;Brazilian film, featuring ’60s/’70ssoul, jazz and funk).

Numenorean MusicImminent is Dark Crystal (TrevorJones), featuring previously unre-leased material.

www.buysoundtrax.com/numenorean_music.html

PerceptoDue Feb. 12 are Fear No Evil, featuring the complete originalunderscore to this 1981 horror faveby writer/director/composerFrank LaLoggia and David Spear;and The Busy Body/The Spirit IsWilling (Vic Mizzy).

www.percepto.com

PerseveranceThe inaugural CD from this newInternet-only company, anexpanded promo score of DavidBergeaud’s Prince Valiant, is avail-able now. Slated for a Feb. 20release is John Gale’s score to the1972 Vincent Price classic Dr.Phibes Rises Again, to be followedby the CD premiere of DennyZeitlin’s 1978 Invasion of the BodySnatchers (including a 30-minuteinterview with Zeitlin).These titles are officially licensedfrom MGM/UA and are distrib-uted by Intrada. www.6942.net/pr

Pierian Recording SocietyThe Pierian Recording Society,with support from the NationalOrchestral Association, has setMar. 1 as the release date for a discthat will include a recording of late

film composer Ernest Gold’s PianoConcerto. The recording took placeduring the 1940s and features thecomposer at the piano.

PrometheusStill forthcoming is Amerika (BasilPoledouris). www.soundtrackmag.com

Rhino/Rhino Handmade/TurnerAvailable now from Turner ClassicMovie Music/Rhino Handmadeare The Pirate (Cole Porter) and It’sAlways Fair Weather (Previn); duethis month: Best Foot Forward(Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin), GoodNews (Blane, Martin, et al).www.rhino.com, www.rhinohandmade.com

SaimelForthcoming from Saimel are ElCaballero Don Quijote (JoséNieto), Thieves After Dark(Morricone) and Cronaca di UnaMorte Annunciata (Piccioni).

www.rosebudbandasonora.com

Screen ArchivesEntertainmentNow in production for early 2003is a 2-CD release of Captain FromCastile (Alfred Newman). Alsoforthcoming is a 2-CD set of Nightand the City (1950), to feature boththe Franz Waxman score from theU.S. release and the BenjaminFrankel score from the worldwiderelease. www.screenarchives.com

SonyAvailabe now is the soundtrack forChicago, featuring performancesby Renée Zellweger, CatherineZeta-Jones, Richard Gere andQueen Latifah. Oh, and a couple ofbig-band cues from DannyElfman, too.

Varèse Sarabande Due Feb. 11: Star Trek: NemesisSACD Special Edition (JerryGoldsmith); Feb. 25: NicholasNickleby (Rachel Portman); Mar. 4: Daredevil (Graeme Revell),Darkness Falls (Brian Tyler), TheDay the Earth Stood Still (Bernard

(continued on page 44)

v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:31 AM Page 6

A,BCraig Armstrong Lara Croft: Tomb

Raider 2, Love Actually.David Arnold Fast and the Furious 2.Luis Bacalov Assassination Tango.Angelo Badalamenti Resistance.John Barry The Incredibles

(Pixar/Disney).Christophe Beck Confidence

(w/ Dustin Hoffman), Under the

Tuscan Sun.Marco Beltrami Hellboy, Terminator

3: Rise of the Machines, Cursed.Terence Blanchard Dark Blue.Bruce Broughton The Locket

(Hallmark).Velton Ray Bunch This Much I Know

(TV).Carter Burwell Gigli (w/ Ben Affleck,

Jennifer Lopez).

CGeorge S. Clinton Mortal Kombat 3:

The Domination.

Elia Cmiral Son of Satan.Bill Conti Avenging Angel, Coast to

Coast.

D-EJeff Danna Yeltsin, Wrinkle in Time.Mychael Danna The Incredible Hulk

(dir. Ang Lee).Don Davis Matrix 2: Revolutions,

Matrix 3: Reloaded, Long Time

Dead, AniMatrix (Internet/ani-mated Matrix stories).

John Debney Bruce Almighty (w/JimCarrey, Jennifer Aniston), Raising

Helen, Chicken Little (Disney). Patrick Doyle Second-Hand Lions.Stephen Endelman It’s De-Lovely.Danny Elfman Big Fish,

Spider-Man 2.

F-GRuy Folguera A Painted House (TV

movie), The Kiss (w/ Billy Zane).Robert Folk Forty, Scout, Boat Trip

(w/Cuba Gooding, Jr.).Richard Gibbs Step Into Liquid,

Zachary Beaver Comes to Town.Vincent Gillioz Scarecrow.

Elliot Goldenthal Double Down (dir.Neil Jordan, w/ Nick Nolte).

Jerry Goldsmith Timeline, Looney

Toons: Back in Action.Adam Gorgoni Easy Six (w/ Jim

Belushi).

HDenis Hannigan Recess: All Growed

Down, Recess: Grade 5 (both ani-mated, for DVD).

Reinhold Heil & Johnny KlimekSwimming Upstream

(w/ Geoffrey Rush).Lee Holdridge No Other Country,

Sounder.

David Holmes The Perfect Score.James Horner Soul Caliber,

House of Sand and Fog (JenniferConnelly, Ben Kingsley), Beyond

Borders (w/ Angelina Jolie).James Newton Howard

Unconditional Love, Dreamcatcher

(dir. Lawrence Kasdan), Peter Pan

(Universal), Hidalgo (dir. JoeJohnston).

I-J- KMark Isham The Runaway Jury, The

Cooler.David Julyan Mind Hunters (dir.

Renny Harlin).Jan A.P. Kaczmarek Neverland (dir.

Marc Forster, w/ Johnny Depp,Dustin Hoffman).

LPerry La Marca Invisibles (w/ Portia

De Rossi; add’l music), 7 Songs.Nathan Larson Dirty Pretty Things

(replacing Anne Dudley), Lilja 4-

Ever, Prozac Nation.Michel Legrand And Now...Ladies

and Gentlemen (w/Jeremy Irons).Chris Lennertz Deathlands (dir. Josh

Butler).

M-NMark Mancina Bears, Bad Boys 2.Clint Mansell Rain, Suspect Zero,

11:14.Gary Marlowe Lautlos.

Mark McKenzie Blizzard (dir. LevarBurton, w/ Kevin Pollak,Christopher Plummer).

Joel McNeely The Holes, Jungle

Book 2, Ghost of the Abyss.Richard Mitchell To Kill a King

(w/ Tim Roth).Mark Mothersbaugh Envy (dir. Barry

Levinson, w/ Ben Stiller and JackBlack), Thirteen, Good Boy

(Henson animation, voiced byMatthew Broderick, Carl Reiner,Kevin Nealon).

David Newman Daddy Day Care.Randy Newman Meet the Fockers.Thomas Newman Finding Nemo

(Pixar).Julian Nott Wallace and Gromit:

The Great Vegetable Plot

(Dreamworks).Michael Nyman The Actors.

O-PJohn Ottman My Brother’s Keeper,

X-Men 2.John Powell Stealing Sinatra, Agent

Cody Banks.

Rachel Portman The Human Stain.

RGraeme Revell Out of Time,

Chronicles of Riddick.Jeff Rona Shelter Island.

S,TLalo Schifrin Bringing Down the

House (w/ Steve Martin).Marc Shaiman Cat in the Hat

(replacing Randy Newman), Marci

X (songs), Down With Love.

Theodore Shapiro View From the Top

(w/ Gwyneth Paltrow, Mike Myers).Howard Shore LOTR: Return of the

King.Ryan Shore Coney Island Baby.Alan Silvestri Van Helsing (dir.

Stephen Sommers), Identity (w/John Cusack), Pirates of the

Caribbean (dir. Gore Verbinski;from Disneyland ride).

Semih Tareen The Third Mortal

(co-composer).

WStephen Warbeck Gabriel.Mervyn Warren Marci X.Craig Wedren Laurel Canyon.Nigel Westlake Horseplay.Michael Whalen Seasons of Life,

The Future Is Wild, Burma.John Williams Star Wars: Episode III.

Alex Wurman Hollywood Homicide

(dir: Ron Shelton, w/ HarrisonFord), Normal (HBO, w/ JessicaLange).

Y,-ZGabriel Yared Cold Mountain (dir.

Anthony Minghella).Christopher Young Scenes of the

Crime (w/ Jeff Bridges), The Core,Devil and Daniel Webster, Shade,Madison (themes only).

Tasso Zapanti Proudly We Served

(w/ Ossie Davis).Hans Zimmer Matchstick Men (dir.

Ridley Scott).

Get Listed! Composers, send your info to

[email protected].

Upcoming AssignmentsF I N D O U T W H O ’ S S C O R I N G

W H A T F O R W H O M

The Hot SheetMark Isham Blackout

(dir. Philip Kaufman).Zbigniew Preisner It’s All About

Love.Diego Navarro The Time’s Gate

(Spanish).Thomas DeRenzo State of

Denial, The Eye Is a Thief. Joel Goldsmith Helen of Troy.David Holmes Buffalo Soldiers.Gary Koftinoff Absolon.Randy Newman Seabiscuit.Van Dyke Parks The Company

(dir. Robert Altman).James Venable Jersey Girl (dir.

Kevin Smith, w/ Ben Affleck &Jennifer Lopez), Bad Santa, (w/ Billy Bob Thornton).

Craig Wedren School of Rock

(dir. Richard Linklater, w/ Jack Black).

Velton Ray Bunch Enterprise

(episode: “Judgment”).


v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:31 AM Page 7

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www.soundtrak.comALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED

United StatesArizonaMar. 8, Tucson S.O.; “Ride of the Cossacks,”from Taras Bulba (Waxman).CaliforniaFeb. 13, Walnut High School S.O., ElmerBernstein, cond.; Kings of the Sun, Far FromHeaven, Ghostbusters, Summer & Smoke,Magnificent Seven, I Love Lucy (HaroldAdamson, Elliott Daniels), Friendly Persuasion(Tiomkin).FloridaFeb. 15, Pensacola S.O.; “Tribute to VictorYoung.”South CarolinaFeb. 14, 15, Charleston S.O., The Godfather(Rota), Romeo & Juliet (Rota), Dr. Zhivago(Jarre), I Love Lucy (Harold Adamson, ElliottDaniels).TexasFeb. 6 & 9, Dallas S.O., Richard Kaufman,

cond.; Concert premiere of The Hours (Glass), Mar. 21, 22; Dallas S.O.; “Tribute to Maurice

Jarre.”Feb. 8, Mesquite and Carrolton, TX, Vertigo.

WisconsinMar. 28-30, Milwaukee S.O.; The Hours (Glass),premiere of 30-minute suite of music from thefilm with original piano soloist, conductor andarranger on the film score, Michael Riesman.

InternationalBritainMar. 19, London, BBC S.O.; Leonard Slatkin,cond.; “Tribute to Miklós Rózsa and ErichKorngold” (part of a TV documentary).

Mar. 21, London, Royal Academy of Music;Prince Valiant (Waxman).CanadaMar. 23, Nova Scotia S.O., Psycho,Vertigo(Herrmann).

Feb. 20-22, Ottawa, National Arts Center.Orchestra; Dr. Zhivago (Jarre).

Attention, ConcertgoersDue to this magazine’s lead time, schedulesmay change—please contact the respectivebox office for the latest concert news. FSM

ConcertsF I L M M U S I C

P E R F O R M E D L I V E


v8n01 issue 1/28/03 3:40 PM Page 8

R A N T S , R A V E S

& R E S P O N S E S

T O R E A D E R SMAIL BAGBallistic: Ennio vs. Rolfe

I just wanted to say that FSM’s“Top 40 Hit Makers” (Vol. 7, No.

7) was a good article. I enjoyed it,and, undoubtedly, John Williamsbelongs on top. Still, I thoughtEnnio Morricone should havebeen higher in the rankings, espe-cially above people like Rolfe Kent(with all due respect to Kent).Ennio’s Malena, though it wasn’t abig money maker, was recognizedby the Oscars. That’s right. If yourlist was 100% based on gross rev-enue of the movies, David Arnoldwould be much closer to the top.

On a different note, I’m havingdifficulty finding the answer tothis question: Who has com-posed the music for the mostfilms? Is it John Williams? Couldit be someone like HenryMancini or Maurice Jarre or evensomeone like Dimitri Tiomkin?Any chance you have a list withthe number of movies by eachcomposer? That would be great.

Thanks.Keith [email protected]

Keith! Try looking up your favorite com-posers on the IMDB. Or purchase the FilmComposers Directory that we sell (pg.40.)The answer’s probably Morricone, though.

The Wo(Man) FromU.N.C.L.E.

Thanks for The Man FromU.N.C.L.E. It brought back

memories of great music from agreat show. I especially enjoyedhearing the different end titles. Ihate watching major networkshows nowadays because theyreplace end titles with comingattractions for whatever’s up next.Actually, all the cable networks dothe same thing. At least the Oxygenchannel shows all of La FemmeNikita with its end theme intact.

I’m looking forward to 2003

when hopefully you’ll put outsome more U.N.C.L.E. and I Spymusic. How about JohnnyWilliams’ Checkmate, too?

Ronald RadjanowskiPittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Yeah, that end-titles thing makes us wantto watch La Femme Nikita. Seriously.And you’re right, Williams’ Checkmatemusic is fantastic—we’ll put it on thewish list—even though it’s owned by adifferent studio than the ones we areworking with currently.

Schoolboy Musings

Many congratulations onTim Curran’s splendid edi-

torial about the curse of pop music(Vol. 7, No. 8, p. 2), which is doingso much to give film music a badname these days. I am with him100% on this. I’ve admired theclassic film scores since I startedcollecting them as a schoolboy 40years ago, and I loathe and detestpop music. For the past five years,I have been writing a comprehen-sive reference work on film musicthat is steadily (if slowly) headingtoward completion. In theIntroduction to my book, I havewritten a scathing attack on thissacrilegious pop pollution, whichdoes nothing but contaminate theonce illustrious world of classicfilm music. Keep up the goodwork, Tim. You now have at leastone more idealist here.

I now desire clarification on aconfusing statement in Jeff Bond’sarticle on Michael Hennagin (Vol.7, No. 8, p. 48). Bond states thatHennagin left Hollywood in June1965, and just after his departurefrom Hollywood, he received anoffer, relayed by Jerry Goldsmith,to score a film which had alreadybeen scored by Goldsmith twoyears earlier...

Finally, since FSM’s Mailbag hasadvised me not to keep my feelings

bottled up, I will now vent mythoughts about the poll (Vol. 7, No.8, p. 4) on “the greatest film sound-track of all time,” a stupid andmeaningless phrase if ever therewas one, since its scope wouldhave to include over 30,000 films.Surely, no serious film music col-lector or enthusiast can really beexpected to believe that 30% of the“greatest soundtracks of all time”were written by John Williams.That is completely ludicrous, andbecomes even more so when onesees that John Barry accounts foranother 10%.

How can a poll like this be givencredence when it contains onlyfour films before 1960—a stagger-ing 63% of the films were madeafter 1980, and an incredible 40%after 1990! All this indicates is that

the people involved in the pollhave very limited viewing experi-ence, and merely confirms thatmany people have little or noknowledge of classic film scores.There isn’t a single score there byRózsa, Korngold, Newman,Waxman, Friedhofer or Tiomkin. Ithink that speaks for itself. Also,interestingly, there isn’t a singleGoldsmith...

I stopped believing in pollswhen a 2001 “poll” held by theBritish film magazine Empirestated that the dire Pulp Fiction

was the best soundtrack. That justdid it for me. Polls such as thesecannot possibly be taken seriouslyunless they are much more com-prehensive in scope, covering thewidest possible variety and age offilms. Any film music poll thatincludes only four films madebefore 1960 is a complete waste oftime, and I’m surprised you evengave it space in your magazine.

Thank you for allowing me tohave my say. Your magazine is atireless campaigner for the promo-tion of classic film scores, and youdeserve full support in taking astand against pop pollution andencouraging real film music.Whatever my support is worth,you have it.

Christopher TunnahEngland

Tim Curran responds: Thanks for venting,Christopher. First, lest my editorial be mis-construed, I feel compelled to clarify thatmy position is much less a hatred of popmusic and more an indictment on theway it’s used as a marketing tool in filmsthese days. In fact, I’m a fan of qualitypop music, just as I am a fan of qualityfilm music. And as far as the poll is con-cerned, I think it goes without sayingthat every poll should be taken with agrain (or three) of salt.

As for the Michael Hennagin situation,you’re right, the timing doesn’t add up,what with the film in question—Lilies ofthe Field—being made in 1963. You’ll behappy to know that as a result of thisfactual abomination, our fact-checkershave been sacked.

The Eighth Sin

I was looking over the FSM web-site and the liner notes for the

CD and saw this: “FSM’s premiereCD of The Seventh Sin features thecomplete underscore followed bythe film’s source music: a 17:28suite of Chinese-styled



v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:31 AM Page 9

Well, we can all die happy.Over the dozen+ years of Film Score Monthly’s

existence, it always seemed there were so many layersof people between us and John Williams that the oddswere stacked against our ever interviewing him. Mr.Williams is busy, in demand, important—and well-protected by his people, as befits a national treasure.

But Jeff Bond finally got him. So, without further ado:

John Williams is unfailingly polite, helpful and self-effacing. When he called me 10 minutes late,undoubtedly because I’d provided someone with thewrong office phone number, he apologized to meprofusely. Naturally, I was nervous about doing

this interview, and when there were some odd hesita-tions in the conversation I started getting worried that theinterview wasn’t going well. Finally, Williams stopped theinterview, apologized for interrupting me…and startedpraising my command of the subject matter and askingwhere I went to school. Ah, how I love my job.

Williams had a great year in 2002, and I just wanted totalk to him about how he approached tackling four hugefilms in the space of 12 months. Unfortunately, I forgot toask him anything about Harry Potter, so you’ll have to findanswers to your Harry Potter questions elsewhere. I did askhim one question that has been bothering people for years:Was he intentionally referencing Bernard Herrmann's“madness” theme from Psycho in Star Wars when Luke, Hanand the gang emerge from under the floor of theMillennium Falcon just after they arrive on the Death Star.The answer: “No.”

FSM: You generally do one or two scores a year; in 2002you did four scores, all for very major releases, includingtwo huge franchise scores. Did you have an idea what youwere getting into?

John Williams: I knew that it was going to be a full anddifficult schedule. The two franchise pieces, Star Wars andHarry Potter, to some extent I had a head start [on] althoughboth have tremendously lengthy and difficult scores.Probably 50 percent of the material in both of them wasoriginal to this particular episode, so it wasn’t like startingfrom scratch as it was on the two Spielberg films. Havingsaid that, with that slight leg up, it’s been a very busy year.

Times Have ChangedFSM: You wrote a great love theme for Attack of the Clonesthat reminded me a little of your work on Jane Eyre.

JW: It was certainly unique to have a love theme in a StarWars film. I loved having the opportunity to do that; werarely can write a sort of sweeping, dramatic and tragic lovetheme in films these days. They’re difficult to do and they’rerewarding to try and create; these things are always in thegreat tradition of Romeo and Juliet and Tristan and Isolde,these love/death kinds of stories where the idea of loveeternal is shared by the lovers beyond temporal life, hencethis sort of tragic quality of the melody. It’s along these lines


GODALMIGHTY!

FSM Finally Talks to John Williams

Interview by Jeff Bond

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that I tried to achieve that character. I particularly enjoyedthat aspect of the score. I don’t know what George is writingfor the finale, but I’m hoping that this kind of star-crossedlovers theme, which I called “Across the Stars” as a kind ofplay on words, will be something that can be revisited anddeveloped further in the finale. We’ll see when we’re able tolook at what George is preparing.

FSM: You wrote an incredibly linear piece of chase musicfor that film, and you even put an electric guitar into it.

JW: I just basically think that we wanted a suggestionand a coloration to the orchestra of the pop-racket, traffic-din effect that’s produced so much by contemporary musiccreated on synthesizers, drum machines and probably noteven played by electric guitars anymore—most of those areprobably synthesized also. It was along those lines, to createa texture of the futuristic urban atmosphere depicted by theCG effects George’s people created.

FSM: The first Star Wars film ended with an actionsequence that was under 15 minutes long, and it was a veryfocused sequence with a clear goal: Blow up the Death Star.Now in the prequels there’s a lot of crosscutting, and youmay be writing music for climactic action that’s spreadacross 30 or 40 minutes of the movie. How do you tacklethat kind of job just from a logistical standpoint?

JW: I usually construct these things in two- to four-sometimes five-minute segments, and I can’t say that I con-struct an arc for the whole 40 minutes at the beginning ofthat, but I’ll do that for each template of the 40 minutes,each musical cue. Normally I work from front to back, butnot always. Sometimes I’ll do the finale segment first, so I’llknow where I’m heading and I can sort of de-compose if amelody or an aspect of musical development is completedin some scene. I can then take that completed thing andextract elements from it and present them in a somewhatfragmented way, so that as they come together in the end,there’s a sense of inevitability to it. That’s one technique. Allof the additive things that we can do in orchestration and intempo play into it.

To put it very simply, you could start at one tempo andcontinually, gradually and imperceptibly increase that, andat the same time go through a series of modulatoryprocesses that will move it up a third, down a fourth, up afifth, down a sixth, this kind of manipulation of sonic mate-rial so that things are happening in an additive way that willmake the 40 minutes play sensibly we hope. It isn’t done aspurely by me in films as that may sound, because we alsohave all the distractions of sound effects, and there may bea four-minute section within that 40 minutes where themusic will intentionally lay back and let the sound effectstake over. So it’s an almost ad hoc process, which is to saythat every one of those things has its own set of problemsand opportunities and they’re all a little bit different. But Ithink every composer, we use the tools we have, the tools oftexture, timbre, tempo, key and loudness and speed and thevariations of all those things to create as interesting atableau as we can. But if you’re writing a 40-minute piecefor orchestra you probably wouldn’t do it the same way. Thenoise of the film dictates so much of what we do—the col-lective racket of what’s going on—and that contributesquite considerably to what you do.

Fortune and GloryFSM: It’s interesting how universal your music hasbecome, to the point where you have to be one of the fewcomposers who works in the concert world who actuallyhas legions of fans. I know that you’re a very private person,so how do you deal with the fact that you can actually berecognized in public?

JW: In Boston where I conducted the orchestra for 14years, there is a recognition factor there because I’ve doneso much in the city on television and concerts all over theplace. Other than Boston, though, I think I’ve got anonymi-ty wherever I go physically, so I don’t really sense that. Mine

is a quiet working life, and although there’s a public aspectto it when I do conduct at the Hollywood Bowl or some-thing, that’s one response. But another aspect is that anyconversation about this just underscores the power of filmand the reach that film has and the reach that music fromfilm can have. We do concerts for two or three thousandpeople in a hall, and 15,000 people may be outside, but mil-lions of people will go see Harry Potter and at least uncon-sciously hear the music, and in the case of Star Wars prob-ably many millions over the decades. So I marvel at whatthat says about communication and the time we live in. Wesee examples of that every day, and I’m grateful about theopportunity presented to musicians. None of our col-leagues in past epochs have had anything like what we canenjoy in terms of the dissemination of our music whilewe’re alive, in the short time that we’re doing it and we’rehere. So I guess my bottom line is I’m pleased and happyand grateful that we’re in a medium that’s appreciated anddisseminated so widely. And the quality of reproduction ofrecordings we have now and the quality reach that film hasfor people all around the world is wonderful. The otherthing is, my conducting of the orchestra in Boston on tele-vision for so many years had something to do with thatbecause it was a wonderful pulpit to bring forward not onlyfilm music, but contemporary music that wouldn’t beplayed in subscription concerts by our symphony orches-tras, but which can be beautifully done by a symphonyorchestra. Film music concerts around the country havebecome more and more popular around the world.

FSM: You’ve worked with Steven Spielberg for more thana quarter of a century now, so is there really even anything


Catch Me

If You Can

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to discuss anymore when you start working on another filmwith him?

JW: There’s a lot of personal visiting that goes along withit. It’s amazing for both of us to realize that this year we willhave been together for 30 years and I think 20 films in thecourse of that time. In any kind of collaborative field I thinkthis is remarkable, for anyone to get along that well anddon’t end up killing each other. It bespeaks in my mind somany positive things about Spielberg. We all know the kindof philanthropic man he is, the kind of talented artist he is,the gifted businessman that he is, and it’s kind of a worn-out cliché but he’s also a wonderful family man and anextraordinary person, and one of the luckiest days of my lifewas meeting him. We get along extremely well, and I thinkit would be hard for anyone not to.

A Catchy VibeFSM: With Catch Me If You Can you not only got back a lit-tle to the jazz style of some of your ’60s scores, but you alsodevelop this really obsessive motif in the main title for TomHanks’ pursuit of the Leonardo DiCaprio character.

JW: I think “obsession” is a good word to use. Alongthose lines and to achieve that, we were able to establish ina series of scenes that are well-paced and separated [from]each other enough to use a musical idée fixe, which is whena musical motif or identifying melodic phrase is usedrepeatedly to suggest the character or suggest the obses-sive—a fixed idea is the literal translation I guess. The per-fect example is the shark motif in Jaws, where we even have

the shark’s music when the shark is not present to suggest ared herring perhaps or to signal the shark’s approach if it’s along way away and we can’t see it—we can hear the music,which means we can feel its presence. I think there’s a sim-ilar effect working in this film. When Frank Abagnale beginsto weaken and give in to his addiction, it’s almost like a drugaddict going to the closet to find his fix, and they’re return-ing unstoppably to do something they perhaps don’t evenwant to do.

FSM: You did something a little unusual with the jazzelement, too, by eliminating any improvisation.

JW: The saxophone and all the roulades and things thathe does, all of which are written—they sound like improv,but they’re written down. What that does is—in what cansound like an improvisation, we can plan the bass line withit and construct a counterpoint for it that’s more organizedthan an ad-lib thing can ever be. The people who accom-pany the ad-lib soloist don’t really know what he or she isgoing to do the next bar, so they will try to react to it or fol-low a prearranged harmonic pattern. So this was kind of alark for me to do this, and we had this brilliant man, DanHiggins, who played every note just as written, and everynote is traced on the vibraphone played by a young mancalled Alan Estes, who did a really remarkable job of playingsomething that when you look at it seems impossible, andmade it sound easy and natural.

FSM: You got to write the opening for a really wonderfulanimated title sequence that goes back to something likewhat Saul Bass used to do.

JW: That was done deliberately in the ’60s style. The firstthing that Steven suggested when he told me he was goingto do this film, and he wanted to open it with one of thosecartoons that opened the ’60s sleuth pieces. It’s a perfectrecollection of the ’60s style in graphics and dress and color.

Sci-Fi Past and PresentFSM: On Minority Report you got to go back to a style I real-ly hadn’t heard from you in a long time; you’ve done a lot ofaction films, but they tend to be more adventures like theStar Wars or Indiana Jones movies and not harder-edgedthrillers. This harkened back a little even to Jaws, I think, inthat it was action with a much heavier psychological feel.

JW: These two films this year were both of them to someextent anomalies in terms of the kind of thing we’ve donetogether. Minority Report is a very interesting film and acompelling one I think, with wonderful ideas about futur-ism and the pharmaceutical world of the future, to pick oneaspect of it, all of it sort of wrapped in a film noir setting. Butit also has, not sentimental qualities, but the story of the lit-tle boy and the wife mixed in, which you wouldn’t have in afilm noir piece, and they all seem to join the cat-and-mousegame and the sleuthing all in one way, and a fascinatingway, I thought.

FSM: I think you said in an interview once that CloseEncounters was at least at the time the closest to your per-sonal composition style, rather than a style or sound youwould adapt or work around for a specific film. Do youthink you got back into some of that in Minority Report?

JW: That’s possible. For Close Encounters it was a kind ofharmonic idiom that to some degree was less tonal than

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what is usually required for these lighter pieces. So theidiom may be more dissonant. The connections you hearare probably the result of thumbprint or handwriting, it’s apersonal preference for certain textures. More than any ofthat it’s a question of sitting and looking at the film and ask-ing yourself, “What should this one sound like?” There’s alightness to some of it. I think the mechanical spyder sec-tion, although it’s incisive and sharp and has a little levity toit also, I enjoyed working on that piece extremely. I was par-ticularly fascinated by the character of Anne Lively, thelong-ago-murdered woman, and I used a voice as a texturewithin the orchestra to evoke the memory of the moment ofher death, which is referred to several times in the piece,and is what we see and hear when the real culprit is revealedat the end of the piece.

FSM: I have to ask you about A.I., which I thought was anincredible score and a very powerful film, but one thatseemed very tough on audiences.

JW: It’s a very unusual piece, haunted by Kubrick I think.I know Steven had a lot of contact with Kubrick about that.To some extent it was an homage to Kubrick by Spielberg.The one area that has any musical connection to Kubrick atall was the quote of Der Rosenkavelier as the car crosses overthe tunnel going into Rouge City. The only thing Steven saidto me was that we had to use the quote of Rosenkaveliersomewhere because that’s the one thing that Kubrick saidhe wanted to use in the film. The problem was finding aplace for it, but it seemed to fit and work in that specialeffects sequence. I think what I saw at least critically wasfairly complimentary; I think critics seemed to think Stevenwas not resting on his laurels, that he was continuing togrow and that while the movie was not entirely successful inevery way, it had some memorable and wonderful thingsabout it. This is exactly in line with the way I felt about thepiece. It was a particularly inviting challenge for me, in thatsense somewhat like Close Encounters, because I felt like Ihad a finer set of brushes or opportunities and I was offereda considerable amount more freedom of musical expres-sion. So much of what we have to do in film is restricted bythe length of the scene or the texture and style of what themusic needs to be to really marry with the scene itself. Inthe case of A.I. it was a broader canvas that offered theopportunity to stretch a little more than usual, and where Ihad that opportunity I enjoyed it a lot.

FSM: The ending of the movie is really devastating andalso really open to interpretation. A lot of people thought itwas a maudlin, happy ending about this robot boy beingreunited with its mother, but to me it was more like some-thing out of Sunset Boulevard, where the boy may believeit’s gotten what it wanted, but that’s based on its own pro-grammed, warped perception of the world.

JW: The way I felt about that ending was that this littleautomated creature who finally briefly finds his mother andachieves a biological death with her, that he is then able todie with her tells us that in the end he’s able to achieve ameasure of humanity. The two things we all share in com-mon are birth and death and those are things that ultimate-ly define our humanity as creatures, as animals. And hisbeing able to slip off to the place where dreams are madehumanizes him in a way that nothing else is able to do, and

that made it a very lyrical moment for me.FSM: You’ve won five Oscars, you’ve received something

like 37 Oscar nominations, you’ve been nominated for mul-tiple films in the same year 10 times…do you ever get blaséabout the Academy Award?

JW: This thing about Oscar recognition is an amazingsuccess story—the concept of the Oscar. When you goaround the world people are interested in that—they maynot know what an Emmy or a Grammy is, but they knowwhat the Oscar is. We need a trained sociologist to explainthis phenomenon. For me, I’ve never been blasé aboutthese things. The cliché has it that the nomination comesfrom one’s peers and therefore has a little more gravitas and

a little more weight to it, and I believe that that’s true and Ifeel that. It’s something that’s a little like winning baseballgames, I think: It’s the one you’re playing that you want towin, and wins and losses in the past sort of fade away. Itbespeaks something of our perhaps flawed humanity thatit’s something that we’re compelled and fascinated by. Ithink it’s a human thing that describes us—each timeseems like the first time. I don’t think one gets blasé aboutthat—other people might find it a lot less important thanthose in the film industry, but it seems to be something thatcaptures the imagination. FSM

Thanks to Hollywood Reporter editor Noe Gold; publicist Ronni Chasen;Jeff Sanderson, and Jamie Richardson at Gorfaine-Schwartz.


v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:31 AM Page 13

Wow. We thought last year wasgood, but 2002 was the kind of year wethought we’d never see again. Sure, the film-scoring scene is still an ocean of raging diar-rhea, some of it as thick and black as ever.That doesn’t take away from the fact that thisis the first time in perhaps 15 years that wecan compile a legitimate Top 10 list.Nowadays, if we get two or three good scoresin a year, we’re happy. This year, we get topresent a list where all 10 scores actuallydeserve Top 10 status!

Yes, that’s well and good, but it’s also causefor concern. As we all know, critical writing isusually more entertaining when it’s negative,so maybe this article won’t be as funny as it

could have been if we hated everything. Butwe don’t. And we shouldn’t. Instead, werejoice in the music of 2002. And as we do so,we’ll still find plenty of things to insult alongthe way. We’ll try not to be as offensive as wewere last year, where our comments upset atleast two to three people. So put on yourreading glasses, grab a bag of popcorn andkill your wife, because it’s time for Jon andAl’s Best and Worst of 2002!

The Top 10 of ’021. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers2. Minority Report

3. Star Wars Episode Two: Attack of the Clones4. Catch Me If You Can5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets6. Signs7. Road to Perdition8. Spider-Man9. Far From Heaven

Okay, we don’t have 10. Butnine is enough. Of course, if you wipe JohnWilliams off the list, it’s just a fine year bol-stered by the remarkable Two Towers.

Best Composer Ever AwardThis was John Williams’ most

prolific year since 1989. A Star Wars score,Minority Report, a Harry Potter score, Catch MeIf You Can. And what marvelous scores theyare. Williams is almost singlehandedly keepinggood film music alive. If only good film musiccould keep John Williams alive. Williams is anational treasure, and we find it deeply dis-turbing that he might eventually die.

Butcher of Bakersfield Awardgoes to...George Lucas

Mr. Lucas should be ashamedof what happened to the score for Attack of theClones, but he may not even realize how horri-bly it was treated. He certainly has the finalsay, but the true culprit here may have beensound designer/editor Ben Burtt or Williams’music editor Ken Wannberg (or some combi-nation of the three). Regardless, someonetreated this score like wrapping paper for a giftthat wouldn’t sit still, like a living puppy.Appalling. Especially on a Star Wars film.

Baruch Atah Adonei, Eloheinu Melech Ha’olom!Jon and Al Kaplan Make Their Pronouncements

The Two Towers Awardgoes to...Howard Shore

Howard Shore sure is doing a wonderfuljob on this series. It pains us when we browse through moviemusic news groups and read comments like “Howard Shore’smusic is good, but plenty of other guys could have written justas good a score.” Really? Who? John Powell? Joel McNeely? BT?(We’d list about 40 other people here but we’re running out ofpeople who are still willing to talk to FSM.) Outside of HowardShore and maybe four other guys, if anyone else had done LOTR, the resulting composer interviewwould have read: “Well, this scene was temped with Jerry Goldsmith so we decided to do an odd-meter thing. Jerry Goldsmith is so good with odd meters. So aggressive. I really like him a lot.”Perhaps the most important aspect of Howard Shore scoring Lord of the Rings is just that—it’sHoward Shore’s Lord of the Rings. It’s not someone else’s inferior approximation of what JohnWilliams or James Horner would have done with it. We’ve already heard Williams’ and Horner’stakes on this kind of subject matter, so Shore’s is all the more welcome. And it’s as good as it is dif-ferent. The thematic cohesion that Shore is bringing to these films is fanatical. Thus, the albumsget better and better with each listen—no matter how many times you hear them, you’ll find somenew nuance or relation between ideas. Shore’s Two Towers is teeming with subtlety and rivals hisoriginal in thematic development. It boasts great new themes, but they spring naturally frommaterials from Fellowship. And the original Fellowship themes are further developed. We, for two,can’t wait for Return of the King.

THE BEST (& THE


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How to Score a Conveyor Belt Scene

Minority Report

It’s funny that such a gentle,sweet man like John Williams writes some ofthe most aggressive action music ever commit-ted to film. In Minority Report, Tom Cruise andColin Farrell duke it out in a car factory asWilliams sectionalizes the orchestra into a jab-bing, atonal frenzy of questions and answers.Williams has said it before and he’s right:Scoring a good action scene is like writing forballet. Watch this sequence and you can prac-tically see Spielberg and Williams dancing.

How Not to Score a Conveyor Belt Scene

Attack of the Clones

Williams’ original cue for theconveyor belt scene in Episode 2 was dead-on— a whacked-out, mechanical jaunt writtenfor an insignificant set piece. But when GeorgeLucas decided to add the important subplotwhere C-3PO’s head comes off, it became nec-essary to track the scene with hacked andreordered excerpts from “Zam the Assassin,”Yoda’s theme, and whatever else Ben Burtt orKen Wannberg felt like dumping in. You’reright, 3PO. “It’s a nightmare.” Watch thissequence and you can practically see GeorgeLucas strangling Williams with a piano wire...

The Bad Timing Awardgoes to...Jeff Bond

Jeff finally got to interview JohnWilliams—and that interview is in this veryissue. So if John Williams ever reads an FSM it’llprobably be this one. One where we talk aboutGeorge Lucas murdering him (see previouscategory for emphasis). We love you, JohnWilliams. We love you far more than you canlove yourself. (And we know that even if you doread Jeff’s interview, you’ll never read this.)

The Spider Awardgoes to...John Williams

Williams’ chromatic MinorityReport spyder music edges out his ball-bustingHarry Potter spider action cue. Elfman’s Spider-Man is a fine work, but no individual cue cap-tures the essence of a spider as well as theWilliams pieces. Howard Shore’s score forSpider might be available in other countries,

but we can’t find it. What a year for spiders!Eight Legged Freaks is also about spiders. Whydoes the Eight Legged Freaks score sound soHebrew? There is no discernible connectionbetween Jews and large mutant spiders. Here isa story about Eight Legged Freaks: One day,before the Attack of the Clones CD wasreleased, Jeff Bond tried to download advancesound clips of the score, but he had acciden-tally left Eight Legged Freaks in the computer’sCD player. As the Star Wars clips failed to load,the CD, unbeknownst to any of us, startedplaying. So all of us stood there listening to

The themes: “What proved most elusive was the fact that the theme I wrote for Spider-Man asa hero, I couldn’t make work for two of the six scenes I was using for my acid test—I pick any-where between three and six scenes in a movie and those scenes carry the thematic materialthat is the heart of the score, and if I can make the music work in these scenes I can write thewhole score. The alternate side of the theme was fighting the more human side of Peter Parker,and it wasn’t quite working. I was banging my head againstthe wall until I found this ‘B’ section to the first theme; I wastrying to make one melody work for the two sides of his char-acter, but it became obvious that there needed to be two ele-ments to the theme: one that played the superhero side andone that played the human side. It was an incredibly simplesolution in hindsight but not so simple getting there.”

Oscar buzz: “Scores are generally nominated by thegenre and the type of movie, and it’s a difficult genre unlessit’s perceived as an epic—Lord of the Rings is kind of anexception. It has to do with people’s perception of themovie—very often they have to perceive the movie seriously in order to think of the score seri-ously. It tends to put it a bit off in a non-serious or nonsensical category—but what do I know?”

Danny Elfman on Spider-Man

WORST) OF 2002


v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:31 AM Page 15

Eight Legged Freaks, trying to figure out howthe hell it could possibly be Star Wars.

The Spider-Man Awardgoes to...Danny Elfman

Second runner-up for TheSpider Award, Elfman takes home 2002’s hotlycontested Spider-Man Award. A lot of peoplecomplained about a lack of a main theme inElfman’s Spider-Man—strange because wecounted two main themes for Spidey andanother one for the Green Goblin. Even JeffBond heard them (see Jeff Bond’s virtuallyidentical paragraph on page 20). If you didn’thear a theme in Spider-Man, please call (310)253-9595 and we will sing it for you.

The Sam Mendes/ More Bad Things AboutAttack of the Clones Award

goes to...Sam Mendes

Sam Mendes should be com-mended for allowing Thomas Newman tocarry so much of Road to Perdition, often omit-ting sound effects entirely in favor of music.The “Road to Chicago” scene is particularlyeffective thanks to this. Mendes is one of thefew working directors who realizes that peoplealready know what a car sounds like when itdrives down the street. But evidently wehaven’t seen enough Star Wars movies to knowwhat a spaceship sounds like when it whizzesby, so, in most cases, John Williams lost out toBen Burtt’s painstakingly detailed cacophonyfor Attack of the Clones. Damn, Ben Burtt is atalent! By the way, our mother can wave atoaster oven in front of a microphone too. Shewould like to supervise the sound for Star WarsEpisode III: The Waste of Time. It seems we justcan’t say enough bad things about Attack of the

Clones. Here’s another bad thing we have to sayabout Attack of the Clones:

The Ronald Reagan Awardgoes to...John Williams.

In a recent Star Wars Insider,John Williams declares that “Across the Stars”is the first love theme he’s written for a StarWars movie. That’s right. Han and Leia werejust friends. Here are our lyrics for Han andLeia’s theme: “They’re friends; they’re not inlove. They’re just friends; it’s not a lovetheme. They’re friends, because John Wiiiil—liams says so, and it doesn’t maaaat—ter ifhe’s wrong.” This is John Williams’ secondRonald Reagan Award; he also won for ThePatriot (see FSM Vol. 6, No. 1).

Best Flat Belly Musicgoes to...Lisa Gerrard

What?! We never thought we’dgive Lisa Gerrard an award for anythingexcept retiring, but her deep, moaning, les-bianic voice is just perfect for the scene inUnfaithful where Paul Martel sucks on DianeLane’s quivering belly. It captures all theguilt, pleasure and primal lust of Lane’s char-acter as she reminisces on the subway ridehome. Plus, it lends an odd, foreign “Thiscan’t be happening” vibe to the sex act itself.We also make special note of NataliePortman’s flat belly in Star Wars, but

Williams’ score never paid it true tribute. Theonly thing flatter than Natalie Portman’sbelly is her acting. Our friend Mike recentlysent us a paparazzi photo of Natalie Portmanvigorously digging at her own butt crack. Veryunprincess-like. Still, if only she put the sameenthusiasm in her Star Wars performances...

Best Main Titlegoes to...Sum of All Fears

This is a tough one. James NewtonHoward’s main title for Signs is mind-blowing;savage and exquisitely naked in the film. Whenit ends, it leaves you on such a high that youdon’t even notice that nothing happens in thefirst two hours of the movie. (Just kidding—wekind of like the movie.) Kudos to the short anddespicable M. Night Shyamalan for creating themain-title sequence for the express purpose ofshowcasing Howard’s score. This is quicklybecoming the most exciting director-compos-ing team since Chris Young and John Amiel(their inspired work on Entrapment has usfoaming at the mouth for The Core!).

Despite Signs, the year’s bestmain title is Jerry Goldsmith’s Sum of All Fears,a stunning choral piece that carries such emo-tional heft it almost singlehandedly salvages anotherwise sucky, watered-down Tom Clancythriller. The rest of the score pales in compari-son, but this opening cue (the last piece writtenfor the film) is a stunner. Forget The LastCastle—this is Jerry’s true prayer for 9/11.

The film: “The film is quite emotional, where the previous Alexander Payne films weren’t. The filmis not a genre film. There’s something not cynical about it; it surprised me that Alexander respondedto it. There’s something very straightforward about translating emotions and humanity.”

The score as an album: “I can never tell how signifi-cant or not significant a piece of music is. Sometimes youwork very hard to produce something you think is going toreally make a great statement and discover that it becomesmarginalized very easily, and the opposite exists as well. Youcreate something you think no one is going to notice and sud-denly it becomes very significant.”

Oscar buzz: “Whatever happens, happens. I’m hardlyagainst that, but the point for me is the creativity, the art offilm scoring. For me it is a question of seeing what I canmake of any one particular moment, and it doesn’t feelcomplete until I feel like I’ve really invested something of me in the music. I don’t regard filmscoring as a business; it’s very much a form of expression for me.”

Rolfe Kent on About Schmidt


v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:31 AM Page 16

The Three Stinkers Awardgoes to...John Powell

Two Weeks Notice, Pluto Nashand that direct-to-video Stallone movie Eye SeeYou (or, as we like to call it, Eye Suck). This isJohn Powell’s second consecutive win for the“Three Stinkers Award.” He won last year forEvolution, Rat Race and Shrek (or I Am Sam,take your pick).

The War Is Hell Awardgoes to...James Horner

Man, is James Horner in a rutwith these big splashy war epics! Windtalkersis 77 minutes of boredom, and the LisaGerrardian moanings of Four Feathers soundlike Horner’s dragging the vocalist down aflight of stairs by her hair. Horner needs to getback to doing what he does best. What that is,we have no idea.

The “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” Award

goes to... John Williams

This is for the scene in CatchMe If You Can where Tom Hanks is decidingwhether or not to open Leonardo DiCaprio’swallet to see if he’s been had. Musically, it’sthe best psychological ribbing since JerryGoldsmith taunted John Lithgow into look-ing out the airplane window in TwilightZone: The Movie.

The Everyone Else Loves FAR FROM HEAVEN Award

goes to...Everyone Else

Far From Heaven is a fine score.It’s good old-fashioned Elmer writing in thestyle he helped invent: the good old-fashionedElmer style. Fifties soap music like A View FromPompey’s Head is not our favorite, so while

Elmer is still the best at it, it’s not like he’sbreaking any ground. It’s a nice throwback. Itmay even win the Oscar because it’s so flam-boyant and effective in the film. Should thiscome to pass we will be thrilled for Elmer. Inthe meantime, we will continue to waitpatiently for an album release of Elmer’s great-est unreleased work, Funny Farm.

The Wrong Composer AwardThe Emperor’s Club is a fine

Thomas Newman score, loaded with the com-poser’s usual quirky tricks. The only problem isthat Newman didn’t write The Emperor’s Club.James Newton Howard did. James, you oldstick in the mud! Shape up or we’ll be forced togive you next year’s Joel McNeely award. Okay,there’s plenty in The Emperor’s Club that doessound like Howard. But as soon as we’re readyto forgive the rip-offs, we find the cue inTreasure Planet where you can literally hear thetemp track switch from The Phantom Menaceto Far and Away. For Christ’s sake.

The Michael Kamen Awardgoes to...Michael Kamen

The Dead Zone aside, Die Hardand Lethal Weapon are Michael Kamen’s bestscores, and both of them saw legitimate CDreleases this year. Sequencing-wise, the LethalWeapon album is a disaster. But despite thisand the needlessly repeated tracks, it doeshave the galvanizing “Hollywood BoulevardChase,” a cue we’ve been lusting after for 15

years. And speaking of Mr. Kamen, why wasn’this work on Band of Brothers at least nomi-nated for an Emmy? All the worthless horrible,horrible crap that’s written for TV, and theyslight something that’s actually good.

We Hate Jack Bauer’s Theme24 has been really fun this year,

and certain episodes even have decentGoldsmithian underscore (like one cuewhere we started singing “I dis-cov-ered se-ven eight” along with the simplistic 7/8 sus-pense riff). But, the main theme of the showis starting to kill us. It’s Bruce Broughton’smain theme from Shadow Conspiracy,which, interestingly, is a film about a presi-dential-involved conspiracy. In ShadowConspiracy, the theme is longer, played byreal instruments and is much, much better.

As we wrote this category, TimCurran put on Terence Blanchard’s score to25th Hour. What an amazing coincidence. It’salso the theme from Shadow Conspiracy!

Oh my God! We just found theconnection. 25th Hour! 25 comes right after 24!We had hoped that the second season of 24would be titled 25, but instead we get 25thHour! Remarkable!


The film’s mythic approach: “Big scale was some-thing Sam Mendes was looking for, and the notion of refresh-ment—with the big first act ending with the murders, thatthere would be a huge contrast in tone and feeling on theirdrive to Chicago—it wanted to be large and orchestral in itsscope. The beginning was filled with lots of ambient tones, asI like to do, so it piqued my interest in the music—how do youjoin the big with the small? How do you let music live behinda scene without walloping it? Often when you’re with anorchestra, playing as quietly as you can, you still get a sensethat something big is happening. When it comes down todubbing the movie and putting that behind dialogue, I designed tones and various small colors thatcould really significantly live well in the background and still maintain a kind of sophistication andinterest without being a pounding commentary. I was never interested in blowing the nuances ofactors’ performances either. I’m interested in the small scale: subtextualizing scenes or deepeningtheir significance as opposed to commenting on their significance. It’s probably a lot of my dramaticsensibilities, what interests me going into a theater.”

Thomas Newman on Road to Perdition

v8n01 issue 1/28/03 12:38 PM Page 17

Score of the YearFar From Heaven, Elmer Bernstein

Elmer Bernstein has never wonan Oscar for Best Original Score. If that’s nota stunning indictment of humanity, I don’tknow what is. Nothing made me happier thisyear than the acclaim Elmer’s Far FromHeaven score got. The movie is a tough sell: a’50s melodrama about racism and homosex-uality, made in 2002. But the score, and the

attention it’s received, prove that music canstill underscore a movie emotionally andmove audiences with genuine melody. Thefact that Bernstein, a composer who startedworking in Hollywood around the time FarFrom Heaven is set, was able to write the per-fect music for this film while retaining hisessential style shows not that his music isdated but that it is timeless. If there’s any jus-tice at all, Elmer can cap an incredible careerwith an Academy Award for this score.

Cue of the Year“The Hand of Fate,” SignsJames Newton Howard

Let’s face it: This is the sort ofmusic that hooked most of us on moviescores. Howard’s Signs starts off with a bang,spends the bulk of the movie subtly, insidi-ously chipping away at your psyche, thenlaunches this magnificent piece of redemptivewonder that has it all—suspense, propulsiveaction, transforming awe and an incredibly

satisfying denouement. Even this unimpeach-able effort had its detractors, however, withsomeone on the Internet describing Howard’sSigns score as “hokey.” Excuse me: You wantedsomething more subtle and classy to under-score the invading space aliens? If you can’t goballs-out scoring a movie like Signs, we mightas well shut this magazine down right now.

Main Title of the YearThe Sum of All Fears, Jerry Goldsmith

While the movie itself was awaste of time, hobbled by Ben Affleck’s ineffec-tual presence (more cutaways to Ben’s rela-tionship with his knockout girlfriend duringthe nuclear crisis, please!), Goldsmith outdidhimself with the chilling, post-9/11 main title.The composer has written plenty of choralmusic in his day, but this is something differ-ent—an eerie, operatic tune that really ham-mered home the terrifying implications of aloose nuke (and, strangely, worked pretty wellas a pop song).

Composer of the YearJohn Williams

He didn’t write the most scoresin 2002, but he wrote the most good ones. Inrecent years I’d actually lost a lot of interest inWilliams’ output, but 2001’s A.I. threw himsolidly back into focus, and 2002 showcased aseemingly rejuvenated Williams full of terrificideas and execution. Attack of the Clones wasprobably the most cohesive Star Wars score todate—a fact that annoyed many listeners whoexpected the usual parade of showcasethemes. Instead, Williams gave us a sweeping,ambivalent love theme and some fantasticallylinear action music. That trend continued inMinority Report, a fascinating blend of A.I.’shaunting futurism and Williams’ good old-fashioned, rousing action writing. The fran-chise sequel Harry Potter and the Chamber ofSecrets was impressively dense, but the realgem of the year was Williams’ score to theSpielberg caper Catch Me If You Can, an artfulblend of psychology and bracing, jazzy fun,with the most visually dazzling main-titlesequence in years. (continued next page)

Not Too Far From HeavenJeff Bond Is Less Cranky Than Usual About 2002

James Newton Howard on SignsThe main title: “The main-title sequence, which has attracted a fair bit of attention, is one ofthose unusual situations in that that was a piece of music that was written after Night storyboardedthe movie for me. He hadn’t shot the movie yet, and I wrote that piece, and at the time he respondedto it very positively, but his concern and mine based on the storyboarding was that there didn’t seemto be an obvious place for that level of intensity in the movie. But we kept it in the back of our mindshoping that somewhere later in the process we’d find a home for it. It was really his idea to use it asthe main title and cut the titles to the music.”

Artistic success: “The most meaningful thing about theSigns score to me is twofold—one has to do with the disci-pline of the writing. I felt like I’ve come closer to succeedingin using a minimum of thematic or melodic, motiphonalresources and trying to make that feel like a singular workthat has a life beyond the movie. The guy who did that moreeffectively than anyone on earth was John Williams with Jaws,and he did it with two notes and it became part of the iconog-raphy of the age. That kind of an achievement in film music isa spectacular thing and I don’t think I’ve ever come evenclose to it, but this work was closer. The other thing is thatthe most meaningful music in it really didn’t have anything to do with horror but with transformationthrough fear, of walking through fear and coming out the other side. It had to do with faith, but faithin a totally nonreligious sense, that somehow life was worth living and that hope springs eternal, andparticularly in the age of anxiety we live in it was a good message. I was inspired by it.”


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Best Track Titlegoes to...Danny Elfman

Only that lunatic Elfman wouldtitle a cue “Tiger Balls.” The scene is from RedDragon, where a blind Emily Watson unwit-tingly (or, *gasp*, intentionally?) molests asedated tiger’s most intimate of all areas.

Captain Controversy Awardgoes to...Danny Elfman

Has any composer been at-tached to as many controversial remakes asElfman? Psycho, Planet of the Apes, Red Dragon,the upcoming Superman movie, Men in Black2...That Danny Elfman sure is controversial!

Quote of the YearThis year, Hans Zimmer told

Jeff Bond how he respects Jerry Goldsmith andstarted listing Goldsmith scores that he likes.He endearingly added “I even liked The Bear.”(He meant The Edge.) Isn’t that sweet andfunny? Zimmer protégé and Time Machinecomposer Klaus Badelt must also like The Bear.

The History of the Ring Awardgoes to...Howard Shore

Shore takes this award for hisfine concert piece Brooklyn Heights, excerptedin Gangs of New York. It’s all great stuff andsounds like Lord of the Rings in Manhattan.

The “I Don’t Want Someone Else’s Maid” Award

goes to...Alan Silvestri

It pains us to think that AlanSilvestri had to pass on Gore Verbinski’s TheRing so he could score Maid in Manhattan,especially after their fine work together onMouse Hunt. Silvestri’s Maid score is extremelycatchy and harkens back to his enjoyable rompfor Romancing the Stone (because he recentlylistened to the new Varèse album). But thereare films that are more deserving of his geniusthan Stuart Little 2, Lilo and Stitch and Maid inManhattan. Do you know why Ralph Fiennesgot the lead in Maid in Manhattan? It’sbecause of his role in Schindler’s List, where hislove interest was also a maid. But one with amuch smaller ass. See you next year! FSM

FSMBullseye! 20 CDs That Hit the MarkDouglass Fake listens to a lot of soundtracks—namely, all of them: old scores andnew scores. As proprietor and producer at Intrada, he writes the capsule summariesaccompanying every album listed on the store website. Doug produces soundtracksand composes and conducts his own music, so if he deigns to give a particularrelease a “bullseye!” we pay attention. Here’s a selected group of 20 of his worthiesfrom 2002, with a few excerpted comments thrown in:


Sunset Boulevard

FRANZ WAXMAN, 1950

Varèse 66316 (69:41) Complex,

brooding, exciting score gets

detailed examination by conduc-

tor Joel McNeely.

Zulu Dawn

ELMER BERNSTEIN, 1989

LLLCD 1001.5 (47:31) Rousing

British music crosses with percus-

sive Zulu theme. Propulsive score

full of rhythms built from a small,

descending motif.

Mort D’Un Pourri

PHILIPPE SARDE, 1977

Universal 017177 (France; 49:40)

Accordion adds wistful layer to a

bittersweet, piquant album.

Rebecca

FRANZ WAXMAN, 1940

Varèse 66160 (Cond. McNeely,

54:32) Rhapsodic music gives

way to suspense. Intricate ideas

mingle with pretty ones.

Above and Beyond

HUGO FRIEDHOFER, 1952

FSMCD Vol.5 No.11 (55:45)

Proud, ascending trumpet-led

main theme highlights power-

house score.

The Sand Pebbles:

Deluxe Edition

JERRY GOLDSMITH, 1966

Varèse VCL 0702 1010 (76:43)

Single four-note motif grows one

direction, becomes the gunboat

theme, grows another direction,

becomes the love theme!

The Prodigal

BRONISLAU KAPER, 1956

FSMCD Vol.5 No.9 (75:11)

Rousing opener, fierce fight music

highlights dramatic score.

The Fury: Deluxe Edition

JOHN WILLIAMS, 1979

Varèse VCL 0702 1011

(2-CD Set, 95:55) Two takes on

brooding, powerful score. Original

album re-recording with London

Symphony Orchestra shares bill

with actual L.A. film soundtrack

sessions. What a premiere!

Signs

JAMES NEWTON HOWARD

Hollywood 162368 (45:34) Tiny

three-note motif digs, works, even-

tually emerges a fortissimo horn

figure to highlight the action cue

of the year.

The Stalking Moon

FRED KARLIN, 1968

RMDU 1 (57:01) Brooding, multi-

layered score combines solo trum-

pet and strings with unusual col-

ors of the zither.

The Night Walker

VIC MIZZY, 1964

Percepto 009 (49:40) Scary movie

gets surprisingly tonal orchestral

score, featuring piano and bass.

Plethora of minor chords for organ

and brass a highlight.

On the Beach/

The Secret of Santa Vittoria

ERNEST GOLD, 1959/69

FSMCD Vol.5 No.7 (71:01) Rich

score avoids horror of nuclear

holocaust, plays to elegiac feel of

the last days. “Waltzing Matilda”

plays to Australian locale while

warm love theme plays to the

heart. An expressive reading of the

former with emphasis on silver

trumpets brings it all to a close.

The Bishop’s Wife

HUGO FRIEDHOFER, 1947

BYU FMA-HF 109 (58:28) Festive

moods mingle with meaningful,

sometimes sad ones. Scherzo-like

main theme a highlight.

The Fly Trilogy

PAUL SAWTELL/BERT SHEFTER

Percepto 008 (2-CD set, 99:17) All

three original Fly movie scores get

grade-A treatment. The first show-

cases pathos over scares.

Cast a Giant Shadow

ELMER BERNSTEIN, 1966

Varèse VCL 0502 1008 (29:42)

Militaristic brass and percussion

mix with stately, impressive

themes. Not one but two major

love themes highlight powerful,

albeit brief album.

Logan’s Run

JERRY GOLDSMITH, 1976

FSMCD Vol 5 No.2 (74:18) Three

colors! Complex, chilling music

emphasizing strings trades with all-

electronic interior music. Outside

the dome, dazzling orchestral col-

ors take over. Single six-note theme

binds them all together!

Lust for Life

MIKLÓS RÓZSA, 1956

FSMCD Vol.5, No.1 (68:58)

Tortured, angular main theme

mingles with rich “brotherly love”

theme. Rózsa captures Van

Gogh’s torment, the darkness in

his life, glow in his work.

The Shipping News

CHRISTOPHER YOUNG

Milan 35983 (46:12) Rich, unfor-

gettable main theme highlights

sometimes nostalgic, sometimes

interior score.

Film Music of Akira Kurosawa:

The Complete Edition Vol. 2

MASARU SATOH, 1956-64

Toho AK-0006/AK-0009

(Japan, 6-CD Box; 357:11)

Incredible spread of music by

Masaru Satoh, highlighted by the

dynamic Yojimbo and powerful

High and Low scores.

Iris

JAMES HORNER

Sony 89806 (49:56) An abun-

dance of beautiful melody high-

lights Horner’s most flowing score.

Read Doug’s latest comments every week at www.intrada.com.

v8n01 issue 1/28/03 12:52 PM Page 18

Best John Barry ImpressionDie Another Day, David Arnold

The latest James Bond moviewas a wild mixed bag, much of it rousing andfunny, much of it annoyingly loud and ridicu-lous. Same thing goes for David Arnold’s score,which channels the smooth Barry lyricism ofthe classic Bond films seamlessly, but too oftengoes overboard in the action department. Theopening action cue for Bond and his team surf-ing into North Korea (not, of course, sampled onthe soundtrack album) is superb: lean, meanand exciting. But as the film piles on effect aftereffect, Arnold’s music builds up the same epicfrenzy he brought to Independence Day. Barry’sBond action music always emphasized howcool 007 was under fire, but Pierce Brosnan’s(admittedly more human) Bond is scored in away that suggests the super spy is just hangingon by his fingernails.

Runner-upEnigma, John Barry

Barry does repeat a love themeon this album about 500 times verbatim, butthere’s a car chase and some suspense musicthat recalls why this composer remains one ofthe most distinctive and stylish voices in thefilm music canon—too bad he doesn’t workmore.

Best Comic Book ScoreSpider-Man, Danny Elfman

Here’s another score thatreceived brickbats from some corners for “nothaving a theme.” Apparently Elfman’s distinc-tive melody was just too subtle for some peopleto hear. The composer, in fact, wrote what maybe the first interior-driven theme for a comicbook hero, and it’s all about the inner matura-tion of Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) and themantle of responsibility his superhero costume

carries. Add some of Elfman’s most ferociouslypercussive action music in a long time andyou’ve got one of the year’s better scores.

Favorite Cue From an FSM Album“The Alexander the Greater Affair,” Gerald Fried; The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

To me Gerry Fried is the king oftelevision music; his style is instantly recogniz-able, catchy and incredibly fun. The first time Iheard this wild, hilarious and thrilling suitefrom the ’60s spy series episode, I almost had topull my car off the freeway because I was laugh-ing so loud in sheer enjoyment.

Runner-upEverything on Logan’s Run, Jerry Goldsmith

This album was a dream cometrue: one of those I-taped-the-whole-movie-off-my-television-20-years-ago things where Inever really believed a complete score albumwould happen. Go, muscle!

Best Star Trek ScoreStar Trek Nemesis, Jerry Goldsmith

Jerry Goldsmith now has anearly perfect record of scoring every one ofthe worst Star Trek movies (for me, even FirstContact was a waste of time). Nemesis effort-

lessly qualifies as the bottom of the Trek barrel,from its lame action sequences (which makeWilliam Shatner’s Star Trek V look like Die Hardby comparison), rehashed plot elements,cringe-inducing moments (what Trekkie reallywanted to watch Riker and Troi enjoy theirwedding night?) and a box-office return thatthreatens to deep-six the franchise. Goldsmith’sscore seems to be an experiment in seeing howlittle he can do to accompany the film, butdespite a slow start his approach still works.While it surely lacks the meat and scope ofGoldsmith’s first two Trek efforts, it does havefar more energy and consequence than FirstContact or Insurrection.

Best Goldsmith ReissueThe Sand Pebbles, Varèse Sarabande CD Club

Even ignoring FSM’s releases,fans of vintage Jerry had a great year in 2002:Universal France’s long-awaited, expandedPapillon supplied three extremely importantmissing tracks (including the gorgeous,impressionistic “Catching Butterflies,” a high-light of the composer’s career); Studs Loniganprovided a glimpse into a raucous, grind-houseeffort from the earliest part of his career, andPrometheus’ The Swarm (despite disassem-bling some of the more enjoyable action cuesfrom their original LP versions) showed Jerry’sability to provide one of the worst movies evermade with a genuinely exciting score (preview-ing some of the effects later used on RidleyScott’s Alien). But the real treasure was Varèse’sepic-length treatment of The Sand Pebbles,finally bringing the full scope and depth of thisgreat ’60s effort to listeners.

Worst Musical ChoiceGangs of New York Opening Scene

It’s a knee-jerk reaction amongfilm score collectors to bash any use of rockmusic in a movie: To us, pop and rock are theenemy, period. But I try to be a little moreopen-minded about these things. Neverthe-less, Martin Scorsese’s choice of wailing rockguitars (presumably U2) to underscore thepivotal opening gang fight of his epic Gangs ofNew York almost destroyed the movie for me.The music singlehandedly drains this vitalsequence of every ounce of emotional weightand turns it into what is essentially a periodMountain Dew commercial. Quite simply, ittakes the viewer out of the movie at a vital junc-ture and just has nothing to do with anything

Elmer Bernstein on Far From Heaven

Oscar buzz: “I’m stunned. I’ve always looked at a job as a job; Ilove the job and the challenge and the idea of the next thing to do,and I really never much think beyond that. I’ve just been stunned bythe reaction; it is probably the biggest reaction I’ve gotten to anythingI’ve ever done. Obviously, from a purely selfish point of view, I’d love itto be nominated, but from a more important point of view I just thinkit would be nice if a purely melodic score were noticed for a change. Iwish it would start something.”


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else in the score. I have no idea what ElmerBernstein wrote in his rejected score, but noth-ing he did could have possibly damaged thepicture more than this.

Best Use of Music From NFL Films:

Pumpkin

Here’s the movie that will beforever drawn out as an example by anyonequestioning my taste in the future (“Yeah, buthe liked Pumpkin!”). Call me crazy, I foundmuch of this twisted comedy (the flip side ofFar From Heaven, in a way) hilarious, and Ithought composer John Ottman did an ingen-ious job of finding a musical tone for themovie—a job that might have been the biggestfilm-scoring challenge of 2002. The high pointof the picture’s music did not involve Ottman,however: it was the choice of two of SamSpence’s bombastic, ’60s-style football cuesfrom the NFL Films documentaries to under-score a montage of sex and tennis and a fist-fight between a handsome jock and a “retard.”

Best Strange Little ScorePunch-Drunk Love, Jon Brion

I’m not exactly buying the ideathat Adam Sandler deserves an Oscar nomina-tion for slightly lowering the normal volume ofhis screaming in this Paul Thomas Andersonpicture, but Jon Brion’s score—a combinationof abstract electronics and ethereal whimsy—successfully gets inside the character’s head.

Best Lord of the Rings ScoreThe Two Towers, Howard Shore

Will it completely destroy myreputation to admit that I wasn’t a huge fan ofHoward Shore’s Fellowship of the Ring score?Shore found the perfect tone for Peter Jackson’sgloom-and-doom epic, but for all the film’sscope and action, I guess I wanted somethingshowier. The Two Towers continues the feel ofthe first score, but somehow this second effortseems more sure-footed, resonant and listen-able. The old themes undergo satisfying varia-tions, and the new ones (especially Shore’sregal theme for the kingdom of Théoden andthe world of men) are rousing. Shore’s capper isdaring: “Gollum’s Song,” warbled by EmilianaTorrini in a style somewhere between Björk andShirley Bassey. It’s a chilling, strangely beautifulpiece that ends this middle chapter in the film

series on the perfect note of uncertainty.

Most Maddeningly Memorable Theme:

“Fawkes the Phoenix,” Harry Potter and theChamber of Secrets, John Williams

Every once in a while a film com-poser writes one of these themes that is almostcircular in construction—you literally can’tthink of the end of the theme without startingover at the beginning. This year the prize went

to John Williams for the wonderfully noble“Fawkes the Phoenix” theme in his secondHarry Potter score. So mesmerizing was thismelody that it got stuck in my head for a fullweek, often making me forget whether or notI’d shampooed during my morning shower.Blast that John Williams…

Best Re-recordingSunset Boulevard, Franz Waxman

Finally, we get the score and aDVD of one of my favorite movies of all time.Waxman’s score starts off in operatic, Wicked-Witch-of-the-West mode, then turns mar-velously subtle in its interweaving of the char-acter of Norma Desmond and her growinginsanity, Joe Gillis’ breezy corruption, doomedlove stories all around and the sublimely delu-sional finale. It’s still tough to get the RoyalScottish Orchestra to sound like a 1950Hollywood recording, but Joel McNeely’s inter-pretation is spirited, and the result is a greatalbum.

Honorable MentionsSpirited Away, Joe Hisaishi; The

Four Feathers, James Horner; Unfaithful, JanA.P. Kaczmarek; About Schmidt, Rolfe Kent; TheRising Place, Conrad Pope. FSM

Jan A.P. Kaczmarek on Unfaithful

The melancholy piano theme: (that drives the score). “It was born out of my interpretationof the drama between these three people, this marriage that was in crisis and the feminine crisis thatleads to the love affair, which was also kind of going nowhere. I didn’t want to make any big dramaticgestures; I thought it was much better to keep a quiet, com-passionate presence, and I thought the theme would be rightfor this complex situation.”

The pivotal early scene: (in which an urban wind-storm drives Diane Lane’s character into the arms of astranger). “The entire movie is shot so beautifully, so theimagery was very inspiring at any moment, but this scene isone of the most spectacular I would say—the most inspiringscene, but also extremely difficult to score. You have thisintensity of wind, and wind itself being a hero. So I was tryingdifferent approaches, and nothing worked at the beginningbecause you were against this huge power of wind—it’s a demolishing power that also demolishesmusic, when you put those two elements together. I needed to find a way of writing that sort of com-plements the wind and survives the blows.”

Oscar buzz: “I’m fully and completely submitting myself to fate. If this score is going to be recog-nized I’ll be overwhelmed with joy, but it already gave me so much satisfaction, I’m not really fantasiz-ing about what will happen.”

Best New Albums for Old Scores:

Tron, Wendy CarlosLethal Weapon, Michael KamenPapillon, Jerry GoldsmithStuds Lonigan, Jerry GoldsmithThe Sand Pebbles, Jerry GoldsmithIvanhoe, Miklós RózsaKing of Kings, Miklós RózsaThe Treasure of the Sierra Madre,Max Steiner


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To begin with, I must make a

confession: I don’t listen to

much film music anymore. It

takes an exceptional piece of

music to make me sit up and

actually start to pay attention.

I’m a traitor to the cause and a disgrace to thefine pedigree of FSM, I know, but even still, thelimitations of the form are becoming increas-ingly apparent, particularly in these times ofcommittee moviemaking.

It’s a subject I frequently harp on, and it’salso a subject that, short of a cultural revolu-tion, will always be there to argue about. But Ihear it everywhere; the bigger and moreexpensive the studio picture, the more obvi-ous it becomes. The state of pop music itself isas bad as it has ever been, and the effect of thatlack of quality has started to worm its way intofilm music. Film scoring is an exceptional artform with the unlimited potential to encom-pass any style of composition, and yet why is itthat so much of it is interchangeable? It’s theapathy, that’s why, the apathy of the main-stream music fans who’ve come to believe thatCreed, Britney Spears, J. Lo (or whatever she’scalling herself this week), Linkin Park andwhomever else is topping the charts representthe ne plus ultra of what music can accom-plish. Sure, there are tons of bands and musi-cians out there doing exceptional work, butonly a select few are lucky enough to bebranded “cool” by the MTV intelligentsia.Challenging and innovative music doesexist—and it always will—but hunting it out isharder than ever.

So I present to you six things I’ve realizedabout film music in the last year, in no partic-ular order (other than #1). In a nutshell: It ain’tdead yet, but it’s sure starting to smell funky.

1. Star Wars is officially dead. And it’s not John Williams’ fault. I bring thissubject up first for two reasons: 1) to get itout of the way straight off, and 2) to empha-size that big orchestral scores just aren’t

enough anymore. I heard the score for Attackof the Clones before I saw the movie, andwhat with all the advance press, I actuallybegan to believe that the film might beworthwhile. The score itself was a great pieceof music—the action cues were the best ofthe year, the love theme was stunningly gor-geous, and the finale, with the appearance ofthe Imperial March and the bold segue intothe love theme, made my hair stand up. Butthen George Lucas got his mitts on it, and itall went to hell. I hate to say it, folks, but thefirst two Star Wars films are looking moreand more like flukes every day. When a filmcomes out that’s as ice-cold and mechanizedas Attack of the Clones, one starts to under-stand that perhaps giving a director final cutis not always the best idea. I’d go on a longrant about how inept and embarrassing thefilm was, but I’ll shave it down to this: Whenthe best moment in the film (one word:Yoda) is, when you think about it, a tiredcash-in on a recent movie trend, it’s time topack your bags and switch your allegiancesto the filmmakers who are showing everyonehow it’s really done.

2. Hey, hey, rock and roll will never die.By now the scheme is obvious: Whatever stylesells records on the Billboard charts, you canguarantee it will pop up in a movie soon. Bigorchestral music isn’t, at the moment, sexyenough to move the units at Best Buy. So thetheory becomes, jam some backbeats in thereand call it a score. Some of these scores thatfeature rock and techno stylings can be prettygood: John Powell’s score for The BourneIdentity wasn’t bad, and I give John Debneyprops for trying to elevate an otherwise pedes-trian score for The Scorpion King by tossing insome headbanger metal solos. I’m all for fus-ing styles and genres, but sometimes it gets alittle out of hand. Creating a deliberatelyschizoid musical tapestry can work reallywell—check out Michael Nyman and DamonAlbarn’s deliciously gonzo score for Ravenousif you don’t believe me—but when scores likeThe Scorpion King come along, the first thing Ithink is that it was written by music executiveswho’re trying to create chart-toppers in themost unlikely of places. David Arnold contin-

Six Things I’ve Realized About Film Music2002 in Review by Jason Comerford

Howard Shore on The Two Towers

The theme for the World of Men:“You hear it the first time when Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas andGandalf approach Eteris and are ushered into Théoden’schamber and you meet him and Wormtongue for the firsttime. It’s also heard on a Hardinger fiddle, which is aNorwegian instrument and it gives you a feeling of northernEurope, so again we’re trying to create sounds and composi-tions that are particularly relevant to this culture.”

Gollum’s themes: “Gollum is a major character in thisfilm. You see glimpses of things in the first film and nowthey’re developed more fully. Gollum, by the nature of being schizophrenic, has two themes that arevery distinct. One of his themes is closely related to the Ring theme because Gollum is a characterwho’s been just destroyed by having the Ring for so many years.”

Gollum’s song: “You hear it first with boys’ singing, and then with an instrumental version of thechorus, and then Emiliana Torrini sings Fran Walsh’s lyrics. We wanted a singer from northernEurope, again bringing some of those influences to the story. We had heard her recording ‘Love in theTime of Science’ and loved it.”

Oscar buzz: “I’ll keep my fingers crossed. It would be an honor. It’s a great piece to work on and agreat inspirational novel and a great world to work in. I feel like I’m completely absorbed in it.”


v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:31 AM Page 22

ues to fuse orchestra with techno stylings withhis scores for the James Bond films; Die AnotherDay was nothing new in that respect, andalthough I have no doubt that Arnold was justdoing his job, I wonder if he’s starting to run outof ideas. And with the proliferation of pop and

rock musicians who have moved into film com-position—Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo), LisaGerrard (Dead Can Dance), Cliff Martinez (RedHot Chili Peppers) and the aforementionedAlbarn (Blur and Gorillaz) among many, manyothers—the trends are likely to pop up againand again. Then there’s always Danny Elfman,which leads me to...

3. Danny Elfman just keeps getting better and better. I’m like every other film-music geek who wentnuts over Batman when it first came out, andElfman continues to be a musician whose tra-jectory fascinates me. He seemed to get a lot ofstatic from the fan community by branching offinto more abstract directions for scores like ACivil Action and Good Will Hunting; I never dis-liked the new direction he was taking so muchas I wondered where he was going with it.Sometimes the approach worked beautifully,and sometimes it just seemed like a bunch ofnoodling with percussion patterns and synthpatches. Elfman, at the very least, had the brassballs to deliberately move away from a form ofmusical composition that made him a richman and try something new and different,regardless of whether or not it worked. I did mycivic duty and saw Spider-Man, opening nightand all, and the music evaporated from myhead the second the film was over—the onlymusic I can recall with any clarity was the oldTV theme that Sam Raimi snuck into the endcredits. I started to wonder, and then I saw RedDragon and thought, “Yes! He’s back!” The filmitself is about what you’d expect: slick and well-crafted enough, but with just enough big-stu-dio pandering that it was instantly forgettable.

Elfman, however, took one look at the film andseemed to realize the inherent silliness of it all,and went all out; his over-the-top score is prob-ably one of the better ones of his career, slylysatirical in its approach, with themes that stickin your head. It’s not a breakthrough piece of

music in any respect, but if you’re going to gofull throttle, that’s the way it should be done.

4. Minimalism is in, baby. It’s been gaining momentum for years—thefirst instance I can remember of the style pop-ping up is in John Williams’ “Schindler’sWorkforce” cue from Schindler’s List—but thesedays it’s really picking up steam. Noted mini-malist composers like Philip Glass and MichaelNyman have been doing excellent film work foryears, but Don Davis probably did the style thebest service by transposing large chunks ofJohn Adams’ Harmonielehre into his score forThe Matrix. This year, minimalist scores likeCliff Martinez’s Solaris (one of the year’s best)and Glass’ score for The Hours have gone a longway toward making the style into a distinctivelyfilmic one. (Williams also gave it a good work-out with Minority Report, an otherwise forget-table film that critics inexplicably went gagaover.) I’ve always been a fan of minimalistictechniques in film music—often they can gluea film solidly together—and this is a trend thatI’m pleased to see. Rock bands like Tortoise andThe Swans have also done excellent work byincorporating ideas from Adams, Glass, Nymanand Steve Reich—another indication of a trendthat’s evolving in fascinating ways.

5. Big orchestral music continues its decline....Throw a rock and hit 10 or 15 large-scaleorchestral scores (Ice Age, Reign of Fire, XXX,The Time Machine, et cetera, et cetera); onlyone or two of them are actually worth listeningto. Of the many that were written this year,

there were in fact several standouts. DavidJulyan’s moody score for Insomnia is an undis-covered gem, despite the fact that VarèseSarabande’s otherwise comprehensive CD ismissing the terrific log-chase cue. I enjoyed thetake-no-prisoners approach of James Newton

Howard’s score for Signs—the main title, atleast. The rest of it was typical of Howard in thatit was all exceptionally well-composed andorchestrated, but the self-important film it wasattached to brought it down a notch or two.Tomandandy’s ethereal score for MarkPellington’s underrated The MothmanProphecies deserves to see a release someday,but that seems unlikely. Other scores that Ithoroughly enjoyed included Jon Brion’sPunch-Drunk Love and Ryuichi Sakamoto’stongue-in-cheek Ravel-inspired music forBrian DePalma’s Femme Fatale.

6. Howard Shore shows us how it’s done.Okay, it’s probably old hat by now to gush overShore’s scores for The Lord of the Rings, but I’llmention it again anyway. Suffice to say thatShore, with The Two Towers, took the astonish-ing first part of Peter Jackson’s thunderous epicand developed it in fascinating new directions,particularly in the stirring accompaniment forthe tortured character Gollum. Shore treated theall-CGI character as 100% flesh and blood, andthe seamless emotional currents of his musicreally sold the experience. There’s really notmuch more to say other than...it’s going to be anawfully long wait until The Return of the King.

So there you have it—recollections on a yearof film music by a fallen enthusiast. Budget andlocation prevent me from seeing many of thefilms I’d really like to see—you’re no more likelyto see Y Tu Mama Tambien or City of God the-atrically in South Carolina than you are to wit-ness a gay pride parade at Bob JonesUniversity—but I get by. Perhaps next year willbring some more nice surprises. FSM


II LLEEAARRNNEEDD IITT AATT TTHHEE MMOOVVIIEESS:: Red Dragon (3); The Scorpion King (2); and The Mothman Prophecies (4).

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Naqoyqatsi Philip Glass

Glass’ work on The Hours isgoing to get more attention from film critics,but it was the uncompromising final third ofthe Qatsi trilogy that found the composercharting new territory. The Qatsi films havebeen one of film music’s great experiments. AsGlass has noted, while the films began withnatural images and have moved into techno-logical coolness, the scores have moved in anopposite direction. The projects have clearlybeen important to the composer, and it’s greatto see him exit the series with the same clear-focused integrity with which he began. Everystock Glass-ism is given a new spin, from thecreative use of instrumentation to the outrightRomantic meditations of Yo-Yo Ma’s cello.

Spider-Man Danny Elfman

This was almost a no-winsituation for Danny Elfman. No matter what hewrote, it was going to sound too much or toolittle like Batman. Once again Elfman provedthat’s he’s got more backbone than half the filmindustry and simply wrote what was right forthe film. The result is one of his most themati-cally diverse scores in years, with an old-fash-ioned sense of drama and bone-cracking styleof action. Spider-Man may be the least sexy

superhero score ever—no sleekly gothicBatman harmonies, no breakfast of champi-ons Superman Technicolor. In fact, Elfman’sapproach almost purely avoids any overt man-ifestations of heroism and leans, instead,toward simple sincerity. It’s music for a kid justdoing the best he can in the world—albeit witha pretty nifty bag of tricks.

Elfman’s writing is increasingly becoming alitmus test for those who actually listen toscores and those who like to bathe in rehashedemotion-tropes. There’s enough sonic detailand thematic mutation packed in this score forseveral Spider-Man movies. I can’t wait to seewhat he does for number two.

Attack of the ClonesMinority ReportHarry Potter and the

Chamber of Secrets Catch Me If You Can John Williams

John Williams celebrated his70th birthday by reminding the world that, hey,he’s John Williams. His Attack of the Clonesscore is more Star Wars-y than the film. As fanslament the schism between original trilogyand the prequels, Williams neatly bridged thegap by melding the Leia theme around theLuke rhythm and setting it all in a minor modefor the doomed love of the Skywalker parents.

Next it was on to Spielberg’sMinority Report—and another score that occa-sionally feels more like Star Wars than the cur-rent films. Actually, that’s not fair. MinorityReport is its own beast, and though it leansheavily on applied Williams-isms, it providesSpielberg’s film with a beating heart amongstthe cluttered despair of modernity. Minority’sscore seems deeper with each listen.

Harry Potter was Williams’biggest throwback of the year, and not justbecause it sounds a bit like River Phoenixfinally got his own Indiana Jones franchise.Potter was written fast. In fact, it’s remarkablethat Williams would even attempt this scoregiven his 2002 schedule. It lacks the linearfocus of modern Williams, but it returns to thecoloristically explorative voice of Williams inthe mid-’70s—like one of those little BlackSunday gems that slips under the radar. There’san orchestral playfulness in Potter, suggestingWilliams never had time to second-guess him-self. While it may be somewhat less refinedthan the Williams of the ’90s and 2000s, ittosses its orchestral palette around irresistibly.

And then there’s Catch Me if You Can. I wish that Williams had reverted tohis old diminutive and been credited as“Johnny” on this score. It’s probably the lastgreat Johnny Williams score—in fact, it’s prob-ably the best Johnny Williams score. It’s slickand cool and somehow retro without beingperiod. There’s an easy lyricism to Williams’writing, which is artfully laid against the film.Of all Williams’ Spielberg scores, Catch Me bestretains its sense of musical architecture. It’s likethe Scorsese approach—a counterpoint to thefilm rather than a straightforward underscore.Critics have understandably had a hard time

Elliot Goldenthal on FridaLive vocals in the score and film: “It’s true-to-life of life in Mexico. Even in the intellec-tual world, one can’t escape being in a situation where someone is either singing at you or singingwith you—any dinner will have a number of mariachi singers and any private party—you rarely hearboom boxes or canned music in Mexico even now. People are singing live music and families go outon the lakes and take excursions and they hire little private bands to sing.”

Coordinating live performances: “There was a song called ‘Viva la Viva’ which is a verytraditional-sounding trio that I wrote, and that was sung during a scene in which boats were floatingdown the canals in the middle of Mexico City. It took huge coordination—almost like being a generalin the army, where there were 20 boats that had to cross the camera at a certain point in the lyrics—so you see the musicians singing at that same point where Salma and Fred, Frida and Diego, werecrossing the camera at the same time, and music was blasting and the singers were singing and itwas a wild scene.”

Salma Hayek singing: “She’s got a wonderful voice, and when she walks around she singsAmerican torch songs from the ’40s with a gorgeous, low voice, so I knew she could sing.”

These Are a Few of My Favorite Scores By Doug Adams


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expressing the appeal of Catch Me, both as afilm and a score. It’s not deep. It never offers tounearth some heretofore unarticulated truth ofhuman existence. It’s cinematic champagne.And though it’s fizzy and light, it also showcasesWilliams’ most progressively outside-the-boxscore since the mid-’80s.

I’m more than slightly eager to see what hedoes for his 80th birthday!

The Kid Stays in the PictureJeff Danna

Robert Evans’ bio-documentaryextravaganza should have cancelled itself out ina black hole of contradictions. It’s cartoony, butcrushingly tragic. Nostalgic but sarcastic. Yetsomehow the whole thing works. Jeff Danna’sscore nailed the tone and tied it up with a bow.People tend to forget that film composing isn’tjust how you write, it’s what you write. Kid wasone of the year’s toughest calls, and Danna pro-vided just the right stroke of effortlessness.

Panic Room • Spider The Two Towers Howard Shore

Remember when Howard Shorewas the secret pleasure of film score nuts andCronenberg aficionados? Somewhere in early2002 that all came to an irreparably screechinghalt. Lord of the Rings launched Shore into therarified strata of name-brand composersinstantly recognized by the general public. As atrue artist, Shore has responded not by baskingin the acclaim, but by pushing himself harderand harder. Panic Room is a masterpiece ofclaustrophobic timbres—the world’s first archi-tectural thriller, which turns the four walls of a

house into a threatening collection of construc-tional soundscapes. Panic Room’s biggest sell-ing point was its single-set staging. In the pres-ence of basic archetypal characters, Shorebrilliantly turned the set against the cast in anightmare of floorboards and ductwork. Everytime Fincher and Shore leave the gate, theyseem to discover a new shade of black together.

Shore also gave Cronenberg’sSpider a sickly writhing chamber score, evoca-tive of a collapsed childhood. It’s the stuff ofWebern’s bleakest imaginings–a prickly exami-nation of expressionism that seems unwillinglywrested from a tonal world. Upsetting, affectingand potently intelligent.

Shore left 2002 by building uponthe momentum that thrust him into it. The TwoTowers conclusively proved, to my ears at least,that Shore’s work on the Lord of the Rings filmswill be regarded as one of the great epic projectsof our time. There is an unbelievable level ofdetail presented in these scores. Shore hasremarked that these films have provided a can-vas that not even opera will allow, and he’splayed this unique opportunity to the hilt. TwoTowers expands the world of Fellowship on boththe micro and macro levels. Character themes

develop, the musical palette alters, Shore evenmarshals bits of material from the first scorethat we didn’t know were major themes!

The only thing dampening my enthusiasmfor the proposed all-inclusive 6-CD set is thatI don’t ever want there to be a time when Ican’t look forward to Shore’s next Lord of theRings score. Can someone please fast trackThe Hobbit?

Signs James Newton Howard

Signs is James Newton Howard’sbest score to date. Say what you will aboutdirector Shyamalan, whether he’s a Spielbergpretender or a genuine visionary, he allowsHoward more room than any of his other col-laborators. The music in Signs is no mere glosson a pre-existing film—it’s kith and kin to thestory’s themes. The score is a storytelling device,not a story-retelling device, and there’s a worldof different in those two little letters. The musicnever stoops to say, look this family is scared. Itarticulates the ideas swarming in that middle-class living room. Where’s the line betweenhope and threat? How much do we understand

forces working in our lives, and how do wename them? The composition, like the film,never reaches any solid conclusions but inti-mates that in questions of faith, often the searchis the discovery. Not bad for a score based onthree notes, huh?

The CD is an abstraction of the plot: hints ofthe setting, the shifting emotions of discovery,and the promise and fulfillment of an epic con-clusion free of pat resolutions. Let’s hopeHoward’s music is afforded this degree of partic-ipatory respect in the future.

Road to PerditionThomas Newman

When Thomas Newman firstcame on the scene, fans were forever clamoring



Hans Zimmer on Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron

Scoring a movie with no dialogue:“I was trying to reinvent that whole art form of the western

score. I did the opening of the movie many times, and that eagleflying in the opening scene, I saw a lot of him. I did the first ver-sion and thought, ‘Hey, here’s the American West, let’s get a lotof guitars in.’ Well the first time you heard a guitar you knew thiswasn’t the virgin land you were supposed to see, there were defi-nitely people in there. I didn’t figure that out until I put that upagainst picture. Then I thought, ‘Okay, if I don’t want any peoplein there I should go totally abstract and make it an electronicscore.’ The score in the movie is pretty much that electronic score, except what happened is it gotreally boring really quickly. What was hard was trying to figure out how to introduce real instrumentswithout making it sound like there were men hiding out there behind trees or something, like havingthe Count Basie Big Band at the end of Blazing Saddles. When you have the characters talk, itinstantly gives you complete license to do anything you want musically.”

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Alas, poor Star Trek. Between Enterprise’s sinkingratings and the way Nemesis stank up the boxoffice, many fans and critics are calling the belea-guered franchise dead in space. Given this state ofaffairs, this retrospective might be considered awake of sorts. The Star Trek film series encom-passes more than 20 years, stretching from thestoried ’70s to the new millennium. As we cele-brate (or mourn) Trek’s 10th big-screen adventure,here’s a look back on the nine that camebefore…where they succeeded, where they failed,

and the composers who helped them along.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)The Premise: Capitalizing on the success of Star Wars, the

original crew reunites to face an alien menace.The Prognosis: Opinions vary widely, with the overall critical

and fan response being negative. Most complaints focus on the

somnambulant pace and lack of action. Still, this most cerebralof Treks garnered a loyal cult following within the Trek commu-nity (this author included), and Robert Wise’s recent “Director’sEdition” of the film is inarguably superior.

The Music: Frequently touted as a magnum opus, there’s nodenying the Mahlerian scope and grandeur of Jerry Goldsmith’sOscar-nominated score. From the now-classic main theme(subsequently borrowed for Star Trek: The Next Generation), tothe Klingon and Vulcan motifs, to the love theme for Ilia and the(musically related) ponderously menacing theme for Vejur, thisscore is a crown jewel in Goldsmith’s treasury. Sony’s composer-approved expanded edition fleshes out the original Columbiaalbum nicely and is an essential part of any film music collec-tion.

Album Highlight: “The Enterprise,” still the best-ever exposi-tion of Goldsmith’s famous main theme, and one of the mae-stro’s greatest cues, period.

Missing in Action: Several “Captain’s Log” cues, penned byAlex Courage and featuring his classic Star Trek TV theme. Trekvet Fred Steiner also contributed material still unreleased (prob-ably because Goldsmith doesn’t want to take undue credit).

Score Rating: ★★★★★

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)The Premise: TV villain Khan is transposed to the big screen,

where he channels his infamous wrath into a dastardly plot forrevenge.

The Prognosis: With STII, Nick Meyer pulled an enormousrabbit out of a low-budget hat. Emphasis on submarine-styleaction and our heroes grappling with mortality make this theundisputed fan-favorite. A fantastic script and assured directionmore than compensate for spotty special effects. RicardoMontalban’s megalomaniac Khan has gone down in history.This is Star Trek at its best.

The Music: Fierce action, a sense of real poignancy, and asoaring main theme in the best adventure tradition. This is thehistoric score that put James Horner on the map. While not asmusically mature as Goldsmith’s original, Horner’s score madehis reputation as a composer capable of broad emotional depthand rousing excitement. Many fans still consider this to beHorner’s greatest work. A genuine classic.

Album Highlight: “Battle in the Mutara Nebula,” while owingmuch to Prokofiev, remains one of Horner’s most thrilling cues.

Missing in Action: “Enterprise Attacks Reliant,” a short butsatisfying action cue: Tight suspense and crashing chordsabound.

Score Rating: ★★★★★

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)The Premise: Spock returns, Nimoy directs, and Christopher

Lloyd plays a villainous Klingon captain questing after the atom-bomb-analog Genesis device.

The Prognosis: While it suffers somewhat from unavoidablecomparison to its immediate predecessor, under Nimoy’s com-petent direction STIII remains a lively and entertaining rompthrough the cosmos. Spock’s inevitable return is corny, ofcourse, but thankfully doesn’t completely negate the continuingtheme of mortality and change.

The Music: There’s quite a bit of repeated material herefrom STII, but Horner also gives us a new (if somewhat limp)theme for the Klingons and a fair dose of the bustling excite-ment that made his previous effort so noteworthy. The finaltrack on the soundtrack CD is a hilariously dated pop

Where No Note Has Gone Before...The Trek film series gets a farewell salute (for now) By John Takis


v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:39 AM Page 26

arrangement of Spock’s theme.Album Highlight: “Stealing the Enterprise,” which again steals

from Prokofiev, but is such fun you won’t care.Missing in Action: “A Fighting Chance to Live.” As the dying

Enterprise blazes through the atmosphere, Horner’s music issweeping, emotionally climactic and inexplicably left off thesoundtrack album. Perhaps this one was too similar to Prokofiev.

Score Rating: ★★★

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)The Premise: The crew must rocket back to the 1980s to “save

the whales.”The Prognosis: Lighthearted, funny and unapologetically

issue-conscious, STIV harkens back to the time-traveling,hippie-friendly days of the classic Trek era. A critical darling,even among non-Trekkies. This film achieved the kind ofeffortless broad-based appeal that has eluded Trek moviesever since.

The Music: Leonard Rosenman, in fine fashion, provides ascore that is best described as “jubilant.” But the exuberantmain-title theme, with its wild brass tintinnabulation, is onlya small slice of Rosenman’s diverse soundscape, which alsoencompasses striking tonalities for the planet Vulcan, a care-free nautical fugue, and even a sprightly Russian-flavored jig.Rosenman is an acquired taste, but if you’ve acquired it, thisis a great listen. It’s also the second (and, so far, last) Trekscore to be nominated for an Oscar.

Album Highlight: “The Hospital Chase.” A festive polka in aStar Trek movie. Somehow, it works.

Missing in Action: “Spock”—a terrific, subtle variation onthe main theme plays underneath our first glimpse of therecuperating Vulcan.

Score Rating: ★★★ 1/2

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)The Premise: Spock’s loony half-brother brainwashes

assorted alien rebels into searching for God at the center ofthe galaxy. William Shatner directs a Star Trek movie.

The Prognosis: This film did such a good job of parodyingitself, Mad Magazine only took one page to spoof it. The plot

is weak, to say the least; the direction is choppy and confus-ing; gags come across as forced and unfunny. But repeatviewings reveal a so-kooky-it’s-fun dimension that is actuallyakin to much of the classic TV series. There are also somegenuinely effective character moments, such as McCoy’svision of euthanasia. Laurence Luckinbill, David Warner andGeorge Murdock as “God” chew up the scenery in deliciouslyhammy supporting roles.

The Music: Proving once again that bad films don’t neces-sarily mean bad scores, Jerry Goldsmith’s music captures allof the energy, mystery and drama that the film fails to gener-ate. While the original main theme and the Klingon themereturn, we get a rich palette of new material—including a sadand mysterious (and sometimes violent) theme for Sybok, anennobling melody for Kirk, and a dreamlike theme for theplanet Sha-ka-ree—in addition to top-notch action writing. Afour-note “God” motif would be borrowed and reframed inGoldsmith’s subsequent Trek outings. Often overlooked or

marginalized by association, STV ranks among Goldsmith’sfinest works. It is arguably his second-best Trek score after theoriginal, and long overdue for expansion.

Album Highlight: “A Busy Man” captures perfectly the mount-ing tension and awe of Kirk and Co.’s descent to the God-planet—perhaps too much so, since it may have played a role inheightening audience expectations! Listen for the oh-so-cleverinterpolation of the Klingon theme.

Missing in Action: “A Tall Ship” is a beautiful and uplifting“sequel” cue to TMP’s “The Enterprise.”

Score Rating: ★★★★ 1/2

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)The Premise: For their final big-screen adventure, the end of

the Federation/Klingon cold war draws the crew into a deadlygalactic conspiracy.

The Prognosis: Really more of a political thriller/murder mys-tery than an outer-space adventure, STVI is still a fitting send-offfor the original crew: a pleasing blend of character humor andfriendship, and high-stakes action/drama. ChristopherPlummer is excellent and memorable as the Shakespeare-spouting General Chang.


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v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:39 AM Page 27

Mission TerminusStar Trek Nemesis ★★★★

JERRY GOLDSMITH

Varèse Sarabande 302 066 412 2

14 tracks - 48:24

In Greek mythology, Nemesis is the entity sentby the gods to punish overreaching pride.Appropriately, and in spite of all the self-congrat-

ulatory hype, the 10th Trek movie is a woefullyunpleasant affair. With a weak script, confusingediting, convoluted plot and uninspired direction(Stuart Baird employs such techniques as a grainyyellow filter to represent an alien world), Nemesis

has become the least successful Trek at the boxoffice, departing theaters long before this reviewmakes print. Still, Nemesis carries two positiveelements: First, its dismal reception (coupled withEnterprise’s sinking ratings) may prompt

Paramount to give the tired franchise new leader-ship or put it to bed. Second: Jerry Goldsmith.

Given the calculated attempt to infuseNemesis with new blood (Baird and Gladiator

scribe John Logan), there were a lot of composernames flying around early last year. But the pow-ers-that-be wisely decided to stick with Goldsmith,perhaps recognizing his talent for consistentlywringing dramatic sincerity out of absolute dreck.Sure enough, he remains true to form.

One brief warning: Those who thinkGoldsmith and electronics shouldn’t mix mightwant to exercise caution—synthetic effects are anessential component of this score and might notbe to everyone’s taste. That said…

Nemesis on CD is an engrossing journey fromstart to finish. “Remus” drops us into an alienlandscape, with synthetic undertones appearingalmost immediately. A melancholy fanfare leadsinto the familiar Alexander Courage opening, butinstead of segueing into the typical thematic rush,we get martial percussion and an abstract readingof Goldsmith’s principal new theme for the “neme-sis” in question: a young human clone named

Shinzon. Shinzon’s theme is based around aseries of short descending runs, which Goldsmithuses as the key to unlocking the dark heart of thescore, shaping a haunting requiem for Shinzon’snobler human side, then deconstructing it intofragmented and barbaric riffs to represent his bru-tal Reman tendencies.

“The Box” continues the synthetic undercur-rent. Ominous horn swells rise. A crest of electron-ics and shimmering strings ascends mysteriously,climaxes, then evaporates, replaced by poundingdread. Low brass growls out elements ofShinzon’s theme before dying away.

The four-note motif originally introduced inGoldsmith’s Star Trek V, and resurrected in everyone of his Trek scores since, returns in Nemesis

as a warm pastoral movement for the familial rela-tionships among the crew. “My Right Arm” is agentle exposition of this theme.

Spidery electronics and overlapping orches-tral textures represent an alien world in “Odds and

Ends.” The music builds to a deliberate actionsequence that is vintage Goldsmith, ostinatosjumping all over the orchestra, and building to aheroic peak.

“Repairs” opens with a lovely atmosphericmélange, giving way to the “family” motif. Theorchestral and electronic combination works togreat effect here, distantly evoking Goldsmith’sVejur music from Star Trek: The Motion Picture.We finally hear Goldsmith’s classic Star Trek

theme, which leads us into intense, threateningmaterial representing the savage might ofRomulus and Remus, characterized by a slurreddescending half-step. The tolling, bell-like effectsreturn for a smooth transition to the next track,“The Knife,” which further develops the score’sambient oppression. Goldsmith accomplishes justthe right synthesis of foreboding electronic andorchestral textures, so that when Shinzon’s themeis presented with straight orchestra in the nexttrack, “Ideals,” we let our guard down, warming tohis humanity even as Picard does in the film. And,like Picard, we feel a deep sense of unease whenthe Reman material resurfaces.

That unease progresses in “The Mirror” withfurther developments of Reman motifs, inter-rupted by the family theme, then moving into atense martial build-up. A pulsating ostinato, partic-ularly effective on piano, provides a warm-up forthe next track, “The Scorpion.” Here is the score’sfirst real balls-to-the-wall action cue—the maestroat his propulsive best. Trademark overlappingGoldsmith rhythms and percussion effects buildunderneath Shinzon’s theme. For the finale, mon-strous brass leads into a heroic statement of themain Trek theme.

The next two cues, “Lateral Run” and“Engage,” alternate between explosive action andmounting tension. It all comes to a head in “FinalFlight,” which kicks off with a whirlwind and neverlooks back. This is Goldsmith’s most satisfyingaction cue in ages, with jagged rhythms andpounding French horns, continually ratcheting upthe intensity, climaxing in a run of furious timpaniand brass. Listen to this one with the volume up.

The score’s denouement isequally effective. “A New Friend” isa touching and fragile reprise of thefamily theme…the quiet after thestorm. “A New Ending” begins with apoignant quote of the jazz mainstay“Blue Skies” (the song Data singsearly in the movie) before segueinginto the end titles. If there’s onearea of disappointment here, it’sthat the end credits are a typicalsandwich affair: Star Trek

theme/Shinzon’s theme/Star Trek

theme, with the first Trek rendition sounding morelike the TV version. The credits version ofShinzon’s theme, however, is a real treat, with alengthy B-section melody that soars with tragicgrandeur. This is only hinted at in the film andabsent from the rest of the album.

Varèse Sarabande’s soundtrack is almost 50minutes long—a record length for first-release Trek

movie albums. The 20-odd minutes cut are inter-esting but not essential, consisting mainly ofatmospheric or redundant material. One point ofinterest is that Goldsmith attempted to linkNemesis to ST:TMP with quotes of musical mate-rial from “Leaving Drydock” and “The Enterprise.”These are left off the CD, and it’s just as well; it’skind of depressing to hear these brilliant cuescondensed into a few hurried seconds, and thatthey remind us of how lush and romantic Trek

used to be doesn’t help this ugly, jerky film.Varèse is also releasing a SACD Special

Edition that will not contain any new music butwill feature the score as recorded, in full DTSsurround sound. The disc will also work in nor-mal CD players. —John Takis


v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:39 AM Page 28

The Music: Cliff Eidelman’s darkly aggressive,Holst-inspired score attracted a lot of notice,which makes it especially surprising that hewent on to devote most of his career to forget-table romantic comedies. There’s a noblemelody for Kirk and the Enterprise, an etherealtheme for Spock, and (as was standard by thistime) arrangements of Courage’s classic TVtheme. The score features alternately ominousand bombastic thematic material for theKlingons (including a choir!), and Eidelmandeparted notably from Trek tradition to use thiselement for his main title. Nick Meyer returnedto write and direct, so it’s no surprise that thisscore’s closest Trek antecedent is STII.

Album Highlight:“Star Trek VI Suite”—most ofthe score’s best ideas in six minutes.

Missing in Action: “Guess Who’s Coming,” ashort but ominous cue, with great percussion.

Score Rating: ★★★★

Star Trek Generations (1994)The Premise: Kirk and Picard team up across

time and space to battle a star-destroying madscientist. Kirk signs off...for good.

The Prognosis: This much-hyped “meeting ofthe generations” never quite comes together.The plot is confusing, the characters aren’tthemselves—Picard in mourning and emotion-chip-laden Data painfully unfunny—and Kirkliterally dies with a whimper, courtesy ofMalcolm McDowell’s cheesed-off Dr. Soran.Whoopi Goldberg’s prominent role as Guinandoesn’t do much to liven things up.

The Music: Dennis McCarthy doesn’t reallydeserve his reputation as a composer of sonicwallpaper—Trek’s tin-eared caretaker RickBerman takes most of the credit. But for TNG’sfirst big-screen outing, McCarthy was allowed toexpand and build on his music from the TVseries. The result is a generally mediocre, occa-sionally pleasing score. Most of it sounds like histelevision stock music, only more exciting...

(continud on page 44)

THE TV SHOWSThe Original Series■■ Star Trek ALEXANDER COURAGE

GNP Crescendo, GNPD 8006■■ Star Trek, Vol. 2 SOL KAPLAN, GERALD FRIED

GNP Crescendo, GNPD 8025■■ Star Trek, Vol. 3 FRIED, COURAGE

GNP Crescendo, GNPD 8030■■ Star Trek FRED STEINER, KAPLAN

Varèse Sarabande, VSD 47235■■ Star Trek, Vol. 2

STEINER, JERRY FIELDING, GEORGE DUNINGVarèse Sarabande, VSD 47240

■■ Star Trek, Vol. 1

DUNING, FRIED • Label X, LXCD 703■■ Star Trek, Vol. 2 JOSEPH MULLENDORE,

FIELDING, KAPLAN, SAMUEL MATLOFSKY Label X, LXCD 704

The Next Generation■■ Vol. 1: “Encounter at Farpoint,”

DENNIS McCARTHY GNP Crescendo, GNPD 8012

■■ Vol. 2: “The Best of Both Worlds,” RON JONESGNP Crescendo, GNPD 8026

■■ Vol. 3: Three episodes by McCARTHYGNP Crescendo, GNPD 8031

■■ Vol. 4: Seven episodes by JAY CHATTAWAYGNP Crescendo, GNPD 8057

Deep Space Nine■■ Star Trek: Deep Space Nine:

“The Emissary,” McCARTHY • GNP Crescendo,GNPD 8034

Voyager■■ Star Trek: Voyager: “The Caretaker,”

CHATTAWAY GNP Crescendo, GNPD 8041

Enterprise■■ Enterprise: “Broken Bow,” McCARTHY

Decca 289 470 999-2

THE MOVIES■■ Star Trek: The Motion Picture

JERRY GOLDSMITH • Columbia, CK 36334■■ Star Trek: The Motion Picture: 20th

Anniversary Edition Columbia/Legacy C2K66134; CK 65485/DIDP 096708 (with InsideStar Trek, spoken word recording by GeneRoddenberry and original cast)

■■ Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

JAMES HORNER • GNP Crescendo, GNPD 8022

■■ Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

HORNER • GNP Crescendo, GNPD 8023■■ Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

LEONARD ROSENMAN • MCA, MCAD-6195■■ Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

GOLDSMITH • Epic, EK 45267■■ Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

CLIFF EIDELMAN • MCA, MCAD-10512■■ Star Trek Generations

McCARTHY • GNP Crescendo, GNPD 8040■■ Star Trek First Contact

GOLDSMITH • GNP Crescendo, GNPD 8052■■ Star Trek Insurrection

GOLDSMITH • GNP Crescendo, GNPD 8059■■ Star Trek Nemesis

GOLDSMITH Varèse Sarabande, 302 066 412 2■■ Star Trek Nemesis SACD Special Edition

GOLDSMITH • Varèse Sarabande, 302 066 430 2

COMPILATIONS■■ Star Trek: The Astral Symphony

VARIOUS • Paramount Pictures, 12958■■ Symphonic Star Trek

VARIOUS • Telarc, CD-80383■■ The Best of Star Trek

VARIOUS • GNP Crescendo, GNPD 8053■■ The Best of Star Trek, Vol. 2

VARIOUS • GNP Crescendo, GNPD 8061■■ The Ultimate Star Trek

VARIOUS • Varèse Sarabande, 302 066 163 2

ODDITIES (partial list)■■ Star Trek: Original TV Series

Sound Effects

GNP Crescendo, GNPD 8010■■ Mr. Spock’s Music From Outer Space

LEONARD NIMOY• Varése Sarabande,B0000014WR

■■ The Transformed Man

WILLIAM SHATNER• Varése Sarabande,B0000014WS

Hailing Frequencies OpenThe Star Trek experience on CD


v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:39 AM Page 29

Catch Me If You Can★★★★

JOHN WILLIAMSDreamworks 0044-50410-02

16 tracks - 62:26

Set in the swinging ’60s,Steven Spielberg’s Catch MeIf You Can is a well-acted

cat-and-mouse game betweenteenage con man LeonardoDiCaprio (think The Talented Mr.Ripley) and FBI agent Tom Hanks.This is less high-minded thanSchindler’s List and obviously lesssci-fi than A.I. or Jurassic Park. It’smore akin to something likeAlways in that it doesn’t necessarilyfit the mold of a “Spielberg” film.

This is Williams’ fourth score of2002, and while it might be thelightest, it is by no means the leastimportant. After doing heavy-weight writing for last summer’sMinority Report (and let’s not for-get the extremely lengthy anddense scores for Attack of theClones and Harry Potter and theChamber of Secrets), he contributesa masterful effort for Spielberg’ssecond film in less than sixmonths.

I don’t know what I was expect-ing when I put on the Catch Me IfYou Can CD, but it definitely wasn’twhat I heard. The opening titlesbegin with a vibraphone carrying alilting, circular motive that createsan air of suspense and intrigue.With the addition of saxophoneand snaps, we’re reminded of theBernstein jazz sound (bothLeonard and Elmer). From thenon, the piece is an exhilarating col-lision of ideas.

Though more difficult to classifythan most Williams scores, CatchMe If You Can resembles PresumedInnocent and The AccidentalTourist, especially during “TheFather’s Theme.” This “Father” idea

is more melancholy and less flashythan the main-title motive. It startswith a sax solo so jazzy you’d swearyou could see the cigarette hazehanging over your stereo as itplays.

One last motive requires men-tion: This “I-want-to-be-in-America”-like theme is so light andairy that it’s almost too cheerful inrelation to the others. The theme isfirst heard in “The Float,” a stand-out piece very close in shape to“Harry’s Wondrous World” fromHarry Potter. Much of this track (orall of it?) is missing from the film—it may just be a concert piecebased on the theme.

Spielberg usually brings out thevery best in Williams—this is ascore not to be missed. Scatteredthroughout the album are jazz andlounge source cues from the likesof Frank Sinatra, Stan Getz andDusty Springfield. —Cary Wong

The Hours ★★★★PHILIP GLASSNonesuch 79693-2 • 14 tracks - 57:41

For someone who’s oftenreferred to as a minimalist

composer, Philip Glass has beenassociated with some maximumprojects. From operas like Einsteinon the Beach and Satyagraha tofilms like Kundun and the -qatsitrilogy, Glass’ driving music hasalways been at the forefront ofthese projects, totally integral totheir success. For The Hours, Glassemploys a more subdued scorethat makes for interesting contrastto his higher-profile efforts.

The Hours is the movie versionof the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelby Michael Cunningham about thelives of three women in three dif-ferent eras. If ever there was a liter-ary movie, this is it. (In fact, this isthe first time I can recall the CD

booklet of a soundtrack beingfilled with pages of excerpts fromthe book on which the movie isbased.) The Hours had a difficulttime making it to the big screen,and according to a New York maga-zine article, one of the main bonesof contention was Glass’ score.Supposedly, Miramax honchoHarvey Weinstein saw a rough-cutof the film and immediatelywanted Glass’ score removed.(Glass, by the way, replacedMichael Nyman, who had to bowout because of schedule conflicts.)Producer Scott Rudin foughtWeinstein on this, and Glass’ scorewas saved. Without hearing a sin-gle note of Glass’ score, I thought itwas likely great (to cause that kind

of ruckus).Now, after hearing the score, I

can safely say it’s one of Glass’best—if only in that he so skillfullybinds the three different time peri-ods without using period music.His music is squarely early 21st-century modernist, and yet itdoesn’t come off as anachronisticin the film. The cello and piano(beautifully played by David Arch)in the opening cue, “The PoetActs,” feels so universal and time-less that it’s as though Glass’ entirehistory of musical experimenta-tion has lead to this score. Whileseveral cues are adapted frompieces written earlier in Glass’career, this is still his tightest filmscore. By the time you get to thecathartic finale, themes and varia-tions fit nicely in the muscular,near-eight-minute cue “TheHours.” The intensity in the lasthalf of this track is almost toomuch to bear.

This score will likely pleasecasual film score fans, but Glassfans may find it a turning point inhis career. This could be the scorethat moves him from esoteric tomainstream. Whether this is agood or a bad thing...we’ll have tostay tuned. —C.W.

Narc ★★ 1/2

CLIFF MARTINEZTVT Soundtrax TV-6670-2 18 tracks - 42:16

In Narc, two unstable detectiveshunt for a cop killer in the wintry

streets of Detroit. Starring RayLiotta, Jason Patric and the inim-itable Busta Rhymes, the film bar-rages its viewers with gunplay,fights and death as it pays homageto classic police pictures likeBullitt, Dirty Harry and The FrenchConnection. Given its pedigree,one might expect Narc to feature


R E V I E W S O F C D S

SCORE CLASSIC ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

GREAT ★ ★ ★ ★

GOOD ★ ★ ★

BELOW AVERAGE ★ ★

WEAK ★

v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:39 AM Page 30

music that sounds tough anddynamic; after all, in the “ultravio-lent” cop films of the ’70s, com-posers like Lalo Schifrin and IsaacHayes pumped out hard pop andfunk arrangements to approximatemusically the threat of the citystreet. For Narc, however, CliffMartinez uses electronica—muchas he did for Traffic—to generatethe same sort of cerebral concoc-tions that once distinguished “artrock” outfits like Tangerine Dreamand King Crimson. As the pressrelease for this movie explains,“The soundtrack takes the listeneron a dreamlike, ambient journeythrough the dark world of under-cover narcotics that the film fol-lows.”

Indeed, through the course ofthis “ambient journey,” Martinezgenerally avoids traditionalmelody-harmony arrangements,preferring instead to operate withdrifting rhythms, sonic texturesand so forth. A characteristic tracklike “This Is It,” for instance, fea-tures an electronic pulse, mean-dering footsteps, a gong and key-board chords that rise and fall likewillow branches in the wind.Similarly, “I’m Still Gonna Leave”is a virtually static pool of sounds,which the composer slowly stirswith the erratic screeches of anelectric guitar.

Now and then Martinez tight-ens up the music a bit, as in “IWanna Check This Place Out” and“Let’s Sit on It,” with a punchingbass-and-drums figure that leansheavily on the sound of TrentReznor’s Nine Inch Nails. And,occasionally, he allows actualemotion to seep into the material.A short keyboard cue like“Something to Do,” for example,sets a pattern against a back-ground of wind and echoes, creat-ing a sound that resembles theromantic noise Brian Eno andDaniel Lanois wrapped aroundU2 in the ’80s. In fact, wheneverMartinez (who used to playdrums for the Red Hot ChiliPeppers) allows his rock-and-rollheart to beat, this score comes tolife. Such moments of self-disclo-

sure, however, are both rare andfleeting. —Stephen Armstrong

Home Alone 2 Lost in New York:The Deluxe Edition (1992)★★★★

JOHN WILLIAMSVarèse Sarabande VCL 1102 1014Disc One: 17 tracks - 46:48Disc Two: 16 tracks - 53:17

This album will be of little inter-est to those who are not

Williams completists or big fans ofthe Home Alone scores, but if youenjoy the festive sound of Williams’Home Alone music, do yourself afavor and pick this one up.

The biggest draws are nearly 40minutes of previously unreleasedmaterial and much improvedsound quality. The original album’sexcess hiss always bothered me,especially since the score for thefirst film was recorded digitally. Assuch, I was not surprised to learnthat it didn’t use first generationmasters. This album corrects thatproblem, and the result is stun-ning. Even on the familiar tracksyou’ll hear subtle John Williamsnuances you hadn’t noticedbefore—a tuba solo here, a wood-wind and chime combo there.

Producers Nick Redman andMichael Matessino should bethanked not only for leaving theoriginal track titles intact (whycouldn’t they have done that forStar Wars?) but for including alter-nates and bonus tracks (like thesource musical score for the ficti-tious gangster movie that serves asa retread of a gag from the firstfilm, and would sound at home inany Rózsa or Steiner noir score).They also rearranged the scorechronologically, which brings anew touch to familiar tracks like“To the Plaza Presto,” a wonderfulscherzo incorporatingTchaikovsky’s “Marzipan” fromThe Nutcracker and which nowhas a brand new opening.

“Arrival in New York,” “PlazaHotel” and “Duncan’s Toy Store”each nearly doubles in runninglength, and Williams’ newly

restored Christmas fanfares are ajoy to hear. The previously unre-leased “Turtle Doves” is a realhighlight, with its wonderful harpand celesta music box sound.

Disc two opens with “ChristmasStar—Preparing the Trap.” Thesegue from the carol to the per-cussion rhythm that kicks off“Preparing the Trap” containssome of the best canonic writingof Williams’ career. Disc two alsofeatures the comedy pratfalls ofKevin’s booby traps in a couple oflengthy tracks, and althoughMatessino rightfully praises thetechnical achievement of this veryprecise music, it is still the weakestpart of the score. For this type ofmickey-mousing comedy scoring,no one can compare with CarlStalling or Milt Franklin. Thealbum finishes up with the severalemotional cues of the finale, andthen the formal Christmas carolsthat Williams co-wrote with LeslieBricusse and recorded specificallyfor album presentation. Of these,“Somewhere in My Memory” is alittle weaker than the children’schoir version from the first film,but the dramatic power of “Star ofBethlehem” is unsurpassed by anyother recording.

This album will likely remain inmost John Williams fans’ CD play-

ers for quite a while. As always,let’s hope it paves the way formore two-disc Williams restora-tions. —Darren MacDonald

White Oleander ★★ 1/2

THOMAS NEWMANVarèse Sarabande 302 066 417 2

19 tracks - 34:40

When my sister-in-lawrecently finished Janet

Fitch’s extremely popular OprahBook Club selection WhiteOleander, she turned to me andwondered aloud: “How in theworld did they make a movie outof this novel?” I replied: “Judgingby the reviews, by slappingtogether a top-notch cast and crewand then letting them work againsteach other.”

The book and movie concernthe relationships between a youngwoman and her various mothers,both foster and biological.Evidently the amount of emotionalangst generated on-screen bythese relationships pushedThomas Newman in the oppositedirection. He has crafted a scorewith so little tension that a singlepass through the brief albumleaves the listener in a near-coma-tose state.

Having enjoyed Newman’s inno-vative scoring in the past, I lookedforward to hearing this. Now, afterseveral listens, I am inclined toagree with the many critics whowondered about the direction ofthe film. Newman’s score belongsin the Brian Eno school of ambientmusic—not a bad category to bein, but a strange choice for such apowerfully emotional story. Itseems to work at cross-purposewith the movie, gearing up only atthe very end, when the film iswinding down (even“Rollercoaster” is calm, for good-ness sake).

The score is basically monothe-matic, revolving around the olean-der theme presented in piano inthe first cue (“Oleander Time”). It’sserviceable but similar in everyaspect to the reflective pianotheme from The Shawshank


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Redemption. It weaves in andaround the tonic chord and nevergoes anywhere. This simplephrase, repeated several times,recurs in many cues.

It’s actually the other cues—theones that don’t rely as much onthis theme—that are the only rea-son to listen to the album. Playingwith ambient textures, Newmanuses subtly shifting tone colors toadd interest. And yes, he uses non-traditional instruments through-out, including a saz, cavaquinho,EWI and other synthesizedsounds. Listen closely to how hebalances high and low with barelyany middle-register in “Not MyType” or to the delicate shifts inthe various flutes in “Every Insult.”These are small gestures, mostlikely lost on an audience in thetheater (where there is so muchelse to see and hear), but gesturesthat nonetheless make the albumexperience worthwhile.

This is a minor letdown, but I’llstill wait in anticipation forThomas Newman’s next effort. Healmost always offers something ofinterest, and I hope that his futureprojects are more fruitful in allfacets of production.

—Andrew Granade

Ghost Ship ★★★JOHN FRIZZELLVarèse Sarabande 302 066 419 2

39 tracks - 73:55

John Frizzell scored Steve Beck’sThirteen Ghosts, which is pretty

much the same film as their latestcollaboration, Ghost Ship—exceptthis one takes place on a boat.Frizzell now seems to be making acareer out of scoring this very spe-cific genre film: the grim, tautlywound, claustrophobic sort wherethe cast members are killed off inreverse order to the end credits.That said, from The Rich Man’sWife to Alien Resurrection to thislatest offering, Frizzell always doesa credible job. His Ghost Ship scoreis suitably creepy and more subtlethan the film. While the overallimpression is moody and dark,there are some surprising, con-

trasting cues: “The Arctic Warrior”is brightly epic, and “I Saw a LittleGirl” is atmospherically tender. Fora score that’s heavy on the melo-drama, this is executed with a sur-prisingly light touch.

After a while the music doesfade into the background—itjumps out at you from time totime, sort of the musical equiva-lent of the monster jumping out ofthe closet. The middle of “Meetingthe Captain” is one such “boo!”moment, presenting an abruptshift from ambient, exploratorymusic. This marks a turning pointin the album, ratcheting up thetension as the film prepares to gofor the gore. After this cue, the bitsof daylight that Frizzell introduces,such as “Francesca’s Theme” andthe end of “Finding Gold” aremore disturbing than comforting.Especially since the next cue,“Work to Do,” starts off with a sim-ilarly light mood before diving intohigh-paced scares. The albuminevitably makes for an unsettlingand not completely uninterestinglistening experience.

However, as with many scoresfor film that involve a lot of fastedits, the music is often disjointed.No clear themes emerge fromwhat is, on the whole, a fairlymurky block of material. That’s notmeant as a negative observation;in fact, given the nature of the film,murkiness is entirely appropriate.It does mean that the recordingdoesn’t really stand by itself as acoherent whole, even if its level ofdetail suggests that it should.Frizzell’s use of strings, in particu-lar, is decidedly granular, and hisfavoring of the lower register—aprincipal violist, cellist and bassistare credited, but no violinist—con-tributes to this overall effect.

The album’s main misstep is theinclusion of a decidedly modernbit of pseudo-goth, MarilynManson-ish dance music thatsounds like it was ripped from theclub scene in Blade. It’s hard toimagine where this trackbelongs—definitely not in thesequence in the film in which itappears—and it shatters the mood

established by the previous mate-rial. Program your CD player toskip it, and let the rest of the musiccreep you out. Because, overall,Frizzell has a fine ear for atmos-phere. —Genevieve Williams

Ivanhoe (1952) ★★★★MIKLÓS RÓZSARhino Handmade RHM2 7772 27 tracks - 59:04

Ivanhoe is a rich score from earlyin Miklós Rózsa’s historical-epic

period at MGM, following closelyon the heels of Quo Vadis. Rózsafans will not want to miss out onthis individually numbered limitededition.

Rózsa provides this epic film,based on Sir Walter Scott’s novel,with multiple themes and sub-motifs that his fans have come toexpect from his writing. In addi-tion to the main Ivanhoe theme,there is a theme for each of thefemale leads, the love theme forIvanhoe and Rowena, a theme forthe Saxons, a theme for theNormans, and, naturally, a themefor the villain.

Rózsa’s characteristic broodingstrings are present throughout,often passing the main themefrom violins to celli and backagain. There are also heaps ofRózsa’s trademark counterpointwriting, as in “The Rivals,” where

Rebecca’s melancholy theme isplayed contrapuntally againstIvanhoe’s. Other highlights include“Torquilstone’s Castle,” with itsmilitary overtones, and the twoexciting and lengthy battle tracksfor the film’s climax.

The material is based on andinspired by actual music of theperiod, thoroughly researched byDr. Rózsa, including a ballad actu-ally attributed to King Richard theLionheart himself. Sound qualityis fine—the music is crisp andclear, though not quite sonically asstrong as other recent Rózsareleases like Lust for Life and Kingof Kings. Although there are ninemore tracks than in BruceBroughton’s Intrada re-recording,this release is shorter by aboutthree minutes, even including atwo-minute alternate main title asa bonus track! Broughton musthave taken his orchestra muchslower in general (sadly commonin re-recordings). But given thedigital sound of Broughton’s strongwork, this release of the originaltracks does not render Broughton’sobsolete, as so often happens.Incidentally, the track listing onthe back of the tray card is wrong.There are 27 tracks, not 26, so referto the inside of the booklet for thecorrect track labeling.

Act quickly, because my copywas numbered at 2478/2500! Okay,they probably are not selling themnumerically and surely have morethan 22 left, but don’t delay. —D.M.

Promise at Dawn (1970)★★★

GEORGES DELERUEDisques Cinemusique DCM 10317 tracks - 35:15

Promise at Dawn, a Frenchcomedy directed by an

American, Jules Dassin, pleasedcritics on both sides of the Atlanticwhen it appeared in 1970.Unfortunately, it failed to attractaudiences and “disappeared with-out a trace,” as Clement Fontaine explains in this CD’s liner notes.Recently, however, DisquesCinemusique resurrected and reis-


S C O R E

v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:39 AM Page 32

FSMCD Vol. 6, No. 1 • Released by Special Arrangement with Turner Classic Movies Music

Plymouth Adventureby Miklós Rózsa

M-G-M’s 1952 PlymouthAdventure was a sincere attempt to tell avital piece of American history: the 1620 voy-age of the Mayflower. Spencer Tracy starsas the ship’s crusty Captain Jones, surround-ed by a game cast including Gene Tierney,Van Johnson, Lloyd Bridges, Barry Jones,Dawn Addams, Noel Drayton and JohnDehner. Producer Dore Schary aspired forhistorical accuracy and sought to redressmisconceptions about the Pilgrims even ashe concocted a colorful piece of Hollywoodentertainment. The film has become a stapleof Thanksgiving television broadcasts, andits production design (including a full-sizeMayflower) and Academy Award-winningspecial effects still impress.

Composer Miklós Rózsaresearched period music for his score andbased his main theme upon a Psalm settingwhich the Pilgrims would have known (Psalm136). He composed the remainder of histhemes “in the manner of the 17th Centurylutenist composers” (his words), but not tothe point where it would interfere with thedrama. Composed at the beginning of his“historical” cycle (including Quo Vadis? andIvanhoe), Plymouth Adventure is a magnifi-cent Rózsa effort capturing the spirit and tra-vails of the Puritan Separatists, with numer-ous melodies for the various characters. Histhrusting cue for the Mayflower leaving har-bor (“The Mayflower”) is a virtual templatefor ships sailing forth, emulated in everythingfrom Mutiny on the Bounty to Star Trek.

FSM’s premiere CD release ofPlymouth Adventure features the completescore as heard in the film plus additionalmaterial: Rózsa recorded his score in sevensessions over six weeks (to match changingversions of the film), and alternate versionsof many important cues are also included.Although originally recorded in stereo, thefilm’s master tapes were long ago trans-ferred to 1/4” tape and the music is thus pre-sented in the best possible monaural sound. $19.95 plus shipping

Don’t Miss

This Month’s

Silver Age Classic

Ice Station

Zebra

by Michel Legrand

See inside back cover

for details.

1. Prelude (Psalm 136)/Southampton 2:262. Embarkation 1:423. John Sees Priscilla 1:574. The Mayflower 3:145. The First Night/Mr. Brewster 2:246. Somber Thoughts 1:407. Prelude to Love/

John and Priscilla 2:328. The Musket 0:299. Nocturne 0:59

10. After the Storm/Hunger 4:5411. Misery 1:0212. Despair/Hope/The Landbird 5:53

13. Land Ho/Old Hundred 2:1114. The Mayflower Compact 2:1515. Farewell/Landing/Decision 5:3816. Tragedy 1:4417. The Settlers 2:1918. Plymouth Rock 3:02

Total Time: 47:00

B O N U S T R A C K S19. Prelude (Psalm 136)* 2:0520. Tavern Music (Greensleeves) 1:1521. The Mayflower* 3:14

22. After the Storm/Hunger* 5:0523. Despair/Hope/The Landbird* 6:4524. Old Hundred (alternate) 0:5025. The Mayflower Compact* 2:0926. Farewell/Landing/Decision* 5:5327. Captain Jones’s Pilgrimage/

Finale (Psalm 100)/Confess Jehovah (original ending) 5:06Total Time: 32:35Total Disc Time: 79:35

*original version

Album Produced by Lukas Kendall

Don’t Miss

This Month’s

Silver Age Classic

Ice Station

Zebra

by Michel Legrand

See inside back cover

for details.

v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:39 AM Page 33


sued the soundtrack, a breezyeffort from Georges Delerue.

A love story, Promise at Dawnchronicles the adventures ofRomain, a young soldier who isseparated from his mother, aRussian woman named Nina,when he volunteers to fight forFree France during World War II.Set in Europe and peopled withimmigrants and refugees, the filmis also a sort of travelogue (as itrenders images of the Old Worldfrom various points of view).Similarly, Delerue’s score presentsthe musical sounds associatedwith these places and cultures.

On a track like “Pursuit (To theChemistry),” for instance,Delerue sets brass and strings toa galloping, drum-driven beat inorder to mimic the sounds ofParis dance halls. In contrast,“The Sale of the Samovar” payshomage to Tchaikovsky—and, byextension, the Russian concerthall—as it captures the com-poser’s schizophrenic style, inter-rupting a violent onslaught ofhorns with a somnambulant partfor winds. And “Piekielny’sTheme,” which refers to the timewhen the mother and son live inPoland, suitably makes use of anaccordion.

Several vocal pieces appear aswell. The prettiest of these is“Romain’s First Love,” in which apair of ethereal sopranos sing acappella. And in “The Friend’sFarewell,” a female voice shud-ders above the lonely strains ofanother accordion in a mannerthat vaguely resembles “LiliMarlene,” the wistful balladMarlene Dietrich made famousduring WWII. In fact, the song“I’m Greek,” which closes thealbum, pays its respects directlyto Dietrich, as Melina Mercouri(who plays the role of Nina) beltsout ironic lyrics with a scratchy,whisky-thick voice.

Eclectic, mannered and senti-mental, the score for Promise atDawn probably won’t disappoint(or surprise) listeners who arefamiliar with Delerue’s oeuvre.And though this work may not be

able to elicit strong emotions fromsome of us, it certainly won’t hurtanyone’s ears. Music as pleasant asthis is hard to dislike. —S.A.

The Man From Elysian Fields ★★★ 1/2

ANTHONY MARINELLIVarèse Sarabande 302 066 418 223 tracks - 36:52

Anthony Marinelli has donesynthesizer programming on

films going back as far asStarman. He’s also worked as anorchestrator on numerous proj-ects and was nominated in 1993for an Australian Film Instituteaward for his original music forFlynn. The Man From ElysianFields stars Mick Jagger (really),Andy Garcia, the late JamesCoburn and a host of other famil-iar faces. The film, directed byGeorge Hickenlooper (Dogtown),premiered September 2001 at theToronto Film Festival and wasalso shown at Sundance inJanuary 2002. While it receivedgood reviews, the film had a lim-ited run in early October—ifyou’re still interested you canprobably find it in your localvideo store by now. Apparently,it’s a stylish comedy of mannerswith some darker overtones.

Before I get started on themusic, I have to point out thatthe arrangement of the cues is alittle unusual, with the “EndCredits” second and the “MainTitle” as the final track on thedisc. The opening, “Like YourDefects,” is an elegiac piece witha piano melody captured bystrings and repeated in a gor-geous arrangement. The “EndCredits” begins with ethnic jazzpercussion and a guitar solo.There is an interesting mix ofwordless vocals, and the orches-tration adds in unusual percus-sion à la Thomas Newman, alongwith an ethnic flute sound (akinto uilleann pipes). The disc relieson guitar and string backgroundsharmonized with lusciousextended chords, which ulti-mately makes it a great counter-

part to other fine romantic scores.The key here is that Marinelli’smelody is interesting and heart-felt. I was continually impressedby the harmonic variety coupledwith unusual instrumentation.Imagine a cross between GeorgeWinston and Paul Chihara, mixedwith a little John Barry.

Understand that the jazz in thisscore is more in the vein of DavidBenoit, “New Age jazz” or worldmusic. Further into the album,Marinelli adds solo trumpet and amore highlighted jazz trio set.This is the plan Barry favored inPlaying by Heart, and if you findyourself returning to that score,this one will likely join it.

It’s a mark of Varèse’s continueddevotion to film music that we getthe chance to experience thisscore. It’s one that could have eas-ily slipped under the radar.

—Steven A. Kennedy

Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever ★(generously given)

DON DAVISVarèse Sarabande 302 066 420 223 tracks - 68:52

How does a guy write TheMatrix and then get stuck

with Ballistic? Maybe on the sur-face, an adult, Bond-style actionpicture with Antonio Banderasand Lucy Liu had some appeal.Underneath, it was nothing andturned out to be a complete wasteof time for everyone involved. Nodoubt it was intended for the“young fu” audience. This older“fu,” your humble reviewer, wiselydecided to skip it.

The opening “Main Title” isbasically a rock number filled withelectronic tricks of the trade, anddriven by a lousy vocal. (Is it justme or has everyone begun to askfor these wordless, plaintivefemale vocals since Gladiator?)The hard-rock approach passes asaction music for the entire film.This works fine when you at leasthave a thematic reference, as inDavid Arnold’s three Bond scores.Here it’s just noisy filler. Four min-utes into the disc and it wearsthin. “Severcam” provides a briefrespite with a little over a minuteof atmospheric electronicsounds—this turns out to be thesecond “trick” of the score. Butsoon the female vocals return...atthis point I started hoping they’djust put the poor woman out ofher misery.

As the album is quite long, Iheld out hope that somethinginteresting would appear. And...well, at least several tracks are indifferent keys. Actual variety is evi-dent only in the aforementionedcues based on more ambient elec-tronic sounds. “Ecks Is Mobile” isthe standout cue on the disc—ifthere has to be a standout cue, thatis. More orchestral, with little of the“techno-plague” of the previoustracks, it even has what might beconsidered a love theme. The samethematic idea recurs in the verynext track, and it’s too bad this wasn’t a bigger part of the score.

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This disc does show Davis’ ver-satility as a composer, but I hopethis is not a direction he takesvery often. In all, the musicsounds like stylized but uninter-esting video game music. Davisfans are advised to skip this one.Sometimes bad music is as bad asit sounds. —S.A.K.

Down to the Sea in Ships/Twelve O’Clock High (1949)★★★★

ALFRED NEWMANScreen Archives Entertainment 000530 tracks - 42:23

Screen Archives Entertainmentcontinues its releases of Alfred

Newman scores with this double-header featuring the other two“big” Fox films from 1949. Down tothe Sea in Ships boasted an amaz-ing cast that featured LionelBarrymore, Richard Widmark anda young Dean Stockwell. Criticsplace Twelve O’Clock High as oneof the greats among war films.

For Down to the Sea in Ships (18tracks - 25:17) Newman enlistedhis favorite orchestrator, EdwardPowell, while Ken Darby assistedin writing lyrics for an original seashanty, “Ol’ Father Briny.” This isnot the same kind of seafaringchorus heard in Korngold’s morefamiliar ocean pictures. Newman’smeager score, coming in at under17 minutes, stands comfortablywith other samples of his dramaticscoring from the 1940s. The singletheme from the “Main Title” reap-pears in various guises to enhancescenes and serve as backgroundsource music. “The WideMissouri” is another example ofNewman adapting familiar folksongs and allowing them to beheard without additional orches-tral trappings. The final track fromthe film does a wonderful jobsummarizing the human dramaand finishes with a rousing choralrestatement of the sea shanty.

Twelve O’Clock High (12 tracks -17:06), directed by Henry King,was another of Darryl Zanuck’s petprojects. It starred Gregory Peck,who received his fourth Best Actor

Oscar nomination for his role asFrank Savage. The film receivedthree additional Academy Awardnominations: Dean Jaggerreceived his for Best SupportingActor, and the film was awardedanother for Best Sound.

This is another short score, butthe little that’s here is excellent.Newman’s dramatic “Main Title” isone of his finest. It opens withdark foreboding and then movesinto a more sentimental theme.“The Airfield” is a fascinating cuewith a ghostly chorus that createsan unsettling feel as dissonantorchestral music flows underneaththe tuneful songs. Due to itsbrevity, the true mark of howNewman’s restraint is used in thisfilm is likely best appreciatedwhile absorbing the total film. Still,it is good to have this available insuch amazing sound. The sourcecues are performed by UrbanThielmann, also credited as thearranger. To help bolster the run-ning time of the CD, SAE alsoincorporates an “Alternate MainTitle” and three versions of themusic used in the trailers for thefilm. This should make com-pletists even happier.

SAE should be commended forcontinuing to plumb the depths ofNewman’s lesser-known scoresfrom films familiar to an oldergeneration of moviegoers. The

sound is remarkably good for itsage, and Jon Burlingame’s linernotes provide intelligent andpointed commentary that’s as suc-cinct as the scores represented.The recovering of this material is alabor of love and undoubtedly along, and at times tedious,process. Newman fans should givethanks for the efforts of allinvolved here. —S.A.K.

Miracle on 34th Street/Come to the Stable(1947/1949) ★★★ 1/2

CYRIL J. MOCKRIDGEPercepto 011

36 tracks - 63:02

This Percepto release of two Foxholiday films came just in time

for Christmas 2002. Miracle on34th Street (20 tracks - 32:26) is thebetter known of the two scoresand actually appeared on theshort-lived Sundance Film MusicSeries from Telarc, conducted byDavid Newman (whose temposare not far off from his father’s).Percepto has released that musicin addition to other music used inthe film (all arranged/adapted byAlfred Newman). Newman’s songfor Come to the Stable, “Through aLong Sleepless Night,” alsoappears, sung first by an unidenti-fied male vocalist, and later by anunidentified female vocalist. Thesong, with lyrics by Max Gordon, isnot terribly distinguishable fromother period Hollywood lovesongs.

Cyril Mockridge rarely receivedfilms that demanded extensivescoring, so his “greatness” oftengoes unnoticed in the annals offilm music (other than to note hisinvolvement as an arranger forsome amazing scores). In Miracleon 34th Street, with its collection ofarranged carols and folk songs, itcan be hard to determine just howmuch Mockridge contributed, butit’s safe to say that he wrote at least12 minutes of original music. Hismain-title music is particularlynoteworthy, filled with the hustleand bustle of the big city.“Thanksgiving Day Parade” is one

of those great Hollywood medleysof jubilantly arranged source tunesused over extended montages, orparade scenes such as this one.The dozen or so popular carolsand songs that follow the parademusic are primarily intimatemusic-box-like pieces.

Mockridge’s use of the familiar“Jingle Bells” as a musical deviceto tie things together is neverbanal or cloying. It cuts to the coreof each scene, underlining withamazing economy the humor orbittersweet character of the dramawhere music is needed.

Come to the Stable (16 tracks -30:34) is a welcome companionscore and rounds out the albumnicely. It allows us to hear more ofMockridge’s style, even as thisscore in particular bears greatresemblance to Newman’s TheSong of Bernadette (1943). Still,Mockridge is able to communi-cate an amazing depth of emotionwith the simplest of musical ges-tures. His string writing hasEuropean qualities that hint at hisEnglish roots. The little scherzo,“Driving Anthony Home”(deleted) and “Heading for NewYork” (the same music in a briefersetting) are wonderful pieces thatsound like amalgamations ofNewman and Max Steiner. “HomeAfter the First Day’s Work” and“The Bishop Relents” are similarto Steiner’s comedic scoring. Thisis not to say that Mockridge ismerely a derivative product of histime. He owes less to the conti-nental European orchestral sound(via Wagner and Strauss) that wasthe inherited music of Newmanand Steiner. His approach tostring writing favors a distinctivelylighter sound.

The liner notes, while not asextensive as releases on ScreenArchives or Film Score Monthly,still serve their purpose. The CDbooklet includes the movie posterart in full color as well as aplethora of stills from both films.This is a worthy edition to thelibrary of anyone interested in thefilm music of the 1940s. It’s also



v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:40 AM Page 35

TO ORDER: Call Toll Free 1-888-345-6335 • Overseas 1-310-253-9598 • Fax 1-310-253-9588 • Online www.filmscoremonthly.com

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■■ Vol. 5, No. 20Never So Few/7 WomenHUGO FRIEDHOFER,/ELMER BERNSTEINFilm released: 1959/1966Studio: M-G-MGenre: WWII/DramaSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Jan.2003Stereo • 73:46

Two Asian-flavored classicson one CD; Never So Few(42:18) blends action and romance, while 7 Women (31:27) is moreintrospective and character-driven, with a big, exciting title themefor the Mongol horde. $19.95

NEW RELEASE:Vol. 6, No. 2Ice Station ZebraMICHEL LEGRANDFilm released: 1968Studio: M-G-MGenre: Military/EspionageSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Feb 2003Stereo • 79:20This ’60s Cold War nailbiteris enhanced by Legrand’soffbeat, epic scoring for a75-piece orchestra. Remixed for superior sound, and resequencedinto film order, this dramatic score gets the deluxe treatment withover twice the music on the original LP—in stereo. $19.95

NEW RELEASE:Vol. 6, No. 1Plymouth AdventureMIKLÓS RÓZSAFilm released: 1952Studio: M-G-MGenre: Historical EpicGolden Age ClassicsCD released: Feb 2003Mono • 79:35

Miklós Rózsa’s magnificent historical music for the 1620 voyage ofthe Mayflower. Includes the complete score as used in the film(47:00) plus a bevy of alternates (32:35). $19.95

■■ Vol. 5, No. 17The Seventh SinMIKLÓS RÓZSAFilm released: 1958Studio: M-G-MGenre: DramaGolden Age ClassicsCD released: Dec. 2002Mono • 59:26This reworking of ThePainted Veil inspired Rózsato apply three of his signa-ture sounds; film noir, exoticand epic film scoring techniques combine to create a unique andunmistakable score. Includes source music suite. $19.95

■■ Vol. 5, No. 19Tribute to a Bad ManMIKLÓS RÓZSA

Film released: 1956Studio: M-G-MGenre: WesternGolden Age ClassicsCD released: Jan 2003Stereo • 50:30

Rózsa’s rare western issweeping, full of melody,and flecked with the brooding melancholy expected of a mature“psychological western.” This fan favorite has been remixed fromthe original strereo masters. $19.95

■■ Vol. 5, No. 18The Man FromU.N.C.L.E.JERRY GOLDSMITH, et alTV Produced: 1963-67Studio: M-G-MGenre: Secret AgentSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Dec. 2002Mono • Disc One: 77:05Mono/Stereo Disc Two: 76:08The first hit spy series onAmerican TV features var-ied, jazzy, high-energy music. All of Goldsmith’s scores plusscores by six others (including Fried, Schifrin, Scharf, Stevens) isrepresented on this 2-CD set. $24.95 same shipping as one CD

■■ Vol. 5, No. 14The Green BeretsMIKLÓS RÓZSAFilm released: 1968Studio: Warner Bros.Genre: War/AdventureSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Sept. 2002Stereo • 72:37

The first major Americanfilm to address the Vietnamconflict features a stirring symphonic score, befitting an actionmovie directed by and starring John Wayne. All of Rózsa’s music ishere (as well as “The Ballad of the Green Berets”) in excellentstereo. $19.95

■■ Vol. 5, No. 16The PrizeJERRY GOLDSMITHFilm released: 1963Studio: M-G-MGenre: EspionageSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Nov. 2002Stereo • 72:37

The Prize is an early JerryGoldsmith action-sus-pense gem for a Hitchcock-styled thriller. CD features completestereo score plus source music and vintage re-recorded LP cuts.$19.95

■■ Vol. 5, No. 15The World, the Fleshand the DevilMIKLÓS RÓZSAFilm released: 1959Studio: M-G-MGenre: Science FictionGolden Age ClassicsCD released: Nov. 2002Stereo • 52:53

One of Rózsa’s rare sci-fi scores (Two men and one womanstruggle in post apocalyptic New York City), embellishes end-of-the-world loneliness and doom with romantic splendor. Premiererelease of complete stereo score. $19.95

■■ Vol. 5, No 11Above and BeyondHUGO FRIEDHOFERFilm released: 1952Studio: M-G-MGenre: WWIIGolden Age ClassicsCD released: Aug. 2002Mono • 55:44

This combination ofwartime drama anddomestic struggle is driving by a stirring, progressive score,with one of Friedhofer’s greatest main titles. Complete, chrono-logical score in best possible monaural sound. $19.95

■■ Vol. 5, No 13ScaramoucheVICTOR YOUNGFilm released: 1952Studio: M-G-MGenre: Costume AdventureGolden Age ClassicsCD released: Sept. 2002Mono • 62:28

The last of the Golden-Age swashbucklers byRafael Sabatini (CaptainBlood, The Sea Hawk, et al) gets a heroic and charming scoreby the prolific Victor Young. This premiere release includes allof the score, plus alternates, unused and source cues. $19.95

■■ Vol. 5, No. 12The Gypsy MothsELMER BERNSTEINFilm released: 1969Studio: M-G-MGenre: DramaSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Aug. 2002Stereo • 61:08

This tale of barnstormingskydivers contrasts robust,action-oriented cues andsweeping Americana with softer, bittersweet melodies. CD fea-tures complete underscore plus nightclub and marching bandsource cues. $19.95

FSMmarketplacev8n01 market 1/28/03 1:06 PM Page 36


■■ Vol. 5, No 536 HoursDIMITRI TIOMKINFilm released: 1964Studio: M-G-MGenre: WWII/Spy ThrillerGolden Age ClassicsCD released: May 2002Stereo • 66:41A taut, piano-dominatedscore with an accent onstealth—flamboyant, butnaturalistic as well. This CDpremiere is remixed and remastered in stereo, doubling the play-ing time of the LP including bonus tracks of vocals, piano demos,and a jazz trio improv of the main title. $19.95

■■ Vol. 5, No 7On the Beach/The Secret of Santa VittoriaERNEST GOLDFilm released: 1959, 1969Studio: United ArtistsGenre: Drama, ComedyGolden Age ClassicsCD released: June 2002Stereo • 70:59Two scores from the filmsof director Stanley Kramerfinally get released on CD. Beach is a gorgeous symphonic scoreingenously interpolating “Waltzing Matilda”; Secret is a lyricalslice of “Italiana,” with one bonus cue. $19.95

■■ Vol. 5, No. 6The TravelingExecutionerJERRY GOLDSMITHFilm released: 1970Studio: M-G-MGenre: Black ComedySilver Age ClassicsCD released: May 2002Stereo • 39:39The main theme charming-ly blends Americana,Dixieland and circussound, but the score touches all the bases, from bluegrass toavant-garde to full-scale action. This first-release ever is complete,with every note in excellent stereo. $19.95

■■ Vol. 5, No. 8Point Blank/The OutfitJOHNNY MANDEL/JERRY FIELDINGFilm released: 1967, 1973Studio: M-G-MGenre: Film NoirSilver Age ClassicsCD released: June 2002Stereo • 77:54 Two films based on D.E.Westlake’s crime novels:Point Blank (39:38) is a landmark 12-tone score, ethereal andstrange; The Outfit (38:16) features a dark, pulsating score punctu-ated with unexpected melody. $19.95

■■ Vol. 5, No. 10I SpyEARLE HAGENTV Produced: 1965-67Network: NBCGenre: Secret AgentSilver Age ClassicsCD released: July 2002Stereo/Mono • 77:57

Five episode scores forgroundbreaking seriesstarring Robert Culp andBill Cosby: “So Long, Patrick Henry,” “The Time of the Knife”“Turkish Delight,” “The Warlord” and “Mainly on the Plains.” Firstthree & theme in stereo; all OST, not LP recordings. $19.95

■■ Vol. 5, No 9The ProdigalBRONISLAU KAPERFilm released: 1955Studio: M-G-MGenre: Biblical EpicGolden Age ClassicsCD released: July 2002Stereo • 75:11

Complete stereo score forgargantuan biblical epicstarring Lana Turner fea-tures male and female choruses, solos, source cues and thunder-ing symphonic glory. Includes unused alternate cues. $19.95

■■ Vol. 5, No 2Logan’s RunJERRY GOLDSMITHFilm released: 1976Studio: M-G-MGenre: Sci-FiSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Feb. 2002Stereo • 74:18

This classic story of adystopian future gets theroyal treatment by the mas-ter of speculative soundtracks. Jagged action cues, Coplandesquenostalgia, bracing electronics and more in this restored, remixed,resequenced release! $19.95

■■ Vol. 5, No 4The Man Who LovedCat DancingJOHN WILLIAMSMICHEL LEGRANDFilm released: 1973Studio: M-G-MGenre: WesternSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Mar. 2002Stereo • 65:37A lost gem from Williams’pre-blockbuster career,during which he provided masterly, melodic scores for delicatedramas, plus Legrand’s unused, unheard take on the same materi-al. A rare opportunity for collectors—all in stereo! $19.95

■■ Vol. 5, No. 3Joy in the MorningBERNARD HERRMANNFilm released: 1965Studio: M-G-MGenre: RomanceGolden Age ClassicsCD released: Mar. 2002Stereo • 46:33Herrmann’s last completedstudio project is sweep-ingly romantic, surgingwith passion and hauntingin its use of melody. The complete score in stereo from the origi-nal three-track recording with liner notes by Christopher Husted,manager of the Herrmann estate. $19.95

■■ Vol. 4, No. 19Demetrius and theGladiatorsFRANZ WAXMANFilm released: 1954Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: Biblical EpicGolden Age ClassicsCD released: Jan. 2002Stereo • 61:51

Spectacular Waxman scorefor Biblical epic emphasizesromance, action and religion, interpolating themes from The Robeby Alfred Newman. Plus bonus tracks (11:06) and remixed cue fromThe Egyptian (5:04). $19.95

■■ Vol. 5, No. 1Lust for LifeMIKLÓS RÓZSAFilm released: 1956Studio: M-G-MGenre: BiographyGolden Age ClassicsCD released: Feb. 2002Stereo • 61:51

Premiere release ofRózsa’s heartfelt, stirringaccompaniment to thetragic tale of Vincent van Gogh. A favorite of the composer, this CDhas been remixed from the three-track masters with bonus alter-nate cues and more. One of the greatest film scores! $19.95

■■ VOLUME 4, No. 20Farewell, My Lovely/Monkey ShinesDAVID SHIREFilm released: 1975/88Studio: M-G-MGenre: Film Noir/SuspenseSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Jan. 2002Stereo • 73:48

Farewell, My Lovely (33:06)is symphonic jazz score for '70s noir classic; Monkey Shines (40:41)is leitmotivic suspense score for George Romero monkey thriller.$19.95

■■ Vol. 4, No. 16The World of Henry OrientELMER BERNSTEINPiano Concerto by Kenneth LauberFilm released: 1964Studio: United ArtistsGenre: Comedy/DramaSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Nov. 2001Stereo • 40:32

Bernstein’s “second-best” score for children (after To Kill aMockingbird) sports fabulous sound from the legendary Goldwynscoring stage. Whimsical, melodic and magical. $19.95

■■ Vol. 4, No. 18John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!JOHNNY WILLIAMS

Film released: 1965Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: ComedySilver Age ClassicsCD released: Dec. 2001Stereo • 71:32

This wacky comedy star-ring Shirley MacLaine and Peter Ustinov is the earliest featurefilm soundtrack by John Williams available on CD. Johnny doesArab go-go music! $19.95

■■ Vol. 4, No. 17Broken LanceLEIGH HARLINE

Film released: 1954Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: WesternGolden Age ClassicsCD released: Dec. 2001Stereo • 38:41

Disney’s workhorse com-poser from the ‘30s (Pinocchio) provides a dark, rich Americanascore to this adaptation of King Lear set in the American West.$19.95

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■■ Vol. 4, No. 15The View FromPompey’s Head/ Blue DenimELMER BERNSTEIN/BERNARD HERRMANNFilms released: 1955/1959Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: DramaGolden Age ClassicsCD released: Nov. 2001Stereo • 75:15This pair of films by PhilipDunne feature romantic,intimate scores by ElmerBernstein (lovelyAmericana) and BernardHerrmann (“babyVertigo”). $19.95

■■ Vol. 4, No. 14The Illustrated ManJERRY GOLDSMITH

Film released: 1969Studio: Warner Bros.Genre: Sci-fi/AnthologySilver Age ClassicsCD released: Sept. 2001Stereo • 42:02

The Illustrated Man is oneof Jerry Goldsmith’s mosthaunting sci-fi creations,with airy beauty, solofemale vocalise, earlyelectronics, strangeeffects and an aggressiveclimax. $19.95

■■ Vol. 4, No. 13The BravadosALFRED NEWMAN & HUGO FRIEDHOFERFilm released: 1958Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: WesternGolden Age ClassicsCD released: Sept. 2001Stereo (some bonus tracks inmono) • 69:34Two Hollywood legendscollaborate for a rich,handsome western scorewith a memorable, drivingmain theme and darklybrooding interior passages.$19.95

■■ Vol. 4, No. 12Morituri/Raid on EntebbeJERRY GOLDSMITH/DAVID SHIREFilms released: 1965/77Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: WWII/Docudrama,TVSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Aug. 2001Stereo (Morituri)/Mono (Entebbe) • 57:50Morituri (41:46) is inGoldsmith’s percussive ‘60sstyle; Raid on Entebbe(15:29) features suspense,pulsating action, andIsraeli song climax. $19.95

■■ Vol. 4, No. 11The Best of EverythingALFRED NEWMANSong by Newman & Sammy Cahn, Perf. by Johnny MathisFilm released: 1959Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: Drama/RomanceGolden Age ClassicsCD released: Aug. 2001 •Stereo • 71:14Newman’s last Fox score isa romantic gem; think NewYork at twilight. Completescore (48:21) in stereo, plussome bonus tracks inmono. $19.95

■■ Vol. 4, No. 10Voyage to the Bottom of the SeaPAUL SAWTELL & BERT SHEFTERSong by Russell Faith, Perf. by Frankie AvalonFilm released: 1961Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: Sci-fi/Irwin AllenSilver Age ClassicsCD released: July 2001 • Stereo• 55:55Thundering B-movie hyste-ria plus soothing, romanticundersea passages for thefilm that launched the hitTV show. $19.95

■■ Vol. 4, No. 9Between Heaven andHell/ Soldier of FortuneHUGO FRIEDHOFERFilms released: 1956/55Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: WWII/AdventureGolden Age ClassicsCD released: July 2001 Stereo • 73:00A superlative HugoFriedhofer doubleheader:Between Heaven and Hell(complete: 40:18) is amoody war thriller; Soldierof Fortune (survivingtracks: 32:41) an exotic,melodic jewel. $19.95

■■ Vol. 4, No. 8Room 222/Ace Eli and Rodger ofthe SkiesJERRY GOLDSMITHFilms released: 1969/73Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: Sitcom (TV)/ Americana(feature)Silver Age ClassicsCD released: June 2001Mono (Room 222)/Stereo &Mono (Ace Eli) • 71:37Room 222 (12:15) comprisestheme and two episodescores for popular sitcom;Ace Eli (59:21) an obscurebarnstorming movie. $19.95

■■ Vol. 4, No. 7A Man Called PeterALFRED NEWMANFilm released: 1955Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: Religious/ BiographyGolden Age ClassicsCD released: June 2001Stereo • 58:14

Biopic of Scottish ministerPeter Marshall receivesrich, reverent, melodicscore by Alfred Newman;CD features completescore including sourcemusic. $19.95

■■ Vol. 4, No. 6The FrenchConnection/French Connection IIDON ELLISFilms released: 1971/75Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: Cop ThrillerSilver Age ClassicsCD released: May 2001Stereo & Mono (I)/ Stereo (II) • 75:01Cop thrillers get pulsating,dynamic, avant-gardescores by jazz artist. First(37:52) includes unusedmusic; sequel (37:09) a bitmore traditional. $19.95

■■ Vol. 4, No. 5The EgyptianALFRED NEWMAN &BERNARD HERRMANNFilm released: 1954Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: Historical EpicGolden Age ClassicsCD released: May 2001Stereo • 72:06At last: the classicNewman/Herrmann col-laboration for Fox’s histori-cal epic. Original stereotracks were believed to belost or unusable, but thisCD features every surviv-ing note. $19.95

■■ Vol. 4, No. 4UntamedFRANZ WAXMANFilm released: 1955Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: Historical AdventureGolden Age ClassicsCD released: April 2001Stereo • 65:43

19th century African colo-nialist adventure starringSusan Hayward receivesthrilling adventure scoreby Franz Waxman in first-rate sound. Wonderfulmain title, love theme.$19.95

■■ Vol. 4, No. 3The Towering InfernoJOHN WILLIAMSFilm released: 1974Studio: Warner Bros./20thCentury FoxGenre: Disaster/Irwin AllenSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Apr. 2001Stereo • 75:31

Disaster masterpiece getspremiere CD release, dou-bled in length from the LP.Fantastic main title, climac-tic action cue; plenty ofmoody suspense andromantic pop. $19.95

■■ Vol. 4, No. 2How to Marry aMillionaireALFRED NEWMAN & CYRIL MOCKRIDGEFilm released: 1953Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: Comedy/ RomanceGolden Age ClassicsCD released: Mar. 2001Stereo • 70:03Marilyn Monroe comedyfeatures period songsadapted as instrumentalunderscore. “StreetScene” (5:36) conductedby Alfred Newman opensthe movie and CD. $19.95

■■ Vol. 4, No. 1Conquest of.../Battle forthe Planet of the ApesTOM SCOTT/LEONARD ROSENMAN/LALO SCHIFRINFilm released: 1972/73Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: Sci-fi/FantasySilver Age ClassicsCD released: Feb. 2001Stereo & Mono (Conquest)/Stereo (Battle) • 74:44 Final Apes films get vintagescores by Scott (38:47,w/unused cues) andRosenman (34:43), plus TVtheme (1:13). $19.95

■■ VOLUME 3, No. 10Beneath the 12-Mile ReefBERNARD HERRMANNFilm released: 1953Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: AdventureGolden Age ClassicsCD released: Feb. 2001Stereo • 55:06Fantastic undersea adven-ture score gets premiererelease of original stereotracks, albeit with minordeterioration. Lots ofharps, “underwater” color,seafaring melodies. $19.95

■■ Vol. 3, No. 9The Stripper/Nick QuarryJERRY GOLDSMITHFilm released: 1963/68Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: Drama /Action,TVSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Jan. 2001Stereo (Stripper)/Mono(Quarry) 73:35 Early Goldsmith feature(42:01, plus 21:06 bonus-tracks)—is in romanticAlex North style. Quarry(10:27) is a TV rarity—sounds like Flint music.$19.95

■■ Vol. 3, No. 8From the TerraceELMER BERNSTEINFilm released: 1960Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: DramaGolden Age ClassicsCD released: Dec. 2000Stereo • 71:27

Paul Newman/JoanneWoodward soaper fea-tures tuneful, romanticscore by Bernstein. RichAmericana music, sensi-tive romantic themes,haunting melancholy.$19.95

■■ Vol. 3, No. 7BatmanNELSON RIDDLETheme by Neal HeftiFilm released: 1966Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: Adventure/CampSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Nov. 2000 • Mono• 65:23Holy Bat-tracks! 1966 fea-ture produced at time of‘60s TV show featuresNeal Hefti’s theme, NelsonRiddle’s Bat-villain signa-tures, swingin’ underscor-ing and larger action set-pieces. $19.95

■■ Vol. 3, No. 6The Undefeated/HombreHUGO MONTENEGRO/DAVID ROSEFilm released: 1969/67Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: WesternSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Sept. 2000 Stereo • 72:33Western doubleheader:The Undefeated (w/JohnWayne, 47:33) is accessibleand symphonic. Hombre(w/Paul Newman, 21:30) ismoodier, sensitive—a quietgem. $19.95

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■■ Vol. 2, No. 7All About Eve/Leave Her to HeavenALFRED NEWMANFilm released: 1950/45Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: DramaGolden Age ClassicsCD released: Nov. 1999Mono (2 trks. in stereo) • 44:19

Eve is a cinema master-piece; the complete score isappropriately theatrical, per-fectly drawn. Leave Her toHeaven is more dramatic,brooding film noir. $19.95

■■ Vol. 2, No. 6The ComancherosELMER BERNSTEINFilm released: 1961Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: John Wayne/WesternSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Sept.1999Stereo • 47:44

Elmer Bernstein’s first ofmany scores for JohnWayne is a western gem,with rhythmic main title andhigh-tailing action music.Think in terms of “TheMagnificent Eight.” $19.95

■■ Vol. 2, No. 5Prince of FoxesALFRED NEWMANFilm released: 1949Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: Historical AdventureGolden Age ClassicsCD released: July 1999Stereo • 46:39

“Lost” Tyrone Power histor-ical adventure gets exciting,robust score by AlfredNewman, newly mixed intostereo. Glorious main title,stirring love theme. $19.95

■■ Vol. 2, No. 4Monte WalshJOHN BARRYFilm released: 1970Studio: CBSGenre: WesternSilver Age ClassicsCD released: June 1999Mono (1 trk. in stereo) 61:51

Revisionist western getsvintage John Barry score 20years before Dances WithWolves. Song “The GoodTimes Are Comin’” per-formed by Mama Cass;many bonus tracks. $19.95

Vol. 2, No. 3Prince ValiantFRANZ WAXMANFilm released: 1954Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: Historical AdventureGolden Age ClassicsCD released: May 1999Stereo • 62:17

Fox’s colorful 1954 adapta-tion of the famous epiccomic strip features stirringadventure score by FranzWaxman in “leitmotiv” style,a la Star Wars: hero, villain,princess, mentor. $19.95

■■ Vol. 2, No. 2Patton/The Flight of the PhoenixJERRY GOLDSMITH/FRANK DE VOLFilm released: 1970/65Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: WWII/ AdventureSilver Age ClassicsCD released: April 1999Stereo • 76:24

Patton (35:53) is completeOST to WWII biopic classic.Phoenix (40:51) is a rarealbum release for Frank DeVol, a rousing adventure/survival score. $19.95

■■ Vol. 2, No. 1100 RiflesJERRY GOLDSMITHFilm released: 1969Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: WesternSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Mar. 1999Stereo/Mono (combo) • 77:08

Burt Reynolds/Raquel Welchwestern gets explosivescore, heavy on Mexican col-ors and guttural action. CDfeatures score twice, instereo and in mono withslight variations. $19.95

■■ Vol. 3, No. 5A Guide for the Married ManJOHNNY WILLIAMSTitle Song Perf. by The TurtlesFilm released: 1967Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: ComedySilver Age ClassicsCD released: July 2000 Stereo • 73:10

Vintage score is “Johnny”’smost elaborate for a comedy,with long setpieces, groovytitle theme, and orchestralunderscoring foreshadowinghis dramatic works. $19.95

■■ Vol. 3, No. 4Tora! Tora! Tora!JERRY GOLDSMITHFilm released: 1970Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: WWIISilver Age ClassicsCD released: May 2000Stereo • 54:45

Classic Goldsmith war scoreenhances docu-drama takeon Pearl Harbor. Aggressiveaction music combined withavant-garde effects,Japanese instrumentation.$19.95

■■ Vol. 3, No. 3Beneath the Planet of the ApesLEONARD ROSENMANFilm released: 1970Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: Sci-fi/FantasySilver Age ClassicsCD released: Apr. 2000Stereo • 72:37

Second Apes pic gets atonalscore by Leonard Rosenmanwith many avant-garde high-lights. Includes completeoriginal tracks (46:03) plus1970 LP re-recording withdialogue (26:34). $19.95

■■ Vol. 3, No. 2The Omega ManRON GRAINERFilm released: 1971Studio: Warner Bros.Genre: Sci-fi/FantasySilver Age ClassicsCD released: Mar. 2000Stereo • 65:39

Charlton Heston sci-fi classic features one-of-a-kind symphonic/pop fusionby the late Ron Grainer.Unforgettable themes, periodeffects; great stereo soundquality. $19.95

■■ Vol. 3, No. 1Take a Hard RideJERRY GOLDSMITHFilm released: 1975Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: WesternSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Feb. 2000Stereo • 46:38

Strange “blaxploitation,” foreign-produced westerngets wonderful symphonicscore from Goldsmith; greatmain theme, action cues.Take a hard ride, indeed.$19.95

■■ VOLUME 2, No. 9The Flim-Flam Man/A Girl Named SoonerJERRY GOLDSMITHFilms released: 1967/1975Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: Drama/AmericanaSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Jan. 2000 • Stereo(Flim-Flam)/Mono (Sooner) •65:20

A rural Americana double-header: Flim-Flam (34:37)stars George C. Scott as aSouthern con man; Sooner(30:43) is smaller, sensitiveTV movie score. $19.95

■■ Vol. 2, No. 8Rio ConchosJERRY GOLDSMITHFilm released: 1964Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: WesternSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Dec.1999Mono/Stereo (combo) • 75:28

Early Goldsmith westernscore is presented in com-plete form (55:43) in mono,with some cues repeated instereo. Includes delightfullybizarre vocal version of themain theme. $19.95

■■ VOLUME 1, No. 4The Return of Dracula/I Bury the Living/The Cabinet of Caligari/ Mark of the VampireGERALD FRIEDFilms released: 1958/58/62/57Studio: UA/ 20th Century FoxGenre: HorrorSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Jan. 1999 • Mono Disc One: 61:06 Disc Two: 73:20

Star Trek and The Man fromU.N.C.L.E. composer gets 2-CD release of creepy, earlyhorror scores, packaged inslimline case; same shippingas one CD. $29.95

■■ Vol. 1, No. 3Fantastic VoyageLEONARD ROSENMANFilm released: 1966Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: Sci-fiSilver Age ClassicsCD released: Sept. 1998Stereo • 47:28

Sci-fi classic followingminiaturized sub crewinside the human body getsimaginative, avant gardescore; one of Rosenman’s signature works. Symphonicyet thrillingly bizarre. $19.95

■■ Vol. 1, No. 2The Paper Chase/ ThePoseidon AdventureJOHN WILLIAMSFilm released: 1973/72Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: Drama/DisasterSilver Age ClassicsCD released: July 1998Stereo/Mono (combo) • 75:53

The Paper Chase is eclecticscore for drama about lawstudents. The PoseidonAdventure is classic IrwinAllen disaster score. Alsoincludes Conrack (1974),main title (6:07). $19.95

■■ Vol. 1, No. 1Stagecoach/The LonerJERRY GOLDSMITHFilm released: 1966/1965Studio: 20th Century FoxGenre: Western (film/TV)Silver Age ClassicsCD released: May 1998Stereo (Stagecoach)/ Mono (Loner) • 45:25

Stagecoach is gentleAmericana score for remakeof classic western. TheLoner includes theme andtwo episode scores forshort-lived Rod Serling west-ern series. $19.95

■■ FSM-80125-2Mad Monster Party Film released: 1998Studio: Rankin/BassGenre: AnimagicPercepto/Retrograde RecordsCD released: 1997Stereo 36:48

The jazzy score by composerMaury Laws, with lyrics byJules Bass, features thevocal talents of Boris Karloff,Phyllis Diller and Ethel Ennis.Features 16-page color book-let with rare and unpublishedphotographs and conceptdrawings. $16.95

■■ FSM-80124-2DeadfallFilm released: 1968Studio: 20th Century-FoxGenre: Heist caperRetrograde RecordsCD released: 1997Stereo 40:23

Barry scored this thriller inhis most creative period.Features “Romance for Guitarand Orchestra,”; the titlesong performed by ShirleyBassey, plus two unreleased,alternates and vintage under-score. $16.95

■■ FSM-80123-2The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3Film released: 1974Studio: M-G-MGenre: ThrillerRetrograde RecordsCD released: 1996Stereo & Mono • 30:55

Hear David Shire’sunparalleled ’70s 12-tonejazz/funk fandango for the1974 subway hostage thrilleron FSM’s first album release.A sensational, driving,pulsating score in a class byitself. $16.95

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BOOKS FOR COMPOSERS2002 Film/TV Music Guide From the Music Business Registry Isn’t your career worth it? An exhaustive directory of record labels, musicpublishers, film/TV music depts., music supervisors, music editors, com-poser representatives, composers, clearance companies, recording stu-dios, performing rights societies, and music libraries—names, addressesand numbers. $94.95

The Click Book Comprehensive timing tables for synchronizingmusic to film By Cameron RoseComposer provides click-tempo tables for 6-0 through 32-0 frameclick-tempos. Each timing table covers beat 1 to beat 999 at the givenclick-tempo. With large, easy-to-read click-tempo and metronomicvalues at the top of each page, there are timing, frame and footagebreakdowns for rhythmic subdivisions within each click-tempo—including compound meters. Includes a listing and tutorial of standardtiming-conversion formulas for 24 fps film speed, and a tutorial inSMPTE-to-absolute time conversion, plus frames-to-seconds conver-sion tables for U.S. and European film & video speeds. 430 pp. $149.95


BOOKS FOR MUSIC LOVERSThe Score: Interviews with Film Composers by Michael SchelleThis 1999 book uses a Q and A format to provide readers with a conver-sational look at contemporary composers, featuring lengthy transcriptswith Barry, Bernstein, Blanchard, Broughton, Chihara, Corigliano,Howard, Isham, Licht, McNeely, T. Newman, Shaiman, Shore, Walker andC. Young. Written by a composer, who delves deeply and precisely intoeach composers’ ideas. Silman-James Press, 432 pp., softcover. $19.95

Getting the Best Score for Your Film: A Filmmakers’ Guide toMusic Scoring by David Bell

Respected TV composer Bell (Star Trek: Voyager) wrote this book in 1994to help producers and directors get the most out of film music. Aimed atfilmmakers, this book also provides useful professional info to com-posers and musicians—or any interested fan. Topics include spotting,communicating, recording, budgeting and licensing, with explanations ofthe personnel and entities involved in each; also includes lists of agents,clearance companies, glossary terms and resources. Silman-JamesPress, 112 pp., softcover. $12.95

Music from the Movies 2nd Edition by Tony ThomasThe original film music book (1971) from which all others followed,telling the stories of Hollywood’s most successful—if hithertounknown—composers. Updated in 1997, shortly before the author’sdeath. Composers covered (many with photos) are Stothart, V. Young,Green, Newman, Tiomkin, Waxman, Kaper, Rózsa, Steiner, Korngold,Herrmann, Friedhofer, Raksin, Antheil, Thompson, Copland, North,Bernstein, Duning, Rosenman, Goldsmith, Mancini, Schifrin, Scott,Shire, Broughton and Poledouris. Silman-James Press, 330 pp., softcover. $19.95

U.S. Soundtracks on CD: Scores for Motion Pictures and Television 1985-1999 Price Guide by Robert L. SmithFSM’s 2nd market-standard price guide contains 2,400+ album titles withcomposers, label numbers, special collectible info and estimated values.Listings are annotated to differentiate between originals and reissues,commercial albums and promos. Learn what’s out there, what they’reworth, and how much you should spend on your collection. Smith surveysthe market and provides a checklist for the top 50 collectible CDs.Vineyard Haven LLC, 154 pp., softcover. $17.95

A Heart at Fire’s Center: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmannby Steven C. SmithThe most influential film composer of all time, who scored Citizen Kane,Vertigo, Psycho and Taxi Driver, Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975) wasasfamous for his musical passion as his bad temper. This hard-to-find 1991book is the definitive biography of the legendary composer, covering hisfilm, television, radio and concert work as well as his personal life. It’s abrilliant illumination of Herrmann and probably the best film composerbiography ever written. University of California Press. 416 pp., hardcover. $39.95

The Album Cover Art of Soundtracksby Frank Jastfelder & Stefan Kassel, Foreword by Saul BassThis 1997 coffee-table book is a stunning collection of soundtrackLP covers, many reproduced full-size. From westerns to blaxploita-tion to sexploitation in every style, it’s a gorgeous dossier of vividartwork, with covers both ubiquitous and rare. Take a trip downmemory lane, or experience these powerful images for the firsttime. Originally sold for $29.95—it’s now out-of-print, but we havea limited number of copies for our faithful readers. Edition Olms AG Zürich, 128 pp., full color, softcover. $24.95

Dimitri Tiomkin: A Portraitby Christopher PalmerThis 1984 book is the authoritative study of legendary composer Tiomkin(1894-1979). Long out of print, a few copies have surfaced from the U.K.publisher, but when they’re gone, they’re gone! This treasured tome isdivided into three sections: a biography, an overview of Tiomkin in anhistorical perspective, and specific coverage of his major landmarks(Lost Horizon, High Noon, the Hitchcock films, Giant, and many more).Includes a complete filmography, 41 b&w photos, and 9 color plates. T.E. Books. 144 pp., hardcover. $24.95

Hugo Friedhofer: The Best Years of His LifeEdited by Linda Danly, Introduction by Tony ThomasThe gifted musician of such Hollywood classics as The Best Years of OurLives, Above and Beyond and Soldier of Fortune was considered by hiscontemporaries to be the most sophisticated practitioner of their art.Friedhofer (1901-1981) gave a lengthy oral history to the American FilmInstitute, rife with anecdotes, opin ions and wit, which forms the center-piece of this book. Includes a short biography by Danly, the eulogy fromFriedhofer’s memorial service by David Raksin, a filmography, photographsand more. The Scarecrow Press, 212 pp., hardcover. $39.95

Film Music and Everything Else!Music, Creativity and Culture as Seen by a Hollywood Composerby Charles BernsteinEssays by the composer of the original Nightmare on Elm Street, Sadat,Cujo and others. Originally written for“The Score,” the quarterly journal ofthe Society of Composers and Lyricists. Topics include: melodies, “hum-mers,” emotion and more. It’s a rare opportunity to read thoughtful opin-ions and musings from a film composer directed towards other practition-ers of the art. Turnstyle Music Publishing, 132 pp., softcover, limited to 500copies. $18.95

Sound and Vision: 60 Years of Motion Picture Soundtracksby Jon Burlingame Foreword by Leonard MaltinJournalist and historian Burlingame’s overview of movie music com-posers and history, encapsulating the most notable people and eventsin clear and direct prose. Largely comprised of composer mini-bioswith reviews of their most notable works and photo portraits (fromGolden Age titans to present-day masters), there is also a thoroughoverview of soundtrack album history (LP and CD), a section devoted tosong compilation reviews, and a helpful movie music bibliography.Billboard Books, 244 pp., softcover. $18.95

Memoirs of a Famous Composer— Nobody Ever Heard Of by Earle HagenComposer Hagen (b. 1919) has had an outstanding career: as a big bandtrombone player with Benny Goodman; working under Alfred Newmanat 20th Century Fox; and as a composer/music director for thousands ofhours of television, including I Spy, The Mod Squad and The AndyGriffith Show. He also wrote the standard, “Harlem Nocturne,”andauthored two technical books on film composing. This is Hagen’s story,filled with charming anecdotes of some of the most famous personalitiesin movie music. Xlibris Corporation. 336 pages, hardcover. $34.95

Overtones and Undertones: Reading Film Music by Royal S. BrownThe film music columnist takes on the first serious theoretical studyof music in film and exploring the relationship between film, musicand narrative, chronicling the its aesthetics through several eras.Key works analyzed include The Sea Hawk (Korngold), DoubleIndemnity (Rózsa), Laura (Raksin), Prokofiev and Eisenstein,Herrmann and Hitchcock, and several scores for Jean-Luc Godard.Also features probing interviews with Rózsa, Raksin, Herrmann,Mancini, Barry and Shore. U.C. Press. 396 pp., softcover. $24.95

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BACK ISSUES OF FSMVOLUME ONE, 1993-9624 pp. unless noted. Asterisk (*) indicates photocopies.*#30/31, Mar. ’93 64 pp. M. Jarre, B.Poledouris, Chattaway, J. Scott, C.Young, Mike Lang; secondary market,Morricone albums, Bernstein FilmMusic Collection LPs; 1992 in review.*#32, Apr. ’93 16 pp. Matinee temp-track, SPFM ’93 Conference Report,Star Trek music editorial.*#33, May ’93 12 pp. Book reviews,classical/film connection.*#34, Jun. ’93 16 pp. Goldsmith SPFMaward dinner; Orchestrators; Lost inSpace; recycled Herrmann; C.Young;Pinocchio; Bruce Lee movie scores. *#35, Jul. ’93 16 pp. Tribute to DavidKraft; John Beal Pt. 1; scores vs. songs;Herrmann Christmas operas; FilmComposers Dictionary. *#36/37, Nov. ’93 40 pp. Bob Townson(Varèse); Richard Kraft & Nick RedmanPt. 1; John Beal Pt. 2; reviews of CAMCDs; of collectors interest; classic cor-ner; fantasy film scores of E. Bernstein. *#38, Oct. ’93 16 pp. John Debney(seaQuest DSV); Kraft/Redman Pt. 2. *#39, Nov. ’93 16 pp. Kraft & Redman Pt.3; Fox CDs; Nightmare BeforeChristmas; Bride of Frankenstein. *#40, Dec. ’93 16 pp. Kraft & Redman Pt.4; Re-recording The Magnificent Seven.*#41/42/43, Mar. ’94 48 pp. E.Goldenthal; J.N. Howard; Kitaro & R.Miller (Heaven & Earth); R. Portman;Ken Darby; Star Wars trivia/cue sheets;sexy album covers; music for westerns;’93 in review. *#44, Apr. ’94 J.McNeely; B. Poledouris(On Deadly Ground); SPFM Morriconetribute & photos; lots of reviews. *#45, May ’94 R. Newman (Maverick);G. Revell (The Crow); Goldsmith con-cert; in-depth reviews: The MagnificentSeven, Schindler’s List; Instant LinerNotes, book reviews.*#46/47, Jul. ’94 P. Doyle, J.N.Howard(Wyatt Earp), John Morgan (restoringHans Salter); Tribute to Mancini; M.Nyman music for films, collectible CDs.*#48, Aug. ’94 Mancina (Speed); ChuckCirino & Peter Rotter; R. Kraft: aspiringcomposers advice; classical music;CAM CDs; Cinerama LPs; bestsellers.*#49, Sept. ’94 H. H. Zimmer (The LionKing), S. Walker; L. Rosenthal; HansSalter in memoriam; classical music in

films; Williams concert; Recordman atthe flea market.#50, Oct. ’94 A. Silvestri (Forrest Gump);M. Isham; sex & soundtrack sales;Schifrin concert; Morricone Beat CDs;that wacky Internet; Recordman onliner notes.*#51, Nov. ’94 H. Shore (Ed Wood), T.Newman (Shawshank Redemption), J.P. Robinson (Craven’s New Nightmare),Lukas’s mom interviewed; music ofHeimat, Star Trek; promos.*#52, Dec. ’94 E. Serra; M. Shaiman Pt.1; Sandy De Crescent (music contrac-tor); Valencia Film Music Conference;SPFM Conference Pt. 1; StarGate linernotes; Shostakoholics Anonymous.*#53/54, Feb. ’95 M. Shaiman Pt. 2; D.McCarthy (Star Trek); Sergio Bassetti;Jean-Claude Petit & Armando Trovajoliin Valencia; Academy Awards Pt. 1;rumored LPs; quadraphonic LPs.*#55/56, Apr. ’95 B. Poledouris (TheJungle Book); A. Silvestri (The Quickand the Dead); J. Lo Duca (Evil Dead);Oscar & Music Pt. 2; Recordman’sDiary; SPFM Conference Report Pt. 2.

*#57, May ’95 Goldsmith concert; B.Broughton (Young Sherlock Holmes);Miles Goodman interview; ’94 ReadersPoll; Star Trek overview.*#58, Jun. ’95 M. Kamen (Die Hard);Royal S. Brown (film music critic);Recordman Loves Annette; History ofSoundtrack Collecting Pt. 1.*#59/60, Aug. ’95 48 pp. Sex Sells (LPcovers); Jarre interview; History ofSoundtrack Collecting Pt. 2; RózsaRemembered; film music concertdebate. *#61, Sept. ’95 Goldenthal (BatmanForever), Kamen Pt. 2, Chris Lennertz;Star Trek: The Motion Picture, classicalmusic for soundtrack fans.

*#62, Oct. ’95 D. Elfman Pt. 1; J. Ottman(The Usual Suspects); R. Townson(Varèse Sarabande); 10 Most InfluentialScores; Goldsmith documentary.*#63, Nov. ’95 James Bond SpecialIssue! Barry & Bond (history/overview); Serra on GoldenEye; essay;favorites; more. Also: History ofSoundtrack Collecting Pt. 3; DavyCrockett LPs.*#64, Dec. ’95 Danny Elfman Pt. 2, SteveBartek (orchestrator), RecordmanMeets Shaft: The BlaxploitationSoundtracks; Kamen Pt. 3; re-recordingHouse of Frankenstein.*#65/66/67 Mar. ’96, 48 pp. T. Newman;Takemitsu; Robotech; Star Trek; 10Influential composers; Glass; HeitorVilla-Lobos; songs in film; best of ’95;film score documentary reviews(Herrmann, Delerue, Takemitsu, “TheHollywood Sound”).*#68, Apr. ’96 D. Shire’s The Taking ofPelham One Two Three; C. Burwell(Fargo); gag obituaries; Apollo 13promo/bootleg tips.*#69, May ’96 Music in Plan 9 fromOuter Space; Funny movie music glos-sary; Herrmann & Rózsa radio pro-grams; Irwin Allen box set; Bender’s“Into the Dark Pool” column. *#70, Jun. ’96 Mancina (Twister), finaldesert island lists, J. Bond on summermovies; TV’s Biggest Hits review.*#71, Jul. ’96 D. Arnold (IndependenceDay); M. Colombier; Recordman Goes toCongress; J. Bond’s summer round-up.*#72, Aug. ’96 10 Best Scores of ’90s; T.Newman’s The Player; Escape fromL.A.; conductor John Mauceri; refer-ence books; Akira Ifukube CDs.*#73, Sept. ’96 Recordman on War FilmSoundtracks Pt. 1; David Schecter:Monstrous Movie Music; Ifukube CDsPt. 2; Miles Goodman obituary.*#74, Oct. ’96 Action Scores in the ’90s;Cinemusic ’96 report (Barry, ZhouJiping); Vic Mizzy.*#75, Nov. ’96 Barry: CinemusicInterview; Recordman on War FilmSoundtracks Pt. 2, J.Bond’s reviews.*#76, Dec. ’96 Interviews: R. Edelman,Barry pt. 2, R. Cooder (Last ManStanding); A. Dursin’s laserdisc column,Lukas’s reviews.

VOLUME TWO, 1997First color covers! Issues 32-48 pp.*Vol. 2, No. 1, Jan./Feb. ’97 Star Warsissue: Williams interview; behind theSpecial Edition CDs; commentary, cue

editing minutia/trivia.*Vol. 2, No. 2, Mar./Apr. ’97 A. Clausen(The Simpsons); promotional CDs;Congress in Valencia; Readers Poll ’96;Into the Dark Pool Pt. 2

*Vol. 2, No. 3, May ’97 Michael Fine:Re-recording Rózsa’s film noir scores;reviews: Poltergeist, Mars Attacks!,Rosewood; Lukas’s & J. Bond’s reviews.*Vol. 2, No. 4, Jun. ’97 Elfman (Men inBlack), Promos Pt. 2, Martin Denny andExotica, Lady in White, the Laserphileon DVDs, Brian May obit, The FifthElement .*Vol. 2, No. 5, Jul. ’97 Goldenthal(Batman & Robin), Mancina (Con Air,Speed 2), Clinton (Austin Powers),ASCAP & BMI nites; Crash, Lost World.Vol. 2, No. 6, Aug. ’97 Schifrin (MoneyTalks), J. Powell (Face/Off), Shaiman(George of the Jungle); rememberingTony Thomas; Summer movies, TVsweeps.*Vol. 2, No. 7, Sept. ’97 Zimmer vs. FSM(interview: Peacemaker), M. Beltrami(Scream, Mimic), Curtis Hanson (L.A.Confidential); Laserphile; Bender: FilmMusic as Fine Art, Recordman.*Vol. 2, No. 8, Oct. ’97 Poledouris(Starship Troopers), Shore (Cop Land,The Game), Zimmer vs. FSM Pt. 2, AlloyOrchestra (scoring silent films), GoldenAge CD reviews.Vol. 2, No. 9, Nov./ Dec. ’97 D. Arnold(Tomorrow Never Dies); J. Frizzell(Alien Resurrection); Neal Hefti (inter-view); U-Turn & The Mephisto Waltz,Razor & Tie CDs; 1st issue of currentformat.

VOLUME THREE, 1998Expanded format! Issues 48 pp*Vol. 3, No. 1, Jan. ’98 WilliamsBuyer’s Guide Pt. 1 (Star Wars toAmistad), M. Danna (The SweetHereafter), Titanic‘s music supervisor,readers poll, laserphile, Silvestri lec-ture, Rykodisc reviews.*Vol. 3, No. 2, Feb. ’98 Glass (Kundun),Williams Buyers Guide Pt. 2 (TheReivers to Black Sunday), D. Amram(The Manchurian Candidate), Goldsmithon Varèse, Pendulum CDs; poll results,

TV CDs.Vol. 3, No. 3, Mar./Apr. ’98Titanic/Horner essays, Best of 1997,Cinerama Rides Again, RememberingGreig McRitchie, Fox Newman Stagepics, Oscar noms.Vol. 3, No. 4, May ’98 Bruce Broughton(Lost in Space), D. Arnold (Godzilla);Inside Close Encounters restoration;Williams Buyers Guide Pt. 3; ScoreInternationale, Laserphile, EdShearmur; Fox Classics reviews.

GET FREE GIFTS!Film Score Monthly rewards itshappy, loyal customers with a freegift for spending over $50 on any oneorder, and TWO free gifts for spend-ing over $100. (Magazine subscrip-tions, shipping and tax are not appli-cable towards the $50 or $100—buteverything else is, includingbackissues.)

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Basil Poledouris: His Life and MusicFSM’s videotape docu-mentary of the admiredcomposer. Specify NTSC(U.S.) or PAL (U.K.) format.Regular FSM Price: $19.95

Now Playing on Marco PoloSampler of John Morgan/WilliamStromberg re-recordings on theMarco Polo label (8 tracks -37:55). Retail Price: $14.95

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ketplaceStu Who?

Forty Years of Navigating the Minefields of the Music BusinessStu Phillips’s career encompasses groovy cult films (Beyond the Valley ofthe Dolls) and virtually every Glen Larson TV show ever produced(Battlestar Galactica, Knight Rider). Stu Who? is his candid, breezily toldmemoirs full of exciting stories from the worlds of arranging, music direct-ing, record producing, and film and TV scoring. Published Cisum Press, 304pp., hardcover, illustrated. $29.95

The Music of Star Trek: Profiles in Style by Jeff BondThe first-ever history of Star Trek soundtracks, from the original series tothe present—by FSM’s own senior editor. Featuring interviews withcomposers Goldsmith, Courage, Fred Steiner, Fried, Ron Jones,McCarthy, Chattaway, producer Robert Justman, music editor GerrySackman and others, the book contains a complete list of music writtenfor all four TV series; a guide to score tracking and credits; Trek manu-script excerpts from the composers; and several cue sheets. Lone EaglePublishing. 224 pages, softcover, illustrated. $17.95

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO!Basil Poledouris: His Life and Music An intimate visit with the composer of Conanthe Barbarian, Free Willy, Starship Troopers andLonesome Dove. Take a tour of his work andlifestyle, from his methods of composing to hislove of sailing. The video runs 50 minutes and

includes footage of Basil conducting and at work on synthesizer mock-ups of Starship Troopers,as well as dozens of behind-the-scenes and family photos, and appearances by wife Bobbie anddaughter Zoë. Discover the man behind the music,in a way you’ll never see on TV, or experience inprint. Specify NTSC (U.S.) or PAL (European) $19.95


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Shearmur; Fox Classics reviews.Vol. 3, No. 5, Jun. ’98 Mark Snow (X-Files), Classic Godzilla; J. Chattaway(Maniac, Star Trek), Broughton BuyersGuide Pt. 1, Downbeat (D. Reynolds,McCarthy, Anne Dudley), SCLConference Report. Vol. 3, No. 6, Jul. ’98 Trevor Rabin(Armageddon), Barry’s London Concert;Burkhard Dallwitz (The Truman Show);Christopher Gordon (Moby Dick);Debbie Wiseman (Wilde); ‘70s soulsoundtracks.Vol. 3, No. 7, Aug. ’98 South Park (AdamBerry, Bruce Howell), Ira Newborn(Baseketball), Taxi Driver retrospective,BMI & ASCAP dinners, BroughtonBuyers Guide Pt. 2, Downbeat (Schifrin,Bernstein, Legrand).* Vol. 3, No. 8, Sept. ’98 Lalo Schifrin(Rush Hour), B.Tyler (Six-StringSamurai); T.Jones; Williams concertpremiere, ASCAP scoring seminar,Rykodisc CD reviews.Vol. 3, No. 9, Oct./Nov. ’98 ErichWolfgang Korngold: Biographer inter-view and book reviews; Williams’sTanglewood film scoring seminar; C.Burwell; S. Boswell; Citadel Records,Halloween laserphile.Vol. 3, No. 10, Dec. ’98 The Prince ofEgypt (Zimmer, Stephen Schwartz), E.Cmiral (Ronin); Holiday Review Round-up: 50+ CDs; Downbeat (Elfman, Young,Beltrami, Eidelman, D. Cuomo, Kamen.)

VOLUME FOUR, 1999 48 pp.each*Vol. 4, No. 1, Jan. ’99 NFL Films (Sam

Spence), Goldsmith at Carnegie Hall,Elfman (Psycho, Civil Action, A SimplePlan), Wing Commander game music,books, Indian funk soundtracks.Vol. 4, No. 2, Feb. ’99 Goldsmith Buyer’sGuide Pt 1: The ’90s, The Exorcist (lostSchifrin score); D. Shire (Rear Windowremake); TVT sci-fi CDs; promo CDs;Glass (Koyaanisqatsi).Vol. 4, No. 3, Mar. ’99 The Best of 1998:Essays by J. Bond, A. Dursin & D.Adams; Wendy Carlos; GoldsmithBuyer’s Guide Part 2: The ‘80s; Hammersoundtracks on CD; Recordman;Downbeat; ST:TMP CD review.Vol. 4, No. 4, Apr./May ’99 F. Waxman:Scoring Prince Valiant ; 1998 ReadersPoll; Goldsmith Buyer’s Guide Pt 3: Late‘70s; DIVX soundtrack festival report;Barry bios reviewed; C.Gerhardt obit.Vol. 4, No. 5, Jun. ’99 Star Wars: ThePhantom Menace scoring session &analysis of Trilogy themes; HalloweenH20 postmortem; Affliction, Futurama;Free Enterprise, Election; CD reviews:Roy Budd, Morricone, TV, A SimplePlan.Vol. 4, No. 6, Jul. ’99 Elmer Bernstein:Wild Wild West; Clinton: Austin Powers2; Goldsmith Buyer’s Guide Pt 4: Early‘70s; USC film scoring program; CDreviews: 1984, Sword and the Sorcerer,The Mummy, The Matrix, more.Vol. 4, No. 7, Aug. ’99 Warner AnimationScoring (Walker on Batman/ Superman,Broughton on Tiny Toons, more);Phantom Menace; Kamen (The IronGiant); Stu Phillips (BattlestarGalactica); percussionist Emil Richards;ASCAP awards.

*Vol. 4, No. 8, Sept./Oct. ’99 Tribute toStanley Kubrick: interview (JocelynPook) analysis (Eyes Wide Shut);review (Kubrick compilation);Poledouris (For Love of the Game);Goldsmith Buyer’s Guide Pt 5: Late ‘60s;concert advice for Goldsmith.Vol. 4, No. 9, Nov. ’99 U.S. PostalService Composer Stamps; Papillionretrospective; Peter Thomas; InspectorGadget; The Thomas Crown Affair;more); BMI awards night. Vol. 4, No. 10, Dec. ’99 Scores of Scores1999: annual review roundup: anima-tion, Morricone, horror, Golden andSilver Age Hollywood, concert workCDs and lots more.

VOLUME FIVE, 2000 48-64 pp.eachVol. 5, No. 1, Jan. ‘00 Rhino’s reissue ofSuperman:The Movie, film and cuesheet analysis; ’50s Superman TVscore; H. Shore (Dogma); Goldenthal,Barber, Tyler, Debney and Robbins;pocket reviews debut, Laserphile.Vol. 5, No. 2, Feb. ’00 20th AnniversaryTribute to Jerry Fielding, conversationwith Camille Fielding; Top picks for 1999;Oliver Stone’s score-o-matic (Any GivenSunday); George Duning obit; ScoreInternationale;1999 release stats. Vol. 5, No. 3, Mar. ’00 Build the ultimatePhantom Menace CD at home; Readerspicks for 1999; Music director MarkRussell Smith on film vs. concert music;C.H. Levenson’s “last” letter, readersurvey, and more.Vol. 5, No. 4, Apr./May ’00 Herrmann: 10Essential Scores of the ’50s and CDchecklist, Journey to the Center of theEarth retrospective; R. Marvin (U-571);J.Z.K. on Tora! Tora! Tora!; Film musicrepresentation in Hollywood, pt.1.Vol. 5, No. 5, Jun. ’00 TENTHANNIVERSARY ISSUE! Kendall remem-bers; An FSM Timeline; The Film ScoreDecade: who and what made it memo-rable; Jaws 25th Anniversary CDreview; J. N. Howard (Dinosaur);Goldsmith Buyer’s Guide Pt 6, more.Vol. 5, No. 6, Jul. ’00 Summer MovieRound-up; D. Newman (Bedazzled, TheKlumps); Film score agents, pt.3;Session Notes (debut); They Might BeGiants (Malcolm in the Middle); pocketreviews; Score Internationale.Vol. 5, No. 7, Aug ’00 B.Broughton inter-view; Silverado analyzed; Shaimangives hell from the heavens; AgentHistory’s fiery conclusion; Laserphile(Autumn DVDs); .William Stromberg;Elfman & mom at a scoring session.Vol. 5, No. 8, Sept./Oct ’00 R.Newman(Meet the Parents); Things To ComeSoundtrack LP; The GooniesRetrospective; Requiem for a Dream;Session Notes (The Simpsons); Psychohonored by NPR; “Cinema of Dreams”. Vol. 5, No. 9, Nov./Dec. ’00 Special 64pg. double issue. 101 Great Film Scoreson CD—FSM’s big list; Tan Dun & Yo-YoMa (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon);Shore (The Cell); Silvestri (Cast Away);Back to the Future retrospective.

VOLUME SIX, 200148 pp.eachVol. 6, No. 1, Jan. ’01 The Best of theWorst:2000 in review; Our Town musicanalysis; Hollow Man on DVD; TotalRecall redux; C. Martinez (Traffic); more.

Vol. 6, No. 2, Feb. ’01 The Musical Worldof Irwin Allen; Copland on Film (cond.Jonathan Sheffer); G.Clinton (3000 Milesto Graceland); Douglass Fake of Intrada;How to Marry a Millionaire, more. Vol. 6, No. 3, Mar. ’01 Bigger, BetterScores: New RMA agreements; Don Ellisand a life in 13/8 Time; Irwin Allendiscography; R. Kent (Town & Country);Italian Imports: You can’t beat BEAT.Vol. 6, No. 4, Apr./May ’01 J. HornerBuyer’s Guide Part 1; The MummyReturns, Swordfish; A Salute to HoytCurtin; Epics on DVD; Session Notesfrom Atlantis The Lost Empire.Vol. 6, No. 5, June ’01 Sergei ProkofievTribute; Friedhofer and Fox;Ghostbusters retrospective; J. Danna, R.Shore; Bender reports from Chiller, andplenty of reviews.Vol. 6, No. 6, July ’01 Elfman’s newPlanet of the Apes; Zimmer on PearlHarbor and concert CD; Horner Buyer’sGuide Part 2; Goldenthal (Final Fantasy);Shore (The Score); Williams (A.I.); more.Vol. 6, No 7, August ’01 Quincy JonesRetrospective Part 1; Moulin Rouge;John Morgan Reconstructing GoldenAge Scores; Schifrin, Jones, Diamondand Debney; Score Internationale;Random Play.Vol. 6, No 8, September ’01 AngeloBadelamenti (Mulholland Drive); TheNorth Carolina School of the Arts (forfilm composing); Quincy Jones Pt 2;Earle Hagen; Halloween DVDs; more.Vol. 6, No. 9, Oct./Nov. ’01 H. Shore (Lord

of the Rings); R. Stein:Invasion of theScore Man; T.Jones (From Hell); DavisMeets Williams (Jurassic Park III onDVD); M. Danna (Chosen, Hearts ofAtlantis); ST:TMP gets a DVD refit; Pukascomix debut . Vol. 6, No. 10, Dec. ’01 Annual roundupCD reviews; Alejandro Aménabar (TheOthers); G. Yared; other Hobbit music; C.Young, H. Gregson-Williams, R. Kent, M.Isham.

VOLUME SEVEN, 200248 pp.eachVol. 7, No. 1, Jan. ’02 The Best and theWorst of 2001; Horner Buyers Guide Pt3:1989-86; Zimmer (Black Hawk Down);Logan’s Overrun:expanded liner notes;Enterprise; Yann Tiersen.Vol. 7, No. 2, Feb. ’02 Happy Birthday,Elmer Bernstein; Rózsa speaks! (Lustfor Life); Richard Rodney Bennett;Downbeat (John Q,.Frailty); Laserphile(baseball & rites of passage DVDs).Vol. 7, No. 3, Mar/Apr. ’02 J.Debney(The Scorpion King); Hook retrospective(Williams);Dialect of Desire: EddaDell’Orso; Craig Armstrong (MoulinRouge; Oscar winners.Vol. 7, No. 4, May/Jun. ’02 Elfman

(Spider-Man); Attack of the Clones(cue-by-cue analysis); M.Mothersbaugh (Welcome toCollingwood); Legend on DVD;Retrograde (ASCAP winners).Vol. 7, No. 5, Jul. ’02 MURDER MUSIC:Film Noir; Williams (Minority Report);Goldsmith (The Sum of All Fears); M.Kamen; P. Schickele (Silent Running);Laserphile: Summer Thrills; SCLConference pix, more.Vol. 7, No.6, Aug. ’02 JAZZ IN FILM:Past and present work by Miles Davis,E. Bernstein, S. Clarke and T.

Blanchard; Chats with K. Badelt (K-19 :The Widowmaker); G. Clinton(Goldmember); Louise Steiner in herown words; Billy Goldenberg (Duel,Kojak) more .Vol. 7, No.7, Sept. ’02 FSM’S TOP 40: Wechart the most in-demand composers inHollywood; John Frankenheimer tribute;L. Schifrin birthday; Signs; One HourPhoto (J. Klimek) The Kid Stays in thePicture (J. Danna); 25 scary DVDs; more.Vol. 7, No.8, Oct. ’02 FALL FILM ROUND-UP: E. Bernstein (Far From Heaven); E.Goldenthal (Frida); D. Elfman (RedDragon); Goldsmith and Williams con-certs; S. Bramson (JAG); The MichaelHennagin story; 25+ CD reviews; more.Vol. 7, No.9, Nov. ’02 BOND TURNS 40:D. Arnold (Die Another Day, plusreviews and re-release news); W. Ross(Harry Potter, Tuck Everlasting); GeorgeFeltenstein (Turner Classic Movies’restoration man); 12-CD Wishlist byStavrakis & Bender; Omaha’s OrpheumTheater; Holiday DVD reviews; more.Vol. 7, No.10, Dec. ’02 TOWERINGACHIEVEMENTS: H. Shore (The TwoTowers); P. Glass (The Hours); Ray Ellis(Filmation cartoons!); The AlloyOrchestra, Spy Notes (secret agentdiscography; Adaptation & Punch-Drunk Love; more.Index How much stuff have we printedin FSM? We’re not sure, but here’s ahandy index of all reviews and articlesthrough the end of 2001, compiled byDennis Schmidt. Cost: same as oneback issue.

FSM: The Complete Collection—STILL AVAILABLE!Something we offer—that most magazines do not—is the chance tobuy every single issue of Film ScoreMonthly we’ve ever published.

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That may seem like a lot of money, but this set represents 13 years worthof film score passion, and has become quite expensive for us to produce (wehave to photocopy of the older issues). It comes in a big ol' box and is sure togive many hours of reading pleasure, not to mention eyestrain.

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(continued from page 35)one of the rare releases ofMockridge’s music in any medium.

—S.A.K.

Miracle on 34th Street(1994) ★★★BRUCE BROUGHTONIntrada Special Collection Volume 830 tracks - 67:50

Imust be one big Grinch. Here itwas, the holiday season, mistle-

toe and garlands competing forattention beneath twinkling whitelights, and I was about to lay into aspecial-edition score of a much-loved Christmas movie. Even theliner notes seemed to mock me byending with a quote from the com-poser: “It has one uncommon20th-century emotion in it: joy. Noone is being pushed out a window,no one’s being stabbed or shot orrun over. So when you hear themusic from beginning to end, itjust makes you feel good. And ifyou’ve seen the movie, it makesyou feel even better.”

Try as I might, though, I couldnot understand why this score andits movie were even made. It’s notthat I dislike Christmas melo-drama and kitsch (I love my HenryMancini Christmas albums, afterall), but the only reason this 1994remake of the 1947 classic wascrafted was to make money. Still,Bruce Broughton is a talented andoften overlooked composer, and Iam happy for this opportunity tofill you in on his score, which wasnot released when the film cameout (in favor of an album of popartists covering Christmas carols).

Miracle on 34th Street openswith a main title that announces

the score’s flavor. It consists of twothemes: the opening of “Joy to theWorld” and a chime part reminis-cent of “Carol of the Bells” (or amajor-mode version of the DiesIrae, a chant also Christmas-izedby Danny Elfman in TheNightmare Before Christmas’“Making Christmas”). The orches-tration throughout screamsChristmas with a wordless choir,every conceivable bell, high wood-winds, horns, harps and tremolostrings dominating the texture.This texture changes in the lovetheme, where “Chestnuts Roastingon an Open Fire” is strangelytransformed into a jazzy but woe-fully incongruous love tune.

The music is more manipulativethan Broughton’s usual fare, butthat’s got more to do with the filmthan anything else. This is mostevident in the “Case Dismissed”cue, where the quiet desperationof the previous “Summations” is

overturned by a crescendo to ajubilant return of the main-titletheme. Fortunately, momentssuch as these are redeemed bymore delicate and sensitivemoments of musical interest, suchas “A Big Fat Fake” and the lovely“The Bellevue Carol.”

Okay, so maybe Broughton wascorrect in his assessment. Ormaybe my heart just grew threesizes while writing this review.There is little new or original inthe score and it does push at myemotional buttons a bit too hard,but it’s charming nonetheless.Next Christmas, maybe I’ll pull itout and put it in the CD changerright next to Henry Mancini. Ifthat is not a high compliment, Idon’t know what is. —A.G.

The Gauntlet (1978)★★★ 1/2

JERRY FIELDINGWarner Music France 9362-47882-210 tracks - 31:10

The Gauntlet is one of the fewJerry Fielding scores released

on vinyl at the time of the film.The reason why is obvious: Unlikemany of his prime ’70s dramaticscores (The Mechanic, Bring Methe Head of Alfredo Garcia), TheGauntlet blends his unparalleledavant-garde writing with a light-hearted tone that references bluesand jazz with the help of top-notch soloists Jon Faddis (trum-pet) and Art Pepper (saxophone).

The film features Clint Eastwood(who also directed) as the anti-Dirty Harry cop—a down-and-outalcoholic given a seemingly mean-ingless assignment—and Fieldingopens the score with a piece of

easygoing blues, a variation of thespiritual “Just a Closer Walk WithThee.” As the plot thickens and theaction mounts—Sandra Locke intow—Fielding’s score grows intofamiliar territory, with irregularpercussive patterns, queasy syn-thesizers, swirling strings and dis-sonant big-band brass, auda-ciously emboldened by thepresence of Faddis and Pepperjamming with the orchestra.

One of the major set piecesexemplifies Fielding as virtuosojazz arranger as well as film com-poser: The 4:41 title track is basedon the final movement, “Solea,”from the classic Miles Davis albumSketches of Spain. The connectionis that trumpeter Faddis hadplayed with Gil Evans, the arrangerand conductor on the seminalSketches recording. Hearing theSpanish-flavored “Solea” dancealong to the snare drums so com-mon in Fielding’s suspense work isa sublime experience, one of thehighlights of Fielding’s oeuvre inthe late ’70s, which was otherwiseshowing strain from the com-poser’s age, perfectionism and dis-illusionment with Hollywood.

The Gauntlet is an example of a“light” score in which twists andturns make it a whole lot deeper;case in point, “Exit Tunnel,Roaring!” which starts as a bluesyduet and becomes a squealing,maddening piece of ’70s pursuit.The Gauntlet abandons the single-minded bleakness of a minor mas-terpiece like The Mechanic, andmay seem dated by its ’70s jazzelements; but make no mistake—itis the work of a wizard.

—Lukas Kendall FSM

S C O R E

Record Label Round-Up(continued from page 6)Herrmann; re-recording cond. Joel McNeely), TheQuiet American (Craig Armstrong); Mar. 11: TheHunted (Brian Tyler). www.varesesarabande.com

VirginForthcoming is Pinocchio (Nicola Piovani).

Walt DisneyStill forthcoming is Trevor Jones’ score to Dinotopia.

Please note:We endeavor to stay up-to-date with every com-pany’s plans, but sometimes bad things happen togood labels. Please bear with us if albums are notreleased as announced. FSM

Advertise in FSMContact Bob Hebert1-323-962-6077

v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:40 AM Page 43


Doug’s Favorite Scores(continued from page 25)to see his unique voice applied to genre films,just to see what would happen. I’d still be firstin line to pick up Thomas Newman’s score toAlien 17, but I’d much rather have him workingon unconventional pearls like Road toPerdition. Like much of his work, Newman’sRoad is a study in contrasts—dense orchestralfireworks versus intimate solo work, giddyrhythmic writing versus translucent stillness.Maybe that’s why so many of the films thatNewman works on are tangentially about self-examination. As Newman draws his materialthrough various scopes and settings, we even-tually discover the original kernels of his ideasand evaluate them in their unadorned simplic-ity. Is a single piano tone more beautiful alone

or in a concerto? Is a man measured as a fatheror a son...or a professional killer?

Newman’s score for Road stretches thesemusical differences to their extremes, and thescore is richer for it. Stillness is utterly still. Theactive music rips through dissonant clustersand polytonalities. The distance betweenintroversion and extroversion seems to expandas the score progresses, creating a satisfyingstructure and building to some of Newman’smost creative writing. Easily the composer’sbest since Oscar and Lucinda.

Now bring on the digital fish!

Ararat Mychael Danna

In his most expansively scaledscore to date, Mychael Danna manages to

combine world music tendencies with somegaspingly beautiful full orchestral writing.The score, like the film, maintains a dual exis-tence that holds together tonally even whenit rationally shouldn’t. On disc, the score feelsmore like a concert work, like some of TanDun’s genre-bending pieces—though Dannais more successful. He even manages to out-Gorecki Henryk Gorecki with writing that’smore expressive and soothingly aching thanthe Polish composer’s Symphony No. 3. Araratis 2002’s lost treasure, a painfully gorgeousscore that deserves more attention.

Danna’s art film leanings have kept him atthe perimeter of public consciousness, butexpect that all to change when Ang Lee’sHulk hits screens next year. I don’t dare pre-dict what it will sound like, but I can’t wait tofind out. FSM

Star Trek(continued from page 29)which isn’t really saying all that much. Still,there’s a nice main theme, and some effectivelyethereal choral music for the heavenly“Nexus.” The soundtrack CD contains alengthy sound effects databank.

Album Highlight: “Star Trek GenerationsOverture,” a concert presentation of the noblemain theme.

Missing in Action: “Armagosa Observatory,”music for the unexpected discovery of deadRomulans aboard an abandoned station.

Score Rating: ★★ 1/2

Star Trek First Contact (1996)The Premise: The Borg are back! Picard

must stop them from undoing humanity’s pastbefore he succumbs to his desire forvengeance.

The Prognosis: An uninspired but gener-ally pleasing action film. Jonathan Frakes is acompetent director, and the stylish set andcostume design certainly don’t hurt. Themediocre script can’t hold back fine per-formances from Alfre Woodard as love-inter-est Lily and Alice Krige as the disturbinglyoversexed Borg Queen.

The Music: Jerry Goldsmith returns to scorehis third Trek feature. Due to time considera-tions, he brought on his son Joel to assist him.The Goldsmiths give us lots to chew on...a ter-rific soaring “first contact” theme, a grimmarch for the Borg, and one driving cue afteranother. Three familiar themes return:Goldsmith’s original main theme, his Klingonmarch, and the “God” motif from STV, hereused as linking material. Darting between

nobility, action, dissonant horror, suspenseand even seduction, the score isn’t completelycoherent, but that’s hardly cause for muchcomplaint. The soundtrack CD includes thepop hits “Ooby Dooby” and “Magic CarpetRide.”

Album Highlight: “Main Title/Locutus,” agrand presentation of Goldsmith’s magnificentnew theme in the horns, followed by our firsttaste of Borg music.

Missing in Action: “Flight of the Phoenix,” apulsing action cue underscoring the film’s cli-max, originally slated for the album.

Score Rating: ★★★★

Star Trek Insurrection (1998)The Premise: Picard lectures his superiors

and gets on F. Murray Abraham’s bad sidewhen he defends the sovereignty of a kind ofgalactic “fountain of youth” planet.

The Prognosis: Really not as bad as youremember it, just sort of forgettable. Cheaplaughs and thin characterizations can’t matchthe spirited fun of STIV, in spite of a similaremphasis on good old-fashioned moralizing.Probably the TNG film most similar to its land-mark TV incarnation, in terms of overall feel.

The Music: Jerry Goldsmith returns yetagain. His score for Insurrection isn’t on thesame level as his first two Trek scores, but it’sstill more than competent. The pastoral themefor the peaceful Ba’ku is beautiful, and a lurch-ing six-note motif characterizes the well-writ-ten action cues. Once again, the main theme,Klingon theme and four-note motif appear,but they are not overused. The score as a wholeis fairly organic, topped off with just a touch ofthe mystery and awe that suffused Goldsmith’searlier Trek efforts.

Album Highlight: “New Sight,” several min-utes of absolutely lovely writing based aroundGoldsmith’s Ba’ku themes.

Missing in Action: “A Few Loose Ends” fea-tures haunting strains underscoring Picard’sdiscovery of a mysterious holographic ship,and its implications.

Score Rating: ★★★ 1/2

If you’re interested in learning more aboutthe music of Star Trek, in its first nine films andfirst four TV incarnations, buy yourself a copyof FSM staffer Jeff Bond’s indispensable refer-ence book: The Music of Star Trek—Profiles inStyle, available at most bookstores or directthrough Film Score Monthly. FSM

Special thanks to Andrew DemshukYou can write the author at [email protected]

Mailbag(continued from page 9)pieces (written by Rózsa to emulate HongKong records) and a waltz re-recorded fromThe Story of Three Loves (1953)...”

That waltz track may have been taken fromThe Story of Three Loves, but The Story ofThree Loves took it from Madame Bovary.

Chris SciabarraNew York, New York

NOW IT’S YOUR TURNYou’ve read the mail, perhaps perused the issue—what did you think? Let us know and write to:FSM Mailbag8503 Washington Blvd., Culver City CA 90232or e-mail:[email protected]

v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:40 AM Page 44

Another new year has

arrived and 2003 is look-

ing to be another huge

one for DVD. Sales of DVD play-

ers and software trounced VHS

tape this past year, and the sole

remaining benefit of the tape

format—recordability—will

soon go by the wayside as DVD

Recordable units are poised to be

the “next big thing” in the very near future.While some DVD-R machines are already on

store shelves, many of them are still too high-end for most consumers, while manufacturerscontinue to bicker over format standards.Hopefully, these issues will be ironed out bythe end of 2003, and those of us with prizedVHS tapes will begin the time-consumingprocess of transferring our collections to DVD(sure to be an all-day weekend hobby come2004, no doubt!).

In the meantime, DVD product continues tobe turned out at a rate that’s tough to keep upwith. Here’s a rundown of the recent and rec-ommended …

Classics New to DVDBack to the Future Trilogy (Universal DVD, $39.99)

Universal’s long-awaited three-disc SpecialEdition of the Back to the Future trilogy

includes 1985’s highest-grossing film, alongwith its 1989-90 sequels, shot back-to-back.

Anyone who grew up in the ’80s undoubted-ly saw the original more than a few times, andthe good news is that the picture remains a joy-ful blast of entertainment, with wonderful per-formances, smart writing and infectious ener-

gy. The sequels, while not on the classic level ofthe original, remain worthwhile for separatereasons: 1989’s Back to the Future Part II is adelirious, dizzying time-travel adventure witha brilliant and underrated final third that takesan interesting spin on the events of its prede-cessor. For those who thought Part II lackedheart and romance, Part III reprised the firstfilm’s endearing character interplay andbrought the series to a perfect close.

Universal’s package definitely makes for asolid Special Edition, even if it may be a case ofinformation overload at times. The meat of theextras can be found in a pair of commentarytracks found on all three discs.

First is a live Q&A session with directorRobert Zemeckis and writer/co-producer BobGale, recorded at USC under the guidance ofhome video specialist Laurent Bouzereau. Thetrack runs anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes onall three films, with the two filmmakers fieldingquestions read by Bouzereau from students.The two cover the bases from the (mis)castingof Eric Stoltz in the original version of BTTF, tothe infamous “To Be Continued” line that wasadded to the video release of the first movie.Along the way, they talk about Fox’s crazedschedule, Spielberg’s involvement in the films,and—most tellingly—Crispin Glover’s insanedemands that lead to his ouster from II and III

(and how the sequels had to be written to coverfor his absence).

There are some revealing moments in thistrack, but getting to the tastier nuggets does,admittedly, take awhile. The conversation is alittle slow-moving, and none of the extra sup-plements addresses the major themes of themovie in quite as much depth.

The secondary commentary track by BobGale and producer Neil Canton is interestingbut, unfortunately, pretty dry, and having topinpoint one minute out of several hours ofsupplementary material (a good deal of whichis spent on ridiculous topics like “what kind ofmanure did Tom Wilson step in?”) just to findwhere a major topic is addressed—like Stoltz’scasting—is easily one of the shortcomings ofthe ample material Universal and Bouzereaucrammed onto this set. Either some editingdown of the Q&A track or a guide to where theimportant questions were raised would havebeen a good idea.

The documentary featurettes turn out to bemore disappointing. Each disc containsapproximately 15 minutes’ worth of new“Making of” material, featuring interviewswith Michael J. Fox, Zemeckis and Gale.However, the lack of other participants andsurprisingly short running times result in fluffyfeaturettes that only skirt the surface of the

HEE HAW: Michael J. Fox was getting a little long in the toothto play a high schooler in Back to the Future Part III.

Happy Digital New YearThe “next big thing” is poised to explode.

By Andy Dursin

T H E L A S E R P H I L E


v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:40 AM Page 45

BTTF trilogy’s legacy. In fact, nearly half of thePart II documentary is spent talking about theoriginal film!

Thankfully, there are other goodies that makeup for that disappointment. Each film’s vintage“Making of” featurette has been included, ashave a handful of deleted scenes from bothBTTF I & II. (Part III also has one lone [andthankfully] deleted scene where Mad DogTannen guns down Marshall Strickland.)Outtakes are also included, along with trailers,multiple still galleries on each picture, musicvideos, shorter featurettes (including a look atthe production design), an interview segmentwith Fox on the original movie, animated “anec-dotes” that pop up à la VH-1 videos, and DVD-ROM content including the original scripts.

Visually, the 1.85 transfers are generally good,exhibiting some grain at times but looking ade-quately sharp and colorful. However, Universalconfirmed the suspicions of many viewers thatthe transfers on the two sequels are badly mis-framed, resulting in a loss of intended picturearea throughout both movies! (A mail-inexchange offer has since been announced). The5.1 soundtracks aren’t as elaborate as your typi-cal effects-heavy blockbuster from the last fewyears, but Alan Silvestri’s scores still hold up assome of his finest works.

Aside from the framing issues and the over-abundance of supplementary material,Universal has done a solid job treating one oftheir tent-pole franchises right on DVD. It mayhave taken awhile, but the box-set is guaranteedto please (most) every fan of the series.

Invaders From Mars: Special Edition (Image Entertainment, $24.98)

Think ’50s sci-fi and one of the first titles topop into mind is this seminal William

Cameron Menzies-designed and -directed clas-sic, which effectively taps into fears ofCommunist paranoia and childhood night-mares like few others from the decade.

Jimmy Hunt plays an average small-town kidwho spies a flying saucer land behind his house.Before you can say “gee whiz!” both of Hunt’sparents turn into automatons, and the govern-ment calls in the cavalry to dispose of the hos-tile extraterrestrials—whose leader, memorably,is a big green head encapsulated in a glass case!

Although the budget for this independentlyfinanced film (released through Fox at the time)was modest, you wouldn’t necessarily know itfrom the inspired production design that direc-tor Menzies utilized to great effect. The haunt-ing music score—credited to Raoul Kraushaarbut apparently composed by Mort Glickman—was ahead of its time, and the interior spaceship

scenes were some of the most memorable ofany ’50s sci-fi movie. Forget about TobeHooper’s misguided 1986 remake (whose end-ing remains one of the worst in genre history),and saddle up for some surreal and supremelymemorable thrills!

It’s unfortunate that 20th Century-Fox didn’thold the actual rights to the picture, since themovie has had a checkered history of owner-ship—a problem that’s resulted in a slew oferratic-looking video releases over the years.Wade Williams apparently gained control overthe film at some point, but the first DVD releaseof Invaders From Mars was an utter mess, look-ing as if the film had fallen through the cracks ofthe public domain like too many old movieshave in the past.

Image’s new 50th Anniversary DVD is a goodnews-bad news situation. The bad news is thatthe print used for the disc isn’t in pristine condi-tion—there are still copious scratches and nicksthroughout the movie. On the other hand, genrefans have commented that the colors are moreaccurate here than in any previous release andthat, overall, this is the best-looking Invadersever released on video.

The Image DVD contains two cuts of the film:the original U.S. version and a British editionthat features an extraneous additional sceneand a badly recut ending, both of which turnedup in variant American prints throughout theyears. A theatrical trailer and brief still galleryare included, along with liner notes culled fromImage’s Special Edition laserdisc (though sadly,not all of the laser’s supplementary featureshave been retained). Wade Williams also pro-vides a confusing history of the movie’s tenuousownership in a disc that’s highly recommendedto all sci-fi fans just the same.

The Producers (MGM, $24.98)

After years of misfires (remember LifeStinks?), Mel Brooks became the toast of

the town once again with his Tony-winning,show-stopping, acclaimed and beloved stageadaptation of his first (and in many ways finest)feature film, The Producers.

The irresistible 1968 comedy stars ZeroMostel as Max Bialystock, a strugglingBroadway producer who teams up with neurot-ic accountant Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder) to pro-duce an intentional misfire in an attempt toscrew their investors. The show, of course, isSpringtime for Hitler, and, of course, it turnsinto a riotous hit!

This comedy classic needs little introductionto viewers, but MGM’s new DVD definitelydeserves some kudos. The 1.85 transfer is a hugeimprovement on any previous video release,even handily besting Criterion’s laserdisc.Brooks participates in a documentary thattouches upon everything from Peter Sellers’involvement to the success of the Broadwayshow. Those interviewed include Gene Wilder,Brooks and composer John Morris, thoughsadly there’s no discussion of why Morris appar-ently had a falling out with Brooks afterSpaceballs. A deleted scene, photo gallery andtrailer round out the special features.

Morris’ wonderful score and adaptation ofBrooks’ songs also sound marvelously crisp in anew Dolby Digital remixed soundtrack. Whilepurists may still prefer the original mono track(also included), the new stereo mix is terrificand puts the cap on a great, must-have release.

The Duellists (Paramount, $24.98)

Ridley Scott’s first feature has been given atremendous Collector’s Edition release

courtesy of Paramount. Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine play sol-

diers in Napoleon’s army who instigate a seriesof duels that span some 30 years. Frank Tidy’sgorgeous lensing of the film’s locations andHoward Blake’s atmospheric score complementScott’s visual sense, which even in 1977 was onfull display in this highly acclaimed picture.

The Americans play second fiddle to a finecontingent of British actors (Edward Fox, RobertStephens, Tom Conti and “guest star” AlbertFinney), but The Duellists is more about visualsand atmosphere than the picture’s lead per-formances. Based on Joseph Conrad’s story“The Duel,” this is a movie where each sceneconveys a feeling or mood—still ranking as oneof Scott’s most impressive aesthetic works.

Paramount promised a bona-fide SpecialEdition with their DVD, and the disc delivers.There are two full commentary tracks: one fromScott that’s insightful and filled with informa-tion (as all of his commentary tracks have beenin the past), the other by composer Howard


BIG HEAD: William Cameron Menzie’s stuff ofnightmares created for Invaders From Mars.

v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:40 AM Page 46

Blake that also includes his score isolated instereo! This bonus makes it a must-purchase forFSM readers right there.

A half-hour conversation between Scott andfilmmaker Kevin Reynolds (Count of MonteCristo, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) is interest-ing and laid back, providing an analysis of Scott’sdirection, along with archival behind-the-scenes footage from the shooting. Photo gal-leries, storyboards, the original trailer and Scott’s30-minute first film, “Boy and Bicycle,” roundout a fine assortment of special features.

The 1.85 transfer, meanwhile, is superb andthe 5.1 Surround re-mix is also good. All told,this is easily one of the year’s best “vintage”releases in the format.

The King of Comedy (Fox, $24.98)

Martin Scorsese’s acclaimed, almost inde-scribable 1983 black comedy was

arguably the most troubled shoot in the film-maker’s career—at least until the cameras rolledon Gangs of New York.

After the film’s budget spiraled out of controland lead Harvey Keitel bowed out, RobertDeNiro replaced him as a would-be comic whokidnaps a talk show host (Jerry Lewis) in thehope that the host will make him into a star.

Paul D. Zimmerman’s script is a biting, inci-sive look at celebrity and the crazy world ofentertainment, with the performances of bothDeNiro and Lewis spot-on. Scorsese’s film is akind of Taxi Driver Lite, with the movie toocreepy to be deemed a traditional comedy, yetfar lighter than many of the auteur’s other works.

Fox’s DVD offers a fresh new 1.85 transfer,trailer, still gallery and an insightful new fea-turette, containing interviews with Scorseseand company that reflect upon a much-bally-hooed movie that, years after its initial release,gained the reputation it deserved all along.

Recent—and Recommended The Bourne Identity (Universal, $26.98)

Aspy thriller that feels more like a good ’60sespionage adventure than any of the

recent James Bond films, Doug Liman’s excitingBourne Identity proved to be one of the moresurprising successes of this past year.

Matt Damon stars as Jason Bourne, whowakes up on a fishing boat with no knowledgeof his identity. He does, however, carry the num-ber of a Swiss bank account in his body andsoon finds all kinds of enemies quickly wantingto kill him as he runs through Europe trying touncover the truth about who he really is.

Robert Ludlum’s novel was previously filmedas a Richard Chamberlain TV miniseries in the

late ’80s, and the Tony Gilroy-William BlakeHerron script takes a few liberties with the origi-nal text—not necessarily a bad thing. Indie film-maker Liman handles action sequences adeptly,while Oliver Wood’s cinematography vividlycaptures the story’s European locales. Damon isterrific in the lead and Franke Potente (Run LolaRun) is equally good as an innocent bystanderswept up in the thrills.

While the fact that the film was delayed fornearly a year led many insiders to speculate thatthe movie was a disaster, a surprisingly robustbox-office take and positive reviews turned thisBourne into a possible franchise. Universal’sDVD offers a crisp wide-screen transfer andthrobbing DTS and Dolby Digital soundtracks,setting off a solid score by John Powell. Extrasinclude commentary by Liman, deleted scenes,promotional featurette and a nearly two-year-old trailer that lists Carter Burwell as composer.

Signs (Buena Vista, $29.98)

M. Night Shyamalan’s box-office smashmakes for a low-key and effective sci-fi

thriller that’s as much the story of one man’s lossof faith as it is about an extraterrestrial invasion.

As a farmer and former minister who watch-es aliens descend upon the globe, Mel Gibsongives a marvelously restrained performance,while Joaquin Phoenix proves to be equallystrong as his brother. The movie’s climax offers aneat culmination of narrative fragments (notunlike The Sixth Sense), but Shyamalan’s char-acters are warmer and more likeable than theywere in either of his previous two pictures, andthe slam-bang finale thankfully avoids thepseudo-New Age Field of Dreams and Aliensbuild-up one might have been anticipating.

One of the movie’s key assets is James NewtonHoward’s outstanding music—my pick for thebest score of 2002. The DVD sounds better thanit looks, but still boasts some fine supplements,including a look at Howard’s score.

In addition to a handful of featurettes narrat-ed by the director, there’s a terrific, eight-minutesegment on the music, featuring recording-ses-sion footage and comments from the filmmak-

er about the use of music in movies. It’s anunusually candid segment that’s easily one ofthe best film-music-related supplements toappear on DVD this past year.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: TheComplete Third Season (Fox, $59.99)

While Joss Whedon’s smart, hip and excit-ing show continues to run out of gas in

its seventh (and possibly final) season, Fox’s six-disc box-set of Buffy’s third season showcasesthe program at its finest.

The third year memorably introduced ElizaDushku’s troubled, sexy slayer Faith into themix, while Buffy and Angel continued their trag-ic relationship, and the town’s Mayor proved tobe the season’s “Big Bad.” Spike (JamesMarsters) also arrived back in town, trying toenact revenge on Buffy and the Scooby Gang. Apre-lesbian Willow also tried her hand at

romance with Oz (Seth Green), only to find outthat he, much like Angel, had his own supernat-ural curse to contend with.

The writing, performances and energy in thethird season rank with the best Buffy had tooffer, though newcomers may want to start atthe beginning to get caught up on all the action.

Fox’s box-set offers a slate of supplementalmaterials similar to the previous two sets: select-ed commentaries, scripts, mostly promotionalfeaturettes, an interview with the creator-pro-ducer and a still gallery among other extras. Thetransfers are fine, as is the Dolby Surround mix.

Frank Herbert’s Dune: SpecialEdition (Artisan, $26.98)

Artisan righted several DVD wrongs in 2002,having remastered Total Recall, Basic

Instinct and the Rambo Trilogy with superiornew transfers and soundtracks. Another boonwas a lavish, three-disc “Director’s Cut” of the2000 TV miniseries of Frank Herbert’s Dune.

An additional 30 minutes have been added tothe show itself (footage that was cut for its U.S.broadcast), while the transfer is now 16:9enhanced; there’s also a stronger DTS track


L A S E R P H I L E

WHAT THE @#$!: Lewis scowls, DeNiro laughs and Damon shoots.

v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:40 AM Page 47


included on the audio end.Speaking of that, composer Graeme Revell

appears to talk about his score in an interestingsegment on the film’s soundtrack. Revell dis-cusses his use of “ethnic” music, electronicsand orchestra, plus the creation of the variousmotifs integrated in the score. It’s a nice bonuson a superior presentation of Dune that shouldhave been released this way the first timearound.

Box-Set ManiaWalt Disney Treasures: Behind the Scenes and MickeyMouse in Black and White ($33 each)

The second round of Disney’s numbered,limited-edition box-sets (125,000 copies

issued) showcases several behind-the-scenesprograms and a comprehensive overview ofMickey Mouse’s vintage short subjects.

Behind the Scenes at the Walt Disney Studioincludes six episodes from Walt’s ’50s TV show,offering glimpses of animators at work, origi-nal cartoon drawing involving beloved Disney

characters, and segments culled from featureslike The Reluctant Dragon, starring RobertBenchley. As with all of the Disney box-sets,Leonard Maltin appears to introduce eachepisode and participate in some of the specialfeatures, which include a half-hour lay-of-the-land at the studio, still galleries and an inter-view with animator Joe Grant.

While Warner Bros. continues to frustratefans by stalling the DVD release of LooneyTunes shorts, Disney has met the hopes of ani-mation aficionados by releasing proper retro-spectives of their studio’s classic cartoons. Newinterviews with animation icons FrankThomas and Ollie Johnston are included onthe four-hour-plus retrospective Mickey Mousein Black and White, a collection of Mickeyshorts from 1928 to 1935. It’s a fascinating evo-lution from Steamboat Willie to a characterclosely approximating the Mickey of today.

Both limited-edition boxes include bookletnotes and lithograph reproductions, andmuch like the preceding Disney Treasures, willsurely become prized consumer possessions—several of last year’s sets are already out of printand in high demand.

The Peter Sellers Collection (Anchor Bay, $89.98)

F ollowing closely on the heels of AnchorBay’s Alec Guinness Collection comes a

strong collection of vintage British comediesstarring the legendary Peter Sellers.

However, while Guinness was the leadingstar of most of the Ealing films he appearedin, this box-set contains a handful of terrificfilms where Sellers was a key supportingplayer: pictures like I’m All Right Jack and thelow-key, charming The Smallest Show onEarth. Other titles in this six-disc set includethe droll satire Heavens Above!, Carlton-Browne of the F.O., Two-Way Stretch and thevery strange Hoffman, a dated, rarely seen1970 “comedy” best recommended for afi-cionados.

Supplements are limited in this set, whichincludes 1.66 (16:9) enhanced transfers oneach film and reproductions of the originalone-sheets for chapter inserts. Definitelyworthwhile for Sellers fans. FSM

Andy Dursin can be reached at [email protected]. Read“The Aisle Seat” at Filmscoremonthly.com/aisleseat for

extensive DVD reviews and movie analysis!

L A S E R P H I L E

v8n01 issue 1/28/03 10:40 AM Page 48

FSMCD Vol. 6, No. 2 • Released by Special Arrangement with Turner Classic Movies Music

Ice Station Zebraby Michel Legrand

Ice Station Zebra (1968) is aCold War thriller following a U.S. subma-rine and its mysterious British passengeron a top-secret mission to the North Pole.Based on a novel by Alistair MacLean, thefilm features fine performances by RockHudson, Patrick McGoohan, ErnestBorgnine and an all-male supporting cast.The combination of realistic military proto-col and high-adventure espionage—aswell as groundbreaking special effectsand production design—won the filmmany admirers, among them the lateHoward Hughes.

Michel Legrand was best-known for pop-based scores like TheUmbrellas of Cherbourg and The ThomasCrown Affair, but was no less creative anddynamic in the symphonic Hollywoodidiom (The Three Musketeers). His scorefor Ice Station Zebra is at once epic yetalso offbeat, with powerful main themesdressed in an intricate web of mysteryand suspense. The film is first and fore-most a military story, but in Legrand’shands it becomes almost like a Cold Warballet, with a polished, artistic sheen to itsdanger. Legrand himself provided the ter-rific orchestrations and conducted the 75-piece orchestra in a five-channel stereorecording.

Released on LP at the timeof the film, the 30:14 soundtrack to IceStation Zebra was reissued on CD byPendulum Entertainment Group in 1997(now out-of-print). FSM’s premiere releaseof the complete score runs 79:20 (includ-ing deleted cues), is resequenced into filmorder, and remixed from the original mas-ter elements for significantly improvedsound. It is the definitive presentation ofthe Ice Station Zebra soundtrack.

$19.95 plus shipping.

Don’t Miss

This Month’s

Golden Age Classic

Plymouth

Adventure

by Miklós Rózsa

See page 33

for details.

Don’t Miss

This Month’s

Golden Age Classic

Plymouth

Adventure

by Miklós Rózsa

See page 33

for details.

1. Overture 2:482. Main Title/Satellite/

Jones Arrives/All Aboard 10:173. Voyage Starts/

Russian Trawler 7:254. Wrong Bunk/

The Mysterious Rendezvous 6:395. Opaque Water 1:456. Under the Ice 4:58

7. Bring Her Up/Tigerfish Hits Ice/Intermission Card 3:30

8. Entr’Acte/Crewman Falls Into Crevasse/Tigerfish Submerges 12:10

9. Jones Searches Meteorology Lab 4:45

10. Unidentified Aircraft/Russian Planes 2:02

11. Jones Finds Detector 2:4112. Anders Shot 3:1713. Russian Paratroops Land 2:3314. Vaslov Opens Capsule 2:3815. Ostrovsky and Ferraday Face

Each Other/Colored Smoke/Balloon Explodes/End Title and Credits 12:01Total Time: 79:20

Album Produced by Lukas Kendall

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SIX FEATURE UNRELEASED BONUS TRACKS:

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AND John Williams - FILM SCORE MONTHLY

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