RETURN OF THE MATRIX

Return of the Matrix
by Christopher Coleman

In 1999, the movie business was in dire need of a revolution. It just didn't know it yet and neither did the movie-going-public. The Wachowski Brothers upstart production of THE MATRIX shook up an industry that had all but given up on creativity. The biggest cultural-phenomenon started by a single film since 1977's STAR WARS, THE MATRIX not only introduced a new vocabulary to many but help propel the perception of the computer-geek from zero to hero. THE MATRIX was intelligent and visually engaging at the same time...two things that seemed to have become mutually exclusive in the world of film. Interweaving the religious and the philosophical, Japanese anime, and the Chinese, kung fu genre, THE MATRIX was a blend that few had even dared dream about, let alone follow that dream through to a feature film. THE MATRIX could be considered the first cyber-punk film to move into the mainstream. It went on to influence a number of films and television shows and commercials, which sought to capitalize on some of the groundbreaking effects and growing interest in cyberspace. Not to be lost amidst of the visual effects and philosophical messages was this film's innovative use of electronica and orchestral score. The music of The Matrix went to on influence the world of film music almost as much as the film had influenced it's world.

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POSEIDON by KLAUS BADELT

Roll, Roll, Roll Your Boat Roughly with CG
Review by Christopher Coleman

There aren't a lot of movie moments I remember as child, but going to the drive-in with my entire family to see THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE is one of them. The images of that big boat rolling over with people flying everywhere were burned into my three-year-old-psyche. Well, maybe the constant repeat airings of the film over the years has helped to keep those images fresh, but being there at the drive-in remains one of my surviving child-hood memories. One thing I paid no conscious attention to was John Williams music for the film. (It would be five more years before he would arrest my attention and forever divert the course of my line of musical appreciation.) Still, in the hey-day of the disaster film, composer John Williams might have been king and his work for THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE ranks right up there with his other "score a la disaster" like EARTHQUAKE and THE TOWERING INFERNO.

POSEIDON ends up a high budget (as in $160 mllion high) thriller that delivers little more than a few impressive CG shots for all that money. It is vitually impossible to bring a movie like this to the screen, in the post-Titanic-era and not have compared to that new standard in sea-catastrophes. While boasting vastly improved CG-water, the film has nothing to offer "below the surface." An occasional "ooh" or "aah" hardly makes up for the painful dialogue and paper-thin characters. The decent cast was not given anything to work with and so one hardly cares for their fates at all - something that I'd have to say THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE did a better job at. Still, there was at least the possibility of cinematic-rescue in terms of emotional investment and that was the film's score. The question became would the score be good enough to keep the film afloat?

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SEPTEMBER DAWN by WILLIAMS ROSS to be released

SEPTEMBER DAWN by Williams Ross

BuySoundtrax Records announces the release of the SEPTEMBER DAWN --Original Motion Picture Soundtrack composed by William Ross. The film, directed by Christopher Cain (Young Guns, Gone Fishing), is a Romeo and Juliet story set against the backdrop of the of the controversial real-life massacre of 120 men, women and children traveling through Utah.

Composer William Ross wrote the original score for SEPTEMBER DAWN. Ross is a prolific, award winning composer and arranger whose work has spanned feature films, the recording industry and television. He has composed music for such films as Tuck Everlasting, My Dog Skip, Tin Cup, My Fellow Americans, and the IMAX film Young Black Stallion. Ross has orchestrated more than 100 films, including Matrix Reloaded, Forrest Gump, Stuart Little and The Father of the Bride. In 2007 he was Music Director for the 79th Academy Awards Special.


Order Information Here

Which SPIDER-MAN Score is Best? Vote!

Vote for the BEST SPIDER-MAN SCORE.

Having just lost out to PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLDS END (Hans Zimmer) as the most anticpated score of the Summer of 2007, the old web-slinger makes its way to the heart of our very next poll yet again.

You've seen 'em. You've heard 'em and even though there is no official release for the SPIDER-MAN 3 score yet, you can vote for which of the three scores for the latest SPIDER-MAN franchise you think is the best.

Danny Elfman's work for either of the first two films? The Elfman/Young mashup for the latest film?


Cast Your Vote Now!

Moviescore Media's upcoming I CAPTURE THE CASTLE by DARIO MARIANELLI

MOVIESCORE MEDIA RELEASES

ACADEMY AWARD-NOMINATED COMPOSER DARIO MARIANELLI’S ”I CAPTURE THE CASTLE”

FIRST RELEASE IN NEW “DISCOVERY COLLECTION” SERIES

Soundtrack label MovieScore Media launches its new series of high quality film scores, ”MovieScore Media Discovery Collection”, on May 29, 2007. The first release in the series is I CAPTURE THE CASTLE, an acclaimed British 2003 drama with a heartbreakingly beautiful original score by Academy Award-nominated composer Dario Marianelli (Pride and Prejudice, V for Vendetta, The Brothers Grimm, Goodbye Bafana).

The poetic and romantic score will be available online (http://www.itunes.com/ and http://www.moviescoremediashop.com/) as well as on CD, exclusively distributed by Screen Archives (www.screenarchives.com).

”We couldn’t find a better score and composer for our premiere release in the ’Discovery Collection’ series,” commented label executive Mikael Carlsson. ”So far, MovieScore Media has concentrated its activites on current film scores, but there is so much exquisite film music out there to be discovered from films that came out before we entered the market. With the ’Discovery Collection’ we will try to catch up and release the most interesting, exciting and beautiful film scores we can find!”

I CAPTURE THE CASTLE is based on a novel by Dodie Smith, the author of 101 Dalmatians. Directed by Tim Fywell and starring Romola Garai, Bill Nighy, Henry Thomas and Rose Byrne, the film was released in 2003 and was nominated for several awards, winning the Audience Award at the Film by the Sea International Film Festival. It’s a beautiful drama about a 17-year old woman and her eccentric family, who lives in an old English castle. Her sister is determined to marry their American landlord, and a wedding is arranged – but events spiral out of control as everyone is drawn into a maelstrom of interconnected relationships.

Dario Marianelli’s music for the film foreshadows his Oscar-nominated score for Pride and Prejudice, which he wrote two years after I CAPTURE THE CASTLE. The poetic and melodic orchestral score, orchestrated and conducted by the composer, was called the film’s “real bright spot” by Deseretnews and described as “lovely, haunting… certainly one of the film’s best facets” by DVD Verdict.

In addition to Dario’s score, the album also features a heartfelt rendition of Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune, performed by the composer on piano.

MovieScore Media’s release of I CAPTURE THE CASTLE will be available for download at http://www.moviescoremediashop.com/ and http://www.itunes.com/ and on CD from http://www.screenarchives.com/ on May 29, 2007.

Pre-order CD here: http://www.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm?ID=7237

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Cover art

Sony Classical has just released the cover art for JOHN OTTMAN's upcoming score for FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER.

The soundtrack is schedule for release on JUNE 19, 2007.



You can PRE-ORDER YOURS AT AMAZON.COM

Clint Eastwood's IWO JIMA 2 Disc Soundtrack Released

Milan Records releases a special 2-disc combo featuring the music from FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS and LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA.

From Milan Records

Clint Eastwood’s critically-lauded companion films, Flags of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima, explore the historic Battle of Iwo Jima from both the American and Japanese viewpoints. Each film has garnered rave reviews and multiple award nominations, including Best Feature Film (Letters From Iwo Jima – 2007 Academy Awards) and Best Director (Flags of Our Fathers – 2007 Golden Globe Awards). Now, the outstanding soundtracks to both films are available together in a special deluxe collector’s edition package: Clint Eastwood’s Iwo Jima.

This eye-catching embossed double-digipak includes the full original soundtracks to both films plus exclusive interviews with Clint Eastwood, Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens, actual Marine Corps broadcast recordings from the Battle of Iwo Jima, a 40-page booklet with extensive liner notes about the battle, an introduction by Flags of Our Fathers author James Bradley; historical photos; extra photos from the films; an insert map of the Battle of Iwo Jima, and more!

Track Listing:

DISC 1 ­ Flags of Our Fathers
Music by Clint Eastwood

01. The Photograph (0:52)02. I'll Walk Alone (2:42) performed by Dinah Shore (Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne)03. Knock Knock (3:08) (Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens, Andrew McCormack, Graeme Flowers)04. Wounded Marines (4:34)05. The Thunderer (2:45) (John Philip Sousa)06. Armada Arrives (3:49)07. Goodbye Ira (0:49)08. String Quartet Opus #6, 2nd Movement (3:47) (Joseph Haydn)09. Symphony In G Minor, 3rd Movement (3:49) (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)10. Inland Battle (4:43)11. Flag Raising (0:58)12. Any Bonds Today? (2:37) (Irving Berlin)13. Summit Ridge Drive (3:20) performed by Artie Shaw and His Gramercy Five (Artie Shaw)14. Vict’ry Polka (2:25) (Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne)15. The Medals (2:52)16. Platoon Swims (3:14)17. Washington Post March (2:35) (John Philip Sousa)18. Flags Theme (3:17)19. End Titles Guitar (1:53)20. End Titles (4:25)

BONUS TRACKS21. War Bonds at War (18:00) Marine Corps Combat Recordings, Iwo Jima, March 1945

DISC 2 ­
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA

01. Main Titles02. Letters Montage03. Preparing For The Battle04. Suicide05. Enemy Fire06. Shimizu's Past07. Dinner Party08. Nearing The End09. Kuribayashi's Farewell Letter10. Song For The Defense Of Iwo Jima11. Kuribayashi Pleads For Death12. End Titles Part 113. End Titles Part 2BONUS TRACKS14. Main Titles (radio edit) (2:51)15. Main Titles (composers duet) (2:36)

16. Exclusive Interview with Clint Eastwood (16:35)

More info at Milan Records


Buy this special release from AMAZON.COM today.

Movie Ratings Refresher Course

In case you've forgotten how the Motion Picture Associations movie rating system works...check the clip below. Although it was produced in 1968, it remains viable today. (Please note the one typographical error for the "PG" rating, made by the dyslexic director). Also please note the subliminal marketing shot at the end of the piece.

Please go over this important rating system with your kids.

M.P.A.A. - Movie Ratings (1968)
Uploaded by joecool85

Pathfinder: The Legend of the Ghost Warrior By Jonathan Elias

Jonathan Elias' Pathetique Pathos
By Christopher Coleman

One of the best descriptions of this film that I have heard is that PATHFINDER was simply "part Eragon and part Apocalypto." As odd of a pairing as that might seem, it's, unfortunately accurate. Like the film of Eragon, Pathfinder was an ambition unrealized and like Apocalypto it was a bloodfest. Apt as that description might be for the film as a whole, it, thankfully, doesn't fit Jonathan Elias' score. Actually, the music for PATHFINDER is likely just what you might expect. Brooding, pulsing, occasionally tumultuous - are all things that might spring to mind. While PATHFINDER contains all of the above, there is a surprising amount of thematic music. The end result is a better-than-expected soundtrack presentation.

READ THE FULL REVIEW

Infamous by Rachel Portman

Capote, Portman, and All That Jazz
By Cap Stewart

I’ll admit, until recently I disliked jazz. Actually, that’s putting it nicely. My dislike was something more akin to hatred. Then something changed—what, I’m not exactly sure. In the last year or so, this particular musical genre has grown on me—considerably, in fact.So when I say the soundtrack to INFAMOUS is a bore, it’s not because of the intermittent jazz elements. I find the jazzy portions quite entertaining. In its entirety, however, the hodgepodge that is the soundtrack album is far from satisfying.


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Lisa Gerrard's North American Tour 2007

Here's a bit of promo video regarding vocalist LISA GERRARD's (Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Man on Fire) 2007 North American Tour.

Here are the scheduled stops:

May

03, Atlanta: Variety Playhouse
05 US, PA, Philadelphia: Theatre of the Living Arts
07 US, VA, Alexandria: Birchmere
09 US, New York: The Concert Hall
11 US, Montreal: Theater Maisonneuve
13 US, Toronto: Danforth Music Hall
15 US, Chicago: Vic Theater

Lisa Gerrard: seated event
17 US, Minneapolis: Guthrie Theater
19 US, Denver: Boulder Theater
22 US, Vancouver: Center for the Performing Arts
24 US, Seattle: Moore Theater
26 US, San Francisco: Palace of Fine Arts
29 US, Los Angeles: Orpheum Theatre
30 US, San Diego: Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay

June

01 Mexico City: Luinario

Tickets available at www.ticketmaster.com

Win the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 3 Soundtrack!

As the summer movie schedule kicks into high gear, Tracksounds gives you the chance to win the soundtrack "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END" by Hans Zimmer.

Check out the contest rules HERE. Enter the contest HERE.

Let the swashbuckling begin!