Film Score Monthly Titles Sale at Screen Archives

Screen Archives Entertainment has just announced a big sale on FSM CDs including:

I'LL CRY TOMORROW
BROKEN LANCE
PRINCE OF FOXES
ALL ABOUT EVE & LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN
THE PRODIGAL
RETURN OF DRACULA, I BURY THE LIVING, THE CABINET OF CALIGARI, MARK OF THE VAMPIRE
THE GYPSY MOTHS
TRIBUTE TO A BAD MAN
TOYS IN THE ATTIC
HOME FROM THE HILL

You can check them out here

THE BOURNE FINALITY - Contest Closing Today

<-- Can you caption this???


The Movie Caption Contest comes to a close today (8/31)! Get your last minute entries in to win THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM (SOUNDTRACK) BY JOHN POWELL before he disappears.


ENTER THE CONTEST HERE.

IMDB's Soundtrack Browser

Just happened across this little feature at the IMDB - THE SOUNDTRACK BROWSER.

Basically, it taps into the IMDB's vast database of movie info and returns "soundtrack related" info. Well, just how useful is it? It seems that the search is very restricting.

I tried the following searches:

• "Washington Square"
  in hopes of seeing James Horner's SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISHER come up, since that is one of the track titles. Result = nada

• Next, I tried "Kahn" and I got this sort of thing:

"20 to 1" (2005)
{World's Best Love Songs (#3.9)}Composed by Isham Jones / Kahn, Gus Composed by Isham
Jones / Kahn, Gus
"Benny Hill Show,
The" (1969) {Great Mysteries with Orson Buggy (#6.2)}Lyrics by Kahn, Gus
"Biography" (1987)
{Alice Faye: The Star Next Door}Composed by Kahn, Gus
and Isham Jones
"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (2000) {King Baby (#5.15)}Lyrics by Kahn, Gus

• Next, I tried "Wrath of Kahn." Result: nada.

• Ok...how about "STAR TREK?" I received:

Muppets from Space (1999)- Theme from "Star Trek" (TV series)
RV (2006)- "Star Trek Theme"
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)- "Fanfare from Star Trek
Television Series"
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)- "THEME FROM 'STAR TREK' TV
SERIES"
Star Trek: First Contact (1996)- "Theme from Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)" - "Theme from "Star Trek" (1966) TV Series"
Star Trek: Generations (1994)- Theme from "Star Trek" (1966)
Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)- "Theme from 'Star Trek: The
Motion Picture'" - "Theme from 'Star Trek' TV series"
Wayne's World (1992)- "THEME FROM ''STAR TREK''"

...and that's it. :( Of course, searching the general IMDB search turns up the proper page on Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Kahn and when "full cast and crew" is selected, "James Horner" is listed. Not sure how useful this feature is beyond the "Top 10 Soundtrack Pages" listed at the top. Just the same give it a try...you might actually find something relevant to your search.

IMDB Soundtrack Browser

The Battle of the Best! - Return of the King Leads...

After only a few days, THE BEST ORIGINAL SCORE OF ALL TIME poll has soared to some 130 titles with over 6500 vote/rankings being made in total! While the music of STAR WARS and other JOHN WILLIAMS scores held an early lead, THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy has made a huge comeback.

In the process, voters have made this Unspun list the most popular in the last 30 days and the 5th most popular of all time!

Thanks for voting, but the battle rages on!


Make sure you come back to vote up or vote down the new titles being entered.

Peter Jackson's CROSSING THE LINE with King Kong Snippet

Just came across this interesting bit of video from a secret little project that director PETER JACKSON has been working on. From what I read, it is a 15 minute short film that utilizes some new camera technology entitled "RED" and the video quality of even this quicktime clip is amazing.

Check out this post at RedUser.Net to download

There are a few clips circling the net. Here is a 35 second piece that sounds as if its been temped with JAMES NEWTON HOWARD's KING KONG.

Enjoy!

VOTE for the BEST ORIGINAL SCORE of ALL TIME!

It's the toughest question of all...

Is Alexander Nevsky the best ever? Star Wars? The Lord of the Rings? The Magnificent Seven? Something else? You decide!

Tracksounds Labs w/ Unspun deliver a unique opportunity for you to vote for the best film score(s) of all time! With almost 50 classic film scores already being voted upon, there are plenty of great choices, but YOU can still add to the list if some great score is missing. Other visitors will VOTE UP or VOTE DOWN all entries...resulting in an eventual winner of the title:

BEST OF ALL TIME!

Make your vote count now!

Disturbia (Soundtrack) by Geoff Zanelli

Not Exactly Mr. Rogers’s Neighborhood
Review by Cap Stewart

Imagine you lived in a quaint-looking suburban community. The neighbor to your left was a voyeur and the neighbor to your right was a serial killer. Both people would be considered creepy, albeit in different ways. The nosey neighbor would be a nuisance, whereas the bloodthirsty neighbor would be, well, more of a mortal threat. The music to DISTURBIA, composed by GEOFF ZANELLI, is sort of like a combination of those two neighbors. At times it’s annoying (which is obviously a bad thing) and at times it oozes homicidal menace (which, in this case, is a good thing).

DISTURBIA tells the story of a teenage voyeur who is convinced that one of his neighbors is a murderer. The basics of the plot are taken from, or at least inspired by, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 film, REAR WINDOW, which starred James Stewart and Grace Kelly. Although considered by many to be Hitchcock’s finest effort, REAR WINDOW is one of my least favorite from the esteemed auteur. When I discovered Hollywood was offering a modern retelling of the story, I wasn’t thrilled in the least. You couldn’t—and still can’t—pay me to see DISTURBIA. (I would say, “You couldn’t pay me to listen to the film score either,” but that’s not quite true. I mean, here I am writing a review with a free CD spinning in my computer.)

Read the full review

The Bourne Ultimatum (Soundtrack) by John Powell

Bourne Storming
Review by Christopher Coleman


Accompanying what may have been the best of the three-quels in the summer of 2007 (spider-Man 3, Pirates of the Caribbean 3, Rush Hour 3), composer John Powell's score for the THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM follows up the previous two installments with more of the same electronic grit and audio "kineticism." Powell musically matches Greengrass' intensity scene for scene, blow for blow, and stunt for stunt. He reprises Jason Bourne's main theme as well as his eclectic combination of orchestral and synthesized elements with Western and Middle-eastern instrumentation. The overall effect suits Mr. Bourne and his jaw-dropping exploits to a "T."

Read the full review here.

The Last Mimzy (Soundtrack) by Howard Shore

Flimsy Mimzy
Review by Christopher Coleman

This family-centric film focuses on two children who come across a special box of toys and are changed (or are able to discover) incredible abilities within themselves. The two become a part of a millenia-old project spanning both the vastness of space and extraterrestial life to a warm and cuddly bunny. Save the bunny...save the universe.

Having seen and heard, first-hand, the musical magic created for THE LORD OF THE RINGS, Bob Shaye selected composer HOWARD SHORE to provide the score for THE LAST MIMZY. Unfortunately, THE LAST MIMZY is a much more straightforward sort of film that apparently only required a few basic themes and subtle underscore. within the film itself, Shore's music barely registers with the viewer and when it does, it is always one of his two main themes that get the attention.

Read the full review here

Download free tracks from the Bioshock Soundtrack

Free Download of Music from BIOSHOCK!

2K Games releases 12 tracks from Garry Schyman's original score to one of the most popular and well-reviewed video games of 2007, BIOSHOCK. You can download them FOR FREE at The Cult of Rapture site. Below is the official press release regarding Garry Schyman's score.

Download the music here!


BIOSHOCK FEATURES ORIGINAL SCORE BY GARRY SCHYMAN

AWARD WINNING HOLLYWOOD COMPOSER PROVIDES CLASSICAL MUSIC PALETTE FOR INNOVATIVE FIRST PERSON SHOOTER VIDEO GAME

Los Angeles, CA – Film, television and video game composer Garry Schyman (www.garryschyman.com) has created the original score for the highly anticipated and innovative first person shooter BioShock developed by Irrational Games and published by 2K Games. Composed in various styles of early twentieth century writing, the music is at times chillingly ominous and at other times deeply beautiful and poignant. BioShock is developed for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC and will be released in North America on August 21, 2007 and internationally on August 24, 2007.
“Garry Schyman’s work for us was incredible from the start in every possible aspect,” said Emily Ridgway, Audio Director at Irrational Games. “From his ability to produce and compose amazingly unique orchestral recordings, all the meanwhile perfectly accommodating the peaks and troughs of game development, Garry really deserves all the praise he gets for the BioShock soundtrack and then some.”

Ken Levine, Creative Director at Irrational Games, attested, “It’s kind of hard to imagine BioShock without Garry’s music. It just wouldn’t be the same game.”

BioShock is the "genetically enhanced" first person shooter that lets you do things never before possible in the genre: turn everything into a weapon, biologically mod your body with plasmids, hack devices and systems, upgrade your weapons and craft new ammo variants, and experiment with different battle techniques.

You are a cast-away in Rapture, an underwater Utopia torn apart by civil war. Caught between powerful forces, and hunted down by genetically modified “splicers” and deadly security systems, you have to come to grips with a deadly, mysterious world filled with powerful technology and fascinating characters. No encounter ever plays out the same, and no two gamers will play the game the same way.

To immerse players in this captivating and haunting world Schyman crafted a complex combination of aleatoric elements, early 20th century writing, musique concrete, traditional tonal and late romantic styles. The score, recorded with a live orchestra at historic Capitol Studios in Hollywood, features solo violin, cello, and piano performances.
“BioShock is a composer’s dream project; I have never been offered such a unique palette to write for,” said Garry Schyman. “I really pushed myself to create a score that truly complements the extraordinary experience of BioShock and Irrational Games supported me all the way. I even had the opportunity to write a solo piano work in the style of late Rachmaninoff!”

For more information on the composer visit www.garryschyman.com.
For more information on BioShock visit www.bioshockgame.com.

LAIR by JOHN DEBNEY (Promo Soundtrack)

What Layeth in Wait in Debney's Lair?
Review by Christopher Coleman

What layeth in wait in John Debney's LAIR? Be this a film? A concert? A video game dare?
Surely not such a work as this. A piece that none honest could easily resist.
Musical themes? A film score fan's dreams.
Yes for the gameplay itself,and, of course, the cut-scenes.
Doth today's orchestras blare with such bold fanfare?
Indeed they do...in John Debney's LAIR!

What is a poem doing here you might ask. It's simple. This 5-track promo of composer JOHN DEBNEY's upcoming score for the Playstation 3 video game, LAIR, has inspired this bit of spontaneous poetry. Now any score that can do that might just be worth a listen. But before you listen...read on.

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE (w/ soundclips)

La La Land Records Sale!

La-La Land Records is having a sale and also some of their more popular releases are getting low in stock.

AUGUST SPECIAL:

Order "KISS KISS BANG BANG" NOW at a sale price of $4.98 and get FREE SHIPPING on your order! ATTENTION !!! Due to a glitch in the store software, when you purchase these items it will appear that you were charged for shipping. We will remove the charge.

LOW STOCK ALERT:

"BREAKHEART PASS" Less than 300 CDs. "THE LIBRARIAN" Less than 300 CDs. "UNCORKED" Less than 200 CDs. "ZULU DAWN" Less than 100 CDs. "SAINT SINNER" Less than 30 CDs.

Get 'em now before they are gone!

Got Mags? Soundtrack Mags, that is?

ScreenArchives is having a huge blow-out sale on their inventory of soundtrack magazines such as:

- Film Score Monthly Magazines
- Music from the Movies Magazines
- U.S. Soundtracks on CD (1985-1999)
- Soundtrack Magazines
- Basil Poledouris: His Life and Music VHS (PAL+NTSC)
- The Music of Star Trek

At just 95 cents each...these babies will go fast...and its first come, first served!

Check out the listing here!

The Themes of Fall: The Music of Football and Film

I am seriously considering switching from cable to satellite. Why? You must not know what time of year it is. Although ESPN blares hours and hours of football coverage, although there are games on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and sometimes Thursday, I, like so many others, want more. Fantasy Leagues are preparing for their drafts. Gamers are already getting their Madden 2008 on. People are shelling out their hard earned dollars for NFL Ticket on satellite. The national tailgate party has already begun and I want in on this digital- football party that is the NFL Network.

There is something about the game of football. There is the tradition and that "mysterious something" that taps into the soul of a man (or woman) that grabs the heart's attention from the waning days of Summer through to the dawning of Winter. While it is, of course, something within the game of football itself, it has been the unique presentation of the that game that has greatly contributed to our fascination and even obsession with it. The "Ice Bowl" Championship game between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers, Joe Namath's "Guarantee," "The Immaculate Reception," "The Catch," "The Drive" are all apart of that which has become the NFL mythology. Because of NFL Films and even Hollywood, we can quote famous sideline rants of players and coaches. Whenever we say "Lambeau Field" our voice drops two octaves in honor of John Facenda. As we lace up our shoes for the annual Thanksgiving game, we hum famous tunes we don't know the names of. There is something about the game of football and the music attached to it has played no small part in elevating the game beyond the confines of mere sport.

And so with the dawning of a brand new season of the NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, Tracksounds is proud to present its latest special feature: THE THEMES OF FALL - MUSIC OF FOOTBALL AND FILM. In it we review some of the more recent scores written for football-centric feature films such as THE GRIDIRON GANG and RUDY. Also spotlighted is the music of NFL Films with a full review of the 10-disc compilation AUTUMN THUNDER and interview with current NFL FILMS composer, DAVID ROBIDOUX.

I hope this feature will stir those football-juices which may have gone flat over the last few months, but moreover I hope it will cause an ear to perk up as you hear the music behind the game this season and come to appreciate its part in this game.

You can check out the feature here.

The LAIR of JOHN DEBNEY

(Originally posted on 7/29/07; updated 8/5/2007)

Composer John Debney has long been one of Hollywood's most versatile, not to mention prolific, and his first foray into the ever-growing, world of video games is the upcoming LAIR. In an earlier post you'll find some video of a live performance of score excerpts. Suffice it to say that fans of Shore, Williams, Elfman, and (dare I invoke the names of) North and Rozsa, will find moments a familiarity, but with great appreciation for the whole. The clip below is over 16 minutes long.

We should give thanks that the game genre is keeping alive this type of score. John Debney's work for LAIR goes beyond just about anything I've heard in a video game. This fantasy/action genre of game is certainly well populated, but not since Shore's work for SUN: SOUL OF THE ULTIMATE NATION, have a I heard a game-score with this amount of depth and richness. The original score for LAIR was recorded at the famed Abbey Road Studios in London with a 90-piece orchestra. LAIR, the game, releases on August 14, 2007 (sadly) only for the Sony

Playstation 3.

UPDATE: 8/5/2007 - Having received a 5 track promo of the LAIR soundtrack, there's little doubt that this might be the must-have soundtrack of the year - game soundtrack or otherwise. The score for LAIR is as big or as bold as one could want, so hears hoping negotiations with interested labels will happen quickly and an epic release of the Debney's score is forthcoming.

It’s Time to Catch Bourne!

Our new caption contest comes from the third installment of the Bourne trilogy. The winner will receive a copy of the original soundtrack to "THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM" by John Powell!

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