Soundcast Interview: Theodore Shapiro (Year One)

Interview: Theodore Shapiro (Year One)

Marius Masalar speaks with composer Theodore Shapiro regarding his latest effort for the film YEAR ONE. He shares about his approach to scoring comedies as well as the unique musical opportunities YEAR ONE afforded him.

Recorded June 04, 2009
Published June 24, 2009

Episode Highlights

00:00 - Opening
00:30 - Part I: The King of Comedy Scoring?
03:10 - Part II: Musical deadpan versus slapstick
06:01 - Part III: Unique opportunities in Year One
10:24 - Part IV: Keeping it all together
16:15 - Part V: Deadlines
19:28 - Part VI: Breaking new ground and conclusion


Music Clips (Select music clips contained in this podcast)

00:00 Bazaar - Year One (Theodore Shapiro)
05:23 Zed to the Rescue - Year One (Theodore Shapiro)
09:47 Abraham and Isaac - Year One (Theodore Shapiro)
16:01 Hut Burner - Year One (Theodore Shapiro)
19:34 The Chosen Ones - Year One (Theodore Shapiro)

Download this interview here

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Win Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Original Score) by Steve Jablonsky

You've stayed up late. You've waited in line. You've seen the movie. Now, Tracksounds and Reprise Records want you to win the original score for TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN by Steve Jablonsky!

You could win 1 of 5 CDs. Simply enter your name, email address and tell us which Transformer you wish you could be and why! All too easy.

Enter the contest here

Up (Soundtrack) by Michael Giacchino - Review

It Crosses the Heart

Review by Christopher Coleman

Pixar's streak of critical and popular success is uncanny. With the possible exception of CARS, no matter how much hype, they seem to deliver one delightful film after another. After ten feature films, so lovingly and painstakingly put together, it really shouldn't come as a surprise any more, but somehow I find myself tickled with such surprise as I watch their handiwork each time. In UP, we have the simple tale of a lonely, aging man, Carl (voiced perfectly by Edward Asner), who has lost the love of his life and a specific promise of adventure they had covenanted to share. In a desperate act to make good on his promise to his late-wife, Ellie, Carl constructs the most unique "mobile-home" you'll ever see. With helium, latex, and the wind as his means, Carl is determined to bring his home to Paradise Falls in South America, rather than let it fall into the evil clutches of property developers. On his journey, he is befriended by the immediately likable, Russell, who is determined to earn his final "boy scout" merit badge by assisting an elderly person. With equal resistance, Carl's gang is further increased by the tag-alongs: Kevin, the elusive "snipe," Dug, the outcast from a pack of villainous pooches and, finally, Charles F. Muntz, the one-time adventurer. What struck me about UP is that there isn't one glaring thing that makes the film so enjoyable, but a combination of many small elements. As with most Pixar creations, the characters are distinct and likable, not in spite of their flaws, but because of them. Their subtly, clever writing continues and their attention to fine detail never sharper. Counted among Pixar's "small elements" was the hiring of Michael Giacchino to provide the musical character for UP.

Read the full review here

Year One (Soundtrack) by Theodore Shapiro - Review

"A Knowledge-y Sort of Taste..."

Review by: Marius Masalar

If, on a lazy sort of Sunday afternoon, your mind wanders to the depths of history in search of humanity's first forays into the realm of heroics, I will forgive you if Jack Black and Michael Cera are not the first potentials that come to mind. Nevertheless, the comedic duo is filling those hero shoes enthusiastically in Harold Ramis' latest film, YEAR ONE. Even though, for some of us, just the promise of having these two misfit characters doing their thing is enough to get us into the theatre to watch this film, there is another incentive in the form of a fun, evocative, and surprisingly intelligent score from THEODORE SHAPIRO, whose various credits have earned him the title of the "king of comedy scoring".

Though the film itself hardly breaks any new comedic ground, it offers up a unique set of opportunities for SHAPIRO to develop his technique of providing large-scale, serious, and impressive musical scores for projects —something we've seen previously in TROPIC THUNDER as well. "Serious" does not seem like a word I should be using to describe a comedy score, and I'm by no means implying that the score isn't entertaining and fun —because it is —but it carries the comedy in a dignified way.

Read the full review here

SoundCast Interview with David Robidoux (Truth in 24)

Interview: David Robidoux (Truth in 24)
Composer David Robidoux shares about his latest project TRUTH IN 24, a NFL Films documentary focusing on the Audi Race Team and their competition in the 24 hours at LeMans race.

Recorded June 04, 12, 2009
Published June 12, 2009

Episode Highlights

00:00 - Opening
02:25 - Interview part I: How did NFL Films come to do this project?
08:55 - Interview part II: How the score works within this documentary
18:15 - Interview part III: Working on this project versus NFL features
25:02 - Interview part IV: Variety with intensity
36:55 - Episode Close and Credits

Music Clips (Select music clips contained in this podcast)

00:00 The Great Race - Truth in 24 (David Robidoux)
07:05 Truth in 24 - Truth in 24 (David Robidoux)
16:23 Man and Machine - Truth in 24 (David Robidoux)
23:45 The Perfect Race - Truth in 24 (David Robidoux)
35:26 Winning It All - Truth in 24 (David Robidoux)

Download, stream, or subscribe to listen here!

The SoundCast: Episode 8 - Terminator Salvation Discussion

Episode #8:

Terminator Salvation Roundtable discussion with Marius Masalar and Tom Hoover (Scorenotes.com), SoundCast Spotlight: Siddhartha Barnhoorn's For All Mankind + Gametime 2009 Update with Jim Dooley and Mel Wesson interview tease! Don't miss our first "Bonus Track" at the conclusion of this episode.

Recorded June 03, 11, 2009

Published June 12, 2009

Episode Highlights

00:00 - SoundCast Intro: We're Back!

02:17 - Pimping: 5 Centimeters Per Second, Taken, and Infamous

08:50 - High Score: Gametime Update!

10:52 - Interview Tease with Jim Dooley and Mel Wesson (Infamous)

14:43 - SoundCast Spotlight: "Johnny Red" from For All Mankind by Sid Barnhoorn

17:56 - Terminator Salvation Discussion with Marius Masalr and Tom Hoover

55:18 - Episode Close

57:48 - Bonus Track!

Music Clips (Select musical clips contained in this podcast)

00:00 Opening - Terminator Salvation (Danny Elfman)

03:51 Oukashiyo - 5 Centimeters Per Second (Tenmon)

06:25 End of the Road - Infamous (VG) (Amon Tobin, Jim Dooley, Mel Wesson)

08:23 Gametime - (downRising)

10:09 End of the Road - Infamous (VG) (Amon Tobin, Jim Dooley, Mel Wesson)

12:12 Pleasant Empire - Infamous (VG) (Amon Tobin, Jim Dooley, Mel Wesson)

14:12 SoundCast Spotlight Theme (Marius Masalar)

15:29 Johnny Red - For All Mankind (Siddhartha Barnhoorn)

17:20 The Harvester Returns - Terminator Salvation (Danny Elfman)

32:13 Opening - Terminator Salvation (Danny Elfman)

42:57 Final Confrontation - Terminator Salvation (Danny Elfman)

48:37 Broadcast - Terminator Salvation (Danny Elfman)

52:25 Salvation - Terminator Salvation (Danny Elfman)

Listen to, subcribe, or download the episode 8 here!

UPDATED: Are You a Trailerhead? Enter to Win 2 Concert Tickets to Trailer Music Live!

UPDATED: JUNE 10, 2009 - Now, open to any and all to enter!

ARE YOU A TRAILERHEAD?
Win 2 Tickets to Trailer Music Live and Trailerhead by Immediate.

We are excited to have partnered with Imperative Records to offer you a chance to win 2 tickets to the upcoming TRAILER MUSIC LIVE! concert on June 27, 2009...as well as their official release, TRAILERHEAD.

Here's what you could win!

The Grand Prize (1)

2 tickets to the Trailerhead Concert (Saturday, June 27) [more info here]
*transportation not included
1 Trailerhead CD by Immediate! (courtesy of Imperativa Records)


Runner Up Prize (2)

One copy each of the Trailerhead CD (courtesy of Imperativa Records)

Simply supply the movie titles for the FOUR trailer screen shots we present and you could win!

Enter today!

Win Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Soundtrack by John Powell

Our new contest for June is up and ready for your 3 most creative captions! This month's edition gives you the chance to win John Powell's upcoming score for ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS (sponsored by Varese Sarabande).

The winner of May's contest for STAR TREK by Michael Giacchino will be announced soon, too!

Enter the latest contest here!

New Star Wars: The Old Republic Trailer is Bard Arse!

Now THIS is what it's all about! Straight up...bard arse! No countless droids or clonetroopers that no one cares about...but Jedi Versus Sith and lots of em. This is exactly what my 7 year old brain imagined when Obi Wan first uttered "The Clone Wars" in Star Wars: A New Hope. (Of course, I didn't know what a 'clone' was at that age, but I knew it had to have been some great war with the Jedi).

Thirty plus years later, I'm still looking for that itch to be scratched...and, by Jove, I think they are getting close...if this trailer is any indication. This just gets my long-dormant, Star Wars juices moving again. I'm not sure how the game will turn out, but I know I'll be into the cutscenes for sure! I'm looking to LucasArts and Bioware to fan my flames of Star Wars fandom...because they are all but dead. (They might be a little stronger, if I could have passed that bloody Star Destroyer level in The Force Unleashed...but I only have one life to live.)

Oh yes...the music in the trailer appears to be all pre-existing John Williams material. As much as I love Williams' music, I have high hopes for some fresh music for this game.

So what do you think of this trailer?

The Informers by Christopher Young

LAKESHORE RECORDS TO RELEASE ORIGINAL SCORE FOR THE INFORMERS

Soundtrack Contains Original Score By Christopher Young

(June 1, 2009- Los Angeles, CA) – Lakeshore Records will release the original score for THE INFORMERS, available digitally (iTunes and Amazon Digital) and in stores on June 9, 2009. Christopher Young (The Uninvited, Untraceable) composed the music. The label released the original soundtrack on April 28th.

Golden Globe-nominated composer Christopher Young has scored almost 100 successful features ranging across virtually every genre, all with strikingly original music. Never repeating himself, Young’s works extend from the spine-tingling Hellraiser showcasing his seminal upbringing in horror; to the new-techno sound of Swordfish and the resonant, genuine Celtic sounds of The Shipping News. With each successive Christopher Young crafted score, the composer continually stretches the bounds of his versatility.

Young has worked with some of the top filmmakers of the past ten years including Norman Jewison (The Hurricane and Bandits), Sam Raimi (The Gift, Spiderman 3, The Grudge and The Grudge 2) and Curtis Hanson (Lucky You, Wonder Boys). In addition to his busy film-composing schedule, Young is imparting his experience and knowledge to a new generation of film composers, teaching at USC since the early nineties. He is a two-term past president of The Film Music Society and the president of the Madrid Film Music Festival in Spain.

In such works as Less Than Zero and American Psycho Brett Easton Ellis brilliantly dissects contemporary American society, a culture in which too much is never enough. Now, adapting his own...In such works as Less Than Zero and American Psycho Brett Easton Ellis brilliantly dissects contemporary American society, a culture in which too much is never enough. Now, adapting his own acclaimed novel for the screen, he returns to the Los Angeles of the early 1980's with a multi-strand narrative that deftly balances a vast array of characters who represent both the top of the heap (a Hollywood dream merchant, a dissolute rock star, an aging newscaster) and the bottom (a voyeuristic doorman, an amoral ex-con).

Connecting all his intertwining strands are the quintessential Ellis protagonists -- a group of beautiful, blonde young men and women who sleep all day and party all night, doing drugs -- and one another -- with abandon, never realizing that they are dancing on the edge of a volcano. Filmed with uncommon glamour and grit by acclaimed Australian director Gregor Jordan (Ned Kelly, Buffalo Soldiers), The Informers is an alternately blistering and chilling portrait of hedonism run amuck The film stars Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, Mickey Rourke, Winona Ryder, Jon Foster and Amber Heard.

Senator Entertainment presents THE INFORMERS released in select theaters on April 24, 2009. THE INFORMERS original score album on Lakeshore Records will be available via iTunes, Amazon Digital and in stores on June 9th, 2009. THE INFORMERS original soundtrack is available digitally and in stores now.

You can also pre-order the THE INFORMERS on compact disc here.