By Lyle Greenfield
Late last summer I had the great pleasure of seeing the premiere of the documentary “Score,” written and directed by Matt Schrader
It’s a wholly entertaining glimpse into the artistry, craft and process of many of today’s greatest film composers: John Williams, Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer, Quincy Jones, Howard Shore, Alexandre Desplat, Randy Newman, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Brian Tyler and many many more. (I know, where are the women in that list?! The director was asked and sheepishly deflected the question.)
For those of us in ‘the business’ there wasn’t much to learn—still, it was mesmerizing to hear these musical magicians talk about their approach to a project—the preparation, repeated screenings, initial thematic sketches, the self-doubt, introspection, meetings with director, the sitting alone…stirring the muse. The film cut back and forth between composers speaking to camera and scenes from their movies—generally familiar bits which left the viewer / listener nodding ‘Ah yes, who could forget?!’ (i.e.“ET”, “Jaws”, “Titanic”, “The Social Network” and on and on..) Then into the vast chambers we went (Abbey Road Studios, for example), where 90 brilliant musicians were gathered to bring a written composition to life. An exhilarating experience.
In the heat of the Great Campaign of 2016, and the subsequent reordering of the Known Universe (aka the election), I’d pretty much forgotten about “Score” until recently, after seeing several movies and bingeing on Season 1 of “The Crown.” I was reminded of the power of music-to-picture—the dance of emotions, playful to violent, heart wrenching to hilarious, intimate to grandiose—the spectrum of human feeling…contained in the score of an unfolding tale. The sonic “velvet rope”, guiding the viewer through his/her emotional experience.
The opening theme of Peter Morgan’s “The Crown” was composed by Hans Zimmer. It, along with the hypnotic title graphic by Patrick Clair of Antibody, perfectly sets the stage for the intrigues to follow.
The composer Lesley Barber created the original music score for Kenneth Lonergan’s haunting “Manchester By The Sea,” capturing the bone-chilling beauty of the New England setting, and the unsettled emotions of the central characters. Her music feels a part of the atmosphere itself, as if it were blown in on a nor’easter.
Another remarkable film, set further south and a few decades earlier, is Jeff Nichols’ “Loving,” the story of an interracial couple whose marriage, then illegal in the State of Virginia, resulted in the couple’s arrest, and jailing. The understated score by David Wingo is his latest collaboration with the director, whom he has worked with since Nichols’ student film days. The music seldom soars…doesn’t try to pull your heart from your chest. It stays true to the pulse of the film’s modest characters, and their inner anguish. I’d gladly see it again if you want to go…
In the category of the fantastical we have J. K. Rowling’s “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” (4.3 stars out of 5 according to me). As legendary composer James Newton Howard observes, “I approached it very, very seriously—wrote it like I would write any human drama, but I tried to give it a distinct sound. Because it is magical, after all!”
Even more “magical” (in my humble..) is Marvel’s latest surprise, “Dr. Strange.” Visually, it’s almost hallucinatory, even if you’ve seen some version of these VFX before. Undoubtedly because they’re used purely in the service of the story itself. But those effects and that story are made real/plausible thanks to the extraordinary soundtrack, its combination of orchestral and electronic musical elements and brilliant sound design.
As director Scott Derrickson said, “Michael Giacchino’s score does so much more than support the visual images, it adds new, additional layers of meaning and emotion to the film. The ‘Doctor Strange’ theme is memorable, moving and yes, magical. I don’t know what the movie would be without it.” Hell yea.
In our business, we are often approached with these words: “We don’t have money in the budget for original music—do you have anything on the shelf?” Our first answer might be, “Sure, we’ll look and get back to you.”
But let’s try another answer: “You do have money for original music, and it’ll be much better for your picture—let’s talk. We’ll find a way.” Hmm… I’m gonna make that a New Year’s resolution.
A TV as big as a bed? With the holidays approaching, stores stock more supersize sets
For some television viewers, size apparently does matter.
Forget the 65-inch TVs that were considered bigger than average a decade ago. In time for the holidays, manufacturers and retailers are rolling out more XXL screens measuring more than 8 feet across. That's wider than a standard three-seat sofa or a king-size bed.
Supersize televisions only accounted for 1.7% of revenue from all TV set sales in the U.S. during the first nine months of the year, according to market research firm Circana. But companies preparing for shoppers to go big for Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa have reason to think the growing ultra category will be a bright spot in an otherwise tepid television market, according to analysts.
The 38.1 million televisions sold with a width of at least 97 inches between January and September represented a tenfold increase from the same period last year, Circana said. Best Buy, the nation's largest consumer electronics chain, doubled the assortment of hefty TVs — the 19 models range in price from $2,000 to $25,000 — and introduced displays in roughly 70% of its stores.
"It's really taken off this year," Blake Hampton, Best Buy's senior vice president of merchandising, said.
Analysts credit the emerging demand to improved technology and much lower prices. So far this year, the average price for TVs spanning at least 97 inches was $3,113 compared to $6,662 last year, according to Circana. South Korean electronics manufacturer Samsung introduced its first 98-inch TV in 2019 with a hefty price tag of $99,000; it now has four versions starting at $4,000, the company said.
Anthony Ash, a 42-year-old owner of a wood pallet and recycling business, recently bought a 98-inch Sony for his 14,000-square-foot house in... Read More