RED RIVER – Dimitri Tiomkin
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
Producer-Director Howard Hawks had long desired to make a Western and finally found his vehicle after reading “The Chisolm Trail” (1946) by Borden Chase in the Saturday Evening post. He secured Monterey Productions to fund the project, providing a generous budget of $2.7 million. This was a passion project, and so Hawks decided to both produce and direct the film. He tasked Chase to adapt his novel and Charles Schnee assisted in writing the screenplay. A stellar cast was hired, which included John Wayne as Thomas Dunson, Montgomery Clift making his acting debut as Matt Garth, Walter Brennan as Nadine Groot, Joane Dru as Tess Millay, and John Ireland as Cherry Valance. Read more…
MINARI – Emile Mosseri
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
One of the most critically acclaimed films of late 2020 and early 2021 is Minari, written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung. The film is set in the 1980s and tells the story of a family of South Korean immigrants who move to rural Arkansas and try to create their own ‘American dream’. It’s a fairly simple story about the ups and downs of life; how immigrant families try (and sometimes fail) to integrate themselves into American culture, the stresses of how trying to start and grow a business affects personal lives, health problems within multi-generational homes, and much more besides. The ‘minari’ of the title relates to the eponymous leafy vegetable plant ubiquitous in Korean cuisine, and which in this instance acts as a metaphor for something foreign planting roots and growing in a new environment. It’s leading cast – Steven Yeun, Ye-Ri Han, 8-year old Alan Kim, 73-year-old Korean acting legend Yuh-Jung Youn – have all been the subject of great praise and lots of awards buzz, as has its score, by relative newcomer Emile Mosseri. Read more…
SHIPWRECKED – Patrick Doyle
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Despite writing what is generally considered to be one of the greatest debut scores in film music history in 1989 for Henry V, Patrick Doyle was for some reason slow to capitalize on this success. His sophomore work was not for another prestigious drama or major studio feature, but was instead for this film: Shipwrecked, a sort-of Norwegian version of Treasure Island or Robinson Crusoe. The film was adapted from the popular series of historical novels by Oluf Vilhelm Falck-Ytter about the character Hakon Hakonsen, a young Norwegian boy in the 1850s who takes a job as a cabin boy on a ship to support his family, and subsequently has a number of fantastic adventures on the high seas. The film was directed by Nils Gaup, stars Stian Smestad, Louisa Haigh, and Gabriel Byrne, and was released by Walt Disney in the United States in 1991 several months after it was released to general critical and popular acclaim in its home country. Read more…
BAFTA Nominations 2020
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the nominations for the 74th British Academy Film Awards, honoring the best in film in 2020.
In the Best Original Music category, which is named in memory of the film director Anthony Asquith, the nominees are:
- JAMES NEWTON HOWARD for News of the World
- EMILE MOSSERI for Minari
- TRENT REZNOR and ATTICUS ROSS for Mank
- TRENT REZNOR, ATTICUS ROSS, and JON BATISTE for Soul
- ANTHONY WILLIS for Promising Young Woman
This is the second BAFTA nomination for Howard, who was previously nominated for “The Dark Knight” in 2008, and the second and third nominations each for both Reznor and Ross, who were previously nominated for “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” in 2011. It is the first nomination for Mosseri, Batiste, and Willis.
The winners of the 74th BAFTA Awards will be announced on 11 April, 2021.
RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON – James Newton Howard
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
The first of Disney’s two animated films scheduled to be released in 2021, Raya and the Last Dragon is a fantasy adventure set in an alternate-reality version of Southeast Asia. In this universe, humans have been hunted by creatures called druuns for generations, but are now protected by a magical orb created by dragons – with the caveat being that the dragons all turned to stone once they created the orb. Raya is the daughter of Benja, the powerful tribal chief who guards the orb, but during a feast celebration Raya is tricked into revealing the location of the orb to the daughter of a different tribal leader, who is jealous of Benja’s power. The resulting fight leads to the orb being almost destroyed, and the threat of the druuns returning. Wanting to make amends and save her people, Raya sets off on a quest to locate Sisu, the mythical last dragon, and the only one which did not turn to stone, in the hope that it can help create a new orb. The film was directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada, and features a voice cast of almost entirely East Asian and Southeast Asian actors, including Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Benedict Wong, and Sandra Oh. Read more…
MOBY DICK – Philip Sainton
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
For three years director John Huston had long sought to bring Herman Melville’s classic 1851 novel Moby Dick to the big screen. Studios were resistant because the story was depressing, had no female roles, nor romance, which they believed would not resonate with the public. Ever tenacious, Huston finally secured backing by United Artists, the Mirsch brothers and Moulin Productions with the caveat that a big-name actor had to play Captain Ahab. A budget of $2.0 million was provided, which would include shooting in the Irish Sea. Huston would direct and tasked Ray Bradbury with adapting the novel, with some edits provided by Huston. To fill the “Big-name stipulation, Huston cast Gregory Peck as Captain Ahab, a decision criticized as a miscast by critics and later, Peck himself. Joining him would be Richard Basehart as Ishmael, Leo Genn as Starbuck, Orson Welles as Father Mapple, and Friedrich von Ledebur as Queequeg. Read more…
ENNIO MORRICONE REVIEWS, Part XI
Original Reviews by Jonathan Broxton
In this eleventh installment of my series looking at the early careers of iconic composers, we take a look at seven of the dozens of scores written by the legendary Ennio Morricone in 1971. The titles covered here include a trio of historical films – one romance, one comedy, one serious drama – plus an action comedy about aerobatics, a left wing sociopolitical drama, a challenging giallo thriller score, and one last great Sergio Leone western.
THE NEVERENDING STORY II: THE NEXT CHAPTER – Robert Folk
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
A belated sequel to the original 1984 classic fantasy film, The Neverending Story II is based partially on the second part of Michael Ende’s original novel, albeit with a significantly altered ending. Jonathan Brandis takes over from Barret Oliver as Bastian, who returns to the land of Fantasia via the titular book in order to seek advice on courage. Before long Bastian is again drawn into a new adventure alongside Atreyu (Kenny Morrison taking over from Noah Hathaway), the Childlike Empress (Alexandra Johnes taking over from Tami Stronach), and Falkor the Luck Dragon, as they seek to stop an evil sorceress called Xayide from destroying the world. The film was directed by Scottish filmmaker George T. Miller, and has an original score by Robert Folk. Read more…
SCL Award Winners 2020
The Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL) has announced the winners of the second annual SCL Awards, honoring the best in film and television music in 2020. The SCL is the premier professional trade group for composers, lyricists, and songwriters working in the motion picture, television, and game music industry, and is headquartered in Los Angeles. The winners are:
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A STUDIO FILM
- TRENT REZNOR, ATTICUS ROSS, and JON BATISTE for Soul
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN INDEPENDENT FILM
- LOLITA RITMANIS for Blizzard of Souls
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A TELEVISION OR STREAMING PRODUCTION
- CARLOS RAFAEL RIVERA for The Queen’s Gambit
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SONG FOR VISUAL MEDIA
- SAVAN KOTECHA, MAX “FAT MAX GSUS” GRAHN, and RICKARD GÖRANSSON for “Húsavík” from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SCORE FOR INTERACTIVE MEDIA
- GARRY SCHYMAN and MIKOLAI STROINSKI for Metamorphosos
SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION AWARD
- SPIKE LEE and TERENCE BLANCHARD
SUPERINTELLIGENCE – Fil Eisler
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
One of the funniest (for me) films of 2020 was Superintelligence – an action sci-fi comedy directed by Ben Falcone, and starring his wife Melissa McCarthy. She plays Carol Peters – the most average person in the world – whose life is turned upside down when her phone, her apartment, and eventually her life is taken over by a super-intelligent artificial intelligence which adopts the voice of comedian James Corden, as he is her favorite celebrity. The AI wants to study Carol and her interactions with other people as a way to learn about humanity; it manipulates her life to the extent that she becomes a multi-millionaire overnight, and tries to help her re-connect with her ex-boyfriend George (Bobby Cannavale) before he leaves to take a job overseas. However, it soon becomes apparent that this ‘superintelligence’ may have some less-than-altruistic intentions, and before long Carol is knee deep in an action caper with the National Security Agency of the US Government. The critical consensus of the film has not been kind, but I actually enjoyed it a lot, especially for the comic interaction between the AI and the increasingly exasperated Carol. Read more…
HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY – Alfred Newman
MOVIE MUSIC UK CLASSICS
Original Review by Craig Lysy
20th Century studio executive Darryl F. Zanuck was seeking an epic film in the vein of Gone With The Wind, and believed he had at last found his answer in Richard Llewellyn’s popular 1939 novel How Green Was My Valley. He purchased the screen rights and tasked William Wyler to direct with an $800,000 budget. Wyler was shortly thereafter replaced by John Ford who wanted to shoot the film live in Wales, but was overruled by the studio as the raging Nazi Blitz and the Battle of Britain made it too dangerous. A set was constructed in Malibu and the film shot in black and white as the indigenous California flowers were different colors that the Welsh flowers. A fine cast was hired, including Walter Pidgeon as Pastor Gruffydd, Maureen O’Hara as Angharad Morgan, Donald Crisp as Gwilym Morgan, Roddy McDowall in his acting debut as Huw Morgan, Sara Allgood as Beth Morgan, Patric Knowles as Ivor Morgan, John Loder as Lanto Morgan, Richard Fraser as Davy Morgan, Evan Evans as Gwilym Morgan Jr., James Monks as Owen Morgan, Anna Lee as Ivor’s wife Bronwyn, and Irving Pichel as an adult Huw Morgan, who narrates the film. Read more…
Golden Globe Winners 2020
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) have announced the winners of the 78th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and American television of 2020.
In the Best Original Score category composers Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste won the award for their work on the Pixar animated movie Soul, about a jazz musician who travels to an existential realm beyond the bounds of human existence, and must help a pre-born ‘soul’ to find the spark to inspire her to become human. This is the second Golden Globe for both Reznor and Ross, them having won the award for The Social Network in 2010, and the first award for Batiste. In his acceptance speech, which was conducted remotely via Zoom because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Batiste said:
“We must follow our dreams, because we only have one life to live, and one soul, and this soul is happy today to be recognized by the Hollywood Foreign Press for this masterpiece of a film. Pixar, thank you for the work, and the collaboration. Pete Docter, Dana Murray, Kent Powers, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jamie Foxx, everybody involved in creating this masterpiece that has touched people across the world, and I’d like to thank God for music and film and the togetherness that it brings when put together in such innovative and collaborative ways as this has been.”
Reznor continued by saying:
“Thanks John, and thank you Hollywood Foreign Press Association, it really means a lot. I’d just like to add Tom McDougall’s name to that list. Thanks for looking after us and shepherding us through this project. And also I think the first piece of art I’ve ever made in my life that I can actually show my kids, so thank you Pixar! Huge thanks to my wife Mariqueen, and all our kids, I love you guys more than anything.
Ross finished by saying:
“A big thank you to everyone who has already been thanked. I’d just like to add my wife Claudia, and my children, I love you. Thanks so much”
The other nominees were Alexandre Desplat for The Midnight Sky, Ludwig Göransson for Tenet, James Newton Howard for News of the World, and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross again for Mank.
In the Best Original Song category, the winners were Niccolò Agliardi, Laura Pausini, and Diane Warren for their song “Io Sì (Seen)” from The Life Ahead, the Italian coming-of-age drama starring Sophia Loren.
The other nominees were Sam Ashworth and Leslie Odom Jr. for “Speak Now” from One Night in Miami; Andra Day and Raphael Saadiq for “Tigress & Tweed” from The United States vs. Billie Holiday; Dernst ‘D’Mile’ Emile II, Gabriella Wilson (HER), and Tiara Thomas for “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah; and Celeste Waite and Daniel Pemberton for “Hear My Voice” from The Trial of the Chicago 7.
ONCE AROUND – James Horner
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Once Around is a romantic comedy-drama about family dynamics, cultural differences, and finding love late in life. Holly Hunter stars as Renata, the oldest daughter of a sprawling Italian-American family, and the only unmarried offspring of patriarch Joe (Danny Aiello). While on a vacation in the Caribbean Renata meets and falls in love with Sam (Richard Dreyfuss), an abrasive chain-smoking salesman of Russian heritage. Despite his best intentions Sam continually causes rifts and arguments between different members of Renata’s family – until a medical emergency causes them all to stop and think about what love actually means. The film was directed by Lasse Hallström from a screenplay by Malia Scotch Marmo, co-stars Laura San Giacomo and Gena Rowlands, and has an original score by James Horner. Read more…
TO OLIVIA – Debbie Wiseman
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
It’s something of a forgotten fact these days, but for thirty years between 1953 and 1983 the great British children’s author Roald Dahl was married to the Oscar-winning American actress Patricia Neal. While they were together Dahl wrote many of his most acclaimed novels (including James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox, and The BFG), as well as film screenplays such as You Only Live Twice and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Meanwhile Neal simultaneously enjoyed the peak of her acting career, appearing in movies such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s, In Harm’s Way, and The Subject Was Roses, and winning an Academy Award for Hud in 1963. However, their private life was marred with tragedy, the most significant event of which was the death of their eldest daughter Olivia from measles in 1962 when aged just 7. This new film To Olivia, directed by John Hay, explores the life of the couple around that time, how the tragedy of Olivia’s death inspired them both to their greatest professional work, and how Dahl went on to become a staunch pro-immunization campaigner for the rest of his life. The film stars Hugh Bonneville as Dahl and Keeley Hawes as Neal, features Sam Heughan and Geoffrey Palmer in supporting roles, and has a sublime score by composer Debbie Wiseman. Read more…
JULIUS CAESAR – Miklós Rózsa
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio executives were impressed by the commercial success of Henry V in 1944 and sought to adapt another of William Shakespeare’s plays for the big screen. They chose his 1599 work Julius Caesar and tasked producer John Houseman with the project with a generous budget of $2.0 million. Houseman had a vision for the film and hired Joseph Mankiewicz to direct, as the story would be dialogue driven, which was the type of film in which Mankiewicz excelled. Once attached to the project Mankiewicz made the creative decision to personally adapt the play and write the screenplay. Houseman did not want another lavish epic, but rather a small more intimate production, which explored the drama of ambition and power politics. Second, he insisted that the film be shot in black and white because “we wanted people to relate to the newsreels, to the Fascist movements in Europe, which were still relevant”. A cast for the ages was assembled, which included Marlon Brando as Marc Anthony, James Mason as Brutus, John Gielgud as Cassius, Louis Calhern as Julius Caesar, Edmund O’Brien as Casca, Greer Garson as Calpurnia, and Deborah Kerr as Portia. Read more…
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