Graeme Revell's Out of Time

Australian émigré Graeme Revell steps aside from sci-fi and horror scoring (THE CROW, RED PLANET, DUNE, PITCH BLACK, TOMB RAIDER, DAREDEVIL, FREDDY VS JASON, etc) to derive a very likable and rhythmic score for Carl Franklin's crime thriller, OUT OF TIME, released this month on Varese Sarabande 306 066 514 2). Based on latin jazz elements, including steel drums, acoustic guitar, latin percussion, electronic water sounds and other synthesized enhancements, and a huge violin section, Revell's sound design is refreshing, creating an accessible musical sensibility that, rather than achieving suspense through forward-moving recurrences of musical patterns (like many modern thriller scores, effective or not), bases its effectiveness on the familiarity of its jazz nucleus. The music creates a comfortable tonality that crafts an easy-going underlying riff, and retains a very nice listenability off film, on the soundtrack CD. The main theme receives a variety of interpretations and remixes that keep it fresh, including a vocal version called "Saying Goodbye."

This isn't [IMG4L]to say that OUT OF TIME is all jazz-based, or all pretty music. "Domestic Violence" is a heavily-reverberating orchestral pattern, making the most of the large violin section to interplay effectively with synths and percussions, forming an underlying mood of disturbing before settling again into the latin riffs. This violin motif is repeated in "The Fire," echoed against stark piano notes and whispered structures of synthesizer, which reflects the mood of the earlier piece. Both cues are notably somber.

This is an easy score to miss during a flurry of over-the-top adventure scores that have come out recently, but it's an entirely enjoyable and persuasively pleasing score, very worth picking up.

According to Michael Giacchino's own web site, he has been hired to score Pixar's THE INCREDIBLES, directed by Brad Bird and set for release in November 2005. The project was originally due to be scored by the legendary John Barry.  According to a number of Internet sources, he left the project shortly after having submitted demos.  The circumstances surrounding his departure are not yet known. Michael Giacchino recently scored the videogame SECRET WEAPONS OVER NORMANDY for LucasArts and has written a number of other notable game scores.  Varese Sarabande recently released his music for the television series ALIAS.

Percepto Records has presented the release of Vic Mizzy's most requested score, THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN and THE RELUCTANT ASTRONAUT, released on CD for the first time. This deluxe limited edition includes the complete original score digitally remastered from the composer's own private masters and includes Mizzy's classic self-played rendition of "The Haunted Organ," plus rare source cues. This package also includes a lavish, full-color 40-page booklet documenting the complete history of the film's production. In production is the first-ever CD release of David Newman's music from the animated [IMG5L]favorite, THE BRAVE LITTLE TOASTER. www.percepto.com

Varese Sarabande has announced this quarter's limited Collector's releases: James Horner's score for the Schwarzenegger film, COMMANDO, Ennio Morricone's THE ISLAND, and a two-CD collector's expanded edition of Alfred Newman's venerable score to THE ROBE. All releases can be ordered now but won't be shipped till Dec 2^nd. www.varesesarabande.com

On the regular release front, this week Varese has released Brian Tyler's expressive TIMELINE score, as well as ELF (John Debney), and THE GOSPEL OF JOHN (Jeff Danna). Coming December 9^th are DREAMKEEPER (Stephen Warbeck) and HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG (James Horner). On December 16^th, the label will release PAYCHECK (John Powell), PETER PAN (James Newton Howard; the score was to have appeared from Sony but they abandoned the project. Varese didn't mind), and SCARY MOVIE 3 (James Venable, + songs).

After the final installment in the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, Howard Shore will work with Martin Scorsese on his new film, THE AVIATOR, as the composer (revealed in an interview with Soundtrack.net.) Shore previously scored Scorsese's AFTER HOURS back in 1986 and also contributed the piece 'Brooklyn Heights' to last year's GANGS OF NEW YORK. THE AVIATOR is a biopic telling the story of Hollywood tycoon Howard Hughes, portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio. Additional casting includes Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn and Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner. As Music from the Movies revealed in May, Howard Shore will also score Peter Jackson's upcoming KING KONG film.

At

20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA

© 2003 Buena Vista Home Entertainment

Over 400 attendees participated in The 2nd Annual Hollywood Reporter/Billboard Film & TV Music conference, held in Los Angeles last week. The two-day event examined the role of music in film and television through panels and lectures. Attendees included producers, directors, composers, record executives, music publishers and more. Highlights among the conference's notable sessions were the Opening Keynote presentation, with Clint Eastwood interviewed by Robert Dowling, publisher/editor-in-chief of The Hollywood Reporter. Eastwood discussed how "the industry is becoming preoccupied with [special effects] at the expense of music," and agreed with Dowling that more songs are used in movies nowadays than full scoring. He criticized the practice of hiring composers after the movie has been completed rather than collaborating earlier on. Robert Rodriguez put in an appearance, talking about composing and directing for films ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO and SPY KIDS 3-D: GAME OVER. He discussed the importance of hiring composers early on projects. Rodriguez also challenged and inspired young composers to write a theme and set it to your home movie, saying, "I dare you to not bawl your eyes out," as he choked up at the memory of his own experiment with his family. At a Q & A session with James Newton Howard, the musician proffered discussions about his background as an orchestrator for Elton John, his first work as a composer on HEAD OFFICE and the variety of work processes he employed to score such films as THE PRINCE OF TIDES, FALLING DOWN, WYATT EARP, THE SIXTH SENSE, and SIGNS. One key aspect to his composing is his willingness to create and submit demos of his score to directors he works with which he says helps to improve the relationship. Howard also defended the use of sound effects, saying they are not a "natural enemy" of the score.

Finally,

Robert Rodriguez attends the premiere of Kill Bill Vol. 1 copyright Sue Schneider

© 2003 Sue Schneider

Disney's recent double-DVD special edition of their classic film, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA,

The Warner Sunset soundtrack album for THE MATRIX RELOADED contains songs on one CD, score and score elements on CD2. Still, only about 20 minutes of Don Davis' 95-min score wound up on the soundtrack CD.

© 2003 Warner Sunset

Smith wrote more than an hour of music for the film. Rannie describes how the primary Nemo Theme was composed to a poem written for Smith by Hazel (aka Gil) George, who wanted to inspire the composer to musical represents the ocean depths as well as the depths of Nemo's soul. The theme is also modified to reflect Nemo's motives when the Nautilus attacks the other ships.

"In order to achieve the underwater effect with the orchestra," says Rannie, "Paul Smith used a combination of low strings and low woodwinds, and up to five clarinets, piano, harp, gong, and bass marimba an unusual addition to the orchestra."

The second theme is Ned's Theme, for the Kirk Douglas character, which is based on the song he sings early in the film, "A Whale of a Tale," written by Al Hoffman (music) and Norman Gimbel (lyrics). Rannie describes how Smith used that theme whenever Ned is on screen or there is light comedy (as in the scene with him and the sea lion; there is also an "inebriated version" heard when Ned drunkenly returns to his quarters). The theme also represents Ned when he is heroic, as when he rescues Nemo from the giant squid. "The theme shows up in a number of guises no less than a dozen times," Rannie explains. "So what could have been an isolated song that doesn't have any connection to the film now becomes an integral part of the film."

"Paul Smith's legacy to the world of film music is vast," says Sherman. "It's in the archival collections of everyone who loves Disney movies, because so many of them are his."

Soundtrack sources:

www.buysoundtrax.com

www.intrada.com

www.screenarchives.com