Hong Kong Superhero

By: Randall Larson
Date: Thursday, April 21, 2005

THIS WEEK'S RECOMMENDATIONS

Available as a Region-3 DVD from Hong Kong, Jingle Ma's 2004 superhero spectacular, SILVER HAWK (FEI YING), stars Michele Yeoh as a crime fighting martial arts heroine hiding from a painful past and hoping the attentions of a well-meaning police detective won't reawaken his own memories of her past. The film, which evokes an innocent Asian humor as well as a terrific array of stunts and martial arts fighting, contains a compelling musical score by Peter Kam that has been released by Ham Entertainment (HE/CD001/04) and available through www.yesasia.com and other online Asian music and video retailers. The synth-based score is likable and effective, running the gamut of synth rhythms and pleasant pop melodies. While action cues like "Silver Hawk" and "Kidnap" are fairly predictable and uninspired pulsating rhythmic tracks, it's in the score's more introspective moments that the music really shines. The score features a striking vocal motif entitled "Heart of Freedom" that occurs throughout the film and captures the purity of the heroine's heart and soul. The motif, whether included as a solo vocal element ("Heart of Freedom") or via sampled choir ("Fair Fight", where its languid melody contrasts against the rapidity of the cue's percussion and pizzicato riff), is an extremely nice composition that, in the film, gave the simple comic book nature of the character and the story a truly unifying heroic pathos. On CD it rings true as well. "Leaving without Goodbye" is a poignant cue for mandolin, harp, and strings, very tender. "Tailgate" is a pretty variant for piano over acoustic guitar. The very pleasant "Childhood Fighters" accompanies the film's flashback sequence, with the "Heart of Freedom" motif resounding over a pop rhythm of drums and bass. "Show Time" is a pretty good action cue, with shards of synth butting up against progressions of heavy rock beat and opening into a synth pattern that could have been the theme for almost any TV cop show of the '70s. The motif recurs in "Human Hockey."

The CD opens with a pop/dance song by Jang Joon-Ho that is performed by a band called Energy, (which is also available as a music video on a second Video-CD disc included in the DVD-sized box).

COMPOSER AND EDUCATOR DON RAY DIES AT 78

Veteran composer and educator Don Ray passed away on Saturday, April 16 after a two-week battle with a severe and unexpected illness. He was 78. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Laurel, and by his son, David.

Don joined the CBS-TV Music Department in 1956 and was music supervisor and/or composer on such programs as G.E. THEATER, PLAYHOUSE 90, TWILIGHT ZONE, RAWHIDE, GUNSMOKE, WILD WILD WEST, GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, and for twelve years HAWAII FIVE-O, receiving an Emmy nomination for best dramatic score in 1974.

From 1960 to 1985 he was Music Director of the COTA Symphony Orchestra and Chorale, which specialized in new and rediscovered music, was a staff conductor for CBS (1960-83), and for the Los Angeles Bureau of Music (1972-83). He pursued many activities in orchestral music, including book author, founder of classical music organizations, freelance composer, magazine music critic, and many others.

In 1968, Don began a second career as educator, creating the Film Scoring Program at UCLA's Department of the Arts, being named Instructor of the Year in the Performing Arts in 1984. During the summers of 1984-86, he was guest lecturer at the University of London. He adapted his UCLA course for a program in Ireland, and from 1996 to 2004 he spent a portion of each year teaching the program in Ireland. He was also a guest lecturer at the Film Music Institute in Los Angeles.

After retirement from CBS, he returned to his love of writing concert music. In 1989, his "Homestead Dances, Set I" were premiered by the American Chamber Orchestra at Kennedy Center in Washington; Many of his works have aired on NPR; and a number of his orchestral works have been performed in Ireland. His Piano Concerto and a suite from his "Family Portrait" were released on the Albany Label in 2004. His "Homestead Dances" was completed in 1996 and recorded in 2004, performed by the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra, and its release is forthcoming.

FILM MUSIC NEWS

Decca will release John Williams' score to Steven Spielberg's remake of WAR OF THE WORLDS on June 28th. They will release the soundtrack to CINDERELLA MAN on May 24th, but it is not yet known how much of Thomas Newman's score will be featured.

On May 10th, Varese Sarabande will release John Ottman's score to the Joel Silver-

produced remake of HOUSE OF WAX, which was itself a remake of MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM. The new version stars Paris Hilton in the role Vincent Price made famous in the 1953 classic. Ottman's gothic horror score comes complete with choir and organ, along with a full symphony orchestra. The Warner Bros. film will open nationwide on May 6. The same day, Varese will re-release Pino Donaggio's score to Brian DePalma's masterpiece CARRIE, previously available on CD from Ryko. One week later, they will rerelease Jerry Goldsmith's terrific Western score HOUR OF THE GUN, previously available from Intrada, and just in time for the film's DVD release.

Aleph Records has set a June 7th release date for their new recording of Lalo Schifrin's complete score to the 1981 prehistoric comedy, CAVEMAN. Directed by

Carl Gottlieb, the film starred Ringo Starr, Dennis Quaid, and Shelley Long. Writing in Variety, film music writer Jon Burlingame described Schifrin's score as making a "clever use of percussion and above all [a] sense of fun... perfect for the movie's signature music. ... Schifrin's Stone Age score turns out to be a surprisingly sophisticated and satisfying orchestral experience." From Aleph's press release: "One of the score's delights is the scene where mankind invents music, with Ringo and cast using gourds, sticks, bones, stones, and hollow logs. This became the movie's signature music. Add to this the lumbering motif for the slow-moving and often comical dinosaurs, the pastoral interludes and music of high jeopardy that occur throughout, a wonderful parody of silent-movie chase music, and a heartfelt romantic theme... a score with style and grace."

The score has never been commercially available before. This is the latest in Schifrin's personal CD label, Aleph, in preserving the composer's unreleased or unavailable catalog of film music. www.schifrin.com

Tyler Bates and DEVIL'S REJECTS

Composer Tyler Bates (DAWN OF THE DEAD) has composed a broad orchestral score for rock star/filmmaker Rob Zombie's THE DEVIL'S REJECTS. A kind of sequel to Zombie's cult classic NIGHT OF 1000 CORPSES; the semi horror film/semi Western, is a story of madness, murder and revenge, continuing the story of the Dr. Satan cult murders. Bates' score for REJECTS capitalizes on the bloodlust, fear, and frenzy of writer/director Zombie's story. Massive percussion sections pound foreboding threats to powerless cowards, while menacing orchestration fuels the fury of enraged killers. Bates sets the tone for ominous hunts, desperate escapes and violent confrontations.

Both gifted live rock performers, Zombie and Bates enjoy a unique camaraderie. As a songwriter, guitarist and producer, Bates moved to Los Angeles in 1993 and collaborated with singer Lisa Papineau to form the band Pet. Signed to Atlantic Records, the band toured nationally, performing with Limp Bizkit, Blink 182, Helmet and Luscious Jackson and had a single on the platinum selling soundtrack for THE CROW: CITY OF ANGELS. Bates produced for other bands and played guitar on records for artists like Vas and the Beastie Boys. He began to score for features and took his career exclusively in that direction in 1997.

As a composer, Tyler Bates is well known for his surprising juxtapositions of delicate atmospheric touches and wild musical perversions. Since employing what he called "The Black Sabbath Orchestra" on DAWN OF THE DEAD, Bates has enjoyed a reputation as a go-to composer for the horror genre. His sense of humor and visceral approach to making music has also afforded him the versatility to create comedy scores, with WHAT'S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN and KINGDOM COME on his resume, actioners including GET CARTER, and psychological dramas, such as THE LAST TIME I COMMITTED SUICIDE and CITY OF GHOSTS. Bates is currently scoring for Gregory Dark's horror debut, GOODNIGHT. An interview with Bates about DEVIL'S REJECTS will be forthcoming at www.ifmagazine.com

GDM Records has released Gamma 1 Quadrilogy by Italian composer Angelo F. Lavagnino. The CD is a repackaged reissue of Science Fiction - Four Italian B-

Movies of the 60s(RCA OST 133) - the difference being that this edition includes a 24-page color booklet packed with information and photos from the films. The CD contains 31 tracks of music that Lavagnino composed for the following movies: I DIAFANOIDI VENGONO DA MARTE (THE WAR OF THE PLANETS; 8 tracks), I CRIMINALI DELLA GALASSIA (WILD WILD PLANET, 10 tracks), IL PIANETE ERRANTE (WAR BETWEEN THE PLANETS, 8 tracks) and LA MORTE VIENE DAL PIANETA AYTIN (SNOW DEVILS, 5 tracks).

Soundtrack.net reported from the scoring stage during J. Peter Robinson's score for THE WORLD'S FASTEST INDIAN. Directed by Roger Donaldson (THIRTEEN DAYS, NO WAY OUT), the film stars Anthony Hopkins as New Zealander Burt Munro, who spent years building a 1920 Indian motorcycle - a bike that helped him set the land-speed world record at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats in the 1970s. With a 61-piece orchestra in front of him, Robinson recorded a variety of cues, from a soft tender moment featuring pianist Mike Lang and violinist Bruce Dukov, to a tense action cue integrating a bit of electronic percussion that underscored a dramatic race sequence. Bobby Fernandez is the scoring mixer, and some orchestrations were done by Jon Kull, Paul Buckmaster, and Dennis McCarthy. Hopkins himself, a known music aficionado, was in attendance at the session as well. - soundtrack.net  

La-La Land Records announces its upcoming summer 2005 release of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THE SERIES - SEASON ONE. "A knockout collection of the best musical moments from the first season of the smash hit Sci Fi Channel television series," says the label. Also coming later this summer, FARSCAPE CLASSICS: VOLUME TWO - another special, Limited Edition release of two more complete episode scores from the series. www.lalalandrecords.com

A film music new website based in Spain has been launched at www.scoremagacine.com. The site, owned and operated by Pablo Nieto (previously on www.bsospirit.com) and Miguel Ordonez, is primarily in Spanish but includes some English sections, highlighted in a gray link. A further intention is to have the entire website uploaded as an English version as well, hopefully in the near future. www.scoremagacine.com

Composer Graeme Revell will be honored as the Richard Kirk Award recipient at the 2005 BMI Film/TV Dinner to be held Wednesday, May 18 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles. The award is given annually to a composer for his outstanding work and contributions in motion picture and television music. The event will also honor the composers of the top-grossing films of the past twelve months as well as the top-rated prime-time network television series and cable programs.

Revell, a New Zealand native who's known for the blending of traditional ethnic music and ambient sounds such as New Age effects, ghostly vocals and tribal percussion, most recently scored "The Hard Goodbye" vignette in director Robert Rodriguez's SIN CITY, an ominous percussive film noir score that fuels Mickey Rourke's frenzy of vengeance.

In more award news, John Debney will receive ASCAP's coveted Henry Mancini Award this month. The award recognizes outstanding achievements and contributions to the world of film and television music. Only in his 40s, Debney is the youngest recipient ever to have his body of work honored so early in his career with this award. Debney's work has run the gamut from relentless horror scores like THE RELIC and the brooding noir of SIN CITY, to frantic science fiction juvenelia like MY FAVORITE MARTIAN and INSPECTOR GADGET, and from the epic drama of THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST to the manic comedy of PRINCESS DIARIES.

Berklee Names 2005 Film Scoring Scholarship Recipient:
Yasuhiko Fukuoka has been named the 2005 BMI Film Scoring Scholarship recipient

at Berklee College of Music. Fukuoka, a Berklee film scoring major from Japan, was presented the scholarship by BMI composer George S. Clinton; Doreen Ringer-Ross, BMI Vice President, Film/TV Relations, Berklee President Roger Brown and Berklee Film Scoring Department Chair Don Wilkins at Berklee in Boston, MA. The BMI Film Scoring Scholarship is a yearly tuition scholarship chosen on the basis of compositional maturity and talent, as well as financial need. Each year the scholarship is given in the name of a noted BMI composer. This year Clinton was the honored composer. With credits including the AUSTIN POWERS trilogy, the MORTAL KOMBAT series, WILD THINGS, A DIRTY SHAME and serving as a Sundance Composers Lab Advisor, Clinton taught a master class at the college on scoring as part of the presentation.

"This scholarship continues our mission of supporting young and emerging composers at the college level," stated Ringer-Ross. "We support Berklee's commitment to excellence in music and film scoring and their determination to further the growth of

talented, trained, and educated composers."

A website has been launched for the upcoming FANTASTIC FOUR soundtrack album, at www.fantasticfoursoundtrack.com. The album is in production for a summer release, tied to the July 8th release of the FANTASTIC FOUR movie from Fox.

Filmscore Monthly's specialty CD releases for April are headlined by GREEN MANSIONS (1959), one of the most unusual soundtracks created during Hollywood's Golden Age. The film stars Audrey Hepburn and Anthony Perkins in an Amazonian adventure/romance for which M-G-M enlisted one of the greatest composers of the Americas: Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959). When the exigencies of film composition proved too much for Villa-Lobos, the studio relied upon their venerable Bronislau Kaper -- who was already providing the love theme for the picture -- to adapt Villa-Lobos' score to fit the nuances and timings of the screen action. The result was an unusual synthesis of Villa-Lobos' gorgeous, impressionistic writing with Kaper's sturdy film presence. Although Villa-Lobos's resulting concert work adapted from the movie has been recorded, this CD marks the premiere release of the original soundtrack itself (in stereo, no less), featuring Villa-Lobos' music as adapted and expanded upon by Kaper. Some cues are pure Villa-Lobos, others pure Kaper; most fall somewhere in-between, for a fascinating listening experience. Bill Whitaker's liner notes chronicle the history of the production and detail the authorship of the individual cues.

Accompanying GREEN MANSIONS this month is an original soundtrack recording of Ron Goodwin's wartime scores for 633 SQUADRON and SUBMARINE X-1, the latter appearing on CD for the first time. www.filmscoremonthly.com

FILM MUSIC ON DVD

Disney's recent release of THE INCREDIBLES on DVD includes a brief appearance by composer Michael Giacchino, who notes that "THE INCREDIBLES score is really about things exploding and people hugging." Having written for TV and video games, Giacchino clearly found the perfect vehicle to play with the sounds fans of Saturday morning cartoons loved, alongside the better-known lounge and jazzy music written by Henry Mancini, Billy May, and John Barry. Giacchino's appearance in the making-of doc is very brief, but longer extracts from the scoring session are included in a brief five-minute segment that also features short comments from conductor/orchestrator Tim Simonec, and recording engineer Dan Wallin. The latter also points out the use of analogue technology in capturing the score's sharp brass passages, and Giacchino elaborates on the virtues of recording cues with a full orchestra. The doc's camera frequently hovers between sound-blimped sections, and we get a chance to hear the marvelous work of the brass, strings, and percussion players. additional information via musicfromthemovies.com

While it doesn't say so on the DVD package, Media Blasters recent DVD release of Toho's classic science fiction spectacle, THE MYSTERIANS, includes Akira Ifukube's splendid score as an isolated element, selectable from the Set Up Menu.

Recommended Soundtrack sources:
www.buysoundtrax.com
www.intrada.com  
www.screenarchives.com
www.footlight.com
www.arksquare.com/index_main.html  (Japan)
www.intermezzomedia.com  (Italy)
www.moviegrooves.com

For questions or comments, contact the author at Soundtrax@cinescape.com