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Peter Pan, Alexander the Great & Charles Manson

By far the most impressive soundtrack release of the week if not the season is Decca's Nov 2^nd release of Jan A.P. Kaczmarek's score for Marc Forster's imaginative fictional retelling of the creation of Peter Pan, FINDING NEVERLAND. The film, not unlike the 1990 TV-movie, A DREAMER OF OZ (which told of the creation of L. Frank Baum's Wizard of Oz), delineates how Barrie came to imagine and then write down the story of the boy who never grows up. While Forster's pseudo-bio liberally merges fiction with fact whereas the Baum story was rooted fairly firmly in reality, both wax poetically about imagination and innocence and the blurred realities of creativity. Kaczmarek, noted for his efforts in scoring 1999's THE THIRD MIRACLE (released on CD by Milan), 2000's LOST SOULS, and 2002's UNFAITHFUL (both on CD from Varese Sarabande), has composed a thoroughly magical orchestral score that has everything to do with the fanciful nature of the film's subject matter and its inherent embodiment of Peter Pan. Featuring brilliant performances on violin (Clio Gould), piano (Leszek Mozdzer), flute (Helen Keen), and accordion (not identified), plus the efforts of the Brompton Oratory School Choir, the music sways and prances beautifully like the branches of a broad and lovely tree, or the pixie-dust aerial acrobatics of a tiny fairy. The score's primary theme is a delightful romp for violins and boy's choir, with both suggests the Englishness of the film's setting and period as well as its vivid whimsy and carefree sense of innocence and fun. The composer nails those elements in the first couple of bars, and the score never ceases to amaze or delight throughout its length. It's a thoroughly captivating and eloquent creation of musical magic, as heartspoken as any attempt to articulate through music the youthful passion of a young and creative heart. www.jan-ap-kaczmarek.com (the web site includes the film's trailer)

Sony Classical sent over an advance copy of the new Vangelis score for Oliver Stone's historical epic, ALEXANDER, which will be released on November 9^th. Characteristically, the music is the kind of pre-Hans Zimmer/Media Ventures hybrid electro-acoustic at which Vangelis excels (and possibly originated), going back to scores like CHARIOTS OF FIRE, THE BOUNTY, 1492: CONQUEST OF PARADISE, and BLADE RUNNER. The music is rhythmically powerful, seething and swelling with the might of great armies, yet it somehow lacks the kind of organic power that even Zimmer's hybrid score to GLADIATOR had in a big, big way. Vangelis' main theme, introduced in, well, "Introduction," is a heroic, synth-brass statement of valor, but [IMG2R]in this cue the power of the solo synth line eventually peters out and begins to sound hollow and the score suffers slightly from its dependency upon too much synthesis. The cue segues into "Young Alexander," a much more passionate theme for synths over timpani and sampled choir that possesses a sturdy eloquence. The score's best track, "Across the Mountains," is an expressive, heroic march in which the orchestra (I'm not sure if it's a real orchestra or a sampled one, but either way sounds terrific here) resonates richly over an underlying electronic bass riff, accentuated by synth chorus, which gives the cue a potent gallantry. But another cue, "Titans," starts out beautifully for full-blooded orchestra, synth, and choir, and then seems to get stuck in a rhythmic loop that runs it into an ineffective redundancy. "The Drums of Guagamela" introduce some ethnic musical elements that give the score a likable ancient Middle Eastern flavor, and here is another place the score very much rises to the occasion. The use of heavy trombones in this sequence sounds almost John Barryesque in passages; the continuous rhythm of pounding drums under synth, brass, and choral figures really allows this cue to fill the sonic pallet quite agreeably. "Roxane's Dance" is an exotic ethnic dance piece that takes on a neat World Beat flavor, while "Eastern Path" is a moody, ethnic woodwind cue that could have come straight out of THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST. This cue, in turn, segues into "Gardens of Delight," a sensuous and provocative acoustic cue for harp, solo female voice, and percussion that will make you involuntarily reach for the nearest toga. "Roxane's Veil" carries a similar passion, with a beautiful violin solo over a lugubrious Middle Eastern percussive riff. "Immortality" is a brooding and mystically atmospheric cue for synths and choir that erupts into a percussive dissonance as it segues into "Dream of Babylon," which opens with huge, growling brass chords and pounding timpani into a huge rendition of the "Across the Mountains" theme, resounding massively throughout the granite-hewn walls of the ancient city. Harp glissandi over choir, and then bell tree and wind sounds give the cue a timeless hallucinatory texture. A hushed choir returns to intone the theme anew for "Eternal Alexander," which perhaps to obviously signifies the legendary figure the character has become; but the cue takes on a persuasive and very strident heroic rhythm. A soliloquy, "Tender Memories," closes out the score in typical Vangelis "Hymn" fashion. ALEXANDER is a likeable if uneven score, and one that relies too much on samples and synthesizer sounds that only rarely effectively merges with the dust of Alexander's galloping army. The score is at its best when covering more intimate moments, and these are found to be quite evocative. Most tracks on the CD segue into the other, which makes for an effective and pervasive listening on CD, and the sound quality of the recording is quite potent. www.sonyclassical.com

Mark Snow's score for John Gray's 2004 TV remake of the Charles Manson documentary, HELTER SKELTER, has been released on CD by BSX Records, a new label from the Buysoundtrax.com retailer. Snow is best known for his electronic work on THE X-FILES and MILLENNIUM although he has also proven [IMG3L]proficiency with orchestral work on more than a hundred films, TV-movies, and series. He has crafted a haunting and quite mesmerizing score for HELTER SKELTER, one that immediately emphasizes the dementia inherent within Mansion's view of the world. This is in many ways a horror score which is appropriate as the Manson murders were true, real life horror stories wickedly dissonant, utilizing elements of both musique concrete and electronic synthesis to formulate a transfixing sound design for evil or madness (or both). Occasionally a pop tune will resonate out of the dissonant texture, as in the cue "Creepy Crawl," in recognition of how pop music of the period has its effect upon the Manson family lifestyle. But "Creepy Crawl" soon turns eloquently infernal, when the guitar licks are replayed backwards, and suddenly it becomes the embodiment of something twisted. In its mixture of pop rhythm and electric guitar, "Creepy Crawl" perhaps best identifies the musical soul of HELTER SKELTER something at once hip and eloquently malevolent. Snow's score will carry on this sensibility, through some of the most vividly horrific musical textures in recent memory, creating a lucid and intensely introspective musical depiction of the depraved personality of Charles Manson. The score is enthrallingly discordant, fascinatingly atonal, and difficult to hear. There is virtually no warmth. Snow maintains his intimate focus upon the inner core of Manson, and upon the murderous consequences of his delusions and his power over others, and the score is disturbingly on target. www.buysoundtrax.com

Christopher Young's score for THE GRUDGE appears Nov 9^th from Varese Sarabande. Coming [IMG5R]November 16^th is the label's ALIAS, SEASON 2, with music by Michael Giacchino, and featuring the popular theme composed by series creator J.J. Abrams. Jeff Rona's score for the SciFi Channel's adaptation of Ursula K. LeGuin's EARTHSEA will be released on November 23^rd. The show debuts on Dec 13-14^th. Sean Callery's music from the hit TV series 24 will appear on CD on December 7^th, along with Jeff Beal's music for the new exotic sci-fi HBO series, CARNIVALE. Marco Beltrami's score for the new big-budget remake of FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX also appears the same day. www.varesesarabande.com

La-La Land records has released the original soundtrack to the Sci Fi Channel World Premiere miniseries FARSCAPE: THE PEACEKEEPER WARS, which premiered Oct. 17th on [IMG4L]the Sci Fi Channel. Composer Guy Gross' orchestral score, performed by the Sydney Symphony and backed by a 40-member choir, "harnesses all the otherworldly excitement of this eagerly awaited continuation of the beloved FARSCAPE television series," according to the label's web site. Starting in November, the label will begin releasing a series of FARSCAPE Classics limited edition discs, featuring two complete Guy Gross scores from two favorite FARSCAPE episodes. www.lalalandrecords.com

Dreamworks Pictures has confirmed to Music from the Movies that Steve Jablonsky, the composer who wrote the score for the new film version of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE as well as the upcoming re-interpretation of THE AMITYVILLE HORROR, will score Michael Bay's blockbuster THE ISLAND. Currently filming, this science fiction thriller features Ewan McGregor as a man who discovers that he is a "harvested being" who decides to escape from the utopian facility where he is being kept. www.musicfromthemovies.com

Also reported by MFTM, Hans Zimmer will provide the music for THE RING 2, according to the Gorfaine-Schwartz Agency. Zimmer scored the first American version of THE RING in 2002. Gore Verbinski directed that film, however the sequel is actually helmed by Hideo Nakata who directed the two original Japanese RING films in 1998 and 1999. THE RING 2 will premiere on 18 March 2005, starring (once again) Naomi Watts in the leading role. www.musicfromthemovies.com

Harry Gregson-Williams will score Ridley Scott's upcoming 12th century epic KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, which is supposed to premiere next May. www.musicfromthemovies.com

Danny Elfman's very Thomas Newman/SIX FEET UNDER-ish main theme for ABC's big Fall season ensemble drama, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES is being heard in plenty of households these evenings. Elfman associate Steve Bartek is handling the weekly scoring duties.

The John Williams Fan Network reports that John Williams saw a rough cut of STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH last week and has just begun to write the score for the movie. Williams will work on the music for EPISODE III over the next three months, after which he'll fly to London to record the score with the LSO at Abbey Road Studios (February 2005). The usual 70+ minute soundtrack CD is expected to be released a few days prior to the film's opening (May 19, 2005).

John Williams' next score will be for Rob (CHICAGO) Marshall's MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, a romantic epic based on the internationally acclaimed best-seller by Arthur Golden, according to a press release from Columbia Pictures. Musicfromthemovies.com adds that Williams has been attached to the film at earlier stages when Steven Spielberg was slated to direct it, and his interest in the film remained while production took on new forms. The film's ensemble cast includes Ziyi Zhang (CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON; HERO) in the title role, opposite Oscar nominee Ken Watanabe (THE LAST SAMURAI, the upcoming BATMAN BEGINS) as the man she loves. Gong Li (RAISE THE RED LANTERN), Michelle Yeoh (CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON), Koji Yakusho (SHALL WE DANCE?) and Youki Kudoh (SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS) also star in leading roles. Steven Spielberg is still involved as a producer for Dreamworks. For more details see www.jwfan.net

Perseverance Records has begun production on an expanded version of Michael Perilstein's score for 1983's The Deadly Spawn. The CD is scheduled to be in stores on February 22, 2005, and on the Perseverance Web site in mid-December. The label also reports that they have been forced to cancel a projected collection of Hammer film music called The Hammer Creature Collection due to lack of response from England's GDI Records, who was to have licensed the music to them. www.perseverancerecords.com

Belgium's Prometheus Records will release the Don (MATRIX) Davis score to THE UNSAID, a 2001 direct-to-video Tom McLoughlin psychological thriller. The film starred Andy Garcia and Sam Bottoms. Davis conducts the Utah Studio Symphony Orchestra for the score. http://dondavis.filmmusic.com/home.html

Soundtrack Cologne isn't a new, peculiar fragrance, but rather the new congress for music in film and media that takes place at the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, Germany, on November 19-21. Composers of film music, sound designers, directors, producers, critics and other people active in media and film will discuss music and associated subjects, ranging from financial matters to artistic and aesthetic questions. In over 20 panel discussions, lectures, workshop seminars and film screenings one of the matters investigated will be how directors and composers manage to reach agreement and work out a common musical understanding. All the events are open to the public. Speaking for the initiators of Soundtrack_Cologne 1.0, Matthias Hornschuh and Michael P. Aust describe the aims of the congress as follows: "With Soundtrack_Cologne 1.0 we want to influence the way media and film music develop in the future. In this respect our initiative is also a platform for discussing a change of paradigm and generation." For more details, see www.soundtrackcologne.de

Scarecrow Press has published Janet K. [IMG6L]Halfyard's Danny Elfman's Batman: A Film Score Guide. Halfyard, a senior lecturer at Birmingham Conservatoire, a faculty of the University of Central England, who teaches courses in film music, and twentieth century and contemporary music, examines Elfman's seminal BATMAN score in exquisite detail. Look for a detailed review here in the coming weeks. This is the second of three books in the new Scarecrow Film Score Guide series, the first being Gabriel Yared's THE ENGLISH PATIENT, and the third Ennio Morricone's THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY. www.scarecrowpress.com

Billboard has announced its 2004 Digital Entertainment Awards, which will be held in Los Angeles on November 5. Finalists in the category of Best Use of Sound in a Game include:

See: www.digitalentertainmentawards.com/finalists.html

The new DVD of John Badham's uneven 1977 [IMG7R]version of DRACULA, released last week by Universal, features a 40 minute "making of" documentary that includes a new interview with John Williams, as well as new interviews with John Badham, Frank Langella, screenwriter W. D. Richter, producer Walter Mirisch and other members of the production team.

Combination zombie and film music fans have noticed that, in Warner Bros' DVD release of RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 2 (1988), J. Peter Robinson's original score has been excised and replaced with new music for the English language track, and several of the songs are different. No explanation seems to be forthcoming from Warner Bros as of yet although it is likely that it has to do with music rights that precluded the original songs and/or score from being licensed for home video/DVD (this is the same problem that has plagued song-heavy TV shows like MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE and SCRUBS from finding their way to DVD the songs weren't licensed beyond usage on the broadcast episode and reruns; and costs may prohibit licensing them now for DVD usage. It's unusual, though, that this would affect the film's score. The French language track on the same DVD, however, includes Robinson's original score. In the DVD's commentary track, both director Ken Weiderhorn and actor Thor van Lingen notice the different music and complain about it! Weiderhorn remarks he only found out about the changes when he was doing the commentary!

For an in-depth review on this DVD that references the soundtrack changes, see: http://www.horrordvds.com/modules.php?name=Reviews&file=viewreview&id=251

Soundtrack sources:

www.buysoundtrax.com

www.intrada.com

www.screenarchives.com

Soundtrax is our weekly Movie Soundtrack column.

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