Got to break some news this morning. Peter Jackson’s King Kong had a bit of a shake-up, and Howard Shore (whose website I’m working on) was replaced with James Newton Howard (whose website I’m not working on). This is HUGE news, and I got to break it! Now, of course, the shitstorm has begun on the message boards….. UPDATE: Peter Jackson has released a statement about the situation. I wonder if I kinda forced him into that??
Freedomland Scoring Session
This morning I’m at Sony for the Freedomland scoring session. Composed by James Newton Howard, this is my first session for one of his films – it’s very cool so far! Lots of electronics and orchestra, mixed together.
Coolest Concert Ever
Tonight I went to the coolest film music concert I’ve been to in a long time. The Henry Mancini Institute had a “Tribute to American Film Music” at Royce Hall, at UCLA. My seats were pretty good – center/center, and sitting to my right was composer Rolfe Kent. Behind me was James Newton Howard, and behind him was Alan Silvestri. I can’t say I was in a bad area! The program notes were expertly written by film music historian Jon …
Hidalgo
If you’re looking for a fun family-friendly (PG-13, though) adventure film this spring, look no further than Hidalgo. Based on the “true story” about an American (Viggo Mortensen) and his horse who travel to Arabia in the late 1800’s to compete in a grueling endurance race, the film is more than just a “here’s what supposedly happened” tome. Rather, there are a few sub-plots and sub-adventures scattered throughout, resulting in a rather full film that runs about two hours long. …
Peter Pan
The classic story about a boy who won’t grow up, Peter Pan hits the big screen in yet another version, this time featuring (whodathunkit) an actual boy playing the part of Peter. I had read the screenplay a few months ago, and thought it captured a lot of the darker, more adult elements of the book rather well, and was looking foward to its presentation on screen. Unfortunately, many moments had been cut out from the final film (which still …
Dreamcatcher
Went to the Arclight with Matt to see Dreamcatcher. There has been a bunch of piracy going on in Hollywood lately, and so they made us put all our electronics (cellphones, PDAs, etc.) back in the car. While in this case the car was in the garage next to the movie theater, I can see how this can be a big problem in the future – with some screenings in Westwood, I park south of Wilshire Blvd., about a 10 …
Treasure Planet
It’s an interesting idea, to take a classic novel like Robert Lewis Stevenson’s Treasure Island and “update it” to put it in outer space – but keep the society looking like an 18th Century seafaring community, with technology. Nonetheless, that’s just what Walt Disney Pictures did, with their latest animated film, Treasure Planet. The story is, for the most part, the same as the novel, with a few upgraded elements. The animation was good, the story engaging, the voice acting …
Signs
Went to go see Signs tonight. The film itself isn’t bad – it takes its time to set up the story, and if anything, director M. Night Shyamalan does a rather effective job setting the mood. Ultimately it’s a film about faith, and a man who has lost his faith and how he regains it. Crop circles? An alien invasion of earth? Well, that’s really all just window dressing. Which makes the last 20 minutes of the film a real …