Should You Get 'Carter'?
Expectation can be a tricky thing, especially in Hollywood where you're only as good as your last movie. As such, people have called composer Michael Giacchino "the next John Williams". This is a frightening statement to begin with, but also a disingenous one - No one can be the next John Williams unless there is a film which will have the type of cataclysmic impact Star Wars had. This will never happen again unless something goes severely wrong.
Whether he is the next Williams or not, Michael Giacchino's career is certainly worth following. His next film is the Disney epic John Carter, which can potentially be another huge step towards Giacchino being numero deux in the film composing world, obviously behind Mr. Williams himself. We've managed to listen to a significant chunk of the forthcoming soundtrack to John Carter, with a view to seeing what Giacchino and director Andrew Stanton have in store for us. Does it meet our expectations?
In a word, yes. Even though this is based around a half an hour of the soundtrack, this feels like it could be Giacchino's best score yet (its main competition being the splendid Pixar vehicle Ratatouille). There's a real sense of heft and weight, giving a different colour to the music as opposed to something like Star Trek or even his Mission: Impossible scores (although obviously there are stylistic similarities). The word "epic" has lost its meaning somewhat in the last few years but if you were to apply the original sense of that word to the score, it wouldn't feel misplaced at all.
It's hard to say what bearing this will have on the film itself (which has come into criticism based on its trailers) but if the score is anything to go by, it's likely Giacchino has seen something really inspiring in there. From the trailers and the type of film, you'd imagine there to be a lot of action and a little romance and this certainly comes across in the score. To use an old-fashioned term it's a swashbuckler and in part a homage to the golden age, balancing some really muscular action writing with one of the most beautiful themes I've heard in years.
There's an ethereal side to the music that obviously comes from it being set in an alien place, in this case the world of Barsoom/Mars, emerging from the use of chorus that sounds at some points operatic and quasi-religious ('The Prize Is Barsoom') and at others foreboding ('A Thern For The Worse'). On the other side, the action music (as a Giacchino hallmark) turns the brass up to eleven and augments it with some really aggressive and intense percussion, the best example of this being 'The Second Biggest Apes I've Seen This Month', or the wonderful action fanfare at the end of 'Carter They Come, Carter They Fall'.
But much of it is dominated by one theme, and what a theme it is. Known as Dejah's Theme after heroine Dejah Thoris, this is undoubtedly a love theme for Dejah and John Carter which, given its omnipresence, tells us a lot of the movie will potentially be focused on their romance. This is no bad thing, especially as it means this theme is played a ton, whether it be in your classic soaring form ('Sab Than Pursues The Princess'), a waltz ('Gravity Of The Situation') or triumphant chorus (the incredible finale 'John Carter Of Mars').
It's hard to quantify without hearing the full score or even the album, but on this evidence it's a good bet Michael Giacchino has created his best score yet. It's hard to say what kind of impact the score itself will have, after all Star Wars came at a time when big orchestral scores were the exception rather than the rule, but John Carter has a healthy dose of homage to that epic, as well as callbacks to the golden age of scoring. Unashamedly epic with its heart on its sleeve, on this evidence John Carter deserves to have a great film attached to it. We'll find out whether it does next month.
John Carter is in cinemas from March 9 and the soundtrack from Walt Disney Records is released March 6. Unfortunately the samples this preview is taken from have disappeared from Michael Giacchino's website, but should be on Amazon shortly.
Expanding Minds
Lavish multi-disc sets seem to be in order at the moment on the reissue front, and why not? La La Land Records have started us off with their release of Danny Elfman's score for the ill-advised 2001 reboot of Planet of the Apes. Spread across three discs, the set features the complete score to the film, several alternate and 
source cues, and a remastered version of the original album. Priced at $29.98, it's limited to 3500 units and is available now. Also available from LLL is Maurice Jarre's score to the 1995 Keanu Reeves romance A Walk In The Clouds, priced at $19.98 and limited to 2000 units. Both can be ordered at La La Land's website.
Intrada Records have two never before released scores this month, beginning with Gil Melle's score to Charles Bronson action thriller Borderline, which interestingly was originally scored with a small ensemble before being augmented with large orchestral cues from the London Symphony Orchestra, priced at $19.99. Following this is Robert Folk's charming score to the 1994 animated movie A Troll In Central Park, also at $19.99. There are also rumours floating around that Intrada will soon be following its recent expanded release of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home with Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. This may be a little more reliable than the usual rumours given that it comes from the mouth of the score's composer, Cliff Eidelman. As usual, these titles can be ordered direct from Intrada's website.
But the biggest news this month comes from the sadly soon-to-close Film Score Monthly, who will shortly be releasing a mammoth five-disc edition of Miklos Rozsa's legendary score to William Wyler's epic Ben-Hur. With the complete score on discs one and two, and alternate cues and material from the three original LPs released for the film on three, four and five, this surely must be the definitive release of this much-clamoured for score. It's priced at $59.95, limited to 2000 units and can be ordered at Screen Archives.
Celebrating Elmer Bernstein
Seeing as Universal have just released their spectacular restored version of the classic To Kill A Mockingbird on blu-ray (win a copy here) it seems an apt time to celebrate the late Elmer Bernstein, the genius composer who was behind the music for the film as well as a whole host of other classics. If you have Spotify you can hit this link and read along at home. Let's talk Elmer!
The Magnificent Seven - 'Main Title and Calvera'
This list is bookended by Bernstein's two most recognisable themes, and as such there's no better way to kick it off than with his theme for John Sturges' The Magnificent Seven. One of the most beloved Western themes, it's made many reappearances down the years, including a Marlboro cigarette campaign and, weirdly enough, Moonraker.
The Man With The Golden Arm - 'Clark Street'
Otto Preminger's controversial film about heroin addiction was already notable for starring Frank Sinatra as its junkie protagonist but one of the things it's most famous for is a beautiful collaboration of image and music, notably Saul Bass' groundbreaking animated title sequence together with Bernstein's jazzy main title, both still regarded today as landmarks in cinema history.
To Kill A Mockingbird - 'Main Title'
Nobility is what is conjured up by the music for To Kill A Mockingbird, personified by Gregory Peck's Atticus Finch. Bernstein's delicate piano and strings provide a pitch perfect piece of Americana, filled with innocence and hope.
Far From Heaven - 'Autumn in Connecticut'
A similarly delicate piano here provides a more uncertain feeling for Todd Haynes' Douglas Sirk homage, before segueing into a return to his golden age work. Suitably melodramatic, Bernstein's music has a sense of nostalgia, but something feels amiss underneath it all.
An American Werewolf In London - 'Metamorphosis'
Bernstein's career took on a new purpose of sorts in the seventies when John Landis asked him to score National Lampoon's Animal House, beginning a run of atypical scores, one of which was Landis' 1981 werewolf classic. Bernstein only composed around nine minutes of score for the film, with 'Metamorphosis' going unused, being replaced by Sam Cooke's rendition of 'Blue Moon' in the film.
Ghostbusters - 'Dana's Theme'
Ivan Reitman's 1984 "supernatural spectacular" was a smash hit for several reasons, but contributing to that was Bernstein's charming score. The main theme for the Ghostbusters themselves is a jaunty little ditty, but where he excels is with the theme for Sigourney Weaver's Dana Barrett.
The Age of Innocence - 'Madame Olenska'
Bernstein and Martin Scorsese worked on four films together, starting with Cape Fear where Elmer adapted Bernard Herrmann's score from the original film. This was followed by The Age of Innocence and Bringing Out The Dead, with his score for Gangs Of New York being rejected, his role as composer replaced by Howard Shore. His music for The Age of Innocence remains the best of their collaboration.
The Ten Commandments - 'The Burning Bush'
Cecil B. DeMille's tale of Moses and the exodus demanded a special score to match its majesty and Bernstein delivered with an epic. Here we have Heston talking to Heston, as Moses is confronted by God at the top of Mount Sinai, with an appropriately noble and powerful underscore without being overly religious.
Airplane! - 'Airplane'
The best of Bernstein's comedy scores, Airplane! is so good because most of it is taken as seriously as possible (with the obvious exception of the use of the Jaws theme). The main theme is hilariously straightlaced, but even funnier is the love theme, which is a great theme in its own right but put next to the film becomes hysterically and melodramatically funny, especially when the singers themselves break the fourth wall and go off key.
The Great Escape - 'Finale'
If you played the theme to The Great Escape to a bunch of random people on the street, you'd probably get an 80% recognition result, undoubtedly because it's been homaged and referenced so many times, as well as from the film itself. The theme is just part of what is an absolutely stunning score which is well worth visiting in full. But there are few themes better to play out to than this one.
Countdown To The Oscars Getting It Wrong
Finally, with the 84th Academy Awards coming up at the end of the month I thought I'd give my thoughts on the score category. It's not a terrible one this year, but my money is on Ludovic Bource's score for The Artist, although not necessarily for musical reasons. Don't get me wrong, it's a charming score but I just think it'll take it as part of the sweep. My choice would be John Williams' War Horse, which is an incredible score but doesn't really have much of a chance due to the divided reception for the film itself.
Until next time...
*special thanks to @MrVilliers on Twitter for helping pick the column name.
