“Tra la! It’s May! The lusty month of May!” sings Guenevere in Lerner and Lowe’s classic musical “CAMELOT”. Well, if that “lust’ is for big Summer blockbusters, then the song holds true for film fans. Ah, but for the last fourteen years, May also means Marvel, as the cinema season officially begins with another trip into the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). But it was in a later month, October, that Marvel’s master magician made his first big-screen appearance in a splashy solo outing/origin story. And can you believe that it was waaay back in 2016? Pretty long for a follow-up, though the good doc has been kept quite busy in the MCU, conferring with the Norse God in THOR: RAGNAROK, battling Thanos in the last two Avengers epics, and nearly six months ago he attempted to help Peter Parker in SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME with pretty calamitous consequences. Oh, but this one’s his “baby’ as he touches up the goatee (we saw that “coloring kit” in the basement), and irons his devoted cloak of levitation for DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS. Nuthin’ up his sleeves…
A pin-up by “Sturdy” Steve Ditko!
As that familiar logo fades out, the good doctor, Steven Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is right in the midst of a harrowing rescue mission, protecting a terrified young woman from a looming, vicious “beastie”. And things aren’t going well…until he awakens. What kind of late-night snack could’ve spawned that nightmare? Before we can find out, he’s on his way to a wedding involving his former hospital colleague Christine (Rachel McAdams). Of course, the reception is disrupted, as the sounds of mayhem alert Strange to an unknown and unseen destructive force (hurling cars, buses, the standard Kaiju stuff). With the wave of his hand his spiffy tux morphs into his familiar “work uniform”, and Strange leaps into the fray as his spells make the beast visible, a nasty one-eyed massive “land-octopus”. Oh, and that single orb is focused on a teenage woman, the same one from Strange’s dream. Luckily the current Sorceror Supreme, Wong (Benedict Wong) joins the battle royale and the young lady is rescued. The duo founds out her story at a nearby diner. She’s America Chavez ( Xochitl Gomez), who’s a visitor to the city. And this universe. It seems she has a “gift”: the ability to “cross over”, opening portals into different dimensions, a concept Strange dealt with in his team-up with Spidey. He believes that a powerful being used witchcraft to send the monster after her in order to exploit and perhaps steal her power. As Wong whisks her away to the mountain top magic fortress/training camp Kamar-Taj, Strange pays a visit to someone familiar with those dark arts. He finds Wanda Maximoff AKA the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), still in mourning at her secluded rural home. When the menace is revealed, a huge battle at the Taj sends Strange and Chavez on a wild multiverse trek, from “616” to “838” (not area codes), as they try to thwart a crazed masterplan that could destroy theirs and all the worlds.
Once again Cumberbatch reminds us of his “action hero” skills, though if he can be a self-loathing “cow-puncher, then the man can tackle any role. After his last three MCU exploits, he’s balancing the conjuring with an often dry, even brittle sense of humor, which offsets the deadly danger and often incredulous concepts. But here Cumberbatch shows us the good doctor’s somber side as he’s reminded of his life choices and ponders the “path not taken” (he’s caught off guard several times when asked, “Are you happy?”). Of course, he also conveys the doctor’s razor-sharp intelligence, even as he forgoes the “spells’ for some hand-to-hand battles. Matching his mystical methods is Olsen, fresh off her justly lauded work in the streaming series “Wandavision”, who delves further into the emotional depths to make Ms. Maximoff perhaps the MCU’s most conflicted character. She’s literally the “walking wounded”, haunted by the memories of the love she shared with her fantasy siblings (and Viz). But those sad eyes can turn icy cold when those “visions” are threatened, flipping the switch into “danger mode”. Olsen firmly establishes herself as one of the movies’ most talented and interesting talents. We also get another superb actress returning after the first DS epic, namely McAdams, who is given much more to do this time around as Strange’s “lost past love”, Christine. She projects that intense, still simmering passion for him, though it’s tempered by the heartbreaks of the past that remind her that they’re just “not in the cards”. Oh, and the film showcases a terrific new screen star in Gomez as Chavez, a teenager who’s much more than a “damsel in distress” or the prize in an epic “tig-of-war”. She’s dealing with intense guilt over her own past while forcing herself to move forward and find the solution within herself while being careful about the new version of familiar faces and not trusting too quickly. Wong as “Wong” is an excellent verbal sparring partner for the doctor, fighting to protect, but fast to deflate any bit of ego. And also returning from the 2016 flick is Chiwetel Ejiofor as Baron Mordo, Strange’s “frenemy” then, but now perhaps a pillar of support in a multiverse variant that may be an aid in the fight, though Strange keeps his defenses “up”.
Here’s a rare bit of merchandising from the 1960s: A T-shirt put out by Marvel themselves. Can you imagine the comments at school when you wore this? “Dude, izzat’ Vincent Price? Cool”
Earlier I provided a look into what’s really just the first act, or perhaps a prologue, of the film, to keep from spoiling any of the twists and surprises. Yes, it’s really action-packed, unlike many stories set in the “nether-realms”. And it charges right “out of the gate” at audiences, as though “shot out of a cannon” perhaps due to the new force at the “director’s chair’. But we could also call him a “seasoned” one as he’s new to the MCU, but a veteran of Marvel movies. I’m speaking of the masterful Sam Raimi who first brought Spidey to the cinemas twenty years ago (wow), along with two sequels for Sony (before Marvel started their own studio). Now he’s back, working directly for Marvel Studios on the other major “silver age of comics” creation from Stan Lee and Steve Ditko (and with his jet-black goatee and hair, with a side silver streak, Cumberbatch really looks like Ditko’s rendition in the flesh). Hard to believe that Raimi has been making movies for 40 years as he brings the energy and inventive spark of a recent film school grad to this superhero/ horror hybrid. Yes, there’s some truly scary stuff, so parents may want to check it out before deciding if their lil’ MCU fans can handle it. Oh, and Raimi brings much the same ferocity (as Stephen King said on the movie poster and ads) he used in the EVIL DEAD trilogy, the Spidey trilogy, and his pseudo-superhero DARKMAN with a pinch of the “gallows humor” of DRAG ME TO HELL. Plus he uses the new film tech as though he’s a kid in a candy store with swooping drone shots, twisty spiraling dreamscapes, and BEMs (bug-eyed monsters) who seem to have sprung from those Ditko-drawn Atlas comics of the late 50s. I’m most happy to report that he’s not merely “punching a time clock” doing “work for hire”. The wise execs in charge are letting Raimi be Raimi, complete with the signature camera shots and inside jokes and “running gags” that will warm his fans’ hearts. And it’s a blissful reunion with the music maestro behind many of his films, the great Danny Elfman who’s a big aid in a scene that’s a “music throw-down” mixing nods to FANTASIA and THE 5000 FINGERS OF DR. T (really). The screenplay from Michael Waldron provides a great “springboard’ for the fun, though the story’s highlight occurs prior to its third act with a “set piece’ that will make Marvel fans vibrate with glee (giddy doesn’t quite describe it). The MCU knows how to “reward” their fans (listen up, “Distinguished Competition”). But since that sequence is early, the film tends to drag a bit as it could use a bit of a trim (maybe five or six minutes to keep up the pace). And yes, the mid and post-credits bits are great, as this proves to be a most worthy successor to the recent Spidey spectacle. DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS is more movie magic from the “house (and studio) of ideas”! Somewhere Stan is flashing that sweet smile…
3.5 Out of 4
DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS is now playing in theatres everywhere
JUSTICE LEAGUE will be available on Blu-ray next Tuesday, March 13th
Ok, I get it, the jury is in, the Justice League bombed at the box office and most critics were less than kind. I don’t care, I saw it three times (not as often as Wonder Woman) in theaters. I love it anyway. Even though I had my own problems with this latest DC Universe movie.
My problems, in brief: First, the missing and deleted scenes. Youtube was loaded with many and various previews for Justice League leading up to its release, all of which had scenes and lines of dialog that didn’t make it into the final cut. I sincerely hope the blu ray will present an extended or director’s cut of Justice League. And of course the blu ray release has been delayed.
Second the threat is too generic, Steppenwolf never does seem like much of a villain and the “ParaDemons” are too much like the Alien Army in the first Avengers movie, cannon fodder for the heroes with no personality. And the Macguffin the villain is after is way too much like the power box, again, in the first Avengers movie. Making three magic boxes instead of one, that makes it different? Right……
And to me the most egregious mark against the Justice League, J. K Simmons. Not the actor, he is one of the best actors working now and has an Oscar to prove it. My problem is, why hire J. K Simmons and give him nothing to do? Commissioner Gordon is used to working with The Batman, would he not have something to say to, I don’t know, Wonder Woman or Cyborg other than “How many of you are there? “ How about “Are you people crazy?” or “Why in the hell are you doing this?”
Oh well, to my simple mind these are minor problems. There is much I love in Justice League starting with:
10. Ezra Miller as Barry Allen “The Flash” Miller is a little guy but has a huge talent. Don’t believe me? Check out a movie called We Need To Talk About Kevin, a movie more relevant than ever in the wake of yet another school shooting. With a face that looks like it was designed by an artist Miller’s take on the Flash is wonderful. His comment that Barry Allen “needs friends” is heartbreaking. In fact Justice League more than hints at the notion that all these characters “need friends” most of all Batman and Cyborg. Miller brings humor to a movie that needs it, he makes an impossible character believable and likeable, all the actors do quite frankly. Which brings me to:
9. Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry “The Aquaman” I saw Conan the Barbarian in a theater and have it on dvd. Momoa really didn’t make much of an impression in that project. He must have been working on his craft because he is flat out wonderful in Justice League. Steals every scene he’s in and, for a man who can live and breathe under water is the voice of reason and sanity and common sense in a comic book universe. How many comic book super heroes are there that not only drink whisky straight out of the bottle but litter the landscape with their empties? Aquaman does. And I love his “truth to tell” rant due to his sitting on Wonder Woman’s lasso. Aquaman was never one of my favorite DC heroes, I now look forward to his stand alone movie. Justice League is worth seeing for Momoa alone.
8. The first battle scene. I love the idea of all the Justice League members being dependant on Batman’s various vehicles and gizmos. The fight in the tunnels under Gotham Harbor is complex and involves a lot of movement; it could have easily degenerated into confusion and chaos, much like the (rightfully) disliked Batman vs Superman Dawn of Justice final battle. We never lose track of anyone’s location and who is doing what to whom. This battle can stand alongside any of the action set pieces in the Marvel Universe.
7. Henry Cavill as Kal El, Clark Kent, “Superman.” I will be the first to admit Cavill is not the most versatile actor in the business. Want real proof? Try The Man from Uncle Movie with Cavill as Napoleon Solo and Armie Hammer as Ilya Kuryakin, if you can make it all the way through. However, if there was ever an actor who looked exactly like a comic book character Cavill is it. I will be honest, I grew up with the George Reeves Superman television series and to me he will always be Clark Kent/Superman. I also very much enjoyed Christopher Reeves take on a classic character (except for that fourth movie!) Cavill looks exactly like the Superman of the 1960s DC Comics. And he brings his A game to the project and, as I told my sweetheart Radah Sheah, when we watched Superman Vs Batman Dawn of Justice (which she hated) “you can’t kill Supes, can’t be done!” And yet another issue I have with Justice League, when Superman finally (finally!) joins the fight against Steppenwolf and his cartoon minions we fully expect him to pound the living shit out of the Bad Guy and slam him back and forth on the concrete (much like what The Hulk did to Loki in the first Avengers movie) No, we see Supes get in a few licks and then run off to save “civilians!” Whatever!
6. Another visit to Paradise Island/ Themyscira/The Amazon Kingdom. I love the Amazons, LOVE the Amazons, adore them! I saw Wonder Woman 7 times last year, in theaters (that’s Seven times!) And not just for Gal Gadot. When I was 10 years old I became obsessed with the legend of the Amazons (yes obsessed is a good word, although it may not be strong enough!) I read of them in a children’s encyclopedia and checked out books, written at an adult level, from the library on Greek and Roman history and mythology for any information about the Amazons.
I even wrote my own stories about Amazons in my grade school classrooms, when I should have been paying attention to Geography and Arithmetic lessons. Other boys drew pictures of tanks and fighter planes; I scribbled out stories of women warriors defeating entire armies of men. The first time I saw Wonder Woman, during the entire opening on Paradise Island I wept, cried tears of absolute joy! I had forgotten all of my youthful enthusiasm for the Amazons.
There are other movies about the Amazons. Tarzan and The Amazons with Johnny Weissmueller, 1945, depicted a very cool Amazon kingdom in Tarzan’s territory. Ironically those Amazons defeated men armed with guns using bows and arrows, spears and swords, much like the Amazons of Wonder Woman. And during my time in the Navy when I ran the ship’s tv station on the USS AMERICA I broadcast a later day Italian peplum movie, War Goddess aka Amazons from 1973. Depicting the Amazons dealings with the Greeks and a disputed power struggle, it has its moments. Those Amazons apparently spent all their money on eye makeup. Those movies were ok, but Wonder Woman’s movie depicted the Amazon Empire exactly as I had pictured it at 10, 11 and 12 years of age. Except my Amazons had a bowling alley, equipped with pin ball machines, bumper pool tables and a soda fountain. My Amazons also got to use automatic weapons, grenade launchers, tanks and what have you. Hey, they were MY stories and I enjoyed that I could give them anything I thought they should have! So Wonder Woman is a very special movie to me and I was ecstatic that Justice League took us back to Themyscira and populated the Amazons with many of the same actors and athletes who portrayed the Amazons in Wonder Woman. I would love to see them have their own stand alone movie. A sweeping historical epic about their wars with the Greeks and Romans, and especially how they got mixed up with Hercules! It would be a perfectly logical reason to bring back Robin Wright as Antiope, one of the most awesome woman characters ever captured on film! I should add too, my Amazons always won, every engagement they kicked ass and took names. And they never even had any casualties (again, they were my stories, and no, none of the stories survived. Whenever recess was called I would throw my stories in the trash. I wrote them only for my own amusement and I was convinced that if any one, especially adults, found out about my obsession I would be put in an institution! I am NOT kidding!)
5. The second battle scene. In the DC and Marvel Universe there seems to be a great concern about collateral damage. And rightfully so, if super heroes and super villains really did exist and had epic battles in urban areas, the damage would be catastrophic. In Justice League the final showdown happens in what appears to be Chernobyl. Very few civilians present and the League members take great pains to get them out of harm’s way. And again, we never lose track of who is doing what, when, where and why. And the action, once it gets rolling, is truly awesome.
4. Ray Fisher Victor Stone “Cyborg” This is the one character I was not familiar with. I have not bought a comic book since about 1985. It finally dawned on me that I could no longer afford to buy and store huge amounts of paper collectibles. So Cyborg was a new character to me and Ray Fisher brings a lot to the project. I read at least one comment on the web that Cyborg is based on Robocop. Not really, Cyborg made his debut in 1980, Robocop the original movie, was released in 1987. If anything Robocop owes a debt to DC Comics and the character of Cyborg. What’s left of a man housed in a robotic body and finding himself stronger, faster and with many other powers not possessed by mundane people, like you and me. We get all that with Fisher, the pain of being different, an outcast, alone. And even better we have the incredible Joe Morton, star of John Sayles classic cult movie Brother From Another Planet as his suffering Father. Cyborg and all the other Justice League members are to have their own stand alone movies. I am looking forward to all of them.
3. Ben Affleck Bruce Wayne “The Batman” I have a co worker who refused to see Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice or Justice League because she cannot stand the idea of Ben Affleck playing Bruce Wayne/Batman. I could not possibly disagree more. Affleck makes a good Batman and an even better Bruce Wayne. I will readily admit I am a sentimental old fool when it comes to these characters. I saw all the faults of Batman Vs Superman and loved it anyway, mainly for the thrill of finally seeing Batman, Superman AND Wonder Woman in the same movie. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Marvel Universe and have seen most of their movies. But Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were there first. There was no Marvel Comics publisher during that time frame of the late 1930s and 1940s. Captain America was published by an outfit called Timely. I treasure what is probably the best moment in Dawn of Justice “Is she with you?” “I thought she was with you!” And I love the moment when Diana literally pulls Batman’s ass out of the fire. Affleck is a fine Batman, there is an epic sadness to this Caped Crusader. Bruce Wayne in Justice League is about, literally, at the end of his rope. A reluctant leader.
I love the idea that he would much rather have Superman back or somehow goad Wonder Woman into taking the lead. It’s heartbreaking when he openly admits that Superman is a better man than him. In fact this Batman seems to think that Wonder Woman is a better man than him! Of course Supes is a better man than anybody, and everybody! I would put Affleck’s Bruce Wayne/Batman about midway between Michael Keaton and Val Kilmer (my personal favorite of all the contemporary actors who have played Batman.) Affleck has proved himself as an actor and he’s an even better director, The Town and Argo prove that beyond any doubt. I’m going way out on a limb here and say it for the whole world, Justice League is the best Batman movie since Dark Knight. You want to see a bad DC movie? Try sitting through Dark Knight Rises more than once.
2. Gal Gadot Diana Princess of Theymyscira “Wonder Woman” If you’ve read this gibbering nonsense this far here is a no brainer. Of course I adore Gal Gadot and Wonder Woman. Here is the best example I can think of for an actor to be inseparable from a comic book super hero character.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved Lynda Carter but her television show was to Wonder Woman what the 1960s Batman show (which I loved too, Adam West will always be the “real Batman”) was to the Caped Crusader. A goofy, pop art, more comic than book, take on this iconic character. Patty Jenkins and her crew gave us what is probably the greatest superhero movie that will ever be made.
I’ll say it again, I saw Wonder Woman seven times last year, bought the blu ray the day it went on sale, and could watch it every day the rest of my life. My co workers during the summer of last year, told me to shut up about Wonder Woman (and most of my co workers are women!) I also treasure the movie Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, which I also saw in a theater.
I love that Wonder Woman was created by a man, who truly believed women were superior to men. Marston’s my man, I have believed that for years, decades. Jenkins is on the record, Wonder Woman is only about 20% of what she had in mind! I would love to see how she originally envisioned this masterpiece.
I love that Gadot is, apparently, the real deal. She is an Israeli Army veteran and was a combat trainer, hand to hand and firearms., She downplays that and says it was no big deal. I doubt that, during my time in the US Navy we had class room training, one class involved “know your allies and your enemies” a rundown on various countries different military outfits. I distinctly recall being told the Israeli army is one of the toughest and most well trained in the world. I rest my case.
I had a co worker tell me that I kept going to see Wonder Woman because of Gal Gadot’s astonishing looks. No, if she were just another pretty face I would have seen it once, maybe twice. Part of what kept me going back is her incredible acting talent. The male super heroes, both Marvel and DC, when they go into combat mode, look very grim, determined, no nonsense. When Diana cuts loose and runs amok on the German Army she has this lovely smile, of utmost confidence and, could it be…..joy? Her smile, after she knocks aside her first bullet with those bracelets (one of my few problems with Wonder Woman, I would like to have an explanation of what those are and why they work the way they do. I also don’t think the Germans of WWI would be so quick to open up on one lone woman crossing No Man’s Land, some hesitation would be in order, but these are minor quibbles.)
When she comes busting through that window and lands in a roomful of heavily armed Germans her smile says it all “I’ve got this! You people are about to enter a world of pure, agonizing pain!” What she does after that is the best example of what I would call “running amok!” And she wears that smile of determination in Batman Vs Superman Dawn of Justice, repeatedly. Every time she gets knocked down by Doomsday she has that smile, gets back up and goes right back to knocking the shit of “a creature from another world.”
I could write page after page of how much I loved Wonder Woman’s movie, the humor, the valor, the team work, the pure joy of knocking the piss out of somebody who has it coming. And Gal Gadot brings all that to Justice League, and a whole lot more. The lady has talent and charisma and style to burn. I could watch her take a nap on the couch. Of course if she woke up and saw me she’d scream bloody murder and beat the shit out of me (I should be so lucky!)A good friend made a very rude comment when I showed him my Wonder Woman poster, which I shall not repeat on the internet. I told him the truth, such comments are sacrilegious, blasphemous, “I do not see this woman as a sex object, I worship her as a Goddess (I am only half joking!)
1. And finally; this is the Justice League movie. This IS the Justice League movie! Good Bad or Indifferent this is a movie aging comic book fan boys, and girls, like me have looked forward to for years. In the 1960s when I was reading comic book and monster magazines and science fiction books and magazines I never dreamed there would be a whole series of Marvel Comic movies,, or DC, that brought these wonderful characters to life. If someone had told me that in the future there would be movies as good as Spider Man Two or Dark Knight or The Avengers or Captain America: Winter Soldier or Wonder Woman, or a complete filming of The Lord of the Rings, I would have called them out for bull shit artists. And yet , here we are. As I said I am a sentimental old fool, at the end of Justice League I wept, again, at seeing Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Flash and Aquaman in the same shot, dust still in the air, with the American flag behind them.
And there are other moments I love, Jeremy Irons joins a long list of great actors who have played Alfred, Bruce Wayne’s right hand man. His Alfred has several great moments. And Diane Lane is probably the best Ma Kent we will ever see. There is a video on Youtube of Chris Hemsworth, Thor in the Marvel Universe, at Comic Con. He was asked about the DC Universe series; he laughed and said something to the effect that “those guys are just trailing in our dust!” Don’t get me wrong, I like Hemsworth, and Thor. I thought Thor Ragnarok was a very fine piece of work, loved it. But that was a rude thing to say. There is room in the market place for Marvel and DC. Although if somebody ever makes a Thunder Agents movie I’ll know for sure we are really living in the end times (or Blue Beetle or Plastic Man for that matter!) So yes, I love the Marvel Universe and DC, I thought Justice League was fine. Could it have been better? Of course, any movie could, unless you’re talking about directors at the level of Kubrick or Hitchcock. Having said all that, at some point in the future, if it’s possible, I would love to see a Justice League meets the Avengers movie. Of course the threat would have to be colossal, the fate of the entire solar system? Galaxy? The Universe itself? All of life hangs in the balance? I would just imagine that Superman and Thor would have something to talk about. And I would love to hear a conversation between Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne, technical innovations and high finance? But what I would really treasure, the moment I dream of, I would love to see Diana, Princess of Theymyscira, Wonder Woman, sit down with Agent Romanov; The Black Widow and The Scarlet Witch and have a nice cup of espresso and a croissant and talk about how messed up it is to try and deal with male super heroes. I can hear it now “you think Tony Stark is a jerk! Let me tell you what Bruce Wayne did! What he said!” “Sister you have no idea!”
And how would this be for a slow motion team walk:
Superman, Batman, Iron Man, Captain America, Wonder Woman, Black Widow, Spiderman, Antman, Wasp, Black Panther, Flash, Aquaman, Hulk, Thor, Cyborg, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, The Vision, War Machine, Green Lantern, and what the hell, Suicide Squad, Guardians of the Galaxy, The X Men, Fantastic Four and everybody else in the Marvel and DC Universe, striding towards the camera with a “terrible resolve” to face down an implacable and unstoppable enemy. If I’m going to dream I may as well dream big!
I have friends, good friends, who don’t care for the super hero movies. To paraphrase a line of dialog from My Favorite Year “ I need my heroes, I need them bigger than life! As big as I can get them!” And I thank everyone who works on these movies, in the DC and Marvel Universe. And I am so happy for Stan Lee, the Marvel movies are something he dreamed of for years.
And so, yes I love the Justice League, for all this and so much more.
Universal Brand Development and CineConcerts, along with The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, announce DreamWorks Animation in Concert engagements at Powell Hall on December 29, 2017 at 7:00pm and December 30, 2017 at 7:00pm. The concert features favorite moments from DreamWorks’ most beloved films including Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon and many more with music performed by The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
Enjoy a celebration of more than 20 years of inspired animation and iconic music scores by Hans Zimmer, Harry Gregson-Williams, John Powell, Alexandre Desplat, Alan Silvestri, Danny Elfman and many others. The audience will relive their favorite moments from DreamWorks most celebrated films including,Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon, and more, as they are projected in HD onto the big screen, while the music is played live by a symphony orchestra.
Tickets can be purchased HERE or by calling the SLSO box office at 314-534-1700.
DreamWorks Animation in Concert issponsored by Macy’s.
About CineConcerts
CineConcerts is one of the leading producers of live music experiences performed with visual media. Founded by Producer/Conductor Justin Freer and Producer/Writer Brady Beaubien, CineConcerts has engaged millions of people worldwide in concert presentations that redefine the evolution of live experience. Recent and current live concert experiences include The Harry Potter Film Concert Series, Gladiator Live, The Godfather Live, It’s a Wonderful Life in Concert, DreamWorks Animation In Concert,Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage 50th Anniversary Concert Tour, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s in Concert. Justin Freer has quickly become one of the most sought-after conductors of film music with a long list of full symphonic live to projection projects. He has appeared with some of the world’s leading orchestras including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. From full-length movie screenings with live orchestra to music-interactive sporting event experiences to original 3D-environment holiday programming, CineConcerts is at the forefront of live entertainment.
About Universal Brand Development
Universal Brand Development globally drives expansion of the company’s intellectual properties, franchises, characters and stories through innovative physical and digital products, content, and consumer experiences. Along with franchise brand management, Universal Brand Development’s core businesses include Consumer Products, Games and Digital Platforms, and Live Entertainment based on the company’s extensive portfolio of intellectual properties created by Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation, and NBCUniversal cable and television. Universal Brand Development is a business segment of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, and part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA).
About the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
Founded in 1880 and now in its 138th season, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest orchestra in the country and widely considered one of the world’s finest. Under the leadership of Music Director David Robertson, currently in his 13thseason, the SLSO strives for artistic excellence, educational impact and community connection while meeting its mission statement: enriching people’s lives through the power of music. The SLSO presents a full season of classical programs and Live at Powell Hall concerts and hundreds of free education and community programs each year. Media partners include St. Louis Public Radio, 90.7 –KWMU, which broadcasts the SLSO’s Saturday night subscription concerts live and the Nine Network, which regularly features SLSO performances on its Night at the Symphonyprogram. In addition, the SLSO is known for its Grammy Award-winning recordings, Carnegie Hall appearances, national and international tours, innovative programming, and extensive community engagement initiatives. www.slso.org
WaterTower Music is proud to announce the November 10 release of the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to Warner Bros. Pictures’ epic action adventure Justice League. The album features one of the industry’s most versatile and accomplished film composers, Danny Elfman, who is returning to score a DC Super Hero film for the first time since 1992’s Batman Returns.
While bringing his celebrated and unique approach to the Justice League score, Elfman also gives DC fans some special familiar moments. Utilizing memorable character themes to tell the musical story, he incorporates and re-interprets iconic music from past films, including John Williams’ Superman theme, Hans Zimmer’s Wonder Woman theme, and his own Batman theme. “I’m using the same thematic material that I used back then,” Elfman told Billboard Magazine. “It never actually went away. We’ve got these iconic bits from our past and that’s part of us, that’s part of our heritage. It just was great fun.”
The soundtrack also features a blistering version of The Beatles’ “Come Together” by electrifying virtuoso guitarist Gary Clark Jr. and Grammy-nominated and multiplatinum producer, musician, and composer Junkie XL; along with Norwegian pop singer/ songwriter Sigrid’s haunting and powerful take on Leonard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows,” and The White Stripes classic “Icky Thump.”
The 27-track Justice League soundtrack, which includes three bonus tracks, will be released November 10. A two-CD version will be released on December 8, with a double vinyl edition coming February 9, 2018. The Justice League Original Motion Picture Soundtrack can be ordered here and the track list is as follows.
All music by Danny Elfman, unless otherwise noted.
“Everybody Knows” Sigrid
The Justice League Theme – Logos
Hero’s Theme
Batman on the Roof
Enter Cyborg
Wonder Woman Rescue
Hippolyta’s Arrow
The Story of Steppenwolf
The Amazon Mother Box
Cyborg Meets Diana
Aquaman in Atlantis
Then There Were Three
The Tunnel Fight
The World Needs Superman
Spark of The Flash
Friends and Foes
Justice League United
Home
Bruce and Diana
The Final Battle
A New Hope
Anti-Hero’s Theme
“Come Together” Gary Clark Jr. and Junkie XL
“Icky Thump” The White Stripes
The Tunnel Fight (Full Length Bonus Track)
The Final Battle (Full Length Bonus Track)
Mother Russia (Bonus Track)
Over the last 30 years, four-time Oscar nominee Danny Elfman has established himself as one of the most versatile and accomplished film composers in the industry. He has collaborated with such directors as Tim Burton, David O. Russell, Gus Van Sant, Sam Raimi, Joss Whedon, Paul Haggis, Ang Lee, Rob Marshall, Guillermo del Toro, Barry Sonnenfeld, Brian De Palma, and Peter Jackson. Beginning with his first score on Tim Burton’s Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Elfman has scored a broad range of films, including: Milk (Oscar nominated), Good Will Hunting (Oscar nominated), Big Fish (Oscar nominated), Men in Black (Oscar nominated), Edward Scissorhands, Wanted, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Mission: Impossible, Planet of the Apes, A Simple Plan, To Die For, Spider-Man (1 & 2), Batman, Dolores Claiborne, Sommersby, Chicago, Dick Tracy, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Alice in Wonderland, Silver Linings Playbook, the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, and Avengers: Age of Ultron. Up next for Elfman is the highly anticipated action adventure Justice League from Warner Bros. & DC.
A native of Los Angeles, Elfman grew up loving film music. He travelled the world as a young man, absorbing its musical diversity. He helped found the band Oingo Boingo, and came to the attention of a young Tim Burton, who asked him to write the score for Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. 30 years later, the two have forged one of the most fruitful composer-director collaborations in film history. In addition to his film work, Elfman wrote the iconic theme music for The Simpsons and Desperate Housewives. He also composed a ballet, Rabbit and Rogue, choreographed by Twyla Tharp; the symphony Serenada Schizophrana for Carnegie Hall; an overture The Overeager Overture for the Hollywood Bowl; Iris, a Cirque du Soleil show at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre; and most recently his first Violin Concerto, “Eleven, Eleven”, for soloist Sandy Cameron, which had its world premiere in Prague with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra and its second performance at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. Danny Elfman’s “Music From the Films of Tim Burton” had its concert premiere in 2014 at London’s Royal Albert Hall and has continued on with over 60 concert performances in over 12 countries.
Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa and Ray Fisher star in the action-adventure film Justice League.
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and the Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
Justice League was directed by Zack Snyder from a screenplay by Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon, story by Terrio & Snyder, based on characters from DC Entertainment; Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, Jon Berg and Geoff Johns produced the film, with Jim Rowe, Ben Affleck, Wesley Coller, Curtis Kanemoto, Daniel S. Kaminsky and Chris Terrio serving as executive producers.<
Set for release in 3D and 2D in select theatres and IMAX beginning November 17, Justice League will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. justiceleaguethemovie.com
Marvel Music and Hollywood Records will release the original motion picture digital soundtrack for Marvel’s AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON on April 28, 2015.
The physical CD will be available on May 19, 2015. The score features music by Brian Tyler (Marvel’s “Iron Man 3,” “Furious 7”) and Danny Elfman.
The Avengers return in Marvel’s AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON in theaters on May 1, 2015.
APRIL 13: “Avengers: Age Of Ultron” cast and producers pose onstage during the world premiere of Marvel’s “Avengers: Age Of Ultron” at the Dolby Theatre on April 13, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
APRIL 13: “Avengers: Age Of Ultron” cast and producers pose onstage during the world premiere of Marvel’s “Avengers: Age Of Ultron” at the Dolby Theatre on April 13, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
Brian Tyler has scored over 70 films and recently won Film Composer of the Year at the 2014 Cue Awards. He has composed and conducted the scores for the Marvel hits Marvel’s “Iron Man 3” and Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World,” “Now You See Me,” “The Expendables,” “Furious 7,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Rambo,” and “Eagle Eye” produced by Steven Spielberg. A three-time Emmy nominee, for television he scores the series “Scorpion,” “Hawaii Five-O” and “Sleepy Hollow.” Tyler created the new theme music for ESPN’s NFL studio shows. He was nominated for a 2014 BAFTA Games Award. He is currently scoring the film “Truth” starring Cate Blanchett as Mary Mapes and Robert Redford as Dan Rather.
Danny Elfman has received Oscar nominations for his scores for Gus Van Sant’s “Good Will Hunting” and “Milk,” Tim Burton’s “Big Fish,” and Barry Sonnenfeld’s “Men in Black.” Movie audiences worldwide have also heard Danny Elfman’s unique sound and style in over 80 film scores, including David O. Russell’s “Silver LiningsPlaybook” and “American Hustle” and Rob Marshall’s Academy Award-winning “Chicago.” For more than 25 years, Tim Burton and Elfman have collaborated on some of the cinema’s most beloved and recognizable films and soundtracks, including “Beetlejuice,” “Batman,” “Edward Scissorhands,” and more recently “Alice in Wonderland” and “Big Eyes.” Elfman also collaborated with director Sam Raimi for “Oz The Great and Powerful” after composing original scores for the filmmaker’s blockbuster hits including “Spider-Man” and “Spider-Man 2.” Due later this year, Elfman also scored the independent Sundance film “The End of the Tour.”
Avengers: Age of Ultron track list:
1. “Avengers: Age of Ultron Title”
Brian Tyler
2. “Heroes” *
Danny Elfman
3. “Rise Together”
Brian Tyler
4. “Breaking and Entering”
Brian Tyler
5. “It Begins”
Danny Elfman
6. “Birth of Ultron”
Brian Tyler
7. “Ultron-Twins”
Danny Elfman
8. “Hulkbuster”
Brian Tyler
9. “Can You Stop This Thing?”
Danny Elfman
10. “Sacrifice”
Brian Tyler
11. “Farmhouse”
Danny Elfman
12. “The Vault”
Brian Tyler
13. “The Mission”
Brian Tyler
14. “Seoul Searching”
Brian Tyler
15. “Inevitability-One Good Eye” *
Danny Elfman
16. “Ultron Wakes”
Danny Elfman
17. “Vision”
Brian Tyler
18. “The Battle”
Brian Tyler
19. “Wish You Were Here”
Brian Tyler
20. “The Farm”
Danny Elfman
21. “Darkest of Intentions”
Brian Tyler
22. “Fighting Back”
Brian Tyler
23. “Avengers Unite”
Danny Elfman
24. “Keys to the Past”
Brian Tyler
25. “Uprising”
Brian Tyler
26. “Outlook”
Brian Tyler
27. “The Last One”
Brian Tyler
28. “Nothing Lasts Forever”
Danny Elfman
29. “New Avengers-Avengers: Age of Ultron”
Danny Elfman
*Not featured in Film
Marvel Studios presents AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Starktries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.
Marvel’s AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON stars Robert Downey Jr., who returns as Iron Man, along with Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Mark Ruffalo as Hulk and Chris Evans as Captain America. Together with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and with the additional support of Don Cheadle as James Rhodes/War Machine, Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader as Ultron, a terrifying technological villain hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers,Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes Vision.
Written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige, p.g.a., Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963. Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham, Patricia Whitcher, Stan Lee and Jon Favreau serve as executive producers.
Marvel’s AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON original motion picture digital soundtrack will be available on April 28, 2015. The physical album will be available wherever music is sold on May 19, 2015.
Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson star in the latest TV spot forFIFTY SHADES OF GREY. Opening in theaters on February 13, check out the new preview for director Sam Taylor-Johnson’s movie.
FIFTY SHADES OF GREY is the hotly anticipated film adaptation of the bestselling book that has become a global phenomenon. Since its release, the “Fifty Shades” trilogy has been translated into 51 languages worldwide and sold more than 100 million copies in e-book and print—making it one of the biggest and fastest-selling book series ever.
Joining Dornan and Johnson in the cast are Luke Grimes as Elliot, Christian’s brother; Victor Rasuk as José, Anastasia’s close friend; Eloise Mumford as Kate, Anastasia’s best friend and roommate; Marcia Gay Harden as Dr. Grace Trevelyan Grey, Christian’s mother; Rita Ora as Mia, Christian’s sister; Max Martini as Taylor, Christian’s bodyguard; Callum Keith Rennie as Ray, Anastasia’s stepfather; Jennifer Ehle as Carla, Anastasia’s mother; and Dylan Neal as Bob, Carla’s husband.
Republic Records will release the official soundtrack album for the film on February 10th. Four-time Oscar nominee Danny Elfman provides the original score for the film, while Dana Sano serves as music supervisor.
XO/Republic Records artist The Weeknd has released his contribution to the soundtrack, “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey),” – the first official release from the drama’s soundtrack. The track is available for purchase on iTunes, and the album will be in stores and available through iTunes and all digital partners beginning February 10, 2015.
Purchase “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)” from The WeekndHERE
Listen to “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)” from The WeekndHERE
PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE November 6th at Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood
The first film by Paul Ruebens, Tim Burton and the incomparable film composer Danny Elfman, PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE bubbles with the pure joy and exuberance of three talented people playing with a brand new toy. No film has ever been more fun to watch.When the pale man child known as Pee Wee Herman’s mechanical love ride is stolen by a bikenapper, a lot of quirk and circumstance follows as this cultural icon tries to rescue his two-wheeled best friend. This really is the most beautiful movie relationship between a man and an inanimate object (Tom Hanks and a volleyball comes in a close second). Things really get tense when Pee Wee pays a visit to main suspect – ferocious fatty, Francis. And what follows is the most intense swimming pool fight you will ever see. There’s a ghostly encounter with a Marge who is large and in charge, a daring escape from jealous jellyboy Andy and a train ride singalong with a sardine swallower. Then it’s off to the Alamo for the third act, and it’s the third act of this film that shows just how inspiring a figure Pee Wee really is. He shows that he can make the best of any situation when he turns a potential execution at the hands of the Satan’s Helpers into a glass-smashing biker bar dance. -SPOILERS- And just when you thought this tomfoolerific tale was over, there’s an incredible chase to top it all off! During this climax, Pee Wee dons none other than a nun costume, ruins a Japanese monster movie, liberates a pet store and doesn’t get a wrinkle in his impeccable grey suit in the process.
Now you can help him find his beloved bike when PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE screens at Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood at 7pm, Thursday, November 6
The Facebook invite for this event can be found HERE
Doors open at 6:30pm. $6 suggested for the screening. A yummy variety of food from Schlafly’s kitchen is available as are plenty of pints of their famous home-brewed suds. A bartender will be on hand to take care of you.
“Culture Shock” is the name of a film series here in St. Louis that is the cornerstone project of a social enterprise that is an ongoing source of support for Helping Kids Together(http://www.helpingkidstogether.com/) a St. Louis based social enterprise dedicated to building cultural diversity and social awareness among young people through the arts and active living. The films featured for “Culture Shock” demonstrate an artistic representation of culture shock materialized through mixed genre and budgets spanning music, film and theater.
Through ‘A Film Series’ working relationship with Schlafly Bottleworks, they seek to provide film lovers with an offbeat mix of dinner and a movie opportunities. We hope to see everyone next Thursday night!
Batman, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Beetlejuice. You can hear them all live at the Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burtonconcert.
Theunique program with the Hollywood Studio Symphony and choir, conducted by John Mauceri, will take place at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE onFriday, October 31 at 8 pm and Honda Center on Sunday November 2.
Presale tickets available 10am to 10pm June 5th at AXS.com /Ticketmaster.com with the special code ELFMAN. Tickets go on sale for the general public June 6th.
The program includes newly created suites from all sixteen film collaborations of the legendary composer Danny Elfman and visionary director Tim Burton. Elfman himself will perform his songs from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” He was the singing voice of Jack Skellington in the 1993 classic film. The concert will be accompanied with large screen film clips, and the artwork of Tim Burton.
This will be Elfman’s second live U.S. performance since his Farewell: Live from the Universal Amphitheatre concert with Oingo Boingo on Halloween, 1995, and the second anniversary of the West Coast performance of the concert. Last year’s concert sold-out within days the tickets were made available.Elfman returns for the Southern California concerts following SOLD OUT concerts in seven countries including the legendary Royal Albert Hall in London.
Danny Elfman’s Music From The Films Of Tim Burton is produced by Columbia Artists Management Inc & Kraft- Engel Management.
Tickets priced from $55.00 are available through AXS.com & through Ticketmaster.com, and by phone at (888) 929-7849 or (800) 745-3000.
Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE is located at 777 Chick Hearn Ct., Los Angeles, CA 90015. Honda Center is located at 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim, CA 92806.
The orchestral performance will include music from Batman, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Beetlejuice, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory,Alice In Wonderland and others on the program. Among the most popular films of our times, the films featured in this concert have grossed over four billion dollars worldwide.
The concert is conducted by John Mauceri featuring an 87-piece orchestra and 45-person choir. Mauceri, regarded as one of the world’s leading conductors of live film music, was Director of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra for 15 years. For his farewell concert in 2006 Mauceri commissioned Danny Elfman to compose The Overeager Overture. Mauceri also conducted the recording of Elfman’s classical work, Serenada Schizophrana.
Danny Elfman and Tim Burton’s collaboration has spanned nearly 30 years from Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985) through Frankenweenie (2012).
They are currently working together on Big Eyes starring Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz about painter Margaret Keane.
Elfman has received numerous accolades including a Grammy Award for Batman, four “Best Score” Academy Award nominations for Milk, Good Will Hunting, Men In Black and Tim Burton’s Big Fish and three Golden Globe nomination for Alice In Wonderland, Big Fish and The Nightmare Before Christmas. The retrospective box set Danny Elfman & Tim Burton’s 25th Anniversary Music Box from Warner Bros. Records was nominated for a Grammy. Elfman’s recent scores include American Hustle and Mr. Peabody & Sherman.
“Having a particular style is not bad,” says Elfman, “but I prefer to push myself in the direction of being a composer who you never know what he’s doing next.”
Contributed by Melissa Thompson and Michelle McCue
The sets. The hair and makeup. The cinematography. The story. The sound. All of the work of talented crafts people are pulled together under the very heart of any good movie – the score.
With the Academy Award nominations on Thursday, January 16, looming like the drumline at the head of a marching band, we thought we’d have a look back at some of the finer scores of 2013.
Listen and watch a handful of Hollywood’s leading composers discuss the art of scoring a film in The Hollywood Reporter’s round table discussion. With one hundred fourteen scores from 2013 vying for nominations in the Original Score category for the 86th Oscars, we suspect some of these names will be announced .
Honorable Mention: INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS from T Bone Burnett.
The soundtrack for INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS transported us to another time and place. The documentary feeling of the film stems from the Coens Brothers decision to shoot and record the music live with no playback and we joined right in the folk-song revival.
For more on the music, read a Q&A with T Bone Burnett HERE.
1. GRAVITY – Steven Price
For Alfonso Cuarón’s thriller, Price created a groundbreaking score, blurring the lines between electronic and organic sounds, incorporating a wide range of elements, from glass harmonicas to string and brass sections. The score captures the on-screen emotion and vacuum of space as another character in the film and left our hearts pounding.
American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mike Patton, best known as the lead singer of the alternative metal/experimental rock bands Mr. Bungle and Faith No More, has composed a brooding and emotionally charged original score. Patton’s music guides the viewer through this multi-generational drama, linking characters, time periods, and locations with a harmonic convergence of jazz, folk, rock, blues and classical.
Patton’s score features an eclectic selection of music including selections by Arvo Part and Ennio Morricone.
3. ALL IS LOST – Alex Ebert
In a film so devoid of dialogue, this great musical score assumed special importance. Director J.C. Chandor turned to acclaimed singer-songwriter Alex Ebert, leader of the band Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, to compose the film’s score—his first such project.
“It was sort of a shocker in some ways,” says Ebert. “It’s amazing that J.C. would have that kind of faith in someone who hadn’t scored a film.”
Ebert says Chandor initially asked him to deliver very subdued materials, drones and low notes that sustained over scenes. He also specifically requested that the instrumentation avoid piano. That was challenging for the composer, who had already written some pieces on piano, but he understood Chandor’s reasoning.
“The piano has this inherent emotion to it,” he says. “We didn’t want anything that was ’emotion in a can’ or ‘tension in a can.’ But eventually I started taking more chances, and after some back and forth with J.C., we landed in this middle spot that I think was perfect.”
“It’s about beauty,” he says. “It’s emotional and everything that comes along with life and death, and nothing less. I think that’s the primary subject of humanity—and it’s something that you might want to stay away from because it would be overdramatic. But this dude’s in the middle of the ocean on a raft. Let the music be emotional because it is emotional. We followed the movie’s lead.”
The very emotional score from Alexandre Desplat’s PHILOMENA broke our hearts. We laughed and cried from beginning to end with Philomena Lee’s heart-wrenching story.
5. OBLIVION – Anthony Gonzalez, M83, Joseph Trapanese
The score was one of the best of 2013 and an intregral part of OBLIVION’s sci-fi landscape.
Jackman displays versatility in capturing both the intense, desperation and terror in the story of Captain Richard Phillips’ hostage situation with Somali pirates as well as the humanity of the circumstances. Hitting the right musical balance of drama and intensity was a challenge in minimalism for Jackman, so as not to manipulate the audience.
7. NEBRASKA – Mark Orton
A member of the bluegrass folk collective Tin Hat, Orton’s vibe for Americana music was sought out by director Alexander Payne. Horns, acoustic strings and organ are some of the primary elemental instruments fueling the musical emotion to this story, capturing both the vast landscape and people of the flyover states. Orton, a graduate of the Sundance Filmmaker Institute, also scored the music to the 2014 Sundance premiere Drunktown’s Finest.
A celebrated musician and former member of the platinum-selling group Simply Red, Pereira sings to the hearts of children through his scores for Despicable Me 2. The sequel, which follows the further adventures of the notorious spy Gru, Pereira created specific themes for the new characters, specifically 1960s romantic comedy tones for his love interest Lucy and Latin-mariachi rhythms for the evil El Macho.
9. SAVING MR. BANKS – Thomas Newman
Newman has composed music for nearly 100 motion pictures and television series and has earned 11 Academy Award® nominations and six Grammy® Awards. His score goes hand-in-hand with the back story of Walt Disney and PJ Travers making of MARY POPPINS and left us looking for tissues by the film’s end.
10. FROZEN – Christophe Beck
The second of Disney’s movies that showed young girls it was okay to be their very own heroes!
11. RUSH – Hans Zimmer
With their collaborations on blockbusters from The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons to more intimate projects such as Frost/Nixon, director Ron Howard and Hans Zimmer, a Grammy, Golden Globe and Academy Award® winner, once again joined forces for the sounds of RUSH.
Balancing the racers’ simple desires with their frenetic-yet-controlled behavior on the track was a challenge for Howard and Zimmer as they created the soundtrack to the film. The composer captured the spirit of the Formula 1 world.
12. EPIC – Danny Elfman
The rousing score for The Leaf-Men. Enough said.
13. PACIFIC RIM – Ramin Djawadi
Okay, so maybe it didn’t live up to everyone’s expectations, but hot damn if the score to PACIFIC RIM wasn’t one of the coolest of 2013. Made us want to suit up as Jaeger pilots and make a last stand in our ‘Gipsy Danger’.
14. WORLD WAR Z – Marco Beltrami
Animal skulls and teeth combined with percussion add to the tension of utter panic and anxiety in a world being overrun by a Zombie pandemic.
Giving you the sense of dread and desperation, Jóhann Jóhannsson’s score for PRISONERS left us with aches and chills over a parent’s worst nightmare.
We couldn’t end our list without a quick mention for composer Alan Silvestri’s music for THE CROODS. While the film score conveyed beautiful themes and resonated on a deeper level than words could ever say, we were fans of how Silvestri combined the Abbey Road Orchestra and the USC Trojan Marching Band… especially the percussion section!
WaterTower Music will releaseDark Shadows – Original Scoredigitally and in stores on May 8, 2012. The album features original music by Grammy Award-winning and four-time Oscar®-nominated composer Danny Elfman, which is featured in director Tim Burton’s new gothic comedy Dark Shadows.
For more than 25 years, Burton and Elfman have collaborated on some of the cinema’s most beloved and recognizable films and soundtracks, including Big Fish, for which Elfman received an Oscar® nomination; Beetlejuice; Batman; Edward Scissorhands; Sleepy Hollow; Corpse Bride; and, more recently, Alice in Wonderland.
“Tim had some specific ideas about the music on Dark Shadows,” says Elfman. “I knew that the bigger dramatic scenes would be played in a rather grand theatrical manner, but the real treat was tapping into the retro pallet Tim had imagined. He wanted something that payed homage to both the original TV series and other ’70s horror genres as well. For that we kept it minimal, eerie, and atmospheric with only electronics and a few solo instruments carrying the melodies.”
Elfman has also received Oscar® nominations for his scores for Barry Sonnenfeld’s Men in Black, and Gus Van Sant’s Good Will Hunting and Milk. Movie audiences worldwide have also heard Danny Elfman’s unique sound and style in some 80 film scores, including Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man; Brian De Palma’s Mission: Impossible; Martin Brest’s Midnight Run; Jon Amiel’s Sommersby; the Hughes Brothers’ Dead Presidents; Rob Marshall’s Academy® Award-winning Chicago; and Shawn Levy’s Real Steel.
In the year 1750, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive. Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin and the dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets.
Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, presents an Infinitum Nihil/GK Films/Zanuck Company production, a Tim Burton Film Dark Shadows in theaters and IMAX on May 11, 2012. “Dark Shadows” stars Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Chloë Grace Moretz, Bella Heathcote and Gully McGrath.
The Dark Shadows – Original Score on WaterTower Music will be available digitally and in stores on May 8, 2012; and on the same date, WaterTower Music will also be releasing the Dark Shadows – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, containing eleven songs from the film.
