In Contention

Tag: Best Music

  • Listen to Patterson Hood’s ‘Depression Era’ from ‘That Evening Sun’

    Patterson HoodA number of weeks ago I wrote about the original song “Depression Era” from Scott Teems’s “That Evening Sun.” It’s a breathy southern soul tune that, for my money, bests all other original song contenders this year.  But considering the fact that the film will struggle to be seen, and the music branch isn’t likely to appreciate the song’s placement in the film (closing credits), I doubt an original song nomination is on the horizon.

    Regardless, it’s a wonderful piece of work from Drive-By Truckers front man Patterson Hood.  It really captures the atmosphere and sense of catharsis (that word won’t go away this season) that the film establishes (rather modestly, I might add — refreshingly so).

    The Truckers are an Athens, Georgia-based southern rock band, though Hood hails from northern Alabama.  Teems has said the singer/songwriter’s involvement in “That Evening Sun” was a “stamp of approval” to the film’s cultural authenticity.

    Have a listen to “Depression Era” below and tell us what you think.

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  • Listen to Andrea Bocelli’s ‘God Bless Us Everyone’ from ‘A Christmas Carol’

    Andrea BocelliWe’re featuring the year’s Best Original Song contenders when we can here at In Contention, and today, we bring Andrea Bocelli’s “God Bless Us Everyone,” the closing credits track from Robert Zemeckis’s “A Christmas Carol.”

    As mentioned in the past, being the first cue on the closing credits can be a bit of a liability with the new voting paradigm.  “God Bless Us Everyone” plays quite traditionally at the end of the film rather than in the context of the piece, so songs like those from “Crazy Heart,” “Precious” and certainly “Nine” and “The Princess and the Frog” have a leg up here.

    But Bocelli’s song is quite robust.  It’s like a power hymn to the holiday season, packing the considerable punch of the tenor’s vocal gifts.  I’m skeptical of its chances, but despite some rather thin lyrics, it nevertheless sends me headlong into the yuletide spirit.  Have a listen below and tell us what you think of the track.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 8 — ‘This Is It,’ music branch, ‘Invictus’ and ‘Avatar’ trailers, the Best Actor race and more

    Oscar TalkWe have a belated edition of Oscar Talk for you today.  We apologize for the lateness, but what better way to kick back on a Sunday afternoon than with yours truly and Anne Thompson of indieWIRE’s Thompson on Hollywood?

    In this eighth installment, we actually covered a lot of ground. This week’s topics:

    • With “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” hitting theaters this weekend, we lead off talking brief about the film (which Anne hasn’t seen).

    • With music on the mind, this leads to another quick discussion about the Academy’s music branch, which caused poor Sad brad Smith to preemptively refrain from submitting his moving track “Help Yourself” from “Up in the Air” for consideration this year.

    • Rumors of Neil Patrick Harris hosting the Oscarcast after doing bang-up jobs at the Tonys and Emmys are circulating, and in the wake of Ricky Gervais being tapped to emcee the Golden Globes this year, we spin our wheels on that topic one more time.

    • “Precious” is opening next week, so with that (and Anne’s recent piece concerning Mo’Nique’s behind-the-scenes drama issues) in mind, we talk about whether the film, or the actress herself, has to win a popularity contest this season to gain the Academy’s attention and respect.

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  • ‘Help Yourself’ from ‘Up in the Air’ becomes the latest music branch rule book casualty

    Sad Brad SmithThe music branch of the Academy sure hasn’t done the hard-working awards team at Paramount any favors lately. You might recall the 2007 fiasco surrounding Johnny Greenwood’s score for “There Will Be Blood,” which left his immaculate (some would say year’s-best) work ineligible due to arbitrary, overly subjective fine print concerning the dilution of the original music by pre-existing material.

    Well, lightning strikes twice, as musician Sad Brad Smith has opted out of submitting his soulful, thematically potent track “Help Yourself” from Jason Reitman’s “Up in the Air.” We featured the song here earlier in the week.

    The reason, I’m told, is that, though unpublished, a portion of the song existed previously in Smith’s repertoire. As such, the track would not qualify due to the fact that it wasn’t rendered, in full, specifically and originally for the film, as the music branch’s rules stipulate.

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  • Listen to Mary J. Blige’s ‘I Can See in Color’ from ‘Precious’

    Mary J. BligeLast month we broke the news that Mary J. Blige would be in the thick of this year’s Best Original Song mix with the track “I See in Color” from “Precious.” Mariah Carey’s “100%” was originally going to be featured in the film (and was, in early festival screenings), but when Blige saw the film, it hit her on such a personal level that she wanted to contribute in some way.

    You can imagine the diva dispute that erupted, but things have been settled on that front and Blige’s track, which is featured int he context of the film during a key scene, will be the film’s representation in the category (which could be eliminated entirely, given new voting rules).

    Today I’m happy to offer the song up for your listening pleasure.  It’s raw, certainly emotional and reflects just the kind of honesty contenders in this category tend to lack.  Hear for yourself:

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  • Best Original Song and the tunes of Disney’s ‘Princess’

    The Princess and the FrogIn just a few weeks here the Best Original Song picture has become clearer and clearer.  We’ve told you about contenders from films like “2012,” “Precious,” “Where the Wild Things Are” and “Up in the Air,” but there’s more coming.  Today: the songs of Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog.”

    You might recall that for two years in a row, three songs from one film were nominated in this category: “Listen,” “Love You I Do” and “Patience” from “Dreamgirls” in 2006 and “Happy Working Song,” “So Close” and “That’s How You Know” from “Enchanted” in 2007.  The Academy took action in June 0f 2008, putting a new rule into effect that limits the number of eligible songs per film to two.

    This is worth keeping in mind in the case of “The Princess and the Frog,” which, to the best of my knowledge, has seven songs in play.  But I’m told only two (naturally) look to get the awards campaign treatment.

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  • Two ‘Up in the Air’ tracks join the race for Best Original Song

    George Clooney in Up in the AirWe’ve been getting you up to speed on the Best Original Song situation over the last couple of weeks.  After putting together a rough early look at some contenders, we revealed yesterday that Mary J. Blige would have a song in Lee Daniels’s “Precious.”  Today we’ve got the skinny on the music from one of the season’s most anticipated films.

    “Up in the Air,” which played like gangbusters in Telluride, will have two original tracks.  The first is a title song which runs over the closing credits and, like Blige’s “I See in Color,” it has an interesting backstory.

    After “Juno” was released in 2007, with its use of pre-existing songs and a hit soundtrack, director Jason Reitman told the first ever audience of “Up in the Air” at this weekend’s fest that he began receiving tons of music from people.  One night he was approached by a man who had recently lost his job and had written a song he thought might go well with the director’s latest film.

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  • Mary J. Blige joins the race for Best Original Song

    Mary J. BligeTwo weeks ago we were spit-balling contenders for this year’s Best Original Song category.  So far, the best bets seem to be tunes from “The Princess and the Frog,” “Nine” and “Where the Wild Things Are.”  There has been some movement since, however, so I thought it was a good time for an update.

    In that first piece, I mentioned Mariah Carey’s “100%” from Lee Daniels’s “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.”  As it turns out, that song will no longer be included in the film.  Instead, a new contender has joined the fray: Mary J. Blige, whose original track “I See in Color” was included for the first time in a print of the film screened last week at Lionsgate in Santa Monica.  But it’s the story behind it’s inclusion that is most interesting.

    I’m told Blige reacted to “Precious” quite emotionally.  What she saw on the screen hit her so close to home that she became personally invested in the film and wanted to contribute in some way.  “I See in Color,” which plays during a key scene in the film (and therefore has a leg up with the music branch), is the result.

    Contenders in the original song category are beginning to firm up, so we’ll have more updates for you in the coming days.

  • On the Academy’s tune tribulations

    Eminem in 8 MileFor the most part, I feel like this Eric Felten op-ed (in a new weekly Wall Street Journal arts column called “De Gustibus”) has its heart in the right place.  But in chastising the Academy for all but doing away with the Best Original Song category with a recent rule change, he takes some rather cheap shots at the group for awarding, in fact, some of the most worthy movie tunes of the alst few years.

    Forgive me but I happen to think Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” and Three 6 Mafia’s “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” to be, however on the nose, powerful additions to their respective films, and the Academy uncharacteriztically brave for singling them out.

    That having been said, it is true that members of the Academy rarely seem to recognize song work that stands the test of time.

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  • AMPAS says there might not be an original song presentation

    A.R. Rahman at the 81st annual Academy AwardsThe headline is slightly misleading, but not entirely untrue.  Following Wednesday’s big shake-up regarding the addition of five more slots in the Best Picture category (which has spurred considerable debate in John’s column today), the Academy has issued this press release indicating that, if no song receives the agreed-upon score minimum, then the category will be nixed for that year and an Oscar for Best Original Song will not be presented.

    The release, in part:

    The governors approved the Music Branch Executive Committee recommendation that if no song achieves a minimum average score of 8.25 in the nominations voting, there be no original song nominees and thus no Oscar presented for the category. If only one song achieves the required minimum, it and the song with the next highest score will be deemed the nominees. If two or more songs achieve the minimum score, they will be the nominees though no more than five nominees can be selected. Previously, the rules dictated that there be no more than five but no fewer than three nominees in the category.

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  • TECH SUPPORT: Postmortem

    Tech Support at In ContentionWhat can I say? It was a big night for “Slumdog Millionaire” at the 81st Annual Academy Awards on Sunday.

    While I do like the film a great deal, I found its dominance this awards season unnecessarily monotonous.  For instance, I preferred Thomas Newman’s work in both music categories this year, but I was nonetheless very happy with A.R. Rahman’s triumphs. The music branch needs to be seriously rewired, though.  Their choices in recent years have often been bizarre and at times terrible.

    Anthony Dod Mantle’s deserved victory in the cinematography feield means that Roger Deakins is still waiting for that first statuette. (Though, might I add, as effective as the work is in “The Reader,” I would have found it slightly disappointing if Deakins had finally won this year, considering Chris Menges shot most of the movie.) I would also like to think that Wally Pfister will eventually triumph in this category, considering Pfister has received three nominations in the last four years (all on Christopher Nolan projects).

    Chris Dickens winning Best Film Editing was probably the easiest call of all the tech categories. Though I would say Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter, Elliot Graham and especially Lee Smith have built up good will with their fellow editors, while Mike Hill and Daniel P. Hanley must be considered in contention whenever they make a prestigious film with Ron Howard.

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  • Peter Gabriel pulls out of performing at the Oscars

    Peter GabrielHmm, I totally agree with him on principle but at the same time, it’ll be a shame for him to not grace Oscar’s stage.  Especially since he’s likely to win the award:

    I was delighted when Down to Earth was nominated for an Oscar. I was also pleased to have been asked to perform the song in the Oscar ceremony. However, in recent discussions with the Producers, it became clear that despite there being only three nominees, only 60-65 seconds was being offered, and that was also in a medley of the three songs. I don’t feel that is sufficient time to do the song justice, and have decided to withdraw from performing.

    I fully respect and look forward to the Producers’ right to revamp the show. Even though song writers are small players in the film making process, they are just as committed and work just as hard as the rest of the team and I regret that this new version of the ceremony is being created, in part, at their expense.

    I still very much look forward to attending the ceremony.

    The news first dropped at Peter Gabriel’s official website via video message, though Nikki Finke apparently thinks she had it as an exclusive.

    Somebody call up Phil Collins…

  • Oh, one more reason the Academy missed the boat this year…

    The Grammys saw fit to give Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard the award for best score soundtrack last night. The HFPA, as you know, gave The Boss a Golden Globe earlier this year. Did the Academy distinguish itself by snubbing these two works or just further prove that music branch to be off its rocker?

  • TECH SUPPORT INTERVIEW: Alexandre Desplat

    Tech Support at In ContentionOver the last several years, Alexandre Desplat has gone from being a relatively unknown (in the United States anyway) French composer to emerging as one of the most acclaimed and sought after commodities in the business today.  Receiving his second Oscar nomination this year for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” Desplat has continued to cement his place at the top of his field.

    Despite the acclaim, however, he remains very close to his home in European cinema.  “I have tried to keep as much of a relationship as I can with my French directors,” he says.  “I always try to go to do two or three French movies a year.  That’s a lot but I don’t want to lose that.”

    While there are certainly exceptions, there is definitely a difference in the manner that French and American filmmakers approach their work, Desplat says.  Being forced to think differently because of different filmmaking styles helps his creative resources.  “It feeds me,” he says.

    David Fincher’s “Button” posed unique challenges for Desplat.  “It doesn’t have a linear storytelling,” he says.  “It’s a complex puzzle and I’d ask myself, ‘How do you deal with this in music and deal with the main character when he is a passive character?’  It’s not easy to capture in music.”

    Describing the film as a “sound epic,” Desplat notes that the music had to be strong without being overly dramatic or imposing.  It was a crucial demand from Fincher that Desplat says he had to struggle with.

    The composer has worked with some of the world’s top directors in recent years – Ang Lee, Stephen Frears, Jacques Audiard — but despite Fincher’s unique perspective in the wake of those talent helmers, Desplat says certain professional similarities smoothed the journey.

    “He has an amazing quality as a collaborator,” Desplat says. “He’s very demanding but so am I so that’s fine.  He’s very detailed but so am I, so that’s also fine.  He wants his people to bring their own world, talents and colors into the film.  I think that’s the sign of a great director.  All the great directors I’ve worked with know that it is crucial that your creative energy is opened and not just restrained.”

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  • POLL: Who deserves it? — BEST MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

    Moving along…tell us in the sidebar!

  • The last time Taraji P. Henson was on Oscar’s stage

    I was inspired to hunt this clip down after that Three 6 Mafia item I mentioned yesterday.  Eesh, remember the awful scene recreations for the original song contenders that year?  Ouch.  Anyway, maybe Taraji will grace the stage on different auspices this year.  For now, this is what we’ve got:

    My guess is this will get yanked soon enough.  The Academy is pretty stingy with its content.

  • Sid Ganis: Big surprises in store for 81st Oscarcast

    From Dave Germain, reporting from this afternoon’s nominees luncheon:

    Ganis, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, told the 112 contenders gathered at the annual nominees luncheon to expect a lot of new things at the Feb. 22 ceremony.

    “Your categories are being presented in a completely different way. Heads up,” Ganis told actors. “Cinematographers, editors, composers. All of you guys. You’re in for a big surprise.”

    Hmm.  Curiouser and curiouser.

  • POLL: Who deserves it? — BEST MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

    You know the drill.  Tell us in the sidebar poll.