In Contention

Tag: Hans Zimmer

  • In praise of the modern movie soundtrack

    I generally try to ignore film opinion pieces I think are fundamentally misguided — à chacun son goût and all that, plus the fact that fighting one mind is generally more trouble than it’s worth — but Ben Walsh’s idle article in The Independent today on the supposed demise of the movie soundtrack does such an absurd disservice to the current landscape of film music that it can’t pass without objection.

    Walsh’s standpoint is a dully nostalgic one: movie scores were so much more memorable in the old days, when greats like John Williams, Ennio Morricone and Danny Elfman (who are all dead, apparently) conjured whistle-ready themes by the dozen, while scores today “seem so completely unmemorable” by comparison.

    His pool of case studies for this assertion is a shallow one — he speaks mainly of the recent Oscar winners by Best Picture, Original Score and Original Song, oddly conflating the last two categories as if the two disciplines are somehow comparable — and even through that narrow prism, his preferences are hard to justify.

    (more…)

  • OSCAR GUIDE: Best Music (Original Score)

    Recently the International Film Music Critics Association were the last critics group to offer their (specialized) thoughts on the 2010 film year. The announcement made for an interesting counter to the year in score awardage. And the eventual nominees for Best Original Score reflected, if nothing else, a continued break with tradition.

    The music branch has been slowly initiating new blood as of late, though it hasn’t completely relinquished its trademark consistency. A big step was made in the recognition of one of the year’s more atypical scores, though a big opportunity was lost with Daft Punk’s failure to register what could have been a truly exciting tip of the Academy’s hat.

    The nominees are:

    “How to Train Your Dragon” (John Powell)
    “Inception” (Hans Zimmer)
    “The King’s Speech” (Alexandre Desplat)
    “127 Hours” (A.R. Rahman)
    “The Social Network” (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross)

    (more…)

  • Desplat leads International Film Music Critics nods

    Alexandre Desplat has enjoyed a brilliant career in U.S. features as of late (on the back of immense talent, naturally).  2010 was a grand year for the composer as he, once again, balanced scoring duties on a number of notable films.

    Today, the final announcement from the critics awards circuit has landed in the form of the International Film Music Critics Association’s picks, seven of the nominations going to Desplat for his work on “The Ghost Writer,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” and, of course, “The King’s Speech.” It’s highly probably he’ll walk away with an Oscar later this month, capping of one heck of a year.

    John Powell netted five nominations for his work on “How to Train Your Dragon,” while Daft Punk and Hans Zimmer each grabbed three for their respective actioners.  Interesting to note, however, is the complete absence of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for their innovative work on “The Social Network.” Your guess is as good as mine as to why the group turned the other cheek there.  Ditto A.R. Rahman’s work on “127 Hours,” which is actually a beloved piece of work among musicians.  In any case, have a look at The Circuit for the full list of film nominees.

    [Photo: Last.fm]

  • TECH SUPPORT: Final analysis, part one

    It seems hard to believe that it’s been more than six months since I wrote this year’s introductory Tech Support column ( a dissection of the art direction race). Much has changed since then, naturally, as we are less than a week away from the big day when we find out the nominees for the Oscars this year. Today, I take a final look at the music categories, sound categories and the two categories that have been narrowed down to seven finalists – Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup.

    BEST MAKEUP

    In this utterly bizarre category, virtually any combination of the seven finalists would fail to surprise me as the final three. That said, I’ve had the same top two predicted all year and see no reason to change now: “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Wolfman.” The former had massive box office and very noticeable makeup, whereas the latter is exactly the sort of movie that tends to score here and nowhere else.

    Logic may put “True Grit” or “The Fighter” next in line due to their Best Picture contender status. But as much as these films are loved, they don’t have as showy makeup as the other finalists, and this is a category that often doesn’t care how films are received overall.

    (more…)

  • In praise of Reznor/Ross

    This year’s Best Original Score race really has me at a loss.  I freely admit that I have no idea what will happen there.  Some days I think we’ll get a small surprise like Alexandre Desplat sliding in for his best work this year in “The Ghost Writer,” others I think we could just get a massive, happy surprise like Daft Punk slipping in for their brilliant work on “TRON Legacy.”

    Other times, I kind of just bank on it being a boring assemblage of what we’ve been expecting.  Probably option “C” is the wisest expectation.

    One thing has begun to materialize lately for me, though.  And that is the fact that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who I once upon a time thought might not even get a nomination for their wonderfully woven ambient work in “The Social Network,” could be the frontrunners to win in a category that might be filled with less-singular achievements.

    (more…)

  • TECH SUPPORT: Best Original Score — Volume II

    A great score can take a film from memorable to unforgettable.  Whether it be Vangelis’s synthesizer on the beach in “Chariots of Fire,” Nino Rota’s haunting waltz from “The Godfather” or John Williams’s blaring, adventurous march from “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” scores can elevate amazing images to bring the director’s vision to even greater fruition.

    The last time I discussed this category, I noted how it is very hard to predict in advance without having heard the scores.  Synopses and stills give clues in other categories to an extent frequently not seen here.  That said, most contenders have screened, if not opened, now, so we can make safe assumptions.

    But I still think this can be one of the most difficult categories to predict. But in the way of patterns, films that feature noticeable, loud, memorable and often exotic music are usually contenders.  And being in a Best Picture frontrunner never hurts matters, as always.

    This branch certainly has its favorites, and I expect to see past nominees and winners prominent in the race this year.  The composers don’t frequently embrace new nominees.  Usually only one newcomer is welcomed per year.

    (more…)

  • Malick’s ‘Thin Red Line’ shines on Criterion Blu

    If you’re sitting there right now, reading these words, killing time, nothing much to do this afternoon, do yourself a favor — go out and buy the new Criterion Blu-ray release of Terrence Malick’s “The Thin Red Line.”

    I’ve been delighting in this top 10 all-timer all week, probably my most anticipated home video release since, oh, “Batman” hit VHS during the holidays in 1989?  Naturally, there is no on-screen involvement from Malick, but there is plenty to explore.

    First, let’s start with the film itself.  John Toll’s gorgeous, mesmerizing photography pops with crystal clarity as, finally, his work on the film gets the treatment it deserves.  The sound is also striking (though let me know if I’m the only one who notices it pop in suddenly over the title screen), the mix of elements and Hans Zimmer’s score truly immersive.

    (more…)

  • Zimmer, Pfister, ‘Toy Story 3,’ ‘Iron Man 2’ kick off the season

    The first awards of the Oscar season have been announced for Carlos de Abreu’s Hollywood Film Festival.  Hans Zimmer will get some love for his “Inception” score, while Wally Pfister will be recognized for his work behind the camera on the film.  Meanwhile, “Toy Story 3” and “Iron Man 2” have been singled out for exemplary animation and visual effects respectively.  Check out last year’s list of winners here.  The press release, in part:

    The 14th Annual Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Awards, presented by Starz, are pleased to announce that composer Hans Zimmer, will be given the “Hollywood Film Composer Award,” cinematographer Wally Pfister, A.S.C., will receive the “Hollywood Cinematographer Award,” Disney/Pixar’s “Toy Story 3,” directed by Lee Unkrich and produced by Darla K. Anderson, will receive the “Hollywood Animation Award,” and Paramount Pictures’ “Iron Man 2” and visual effects supervisors Ben Snow and Janek Sirrs will receive the “Hollywood Visual Effects Award.”

    “We are honored to have these exceptionally talented artists honored for their outstanding work and creative vision at this year’s festival,” said Carlos de Abreu, Founder and Executive Director of the Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Awards.

    The festival and awards will mark their return on October 20 for a week long series of screenings, competitions and awards. The Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony will take place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on October 25, 2010.

    [Photo: MovieMaker]

  • TECH SUPPORT: Best Original Score — Volume I

    I am marveled by the accomplishments of all the crafts artists who elevate our films, but this is particularly the case with respect to music composers. Composing equals genius as far as I am concerned.These musicians  join the film at the end, when usually only the director, editor and perhaps the sound mixers are still working.  But capturing the mood and feel of a film that has been created in your absence must be extraordinarily difficult.And  I do not need to count the ways in which a brilliant score can make a good film truly unforgettable.

    The category of Best Original Score is one of the hardest to predict in my opinion, even shortly before the nominations are announced. So what sort of music is rewarded by this branch? Certainly being noticeable in the film helps. Loud music and/or music which plays for lengthy parts of the film with minimal dialogue can do well, too. Being an animated film or a Best Picture contender hardly hurts either.

    For years, we could count on John Williams to take a spot among the nominees. But given that Williams is only composing for Steven Spielberg these days, his name has been absent from the nominees for five straight years now. (I suspect we’ll see him finally move past Alfred Newman on the all-time list next year.)

    Nevertheless, while the branch is not quite as insular as it was in the earlier part of last decade, it remains a fairly exclusive club. Seldom do composers get first trips to the Kodak – usually only one a year. In fact, of the past 11 years, only three have seen two new nominees, and only one has seen three.

    (more…)

  • Desplat, Zimmer, Burwell lead World Soundtrack nominees

    The World Soundtrack Awards aren’t quite as authoritative as their lofty names implies — established in 2001 to accompany the annual Ghent Film Festival in Belgium, they are voted upon by an educational organization of film composers dubbing themselves the World Soundtrack Academy. Given their European origins, it’s interesting how much their awards overlap with those of American awards bodies.

    Coming at this point in the calendar, this year’s nominees fudge together some first-half releases  from this year with a bunch of 2009 awards veterans. All the nominees for Score of the Year, for example, come under the latter heading, three of them having been Oscar-nominated. (The other two, “A Single Man” and “Where the Wild Things Are,” remain my two favourite scores of 2009: good on the WSA for remembering them.)

    Looking at some of the 2010 titles getting mentioned, however, one has to wonder how deep they were digging: “Knight and Day” and “Alice in Wonderland” don’t belong within striking distance of any musical honor, even as part of a body of work.

    (Full list of nominees after the jump.)

    (more…)

  • ‘Inception’ soundtrack contest winners!

    I’ve touched down in San Diego for all the Comic-Con shenanigans of the next four days, but a little business to tend to.

    Thanks to the 60-plus participants in our “Inception” soundtrack giveaway haiku contest. There were lots of great entries, but the two I settled on came from KYLE and GEORGIE. Respectively (and I guess I should say SPOILER warning):

    Falling off the bridge
    The sound of brass blaring bright
    They wake with a kick

    Non, je ne regrette
    The kick hits, the dream falls down
    But does the totem?

    Kyle and Georgie, I’ll try to hunt down your email on the backend, but send me a line just in case. You win!

  • CONTEST: Win a copy of the ‘Inception’ soundtrack

    Following yesterday’s interview with “Inception” composer Hans Zimmer, I thought it would be fun to run a contest and give a few of these bad boys away.  (Confession: Yes, I ended up with more than one.)

    I figure we’ll go with an oldie but a goodie from Sasha Stone: A haiku contest!

    Cut loose with your best “Inception”-related haiku and the two best entries win a copy of the soundtrack, courtesy of Warner Bros. and Reprise Records.  Bonus considerations go to those who find a way to work thoughts or perspective on the score into their haiku.  We’ll pick a winner in, oh, let’s say mid-week.  Wednesday, depending on when things trail off here.

    Have at it in the comments section below!

  • INTERVIEW: ‘Inception’ composer Hans Zimmer and ambient music designer Mel Wesson

    From outside on 14th Street, Hans Zimmer’s Santa Monica offices reflect the typically sterile architecture of the city. Take a few steps in and you’re in the expected world of a musician: bays of dubbing equipment lining the walls, screening alcoves filled to the brim with technology, the usual trappings of a media artist…nothing out of sorts yet.

    However, something lurks behind a large, brown, engraved door in the back, a portal to a creative sanctum and a gargantuan expanse no one would expect to be housed within these otherwise unremarkable premises. Step inside and it feels more like a Viennese castle’s quarters than a Southern California office space (not that the reporter has been to a Viennese castle). Burgundy and cherry wood dominate the scenery as technology mingles with designs of another time, memorabilia decorating every nook and cranny, a Joker statuette keeping watch on the space from afar.

    Zimmer walks in, enthusiastic to discuss his contribution to Christopher Nolan’s “Inception.” He politely (yet somehow cheekily) asks if it’s alright that he smoke a cigarette, then settles in opposite his colleague, ambient music designer Mel Wesson.

    Twenty-six years into a lucrative Hollywood career, Zimmer is tapping into a new creative golden age. He’s coming off his eighth Oscar nomination for his delightfully jaunty work on 2009’s “Sherlock Holmes” and has been a key element of Nolan’s revitalized Batman franchise since 2005. But with “Inception,” his third collaboration with Nolan to date, he says he’s beginning to take note of early career lessons and how they are influencing his work today.

    (more…)

  • In case you missed the Zimmer/Marr performance

    Eek!  Another “Inception” post?  Hopefully that’s okay for certain…types.  But in case you missed the live stream of Hans Zimmer and Johnny Marr’s performance of the “Inception” score after the premiere last night, have a look/listen (with lead-in red carpet interviews to boot):

  • Zimmer and Marr to perform ‘Inception’ concert

    The publicity machine is oiled and clicking around Hans Zimmer lately, as well it should be.  The composer seems to be enjoying a hot streak of celebrated creativity as of late, thanks largely to his recent collaborations with director Christopher Nolan.

    Nolan’s much-anticipated film “Inception” will hold its Los Angeles premiere tomorrow night at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood.  Following the screening, Zimmer and guitarist Johnny Marr (who contributes guitar accompaniment on the film’s score) will be performing a special concert at a private after-party across the street at the Disney-owned El Capitan Theatre.  They’ll be backed by a 20-piece orchestra.

    But don’t fret.  The party might be private, but them press release notes that the performance will be streamed live on the internet at http://www.ustream.tv/inceptionpremiere.

    (more…)

  • So, is ‘Inception’ a go for Oscar?

    Now that the review embargo walls have crashed on “Inception” (though most of what’s out there is web-based media as we’ll wait a while for print reactions), I guess it’s fair to dive into the awards implications of the film.  I preferred to stay away from that kind of talk in my review.

    The first thing that comes to mind when I think of the history of Best Picture nominees is the fact that, on some level, they are fairly undemanding efforts.  There’s a pattern of simplicity of narrative, regardless of genre.  Now, most seem to think the general positive assessment Nolan’s film has received should be enough to get it into a field of 10 nominees, but I’m a touch skeptical.

    “Inception” is anything but undemanding.  It’s a cerebral exercise that will have some recalling Robert Downey Jr.’s swipe at “The Dark Knight” a few years ago: “I clearly need a college education to understand this movie.”  We all remember Nolan’s superhero epic did not make the cut with five slots.  And the thought process for some is, well, it’s time for AMPAS to kiss and make up.  Except that’s not the typical AMPAS thought process, and certainly not for a still youngish talent like Nolan.

    (more…)

  • Preview Zimmer’s ‘Inception’ score

    Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” is 13 days away, though the bulk of reviews will be dropping in 51 hours.  How’s that for a countdown?

    The score from Hans Zimmer is exciting the same people behind the scenes who saw greatness and potential awards success in his work on “Sherlock Holmes.” It’s already available for pre-order at Amazon, but even though the album doesn’t release until July 13, you can listen to excerpts from the ominous work.

    The guys at Nevermind Pop Film went to the trouble of collecting a nifty sampler widget from the tracks available in part at Amazon.  It’s a dense work, very unique to Zimmer’s experiences collaborating with Nolan, but I wonder if it will have the same staying power in the awards season as the delightful melodies of “Sherlock Holmes.” Which would speak nothing to quality, mind you.

    Have a listen after the jump and judge for yourself.

    (more…)

  • Andy Trudeau handicaps the original score contenders

    Sherlock HolmesOne of the best parts of Oscar season is NPR’s rundown of the Best Original Score nominees by music critic Andy Trudeau.  The copy is live now, but the audio won’t be up until noon (EST) tomorrow.  He says there’s not a real standout this year, and goes with Hans Zimmer and “Sherlock Holmes” for his prediction.  Last year he picked went with “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” but his “predictions” have increasingly become more about personal preference as of late.

    He has this to say on Zimmer’s compositions:

    The scoring assignment for director Guy Richie’s reimagining of Sherlock Holmes went to Hans Zimmer, a composer whose trademarks are loud and hard. Here, it was the director who urged the composer to change his persona. Zimmer obliged — sort of. Early cuts of Sherlock Holmes were temporarily tracked with Zimmer’s music for The Dark Knight. Rather than trying to match the continuous, pounding energy of that score, Zimmer often went the other way. But this is an action film after all, and the action sequences are where Zimmer is most effective. At one point, with the hero in harm’s way, he has fun with the Westminster Chimes melody — you’ll hear it in the low strings.

    Check out the rest at NPR.