Tuesday, March 28, 2017

2m1 Vertigo: The Harmony of Herrmann

Today we unveil the next film score in our series, the mysterious and romantic score to Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 classic, Vertigo. This week we begin by celebrating composer Bernard Herrmann, who in addition to being Hitchcock's long-standing musical collaborator is one of the most important and influential names in the landscape of film music. We examine some of the many musical traits that embody Herrmann's stellar output and contextualize this month's seminal score in the process. Join us as we dive into cinema's other great master of suspense!




Citizen Kane - Bernard Herrmann - 1941 - RKO Pictures (Orson Welles, dir,)
-Overture
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir - B. Herrmann -1947 -20th Century Fox (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, dir.)
-Andante Cantabile
The Day the Earth Stood Still - B. Herrmann - 1951 - 20th Century Fox (Robert Wise, dir.)
-Suite from 'The Day the Earth Stood Still'
North By Northwest - B. Herrmann - 1959 - MGM (Alfred Hitchcock, dir.)
-The Airport
-Concersation Piece
Cape Fear - B. Herrmann - 1962 - Universal Pictures (J. Lee Thompson, dir.)
-Main Title
Marnie - B. Herrmann - 1964 - Universal Pictures (Alfred Hitchcock, dir.)
-Prelude
Psycho - B. Herrmann - 1960 - Paramount Pictures (Alfred Hitchcock, dir.)
-The Storm
Vertigo - B. Herrmann - 1958 - Paramount/Universal (Alfred Hitchcock, dir.)
-Prelude  
Twisted Nerve - Herrmann - 1968 - National General Pictures (Roy Boulting, dir.)
-Suite from 'Twisted Nerve'

For score reductions, additional links and more,
the discussion continues at: www.underscorepodcast.com
 

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Reel Change: The Ostinato

Today is the first installment of Reel Change, an ongoing series of episodes in between films. To hopefully cleanse the palate and prepare for our next subject, this week we focus on a musical device relevant to all eras of cinema: The Ostinato. Join us on a brief exploration of this musical mechanism as we track its development in films from the golden age to the present. Off we go!





Captain Blood - Erich Wolfgang Korngold - Warner Bros - 1935 (Michael Curtiz, dir.)
King Kong - Max Steiner - Radio Pictures - 1933 (M. Cooper, E. Schoedsack, dir.)
Scaramouche - Victor Young -  MGM - 1952 (George Sidney, dir.)
Peter Gunn - Henry Mancini - NBC - Official Films  - 1958-61 (Blake Edwards, creator)
The Magnificent Seven - Elmer Berstein - United Artists - 1960 (John Sturges, dir.)
Taras Bulba - Franz Waxman - United Artists - 1962 (J. Lee Thompson, dir.)
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Ennio Morricone - United Artists - 1966 (Sergio Leone, dir.)
Midnight Cowboy - John Barry - United Artists - 1969 (John Schlesinger, dir.)
-Everybody's Talkin' (Song) Performed by Harry Nilsson, Written by Fred Neil
Superman - John Williams - Warner Bros. - 1978 (Richard Donner, dir.)
Conan the Barbarian - Basil Poledouris - Universal Pictures - 1982 (John Milius, dir.)
The Terminator - Brad Fidel - Orion Pictures - 1984 (James Cameron, dir.)
Brazil - Michael Kamen - 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures - 1985 (Terry Gilliam, dir.)
Total Recall - Jerry Goldsmith - TriStar Pictures - 1990 (Paul Verhoeven, dir.)
The Simpsons - Danny Elfman - 20th Century Fox Television - 1989-2017 (Matt Groening, creator)
Robin Hood Prince of Thieves - Michael Kamen - Warner Bros. - 1991 (Kevin Reynolds, dir.)
Sneakers - James Horner - Universal Studios - 1992 (Phil Alden Robinson, dir.)
Crimson Tide - Hans Zimmer - Buena Vista Pictures - 1995 (Tony Scott, dir.)
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - John Williams - Lucasfilm - 1999 (George Lucas, dir.)
Finding Nemo - Thomas Newman - Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar - 2003 (Andrew Stanton, dir.)
The Dark Knight - Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard - Legendary Pictures - 2008 (Christopher Nolan, dir.)
The Expendables - Brian Tyler - Lionsgate - 2010 (Sylvester Stallone, dir.)
Star Trek - Michael Giacchino - Paramount Pictures - 2009 (J.J. Abrams, dir.)
The Last Airbender - James Newton Howard - Parmount Pictures - 2010 (M. Night Shyamalan, dir.)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 - Alexandre Desplat - Warner Bros. - 2010 (David Yates, dir.)
Puss in Boots - Henry Jackman - Paramount Pictures - 2011 (Chris Miller, dir.)
MI: Rogue Nation - Joe Kraemer - Paramount Pictures - 2015 (Christopher McQuarrie, dir.)
Mad Max: Fury Road - Junkie XL - Warner Bros. - 2015 (George Miller, dir.)
Zoolander No. 2 - Theodore Shapiro - Paramount Pictures - 2016 (Ben Stiller, dir.)
Arrival - Jóhan Jóhannson - Sony Pictures/Paramount Pictures - 2016 (Denis Villeneuve, dir.)

For score reductions, additional links and more,
the discussion continues at: www.underscorepodcast.com


Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

1m4 Commentary of the Lost Ark

Culminating our month-long adventure, today we share the first ever UnderScore commentary track! Join us as we discuss the score to Raiders of the Lost Ark in real time along with the film. Follow along at home with our supplementary materials, including a Score Sheet to track the many instances of character themes (see how many you can spot!)  Pop some corn, dim the lights and ready your whip as we set off!
                                                                                                       




 Raiders of the Lost Ark  - John Williams - Paramount Pictures - 1981 (Steven Spielberg, dir.) 
-In the Jungle
-The Idol Cave 
-Escape From the Temple
-Flight From Peru 
-Washington Men / Indy's Home 
-A Thought For Marion
-To Nepal  
-The Medallion 
-Flight to Cairo 
-The Basket Game
-Bad Dates  
-The Map Room: Dawn 
-Reunion in the Tent / Searching for the Well 
-The Well of Souls
-Uncovering the Ark  
-Indy Rides the Statue
-The Fist Fight / The Flying Wing
-Dessert Chase 
-Marion's Theme / The Crate 
-The German Sub 
-Ride to the Nazi Hideout
-Indy Follows the Ark  
-The Miracle of the Ark 
-Washington Ending
-The Raiders March     

                                                                                                             
For score reductions, additional links and more,
the discussion continues at: www.underscorepodcast.com

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

BONUS FEATURES [1m3]

Score study:
"Raiders' Spotting Session" Complete Cue List



Bookmarks:
Complete Cue List - Raiders of the Lost Ark (compiled by Jason LeBlanc)

Scriptnotes - Raiders of the Lost Ark (audio link at bottom of page)

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082971/?ref_=nv_sr_1


···

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

1m3 Raiders' Spotting Session

In today's episode, we continue our focus on the Raiders score and set the stage for the first UnderScore Commentary Track! This week we travel piece by piece through all of the music cues in the film and discuss their function as the story unfolds. Join us in these final weeks as we wrap up our exciting Indiana Jones adventure!  
                                                                                                       




 Raiders of the Lost Ark  - John Williams - Paramount Pictures - 1981 (Steven Spielberg, dir.) 
-In the Jungle
-The Idol Cave 
-Escape From the Temple
-Flight From Peru 
-Washington Men / Indy's Home 
-A Thought For Marion
-To Nepal  
-The Medallion 
-Flight to Cairo 
-The Basket Game
-Bad Dates  
-The Map Room: Dawn 
-Reunion in the Tent / Searching for the Well 
-The Well of Souls
-Uncovering the Ark  
-Indy Rides the Statue
-The Fist Fight / The Flying Wing
-Dessert Chase 
-Marion's Theme / The Crate 
-The German Sub 
-Ride to the Nazi Hideout
-Indy Follows the Ark  
-The Miracle of the Ark 
-Washington Ending
-The Raiders March     

                                                                                                             
For score reductions, additional links and more,
the discussion continues at: www.underscorepodcast.com

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

BONUS FEATURES [1m2]

Score study:
"Themes of the Lost Ark" Condensed Score excerpts




Bookmarks:
Harrison Ford salutes John Williams (from the AFI Tribute to John Williams)

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082971/?ref_=nv_sr_1


···