Contents J Une 1998
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CONTENTS J UNE 1998 Features Departments 19 Wrestling with the Industry 2 Editor’s Page The Society of Composers and Lyricists third The Summer of annual Film & TV Music Conference. Our Discontent By Lukas Kendall 4News 22 Gojira! King of the Deals, events, awards, Rubber Monsters and so much more On the eve of Godzilla's latest attempt at world 5 Record Label domination, we review two new CD releases and Round-up his entire career in Japanese cinema You know you want it By Jeff Bond 6Now Playing The theme is out there, and Movies and CDs in Mark Snow talks about it 27 Bruce Broughton release page 30 Buyer’s Guide 8 Concerts The first part of our latest composer spotlight, Live performances featuring works from 1991-1998 around the world Compiled by Jason Comerford, Jeff Bond and 8 Concert Report Doug Adams Goldsmith’s Music for Orchestra 10 Upcoming Film Interviews Assignments Who’s writing what 30 Mark Spots the X Series composer Mark Snow fights the future in 12 Mail Bag the big screen extension of The X-Files The Unsinkable By Doug Adams Jimmy H. Dinner music for a pack of 33 Music for Maniacs 16 Downbeat hungry leviathans A conversation with Jay Chattaway on the The Music is in the Mail page 22 occasion of the release of his first film soundtrack—17 years later 18 Reader Ads By David Friede 38 Score Capsule reviews of Reviews Lost in Space, Mercury Rising, Moby Dick, 36 From the Farthest Reaches to The Butcher Boy, Lolita, Just Plain Far Out and lots more Two long-awaited Chattaway CDs reviewed 40 FSM Marketplace 46 I Can’t Believe it’s a Soundtrack! Seven wacky CD releases reviewed 48 Retrograde Sale Away! We've cast our nets and pulled in a large catch of CD reviews page 38 ABOUT THE COVER: SCULLEY AND MULDER Film Score Monthly (ISSN 1077-4289) is published monthly for $29.95 per year by Lukas Kendall, 5455 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1500, PLUMB THE DEPTHS OF DECEIT IN THE X-FILES. Los Angeles CA 90036-4201. Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, CA and additional mailing offices. PHOTOGRAPH BY MERRICK MORTON POSTMASTER: Send Address changes to Film Score Monthly, 5455 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1500, Los Angeles, CA 90036-4201 COPYRIGHT ©1998 TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX Film Score Monthly 1 J UNE 1998 EDITORIAL V OLUME 3, NUMBER 5 The Summer of Our Discontent J UNE 1998 STAFF SOME PEOPLE ATTRIBUTE THE LACK OF SUBSTANCE IN TODAY’S FILM SCORES TO TODAY’S MOVIES— EDITOR & PUBLISHER AND THEY’RE RIGHT. Lukas Kendall MANAGING EDITOR Jeff Bond ost pictures today will not Improvisation has a place in art, most DESIGN DIRECTOR accept interesting music. The notably in jazz. Most rock and pop music is Joe Sikoryak Mcorrect solutions to them are about capturing the spirit of improvisation CONTRIBUTING WRITERS the ones we hear time and time again: non- and the purity of amateur accomplish- Doug Adams descript minor-mode strings and brass with ments. But with new concert music basi- John Bender a cluttered rhythm section for suspense; cally dead, film is the last bastion of music Edwin Black piano and strings for that intimate moment; as composition. Film music should not Jason Comerford and a forgettable tutti-orchestra diatonic exist in the “moment” of its improvisation, Andy Dursin melody for triumph. The scenes themselves but should be constructed and shaped— Jeff Eldridge are so unambiguous, pointing in the most written down. Playing into a computer David Friede predictable direction, that they would never while watching a scene may require good Patrick Runkle tolerate a score like The Illustrated Man—it craftmanship, but with two exceptions— Jesus Weinstein would be like oil and water. (1) a powerful musical personality at work, Jeffrey Wheeler We’re heading into the thick of the sum- and/or (2) a purpose within the philosophi- Jeff Wilson mer-movie season, where 100- cal nature of the film—it’s without value as piece orchestras bring us globe- a lasting document. (For an example of the PUBLISHING CONSULTANT saving refrains and backbreaking latter, look no further than this month’s Digital Film & Print, Inc. Too much suspense, but it all sounds so bor- cover story, The X-Files, where Mark THANKS TO ing. I know a lot of fans are look- Snow’s mostly improvised scores evoke the B.A. Vimtrup film music ing forward to new works by leg- unknowable mysteries and conspiracies ends like John Williams, but even faced every week by the protagonists.) CONTACT INFO today is mere he has muted his style. Jeff Bond Unfortunately, adding to the fact that and I attended the first perfor- composers today are forced, by shrinking EDITORIAL OFFICE improvisation mance of Jerry Goldsmith’s schedules and micromanagement, to “com- 5455 Wilshire Blvd “Music for Orchestra” in a quar- pose by improvising,” the movies them- Suite 1500 and that is ter-century (see p. 9), and we selves cry out for this type of treading-water Los Angeles, CA were blown away by the realiza- sound. They’re completely formulaic, but 90036-4201 why it is of tion that this amazing, challeng- pretend to create their thrills anew, as if PHONE 213-937-9890 ing, atonal style (similar to they have authored themselves. Today FAX 213-937-9277 little value Planet of the Apes and The moviegoers are so unfamiliar with musical E-MAIL lukas@ Mephisto Waltz) was what this forms—forms which once existed in the filmscoremonthly.com man is all about. It isn’t easy to mainstream, from classical to jazz to the ADVERTISING & MARKETING OFFICE listen to, but it means something. great (and hibernating) American tradition Digital Film & Print, Inc. U.S. Marshals? I am astonished that anyone of songwriting—that music which is not 5455 Wilshire Blvd gives it half a thought. contemporary rock or already from a movie Suite 1500 It is our mission to document film com- soundtrack would disrupt this illusion. Los Angeles, CA posers in the practice of their craft, and that The reason why today’s bad movies and 90036-4201 will not change. But it is also our purpose to bad scores are so tragic is that they would PHONE 213-932-5606 come to an understanding of what makes make so much more money if they were FAX 213-932-6111 film scores work and last—what they mean good. Titanic, for all its deliberate low-brow THE SOUNDTRACK HANDBOOK to us, as art. If they are coming up short, we populism, was about something, and had A six-page listing of mail should probe why. Elmer Bernstein did that music that was compositional, if unambi- order dealers, books, societies, well at his keynote address of this year’s tious, at heart. The Truman Show (unre- etc. Free upon request. SCL conference (see p. 19), noting that for a leased of this writing) will hopefully follow OUR WEB SITE composer to come up with a few synthesizer suit. But for now, we’re faced with a long Is updated five times weekly! mock-ups for a director’s approval in three dry season—with perhaps some unexpect- Point your browser at: days is not composing, but improvising. Too edly brilliant improvisation. WWW.FILMSCOREMONTHLY.COM much film music today is mere improvisa- tion and that is why it is of little value. Film © 1998 Lukas Kendall is not improvised but laboriously construct- ed, designed to be appreciated retroactive- ly—why should the music be any different? PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. Lukas Kendall M AY 1998 2 Film Score Monthly Need orchestral music for film, TV, computer or CD? Need a demo of orchestral music to procure a film contract? Where do many major film composers produce their orchestral scores for demos, film, TV or CD? The Los Angeles Composers Guild Many major films are using orchestral scores again. The demo recording demonstrates your best work under ideal conditions for a producer or director. The Los Angeles Composers Guild produces composers’ orchestral scores for demos, film, TV, computer, and CD music recording. Employ the most advanced sound and music recording technology and skilled studio musicians in the world today. Book a session from 30 minutes to 6 hours with the 60- piece Composers Guild Studio Orchestra Conduct your score or monitor your product from the booth by using the Composers Guild conductor. Showcase your talent and invite producers and directors to your session to demonstrate that you can complement any film with a magical score. Invest in your career rather than in equipment designed to become obsolete as soon as it leaves the shelf. Meet and collaborate with excellent musicians, composers and engineers. Elevate your career by signing up for the next recording session. CALL The Los Angeles Composers Guild 310-471-9199 Gloria Ching Music Supervisor and Contractor Chris Walden Conductor Robert Korda Concert Master EVENTS • CONCERTS RECORD LABEL ROUND-UP UPCOMING ASSIGNMENTS NEWS THE LATEST FILMS Film Music is Academic! Mr. Lucky’s Deal SOUNDTRACKS FEATURED AT UC SANTA BARBARA CA has signed a worldwide administration deal for Mthe catalog of the late Henry Mancini, who unlike he University of California at Santa Barbara’s 7th most film composers retained the publishing rights to his TAnnual New Music Festival is focusing on film music most famous music (including the Pink Panther and this year, with four days of performances at UCSB’s Peter Gunn themes). The catalog reportedly grosses $1.3 Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall and Montecito’s Music million per year.