Monday, September 22, 2008

The Best Bit Of The Emmys Post.

With all due respect to Heidi Klum having her clothes ripped off, a blind man could've seen that bit coming. (As opposed to Bryan Cranston's Emmy win. And this.)

Saturday, September 20, 2008

The Operation Varèse Sarabande Post.


This post is brought to you by The Hiatus Project, and the post dealing with his putting up a complete index of his collection. He very kindly agreed to let me do it on this 'ere blog, but the problem is I've got so damn many it's hard to crack down and do it. Luckily I've been keeping track of them in written form for years...

Anyway,
Varèse Sarabande is a soundtrack (and also vintage music) label of long-standing; the label's brown and white spine is no stranger to film music fans (or TV music fans, having released albums for (among others) Stargate Atlantis, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess, Prison Break, 24, Alias, Lost and (coming soon) Pushing Daisies). The reason I'm blogging about them is that I decided to get hold of all their current CD Club releases.
"Their what?" Okay, see, the CD Club is a series of limited edition releases running from pressings of 1000 to ones of 3000, available from their website (and specialty dealers) or from the Lady Penelope to Varèse Sarabande's International Rescue, Colosseum. Right now they're up to 93, and my mission, should I choose to accept it, is to get all their releases that I don't already have, apart from the ones that are all sold out. Ones I have with asterisks are also out of print. (For the purposes of this post, I count owning original vinyl or cassette releases as already having, since my MO is not to get straight CD reissues unless I don't have previous releases, or if they include lots of new material. I count CD-R copies made by friends as having as well...)

84 Charing Cross Road (George Fenton)*
The Agony And The Ecstasy: The Deluxe Edition (Alex North and Jerry Goldsmith)
Alien Nation (Jerry Goldsmith)
An Almost Perfect Affair (Georges Delerue)
An Unfinished Life - CD Club (Christopher Young)

Anna Lucasta (Elmer Bernstein)
Anne Of The Indies (Franz Waxman)
Author! Author! (Dave Grusin and Johnny Mandel)
The Ballad Of Cable Hogue (Jerry Goldsmith)
Beloved Infidel (Franz Waxman)
Big (Howard Shore)
Birdman Of Alcatraz (Elmer Bernstein)
The Bride (Maurice Jarre)*
Broadcast News (Bill Conti)
The 'Burbs: The Deluxe Edition (Jerry Goldsmith)*
By Love Possessed (Elmer Bernstein)
Cannon For Cordoba/From Noon Till Three (Elmer Bernstein)
Careful, He Might Hear You (Ray Cook)
The Caretakers: Deluxe Edition/The Young Doctors (Elmer Bernstein)
Cast A Giant Shadow (Elmer Bernstein)
Commando (James Horner)
Desiree (Alex North)
Die Hard (Michael Kamen)*
F.I.S.T./Slow Dancing In The Big City (Bill Conti)
F/X: The Deluxe Edition (Bill Conti)
Fitzwilly/The Long Goodbye (John Williams)*
The Fury: The Deluxe Edition (John Williams) *
Gangs Of New York/The Journey Of Natty Gann/The Scarlet Letter (Elmer Bernstein)
Ghostbusters (Elmer Bernstein)*
Gloria (Bill Conti)
The Great Escape: The Deluxe Edition (Elmer Bernstein)*
The Great Train Robbery: SACD Deluxe Edition (Jerry Goldsmith)
The Hallelujah Trail (Elmer Bernstein)
Hawaii: The Deluxe Edition (Elmer Bernstein)

Heartbeeps (John Williams)*
Home Alone 2: Lost In New York - The Deluxe Edition (John Williams)*
In A Shallow Grave (Jonathan Sheffer)
Iron Eagle (Basil Poledouris)
The Island (Ennio Morricone)
Jerry Goldsmith At 20th Century Fox
Joe Versus The Volcano (Georges Delerue)
Justine: The Deluxe Edition (Jerry Goldsmith)
The Karate Kid (Bill Conti)*
The Kindred (David Newman)*
The Left Hand Of God (Victor Young)
Les Misérables (Alex North)

The Long, Hot Summer/Sanctuary (Alex North)
Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing (Alfred Newman)
Lucas (Dave Grusin)
Magic (Jerry Goldsmith)
Magic Fire (Richard Wagner, ad. Erich Wolfgang Korngold)

Making The Grade (Basil Poledouris)*
The Man Who Loved Women (Henry Mancini)
Marie Ward (Elmer Bernstein)
Matilda (David Newman)*
The Matrix: The Deluxe Edition (Don Davis)
My Cousin Rachel (Franz Waxman)
Neighbors (Bill Conti and Tom Scott)*
North And South (Bill Conti)
North And South: Book II (Bill Conti)
North By Northwest: The Complete Score (Bernard Herrmann, cond. Joel McNeely)
Piranha (Pino Donaggio)
Pony Soldier (Alex North)
Predator (Alan Silvestri)*
Project X (James Horner)
The Racers/Daddy Long Legs (Alex North)
The Return Of A Man Called Horse: The Deluxe Edition (Laurence Rosenthal)
Return To Peyton Place (Franz Waxman)
The Robe: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Alfred Newman)
Romancing The Stone (Alan Silvestri) *
Rookie Of The Year/A Night In The Life Of Jimmy Reardon/Bushwhacked (Bill Conti)
Runaway: The Deluxe Edition (Jerry Goldsmith)*
The Sand Pebbles: The Deluxe Edition (Jerry Goldsmith)*
The Scalphunters (Elmer Bernstein)
Seven Cities Of Gold/The Rains Of Ranchipur (Hugo Friedhofer)
Sheena (Richard Hartley)
Sky Bandits (Alfi Kabiljo) *
Spacehunter: Adventures In The Forbidden Zone (Elmer Bernstein)
The Story Of Ruth (Franz Waxman)
Studs Lonigan (Jerry Goldsmith)

The Tall Men (Victor Young)
Those Secrets (Thomas Newman)
Three Coins In The Fountain (Victor Young)
Top Secret! (Maurice Jarre)*
True Confessions (Georges Delerue)
Vamp (Jonathan Elias)

The Vanishing (Jerry Goldsmith)
Varèse Sarabande: A 25th Anniversary Celebration - Volume Two
The Virgin Queen (Franz Waxman)
Viva Maria!/King Of Hearts (Georges Delerue)
Viva Zapata!/The 13th Letter (Alex North)
The War Of The Roses/The Sandlot (David Newman)
The Wonderful Country/The King And Four Queens (Alex North)
So that's 35 to get... it begins.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Friday, September 12, 2008

The Christine Mendoza Spot Post.

Butch claims that the spot over yonder (which, if you're reading this on or after September 14, was occupied for the seven days beforehand by Christine Mendoza) could be improved.








You decide. (Stuff it, he's right.)

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

The One Of The Holy Grails Post.

Unlike most film music fans, I've always held John Williams's music for the Indiana Jones movies in a higher regard than that of the Star Wars sagas (whether because Prof. Jones has a better theme tune than they of a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away or because, unlike George's brainchild, I've actually seen all four movies in cinemas is a good question - but it's probably a bit of both).

So while I've got the albums of the original three Star Wars flicks and the expanded releases of all three, plus the albums of the newer less beloved trilogy, in my heart of hearts what I really wanted was what was announced recently by Concord (the label that released Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), adding to my list of soundtrack wishes come true - first the long-overdue Buffy the Vampire Slayer score CD and now this:

INDIANA JONES: THE COMPLETE SOUNDTRACKS COLLECTION

For the first time ever all four Indiana Jones soundtrack albums are available in this limited edition collectible CD boxed set! Included are expanded and remastered versions of Raiders of the Lost Ark, and exclusive to this set: Indiana Jones & The Temple Doom, and Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade. This set also includes the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull soundtrack plus a bonus interview CD with composer John Williams on the making of this historic music. Housed in a handsome embossed slip case and presented with a full color booklet, this set reintroduces the iconic original Indiana Jones film scores by Oscar-winning composer John Williams - out of print since 1995! A must for fans and collectors alike, all will rejoice in having all these soundtracks presented together expanded with previously unreleased music - along with this summer's blockbuster Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull available together for the very first time. Relive the musical adventure today!

Just to sweeten the deal:

JWFan has received CONFIRMATION from Concord Records that the Indiana Jones: The Complete Soundtrack Collection boxed set will indeed include EXPANDED VERSIONS of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade:

All three original soundtracks (Raiders, Temple of Doom, and Last Crusade) will be expanded and remastered, including material never before issued on CD. Track listings are not available yet. The box set will also include the standard Kingdom of the Crystal Skull soundtrack (released earlier this year, no bonus material added) plus an exclusive audio interview CD with John Williams.The reissues of the three original soundtracks will only be available in the box set and will not be sold individually until later this year or early next.

The impact of this... hang on, let me turn the italics off... The impact of this cannot be understated, since Paramount (although the movies are made by Lucasfilm, Paramount handles the distribution etc) isn't one to exploit its music library unless it involves Star Trek, and nowadays not even then. Since the album for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom really needs bulking up - it's the shortest of the lot by miles - the thought of hopefully, finally having the film version of its end titles in glorious, non-taped-from-the-video sound is bliss. Of course, that means I'll have two CDs of the newest one, but them's the breaks.

And now to accompany this link to Egotastic!'s shots of Hayden Panettiere at the Heroes season 3 premiere, the lovely Hayden at Fashion Rocks.


The girl can bring it. Another dream right there.

Monday, September 08, 2008

The Official Cindy Presence Post.

Cindy's official site has finally been overhauled, and at the risk of sounding like a commercial it's better than ever. No forums but lots of pictures... it was overwhelming the first time I visited. Had to lie down, and so on.

http://www.cindy.com/

Bliss.

Sunday, September 07, 2008

The Pink Rhubarb Post.

Compare and contrast: The opening riff of Pink's "So What" and the theme from Roobarb.

Unfortunately legal problems mean no YouTube links, but search them out. That is all.

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

The Goodbye And Hello Post.

In memory of:

Geoffrey Perkins (much-loved BBC/independent comedy producer, who'll always be cherished by me for producing most of The Hitch-Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy and for writing and performing in
Radio Active).

Don LaFontaine (the man of a thousand trailers).

The Bandit's best mate, Jerry Reed. He's east bound, watch ol' Bandit run...




On a much, much happier note, Cindy's beautiful little girl Kaia Jordan Gerber is seven years old today. Many happy returns. And may life go on, and the thrill of living never go...