This News Friday 12/26/97

by Lukas Kendall

Readers, forgive me, I just got back from a holiday vacation and dove straight into the mountain of E-mail to compile this news column. Here's the skinny on some news:

Orchestrator Greig McRitchie has passed away; he worked with Jerry Fielding, James Horner and Basil Poledouris among many, many others. We'll have a proper obituary in Film Score Monthly. Greig was in his 80's and succumbed to complications from asthma.

John Barry has had his score rejected to Goodbye Lover. John Ottman is doing the replacement. No further info.

James Newton Howard will sign Postman CDs at Creature Features in Burbank on Sunday, January 4, 1998. Call the store at 818-842-9382. The Postman CD from Warner Bros. is half JNH score and half country songs, or something.

Golden Globe Music Nominations

Best Original Score:

GATTACA (Michael Nyman)

KUNDUN (Philip Glass)

LA CONFIDENTIAL (Jerry Goldsmith)

SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET (John Williams)

TITANIC (James Horner)

Best song:

"Go the Distance" (HERCULES)

"Journey to the Past" (ANASTASIA)

"Once Upon a December" (ANASTASIA)

"My Heart Will Go On" (TITANIC)

"Tomorrow Never Dies" (TOMORROW NEVER DIES)

Sorry, I don't have the artist names handy on the songs.

Did anyone see the Christmas special of South Park on Comedy Central? The school's Christmas play was turned into a non-religious performance piece with "music and lyrics by New York minimalist composer Philip Glass"--at which point a scowling, animated Glass is shown at keyboards on the side of the stage. He waves to the crowd, and then begins a funny knock-off of Glass's style with lyrics like "As I gazed into the sun/the light burned my eyes" and the synth is going "Hap -- Hap -- Happy... Every--body-- Happy..." amidst synthesized ostinatos.

Christmas Listening Suggestions

Okay, a day late, but try:

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE - Tiomkin

A CHRISTMAS CAROL - Addensell & Waxman

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET - both Mockridge & Broughton versions

A BISHOP'S WIFE - Friedhofer

JESUS OF NAZARETH - Jarre

HOME ALONE - Williams

HOLIDAY INN / WHITE CHRISTMAS - Berlin

Back Next Week!

Again, sorry about the brevity, but it's been a long day. We'll bring back the usual reader responses and questions in next week's Friday column.

One last thing: people have asked me if there's a second Titanic CD coming out. This is news to me. I do not know. Methinks something's out of whack when not even 70 minute CDs are good enough for collectors. Are we even listening to these things anymore? Give me a coherent half hour, baby!

Lukas@filmscoremonthly.com