Oscar Griping

by Lukas Kendall

Oops, should have printed these letters right away. You know how they say you can't remember last year's Oscar winners? How about last week's? This year's telecast was one of the dullest of recent years. Still, here are some letters about it, as well as about our current Oscar-related poll, which we'll run for a couple more days.

However, to interject something more interesting, did everyone see 60 Minutes last night? (If not, don't ask ME for a copy. I learned long ago never to tape anything, because I was sick of having a stack of unlabeled videocassettes that I would never watch.) They had a big segment on George Lucas and The Phantom Menace, including scoring session footage where you could hear all of 10 seconds of Williams's music -- a classical-sounding, dare I say it, "O Fortuna!" type of piece with choir. Also, the Boston Globe had an article on the music yesterday, which hopefully this link will still work for, with a lot of spoilers about the score. The 60 Minutes piece showed how George Lucas personally supervises and approves every single thing about the movie with the exception of the music -- Lucas's favorite part, because for once he doesn't have to do all of the work!

From: MaestroJW@aol.com

Lukas, I think you finally picked a subject for the poll where John Williams won't "win" so to speak. Anyway, on to this years Oscars... I was glad to see Piovani win for Life is Beautiful. I am the biggest John Williams, but I honestly feel that Saving Private Ryan was not his best score. I like it, and I love "Hymn to the Fallen" but I like Piovani's score as a whole better, not that I still wouldn't have been thrilled to see Williams get it, I always root for him. My biggest complaint was Ryan not getting Bast Picture. I liked Shakespeare, in fact I saw it this evening for the first time... but Ryan was a real innovation, a new kind of (war) movie. As good as Shakespeare was, I don't feel like it treaded on any new ground. I'd have rather seen Life is Beautiful win Best Picture than Shakespeare. The Best picture category was the only one that really surprised me, especially after Spielberg won for Director. One thing that was good about the academy awards this year was that the awards were pretty well diversified... what was the final tally... Shakespeare with 7, Ryan with 5, and Life is Beautiful with 3... oh well, thats Oscar!

From: Hiphats@aol.com

This year's race for Best Original Song of 1998 was a very close race...and the eventual winner was an upset, but not surprising.

While originality for theme songs has not been much of late ("old school" songs like the Beatles' "Across The Universe" have been re-used as theme songs for recent films), this year's race proved that there is still talent among today's artists.

Of the five nominated songs up for this year's Oscar for Best Song, there were only three that stood out...Diane Warren's "Don't Want To Miss A Thing" (by Steven Tyler [aka Aerosmith], from "Armageddon"), Stephen Schwarz' "When You Believe" (by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, from "Prince Of Egypt"), and David Foster's "The Prayer" (by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli, from "The Quest For Camelot"). "The Prayer" was the most powerful of the three, and I thought that should have deserved the Oscar. But in the end, the sentimental performances of Carey and Houston, and the timing for the song's release ("Prince Of Egypt" was released over the Christmas holidays) were the determining factor in "When You Believe" winning the Oscar.

"The Prayer" was that rare type of song that filled me with pure emotion, its power and energy really lifted me up, and, in my opinion, the best Celine- performed song since last year's "My Heart Will Go On" (from "Titanic").

Unfortunately, both time and sentiment cost it the Oscar. Perhaps if "The Quest For Camelot" were released at Christmas instead of "Prince Of Egypt" it would have changed the Academy's mind. In any event, it's the kind of sentiment "When You Believe" had that resulted in Debby Boone's performance of "When You're Loved" (from "The Magic Of Lassie") being the deciding factor in it being nominated for Best Song in 1978 instead of "Can You Read My Mind" (from "Superman").

Oscars do have their upsets. Unfortunately, this was one case a "Prayer" was not answered.

From: "GRCH Customer Service" <marko.ikonic@styria.com>

I too saw the Oscar show, and the second thing I hated about it, next to the embarrassing tap dance performance, was the lack of Jerry Goldsmith's "Fanfare for Oscar". I remember having heard a very fast rendition of it last year. Today I took a look at the Official A.M.P.A.S. Website, where I found this interesting press release excerpt (January 26, 1998):

The fanfare, which will be played by the Academy Award Orchestra from the orchestra pit of the Shrine Auditorium on March 23, will formally open the Awards ceremonies each year and will be played throughout the course of each telecast.

That's funny. It "will formally open the Awards ceremonies each year"! I'm curious what they'll do next year.

From: Karl Scott <auth1@opcode.com>

re: the Fanfare:

Last year Tom Scott was to conduct the Oscar and I believe was set to include the Fanfare. He was replaced by Bill Conti who brought in his own material. The Fanfare was heard in the pre- recorded version over the Revlon commercial introduction. The Fanfare which runs 45 Secs was heard fully in about 30 SECs. This year it was ignored completely.

Tom Scott played Sax on the Small Soldiers score and still owes JG for the use of "The Flim Flam Man" score in "The Culpepper Cattle Company" On a side note it's easy to blame the Academy Members for their ongoing bad taste in the final balloting for the Best Score. They overlooked Alex North throughout his career and eventually gave him the life achievement award out of total embarassment. But I always wonder how some of the nominations get by the selecting committee which consists of the Composers themselves. The quality of the nominees is questionable compared to those scores they overlook. If the Composers can't get the 5 best scores how can we expect the General Membership to get it right.

From: David Morgan, Morgands1@aol.com

Revoking FAME's Oscar is the most appropriate because there were FOUR superior nominees that year: ALTERED STATES, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, THE ELEPHANT MAN and TESS were all superb, each worthy of an Oscar, and I suppose support for any one canceled out support for another. But my God, what we were left with! In the tradition of 20th Anniversary Special Editions, I propose a Special Edition of the 1980 Academy Awards, wherein members get to re-vote in the categories far away from the publicity campaigns and box office grosses of the day. Just show them the five nominees and have them vote; Would that very dated musical about high school kids take home the Special Edition gold, now that voters aren't listening to it on Top 40 radio in their cars? Doubt it.

From: TOMASPDOUG@webtv.net (THOMAS DOUGLAS)

First let me vent my frustation on the Academy Members. I have wrote in the past about the music choices that the Academy makes well are not what You and I would make.

I know that John Williams can't win every year, I would like for him, well most of the time. But it would be nice of Jerry Goldsmith would win another one to go with his 1976 score to The Omen. I thought this would be his year, by the way I heard his fanfare to the Oscars in the very begining and I think that was it on that.

I hear complaints about the way the Oscars Voters vote the way they do. I always believe they don't vote it is their children, secretairies, wifes, lovers and girlfriends or their pets.

What will a 20 million ad campaign get you with the Academy voters? Seven Oscars including Best Picture. Fluff over substance. I turned off the Oscars and went to my webtv when Debbie Allens Dancers where danceing to Saving Private Ryan, WHAT?

I am suprised in 1993 they didn't have danceing during Schindler's List music selection. Or they didn't have wires attached to Christopher Reeve wheelchair with him flying across the stage , with the fanfare music of Superman blaring. I just can not pick one UNDO I am a long winded person with my strong conviction on movie music. I believe that music to movies should always go with what we are seeing at that moment. The exstention of Directors vision, and the composers interpertation of the directors thinking.

The best of duos is Spielberg and Williams. Then comes Hitchcock and Herrman. Now I believe since the Academy cannot pick the best scores I will be most gladly to do that for them.

The only score that Allan Menken deserves is Beauty and the Beast. I have said it and I feel good about that. The rest of his scores sound like wannabes to John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith, with a little Horner.

But the most undeservering, well two of them come to mind are 1980. Fame, shame on you Academy voters, it should of been the brillant score to Empire Strikes Back. John Williams top the Star Wars score, it is more indepth than his first and much more complicated. Richer tones and nasty and brilliant theme to Darth Vader, which you here at most sporting events.

1978 Midnight Express, by Giorgio Moroder, where is he now? 'nuff said.

From: MHazotte@aol.com

I like watching oscars, but this year, it was completely scandalous! Nothing for Terrence Malick, John Toll, Kathy Bates, not a nomination for Jim Carrey , Michael Caine and Brian De Palma! And, of course, the biggest scandalous of the other night : Goldsmith and Zimmer (for the Thin Red Line) lose! I had the feeling reviving the 1995 oscars when Bacalov won for his awful " Il Postino" score. And did you see the best film of the year? Shakespeare in Love!?! I thought it was a joke. This is certainly the worst oscar winner film ever! In fact, since John williams won for Schindler's List, any winning soundtracks (except Titanic) deserved an oscar. And some great scores were not nominated : First Knight, The Ghost and the Darkness, Gods and Monsters, Crash, The Mask of Zorro, Seven Years in Tibet, Jack, Conspiracy Theory and so much more. Could'nt the academy ask to film music fans to vote for best score?

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