I love it when composers create in a new score with some type of an homage to a previous iconic score, but I can’t think of a lot of examples. I could certainly hear in Horner’s new score for THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN where he incorporated Bernstein’s signature rhythms into his rather rousing main theme. I guess it could be called mimicry, but I think this was more of an HOMAGE for perhaps recall to the past movie or for an even better reason as an HONORING.
I felt Ludwig Goransson paid his respects to Conti’s original ROCKY score in CREED. Yes, at times Goransson directly quoted Adrian and Rocky’s love theme, Rocky’s theme and the fight theme. However, he also composed a lot of original themes for CREED, and in my opinion incorporated a lot of Conti’s orchestrations, rhythms, and musical instruments into his NEW music. Even in small, quiet passages, I could hear Conti’s orchestrations used in new material. For a louder, more obvious example I would post this example which is a new theme with obvious Conti or Rocky references via orchestrations and rhythms.
I just wish I could think of more examples of homages to other scores. Certainly Morricone comes to mind. I think it is a subtle and very artistic endeavor and am hoping some of you could provide more examples of new, original film scores that manage to reference past scores.
P.S. I just found an older topic on this issue, but I’d like to see if we can update it.
This happens quite a few times, and -- as you say -- we've been discussing it with regular intervals on the board.
Sometimes, the hommage is just brief moments, sometimes it's in the general style rather than the actual thematic reference and sometimes it's not really referencing anything previous at all, except when the end credits come on, and the iconic theme may re-appear. Like Beltrami's TERMINATOR 3, Elfman's TERMINATOR 4 and Balfe's TERMINATOR 5 -- which all reference Brad Fiedel's original theme at various points.
Michael Giacchino's JURASSIC WORLD and Don Davis' JURASSIC PARK 3 both referenced and paid hommage to Williams' style and themes in their respective scores.
And so on. It's more difficult to find a remake or a new installment in a long-existing franchise that does NOT in some way reference the original (in one way or the other). As it should be, IMO. Like you, I love it when these things are tied together. A little bit, at least.
Thanks Onya and Thor for not letting this totally die. When I first wrote this I’d forgotten about past references until just before I posted it.
Onya, I’ve not seen “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid” scored by Rozsa, nor have I heard the score. Let us know how it pays homage to previous scores. I need to check it out.
Thor, I think it’s a great art form too, especially if it is rather subtle. Of course I heard Williams’ Jurassic Park themes in those two sequels, but I don’t think it registered to me that they imitated his style in their new material. My bad. Those Terminator examples were good ones.
We seem to be in a decade of “remakes” so I’m sure we’ll hear more homages or at least some honoring in future scores.
Onya, I’ve not seen “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid” scored by Rozsa, nor have I heard the score. Let us know how it pays homage to previous scores. I need to check it out.
I will let a Rozsa expert weigh in. It has been ages since I've seen the film. It is a parody of film noir, and Rozsa was hired to write a serious, deadpan score in the style of his 1940s noir films. I don't remember if he specifically references earlier scores, but on its own terms, it is very good. Don't know if it has ever been on CD.
Yeah, the "remakes" heading would cover Michael Giacchino's excellent End Credits homage from Star Trek (2009) where he brilliantly arranges Alexander Courage's full original Trek theme and incorporates his own new Trek theme (my favorite usage of it in the score; it works great combined with Courage but on its own I find it pretty simplistic).
I also think Giacchino homages both Ifukube and Morricone with his end credits overture Roar! from Cloverfield. Then there's his Barry homage in The Incredibles.
Onya, I’ve not seen “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid” scored by Rozsa, nor have I heard the score. Let us know how it pays homage to previous scores. I need to check it out.
I will let a Rozsa expert weigh in. It has been ages since I've seen the film. It is a parody of film noir, and Rozsa was hired to write a serious, deadpan score in the style of his 1940s noir films. I don't remember if he specifically references earlier scores, but on its own terms, it is very good. Don't know if it has ever been on CD.
From what I read, Rozsa had his hands full just getting the score done in time, especially since he had to wait to get transcriptions of the music that was used in the intercut vintage films, then compose "in around" them. So, I'd be surprised if he did anything more than "pay tribute" to the sort of writing he did back then.
(I think the only non-deadpan moment he wrote was the "Cross Dresser" cue, which got replaced by a very different cue pulled together by Christopher Palmer.)
For me there is a very subtle - and very quick - nod to Bernard Herrmann in John Williams' score for the original 1977 "Star Wars". The scene where Han Solo, Luke and the droids have to hide inside the Millenium Falcon after being caught in the Death Star's tractor beam and forced to hide inside from stormtroopers, features the famous three-note motif from Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film "Psycho".
On the "Star Wars" soundtrack album the track is titled 'Avoiding Capture' (Disc 2, Track 5)
The genesis of this quoting of Herrmann's "Psycho" theme can be attributed to the movie's music editor Paul Hirsch who used the theme as a temp track, and this is mentioned in the 90-minute DVD documentary on the making of "Psycho". Obviously Williams liked the idea and included the music in his score for "Star Wars". If you know the "Psycho" score well, you should have no trouble hearing the 3-note chord in "Star Wars".
Onya, I’ve not seen “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid” scored by Rozsa, nor have I heard the score. Let us know how it pays homage to previous scores. I need to check it out.
I will let a Rozsa expert weigh in. It has been ages since I've seen the film. It is a parody of film noir, and Rozsa was hired to write a serious, deadpan score in the style of his 1940s noir films. I don't remember if he specifically references earlier scores, but on its own terms, it is very good. Don't know if it has ever been on CD.
It's on CD from Prometheus, but (a) he's only homaging himself, and (b) although he resurrects his '40s style, he uses no direct thematic material from the earlier pictures.
Funnily enough, there's been chat on other threads about Newman's 'Nevada Smith' which is an unquestionable homaging by Newman to Jerome Moross. The Moross style and use of intervals and harmonies is uncanny in places, especially the main theme.
I would add Theodore Shapiro’s score for SPY to this topic. (The Hot Potato example made me remember this score.) However, it might be more of a mimic that an honoring of Barry’s 007 scores. Shapiro used a 007-like song in the YouTube below, and his orchestration were definitely “Bondian” in the soundtrack.
Loved the examples given in the above responses. I know ROAR and heard those homages in the end credits. I didn’t know KUNDO. Wow, Yavar, what a find! How did I miss that topic? I LOVED those examples and need to see if it is available. So like Morricone.
Sorry, haven’t heard the Raksin score nor the score to The Machinist. Haven’t seen those movies. What score or composer is Banos honoring? I will try to see them or at least hear the scores.
PSYCHO is in STAR WARS? Well, I learn something every day. I didn’t notice it.
William, I love the NEVADA SMITH score, and I certainly do hear Moross. This was composed about 6 years after Bernstein’s iconic score for THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, and I feel like NEVADA also sports some of Elmer’s signature rhythms first heard in Mag7. Great example.
Thanks, Kev. Didn't know The Machinist has a Herrmann style. It is on TV now and then, and I will try to watch it.
Yavar, I like the Kundo samples a lot. I have found the soundtrack, and I'm thinking of ordering it. It isn't cheap; however, the DVD for the movie is inexpensive. Anyone seen this Korean movie? Is it a good movie that doesn't drown out the music with fighting noise?
I would add Theodore Shapiro’s score for SPY to this topic. (The Hot Potato example made me remember this score.) However, it might be more of a mimic that an honoring of Barry’s 007 scores. Shapiro used a 007-like song in the YouTube below, and his orchestration were definitely “Bondian” in the soundtrack.
Didn't Giacchino also follow the Barry Bond recipe in THE INCREDIBLES? Honouring or mimicking?
