The latest release from Intrada presents the score for an early 1960s classic -- writer-director Robert Rossen's pool hall drama THE HUSTLER (based on the novel by Man Who Fell to Earth novelist Walter Tevis), which featured unforgettable, Oscar-nominated performances by Paul Newman (as "Fast Eddie" Felson, a role he reprised to Oscar glory in Martin Scorsese's 1986 sequel The Color of Money), Piper Laurie, George C. Scott and a remarkable Jackie Gleason. The film's score was composed by jazz and film composer Kenyon Hopkins, who scored many high-profile projects in his heyday (including Baby Doll, 12 Angry Men and The Fugitive Kind) but is nearly forgotten by many film music fans today, possibly because so few of his scores have been released on CD. The Intrada Hustler features the cues from the original soundtrack LP plus a plethora of extras. (Best Picture nominee The Hustler won two Oscars, including one for production designer Harry Horner, father of James)
Varese Sarabande has announced three new CDs in their Limited Edition series of contemporary scores -- the romantic drama BITTER HARVEST (due in Los Angeles theaters this Friday), set in Stalinist Russia in the years leading up to World War II, with a score by the suddenly ubiquitous Benjamin Wallfisch (Hidden Figures, A Cure for Wellness); the 2016 World War II naval docudrama USS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE, recounting the fateful mission described so memorably by Robert Shaw in Jaws, starring Nicolas Cage as the ship's captain, with a score by Laurent Eyquem (Copperhead, Momentum, Winnie Mandela); and the score for the horror film BEFORE I WAKE, starring Kate Bosworth, Thomas Jane and Room's Jacob Tremblay, (which was set to be released in theaters last fall but pulled at the last minute), music by The Newton Brothers (Oculus, Ouija: Origin of Evil) with themes and additional music by Danny Elfman (I don't think anyone reading this column needs to be told what films he's scored).
CDS AVAILABLE THIS WEEK
Before I Wake - The Newton Brothers, Danny Elfman - Varese Sarabande
Bitter Harvest - Benjamin Wallfisch - Varese Sarabande
Cinema Imaginaire - Chuck Cirino - Dragon's Domain
El Pueblo Del Sol - Lee Holdridge - Dragon's Domain
The Founder - Carter Burwell - Varese Sarabande
Fragil Equilibrio - Zeltia Montes - Quartet
The Hustler - Kenyon Hopkins - Intrada Special Collection
Kiss the Devil in the Dark/Creatures of Whitechapel - Gerrit Wunder - MovieScore Media/ScreamWorks
The Lover - Gabriel Yared - Music Box
The Man in the High Castle: Seasons 1 & 2 - Henry Jackman, Dominic Lewis - Varese Sarabande
Tulip Fever - Danny Elfman - Sony (import)
A United Kingdom - Patrick Doyle - Varese Sarabande
USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage - Laurent Eyquem - Varese Sarabande
Z: The Beginning of Everything - Marcelo Zarvos - Varese Sarabande
IN THEATERS TODAY
As You Are - Patrick Higgins, Miles Joris-Peyrafitte
Bitter Harvest - Benjamin Wallfisch - Limited Edition score CD on Varese Sarabande
Drifter - Nao Sato
Dying Laughing - Edward Shearmur
Get Out - Michael Abels
The Girl with all the Gifts - Cristobal Tapia de Veer
My Life as a Zucchini - Sophie Hunger
Rock Dog - Rolfe Kent
COMING SOON
March 3
Agente 3S3 Massacro Al Sole - Piero Umiliani - Beat
John Wick: Chapter 2 - Tyler Bates, Joel J. Richard - Varese Sarabande
L'Harem - Ennio Morricone - Beat
Midnight Blue - Stelvio Cipriani - Digitmovies
Star Trek: Voyager - Paul Baillargeon, David Bell, Jay Chattaway, Dennis McCarthy - La-La Land
Toto' Diabolicus/Toto Contro I 4/Tonto Contro Maciste - Francesco De Masi, Gianni Ferrio, Piero Piccioni - Digitmovies
March 10
Brimstone - Tom Holkenborg - Milan
March 17
Beauty and the Beast - Alan Menken - Disney
Beauty and the Beast: Deluxe Edition - Alan Menken - Disney
Guy and Madeleine on a Park Bench - Justin Hurwitz - Milan
John Williams & Steven Spielberg: The Ultimate Collection - John Williams - Sony
A Midsummer Night's Dream - Elliot Goldenthal - Zarathustra
March 24
Legion - Jeff Russo - Lakeshore
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (re-release) - Brad Fiedel - UME
March 31
Ghost in the Shell - Clint Mansell - Lakeshore
April 7
The Comedian - Terence Blanchard - Blue Note
Date Unknown
Adam Resurrected - Gabriel Yared - Caldera
Bloudim - Emil Viklicky - Kronos
Joe L'implacabile - Carlo Savina - Beat
Livide - Raphael Gesqua - Kronos
Monster from Green Hell - Albert Glasser - Kritzerland
Seguimi - Marco Werba - Kronos
THIS WEEK IN FILM MUSIC HISTORY
February 24 - Fred Steiner born (1923)
February 24 - Michel Legrand born (1932)
February 24 - George Harrison born (1943)
February 24 - Rupert Holmes born (1947)
February 24 - Franz Waxman died (1967)
February 24 - Jerry Goldsmith records his score for Crosscurrent (1971)
February 24 - Roy Budd begins recording his score to The Carey Treatment (1972)
February 24 - Walter Scharf died (2003)
February 24 - Mychael Danna wins the Original Score Oscar for Life of Pi (2013)
February 25 - George Duning born (1908)
February 25 - Erich Wolfgang Korngold begins recording his score for The Sea Wolf (1941)
February 25 - Victor Reyes born (1962)
February 25 - Penka Kouneva born (1967)
February 25 - Jerry Goldsmith begins recording his score for Outland (1981)
February 25 - Haim Mazar born (1983)
February 25 - Laurence Rosenthal records his score for To Heal a Nation (1988)
February 25 - Ennio Morricone wins an Honorary Oscar, "for his magnificent and multifaceted contributions to the art of film music;" Gustavo Santaolalla wins his second consecutive Best Score Oscar, for Babel (2007)
February 26 - Hagood Hardy born (1937)
February 26 - Bernard Herrmann wins his only Oscar, for the All That Money Can Buy score (1942)
February 26 - John Lanchbery died (2003)
February 26 - Ludovic Bource wins the Original Score Oscar for The Artist (2012)
February 27 - The first score Oscar is awarded, to Victor Schertzinger and Gus Kahn's score to One Night of Love; however, Academy policy at the time awards the Oscar to the head of the studio's music department, Louis Silvers (1935)
February 27 - Leigh Harline, Ned Washington, Paul J. Smith win Best Score Oscar for Pinocchio (1941)
February 27 - Recording sessions begin for Bronislau Kaper's score to A Life of Her Own (1950)
February 27 - Mort Glickman died (1953)
February 27 - Elmer Bernstein begins recording his score for True Grit (1969)
February 27 - Herbert Don Woods records his score for the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century episode “The Crystals” (1981)
February 27 - George Duning died (2000)
February 27 - Nathan Scott died (2010)
February 27 - Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross win the Original Score Oscar for The Social Network (2011)
February 28 - Albert Elms born (1920)
February 28 - Pierre Jansen born (1930)
February 28 - Charles Bernstein born (1943)
February 28 - Loek Dikker born (1944)
February 28 - Mike Figgis born (1948)
February 28 - David Raksin begins recording his score for The Next Voice You Hear (1950)
February 28 - Edward Shearmur born (1966)
February 28 - Murray Gold born (1969)
February 28 - Armando Trovajoli died (2013)
February 29 - Herbert Stothart wins Original Score Oscar for The Wizard of Oz (1940)
February 29 - Mervyn Warren born (1964)
March 1 - Leo Brouwer born (1939)
March 1 - Jose Nieto born (1942)
March 1 - Bernard Herrmann begins recording his score for The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit (1956)
March 1 - Nino Oliviero died (1980)
March 1 - Laurence Rosenthal begins recording his score for Inherit the Wind (1999)
March 1 - Lucio Dalla died (2012)
March 2 - Marc Blitzstein born (1905)
March 2 - Richard Hazard born (1921)
March 2 - Andrzej Korzynski born (1940)
March 2 - Alfred Newman wins Oscar for The Song of Bernadette score (1944)
March 2 - Larry Carlton born (1948)
March 2 - Basil Poledouris begins recording his score to Big Wednesday (1978)
March 2 - Antoni Komasa-Lazarkiewicz born (1980)
March 2 - Serge Gainsbourg died (1991)
March 2 - Recording sessions begin on Toru Takemitsu’s score for Rising Sun (1993)
March 2 - John Debney records his score for the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “The Nagus” (1993)
March 2 - Goffredo Petrassi died (2003)
March 2 - Malcolm Williamson died (2003)
March 2 - Steven Price wins Oscar for Gravity score (2014)
DID THEY MENTION THE MUSIC?
SPECTRE - Thomas Newman
"From the very beginning, we’re on shifting ground. Were it not for the de rigueur theme blasts and gun-barrel images, we might not know we were watching a James Bond movie at all; 'Spectre' begins in Mexico City, during a Day of the Dead parade, and as our man James (played, for the fourth time, by Daniel Craig) is initially clad in the customary mask, a fair amount of time passes before his identity is actually made clear. (Kudos to the clever way composer Thomas Newman sneaks the Bond theme into his geographically appropriate score, as Bond reveals himself and what he’s up to.) Soon enough, we’re in the midst of a customary big Bond opening sequence, which gives way to a spectacularly terrible theme song by Sam Smith, and off we go."
Jason Bailey, Flavorwire
"Dennis Gassner’s production design represents the pic’s rather old-fashioned good-versus-evil stance by contrasting oaky Olde English veneer with glassier, ’60s-leaning modernism; Jany Temime’s costume design is largely pragmatic, though an ivory Tom Ford tuxedo gives Craig what should be his most enduring Bond look across the four films, give or take a certain pair of snug swimming trunks. Robust sound design and effects work all keep the pic rattling along without drawing overt attention to themselves; Thomas Newman’s score, on the other hand, could probably stand a little more bombast. Lee Smith’s cutting, while taking some blame for the film’s initial narrative stalling, is crisp and fluid on a scene-to-scene basis."
Guy Lodge, Variety
"In pure action adventure terms, 'Spectre' delivers the goods, with plenty of revved-up supercar porn and several kinetic high-speed chase sequences on road, river and snowy mountain slope. Thomas Newman's busy score amps up the pulse-racing bombast, smartly invoking operatic melodrama in Rome and sinewy Arabic folk music in Morocco. Sam Smith's flimsy theme song is a weak entry in the canon of 007 classics, but admittedly it sounds better blasting out of huge cinematic speakers as Daniel Kleinman's gorgeous, gothic title credits billow across the screen. 'Spectre' contains enough dazzle and derring-do to keep the Bond brand afloat, but not enough to make it a game-changing reboot in the manner of 'Skyfall.' Two steps forward, one step back."
Stephen Dalton, Hollywood Reporter
THE NEXT TEN DAYS IN L.A.
Screenings of older films, at the following L.A. movie theaters: AMPAS, American Cinematheque: Aero, American Cinematheque: Egyptian, Arclight, LACMA, New Beverly, Nuart, Silent Movie Theater and UCLA.
February 24
BEAU TRAVAIL (Charles Henri de Pierrefeu, Eran Tzur) [Silent Movie Theater]
THE BIG LEBOWSKI (Carter Burwell) [Nuart]
CHILDREN OF PARADISE (Maurice Thiriet, Joseph Kosma) [New Beverly]
LEMORA: A CHILD'S TALE OF THE SUPERNATURAL (Dan Neufeld) [Silent Movie Theater]
TRUE ROMANCE (Hans Zimmer) [New Beverly]
WANDA (Dave Mullaney) [UCLA]
February 25
CHILDREN OF PARADISE (Maurice Thiriet, Joseph Kosma) [New Beverly]
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (Wendy Carlos) [Cinematheque: Aero]
FILM ABOUT A WOMAN WHO... [UCLA]
THE PARENT TRAP (Paul Smith) [New Beverly]
SLEEPAWAY CAMP (Edward Bilous) [New Beverly]
February 26
THE PARENT TRAP (Paul Smith) [New Beverly]
UNTAMED HEIRESS (Stanley Wilson), THE WAC FROM WALLA WALLA (R. Dale Butts) [New Beverly]
February 27
SMOOTH TALK (Russ Kunkel, George Massenburg, Bill Payne) [UCLA]
UNTAMED HEIRESS (Stanley Wilson), THE WAC FROM WALLA WALLA (R. Dale Butts) [New Beverly]
February 28
BEAU TRAVAIL (Charles Henri de Pierrefeu, Eran Tzur) [Silent Movie Theater]
THE LADY EVE (Leo Shuken, Charles W. Bradshaw) [LACMA]
THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN (Fu-Ling Wang), RETURN OF THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN (Fu-Ling Wang) [New Beverly]
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S ROMEO + JULIET (Nellee Hooper, Marius De Vries, Craig Armstrong) [Arclight Sherman Oaks]
March 1
MONTE WALSH (John Barry), TOM HORN (Ernest Gold) [New Beverly]
March 2
GHOST IN THE SHELL (Kenji Kawai) [Cinematheque: Egyptian]
MONTE WALSH (John Barry), TOM HORN (Ernest Gold) [New Beverly]
March 3
PULP FICTION [New Beverly]
STARSHIP TROOPERS (Basil Poledouris) [Nuart]
STRAW DOGS (Jerry Fielding), LENNY (Ralph Burns) [New Beverly]
TROUBLE IN PARADISE, I TAKE THIS WOMAN [UCLA]
March 4
THE APARTMENT (Adolph Deutsch), BEING THERE (Johnny Mandel) [Cinematheque: Aero]
BATMAN (Nelson Riddle) [New Beverly]
FRIGHT NIGHT (Brad Fiedel) [New Beverly]
GOOD REFERENCES, THE POOR NUT [UCLA]
LOS TALLOS AMARGOS (Astor Piazzola), SHE-DEVIL ISLAND [UCLA]
STRAW DOGS (Jerry Fielding), LENNY (Ralph Burns) [New Beverly]
March 5
BATMAN (Nelson Riddle) [New Beverly]
LAST SUMMER (John Simon), LADYBUG, LADYBUG (Robert Cobert) [New Beverly]
THE MURDER OF FRED HAMPTON [UCLA]
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