When TCM channel host Dave Karger used to be a writer for Entertainment Weekly in his early days as a print journalist, he would focus a great deal on interviewing the big pop stars of the day, along with his duties on the film beat. But little did very many people suspect then that what he really wanted to be writing about was “Laura”… not Branigan, but David Raksin’s music for the classic 1945 noir. That was the film that really prompted Karger’s lifelong love of movie scoring.
“His score for ‘Laura’ really turned me on to classic film music, and film scores in general,” says Karger. “And then you go back and you learn that in 1945, there were 20 Oscar nominees that year in the category of best score for a non-musical film — and David Raksin wasn’t even one of the 20 nominees. That’s a score that has...
“His score for ‘Laura’ really turned me on to classic film music, and film scores in general,” says Karger. “And then you go back and you learn that in 1945, there were 20 Oscar nominees that year in the category of best score for a non-musical film — and David Raksin wasn’t even one of the 20 nominees. That’s a score that has...
- 6/17/2024
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
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Diverse, awe-inspiring and memorable treasures that have sadly fallen off the radar
The noughties were a tough decade for film music fans. Not only was there the unprecedented loss of four great masters in the form of Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein, Michael Kamen and Basil Poledouris; the nature of the industry itself began to go through some seismic changes, not all of them for the better.
With the art of film scoring becoming ever more processed, driven increasingly by ghost writers, electronic augmentation and temp tracks, prospects looked bleak. However, this shouldn’t shield the fact that there were some blindingly brilliant scores composed during this period. Here’s but a small sampling of them.
25. The Departed (Howard Shore, 2006)
When it came to the sound of his Oscar-winning crime thriller, director Martin Scorsese hit on the inspired notion of having composer Howard Shore base it around a tango,...
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Diverse, awe-inspiring and memorable treasures that have sadly fallen off the radar
The noughties were a tough decade for film music fans. Not only was there the unprecedented loss of four great masters in the form of Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein, Michael Kamen and Basil Poledouris; the nature of the industry itself began to go through some seismic changes, not all of them for the better.
With the art of film scoring becoming ever more processed, driven increasingly by ghost writers, electronic augmentation and temp tracks, prospects looked bleak. However, this shouldn’t shield the fact that there were some blindingly brilliant scores composed during this period. Here’s but a small sampling of them.
25. The Departed (Howard Shore, 2006)
When it came to the sound of his Oscar-winning crime thriller, director Martin Scorsese hit on the inspired notion of having composer Howard Shore base it around a tango,...
- 3/3/2016
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
Film-makers have tried sex, murder and intrigue, and yet that most intellectual of spectator sports remains remarkably difficult to depict on screen
• Peter Bradshaw's review of Computer Chess
• Computer Chess: watch the trailer
Throw a rock at the sports genre and you'll hit a film about baseball or football, or hockey, or racing. Odds are, you won't strike a film about chess. Chess isn't generally considered a stadium filler (although it can be). It's perceived as a game for eccentric intellectuals and elderly historians. It doesn't have the glamour or sex appeal of more sedentary sports, such as pool, as demonstrated by Paul Newman in The Hustler. Chess won't even fit snugly in to other genre films, where the banality of cards, for example, naturally lends itself to a seedy, gambling gangster underworld (Rounders), the exotic highlife of a casino (Casino Royale), or even more piquant, a combo...
• Peter Bradshaw's review of Computer Chess
• Computer Chess: watch the trailer
Throw a rock at the sports genre and you'll hit a film about baseball or football, or hockey, or racing. Odds are, you won't strike a film about chess. Chess isn't generally considered a stadium filler (although it can be). It's perceived as a game for eccentric intellectuals and elderly historians. It doesn't have the glamour or sex appeal of more sedentary sports, such as pool, as demonstrated by Paul Newman in The Hustler. Chess won't even fit snugly in to other genre films, where the banality of cards, for example, naturally lends itself to a seedy, gambling gangster underworld (Rounders), the exotic highlife of a casino (Casino Royale), or even more piquant, a combo...
- 11/29/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
A riveting documentary about the troubled Us chess champion and his battle with Boris Spassky
Liz Garbus's gripping documentary about the life and times of the troubled American chess genius Bobby Fischer asks a number of questions. Did Bobby's missing dad create an emotional void which was neurotically filled with chess? Is there something in the game that encourages immersive obsession and ultimate madness? Would Fischer have gone the same way if he had been a plumber or a welder? And why is it that antisemitism is the bigotry of choice for mentally ill people?
Non-chessers like me are already basically aware of the second and third acts of this American life. The middle act was Fischer's sensational world championship victory against Boris Spassky in 1972 followed by an immediate withdrawal into depression. His victory was perhaps merely an interruption to the reclusiveness which had, in effect, begun many years before.
Liz Garbus's gripping documentary about the life and times of the troubled American chess genius Bobby Fischer asks a number of questions. Did Bobby's missing dad create an emotional void which was neurotically filled with chess? Is there something in the game that encourages immersive obsession and ultimate madness? Would Fischer have gone the same way if he had been a plumber or a welder? And why is it that antisemitism is the bigotry of choice for mentally ill people?
Non-chessers like me are already basically aware of the second and third acts of this American life. The middle act was Fischer's sensational world championship victory against Boris Spassky in 1972 followed by an immediate withdrawal into depression. His victory was perhaps merely an interruption to the reclusiveness which had, in effect, begun many years before.
- 7/14/2011
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
AskMen.com solicited advice on how to shoot a sex tape from director Tommy Wiseau. Wiseau responded with tips he used while shooting the sex scenes from his cult hit "The Room". "You need certain chemistry." said Wiseau. "I believe that Johnny and Lisa in The Room had great chemistry, that's my take. Yes, maybe some of the stuff -- people have different opinions -- but how you define making love to anybody?"
All right, so unless you want to make a sex tape that looks like this, Wiseau's ten suggestions might not be particularly helpful. And maybe he's not the "best" person to tell you how to shoot a sex scene (or to teach a sex ed class, for that matter). But here's the thing: if you're an aspiring director (or just a curious fan) looking for some genuine advice on the topic there's not a ton of it out there on the internet.
All right, so unless you want to make a sex tape that looks like this, Wiseau's ten suggestions might not be particularly helpful. And maybe he's not the "best" person to tell you how to shoot a sex scene (or to teach a sex ed class, for that matter). But here's the thing: if you're an aspiring director (or just a curious fan) looking for some genuine advice on the topic there's not a ton of it out there on the internet.
- 7/28/2010
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
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