Lalo Schifrin has been chosen as the recipient of this year’s Max Steiner Film Music Achievement Award, which will be presented at the annual Hollywood in Vienna Concert at Vienna Concert Hall on October 22, 2012. The concert will present selections of Schifrin’s compositions performed by the Vienna Radio-Symphony Orchestra under the direction of David Newman. The Max Steiner Award honors extraordinary achievements within the genre of film music by the musical capital of Austria, Vienna. Previous recipients of the honor include Alan Silvestri, Howard Shore and John Barry. Schifrin has written over 100 film and television scores including Mission Impossible (including the show’s iconic title theme), Mannix, Cool Hand Luke, Bullitt, Amityville Horror, Enter The Dragon, four of the Dirty Harry films and the Rush Hour trilogy. Throughout his career, the composer has won five Grammy Awards (twenty-two nominations) and received six Academy Award nominations. To find out more about the Hollywood in Vienna gala, visit the event’s official website.
Category: Film Music News
Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez to Write Songs for Disney’s ‘Frozen’
Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez have been tapped to write the original songs for the upcoming Walt Disney Pictures animated feature Frozen. The film directed by Chris Buck (Tarzan, Surf’s Up) takes place in a kingdom trapped in eternal winter and follows the young dreamer Anna who must team up with a daring mountain man, on a journey to find the Snow Queen and put an end to the icy spell. Kristen Bell will lend her voice to Anna’s character while Idina Menzel is voicing the Snow Queen. Peter Del Vecho (The Princess and the Frog) is producing the animated feature.
Weekly Film Music Roundup (June 8, 2012)
Two new movies are opening wide this weekend:
Opening in most theaters is Dreamworks Animation’s Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted directed by Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath & Conrad Vernon and featuring a voice cast including Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Cedric the Entertainer, Andy Richter, Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston and Martin Short. Interscope Records has released a soundtrack album featuring selections from the film’s score composed by Hans Zimmer, as well as the songs featured in the movie by Peter Asher, Yolanda Be Cool and Katy Perry. To find out more about the soundtrack release and listen to audio clips, visit our previous article. For a short video interview with Zimmer about his work on the animated feature, click here.
Also opening wide is one of the most anticipated films of the year, Ridley Scott’s Prometheus starring Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green and Ben Foster. Marc Streitenfeld has composed the film’s score and Harry Gregson-Williams has provided additional music. Sony Masterworks has released a soundtrack album featuring Streitenfeld’s music, as well as two tracks by Gregson-Williams. Click here to check out our soundtrack announcement. Also visit Film Music Magazine for an audio interview with Streitenfeld on his fifth score for a Ridley Scott-directed film. Another interview with the composer can be checked out on Static Mass Emporium.
Weekly Film Music Roundup (June 1, 2012)
Only one new movie is opening in wide release this weekend:
Expected to top the weekend box office is Universal Pictures’ epic fantasy adventure Snow White and the Huntsman directed by Rupert Sanders and starring Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Lily Cole, Sam Claflin, Sam Spruell, Ian McShane, Nick Frost, Bob Hoskins, Toby Jones and Eddie Marsan. The film’s score is composed by James Newton Howard. The composer was also involved in the original song Breath Of Life by Florence + the Machine, which is featured on the soundtrack album along with the score and is available on Universal Republic. More details about the soundtrack release can be checked out in our previous article. For a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the song, which features footage from the orchestra recording sessions, click here.
Opening in semi-wide is the historical epic For Greater Glory (aka Cristiada) directed by Dean Wright about the Cristeros War (1926-1929) and starring Andy Garcia, Eva Longoria, Bruce Greenwood, Nestor Carbonell and Peter O’Toole. James Horner has composed the film’s original music. No soundtrack album has been announced yet. Horner recorded his score with a 100-piece orchestra in May of last year at Abbey Road Studios in London. Since our last update on the project, the film been picked up by ARC Entertainment for US distribution. More information about the film can be checked out on the official movie website.
Weekly Film Music Roundup (May 25, 2012)
Two new movies are opening wide this Memorial Day weekend:
Expected to top the weekend box office is the sci-fi comedy Men in Black 3 directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Jemaine Clement, Alice Eve and Emma Thompson. The film’s score is composed by Danny Elfman. Sony Classical has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score. To listen to audio clips and for the full album details, visit our soundtrack announcement. The movie’s end credits song Back in Time by Pitbull was released separately and is available to downloaded here.
Also opening wide is the horror film Chernobyl Diaries based on a story by Oren Peli (Paranormal Activity), directed by Bradley Parker and starring Jesse McCartney, Jonathan Sadowski, Devin Kelley, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Nathan Phillips, Ingrid Bolso Berdal and Dimitri Diatchenko. The film follows six tourists who take an extreme tour of Pripyat, the abandoned city near the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Diego Stocco is the composer of the film. No soundtrack album is available, but audio clips and more information about the score can be checked out here. To learn more about the film, visit the official movie website.
Trevor Rabin to Receive ASCAP Henry Mancini Award
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) has announced that composer Trevor Rabin will be honored at the 27th Annual ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards on June 28, 2012 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Rabin will receive the ASCAP Henry Mancini Award, which is awarded to composers in recognition of their outstanding achievements and contributions to the world of film and television music. The composer’s best known credits include numerous films for producer Jerry Bruckheimer, including Remember the Titans, Con Air, Enemy of the State, Gone in 60 Seconds, both National Treasuremovies, Bad Boys 2 and Armageddon. The former member of the rock band Yes also composed the music for such titles as Get Smart, The Guardian and most recently, I Am Number Four. Previous recipients of the award include Angelo Badalamenti, Bruce Broughton, Carter Burwell, John Debney, Mark Isham, Quincy Jones, Michel Legrand, Dennis McCarthy, Randy Newman, James Newton Howard, Johnny Mandel, Marc Shaiman, Howard Shore, and Hans Zimmer. In addition, the composers of the most performed film and television music of 2011 will also be honored at the ASCAP event.
Rolfe Kent Receives BMI’s Richard Kirk Award
This past Wednesday, Rolfe Kent has received the Richard Kirk Award at the BMI Film and TV Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. The award is bestowed on composers who have made significant contributions to the realm of film and television music. BMI has published a video of Kent’s full acceptance speech, which can be checked out after the jump, where you can also find interviews with other composers who received awards at the event, including John Williams (The Adventures of Tintin, War Horse), Thomas Newman (The Help), Mark Mothersbaugh (21 Jump Street, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked) and Mychael Danna (Moneyball). For the full list of winners, visit BMI’s website.
Weekly Film Music Roundup (May 18, 2012)
Three new movies are opening wide this weekend:
Opening in most theaters is Universal Pictures’ action tentpole Battleship directed by Peter Berg and starring Taylor Kitsch, Liam Neeson, Alexander Skarsgard, Brooklyn Decker, Hamish Linklater and Rihanna. The film’s music is composed by Steve Jablonsky (Transformers). Varese Sarabande Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score. For the full album details and to listen to audio clips, visit our previous article. Also check out this recent Variety article on Jablonsky’s work on the film based on Hasbro’s classical naval combat board game.
Also opening wide is the ensemble comedy ensemble What to Expect When You’re Expecting directed by Kirk Jones and starring Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker, Anna Kendrick, Matthew Morrison, Dennis Quaid, Chris Rock and Rodrigo Santoro. Mark Mothersbaugh has composed the film’s original score. A soundtrack album featuring the movie’s songs by artists including Chiddy Bang, The Human League, Kinky, Sleeper Agent, Black Lips, Robert Palmer and David Gray has been released by Capitol Records. For audio clips and the full track list, check out our soundtrack announcement.
Film Music Festival in Krakow to Celebrate Elliot Goldenthal
Composer Elliot Goldenthal will be celebrated in concert at the Film Music Festival in Krakow on Saturday, May 26 at the Tinning Plant of ArcelorMittal Poland in Krakow. The concert will be performed by the Polish Orchestra Sinfonietta Cracovia accompanied by Pro Musica Mundi Choir and the boys’ choir Pueri Contores Sancti Nicolai and conducted by composer Diego Navarro. The first part of the concert program – Alien – The Biomechanical Symphony – will be devoted to music from all four Alien films in the sci-fi saga and will feature suites from Goldenthal’s music for Alien 3, as well as from Jerry Goldsmith’s Alien, James Horner’s Aliens and John Frizzell’s Alien: Resurrection scores. The second part of the program – Elliot Goldenthal’s Cinema of Art & Blood – will feature music from some of Goldenthal’s collaborations with director Julie Taymor including Frida (for which the composer received his first Academy Award) and Titus in addition to his music from Neil Jordan’s Interview with a Vampire and Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever.
Weekly Film Music Roundup (May 11, 2012)
The only movie opening wide this weekend is the supernatural comedy Dark Shadows starring Johnny Depp, Chloe Moretz, Michelle Pfeiffer, Bella Heathcoate and Eva Green. The film marks the fourteenth collaboration between the director and composer Danny Elfman. WaterTower Music has released two soundtrack albums, including the original score by the composer. For audio clips and the full album details, check out our previous article. The other soundtrack features the film’s classic songs by artists The Moody Blues, Iggy Pop, Donovan, The Carpenters, Barry White, T.Rex and Alice Cooper. Audio clips can be checked out in our soundtrack announcement article.
Several interviews with Elfman have been published online over the last week. Check out a video feature on Reelz about his collaboration with Burton, a behind-the-scenes interview on YouTube, an audio interview on East Village Radio’s Morricone Youth show as well an video interview from the film’s red carpet premiere in Hollywood this past Monday. On Tuesday night, the composer hosted a Q&A at Warner Bros Records in Burbank in front of a live audience. Click here to check out the full 90 minutes talk. Finally, also visit Ain’t It Cool News and The A.V. Club for more interviews.