Cabaret is over

We finished the run last night and it went pretty damn well. Happy to be done, though (if only to put an end to the hour drives to Forks and back every night). Just relaxing now until I hear about the TV job on Monday (keep fingers crossed). I also broke down (due to cast members bugging the crap out of me) and created a MySpace account. It can be found at www.myspace.com/1in9. Feel free to stop on by and vandalize the page as you see fit. (and for those who don't know what I look like, in my profile pic, I'm the one in front). OK. Video games are a calling my name...

My Top Ten Cues

(first off, my final interview went very well and I will find out on Monday about the job...I hate waiting...)

What a fun time I had with this. I limited myself to scores that I owned or have ripped onto my trusty mp3 player. I initially considered 30 cues, then began cutting down. The criteria I came up with was very important. For me, a memorable cue is something that is inseperably linked with the footage on the screen...music that, if heard without the visuals, would spring the visuals into my mind anyway.

There are nine honorable mentions plus my top ten. Other cues considered but cut (for various reasons...mostly having to do with the criteria I set) were:

"Fade In" Barton Fink (Carter Burwell)
"Kaleidoscope of Mathematics" A Beautiful Mind (James Horner)
"Brothers" Broken Arrow (Hans Zimmer)
"Mutiny" Crimson Tide (Hans Zimmer)
"River Crossing at Stalingrad" Enemy at the Gates (James Horner)
"Fargo, North Dakota" Fargo (Carter Burwell)
"Buckbeaks Flight" (sorry, Reed) Prisoner of Azkaban (John Williams)
"The Ultimate War" Hook (John Williams)
"The Black Gate Opens" (second half) Return of the King (Howard Shore)
"The Zepplin Arrives" Sky Captain (Ed Shearmur)
"The Throne Room" Star Wars (John Williams) (I couldn't justify not calling that a theme).

And here are the honorable mentions (19-11):

19. The Battle - Gladiator (Hans Zimmer) - Yes, Mr. Zimmer pops up often on here...lol...this is a great, rousing cue that just happens to be in a movie I don't much care for. heh heh.

18. Bim Bam Smash - Bourne Supremacy (John Powell) - While I love the whole soundtrack, this cue stands out to me, maybe for sentimental reasons (it inspired me to craft the climax to One in Nine). Unrelenting and a big builder, this one is mucho fun to blast on the mp3 player.

17. Flight - Psycho (Bernard Herrmann) - While the shower scene is most memorable moment, this cue, while she is driving and hearing the voices in her head, is a delight. All strings and all fun, I guess.

16. Truman Sleeps - The Truman Show (Philip Glass) - I'm a sucker for solo piano work in films and this is a beautiful moment from a truly beautiful film.

15. Clockwork pt 1 and 2/Helicoptor - Back to the Future (Alan Silvestri) - Yes, it's two cues, but damnit, they belong together, just as this music belongs with Marty racing down the street and Doc trying to hook up the cables. I dare you to watch this sequence with the volume off and try NOT to hear the music.

14. Morning Passages - The Hours (Philip Glass) - Glass strikes again. A wonderful opening sequence in the movie complimented by a very circular and appropriate cue.

13. Window to the Past - Prisoner of Azkaban (John Williams) - While I do love Buckbeaks Flight, it is this cue that moves me every time I hear it. The scene it accompanies has some of the best acting from any of the Potter films.

12. Comptine d'un autre ete - Amelie (Yann Tiersen) - Once again, solo piano. Linked with a gorgeous, complex shot of Amelie throwing stones off a bridge, this cue is beauty.

11. The Battle - Chronicles of Narnia (Harry Gregson Williams) - I am growing to really like this particular Williams's work. This cue is nice and lengthy, with some nice choral parts (always a plus).

Still with me? Here is the top ten...

10. Promentory - Last of the Mohicans (Trevor Jones) - A stirring finish to a great film, all you hear during the climax is the music, everything else is dropped out and it is terribly effective.

9. The Hand of Fate Pt. 1 and 2 - Signs (James Newton Howard) - Having already been discussed on other peoples lists, not much more to say except this is a brilliant movie and the score makes for a truly memorable climax.

8. Final Duel/Into the Death Star - Return of the Jedi (John Williams) - Let's face it, the best part about Jedi is the scenes between Vader, Emporer, and Luke. And this cue compliments the best moment, when Luke leaps out at Vader and goes to town. It's not too long, but the use of the chorus is genius and very moving.

7. All Systems Go/The Launch - Apollo 13 (James Horner) - Yeah, I love ripping this guy a new one every now and then, but I have a place in my heart for this film and, in particular, the launch sequence. It still fills me with awe watching it, in no small part because of the score.

6. Indy's First Adventure - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (John Williams) - Pure fun from start to finish, with lots of specific matching of hits and onscreen action. This one makes me smile every time I listen to it.

5. The White Tree - Return of the King (Howard Shore) - Also has been discussed before, but it is the ultimate in giving me gosebumps with every listen.

4. The Trio - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (Ennio Morricone) - In my opinion, this is one of the best climaxes in any movie, period. The sheer talent Leone possesed made the build-up to a final showdown between three people absolutely riveting...and the music!! Just as perfectly paced with the right amount of buildup. I can't say enough about this one...but on I go.

3. Battle of Hoth/Asteroid Field - Empire Strikes Back (John Williams) - Yep, it's here too. And yep, I do believe it is some of Williams' best cue work...but I still have to go with one of his other cues...

2. Escape/Chase/Saying Goodbye - E.T. (John Williams) - Just the fact that Spielberg edited the final sequences of this movie to the score is impressive. More impressive is how choked up I still get when I listen to it. Gorgeous and heartful, it is one of my all time favs.

and here is number one (and I am fully prepared to get berated about this one...lol)

1. The Greatest Trick - The Usual Suspects (John Ottman) - Yes, he is riffing on Carnival of the Animals, and no, I do not care one bit. What makes this so great is that the composer is also the editor of the film...and this becomes very obvious when viewing the final sequence of this film. Starting with the falling coffee cup, this sequence is a display of editing genius (both video and audio) and the music perfectly captures the mood. I still get a huge rush with the final lines and hit from the music, closing out one of my favorite movies.

So, there ya go. Feel free to argue or agree with me...I know I have some odd choices on here. And feel free to check out the other lists us insane people have been putting up here, here, and here.

And with that...I'm done.

"Be seeing you..."

Holy crap...It's been a long time since I have gotten truly excited about a movie coming out in the future (although Scorcese's remake of Infernal Affairs, The Departed, has come close). I just read this morning that Christopher Nolan (one of my favorite modern directors period)is going to direct a movie version of the TV series THE PRISONER. Woo hoo! If you haven't seen this series, do yourself a favor and check it out. One of the best shows I've seen and one that was probably waaaay ahead of its time. Wow. OK. I don't know if anyone else can understand why I am so pumped about this, but that's all right. I'm so excited that I had to post this before I found out about my job. Woo hoo, indeed!

Was going to wait a day...

...but what the hell...

Interesting things going on as of late... First off, Sweeney Todd went extremely well. Audience loved it and the performances all went great. As of now, we are two performances away from finishing our run of Cabaret (which is also going well).

I applied for a job at Prairie Public Television here in Fargo (production assistant/assistant editor). Full time with full benifits. Everyone that graduated with me pretty much applied for the same job (very rare that a job that we actually trained for in the field of film/video opens up around here) and the total number of applicants was about 40.

Finally got called in for an interview (they were only interviewing about 6-8 people). Went pretty well, I think. Then I got a call asking me to come in for a follow-up with my interviewer's boss tomorrow at 9 AM...and if that goes well, she said that I would be talking about my start date.

SO, for the first time in my life, really, I'll have a job that actually pays a liveable wage and gives me full benefits...just in time to start paying off my student loans. AND, I'll actually be doing something that pertains to my degree...a shocker right now.

Of course, I am still editing One in Nine (which is going well). We have talked with the Fargo Theater in town here and are going to have a premiere showing of sorts Nov. 4th (tentatively). So, once my shows are done, it's time to start spending my evenings in front of the computer (after a possible full day of doing that at Prairie Public...if I get the job, that is). And I am still working on my scripts (once three are done and ready, I am sending them off to the screenwriter I met during the Fargo Fest for comments before sending them off to a possible agent).

Things are looking up, for once. With a position here, I could most likely get a position at any other station around the country in the future. But for now, it's about saving up the money to move. And I'm fine with that.

But, on to important things...like Mikey's Top Ten Cues Challenge...which I will be thinking about and posting this weekend. Plus, expect a huuuge post in which I glaze over every other movie I've seen this year (starting with Saw II...lol). I'm hell bent on keeping that on track! We'll see if if actually happens.

OK. I'll let you guys know tomorrow how the job thing went. Go away.

Toe in the water...

Isn't it frustrating when you don't hear from someone in a while and then they get in touch again and pretend that no time has elapsed?

Opening Night...

Tonight is the opening night of "Sweeney Todd". We had a press preview last night that I thought went really well. Early on, I was afraid that we had bitten off more than we could chew with this show, but the cast and crew have really pulled it together. I just don't know how the community is going to react to a show that ends with a throat slitting and three dead bodies laying on the stage. If anything, it will be talked about for a long time afterwards.

Besides that, absolutely nothing else has been going on. The hour long drives to Forks and back are getting a little tiring, but will be over soon (only to start up in August for "Cabaret").

It's odd. The more shows I do, the greater the feeling of "man, I miss doing this all the time". Someone asked me this weekend when I was going to start my professional musical theater career...I scoffed at them, as if they were joking (they weren't). I dunno...I've never thought about doing it as a career (film is bad enough money-wise). I had to make some choices between all the things I love to do. Would I love to give it a try sometime? Sure. Do I think I could make it? Dunno...I think I have a voice for it, but my dancing leaves a little to be desired...lol. Anyway, random thoughts in the afternoon here...

I am not a number, I'm a free man!!

Since my beloved Lost won't be on the air until October, I have had to find another show to occupy my time. Lucky for me, the local library has the whole set of The Prisoner on DVD.

I am only four or five episodes in (it only ran for 17) but I can already say that it is one of the most surreal shows I've ever seen. The premise is wonderfuly simple: a resigning (secret agent? assassin? night time janitor?...they haven't said yet) is followed to his home after leaving his former place of business and is drugged. When he wakes up, he is in The Village (no, not that one), a small community where everyone goes by a number (he is Number 6). Everyone is very cordial and helpful but there is only one thing: he cannot leave. Every attempt at escape is foiled by the people watching him. This includes Number 2 (who seems to be different from episode to episode). What do they want from Number 6? Information. Whose side are they on? As they say, "That would be telling".

Needless to say, I love the set-up and the episodes all have a very unique feel to them (always involving elaborate ways to get Number 6 to crack and spill whatever beans they want from him). It also has one of the coolest opening themes ever, in my opinion.

So, yeah. That's what I've been viewing. Sweeney Todd rehearsals are going well, and my friend Craig just moved into a new apartment (so we'll have a little more privacy around here now). Time to get cracking on my script and finishing the editing.

THE DAVINCI CODE (2006)

Aimee and I caught this yesterday in Bemidji. Decided to get to the theaters before my rehearsals suck up all my free time.

How was it?

That depends on the person, I firmly believe. Have you read the book? Do you actually believe that this could be true? Are you distracted by a goofy hair-do?

I read this book last year. It was a very quick read and I enjoyed myself. I'm not going to claim that it was greatly written...though, I probably couldn't tell. Aimee and I had a discussion yesterday about how I read books more for the plot and ideas than for description and character work (and this is pretty evident in my script writing as well...lol...though I am working and getting better at it).

The book is what I like to call an idea novel. You take an idea (Christ had a wife and a child, cover-up ensues) and try to build a narrative around it. Michael Crichton has made a career out of doing this. I read his novels more for the scientific ideas and possibilities than for the paper thin characters. I guess I am more forgiving if there is something to keep my mind going, like the before mentioned ideas.

Now, do I believe the book to be true? Come on. It's a fictional book. Do I believe that the Catholic church is all pure and holy? Not one bit. Do I have a problem with most organized religions? Yup. It's interesting...people let hundreds of movies about our government doing very evil things slide off their backs but the second someone besmirches the church, you better run for cover. Sheesh...get real.

Now, I remember the first words that came out of my mouth after finishing that novel: "They're going to have a hell of a time adapting that into a movie". And I stand by that phrase. They did have a hell of a time.

Why? It's too damn reliant on huuuuuge bits of exposition. This reads fine in a book, but is death for cinema (where you aren't exactly playing to the most intelligent of audiences). I don't understand all these critics that are panning the film claiming that after they read the book, they figured it was written perfectly for adaptation. What were they on? Here is a hero that does his heroic actions inside his own head, following clues that need pages upon pages of exposition. Yeah, real cinematic there.

So, what did I think of the film?

I actually really liked it. lol

I went in knowing the number of critics absolutely ripping it to shreds. I knew about the lukewarm to downright hostile reaction it got at Cannes. But, I also have noticed a trend as of late in cinema and criticism in general.

Everyone likes to take down the 800 pound gorilla. Everyone loves to see something that huge fail miserably. And it's happening to these blockbusters now. King Kong got decent to great reveiws...but the second it didn't generate gigantic numbers at the box office, the backlash began. Same for MI3 (which got mostly great reviews)...but factor in people's newfound hatred for Mr. Cruise (who I could personally care less about...just make good films!) and a mediocre opening weekend, and everyone is happy to jump on the backlash wagon. This films backlash began even before it opened. I fear for Superman Returns and any other hyped up movie...it seems the bigger the hype, the more willing people are to trash it. And let's face it...it is more fun to write a bad review than a good one.

Anyway, the movie.

I thought Ron Howard handled it just fine. I thought that Hanks and that girl from Amelie (Tautou? SP? Too lazy for IMDB?) were just fine (the hair-do, while looking ridiculous in some shots, looks perfectly fine in all the rest)...I though that Sir Ian was excellent...Jean Reno and Paul Bettany were, eh, functional? The two that I have major quibbles with are Akiva Goldsman and Hans Zimmer.

With the amount of neccesary exposition inherent in the material, I thought they would either axe aspects of the story or find a way to make it visually interesting. Howard did the latter, using some nice (though not quite mind blowing) flashback shots showing things as they happen. He also cribs from himself in showing Hanks's thought process in solving anagrams (straight out of Beautiful Mind).

But where things should have been changed up were some of the lines of dialogue. All from the novel...and a lot of them kind of silly. Only Sir Ian pulls it off (he can order a tuna sandwich and make it sound like Shakespeare). Hanks does his best, but is saddled with some lame lines. Also, it seems like Akiva went out of his way to make sure no one thought too badly of the church. The Langdon character in the movie is made to be more of a skeptic than he was in the novel and there is a drawn out scene at the end where Hanks spells out the fact that they are firmly middle ground...no stand to be taken anywhere (despite the revelations and discoveries they just made). Kind of a let down.

The film is shot beautifully. All on location and it shows. The camera work is nice and slick. The editing works for me, for the most part.

It's the pacing that got to me. And oddly, I lay the blame there on Hans Zimmer. I don't want this to read like a rant about the man (although that may be fun), but I did not like his approach to this score. Choosing to go for (what my mind called) a church-like reverential feeling, Hans sucked any fun out of this movie. If only he had embraced the ridiculous, "hey, we're on a Grail Quest" let's have some fun romping around the world feel that I believe the novel has, this movie would have had more life and momentum to it. By choosing to take the movie too damn seriously, it gets bogged down in its own self-importance. There was only one cue that I liked, and that was the final scene. Worked just fine for me. Made me stay through the credits hoping to hear it again...nope. But this may have been Howards choice too, so I can't lay the blame solely on Hans.

But the pacing problems are in the first sections of the movie. This is where big revelations are occuring and things should be propelled off of them...but instead, it's more like you were just told a juicy secret during church and you don't want to react too much, lest you disturb the service.

It gets better in the second half, though.

Man, it sounds like I didn't like this movie. I did. There are fun moments here and there and I honestly didn't feel like I was in the theater for as long as I was. I think the critics are finding it the fashionable thing to rip anything that is trying to be a hit a new one. And that's too bad. I hope this does good box office, just to shut up some of the bandwagon jumping critics. Three out of four stars.