"I don't do it for the income."

"It's always a classical composition for me."
-- which may be more true than he lets on.

-- apparently Enemy at the Gates is all Prokofiev and Shostakovich

-- directors only use the same 6 or 8 film composers: Zimmer, Williams, and Horner of course.

-- with the income from Titanic, you'd think he could afford a better haircut.

-- the Ph.D. was mentioned. "I didn't want to teach music." So he gets a PhD anyway.

Crimony, with all the berating we do within our own appreciation-circle, it's no wonder that film music gets the apathy it does from the music industry. Jerry Goldsmith could get a haircut, too.

Lancelot, have you ever SEEN Horner's haircut? Better question.....has Horner?

Goldsmith's ponytail could kick James Horner's mullet wannabe's ass anyday, pal.

I like the idea of a film composer being interviewed, but why Horner?
I respect the man's musical knowledge -- he got a stinkin' PhD after all-- but his film compositions are nothing more than trite and derivative. And to equate himself with Prokofiev and Shostakovich is utter nonsense.
he's full of himself when he says he attacks each new project as a fresh and original piece. yeah, okay, I believe it.

Heck, Carter Burwell lives in New York, and is somewhat of a name. try him.
or someone like John Williams, who has a genuine passion and respect for the art.

I'm pretty rabid--and rabidly defensive-- about ALL film music, Tim, et. al. It just seems to me, at times, that devout Goldsmith fan in particular want their avatar to have the same success and recognition that composers like Horner get after a considerably longer and more distinguished career. Goldsmith's probably one of 3 "Silver Age" composers still employed these days.

- - - - - - -
Try and bear with me here, for one metaphorical second:

You ever order a hamburger from a fancy restaurant? (one without a drive-thru, let's say.) It's pretty different than the kind you get at a McDonalds, right? James Horner is like a Big Mac. Goldsmith is one of the Ritzy Burgers.

But y'know--not everyone's keen on the "Ritzy Burger"--they're big, and hard to take a bite out of, sometimes. Sometimes the bread is a little too toasted, and you have to press down on them pretty hard to take a bite out of them.

But because you don't like the Ritzy Burger doesn't mean you have to give up hamburgers, does it? Somedays you may even feel like having a Ritzy Burger.

At any rate, what I think we're trying to do here is encourage the consumption of "hamburgers", but it seems as though what we're saying is "if you like the big mac, you don't deserve hamburgers!"

I wasn't too clear in my previous post, but I still don't think Horner on CR is some sort of film music break-through. I think everyone knows what a Big Mac is thanks to Titanic. Don't get me wrong- I'm a Horner fan. I've got 60 Horner scores in my collection. (That's a lot of rotting Big Macs) I'd like to see more people find out about some of the other A-List (and B-List) composers there are out there. People know who Horner, Zimmer, Elfman, and Williams are... But what about James Newton Howard? or Howard Shore? or Elliot Goldenthal?

Tim

I have met three people in my lifetime, albeit shorter than many folks here, who have heard of Goldsmith, let alone Burwell, Goldenthal, or our other talented composers.

Its an unfortunate truth, that if someone was flipping through the TV Guide and saw "Charlie Rose interviews Carter Burwell" chances are they might not tune in. We would love to see such a thing...but we are part of a amazingly small minority. I think its sad that someone can sit through the opening credits of a film, and have the composer's name pass by without notice or recognition.

Also, Lancelot's "Big Mac/Horner" metaphor is actually pretty dead on. Think about it. All Big Macs taste exactly the same, and after you eat one, you become sick.

Nailed it, man!

Shaun

Scott

"How DARE you make fun of his HAIR?! Send him into exile! Yes, exile, immediately! And see that he has nothing to eat but Big Macs!"

quote:

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Originally posted by H Rocco:
Scott, I deeply resent being left off your "weird" list, and as a consequence can only recommend to the K that you be banned.

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Hey man, learn how to read.

quote:

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Originally posted by Al:

I dunno what's funnier: Shaun's obvious joking around, or the responses of touchy people who take his humor way too personal.

"How DARE you make fun of his HAIR?! Send him into exile! Yes, exile, immediately! And see that he has nothing to eat but Big Macs!"

Yeeesh.

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Al, I'm really not that touchy. I mean, if it turns you on to talk about composers hair, be my guest, there are stranger things going on in Southern California. I just don't get it, that's all.

Scott

just like any of these stupid rappers and pop singers who try to "keep it real" by dressing like they're homeless after they've sold 10 million CDs. whatever.

That said, Horner is such a small fry pip squeak milquetoast that I could knock him out with one punch.

He can't compose either.

Thank you for putting up yet another Horner post where I can exercize my slam Horner muscles (we all have these muscles, they are actually called pecthornerals, but they have woefully atropied with today's lifestyles).

Where there's a fire, Lou is there with the kerosene!

I just wrote a big long post but because I pressed "Submit" not realising I hadn't typed in my password, I lost it all!!!!

This is unacceptable!

Screw writing it again, I'm going to watch Hollow Man.

Maybe it's me, but writing here, as a long-time poster and member of this board, I haven't been included in the "secret circle" that communicates in smiley faces and secretly nudges each other the ribs behind the curtains. Apologies if i've stepped on anyone's funny bone. But, ultimately, I'd like to think that's there's enough maturity in this board to see what the problem is here, rather than all the crap that's drifting on the surface....Y'know? Call it whatever you want, Big Macs, Chinese Food, howabout Mixed Nuts--Shaun, anyone? You allergic to mixed nuts? I want to find the right metaphor for breaking through, here....because if you "swallowed" a "cashew", I wouldn't want you to "swell up like a Macy's parade balloon"....

And maybe I'm taking this too seriously. Like I said before, I'm defensive of film composers, and film music. ("Rabidly defensive", I think were the words.) What my goal is, as a film music appreciator--is to get the music out there.

I don't think playing the part of "Jerry Goldsmith snobs" is very constructive. You don't care for Horner, leave him alone. Offer something more constructive.

Look at the lables that already exist in small circles: "Goldsmithies", "Hornerites", "Zimmerites"...do you want to know how ridiculous that is?

quote:

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Originally posted by Scott:
Al, I'm really not that touchy. I mean, if it turns you on to talk about composers hair, be my guest, there are stranger things going on in Southern California. I just don't get it, that's all.

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There isn't much to get. Was the guy who created the "chicken crossing the road" joke actually turned on by the topic of chickens crossing the road? I doubt it.

If a person makes a joke related to film music composers on this board, it will either have to do with some minor thing like his hair or something to do with his music. And seeing how the reaction to 'hair' was, I don't even want to think what a joke about his music would have brought about.

Therefore, criticism is perfectly reasonable here. It is not like we are the Academy Award Presenter announcing that Hans Zimmer won the Oscar for Gladiator, "a mishmash of inappropriate electronics, cribs from Gustav Holst, Ennio Morricone and Richard Wagner and a crude sense of drama." I would love to do that, but by posting it here, I am not really changing anybody's opinion, I am not really doing anything but expressing myself to others familiar with the music who have the option to refute me.