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Author	Topic: Magnolia

Laurence Page Oscar® Winner	Finally saw this film on DVD the other night and was really taken with the score - which I have since come by. I think it helped the film and really added to the tension as all the stories came together. Has Jon Brion done any other film scores? Anyone else like this score? NP Piano Concerto No.2 (Lukas Foss)
posted 04-27-2001 03:15 AM PT (US)

Richard Oscar® Winner	This is my favourite score/film. Period. Brion hasn't done any other film work, but he's scoring P.T Anderson's new movie (starring, of all people, Adam Sandler shudders). I think the score helped to make the film flow better, particuary when John C. Reily's character is in the rain in the last half of the film, because the edits are very short, so I think this portion of the film would have seemed disjointed had it not have been for the music. Going from memory, the track for this part is track 6. (Coincidentally, this is my favourite track, especially from around 7:30). Anyway, definetly buy it if you don't already have it.
posted 04-27-2001 03:54 AM PT (US)

Laurence Page Oscar® Winner	Thanks, Richard! I missed this film on the big screen but loved Boogie Nights and always wanted to catch up with it. I must see the 2-disc set with the documentaries etc. I was amazed at Tom Cruise's scene with his father - never been convinced by him before but found this scene and his acting breathtaking. I'm not totally convinced about the "shared song" scene but admire the idea.. It's strange you mention track 6 at about 7.30 because that's the bit that really stuck in my mind. All the best..
posted 04-27-2001 04:29 AM PT (US)

sean Oscar® Winner	Laurence, I suggest you listen to track 3 and track 7 on Hans Zimmer's score for the Thin Red Line. You'll notice how Jon Brion's Magnolia is almost identical; Jon wasn't exactly original, he pulled a mad Horner outa his sleeve! NP: Pearl Harbor - Hans Zimmer ***/***
posted 04-27-2001 04:53 AM PT (US)

Laurence Page Oscar® Winner	Sean I haven't got the score TTRL but loved the music, especially to Ben Chaplin's "Dear John" letter scene which I've heard is a track called "The Light" or something..is this the one?
posted 04-27-2001 04:56 AM PT (US)

Camillu Oscar® Winner	Both Film and Score are very, very good. I really like the track 'So Now Then' both on CD and in the film.
posted 04-27-2001 05:34 AM PT (US)

Shaun Rutherford Oscar® Winner	It's "Journey To The Line" that Magnolia shamelessly rips off (this music is also heard in the Pearl Harbor trailer, and it will soon be heard again---more than likely--in the Pearl Harbor film). The score works for the film, but having said that, you cannot say that this score isn't a temp-track fiasco. Jon Brion has produced many great albums, the chief amongst those, in my opinion, is Elliott Smith's Figure 8. He also has a solo album out that was supposed to be released on Atlantic, but was cancelled and released instead on artistdirect.com. Shaun
posted 04-27-2001 05:43 AM PT (US)

H Rocco Oscar® Winner	Didn't notice the TRL ripoff in MAGNOLIA, but will trust Shaun's ear. I thought Zimmer's score worked fine in the movie (which I loved), but never could get into the album. Haven't heard the Jon Brion MAGNOLIA album (though I got the Aimee Mann album from Columbia House for pennies), but was AMAZED by the score as it worked in the film -- it made my short list for the best of 1999.
posted 04-27-2001 04:27 PM PT (US)

SplbrgWlms Oscar® Winner	Wait... wait... wait... hold the phone. What is Anderson doing writing and directing Adam Sandler. Is it a movie of the SNL skit called THE DENISE SHOW where he went on talking about his ex-girlfriend? If so, why is Anderson doing this? The guy is a good director. Why is he sinking this low? Anyway, I just thought I would ask this? See ya later people. NP: City Slickers 2 [Message edited by SplbrgWlms on 04-27-2001]
posted 04-27-2001 09:43 PM PT (US)

Kross Oscar® Winner	Splbrg...no one knows anything about it for sure besides rumors. PTA is a huge fan of Sandler, I am not, but I trust PTA and will see any film he makes. THERE ARE similar sounds in TRL, Ravenous, and Magnolia...but the overall feel of the film and scores are all too different to call rip offs. It is more or less that they used the same instruments at times...and Jon Brion's style is that of what you heard in Magnolia...not in ripping off of Zimmer. The one true score track from Hard Eight which was also used in Boogie Nights is similar to things in Magnolia, making it pretty obvious he did not just rip off Zimmer, but it just came out that way at times. Magnolia was the best, or second best...I am unsure film/score of 99. BTW, the "Wise Up" sing scene was the best in the film for me. A great film, that not evryone will love obviously, but I did.
posted 04-27-2001 11:00 PM PT (US)

Kross Oscar® Winner	Brion worked on some moments in Hard Eight and in Boogie Nights but not enough for a score to be released, or to be truly memorable except in the theme that was use din both films.
posted 04-27-2001 11:02 PM PT (US)

Foobsie Oscar® Winner	Magnolia is a shameless RIP-OFF! just 2.5 stars outta a possible 5 I don't understand what all the hubbub is all about.
posted 04-27-2001 11:28 PM PT (US)

Richard Oscar® Winner	I think you'll find that with tracks 3 and 5 on Magnolia, despite the large similarity to TRL, it's also quite different. But this is only about 9mins out of around 45mins, so give the guy some credit. I can't imagnine anyone not thinking tracks 1 and 6 aren't amazing. I may be slightly bias though. I was shocked when I read that Sandler is/might be in PTA's next film. I think Adam Sandler, put bluntly, is not funny at all, and I would rather eat shards of broken glass than watch one of his movies. I was relieved to find out though that PTA is writing the script, so the film should still be good, even if Sandler is a total crapanoly actor.
posted 04-27-2001 11:48 PM PT (US)

Jeron Oscar® Winner	quote: Originally posted by Richard: I would rather eat shards of broken glass than watch one of his movies. You have fun now, ya hear?
posted 04-27-2001 11:50 PM PT (US)

H Rocco Oscar® Winner	None of Anderson's movies have been commercially successful -- that's one reason he decided to write a script for Adam Sandler. Since Anderson is an absolute wizard with actors, I think he knows what he's doing, and am actually looking forward to it (and I haven't seen ANY of Sandler's movies, although I believe I would like THE WEDDING SINGER -- 80s nostalgia AND Drew Barrymore, hey hey hey!) I thought the "Wise Up" sequence in MAGNOLIA was phenomenal, and was not a little amazed to discover that the song wasn't even written for the movie, it existed before ... actually, wasn't it written for JERRY MAGUIRE (which I haven't seen)?
posted 04-28-2001 08:46 AM PT (US)

Richard Oscar® Winner	Jeron, I always have fun, except when I watch an Adam Sandler movie. Maybe he'll get fired though. At work we have a catalogue of videos available for purchase and there is a section in which titles are ordered by directors. Now, there is Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) and there is Paul Anderson (Mortal Kombat, Event Horizon, Soldier). Sadly, these are listed as the same person in this BIG folder. Personally, I was insulted and saddened because many people will not know the difference between the two, so will be give false ideas about which film belongs to which director. Also, "Wise Up" is on the Jerry Maguire soundtrack, but I don't recall hearing it ANYWHERE in the actual film. However, from myself, Jerry Maguire comes highly recommended.
posted 04-28-2001 08:14 PM PT (US)

Laurence Page Oscar® Winner	Thanks for all the comments - very interesting! I saw the second DVD disc this weekend - fascinating documentary diary from the pre-production meetings to the award-winning showing of the finished film. I'm in no doubt that PT Anderson is a very talented director and writer but he came over as a foul mouthed and fairly obnoxious egotist. Maybe that's the way to get ahead and have a project of this size realized. I loved the scene when he tells William Macy that he also designed the poster, and Macy tells the camera that he developed the film and ground the lenses too! There's a lengthy shot of Brion recording the score - the cameraman wanders around the musicians zooming in on individual players. Nice to show the importance the composer has in the process..
posted 04-30-2001 02:54 AM PT (US)

OHMSS76 Oscar® Winner	I wanted to chime in a bit about this one, since it's become my favorite film and score this year.....I didn't care for this at all the first time I saw it, but after being away from the film, and thinking about it, and playing the score CD endlessly, I found it quite moving. I can see how some would find it pompous and overblown though....this picture is like a Rorshach test. Some people see one thing, others see something completely different. Anyway, all that aside, the bit on the documentary showing the cameraman winding through the scoring session is almost better than being at the session itself. I know the musicians probably would be irritated, but I wish we could see more footage like this!! How cool is it that they can concentrate and play, even with a camera in their face? Sean
posted 12-19-2001 09:42 AM PT (US)

Nicolai P. Zwar Oscar® Winner	Magnolia was a great great movie. It took me totally be surprise, because I didn't know what to expect when I first saw it. Without exaggeration one of the best movies I have seen within the last ten years. Come to think of it, it is clearly one of my favorite movies. Terrific score by Jon Brion, who found just the right voice for this film. Thumbs up all the way.
posted 12-19-2001 10:10 AM PT (US)

dgoldwas Oscar® Winner	quote: Originally posted by Nicolai P. Zwar: Terrific score by Jon Brion, who found just the right voice for this film. Yup! THE THIN RED LINE. Dan
posted 12-19-2001 10:26 AM PT (US)

Nicolai P. Zwar Oscar® Winner	If you are refering to some of the slow chord progressions: they are actually more or less from Wagner, so Zimmer didn't exactly invent them either. [Message edited by Nicolai P. Zwar on 12-19-2001]
posted 12-19-2001 11:39 AM PT (US)

Nicolai P. Zwar Oscar® Winner	Though I should point out that while I recall that I liked the score for The Thin Red Line when I saw the movie -- among Zimmer's best work -- I don't actually have it on CD, so I don't exactly know which pieces of Magnolia are supposed to resemble TRL. But I've heard before that people have mentioned similarities between the two scores. [Message edited by Nicolai P. Zwar on 12-19-2001]
posted 12-19-2001 11:50 AM PT (US)

OHMSS76 Oscar® Winner	I've heard this also, Nicolai, and if you really want to get into it the busy,arabesque scherzi, of Magnolia sound like "Schindler's Workforce"....or so I'm told. I have not heard a note of TRLine, but the bottom line is I heard Brion's score first, and that will be the work I am more drawn to. In the end, it all gets back to Parsifal anyway, right? Best, Sean
posted 12-19-2001 11:59 AM PT (US)

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