MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE
FRIDA
This Season’s Most Anticipated Drama Features Original Score By Oscar-Nominated Composer
ELLIOT GOLDENTHAL
CD Released October 8, 2002 From DG World / UMG Soundtracks

(New York, NY – August 2, 2002) – The beautiful and distinguished, Salma Hayek (Desperado, Fools Rush In) stars in this season’s highly anticipated drama, Frida based on the life of the controversial artist. This flavorful movie-making collaboration unites Oscar and Grammy-nominated composer Elliot Goldenthal with his wife, director, Julie Taymor, whose work on the smash Broadway The Lion King brought her great esteem. The Frida soundtrack will be released October 8, 2002 from DG World/UMG Soundtracks.

An inventive composer, Elliot Goldenthal has received numerous accolades and nominations around the world for his own musical creations. As a well-rounded musician, he has generated work for orchestra, theatre, opera, ballet and film. He has received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Interview with the Vampire and Michael Collins as well as winning the prestigious L.A. Film Critics Award for Best Original Score for his outstanding work on The Butcher Boy. He has proven himself as a versatile composer with his orchestral piece Fire Water Paper, the ballet Othello, and other film scores such as the groundbreaking film Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within and Batman & Robin.

Contributing to Frida’s flavorful atmospherics, Elliot Goldenthal has successfully constructed a mix of powerful acoustic guitar playing, meditative arrangements and up-tempo flamenco-influenced tracks. Also exclusively featured on the disc is a haunting vocal duet from Brazilian-music giant Caetano Veloso and Lila Downs, known for blending Latin, Native American and African sounds. The soundtrack album will be an enhanced CD containing exclusive bonus materials, including a film clip montage set to this unforgettable music by the film's acclaimed director Julie Taymor.

In Frida, Salma Hayek is Frida Kahlo the larger-than-life artist that became one of the most acclaimed artists in Mexican history. When her complex and enduring relationship with her husband Diego Rivera isn’t enough for her, Frida embarks on an illicit and tempestuous love affair along with provocative entanglements with women. Frida lived a relentless life as a political, artistic and sexual revolutionary. Working side by side with Hayek to recreate the life of this extraordinary woman is an outstanding cast including Alfred Molina (Chocolat), Antonio Banderas (Desperado and The Mask of Zorro), Edward Norton (Fight Club), Ashley Judd (Where the Heart Is) and Geoffrey Rush (Quills).

Frida, a Miramax film, opens in New York and LA October 25th with a wider release throughout November
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Contact: cinemediapromo@yahoo.com

Don't base your Oscar preditions off of press releases!

FRIDA is good, and it has good songs as well. If there's any Oscar nominations coming for that film though, it would probably be for Salma Hayek. Goldenthal's score is solid, certainly, but my gut says it's not Oscar-worthy.

azahid wrote, "if the music is as good as it sounds," clearly implying that he is going off of Beth's post.

So suck it, loon boy!

I saw the movie for a mere 35 bucks* on Friday, and it was, like Dan said, solid. The glass harmonica is a mesmerizing instrument. The movie itself was alright. I should have done more research on Kahlo, though. The whole bi-sexual/ communist thing caught me by surprise. Shame on me.

Opinions come from all over the freekin' place. I don't have to read a press release and/or see a film to have my "gut" inspired, neither should anyone else, no matter how "Brian Fellows crazy" the idea might be. And if I did want to base an opinion on something I read? BFD.

If there's shame anywhere, it's telling people how they should think. Or... telling loons to suck it. Or... eating hamburgers with mustard.

Dan<HR size=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

Dan, I certainly didnt mean to imply that the Oscar win would be based on the press release alone BUT the Academy is known to go ga ga over such artsy bio pics for quite some time.

In terms of the music the more exotic, and different the music is and more colourful the more likely it is a contender for an Oscar.
e.g. The Postman, Shakespeare in Love etc.

There are number of variables that call for an oscar nomination-the sole integrity of the music on its own is not enough.

A good example being CrouchingTiger,Hidden Dragon which I accurately predicted on FSM as well.

FRIDA is bio pic, has an excellent cast, the music is vibrant and different-Its definelty going to raise some eyebrows. Plus Mr.Goldenhall has had an oscar nod before and he is well trained and is a protege of Corigliano.

While I'll still admit its a bit to early to predict accurately that FRIDA will be an oscar contender or not but keeping the Academy's trends..its most likely to end up with some nods and wins. And if its a critical hit Goldenthal's music is likely going to get some scrutiny.

Just my 2 cent here

best
Amer

I think I posted this in another thread where I stated I thought Goldenthal's end credit song "Burn it Blue" was fantastic and should be nominated for an Oscar. As for the score, it's hard to gear up enthusiasm about a nomination because it is NOT like his other scores. There are not a lot of dramatic and wild passages. The score works well in conjunction with the Mexican folk music and songs and does a lot to help set the setting and mood. (This is a much better use of ethnic songs & score than the mess Jonathan Demme made of "The Truth About Charlie.") It just didn't have the dramatic punch that we expect after something like "Titus." And the film didn't need a score like "Titus" anyway.

As for it's chances at being nominated, it's hard to say. I wouldn't rule it out. Take a score like "Under the Volcano" by Alex North. That was a film that was hardly released in 1984 and aside from the raves Albert Finney got, no one really mentioned the music. Granted, Alex North was a VERY well respected composer by the industry & academy, but that was a very short and ethnic score that wasn't released until many years later. So it's not like a lot of people knew about it. Yet it got a nomination. So you never know where things might lead for Elliot Goldenthal.

As for Selma Hayek, she was good in the film, but there was something about the film & her performance that played it "too safe" to give her the dramatic weight that a REALLY outstanding performance in a biographical film need. Like what Meryl Streep did in "Out of Africa" or Jessica Lange in "Frances." I saw the film opening weekend and there were quite a few older filmgoers and possible Academy members. I actually overheard several rave about her performance, and while it is good, I just didn't find it that powerful.

One last thing: It does help to be somewhat familiar with Frida Kahlo's work. Especially as the director, Julie Taymor, uses a lot of her paintings and imagery in the film to help tell the story. I recommend at least browsing at a book of her paintings to help see the brillant effect she achieved in this respect.

And if you don't like this film or score, you can always run off to see "Jackass" like the rest of America. No wonder we have such a bad image in the world.

am I really in the minority?

Jeron, Olivarez; ya'll are from Texas!

he'p me!

quote:

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Originally posted by dgoldwas:
All I'm gonna say is, when making your Oscar preditions, at least [b]listen to the music first.

Dan[/B]

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I did ! I did! I sampled the album on the net..plus ever heard of The SIXTH SENSE?

Well, I cant wait to get my copy anyway.

take care, DAN!

Amer

1) Goldenthal is an exceptional composer. His music is hardly as tiring as, say, James Horner's is, and we're not just talking soundtrack albums. Sure, Horner's music might be perfect for the movie, but it's tired music. Been there done that. Goldenthal's music does not tire. It's fantastic in his movies, and it's fantastic on CD. If Horner has an Oscar, Goldenthal should have three Oscars.

2) To create a unique painter's world through music. We're not talking Pollack, Basquiat, or just any painter, but a Mexican painter named Frida Kahlo. The culture of Mexico is musically remarkable, and every Mexican has favorite songs and music. Music is everywhere. A fantastic inspiration for Goldenthal. Simply based on my familiarity with Goldenthal's seriousness as a composer, we can bet the opportunity was not squandered.

3) Critics. To have your own thoughts about the "possibilities" vindicated by respected writers and publishers invigorates hope. The Wall Street Journal today published the best soundtrack review I've read all year long (here we are in November). Jim Fusilli's review of Goldenthal's music for Frida, both within the film and on the soundtrack, is positive, informative, and most appreciative.

Thanks!

In regards to point #2, you might wanna read my interview with Goldenthal; he talks about his involvement in the songs as well as the score.

Mike, how do I link from the web to a newspaper? I believe the online version of the WSJ is for paid subscribers? Dunno, didn't read it online. Maybe someone has the time to scan the paper and put up the image online.... someone here did this before with a WSJ article (about Gangs of NY, I believe).

quote:

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Originally posted by PeterK:

3) Critics. To have your own thoughts about the "possibilities" vindicated by respected writers and publishers invigorates hope. The Wall Street Journal today published the best soundtrack review I've read all year long (here we are in November). Jim Fusilli's review of Goldenthal's music for Frida, both within the film and on the soundtrack, is positive, informative, and most appreciative.

Bravo. I with you, Amer.

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Peter, Thats great-The Force is strong with us.

See ya at the Oscars !!!

quote:

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Originally posted by dgoldwas:
Don't base your Oscar preditions off of press releases!

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quote:

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Originally posted by dgoldwas:
All I'm gonna say is, when making your Oscar preditions, at least listen to the music first.

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Dan, why do you keep misspelling PREDICTIONS? That's twice!

quote:

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Originally posted by Jeron:
Dan, why do you keep misspelling PREDI[b]CTIONS? That's twice![/B]

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Egads. I didn't even catch that... how awful...... (Thanks, I think...)

quote:

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Originally posted by PeterK:
Dan, I did get your email announcement about the review a few days back and read it, thank you.

Mike, how do I link from the web to a newspaper? I believe the online version of the WSJ is for paid subscribers? Dunno, didn't read it online. Maybe someone has the time to scan the paper and put up the image online.... someone here did this before with a WSJ article (about Gangs of NY, I believe).

Yep, just attempted to find the review online, but it's a paid subscriber thing.

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Man, that sucks. You can read their Opinion Journal for free, but not the paper? Egads. Oh well; at least the Opinion Journal has some great reads on conservative politics that gives me a good break from the traditionally liberal media of today.

Speaking of FRIDA, wot's all this then?

quote:

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Originally posted by OHMSS76:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1058&item=931723324&rd=1

Speaking of FRIDA, wot's all this then?

Sean

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Goldenthal-hounds, to your marks!

......cant wait either to get this album.<HR size=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

So I guess I wasnt off my mark when I said that one! Eh?

Dan, You owe me can of beer! (LOL)

best regards
Amer

P.S. Im still waiting for the darn cd to arrive here.

quote:

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Originally posted by azahid:
Dan, You owe me can of beer! (LOL)

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LOL - fair enough!! I interviewed Goldenthal the week before you wrote that, though - and I still had hopes to interview a few other composers. Of course, since that didn't happen, it was "in the cards" that Goldenthal would win.

Dan[/B]<HR size=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

Great! I was blown away by his work on ALIEN3 and Interview with the Vampire which also won him his first oscar nod. A very gifted composer and intellectual in my opinion. He's the composer I would choose when making a movie.

Amer

Now that "Frida" has won......have any left over "For Your Consideration" CD's lying around for all the "fanboys" & "fangals"?