It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
^ Back to Top
The MI6 Community is unofficial and in no way associated or linked with EON Productions, MGM, Sony Pictures, Activision or Ian Fleming Publications. Any views expressed on this website are of the individual members and do not necessarily reflect those of the Community owners. Any video or images displayed in topics on MI6 Community are embedded by users from third party sites and as such MI6 Community and its owners take no responsibility for this material.
James Bond News • James Bond Articles • James Bond Magazine
Comments
http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/skyfall.html
Perhaps this really should be on just a Bond music thread, but since several folks here are still talking about Newman I thought I'd put it here. In part it says this (underline is mine, not in the article):
Bond films have always strived for a strong melodic core, a key part of their romantic appeal, and Newman manages to maneuver through his entire contribution without concocting a single coherent and consistently developed major motif. Part of the blame for Skyfall's total thematic anonymity rests with the executives of the film, who did not arrange for the title song to be finished in time for Newman to incorporate its melody into the bulk of his score. Compounding this failure for Newman is the fact that Adele's song, co-written by her regular collaborator, Paul Epworth, is a stunning success. Accompanying a truly nightmarish opening title sequence that depicts Bond's journey through a living hell, this song is a throwback to the glory days of Bond like none other, eclipsing even the recent Bassey/Arnold collaboration for "No Good About Goodbye," a belated "Bond ghost song" of immensely attractive prowess that could very well have been intended for Quantum of Solace. Adele's "Skyfall" intentionally adheres to the chord progressions of Norman's classic theme and includes backing by a 77-piece orchestra arranged by Newman's orchestrator, J.A.C. Redford. The resulting song is a triumph of the modern age for the franchise and was declared as such by critics and fans. Its chart performance returned the Bond franchise to the Billboard ranks and is a ringing endorsement for an adherence to the days of classic Bond ballads with sultry voices and stylish brass. The orchestral backing in this song is impressively muscular, and fortunately for listeners, the abridged film version of the recording contains most of the best sequences from the full, nearly 5-minute song. Because it was completed late in the production process, Newman's score could only utilize the theme in "Komodo Dragon," which was reportedly recorded after the rest of the score to specifically make at least one token reference to the song in Newman's contribution.
I do not know for a fact that the theme song was delivered so late that it could not have been incorporated into the score more. I'd like to learn more facts on that from other sources. I think that is not the only reason the theme song is used so little.
Besides the first cut of Adeles theme was completed in October 2011 february 2012 - that's eight months before the release of the movie, so I wonder where filmtracks.com are getting their facts from?
EDIT:
"SM: Adele came in – that was our number one choice, and she said ‘Yeah, I’ll come in.’ She came in, just normal as ever, with her producer. And she said ‘I’m worried that I can’t write – my songs are personal, I write from the heart, that’s how I work. I like the idea of a Bond song, but how do you write a Bond song?’ And I said, ‘Just write a personal song. Nobody does it better. Just think in those terms.’ And she said, ‘Okay, well tell me the story of the movie.’ And I told her the story, and she took the script home and she said, ‘Let me think about it.’ And that weekend she said, ‘I read the script in the bath, I couldn’t put it down. I think I’ll have a go at it. Give me a bit.’ And two months later we were on set, and she said ‘Here it is!’ and it was a file in my email. And I listened to it while I was driving all the way in from the countryside for two hours, I listened to it over and over again for like two hours. It just seemed right. And I got there and gave it to Barbara and to Daniel, who both shed a tear, because it’s the first good Bond song."
http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/skyfall-interview-mendes-marlohe-harris?page=2#blogPostHeaderPanel
Filmtracks.com is a place completely out of touch with modern film music. Read their ridiculous reviews of the score of The Social Network or The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to see what I mean. Every movie would sound like a saccharine Spielberg film if it was up to them.
If he really said that then he knows very little about music. And that's quite possible. Talent is not fungible. Hence, John Barry thought OHMSS was terrible, demonstrating that being a musical genius hardly qualifies one to be a film critic.
I'm not defending Zimmer, I don't dislike his music or love it, it does it's job nothing particularly memorable about it, he's no Barry and seems like allot of composers today very little melody and anything that you can hum a long to and yes I'm not sure I want to see Newman back in the composers chair again for Bond 24.
I thought he did more than adequately with SF but despite never having been a huge fan apart from his best score to date (QOS and elements of the CR score) I want to see what Arnold will come back with after a 7 year break from the job.
Personally I'd hope he was reinvigorated and having someone else take over for the first time since he began he'll feel he has something to prove, he was starting to get interesting with QOS, I'd like to see where he might go next, especially if Mendes wants to continue with the more playful attitude that started with SF not seen in the previous DC entries.
I certainly don't want the PB era default of playing the JB theme every 10 minutes but having it appear a bit more regularly would be nice. Also like with YKMN a collaboration theme so like with CR he can weave the motif into his score.
So the fact that an other composer was infuenced by the same source makes it an unfair comparison? When was Williams and the Star Wars score mentioned in this context?
Gustav Holst has no doubt influenced many film Ccmposers through the years, but as other (like Williams...) have added personal touches to the style, Zimmer just seems to methodically follow the blueprint.
You mentioned Holst and someone had previously mentioned preferring Williams score for Superman to Zimmers for MOS, I just though it was funny that Zimmer could be accused of ripping Holst off when Williams undeniably did it with Star Wars, or is JW to much a scared cow for me to make such an accusation of?
I'm not taking a pop at Williams but from a young age of hearing The Planets Suite I couldn't help but hear the similarities we aren't just talking influence here there are times you can tell Williams has simply borrowed from this suite.
Wow...just when you think people can't be any more idiotic.
Maybe there was also the personal involvement of Barry that played a role in what he said about OHMSS? I am not trying to defend him, just wondering. Ironically Do You Know How Christmas Trees Are Grown is one of my favourite holiday songs.
Mendes does make silly comments sometimes! Like when he claimed to have cast Kinnear as Tanner.
A real shame that they didn't incorporate Adele's song into the score - just a total missed opportunity. It would have given the score a lot more personality had they referenced it in more than that one token scene.
On a side note, I love the way that some of the Bond films pay homage to other classic movies. One of the earliest examples is of course the helicopter buzzing Bond in FRWL, which is a fond homage to North By North West.
I really enjoyed the way that Cambell referenced Roeg's 'Don't Look Now' during the Venice sequence in Casino Royale. It was a really nice touch and off course was a sign that a tragic death was imminent.
I think Mendes intended to pay homage to 'The 39 Steps' in SF, although as some have pointed out it ended up looking more like Home Alone.
It would be great to have some something like the CR homage in the next film.
I think some people read too much into "I'm a Bond fan" when it's said by someone publicly. Here "I'm a Bond fan" means you can answer "BMT216A" when asked about the license plate of the DB5. For the rest of the world, it means you've heard about the DB5 :)
That's definitely true. But you'd have thought Mendes might have noticed Kinnear. Aren't they friends?
Going back to Mendes' comments from the other day:
http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=40906
I noticed again that he says B24 will be like the second half of Skyfall. From that I am guessing that he means he will be set in a slightly more low-tech world. There will be less emphasis on hi tech surveillance. The return of M's old office is also going to make a really big difference to the look and feel as well. I always thought it was a mistake when they 'updated' MI6 in GE - it's just looked really naff ever since. I am really happy the old office is back - something I'd been arguing for for ages!
Regarding Bill Tanner in QOS, while I was happy he was back in the franchise, you flicker your eyes and you miss him entirely. Mendes' mistake might actually be a good sign, that we will see more of the character.
I am prepared to believe Kinnear is a good actor as everyone says he is, but in Bond he just seems either miscast or poorly used.
Edit: And I don't think he is miscast.
But yes,the key word is : consistancy....
But Tanner should not have too much authority. He is a civil servant, not the head of SIS. And he looked the part when Brosnan was Bond. You don't want Tanner to look too mature compared to Bond. I enjoyed Kinnear and Craig interaction and I think he is growing in the role.
They really are idiotic as don't they know about the CR67 spoof which Eon now own too! So should it not be Bond 26?!!! ;)