Volume 12
Number 1
Winter 2010
Managing Editor:
Roger L. Hall
Contributing Writers:
Steven A. Kennedy
Steve Vertlieb
If you would like to inquire about writing a CD review or article for this online magazine, write to:
FMR Reviews
Recent Themes
A Guide to Film Music (4th edition)
Hey Oscar, Here's Sammy!
IFMCA 2009 Award Winners
Anniversary Tributes
"Mr. Lucky" -- Memories of Henry Mancini
"Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive" -- Johnny Mercer in Hollywood
Ken Darby Centennial
Twilight Zone Tribute
Two Classic Films From 1959
FMR Anniversary
Main Titles
Ratings and List of FMR Issues
Essential Film Scores
Film Focus
Editor's Choice - Best of the Month
Soundtrack and Compilation Reviews
Recommended DVDs and Books
End Titles
Film Music Links and Tune Week Surveys
Your comments or questions are welcome.
Write to:
Film Music Review
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Film Music Review
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Recent Themes
A GUIDE TO FILM MUSIC: Songs and Scores
(4th edition, PineTree Press)
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The revised and expanded edition is available as an eBook on DVD-R,
with the complete book, 50 audio clips with interviews and
music from vintage film scores and songs,
an extensive image gallery, past reviews from Film Music Review (1998-2005),
and a cable television program with the author, Roger Hall.
Read about this useful reference guide at this link:
Film Composers and Soundtracks
The 12th Annual Best Film Music Releases of 2009 based on our reviewers choices:
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Best Film Music CDs of 2009
See these past choices:
Best Film Music CDs of 2008
Best Film Music CDs of 2007
Best Film Music CDs of 2006
Best Film Music CDs of 2005
Hey Oscar, Here's Sammy!
The 22nd Annual Sammy Awards
for film musicc CDs released in 2009
have been announced
here
See the previous lists at
21st Annual Sammy Awards
20th Annual Sammy Awards
19th Annual Sammy Awards
18th Annual Sammy Awards
IFMCA Awards For 2009
MARCH 1, 2010
Michael Giacchino wins the 2009 Score of the Year award from the International Film Music Critics Association for his inventive and nostalgic score for the Disney Pixar film, UP, which also wins Best Original Score for an Animated Feature. Giacchino receives a total of four awards, including Composer of the Year, in part for also writing the Best Original Score to a Fantasy/Science Fiction Feature winner for the JJ Abrams STAR TREK reboot.
Giacchino won the Association’s first Score of the Year award in 2004 for another Pixar film, THE INCREDIBLES.
Christopher Young wins two awards for DRAG ME TO HELL: Original Score for a Horror/Thriller Film and Film Music Compostion of the Year for “Concerto to Hell.” Also receiving two awards is James Peterson for Breakout Composer of the Year and Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure Feature for the mixed martial arts prison movie THE RED CANVAS.
Veteran composer Marvin Hamlisch wins Best Original Score for a Comedy Film for Steven Soderbergh’s THE INFORMANT!, while Polish composer Abel Korzeniowski wins Best Original Score for a Drama Film for director Tom Ford’s debut film, A SINGLE MAN. Rounding out the feature film winners is Armand Amar’s Best Original Score for a Documentary Feature for the French nature documentary HOME.
In other original scoring categories, Bear McCreary who has been nominated for every season of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA wins his first award for Best Original Score for Television for the final season of the SyFy series; and James Hannigan receives the Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media award for the movie spin-off game for HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE.
Intrada takes its fourth Record Label of the Year award for its continued excellence in soundtrack release, including the long-anticipated, complete release of Alan Silvestri’s 1985 score for BACK TO THE FUTURE this year’s Best New Release/Re-Release of an Existing Score winner. The Film Score Monthly label takes the Best Film Music Compilation Album or Box Set award for DAVID RAKSIN AT M-G-M and Tadlow label wins the Best Re-Recording of an Existing Score award for its new recording of Ernest Gold’s EXODUS.
2009 FILM AWARD WINNERS
FILM SCORE OF THE YEAR
• UP, music by Michael Giacchino
FILM COMPOSER OF THE YEAR
• MICHAEL GIACCHINO
BREAKOUT COMPOSER OF THE YEAR
• JAMES PETERSON
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DRAMA FILM
• A SINGLE MAN, music by Abel Korzeniowski
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A COMEDY FILM
• THE INFORMANT!, music by Marvin Hamlisch
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ACTION/ADVENTURE FILM
• THE RED CANVAS, music by James Peterson
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A FANTASY/SCIENCE FICTION FILM
• STAR TREK, music by Michael Giacchino
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A HORROR/THRILLER FILM
• DRAG ME TO HELL, music by Christopher Young
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ANIMATED FEATURE
• UP, music by Michael Giacchino
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
• HOME, music by Armand Amar
FILM MUSIC COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR
• DRAG ME TO HELL – “Concerto to Hell,” music by Christopher Young
OTHER 2009 AWARDS
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR TELEVISION
• BATTLESTAR GALACTICA [SEASON 4.5], music by Bear McCreary
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A VIDEO GAME OR INTERACTIVE MEDIA
• HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, music by James Hannigan
BEST NEW RELEASE/RE-RELEASE OF AN EXISTING SCORE
• BACK TO THE FUTURE, music by Alan Silvestri; Douglass Fake, producer (Intrada)
BEST RE-RECORDING OF AN EXISTING SCORE
• EXODUS, music by Ernest Gold, conductor Nic Raine; James Fitzpatrick, producer (Tadlow)
BEST FILM MUSIC COMPILATION ALBUM OR BOX SET
• DAVID RAKSIN AT M-G-M, music by David Raksin; Lukas Kendall, producer (Film Score Monthly)
FILM MUSIC RECORD LABEL OF THE YEAR
• INTRADA
The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) is an association of online, print and radio journalists who specialize in writing about original film and television music.
The IFMCA was originally formed in the late 1990s as the now-defunct “Film Music Critics Jury” by editor and journalist Mikael Carlsson, a regular contributor to filmmusicradio.com and filmmusicmag.com, and the owner of the Swedish independent film music label MovieScore Media.
Since its inception, the IFMCA has grown to comprise over 50 members from countries as diverse as Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
Roger L. Hall of Film Music Review is an IFMCA member from the USA.
Previous IFMCA Score of the Year Awards have been awarded to
Alexandre Desplat’s THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON in 2008
Dario Marianelli’s ATONEMENT in 2007
James Newton Howard’s LADY IN THE WATER in 2006
John Williams’ MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA in 2005
Michael Giacchino’s THE INCREDIBLES in 2004
For more information about the International Film Music Critics Association, its members and the list of past awards, please visit http://www.filmmusiccritics.org
Anniversary Tributes
MEMORIES OF HENRY MANCINI
"Mr. Lucky" -- Memories of Henry Mancini
CENTENNIAL BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE
Celebrate the 100th birthday of one of America's most popular
and prolific songwriters of movie songs.
Johnny Mercer (1909-1976)
received 4 Oscars for his movie songs (1946, 1951, 1961,1962).
Read the centennial tribute at
"Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive"
Johnny Mercer in Hollywood
KEN DARBY (1909 - 1992)
Read about this multi-talented singer, songwriter,
arranger, and choral director who
received three Oscars for his work on musicals,
at
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"RIVER OF NO RETURN"
A Centennial Tribute to Ken Darby
TWILIGHT ZONE TRIBUTE
Film Music Review is celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of the best television series from the past. The idea of the show's creator, master storyteller Rod Serling, this series premiered
on CBS television on October 2, 1959.
Over the run of five seasons, this series had many outstanding scores by composers like:
Jerry Goldsmith, Bernard Herrmann, Fred Steiner, Nathan Scott and others.
Our anniversary tribute is in two parts...
Part One:
"THE TWILIGHT ZONE: AN ELEMENT OF TIME" by Steve Vertlieb
THE TWILIGHT ZONE Magazine -- message from Carol Serling and list of fan favorites
Bernard Herrmann's "Walking Distance" by Roger Hall
Part Two:
Two CD Reviews:
TWILIGHT ZONE 40th Anniversary Collection -- music by Goldsmith, Herrmann, Van Cleave and others (4 CDs)
FAHRENHEIT 451 and "Walking Distance" from THE TWILIGHT ZONE -- music by Bernard Herrmann
Do you have a favorite episode and music from this outstanding television series?
Send your favorite show with any comments to
THE TWILIGHT ZONE Tribute
Two Classic Films
From 1959
(CD Reviews)
One of the greatest of all Biblical Epics:
BEN-HUR: The Essential Miklos Rozsa (compilation)
One of the funniest of all Screen Comedies:
SOME LIKE IT HOT (soundtrack)
FMR ANNIVERSARY
Read the picks from previous years at these links:
11th Anniversary Special (2009)
10th Anniversary Special (2008)
9th Anniversary Special (2007)
8th Anniversary Special (2006)
Main Titles
FMR rating system for CDs and DVDs:
**** = Superlative (Highest Recommendation)
***1/2 = Very Good
*** = Good
**1/2 = Okay
** = Barely Passable
* = Poor
The Special Merit CDs are chosen at any time during a month for outstanding overall production of a soundtrack or compilation.
The Editor's Choice - Best of the Month designation is for those CDs that are singled out for their excellence. They are chosen anytime within a given month and may not be chosen every month.
2009 (Volume 11)
Index to All Reviews (January - December)
Number 1 (Winter)
Number 2 (Spring)
Number 3 (Summer)
Number 4 (Fall)
2008 (Volume 10)
Index to All Reviews (January - December)
Number 1 (Winter)
Number 2 (Spring)
Number 3 (Summer)
Number 4 (Fall)
2007
(Volume 9)
Index to All Reviews (January - December)
Number 1 (January - February)
Number 2 (March - April)
Number 3 (May - June)
Number 4 (July - August)
Number 5 (September - October)
Number 6 (November - December)
2006 (Volume 8)
Index to All Reviews (January - December)
Number 1 (January - February)
Number 2 (March - April)
Number 3 (May - June)
Number 4 (July - August)
Number 5 (September - October)
Number 6 (November - December)
Volumes 1 - 7
These reviews no longer available online.
Here is a link to the complete list of
CD Reviews (1999-2005)
Most of these reviews are included in
A Guide to Film Music (4th edition)
Essential Film Scores of the 20th Century
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See the list at
100 Essential Film Scores
Film Focus
The series devoted to a composer and one major film score
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No. 1: Hugo Friedhofer and
THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
No. 2: Miklós Rózsa and
PLYMOUTH ADVENTURE
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No. 3: Max Steiner and
KING KONG
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No. 4: Elmer Bernstein and
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
No. 5: Bernard Herrmann and
VERTIGO
No. 6: Dimitri Tiomkin and
IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
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NEW!
No. 7: Alfred Newman and
THE SONG OF BERNADETTE
Editor's Choice -
Best of the Month for 2010
Best of the Month for January:
BLACK SUNDAY
music by John Williams (Film Score Monthly CD)
Best of the Month for February:
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ISLANDS IN THE STREAM
music by Jerry Goldsmith (Film Score Monthly CD)
Best of the Month for March:
CITIZEN KANE and HANGOVER SQUARE
music by Bernard Herrmannn (Chandos CD)
Soundtrack and Compilation Reviews
CADDYSHACK (1980) -- music by Johnny Mandel, songs by Kenny Loggins
SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT (1974) -- music by Gershon Kingsley
THE SPIRAL ROAD (1962) -- music by Jerry Goldsmith
THE WORLD AT WAR (1974) -- music by Carl Davis
Recommended DVDs and Books
DVDs
CAPTAIN ABU RAED
Rating: ****
THE FORD AT FOX COLLECTION:
THE ESSENTIAL JOHN FORD
DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK
THE GRAPES OF WRATH
HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY
MY DARLING CLEMENTINE
FRONTIER MARSHAL
BECOMING JOHN FORD
Rating: ***1/2
THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
2 Disc Deluxe Edition --
music by Dimitri Tiomkin
Rating: ****
THE JOHNNY CARSON SHOW
(Guests: Dimitri Tiomkin & Dr. Samuel Hoffmann)
Rating: ***1/2
Recommended DVDs with Isolated Scores
THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951)
(2 Disc Special Edition)
Music by Bernard Herrmann
Commentary by film & music historians John Morgan,
Steven Smith, William Stromberg, and Nick Redman
GARDEN OF EVIL (1954)
(Included in Fox WESTERN CLASSICS box set)
Music by Bernard Herrmann
Commentary by
John Morgan, Nick Redman, Steven Smith, William Stromberg
THE ROBE (1953)
(Special Edition)
music by Alfred Newman
Commentary by
film composer David Newman,
film historians Jon Burlingame, Julie Kirgo, and Nick Redman
RecoRRecommended Books mmended Books
A History of Film Music
by Mervyn Cooke
Alex North's A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE:
A Film Score Guide
by Annette Davison
The Soundtracks of Woody Allen:
A Complete Guide to the Songs and Music in Every Film, 1969-2005
by Adam Harvey
End Titles
Links
See the recommended sites at
Film Music Links
Tune Week Surveys
Read the lists of film themes and songs selected for the annual
Carry A Tune Week
Please help support
