Star Wars: The Force Awakens (12/18/15)

[jye4ever]

The dude is 120 we all knew this was eventually going to happen.

I'm just glad I got to see him live before he Hnnnnng and goes off to that big Ewok village in the sky.

Now it's time to stink up the joint.

 

[K07]

This score was underwhelming but was a far better effort than KotCS! That had the Academy Chase music and.... Some weird alien music I guess got the MacGuffin. But everything else was generic and forgettable. This had Rey's Theme. I remembered that one the next day. But that's it. And it's nothing compared to the PT Soundtracks.

 

[xipotec]

And it's a bad sign when you can't distinguish the themes (the parts that aim to be catchy) from the incidental action music. That's most of John Williams scores for me over the past 15 years.

But look, I know, he owes us nothing. His past work is incredible and as I said I'd still take Williams doing these scores over Giacchino who I guess would have been Abram's go-to composer otherwise.

Yes this is true...plus the guy is like 80 something isn't he?

Overall I agree....Duel of the fates was much more accessible....hell they were playing it on the radio at the time ...and often!!!

I also think JW is making more subtle and difficult themes for mass consumption. They do NOT have "a hook". I think that intentional. He didn't write them for the 3 note or 4 note memorable musical line. Believe me, if he wanted to he could have...he is a master.

I think his score is subtle because the themes are subtle and have yet to be truly revealed....

Also you never know maybe JW didn't like working without LUCAS.....



As a side note. Watch ANH last night...its still incredible how well it stands up after all this time.

I will say this, EVERY SINGLE SCENE Lucas added to this masterpiece SUCKED...He really lost it....All the added scenes has the same low ball stupid humor that ruined the PT. The new shots for the most part looked terrible also..the original effects looked better ( aside from the improved death star battle and maybe the changes to the Jawa hunt.

Bad changes list;

1. Driods fighting in Mos Eisley
2. Jawas falling off their mount.
3. Over crowding Mos Eisley with bad CGI
4. Jabba and Han.

 

[K07]

The improved effects of the X-Wings and the Battle of Yavin are things I miss watching Harmy's discs. But I gladly sacrifice those to lose the other changes. I like the idea of making Mos Eisley a bustling space port but it wasn't well implemented and the original plays out better.

 

[rushmore223]

Just saw this yesterday. I must say I really enjoyed it. After Empire, this is my next favorite SW movie. I liked the serious tone to the movie. I don't think it's a coincidence that my 2 favorite SW movies weren't directed by Lucas. I always felt Lucas' SW films were geared more to the kiddies. Always hated when SW movies were contaminated by characters like Ewoks and Jar Jar Binks. I much prefer the tone of Empire and this film. Looking forward to the sequel.

Lucas didn't direct ROTJ (the one with ewoks), Richard Marquand did.

 

[greedo737]

But Lucas was more heavily involved day to day with RotJ than ESB. To me it feels like he directed it haha

 

[GasparZizou]

Again... I listen to film score all the time. When I was younger, before VHS rentals , buying the soundtrack was the only way to see the film again (in you imagination). A great film score would make you remember the film and try and think of what was happening during the cues. You can try and say that I have not listened to this enough and you may have point.. But when watching films I am always aware of the music and how it impacts the film and my enjoyment of it. TFA was boring action cue music and nothing more... To me anyways.

It's easy for anyone to remember any kind of sound cue if listened to a lot and think "it must be inherently memorable". Maybe it is, but I wouldn't compare years or nostalgia embedded memories vs a couple days/hours.

Break out any of Williams old scores.. Not all of it is fanfares but the music stood on it's own as just great music... The Truck Chase form Raiders, The Asteroid field from Empire, Sea Attack number 1 from JAWS... Music that when you sat and listened to it the first time it would take you back to the scene they were from.

I'm aware of it, but most people aren't, I also listen to OST all the time, most people just remember fanfares and jingles, especially in the case of JW.

 

[Mighty_Jabba]

For people who didn't like the score, just stick with it. There are some good new themes there. They're not as obvious as his older stuff, but after few listenes you start to catch on them. There's a nice fanfare for Poe, Kylo Ren has his music, obviously Rey's theme, March of the Resistance, the music at the end when Rey walks up the steps to meet Luke is great. Also his action writing in this is great, I haven't heard him write like this since 1993. It's like old Williams channeling his younger self. I find the action writing in this much more sprightly than his prequel music

 

[DiFabio]

Oh and interesting bit I just found out.

So I said a page or two back that even the Main theme of Star Wars (opening scroll) sounded different. It sounded small compared to the other six films..

Well two things.

1. This is the first score that the London Symphony Orchestra was not used

and

2. There was a guest conductor for the main theme (Gustavo Dudamel )

I don't know if its one or the other or both but the opening theme does not have the impact the other scores do.

I also don;t know if the Soundtrack was taken right from the film score sessions.... If not then Williams may have conducted the film version but I noticed during the movie that it sounded like the album so if it was John then I blame the Orchestra they used.

I thought it sounded weird! I had no idea that was it, thanks for sharing. I thought it was either me or the theater I saw it both times at.

The sound and sound effects also weren't as powerful as I remember them in the other Star Wars movies. The lightsabers and blasters in particular didn't sound as great or something. That's one thing about Revenge of the Sith, might not be the best movie, but the sound editing was top notch. I'll never forget my first viewing and having to close my ears at some of the blasts in that opening battle scene or really digging that moment where General Grievous ignites all four lightsabers and they make that cool sound as he's whipping and slicing them on the floor like a propeller.

That lizard thing Kenobi rides on was annoying as **** though.

 

[JAWS]

It's easy for anyone to remember any kind of sound cue if listened to a lot and think "it must be inherently memorable". Maybe it is, but I wouldn't compare years or nostalgia embedded memories vs a couple days/hours.

Again I am not comparing years... I am comparing first time listening experiences. How about The Lord of the Rings? I did not have to see the film a hundred times or listen to it repeatedly to recognize how great it was.

I still remember he first time I listened to Ben's Death and Tie Fighter Attack on 8 track tape. I remember getting excited and loving it... There is nothing like that in the new film. Nothing at all.

 

[meanstreak]

 

[Spartan Rex]

 

[filip629]

Lucas didn't direct ROTJ (the one with ewoks), Richard Marquand did.

Didn't know that. I like SW but I'm certainly not an aficionado.

But Lucas was more heavily involved day to day with RotJ than ESB. To me it feels like he directed it haha

Sure felt like a Lucas film to me. It was like a film that was split in half. I really liked everything not Ewok related. Everything involving the Ewoks really just killed it for me.

 

[jye4ever]

RM was just a puppet, GL had 100% creative control, he just needed some days off to go shopping.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Jye!

What did you think of TFA?

 

[greedo737]

Regarding the music: I'm sure Kylo will get his own dedicated theme in the next one. Vader didn't get his own til the second film haha

 

[Kamandi]

Richard Marquand was a ghost director so Lucas could avoid a ton of Director Guild fines. Lucas actually directed ROTJ

 

[jye4ever]

Jye!

What did you think of TFA?

Fun with flaws.

Richard Marquand was a ghost director so Lucas could avoid a ton of Director Guild fines. Lucas actually directed ROTJ

It's your Uncle......

Bingo!

 

[JAWS]

Richard Marquand was a ghost director so Lucas could avoid a ton of Director Guild fines. Lucas actually directed ROTJ

Lucas was not part of the Directors guild... I believe he when they tried forcing him to put credits at the beginning of SW.... It also had something to do with why Spielberg did not direct Jedi like both of them wanted to have happen.

When Empire Strikes Back rolled around the unionists through their toys. I say unionists as that's the guilds are - organised professionals. The unionists didn't want Lucas breaking with their rules so they fined him and Empire's director Irvine Kershner. Lucas wasn't having any of this bollocks, paid the fines and then quit the various bodies that were getting in his way. And thus the Star Wars films became effectively known as independent films - especially as Lucas was stumping up the cash to produce them himself.

Which is all to George's credit - Star Wars gave him the luxury of being his own man. He could do what he wanted and the studios would still support him and distribute his films. His dispute with the DGA did apparently prevent him from hiring his pal Steven Spielberg to direct Return of the Jedi. Apparently.


From - A Galaxy Far Far Away website.

Havingng said that... I do believe that Lucas was responsible for much of Jedi... I also believe he deserves more credit for the Empire Strikes Back... First off American Graffiti and Star Wars are both well made films with good acting... Second... Irvin Kershner?? Irvin Kershner???? I mean the guy who made Robocop 2 and Never Say Never Again is the guy solely responsible for Empire?? I don't buy it. Lucas was on set every day and I am sure he had tons of input.

Now the drop off in quality from Empire to Jedi could have a lot to do with Lucas getting lazier (something we saw with the PT) and having more ad more of his own money involved and wanting to finish the films quicker. I also believe Irvin is better then Marquand. So the input he had in Empire was far better then Marquand's for Jedi... Perhaps Marquand did nothing. Jedi does feel more PT then OT but Empire feels More like SW...

 

[KitFisto]

The problem with Jedi was the fact that Lucas pretty much had a ton of filler material outside of the Han rescue and the final Luke/Emperor/Vader confrontation. Supposedly the end confrontation was all he had left from his original idea for Star Wars, but knowing how Lucas seems to change his story from year to year who really knows.