The Woman Astronaut: Kickstarter Campaign - Penka Kouneva

The Woman Astronaut
The Kickstarter Campaign
by: Penka Kouneva

Warm greetings to you all!  Some of you haven't heard from me in a while and I cherish this opportunity to reconnect with you. 

I've just celebrated my 15th anniversary as a composer-orchestrator in Los Angeles. The last few years have been times of tremendous momentum and growth. After composing indie film scores, games, and orchestrating on great titles in film, games and TV, I’m setting my sights on scoring a bigger project.

To help reach this goal, I'm composing a new cinematic orchestral album titled The Woman Astronaut. We're recording it with 70 live musicians and... I'm running a Kickstarter campaign to make that possible.  [CLICK HERE]

I am a huge fan of her work and have covered proudly several of her composed scores that include "MIDNIGHT MOVIE" and "A WARRIOR'S ODYSSEY" released on our label "Howlin' Wolf Records". I would love to see this project see the light, so please click on the links and support this project!

Jeremy [HWR:OLM]

Dark Horse Comics: New Releases [March 5th, 2014]

Dark Horse Comics: New Releases
Click on BOOK TITLE to see them!

Issues:
------------------------------
Series Launch!!
Veil #1 <--- OMG. GREG RUCKA. So freakin' awesome.
Bad Blood #3 <--- Rad horror. Jonathan Maberry!
Catalyst Comix #9 <--- Psychedelic madness. Joe Casey!
Grindhouse: Doors Open at Midnight #6 <--- Brutally awesome!
Juice Squeezers #3 <--- Bug-mashing goodness. David Lapham!
Lobster Johnson: Get the Lobster #2 <--- LoJo's taking names!
Terminator Salvation: The Final Battle #4 <--- JMS's Terminator continues!
The Victories #10 <--- Twisted superhero trope fun. Mike Oeming!

Trades:
------------------------------
Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Rift part 1 TPB <--- The last Avatar arc begins!
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 Volume 5 TPB <--- Get caught up with Season 9 before Season 10!
EVE: Source HC <--- The craziest lore book about the craziest corporate scifi MMO!
Gasoline Alley Volume 1: The Complete Sundays 1920-1922 HC <--- A wonderful archival collection of Sunday funnies.

Varese Sarabande: SHARES SOME OF THE CLASSICS!

Screamworks Records: Super Shark (2014) - Jeff Walton

Super Shark (2014)
Music by: Jeff Walton

Digital: iTUNES | AMAZON | eMUSIC | SPOTIFY

Every now and then we like to dig up exciting scores written for cult low budget horror movies. When you read the premise for Super Shark - a giant primordial shark walking on land right into a bikini contest – then you just know that the score for the film has to be something extra.

Jeff Walton, a composer who has been around since the mid 90?s scoring many genre movies (including Curse of the Puppet Master, The Brotherhood and Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfolds) certainly knows the tricks of the trade and delivers an adrenaline-pumping score which has a lot of fun to offer the listener. Sometimes you don’t have to see the film to appreciate its music. That is certainly the case with Super Shark!

SWR14001 • SUPER SHARK (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Music Composed by JEFF WALTON
Release date (digital): March 4, 2014


DIGITAL: MovieScore Media
http://www.screamworksrecords.com/

Just Announced!
Jeremy [HWR:OLM]

Intrada: The Meteor Man - Cliff Eidleman

 

THE METEOR MAN
Composed and Conducted by CLIFF EIDELMAN
INTRADA Special Collection Vol. 274

“I wanted a bigger-than-life orchestral sound that
would tell you who was driving the energy of the score and to hit all of the
different levels of the story.” - actor/director Robert Townsend

For the 1993 MGM film The Meteor Man, composer Cliff Eidleman drew upon his inspiration from the pacing and large orchestral forces of such scores as Star Wars and Back to the Future, concentrating mostly on capturing the Meteor Man’s mythic dimension. “For me, ‘superhero’ music has extra muscle, a quality that transcends and takes flight,” Eidelman said. “That made it important to reference the stylistic feeling of the big superhero scores of the past, which had the straight-ahead sound of guys fighting for truth and justice. But [The] Meteor Man also had a completely new take on the subject matter. So I went for an approach that would be catchy and soulful.” Eidelman wrote a considerable amount of original orchestral underscore for the film, recording over an hour of exciting and energetic music on a scale of his other massive genre score, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

The premiere release of Cliff Eidelman's score is mastered directly from the digital two-track session masters, with the first 58 minutes constituting of the score in picture sequence, minus some very short bridge cues and other brief pieces. For completists, these additional 12 minutes of music appear as extras following the main program.

Robert Townsend imagined himself as Jefferson Reed, a well-meaning but cowardly high school teacher whose biggest lesson is to run away from trouble—especially when confronted by a gang called the Golden Lords. Struck by an emerald meteor, Reed gains a myriad of powers, including flight, strength, X-ray vision, the ability to memorize the skills gleaned from touching a book  and to speak and understand canine. Finding the confidence to assume the identity of Meteor Man, Reed becomes a moving target for the Golden Lords and their young spin-offs, taking a bruising while uniting gangsters, cops and neighbors with their own power to do good.

For track listing and sound samples, please visit:
IT'S ALL THE REAL STRENGTH YOU HAVE [CLICK HERE]

Just Announced!
Jeremy [HWR:OLM]

Vampyres: RAISE THE DEAD... Support this film!

Violet has suffered from hallucinations her entire life. She lives a quiet life with her aunt and uncle, having accepted that she may just have psychological issues. When she comes across a homeless man, Carl, who witnesses the same hallucination as her, she pursues him for answers. He begrudgingly reveals to her that these hallucinations only take place when vampires are near, a type of sixth sense they both possess. Our film follows the duo as Violet grasps the meaning of this and whether it's her duty to join Carl in hunting vampires.

http://vampyresfilm.com/

Great friends are making a film... let me, let them tell you more!

Jeremy [HWR:OLM]

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Varese Sarabande: I Missed the CLUB TITLES... You Will if you Don't Go Now!

STAR TREK NEMESIS: The Deluxe Edition
Music Composed and Conducted by
Jerry Goldsmith
2 CDs

It was, sadly, one of Jerry Goldsmith’s last film scores.  Only Timeline and Looney Tunes: Back In Action (both 2003) would follow it.  In 2002 Jerry Goldsmith took his final voyage on the fabled USS Enterprise and gave Star Trek Nemesis and the whole Next Generation crew an epic send-off.

This is the release so many Star Trek fans have been waiting for. Goldsmith’s complete score from Star Trek Nemesis is presented, along with a set of bonus tracks that includes source music, a set of alternate cues and mixes, plus a rare opportunity to listen in to the final moments of Jerry Goldsmith on the Star Trek scoring stage with his orchestra and director Stuart Baird.

THE LIST OF ADRIAN MESSENGER

Music Composed and Conducted by
Jerry Goldsmith

Today we celebrate what would have been Jerry Goldsmith’s 85th birthday.  And what a release we have to mark the occasion!!  A title like this deserves to be announced alone.  One of the greatest and most important scores of Jerry Goldsmith’s early career is 1963’s The List of Adrian Messenger.  We couldn’t be more excited about our world premiere release of this landmark score and we suspect there will be many who share our excitement.   The List of Adrian Messenger is fun and it’s dark, it’s romantic and it has thrilling action!  The score features a fox hunt cue that ranks among the greatest cues of Goldsmith’s career.  It was very clear, even in Jerry Goldsmith’s earliest scores, that he was a master.  Jerry was already revolutionizing film music by the time he wrote this score.  He had already written such film scores and Freud, Lonely Are The Brave and Studs Lonigan.  For television he had scored episodes of The Twilight Zone, Thriller and Dr. Kildare.  The stage was set for one of the greatest careers in film music history.  It wouldn’t take too many more years for Goldsmith to become a true legend.  What an important chapter in that story the score from The List of Adrian Messenger represents and finally … it’s available!  Enjoy!  Let’s all remember and celebrate the great Jerry Goldsmith.

THE ABYSS: The Deluxe Edition

Music Composed and Conducted by
Alan Silvestri
2 CDs

Another true classic joins the return of our CD Club.  Alan Silvestri’s The Abyss is one of the most loved and acclaimed scores of the 80s.  Alan teamed up with director James Cameron for his 1989 underwater action epic and delivered a massive work for orchestra, choir and synthesizers.  The score features moments of serene beauty, gripping tension, powerful action and utterly glorious swells from the orchestra and choir.  It all sounds better than ever in our new Deluxe Edition.

 

These are very limited releases, so please go and pick up these awesome scores now!

[CLICK HERE...]

 

Jeremy [HWR:OLM]

Varese Sarabande: THAT AWKWARD MOMENT [2014] - David Torn

 

VARÈSE SARABANDE RECORDS PRESENTS:
THAT AWKWARD MOMENT [2014]
Featuring Original Score Composed by David Torn

[CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION]

(February 10, 2014– Los Angeles, CA) – Varèse Sarabande Records will release the THAT AWKWARD MOMENT Original Motion Picture Soundtrack available now, and on CD Febuary 18, 2014.  The film, which was directed by Tom Gormican, features an original score by David Torn (JESUS HENRY CHRIST, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS).
 
Torn described his music for THAT AWKWARD MOMENT as “very theme-orientated, & focused a bit more on the film's characters than directly on the comedic.” He continued, “The score's orchestration uses a cross-bred, creative approach to orchestration; there are definitely some modern synths along with a contemporary approach to rhythmics, while most of the score is played with strings, piano, gamelan and upright bass, all married together with unique guitars and my own textured ambiances.” 

 
David Torn (aka "splattercell") is a composer, guitarist and producer of international stature, known for his unique musical voice. His compositionally textural work has had a material impact and influence upon both film scoring - through his own scores (LARS AND THE REAL GIRL, THE WACKNESS, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS), and upon contemporary electric, electro-acoustic and electronic music, in general, through his own ECM recordings and with artists as diverse as David Bowie, kd lang, John Legend, Meshell Ndegeocello, Jan Garbarek, Tim Berne, Tori Amos, and others.

Varese Sarabande: After the Dark [2014] - Nicholas O’Toole / Jonathan Davis

 

VARÈSE SARABANDE RECORDS PRESENTS:
AFTER THE DARK (AKA THE PHILOSOPHERS)
Composed by Nicholas O’Toole and Jonathan Davis

 

(February 10, 2014– Los Angeles, CA) – Varèse Sarabande Records will release the AFTER THE DARK Original Motion Picture Soundtrack available digitally on February 11th, and on CD March 4, 2014.  The film, which was written and directed by John Huddles, and produced by Huddles, George Zakk, and Cybill Lui, features an original score by Nicholas O’Toole (NOTHING LEFT TO FEAR, HOW TO BE A SERIAL KILLER) and Jonathan Davis (QUEEN OF THE DAMNED, the band Korn).  The album features additional music by Glen Phillips (the band Toad the Wet Sprocket).
 
AFTER THE DARK (aka THE PHILOSOPHERS) is set at an international school in Jakarta, where a philosophy teacher (James D'Arcy) challenges his class of twenty students to a final thought experiment. Faced with an impending nuclear apocalypse, they must determine which ten of them would take shelter underground and reboot the human race. The decision quickly becomes deadly as each in the group turns against each other in a desperate fight for survival that blurs the lines between theory and reality.
 
“The sound palette of the Indonesian gamelan creates music that I’ve always loved, and since this movie is set in Indonesia, my initial urge was to score the whole film with gamelan,” said director John Huddles.  “Ultimately we settled on a fusion approach that combines a synth soundscape with very sparing use of gamelan. We gave ourselves the musical freedom to hybridize sounds that originate from very different cultural sources.”
 
“Some of the synths are very gritty and harsh and almost passes as percussion or some intense bowed metal sound,” explained O’Toole.  “There were a variety of organic elements that were used prominently and sparingly. For example, there are undertones of Tuvan harmonic throat singing beneath oddly played cello and bassi. There is one cue with Tibetan horns blaring over minimal synthetic beats in a very alerting moment. We used Gamelan instruments, which are familiar and native to the region the film is set in. It was very fun and effective mixing these elements together in a way where they complemented each other.”
 
This multi-cultural approach, and mix of organic and synth sounds fit very naturally for the two composers.  Nicholas O’Toole has been a multi-instrumental musician since the age of 7, when he began to study piano and guitar. He graduated Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music in 2003 with a degree in film scoring and an emphasis on traditional composition, music theory and computer music technology. In 2003 he relocated to L.A. and began scoring independent films as well as ghostwriting for major composers scoring for television. Nicholas's expertise ranges from traditional orchestral scoring to modern electronic/hybrid scoring styles.
 
In addition to film composition, Nicholas specializes in computer music technology and sound design. He has created sound design and tour programming for the likes of Linkin Park, Ko?n, Maroon 5, Keith Emerson, Adam Lambert, Sheila E. and many others.  Nicholas also serves as Director of Artist Relations for Open Labs, an Austin TX-based music technology company and the leader in computer based all-in-one music keyboards. Nicholas helps develop StageLight, Open Labs’ touch screen music creation software.
 
Jonathan Davis is the lead singer and bagpipe player for the rock band Ko?n, which formed in Bakersfield, CA in 1993.  Korn has released eleven studio albums, eight of which went Platinum or Multi-Platinum. Ko?n has sold over 35 million records.  Davis was ranked #16 on Hit Parader’s "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists".
 
Davis is a prolific writer and composer who became interested in scoring film in 2002 when he began co-composing the musical score for the movie adaptation of QUEEN OF THE DAMNED.  He also composed the theme song for the 2002 revival of THE TWILIGHT ZONE and performed a cover of Neil Diamond’s “Love On The Rocks” for the movie WONDERLAND.  He began DJing since 1987 and recently began performing all over the world as an EDM producer/DJ under the moniker of JDevil.
 
Phase 4 Films and Olive Branch Productions present AFTER THE DARK, in theaters in limited release now and on DVD May 6, 2014.  The AFTER THE DARK– Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Varèse Sarabande Records will be available digitally on February 11th and on CD March 4, 2014.

###

www.varesesarabande.com
https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheDark
https://twitter.com/T_Philosophers

Jeremy [HWR:OLM]

Varese Sarabande: Non-Stop [2014] - John Ottman and friend Edwin Wendler

 

NON-STOP [2014]
Music Composed by John Ottman
Release Date: 03/04/14

Global action star Liam Neeson stars in Non-Stop, a suspense thriller played out at 40,000 feet in the air. During a transatlantic flight from New York City to London, U.S. Air Marshal Bill Marks (Neeson) receives a series of cryptic text messages demanding that he instruct the airline to transfer $150 million into an off-shore account. Until he secures the money, a passenger on his flight will be killed every 20 minutes. The film reunites Neeson with Unknown director Jaume Collet-Serra and producer Joel Silver, and co-stars Golden Globe Award winner Julianne Moore Composer John Ottman (The Usual Suspects, Valkyrie) ratches up the tension with a riveting, propulsive score. Universal Pictures will open NON-STOP nationwide on February 28.

Something is stirring and it's the sweeping score by composer John Ottman and he gets some help from one of our friends Edwin Wendler. You know it's going to be good, so get it!

 

[CLICK HERE] AND SIT IN YOUR SEAT!

Jeremy [HWR:OLM]

La-La Land Records: ESCAPE FROM L.A. [SCORE] - Shirley Walker / John Carpenter

 

ESCAPE FROM L.A. [SCORE]: LIMITED EDITION
COMPOSER: SHIRLEY WALKER / JOHN CARPENTER
1500 UNITS
NOW SHIPPING

La-La Land Records and Paramount Pictures present the remastered and expanded release of Shirley Walker & John Carpenter's score to the 1996 Paramount Pictures futuristic actioner ESCAPE FROM L.A., starring Kurt Russell, Steve Buscemi and Cliff Robertson, and directed by John Carpenter. When it came time to score his big-budget follow-up to the cult classic ESCAPE FROM N.Y., director/co-writer John Carpenter, who had inventively scored most of his films (HALLOWEEN, THE FOG, BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA), collaborated with the ingenious Shirley Walker (BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, BATMAN MASK OF THE PHANTASM, WILLARD) to create the perfect musical soundscape for the further exploits of Snake Plissken. Building upon Carpenter's iconic synth template, Walker harnesses her trademark orchestral power and the result is a full-charging heroic score that takes Plissken to new action-packed heights. Produced by Dan Goldwasser and mastered by Doug Schwartz, this expanded release boasts a running time of more than 78 minutes and contains cues that were recorded for the film, but never used. Film music writer Daniel Schweiger brings the listener behind the movie and its score with his in-depth liners and the sharp art direction is courtesy of Dan Goldwasser. This is limited edition of 1500 Units.

 

SURF IS UP [CLICK HERE]

Jeremy [HWR:OLM]

La-La Land Records: FLESH + BLOOD - Basil Poledouris

 

FLESH + BLOOD
COMPOSER: BASIL POLEDOURIS
LIMITED EDITION OF 1200 UNITS
NOW SHIPPING

La-La Land Records and MGM present the remastered re-issue of renowned composer Basil Poledouris' (CONAN THE BARBARIAN, ROBOCOP, THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER) original motion picture score to the 1985 medieval-set action/drama FLESH + BLOOD, starring Rutger Hauer, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jack Thompson, and directed by Paul Verhoeven. Considered to be one of his best works, Poledouris' bold score continues in his CONAN tradition - and it's an absolute powerhouse! Essentially, a release for those who weren't fortunate enough to obtain it previously, this re-issue produced by Ford A. Thaxton and remastered by James Nelson, is a must-have for any film music enthusiast who missed out on grabbing it. Film music writer Randall Larson eschews re-counting ground already covered extensively in previous editions of the soundtrack and instead focuses on an interview he and David Kraft conducted with Poledouris, in the composer's home, on May 19, 1985. To our knowledge, this is the only detailed, contemporary interview Poledouris gave on this score and much of this lengthy conversation had remained unpublished... until now. Majestic art direction by Mark Banning rounds out this exciting presentation. This is a Limited Edition of 1200 Units.

 

[CLICK HERE AND MEET THE CHALLENGE]

Jeremy [HWR:OLM]

La-La Land Records: MATRIX REVOLUTIONS: LIMITED EDITION (2-CD SET) - Don Davis

 

MATRIX REVOLUTIONS: LIMITED EDITION (2-CD SET)
COMPOSER: DON DAVIS
3000 UNITS

La-La Land Records, WEA and Warner Bros. presents the latest release in its Expanded Archival Collection, the 2-CD remastered and expanded re-issue of renowned composer Don Davis' (BOUND, THE MATRIX, THE MATRIX RELOADED) original score to the 2003 conclusion of the famed sci-fi/action THE MATRIX trilogy, MATRIX REVOLUTIONS, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss, and directed by The Wachowski Siblings. Composer Davis closes out one of the most notable sci-fi trilogies in all of filmdom with an astounding original score that is a stunning culmination of his breathtaking MATRIX masterworks. Expanded over two discs, with a running time of over two full hours, this presentation of MATRIX REVOLUTIONS, produced by Dan Goldwasser and mastered by Mike Matessino, contains music recorded for, but ultimately unused, in the final film, as well as bonus alternate cues. Film music journalist Tim Greiving takes the listener down the rabbit hole with his exclusive, in-depth liners while Dan Goldwasser's sharp art design recalls THE MATRIX universe with style. This is a limited edition of 3000 Units.

 

INTO THE MATRIX [CLICK HERE]

Jeremy [HWR:OLM]

La-La Land Records: THE BLUE MAX: LIMITED EDITION (2-CD SET) - Jerry Goldsmith

 

THE BLUE MAX: LIMITED EDITION (2-CD SET)
COMPOSER: JERRY GOLDSMITH
2000 UNITS
NOW SHIPPING

La-La Land Records and 20th Century Fox present the restored and remastered re-issue of legendary composer Jerry Goldsmith's (PATTON, THE OMEN, ALIEN, FIRST KNIGHT) original score to the 1966 Twentieth Century Fox WWI war drama THE BLUE MAX, starring George Peppard, James Mason and Ursula Andress, and directed by John Guillermin. Goldsmith's powerful masterpiece comes roaring back to life in this knockout presentation. Meticulously restored by Mike Matessino and remastered by Daniel Hersch from original stereo elements, this high-flying re-issue produced by Nick Redman and Neil S. Bulk features the intended film score on Disc One, and the first-time-ever CD debut of the original LP program on Disc Two, along with bonus tracks that include previously unreleased source music. Liner notes from film music writer Julie Kirgo and track-by-track analysis by writer Jeff Bond round out stellar art design by Jim Titus. A must for all film music enthusiasts! This is a limited edition of 2000 units.

Click Here: BLUE MAX...

Jeremy [HWR:OLM]

Intrada: Elmer Bernstein: The AVA Collection (3CD)

ELMER BERNSTEIN: THE AVA COLLECTION
INTRADA Special Collection Vol. 262

In 1961 a group of individuals spearheaded by Fred Astaire (including Jackie Mills, Thomas Wolf and Elmer Bernstein) formed the AVA record label, and in its brief four years focused primarily on the film music of Elmer Bernstein. The most famous of these were To Kill a Mockingbird and Walk on the Wild Side. Each album was meticulously recorded in superb three-channel stereo using top Hollywood and West Coast symphony musicians, jazz, performers and soloists. In addition to using his original scores with their expert orchestrations by Leo Shuken and Jack Hayes, the composer employed top arrangers like Shorty Rogers and conducted each of the albums himself. All the records were relatively brief, with running times of 24 to 33 minutes.

A variety of reissues have appeared over the years, yet none of these were sourced from the first generation 1/2" three track masters. The first to appear during the LP era were To Kill a Mockingbird and Walk on the Wild Side—both from Citadel Records. These LP releases were, in fact, transferred from vinyl, with generous noise-reduction circuitry dampening the surface noise—along with much of the orchestral nuance and fidelity. The subsequent CDs from the Japanese SLC label followed suit by using the same sub-standard master sources. The audiophile CD label Mobile Fidelity reissued Movie and TV Themes, and while the CD was subtitled an “original master recording,” it was actually presented in mono. The Mainstream label also reissued some of the catalog on CD, sometimes padding the short releases with mostly unrelated material, but still presenting the albums either in mono or from second-generation stereo tapes. Mainstream also deleted some tracks, such as on their truncated To Kill a Mockingbird and Baby the Rain Must Fall releases. In spite of all those decades of reissue activity, not one of these legendary albums has ever been sourced from its original three-channel masters.  Until now.

A two-decades-long search by Intrada has yielded every one of those precious rolls of tape (including the source for Intrada's earlier release of the complete Carpetbaggers) —intact and in pristine condition, with every vibrant audio channel present and every cue Bernstein recorded playing back in some of the most stunning audio quality of the sixties. This 3-CD set presents two albums per CD, in a musically balanced order. It is a treat to be able to preserve and present to a whole new generation of listeners this incredible set of recordings made half a century ago.

For track listing and sound samples, please visit:
CLICK HERE!

 

Jeremy [HWR:OLM]

Intrada: Distant Thunder [1988] - Maurice Jarre

DISTANT THUNDER [1988]
Music Composed by MAURICE JARRE
INTRADA Special Collection Vol. 271

 

Maurice Jarre's score for the 1988 Paramount film Distant Thunder was deep in his “synth period,” scoring a run of Peter Weir films (Witness, The Mosquito Coast) and others with all-synth or mostly electronic ensembles. “David Lean … always insisted that the music should really creep into the scene, and that the audience should not be consciously aware of the real entrance or exit of the music,” Jarre told Film Score Monthly in 1993. “Sometimes it is easier to do this with electronics, because they allow you more control over dynamics than an orchestra. … Electronics can creep in from absolutely no sound at all.” Directors like Weir liked the extra control synth scores gave them, and Jarre himself had been experimenting with electronic music and musique concrète since the 1950s.

Jarre enlisted his usual band of synth players—including Michael Boddicker, Ian Underwood, Ralph Grierson and Nyle Steiner—all among the elite instrumentalists in their field at the time. Jarre always recorded his tight little group as an ensemble, and they would play whole sections together, recording directly into a mixing board. In the score’s “Main Title,” Distant Thunder opens with eerily descending diminished chords (voiced by a choral effect) over a low sustained drone, with a lone trumpet voice referencing the film’s military undercurrent. The motif is punctuated with a tumbling percussive figuration that becomes a recurring ingredient in the score.  For this premiere release Intrada presents the score in stereo from the original session tapes stored at Paramount.

In Distant Thunder, the theater of operations is the unforgiving marshes of Vietnam and, subsequently, inside the troubled mind of Mark Lambert (John Lithgow), a “bush vet” living in the forests of the Olympic Peninsula ten years after the war. Lambert suffers psychologically the horrors he witnessed there and long ago abandoned his wife and son, Jack (Ralph Macchio), to retreat from society. After watching one of his comrades commit suicide, Lambert timidly reenters civilization—meeting the compassionate Char (Kerrie Keane), who gives him a job and encourages him to reconnect with Jack. Driven back into the forest by Char’s overprotective boyfriend, Moss (Jamey Sheridan), Lambert is pursued by his resolute son.

For track listing and sound samples, please visit:
CLICK HERE!

 

Jeremy [HWR:OLM]

Dark Horse: GAME OF THRONES® FIGURES

DARK HORSE ANNOUNCES:
THE NEXT WAVE OF
GAME OF THRONES® FIGURES,
TO RELEASE IN JULY!

MILWAUKIE, OR, JANUARY 10—The epic HBO® series Game of Thrones has won worldwide success and a legion of fans. This audience is clamoring for unique collectibles and merchandise, and Dark Horse has been working with HBO Global Licensing to provide just that. A core item in the Game of Thrones program is the ongoing series of high-quality, affordable, molded-plastic figures of the most in-demand characters.

Building on the success of the previously announced lineup, five new figures will debut to the trade in February at the International Toy Fair, held at Jacob Javits Center in New York.

The nonarticulated figures represent a moment in time from the show, perfectly capturing each character’s true personality. Each figure measures approximately 7.5 inches tall and is based on the likeness of the respective actors. Figures slated for a July 2014 release include Cersei Baratheon, Arya Stark, Robb Stark, Jaime Lannister, and the White Walker. The suggested retail price for each figure is $24.99.

“The Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen figures were snapped up by the fans, and the April releases are already highly anticipated,” Dark Horse Product Development head David Scroggy remarked. “We will continue to make these non-articulated figures, in order to capture all of the small details that would be at risk in a traditional jointed action figure. No corners have been cut in achieving realism and faithfulness to the HBO series.”

The Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen figures are available in stores now. Tyrion Lannister, Khal Drogo, and Ned Stark will arrive in early April, just in time for the Game of Thrones season 4 debut.  Just like the past releases, these figures will be presented in deluxe window-box packaging, the graphic design of which further underscores the aesthetic of the HBO series.

An additional group of five premium figures in this ongoing program is in the preproduction prototype stage, with a tentative release date of November 2014.

Jeremy [HWR:OLM]

Music Box Records: Good Will Hunting [Score] - Danny Elfman

MUSIC BOX RECORDS PRESENTS: COMPLETE RELEASE OF
DANNY ELFMAN’S OSCAR NOMINATED

"GOOD WILL HUNTING" 

French film music label Music Box Records presents the complete score for Good Will Hunting (1997) by Danny Elfman. Directed by Gus Van Sant based on a screenplay by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, the film tells the tale of the troubled title character (Damon) who is a janitor at MIT and is secretly a real mathematical genius. Reluctant to leave his regular life and job behind, Will needs help from psychologist Sean Maguire (Robin Williams) who shows him the way of realizing his full potential without abandoning his roots…The film won two Oscars (one for Williams and one for the writers) while it was nominated for another seven statuettes, including one for composer Danny Elfman and one for songwriter Elliott Smith.

Danny Elfman is of course best known for his Tim Burton movies (ranging from the director’s two Batman films to more recent affairs like Alice in Wonderland), but the composer has numerous other directors with whom he works regularly. Good Will Hunting marked the second collaboration between Elfman and Gus Van Sant (the first one being the director’s bitingly satirical To Die For, 1995); the relationship later extended to other films like Psycho (1998) Milk (2008), Restless (2011) and Promised Land (2012). Their collaboration on Good Will Hunting proved to be the most elusive of the bunch even though it brought Elfman the first Oscar nomination in his career.

The music for Good Will Hunting is a far cry from the usual Gothic sound of the composer who proves himself to be more than capable when it comes to scoring a deeply personal story. The music features acoustic guitar, piano, a smaller ensemble of strings and woodwinds plus a light choral effect in addition to some Irish sounding whistles that address the Boston setting of the story. From the "Main Title" to the "End Titles" (previously known as "Weepy Donuts"), Elfman’s music is mingling among minimalistic thematic variations the same way the titular Will Hunting is looking for a purpose in life…

Spicing up the intimate orchestral score are the contributions of indie songwriter Elliott Smith, whose "Miss Misery" was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Original Song. The song gave major exposure to Smith who unfortunately passed away at the tragically young age of 34 in 2003.

 MUSIC BOX RECORDS [CLICK HERE]

This is one of those scores that everyone wanted, well now it's here and fans will rejoice! I want to welcome Music Box Records for becoming part of our family, they have some wonderful scores and soundtracks to some of the greatest films. They have been very nice and kind to have waited for me to get back on my feet... well my broken ankle! Thank you and Welcome!
Jeremy [HWR:OLM]

Music Box Records: Hold-Up and Dernier Été à Tanger - Serge Franklin

MUSIC BOX RECORDS PRESENTS:

TWO SCORES BY SERGE FRANKLIN:
HOLD-UP AND DERNIER ÉTÉ ÀTANGER

Following the releases of Coup de Sirocco, Le Grand Pardon and Le Grand Carnaval, Music Box Records presents two more scores by French composer Serge Franklin from  his collaborations with Algerian-born director Alexandre Arcady.

Shot in Montréal, Canada, Hold-Up (1985) is a unique cross between French and American heist films, featuring the great Jean-Paul Belmondo as a clown who breaks into the most secure bank in the city. Also starring an international cast of Kim Cattrall, Guy Marchand, Jean-Pierre Marielle and Tex Konig, Hold-Up was quite successful in America as well and was remade as Quick-Change in 1990. Franklin’s score is an ingenious blend of American/French heist movie traditions with an addictive, funky sound, including the theme song by Rena Scott and the song “Running Wild” by Jan Loseth.

Dernier Été à Tanger (Last Summer in Tanger, 1987) is a more series affair, starring Valeria Golino (Hot Shots!, Rain Man) as the beautiful Claudia Marchetti who is seeking vengeance for the death of his father. As per usual, the private vendetta interferes with official police business: local detective Corrigan (Thierry Lhermitte) is recruited to find international crime boss William Barrès (Roger Hanin), but the personal angle eventually intervenes the investigation. Returning back to his North African roots, Arcady asked Franklin to composer a Oriental-flavored, erotically charged thriller scores that also features a couple of songs: one by star Valeria Golino and two by Anna Karina who appears as a cabaret singer in the film.

Music Box Records presents both scores in as complete a form as possible. The Hold-Up presentation recreates the original LP and since the original album was fairly representative of the score, there was no need for expansion. Last Summer in Tanger had previously been released on LP, but this new release expands the original album with 9 minutes of additional jazzy goodness that wasn’t featured on the record. The limited edition of 500 CDs comes with an 8-page booklet with French and English commentary by Gérard Dastugue.

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I am enjoying what I am hearing, these two are very new to me... you really should look into theses scores and once again... thank you to Music Box Records for offering some great score music.

Jeremy [HWR:OLM]

NINJA 2: SHADOW OF A TEAR!

NINJA 2: SHADOW OF A TEAR is an excellent example of how the direct-to-video market is the best place to see true action films.  I guess I could go on about how NINJA 2 contains more than enough perfectly filmed fight scenes to satisfy the most die hard action aficionado.  But I feel there is a lot more going on with this film and other works by one of the greatest action directors ever, Isaac Florentine.  What makes director Isaac Florentine so unique is his appreciation of all the elements that go into making a great action film.  NINJA 2 showcases all these elements in fine form.  What we get with this film is a solid story, a strong well acted protagonist, a dark and strange antagonist and uncompromisingly violent action scenes that deliver the goods.  All of these movie elements are of course put together and maintained by the director who knows how to use the camera to heighten every experience on screen for best dramatic effect whether it be a punch to the face or a emotion expressed by a character.

I think the most overlooked component of Florentine's films is the story.  We get too distracted by all the punching, kicking , flippi-dee-doo marital arts that we forget that we are invested emotionally into the characters of our story.  Two great examples of this our UNDISPUTED 1 &amp; 2.  NINJA 2 is no exception.  Scott Adkins plays Casey a Ninjitsu master whose wife was murdered by another ninja named Goro.  The sequel to NINJA is a little more darker when it comes to the character of Casey.  We see that even though he is the master of the martial arts he does his best to avoid confrontation.  When he discovers his wife is murdered however, he has no problem killing anyone who may have had a hand in it.  That is different from the character he played in the first one where if he killed anyone it was because of the necessity of the situation.  The new Casey at one point kills a guy who he rendered defenseless in cold blood.  Being master-less of his emotions plays a big part of the story which is why NINJA 2's standard revenge formula stands out from almost all wannabe action films out there that complicate their plots in an attempt to make their movies seem smart.  NINJA 2's complexity is more subtle and can be easily overlooked but it is there.  CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST....

Jason