NOW PLAYING LI

Was just listening to this as well (To Tokyo), and was about to say (kind of) the same. He apparently wrote it for his sons (low budget) own film, which explains why it’s so understated and ‘small’, as opposed to his more epic previous works. Interesting, a melodic delight after Candyman, and need to revisit this in the evening, to be in the proper mood.

Maciek Dobrowolski - Czarny młyn (Black Mill)

Maciek's newest score, just came out under the Polish film title (a family adventure film, which reviewers compared to Stranger Things). This is a contemporary score. Available in streaming form (ca 44 minutes of score) and a 63 minute expansion (about 10-15 minutes short from the complete score), that is available for purchase at iTunes, Amazon and BandCamp.

I consulted the album's programming and, a bit, the English track titles. The expanded version features English track titles. I can provide translation of the Polish titles in the streaming version, should it be necessary.

Really proud of the guy and I feel honored to call him one of my very best friends.

I noticed that this was out and it is on my 'to listen to' list.

I have a bit of affection for the Clockwise CD - it features a quote from my review of the score!

He has a couple of things out on streaming. Check out his Apella and Ephemera concept albums and tell us what you think. I think you might enjoy at least some of that

I gave up on that particular aspect years ago. The difference needs to be so monumetal for me to take notice/double-dip that very, very few qualify. It would need to be situations like the Perseverance RAIN MAN versus the NoteforNote RAIN MAN. Then we're talking.

People have raved about the sound difference in several Williams scores (like IMAGES and THE EIGER SANCTION lately), but really, the originals sound perfectly fine. The difference is negligible.

But sound quality, along with expansion talk and various other issues SURROUNDING the music itself seems to be what everyone is talking about these days, in various fora. I just have to accept that and ignore as much as possible.

This is the thing. Some of the comments I have seen suggest that the differences are so great between versions that the improvements should be astounding. But they are invariably not.

I listen to an earlier version and then listen to a new version and I struggle to hear any differences, even when I am trying to hear a difference. Doing a side-by-side comparison to hear differences isn't a real life way of assessing the difference.

NP: SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS - Joel P. West

It’s above average in composition, I enjoy the orchestralness and eastern touches while it lasts, but the lack of strong thematic writing makes you forget it the moment it’s over.

There are themes, but they don't offer themselves on a plate. Repeated listening will reward you.

The movie is fantastic, by the way. WAY better than I anticipated, maybe because I avoided every trailer after the first one. Watching them now afterwards, I'm amazed what they gave away. Seriously, if you haven't seen any trailers yet, don't. Just go.

Well, it's one of those Marvel movies that are a little bit less like a Marvel movie and and a bit more like something on their own. It feels like a weirdly fun mix of Doctor Strange, Hero, and Narnia, with some fantastic modern day fighting sequences thrown in.

My exact feelings too, Bob.

Yeah, I think the superhero trend may count as the longest ever Hollywood trend by now? The problem is of course how studio’s have become addicted to ‘built-in audiences’, giving the films they churn out to have a certain certainty of success.

Also, the fact that a complete film studio (Marvel) has been built around it, and the only property they have is superhero’s, shows this trend has no signs of stopping yet. The only thing we can do about it is, to stop buying those damn movie tickets.

I was hoping the big crescendo of Avengers: End Game would make the whole thing come to its logical conclusion, but nope, people keep buying tickets to phase number I-lost-count. And the whole thing is drenched in fan service to “stay true to the comics”, which is just killing for creativity.

Meanwhile the trend has been going on for so long that younger movie-goers know nothing else besides superhero’s so they’ve just come to expect new episodes annually. Argh.

True, as painful as I find it to admit it. I recently read Walt Disney’s biography and, knowing what kind of person he was, it’s hard to imagine he would be happy with where his company ended up. The only originality coming from Disney being Pixar, despite the Toy Story sequels.

Cinderella (Mychael Danna)

So sad nearly every track doesn't last over a minute, it does sound nice and charming. You wish ideas were developed here

NP: BLACK MILL (Maciek Dobrowolski)

Per Pawel's previous recommendation. This new score was a surprise. Rather broad electronic landscapes, a combination of synthwave and Zimmer's more chugging, ambient landscapes in recent years. Not on CLOCKWISE's level, and it's a bit uneven (some parts are a bit generic), but I like it!

Judging from the cover and track titles, it appears to be the Polish version. It was through IFMCA.