Meet the composer

Well, I love distillery tours, and the one visit to a vineyard I've done was great. So I imagine that a tour of a brewery would be good too!

OK, moving on to Krakow and the film music festival there.

If my archives are correct, I first went there in 2012. Guests included Goldenthal (again!), Julie Taymour, Tom Tykwer, Reinhold Heil. There was a Live-to-Projection concert of PERFUME: STORY OF A MURDERER. Wojciech Kilar was there too, to receive a special lifetime award.

This is where I had my favourite Goldenthal interview. I went to the steel mill where the concert was being held later that evening, to attend the rehearsals. The rehearsal was in this big auditorium-type builiding with pillars and vast, empty rooms. I sat on a chair at the back of the room. Goldenthal was sitting in the middle of the orchestra. In a break, he and I went down the stairs for the interview. We sat down - on the stairs - for the conversation, and at some point an entire boy's choir walked by. He said they were there for the INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE segment. The interview didn't last more than 10 minutes or so, and Goldenthal was either inebriated/hung over or struggling with the head injury (maybe both), but it was a good talk. Alas, there is no picture of this. It would have been great -- in that big hallway, with pillars and pompous stairs and no one else in sight. Like something out of CITIZEN KANE.

Otherwise, I did a bit of sightseeing and met up with the regulars. Pawel, of course, and Maciek. Plus loads of Streamingsoundtracks guys. I hung out a lot with Francis (where is he these days?), we went to the salt mines, among other things. And we got fined for not stamping our bus tickets. Jon Broxton was there too, to host some Q&A.

I can confirm he's a great guy. He comes to Kraków every other year and I always manage to pull off a chat with him.

Marianelli is a nice guy. He was at the first SONCINEMAD event in Madrid. It was around tge time V FOR VENDETTA was out - I have a posed photo of him in front of the film poster (the event was held in a cinema multiplex).

I remember that he seemed very unsure what to do when he was there. He hadn't much experience of meeting fans or being the centre of attention.

If I remember correctly Marianelli is the only film composer to say that I have a lovely voice/accent!

The closest I got to that event was purchasing the recording of it on Blu-ray! Do you remember where you were sitting? I should pause it when they pan across the audience to see if I can find you, haha! What an amazing experience and memory Thor! You're super lucky to get to meet/see James Horner when you did! It seemed like it was a really special night for all.

It's only Tuesday, but I'm back from my holiday in the South of Norway, and thought I'd do another installment over a glass of white wine in the beautiful Oslo summer sun.

So, we're doing Hollywood in Vienna. I've only ever been to one other installment of this, the Danny Elfman event in 2017.

I travelled with Eirik Myhr this time, who's also an Elfman fan. We rented an Air B&B apartment fairly close to the city centre. Unfortunately, the press "junket" was several days before we arrived, so I came too late for a sit-down interview with Elfman. In return, the festival producers said I could be first in line for the red carpet interview just prior to the concert. And they were true to their word - I was not only alloted the first spot (even BEFORE the national news media), but also had a few extra minutes compared to those. I also interviewed conductor John Mauceri, Sandra Tomek and Robert Townson on the same red carpet. The results of this can be heard in this podcast episode:

http://celluloidtunes.no/celluloid-tune … l-edition/

Here's another pic from Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZs3JW1HcSm … _copy_link

To be honest, I can't remember much of what else we did, and I have no photo album of it (other than the red carpet photos). We probably did some more sightseeing, but not as much as my first trip. I know I accompanied Eirik to a few "nerd" stores.

I sincerely hope to make it to their 2022 edition, which highlights Alan Menken. He's on my third place of desired interviewees (after Williams and Zimmer.....well, and a longer, sit-down interview with Elfman, obviously).

Yes, him, in particular. Although my interest in his work has waned over the last decade (except some great indie efforts), he's kinda always been my no. 2 after Williams. But I don't think I came off as a fanboy.

Well, I just remembered another event.

Back in 2012, I went to LA to see Williams live at the Hollywood Bowl. But earlier in the day, Peter Hackman (of FSM and later Varese fame) hosted a film music event with multiple composers: Marco Beltrami, Robert Folk, Deborah Lurie, Graeme Revell, Theodore Shapiro, Richard Sherman, Bruce Broughton, George S. Clinton, Trevor Morris, Walter Murphy, Craig Safan and Edward Shearmur.

This took place at the Beverly Garland hotel.

I took some selfies here. One with Richard Sherman, just because he's a legend. One with Bruce Broughton, because of same. One with Marco Beltrami (who I was supposed to have met many years earlier, in Oslo, as he was here for the I AM DINA premiere -- but he was jetlagged and stayed in the hotel, while I trot around Oslo with his orchestrator Bill Boston instead). And one with Graeme Revell, who I've loved forever. We chatted a bit, mostly about US micro breweries, not film music.

The day before, I had attended a pool party at Henry Stanny's house (who goes by the name "Morricone" on FSM). Composer Stu Phillips was there, and greeted me with the words "Ah, the legendary Thor" when I arrived. That was a treat...and a bit awkward. He occasionally posts at FSM (he's 91 now, obviously about 10 years younger then). Also present was conductor and composer William Stromberg. Here's a late-night pic with the three of us.

After Peter Hackman's event, I was invited to a party at Christopher Young's house the next day, which I sadly had to decline because I had already pre-booked a trip to Catalina island. I regret it to this day -- the Catalina trip wasn't that good. It was a place mostly geared at couples.

OK, I'll take a break now while I think of other 'meet the composer' situations. Sorry. I don't intend it as gloating, but it's very useful for me personally to chart these events.

Gosh, I completely forgot about Pula, Croatia and their small film music festival there (the ISFMF - The International Sound and Film Music Festival), which I attended in 2018. It was a mixed experience, that's probably why it isn't in the forefront of my memory.

I was there at the time because they had launched a collaboration with the Camille award, and I was in the Norwegian jury of that award, so I travelled with the Norwegian composer organization NOPA (and our Norwegian nominee Ginge Anvik; Ola Fløttum -- who we also nominated and who eventually won for THELMA --- could not come in person). Other composers present included Richard Bellis, Ivan Palomares, Gary Marlowe, Rupert-Gregson Williams, Stephen Warbeck (who's somewhat of a festival "hound") and a few other less famous composers. Also present was famed Varese producer Robert Townson (also a festival "hound").

Can't say that we (i.e. I and the Norwegian delegation) felt particularly welcome. The organizers were more concerned with the big names and composers. So we mostly kept to ourselves. On one of the last days, there was a bus trip to a space observatory about an hour from the enclosed, desolate hotel where the festival was being held. Clearly, it was for the VIPs, and we were not invited. We basically had to "beg" to come, but were allowed in the end. Pretty nice trip, though....talked a bit with Robert Townson. I remember when we were in the observatory, they were playing music softly on the speakers, and I said "wouldn't it be perfect if they played something from Horner's DEEP IMPACT?", and sure enough -- two minutes later, they did. That made us smile a bit. There was also wine tasting.

During the closing party, I remember I belted out some Disney song in the hotel's lobby while someone accompanied on piano. No doubt fun to some, irritating to others.

But there was something about the whole "vibe" of the trip/event that felt off to me. For many years, I had wanted to go to Croatia, so I had high expectations for Pula. Came two days early to explore a bit, since the festival was being held far away from the city. OK town, but not the medieval glory I had expected (there are probably more impressive Croatian villages down the coast). And night life was basically non-existing. After I made my way to the labyrinthine, huge hotel resort where the event was being held, it felt impersonal and detached. Sure, there was a view to the sea, but there was nothing intimate or genuine about it. Then there was the detached organizers, and then there were the seminars, which were vacous and superficial. Can't say that I recommend this very much to people considering going (unless they've made some radical changes in recent years).

Anyone else have any more stories to share?