Screenhead

Despite social websites such as wikipedia becoming instututions for those in search of knowledge, the film industry hasn’t found a way of utilising this method for film-making. The best example so far has been Voices of Iraq, the 2004 documentary featuring footage of the public of the world’s most dangerous country shot by themselves. It was  fascinating project that provided the world with a perspective that was virtually unavailable until then. However, this year sees the release of another wikipedia-inspired documentary, albeit this time in a very different genre.

All Tomorrow’s Parties may be a classic Velvet Underground song, but it is also an alternative music festival that originated in the UK (since then it has spread to the US, Australia, and Spain, for special occasions). Hosted in an economy holiday camp, each festival has a famous curator who picks all of the other acts, making it a 3-day live mix-tape. Previous curators have included Simpsons curator Matt Groening, actor Vincent Gallo, and acts such as Nick Cave, Sonic Youth, Mogwai, and Portishead. Across the years roadies, fans, and organisers have been filming performances, mostly for personal use, but now that footage has gone to a much better use. All Tomorrow’s Parties is a documentary about the festival, a collage of iconic performances and amusing moments across the festival’s 10 years, including some interviews that will prove fascinating for anyone interested in alternative music.

Kicking off with a live performances of the thundering Battles song Atlas, the doc cuts between performances, the activities of the fans at and outside the gigs, and also archive footage of the holiday site back in its heyday, all with a frenzied pace. The connection is the notion of social gathering. Today the holiday sites of the festival are an opportunity to bring together a community of people who look beyond the mainstream for their music and entertainment. And the documentary manages to catch a glimpse of the spirit of the festival’s community with many shots of its fans and their escapades (from getting drunk to dancing, to waxing lyrical about society). It also provides some magic moments, such as semingly impomptu performances from artists outside their cabin accommodation or on the site’s beach. Singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston sits on the grass playing an acoustic set to anyone walking by, indie-crooners Grizzly Bear harmonise on the beach at night, and hardcore noise duo Lightning Bolt deliver an intense set (that gets complaints from the resident neighbours) outside of the organiser’s cabin. All of these moments combine to offer a real sense of not only what this festival provides, but any modern music festival. And even though it’s a shame that we don’t get to see any songs performed in their entirety, All Tomorrow’s Parties is a perfect document for fans of alt-rock, indie, electronic, or anything outside of the kind of drivel we hear in American Idol.

The documentary will be available to download on the official website from next week.

“You’re as Cold as Ice…”

Foreigner, one of the world’s most popular and enduring rock bands, released a new three-disc collection, including a CD album of all new music, a CD album of the band’s original hit recordings, and a DVD of the band in concert and beyond. Can’t Slow Down is the name of the album available from Rhino Entertainment, exclusively through Wal-Mart.

The title track, Can’t Slow Down, was written by Mick Jones, Kelly Hansen, and Marti Frederiksen as a tribute to NASCAR in celebration of Foreigner’s appearance at the Samsung 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway earlier this year. NASCAR fans bought so many CDs that day that Foreigner’s 2008 release No End In Sight: The Very Best Of Foreigner was propelled back into the Billboard Top 200.

The collection’s second disc contains 10 remixes by Marti Frederiksen and Anthony Focx of some of the band’s most well known songs, including “Feels Like The First Time,” “Cold As Ice,” “Urgent,” “Hot Blooded,” and “I Want To Know What Love Is.” The remixes bring a new energy and sound definition to these classic songs.

Happily, I was able to talk with Tom Gimbel, who plays rhythm guitar, keyboards, sax, and flute. Tom hits those high-notes during “Urgent” when he performs his solo with the sax. 

Tom is a very, cool upbeat guy who’s been with Foreigner for over 17 years, ‘longest band member other than the original guys.”  Tom has seen the group change and grow while still being its “vibrant force.”

I asked Tom about the remixing of the older rock songs for the second disc, and he stressed that it’s really remastering, “cleaning up the sound, so it jumps out of the speakers.” 

I couldn’t image these great-old songs jumping out of the speakers anymore than they do now, but I listened to the new sounds…yes, the songs jump out even more and sound fantastic! Even my nine-year old daughter loves their music.

Tom and I talked a little bit about Foreigner’s music being played in movies, of course, we knew it had been done, but couldn’t name any movies until my daughter mentioned “I Want to Know What Love Is” plays on Alvin and the Chipmunks Squeakquel teaser trailer.  Then…yes of course.

What was life like for this rock and roll star growing up? Tom got his ear for music by listening to Broadway show tunes instead of watching television. He’s mother would take a big stack of LPs, place them on the console to play and all four children, including Tom would sing and dance the afternoon away. 

So, after I talked with Tom, my daughter and I sat down and watched the DVD. It captures the band performing many of its hits live in 5.1 surround sound. The DVD also contains performances filmed during the band’s recently completed European tour. We were amazed at how vibrant the band could be, even though some of them look a little older – I am being kind, but it’s obvious, they are not slowing down. The performances were fantastic!

Also featured is a behind-the-scenes, but we didn’t look at that part of the DVD. But it contains the creation of Can’t Slow Down, from writing sessions in New York, Nashville, and Los Angeles to the Wal-Mart shareholders meeting where the exclusive partnership behind this project was finalized.

Screenhead has the 3-disc collection Can’t Slow Down available for giveaway.  Please post your name and we will pick the winner Wednesday, October 28, 2009.

Alicia (34) and Jayme Isaacs (110) are the winners of Funny People soundtrack!

The songs are emotionally low but raises the tiny little hairs on the back of my legs, go figure. Why is this happening to me?  Most likely it’s the rare John Lennon acoustic demo of “Watching the Wheels,” the 1981 single released after his death, is one of the highlights of the original motion picture soundtrack available July 28 and features two exclusive new live tracks: James Taylor’s on-camera performance of “Carolina in My Mind” in the film, and Wilco’s “Jesus, etc.,” featuring Andrew Bird on violin recorded during their Summer 2008 tour.       

Yes, Funny People movie soundtrack is for silly heroes, the hero in all of us, who strive to achieve our dreams and live our lives with real love and compassion for our fellow Man.      

The film’s theme of mortality runs through several of the selections, including a pair of tracks from Warren Zevon, “Keep Me In Your Heart” and “Numb as a Statue,” from his 2003 album The Wind, which came out just two weeks before his own death from cancer. Lennon’s “Watching the Wheels,” from his 1980 Grammy-winning Album of the Year, Double Fantasy with Yoko Ono, came out several months after his tragic murder.

I am listening to Funny People soundtrack.  It’s low emotionally but raises the tiny little hairs of my back and legs, go figure. Why is this happening to me?  Most likely it’s the rare John Lennon acoustic demo of “Watching the Wheels,” the 1981 single released after his death, is one of the highlights of the original motion picture soundtrack available July 28 and features two exclusive new live tracks: James Taylor’s on-camera performance of “Carolina in My Mind” in the film, and Wilco’s “Jesus, etc.,” featuring Andrew Bird on violin recorded during their Summer 2008 tour. Funny People hits theaters nation-wide on Friday, July 31st.      

Yes, this soundtrack is for silly heroes, the hero in all of us, who strive to achieve our dreams and live our lives with real love and compassion for our fellow Man.      

The film’s theme of mortality runs through several of the selections, including a pair of tracks from Warren Zevon, “Keep Me In Your Heart” and “Numb as a Statue,” from his 2003 album The Wind, which came out just two weeks before his own death from cancer. Lennon’s “Watching the Wheels,” from his 1980 Grammy-winning Album of the Year, Double Fantasy with Yoko Ono, came out several months after his tragic murder.      

Screenhead has 2 Funny People soundtrack CDs available for give away.  Post you name and we will pick the winners Tuesday, August 4, 2009.

I love Jackson Browne; he is the definition of cool.  Although I strongly urge people to stay away from shrinks, this song is beautiful and the film shows a desperate man trying to get control of what he has left — nothing.

Sure you are itching to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and the opening day, July 15th, is just too far away.  You can’t stand it anymore! Well, AOL Radio Station might have the next best thing for you to keep you appeased while you go through the dreaded waiting pattern — the movie soundtrack online!

AOL Radio Station has an exclusive premiere for the new Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince soundtrack. The only snare is that you need to go on the hour every hour to listen to each song on the soundtrack album, one song per hour. I’ve enjoyed listening because Harry Potter soundtracks are unique and clever, each part of the story can easily be “seen” through the music. The music plays an important role in this movie as it does in every movie. To take a listen — just click on Harry at the top of the hour and go to Move Scores.

Details of the giveaway are below!

Sony Classical is pleased to announce the release of the original motion picture soundtrack of Angels & Demons featuring an original score by Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer and solos by Grammy-winning violinist Joshua Bell, available May 12, 2009.  Sony Pictures releases the highly anticipated film Angels & Demons, from the team behind the global phenomenon The Da Vinci Code, on May 15, 2009.   

Angels & Demons is based upon the bestselling novel by Dan Brown. Tom Hanks reprises his role as Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, who once again finds that forces with ancient roots will stop at nothing, even murder, to advance their goals. Ron Howard returns to direct the film, which is produced by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, and John Calley. The screenplay is by David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman. 

Director Ron Howard again teamed with composer Hans Zimmer for the Angels & Demons score.  This film score required an entirely different musical approach than the score for The Da Vinci Code.  Zimmer found ways to make the music as agile and kinetic as Robert Langdon’s firing synapses, He used, for example, a chamber group instead of a traditional orchestra to create that sense of action. 

Since Angels & Demons is equally about religion and science, Zimmer represents religion with the combination of orchestra and chorus and used electronics to denote science. As he put together the orchestra for the recording, Zimmer sought out the best and hired violinist Joshua Bell.  Says Zimmer, “Joshua played like an angel with his violin framed by the contrasting starkness of the electronics.  He added such beauty and grace to the music, and such depth to the characters.  He is an extraordinary artist.” 

Howard says, “There’s nothing formulaic about the way Hans thinks about the score,” adding that Zimmer’s music always “suits the sound that the film calls for.”  In this case, Zimmer echoed the cinematic theme of hidden meanings by playing a musical game.  As a nod to the symbologist character, Zimmer hid a five-note musical ambigram in the score. Whether or not anyone figures it out remains to be seen, but one thing is certain; as Howard says: Zimmer is “a fantastic storyteller.” 

Click here to view an interview with Ron Howard and Hans Zimmer discussing the Angels & Demons score. 

About Joshua Bell

An exclusive Sony Classical artist, Grammy Award winner Joshua Bell has captured the public’s affection like no other classical violinist of his time. He came to national attention at the age of 14 in a highly acclaimed orchestral debut with Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra. A Carnegie Hall debut, the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant and a recording contract further confirmed his presence in the music world. Bell’s 2008-09 season kicked off with the September world-wide highly praised Sony Classical release of Vivaldi: The Four Seasons recorded with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, his return to his alma mater – Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music as a senior lecturer, and the 10th anniversary DVD release of The Red Violin film featuring Bell as the soloist on the Oscar-winning score.

About Hans Zimmer

Hans Zimmer has scored over 100 films. He has been honored with an Academy Award, two Golden Globes, and three Grammy awards. In 2003, ASCAP presented him the prestigious Henry Mancini award for Lifetime Achievement for his impressive and influential body of work.  His most recent films include the critically acclaimed blockbuster The Dark Knight, the Oscar-nominated Frost / Nixon, Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar 2.  Zimmer’s other wide-ranging credits include Gladiator, The Lion King, Rain Man, Driving Miss Daisy, As Good As It Gets, Something’s Gotta Give, The Thin Red Line, Black Rain, Crimson Tide, Thelma & Louise, Hannibal, Black Hawk Down, The Last Samurai, The Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy, Batman Begins, The Da Vinci Code, Green Card, and True Romance among others.

Post your name and Screenhead will pick the winner of the Angel & Demons Soundtrack CD and Movie Poster Tuesday, June 16, 2009.

Jayme Isaacs (56) is the winner — Congratulations!

 CELLIST YO-YO MA IS FEATURED SOLOIST

ON ASHES OF TIME REDUX SCORE

Sony Classical Soundtrack available digitally Today!

After his acclaimed performances on the soundtracks of Memoirs of a Geisha and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, cellist Yo-Yo Ma is the featured soloist throughout the score for the Sony Pictures Classics film, Ashes of Time Redux directed by Wong Kar Wai. Hailed as “gloriously superb” by the Los Angeles Times, the epic martial arts film has been restored and is now available on DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.  The film’s soundtrack recording on Sony Classical is available online through all digital service providers on March 3, 2009.

Originally completed in 1994, Ashes of Time Redux received a limited release and, in the years since, the existing prints and negatives had become damaged or destroyed.  “To rectify this situation,” Wong Kar Wai states, “we decided to revisit this project and to create the definitive version.”  He and his colleagues began the process by gathering as much existing material as could be found and restoring those elements, using advanced technology that had not existed in the early ‘90’s. He also collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma to create a new soundtrack, rearranging some of the original compositions by Freddie Chan and adding some original ones.  

Screenhead and Sony Masterworks are teamed up to giveaway a digital copy of the soundtrack to Ashes of Time Redux.  To enter, post your name and Screenhead will pick the winner Friday, May 15, 2009.