Robert Altman, Director | "Aria" (1987)

Robert Altman on "Kansas City" (and Jazz)

Robert Altman:

Kansas City became the hub of the music world at that time because it was the port for the center of the continent, the crossroad of commerce for one-sixth of America. All the airlines went through there, all the trains. You went from East to West, you went through Kansas City. It was the base for all musicians who traveled in what was called "The Territories", the Western territories. ..
The Director's Chair
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"The Great Ziegfeld" (1936)

"The Great Ziegfeld" (1936)

"The Great Ziegfeld" (1936)

The ups and downs of Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., famed producer of extravagant stage revues, are portrayed. - One of the biggest successes in film in the 1930s and the pride of MGM at the time, it was acclaimed as the greatest musical biography to be made in Hollywood and still remains a standard in musical film making. It won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture for producer Hunt Stromberg, Best Actress for Luise Rainer, and Best Dance Direction for Seymour Felix, and was nominated for four others. Although the film is still praised for its lavish production and as a symbol of glamor and excess during the Golden Age of Hollywood, today The Great Ziegfeld is generally seen less favorably and is considered by many critics to be excessively showy and long at just under three hours."

Classic (Released Prior to yr 2000)
John Barry | Composer

John Barry: The Gstaad Memorandum

Why was this film [Moviola, a documentary on Barry, which was screened moments before] made, and why does it not deal with the diversity and versatility of your music?

There's a very simple answer. This was made by Sony. I'm with Epic Records, and I made an album called Moviola. That album was a compilation of all the romantic themes, or many of the romantic themes, that I've written. And when you listen to an album, I think it's nice to have a transcendent mood rather than a romantic one. So it had a similar tone throughout. It was made by Sony, then it was picked up by Channel 13 in America, and put on a series they had called Great Performances. So that is why it is of this nature. I've also done another album for Sony called Moviola II, which takes care of all the James Bond music, Zulu, all the action films that I've done.

Clef Notes
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"From Here to Eternity" (1953)

"From Here to Eternity" (1953)

"From Here to Eternity" (1953)

In Hawaii in 1941, a private is cruelly punished for not boxing on his unit's team, while his captain's wife and second-in-command are falling in love. - From "Here to Eternity" is a drama film directed by Fred Zinnemann and written by Daniel Taradash, based on the novel by James Jones. The picture deals with the tribulations of three U.S. Army soldiers, played by Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, and Frank Sinatra, stationed on Hawaii in the months leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Deborah Kerr and Donna Reed portray the women in their lives, and the supporting cast includes Ernest Borgnine, Philip Ober, Jack Warden, Mickey Shaughnessy, Claude Akins, and George Reeves."

Classic (Released Prior to yr 2000)
Don Davis | Composer

Don Davis: Jurrasic Park III Interview

The last time we talked was just before "The Matrix" came out - and it turned out to be quite a hit. With the success of "The Matrix", do you think that has impacted your career thus far, two years later?

quote-leftOh yeah! Anything that has impact like that is going to change somebody's perception by others. "The Matrix" was such a surprise hit, but it's still hard to get projects because now I find myself competing with much higher properties. But I don't think I would have been considered for "Jurassic Park III" if I hadn't done "The Matrix".

Clef Notes
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John Cassavetes | Director, Writer, Actor

John Cassavetes - In Quotations

quote-leftI like to act in films, I like to shoot 'em, I like to direct 'em, I like to be around 'em. I like the feel of it and it's something I respect. It doesn't make any difference whether it's a crappy film or a good film. Anyone who can make a film, I already love. But I feel sorry if they don't put any thought in it because then they missed the boat. ..."

The Director's Chair
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Justin Caine Burnett | Composer

Justin Caine Burnett: Dungeons and Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is a very thematic score. Where did you find your inspiration for those varied themes?

quote-leftMy inspiration largely came from the story. There are all these different dynamic characters in the story, each with their own ideas and personalities that provided plenty of musical opportunities. My background includes working with Hans Zimmer, and he's a big thematic person, so I think that rubbed off on me a bit. Also, Courtney Solomon (the director) wanted everyone to have their own theme and musical personality.

Clef Notes
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Klaus Badelt | Composer

Badelt's Russian Tea Party with Klaus Badelt

For K-19: The Widowmaker, you wrote a very orchestral, traditional score. What was your motivation for doing so?

Well, Harrison Ford as a Russian. That's not very convincing by itself, and so you will need music to help sell it. At the beginning, when I first started working on the movie, it ran about four or five hours long. There was a large introduction to the characters before they launched the boat, with Harrison Ford's character, his wife, his whole history. It was all there. So you had a much bigger emotional buildup for what would eventually happen in the film. And therefore, as a Russian, he was much more believable - at least, compared to what you have now. So the music had an important job at the beginning to make you feel the roots and history of the characters. To tell you where they're from, what they feel, why Captain Vostrikov has issues with his father. Is he really the cold strict military government type? Why is Liam Neeson's character so close to his crew? We just jump right in, so you don't get it. You don't have the 300 years of history and how connected Russian society is to the military, and their special pride, and the feel of it. If you go to Russia, and spend some time there, it's quite different. They're a very proud people......
Clef Notes
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"The Greatest Show on Earth" (1952)

"The Greatest Show on Earth" (1952)

"The Greatest Show on Earth" (1952)

The dramatic lives of trapeze artists, a clown, and an elephant trainer are told against a background of circus spectacle. - "The Greatest Show on Earth" is American drama film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille; shot in Technicolor; and released by Paramount Pictures. Set in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the film, narrated by producer/director, Cecil B. DeMille, stars Betty Hutton and Cornel Wilde as trapeze artists competing for the center ring, and Charlton Heston as the circus manager running the show. James Stewart also stars in a supporting role as a mysterious clown who never removes his make-up, even between shows, while Dorothy Lamour and Gloria Grahame also play supporting roles."

Classic (Released Prior to yr 2000)
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