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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Discussion in 'Star Wars And Film Music' started by General Kenobi , Sep 22, 2007.

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  1. Darth_Vader-Anakin

    Darth_Vader-Anakin Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2002
    I enjoy all of the music in "Finale", but I wish it were presented better -- not so hacked up. I don't understand why it is various pieces cut and pasted rather than actually composed as a proper suite.
     
  2. Cerrabore

    Cerrabore Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 17, 2004
    Williams hasn't written a cohesive end credits piece since... oh, before you were born...
     
  3. Darth_Vader-Anakin

    Darth_Vader-Anakin Jedi Youngling star 3

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    Jul 22, 2002
    My own council will I keep on what is a cohesive end credits suite, and 1992's "Far and Away" fits my criteria -- before I was born.
     
  4. Well_Of_Souls

    Well_Of_Souls Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Aug 26, 2001
    Second impressions:

    "Departure" is a great cue. I really can't wait to hear this in the film. The fanfare of the main Crystal Skull melody at the end gives me chills and really brings to mind a weird, inverted version of the 5-note Close Encounters theme.

    "Ants!" is probably my favorite action cue at this point. I really love the Russian motif that appears halfway through.

    "Call of the Crystal" is a fascinating, multi-layered piece. I really like what I am assuming is the B-section of the theme that first appears at 1:21.


    The score is definitely improving the more I listen.
     
  5. waheennay

    waheennay Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 29, 2000
  6. General Kenobi

    General Kenobi Administrator Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Dec 31, 1998
    The second part of that JW interview didn't work for me - it was the same as the first part. :confused:

    I went to the film last night. I enjoyed the score, but didn't really focus as much attention on it since I went in totally unspoiled, as opposed to ROTS where I was fairly spoiled and was able to concentrate a lot of my attention on the score.

    I wasn't very happy about the use of "Hound Dog" for the opening credits. I understand that they wanted to emphasize this film is set in 1957, but the American Graffiti feel went just a tad too far. I would have preferred JW score there. Sure, throw in a little Elvis at some point in the film, but having it in the beginning threw me off a bit.

    Nice cameo by the ark theme (and the ark!).

    I'm thinking about going to buy the soundtrack this weekend, though I'm afraid I won't find it anywhere close to the $9.99 on Amazon.


    edit: typos
     
  7. Cerrabore

    Cerrabore Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 17, 2004
    "Houng Dog" may be a cliche, but its tone was perfect for the beginning of the film. The whole first half had a fish out of water feel, juxtaposing Indy against the 1950s.

    I liked the score, though it didn't have a great impact. The warehouse escape and the complete "Jungle Chase" are the highlights of the unreleased cues. One thing that threw me for a loop was the use of the Knight theme (or secondary Grail theme) from The Last Crusade. There was a clear (if subtle) theme for Henry, Sr., so one wonders why John Williams instead used the Knight theme. I'd like to think it was deliberate, but he probably just mixed up the two.
     
  8. Miana Kenobi

    Miana Kenobi Admin Emeritus star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Apr 5, 2000
    I thought of that too, but in general, the use of it just made me remember Last Crusade and mostly remember Henry Sr, so it worked for me.
     
  9. General Kenobi

    General Kenobi Administrator Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Dec 31, 1998
    Yeah, the impression I got from that cue was a remembrance of their grail adventure together.
     
  10. Knight-Ander

    Knight-Ander Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 2002
    I loved this soundtrack, one of JW's best in a very long time.

    The only gripes I have is that several of the tracks are out of chronological order, and I think the "Spell of the Skull" and "Call of the Skull" tracks should have their titles switched. I've only seen the movie twice, but I'm pretty sure that's how it sounded to me.

    The use of "Hound Dog" and "Shake, Rattle, and Roll" were perfect, and would have been nice additions to the album. ;)
     
  11. Well_Of_Souls

    Well_Of_Souls Jedi Master star 5

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    Aug 26, 2001
    The score worked well in the movie (which overall I found extremely disappointing) and I would love to hear the entire "Jungle Chase" cue out of the film. I especially liked the statement of Marion's theme at the start of that sequence as well as the heroic version of the B section of Indy's theme as he's beating the crap out of some Commies.

    There wasn't much else missing from the album that struck my interest, although there were some cool renditions of the Russian fanfare early on in the film.
     
  12. Mastadge

    Mastadge Manager Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jun 4, 1999
    As usual, Well_Of_Souls and I are on the same page.
     
  13. Cerrabore

    Cerrabore Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 17, 2004
    Chronological order for the CD, heartily recommended:

    01 Raiders March *
    02 Call of the Crystal *
    03 The Adventures of Mutt *
    04 Irina's Theme *
    05 The Spell of the Skull
    06 A Whirl Through Academe
    07 The Journey to Akator
    08 Oxley's Dilemna
  14. OST t15 0:00-2:15
  15. 09 Grave Robbers
  16. OST t12 0:00-0:56
  17. 10 Secret Doors and Scorpions
    11 Orellana's Cradle
    12 "Return"
    13 The Snake Pit
    14 The Jungle Chase
    15 Ants!
    16 The Temple Ruins
  18. OST t15 2:14-end
  19. 17 Ancient Protectors
  20. OST t12 0:56-end
  21. 18 Temple Entrance
  22. OST t13 2:40-end
  23. 19 The Throne Chamber
  24. OST t17 0:00-2:17
  25. 20 The Gift
  26. OST t13 0:00-2:40
  27. 21 The Secret Revealed
  28. OST t17 2:17-end
  29. 22 The Departure
    23 Finale

    * concert suite
     
  30. Darth_Vader-Anakin

    Darth_Vader-Anakin Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2002
    Finally got around to seeing it. I thought the movie was OK, but I went in without high expectations. I was entertained, but it was just a bit too goofy to truly feel like a great Indy film. There were some great sequences and moments though -- the academy chase, the mushroom cloud, and the Orellana's Cradle sequence come to mind. I did enjoy the way the film was edited with longer shots during the action sequences and such. The music worked well and elevated some of the scenes, but no real WOW moments that I was hoping for. Like Well_Of_Souls, I would like to have the complete version of the Jungle Chase. There were some nice unreleased bits in there. Although, I was shocked to hear that edit at 1:56 is actually from the film.

    About the Grail Theme -- I thought that secondary theme was always meant to be a connection between Indy and his dad, which given both its uses in the film would make sense.
     
  31. Well_Of_Souls

    Well_Of_Souls Jedi Master star 5

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    Aug 26, 2001
    I really dig the last 2 minutes of "The Jungle Chase." I just wish I could listen to it and NOT have the image in my head of Shia Labeouf swinging on vines with CG monkeys. Still, it's better action music than most of AOTC or ROTS.
     
  32. NZPoe

    NZPoe Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 21, 2001
    I loved the fact that the score revists William's 80's style and flavour, but I felt it was still a very weak and unimpressive piece. And the Skull theme - not your best work Johnny!

    That's all.
     
  33. Jedi_Keiran_Halcyon

    Jedi_Keiran_Halcyon Jedi Knight star 6

    Registered:
    Dec 17, 2000
    "Adventures of Mutt" has a very Copland-esque feel to it.
     
  34. HL&S

    HL&S Magistrate Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Oct 30, 2001
    It's just how I thought it would be. The movie was okay, but nothing special and the same with the score. I'm just hoping Williams can get one or two more inspiring scores in before he finally retires. I knew this one wouldn't be it though.
     
  35. Strilo

    Strilo Manager Emeritus star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Aug 6, 2001
    So the Indy IV score was nominated for two Grammys... One for Best Score for a Motion Picture and one for Best Instrumental Composition for the track "The Adventures of Mutt." Pretty cool! I think the score is fantastic and definitely deserves the nods.
     
  36. General Kenobi

    General Kenobi Administrator Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Dec 31, 1998
    I just did a little research on the Grammys. John has won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition eight times. Oddly enough, that does not include 1982, when Mike Post's "The Theme From Hill Street Blues" won, and "Raiders March" was not even nominated! :eek: ("Theme From Hill Street Blues" is a great tune, btw, but not better than the Raiders March. Come on, man!! [face_not_talking])

    He has won the Grammy for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture ten times, including for Raiders Of The Lost Ark. That includes six consecutive years, from 1978 - 1983. In 1984, Return Of The Jedi got beaten out by Flashdance. :mad:

    BTW, the 1981 Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition was awarded to the entire ESB soundtrack (also nominated were The Imperial March and Yoda's Theme). Every other year, from what I can tell, it has been a single track.
     
  37. Jedi_Keiran_Halcyon

    Jedi_Keiran_Halcyon Jedi Knight star 6

    Registered:
    Dec 17, 2000
    As I said in the other thread on the Lucasfilm/IJ4 board, I thought The Adventures of Mutt was some of the best, and definitely the most adventurous, music John Williams has written in the last fifteen years, even if it had more in common with Hook than with any of the previous Indy scores. But overall I thought the score was unspectacular. The film made clear that John Williams has moved past his classic broader style of scoring, the same way it made clear that Spielberg has moved past HIS broader style of directing.

    But the real crime with these Grammy nominations is the snubbing of Craig Armstrong's fantastic score to The Incredible Hulk in favor of the over-sampled noise in The Dark Knight and the generic rock sounds of Iron Man.
     
  38. Strilo

    Strilo Manager Emeritus star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Aug 6, 2001
    I actually really like the score. I find it listenable and enjoyable. I have recently been putting all four Indy scores on shuffle... :D
     
  39. DarthBoba

    DarthBoba Manager Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jun 29, 2000
    I've got all four on a playlist.
     
  40. Strilo

    Strilo Manager Emeritus star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Aug 6, 2001
    The Adventures of Mutt won a Grammy! :D
     
  41. DarthBoba

    DarthBoba Manager Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jun 29, 2000
    Nice. I'm a bigger fan of Call of The Crystal Skull, myself. It has a good eerie tone to it. Like maybe, "sure they gave us agriculture and buildings. Guess what else the meso-american peoples got from em? HUMAN SACRIFICE" :p
     
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