Blog Archives
A Crash Course in Listening
“Speak softly and carry a big stick”
–President Theodore Roosevelt
Perhaps we should listen to softly spoken words and, from there, determine what we’ll carry…
Steven Spielberg is the greatest movie director of all-time. But how did he become a movie directing icon? The highly sought after position of Hollywood movie director requires mastering expensive, virtually unavailable and evolving technology, acquiring an acute knowledge of cameras, lighting and effects, gathering a Scrooge McDuck vault of gold coins for a single film and projecting an unforeseen vision of the world to be successful. People (business partners and fans alike) trust you to deliver on the biggest stage/screen. A hiccup could derail your dream in the same time it takes for two trains to crash.
Or, that’s the precise amount of time it takes for you to see everything.
Teachers come in all forms.
And when you realize that, you’ll be admitted to the greatest show on earth.
Violins Have a Fuse?
What if movies existed in the late 1700s?
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 defined music in the late 18th century and early into the 19th century. John Williams and Hans Zimmer have arguably made the same contribution with definitive styles and sounds to musical compositions in the late 20th century and early into the 21st century.
Add composer Danny Elfman and artist Artie Kane to the honorable mention list.
And add violinist extraordinaire and movie super fan Taylor Davis as well…?
Inspired by her fandom of a B-movie classic from 1996, violinist Taylor Davis achieved a new, cool level of nostalgic vindication as the cinematic fuse dramatically burns. She beautifully bridged two moments in time separated by nearly four centuries (the creation of the violin and a movie soundtrack) for the original performance above that’s primed for social media sharing. Pop culture is often regarded as a lesser art form. That’s the truth, rightly and wrongly. And yet, absent a fondness for decade defined by brilliant major motion pictures, including Mission: Impossible, the creativity and skill shown by modern musician Taylor Davis wouldn’t exist.
The talent of Ms. Davis makes one wonder about the shelf-life of film scores. As a longtime fan of movie soundtracks, my vote is indisputably in the category that music written and performed for movies are tragically underrated. Why aren’t songs from popular film scores played on the radio?
Some movie soundtracks and its unforgettable instrumentals reveal musical genius.
At least I know Taylor Davis agrees with that sentiment.
Spielberg in the (Digital) Flesh
If you could take a private tour of the Universal Studios Hollywood backlot with any person in the entire world, who would you choose?
Steven Spielberg. That’s right!
Brought to us by Anthony Breznican of Entertainment Weekly, his guided tour of Universal Studios with Steven Spielberg is everything you’d expect and more. There is no better movie director to ask questions and learn about exciting behind-the-scenes stories than the man responsible for so many of the studios’ blockbuster classics.
Click the video below and enjoy!
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the masterclass tour of the Universal Studios Hollywood backlot.
Getting the Boulder Rolling (Again)
It’s official: Indiana Jones has tenure with his movie-going fans.
“Steven Spielberg will direct Harrison Ford in the untitled fifth installment in the classic action-adventure franchise, which will open July 19, 2019, Disney announced Tuesday.”
—, The Hollywood Reporter
Nostalgia adds another win in its ever-expansive cinematic column.
Indiana Jones will theatrically throw his hat back into the ring (or cave) and return to the adventure-seeking professor genre to challenge his 21st century rival, Robert Langdon (Inferno arrives in theaters this fall). While rumors of Indy’s next movie has been gently swirling for some time (including a possible successor?), the opportunity for bringing Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall back together clearly proved too good to pass up.
The success of an older, yet still very capable, Han Solo in the 2015 indie sleeper The Force Awakens surely tipped the scales for the actor and director alike to crack the whip fire the gun once more.
Obviously, virtually zero details are known about Indy’s high-five to the franchise’s fans. The only one certainty about this future blockbuster appears to be its release date (3/4 past films premiered in May and one on June 1st).
Three years out, the options for Indy V are officially being weighed by Disney.
Hopefully, in equal, simultaneous fashion.