Classic Ross Amico

Tag: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

John Williams Wins Grammy for Helena’s Theme

John Williams adds another Grammy to his buckling mantle, in the category of Best Instrumental Composition, for “Helena’s Theme,” the only good thing to come out of the execrable “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.”

Williams was also nominated twice in the category of Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, for both “Indiana Jones” and “The Fabelmans.” This brings the composer’s career Grammy tally to 26 wins and 76 nominations.

Ludwig Göransson won the Score Soundtrack award for his overbearing music for “Oppenheimer.” It’s not been a great year for film music, folks.

In truth, I could care less about the Grammys – as apparently the Grammys could care less about classical music – but if they can sell a few more records or bestow a little more prestige on classical artists, then good for the artists.

Feel free to Google the rest of the results.

Grammy Award-winning “Helena’s Theme,” arranged for Anne-Sophie Mutter

I prefer it in its original guise for orchestra (as if I could get any grumpier)

Congratulations, John Williams.

February 5, 2024
John Williams’ 54th Oscar Nomination

This year’s Academy Awards nominees were announced this morning, and sure enough, John Williams has earned yet another nod, for his score to “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” Going into today, Williams was the most-nominated person alive. Now he’s even MORE the most-nominated (with the tally at 54). He also happens to be the second most-nominated person in Oscar history, after only Walt Disney (at 59).

The other nominees in the category of Best Original Score are Laura Karpman (“American Fiction”), Robbie Robertson (“Killers of the Flower Man”), Ludwig Göransson (“Oppenheimer”), and Jerskin Fenrix (“Poor Things”).

There’s a good possibility that whatever wins will do so for more than purely musical considerations. But that seems to be how it’s been for many years. The score for “Oppenheimer” is ludicrously overbearing.

In any case, it’s nice to see Williams handed another feather for his nest, even though his latest Indiana Jones music will not win. Or at least I hope it won’t. The film itself was godawful, and Disney has done all it can to be sure that your average consumer can’t get a hold of a physical copy of the soundtrack. A limited edition CD was made available for pre-order months in advance of the film’s release. If you didn’t know about it, you were welcome to spend hundreds of dollars for it on the collector’s market.

Merciful Disney has since decided to give everyone a second chance and make it available again as part of an expensive box set of all the Indiana Jones scores, duplicating the content of the previously-released soundtracks for all the other films. Thanks for nothing.

Williams should have automatically won for just about every year from at least 1975 to 1982. Nevertheless, he has been the recipient of five Oscars, for “Fiddler on the Roof” (adaptation of the stage musical by Jerry Bock & Sheldon Harnick), “Jaws,” “Star Wars,” “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,” and “Schindler’s List.” The last bestowed was in 1994.

It would be nice for him to get an honorary Oscar at some point – he’ll be 92 next month – but it wouldn’t be televised anyway, and Williams is doing just fine. Oscar needs John Williams more than John Williams needs him.

January 23, 2024
Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Art Podcast

It’s not the years; it’s the mileage.

Okay, maybe it’s the years a little bit too.

Regardless of my personal expectations in regard to the impending fifth Indiana Jones installment, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” I will always love “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and for many reasons. As an “old movie nut” with a fondness for hats, globetrotting intrigue, swashbuckling adventure, thrilling stunts and big orchestral scores, Indy was right in my wheelhouse.

And more than most people my age, I am familiar with many of the series‘ classic forebears, films such as “Gunga Din,” “The General Died at Dawn,” and “The Mask of Fu Manchu;” archaeological and safari adventures like “King Solomon’s Mines,” “Valley of the Kings,” and “Secret of the Incas;” and the countless Nazi peril movies of the World War II era. So there will be plenty for me to talk about, even if I’m only talking to myself.

Of course, we all loved “Star Wars” – another film with a rich cinematic history – so it was great to see Harrison Ford again, in what would become his defining role, supported by the great John Williams no less.

They don’t make ‘em like they used to. Roy and I will talk Indiana Jones and argue the series’ ups and downs, on the next Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner. The comments will be full of mummies, asps, and Anubis statues, when we livestream on Facebook, YouTube, etc. We’ll be making it up as we go – so join us as raiders of a lost art, this Friday evening at 7:00 EDT!

https://www.facebook.com/roystiedyescificorner

June 22, 2023
Clash of the Titans Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner

Since we did our show on “Clash of the Titans” (1981) on Friday, and it’s already Sunday, I guess I should get “Kraken” already and post a link to the video! Check it out for our hosannas to Harryhausen and our provocations against the gods, on Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner.

This Friday, it looks like we’ll be reaching for the low-hanging fruit, and doing some temple-robbing along the way, as we’ll have a free-form chat about Indiana Jones in advance of his latest adventure, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” opening on June 30. Join us on our quest for fortune and glory, as we livestream on Facebook, YouTube, etc., this Friday evening at 7:30 EDT.

https://www.facebook.com/roystiedyescificorner

In addition, there will be significant bonuses next weekend in the guises of special guests Michael and Denise Okuda, so closely associated with “Star Trek” film and television productions. Michael and Denise will join Roy on Sunday night, 6/25, at 7:30 EDT.

https://www.facebook.com/roystiedyescificorner

And to hold you over, if you’re a sci-fi convention nut, Roy will reminisce with Todd Morton and Gordon Moriguchi about their experiences last weekend at Wonderfest, in Louisville, KY, on “Todd’s Corner,” this afternoon at 2:00 EDT.

https://www.youtube.com/@ToddsCornerScifiPropsShips

Roy compiled a ten-minute video souvenir of the event here:

Me? I’m not really a “Space: 1999” guy, so I’ll probably go for a walk and watch “Goliath and the Vampires.”

June 18, 2023
Indy 5 Soundtrack Delay Disney Fails Fans

What?????????????

The soundtrack to “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” will not be released until AUGUST 9????????????? The film opens nationwide on June 30!

This is flabbergasting, for a Lucasfilm juggernaut, especially one that has George Lucas and Steven Spielberg as executive producers. What’s John Williams got to do, anyway, to have his music for a 300 MILLION DOLLAR GUARANTEED BLOCKBUSTER released in a timely fashion?

I was planning this to be the soundtrack of my summer. So much for the custodianship of Walt Disney. I guess Disney can wait to take my money.

Sure, the soundtrack will be available as a digital download and via streaming on the day of the film’s release, but as far as the music’s concerned, it’s doubtful they’ll make as much from blasé streamers as they will from those of us who have been riding with Indy since 1981 (when good film scores were still being written). Give us our physical media, dammit!

It’s not like I’m holding out particularly high hopes for the movie. What I really want is the music. Are the CDs being stockpiled at an undisclosed location, near the Ark of the Covenant? How many Nazis do I have to punch, how many boulders do I have to outrun, in order to savor my hard-won treasure?

Nevermind a museum; it belongs in my CD player!

https://jwfan.com/?p=14814

June 15, 2023

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