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The 2005 Cue Academy
|
Cap Stewart |
Soundtrack enthusiast
(although he needs to enter the world of video game music),
Caption Contest Administrator, and Tracksounds feature
contributor. |
Steve Townsley |
Soundtrack maven, "artiste"
(yes...that's "artistE"), Tracksounds review author, and
feature contributor. |
|
Christopher Coleman |
Soundtrack binger (known to
go weeks at a time without a break), review author, feature
contributor, editor, webmaster...he's been accused of being
cloned. |
Surprise of the Year Notes
|
Cap Stewart |
No Comment |
|
Steve Townsley |
Also under consideration: When John Williams stepped off the podium, he left
an ominous void the likes of which any fourth-year Hogwarts student would
find daunting to fill. Composer Patrick Doyle stepped forth and performed
admirably and excellently. Trevor Rabin seems to have been dormant for a
while, but let fans know he was still growing in skill as a composer with
the grand score for the little seen World War 2 adventure-drama “The Great
Raid”. |
|
Christopher Coleman |
Strongly considered John
Debney's Dreamer as well as James Horner's The New World. |
Disappointment of the Year Notes
|
Cap Stewart |
In this category, I am
only listing Hans Zimmer for “Batman Begins”. James
Newton Howard would have done more-than-fine on his own |
|
Steve Townsley |
For The Legend of Zorro
by James Horner there was too much retread of original material
from the previous “Zorro” film.
Also under consideration: “Doom”(for being a bit of a cheesy
marketing indulgence) and “Madagascar” (for under-using
original score material.) |
|
Christopher Coleman |
With the great setup of
Alan Silvestri's music for Castaway used in the trailer for
Cinderella Man, my expectations were high for ol' Thomas
Newman, yet he delivered one of the most consistently somber
scores of the year. A little inspirational music can go a
long way...perhaps both Ron Howard and Russell Crowe would have
faired better during award season had Newman's music been a
little more evocative. |
Best Soundtrack Artwork Notes
|
Steve Townsley |
King Kong (2005)
Finally, a King Kong album that doesn’t depict a gorilla with exaggerated
rage expressions grasping a woman like a ragdoll. Instead, a rather
beautiful and mellow moment is shown here. Other considerations: While that
lenticular 3-D effect on the first release of the “Narnia” soundtrack was
slightly clever, it was ultimately too gimmicky…. |
|
Christopher Coleman |
When it comes to cover
design, very little stood out this year. Disney's Narnia
cover at least catches one's eye. Props also to Reprise
for the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
(Complete Score) packaging. If there was a liner note
award, this would have surely grabbed the prize. Hmmm. |
Best Score Missed by the Academy Notes
|
Steve Townsley |
Howl’s Moving Castle, Joe Hisiashi.
Under rare circumstances does the academy actually look outside in-country
films to note the score. Other considerations: “Cinderella Man”, because
Thoman Newman deserves an award, already! |
|
Christopher Coleman |
Sorry but Harry Gregson-Williams
deserved at least a nomination for either Narnia or Kingdom of
Heaven...or both. |
Best Score as Heard in Film Notes
|
Steve Townsley |
Also: “Revenge of the Sith” – but that seemed too obvious…. |
|
Christopher Coleman |
War of the Worlds
rumbled me right out of my seat, but King Kong was a close
second. |
Most Un-Obtrusive Lyrical Song Featured on a Soundtrack Album Notes
|
Steve Townsley |
The ending of the film segues nicely into this closing credits piece, and
the song even lets up a bit for an easter egg after the initial cast
credits. Also considered: “So Long, And Thanks for All the Fish”, in
“Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, which fits the overall picture, but may
confuse people at first. |
|
Christopher Coleman |
What a wonder! The
concluding songs found on the Narnia soundtrack don't
immediately beg for the eject-button. Of them, Wunderkind
is the most intriguing. |
Best Use of Previously Recorded Music for a Trailer Notes
|
Steve Townsley |
With more trailers using library music, it’s difficult to single out a
stand-out trailer that recycles music from a previous film. The surging
music in Narnia’s trailer is perfectly exciting, however, and it’s a shame
X-Ray Dog hasn’t gone commercial, like E.S. Posthumous. |
|
Christopher Coleman |
Sadly, the only trailer
music from 2005 that stands out is Cinderella Man's use of
Castaway by Alan Silvestri...hence it wins my Cue. |
Label of the Year Notes
|
Steve Townsley |
Varese continues to lead the pack with a consistent release of notable and
quality releases of current movie soundtracks, and even a few non-current
ones. |
|
Christopher Coleman |
While Varese Sarabande
is always in the running, this year Sony Classical takes my Cue
for solid releases such as: Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of
the Sith, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Kingdom of Heaven. |
Best Dramatic Score Notes
|
Steve Townsley |
Considered: Kingdom of Heaven, Harry Gregson-Williams, which seems more of a
dramatic score than an action score…. |
|
Christopher Coleman |
Pride and Prejudice,
good. Munich, good. Dreamer, good. Memoirs of
a Geisha, better! |
Best Score for Video Game Notes
|
Cap Stewart |
I don’t play video games
(at all), so I’m clueless as far as to what’s out there (and
what’s good). |
|
Steve Townsley |
Kameo: Elements of Power, Steve Burke
Also: Giacchino and Tilton’s Mercenaries sure weighs in, but Giacchino’s
efforts on the Medal of Honor and Secret Weapons Over Normandy games leave a
bigger impression. |
|
Christopher Coleman |
Truly some of the most
engaging soundtracks are coming from the world of video games!
Bill Brown continues to produce some of the most distinct game
music around, but the field is fast catching up. |
Best Score for an Animated Film Notes
|
Steve Townsley |
Howl’s Moving Castle,
Joe Hisiashi
Considered: Robots, by John Powell, just for its’ rhythmic quirkiness, and
Mirrormask (which is more or less an animated film, but is a difficult
listen, at times.) |
|
Christopher Coleman |
The occasional moment of
interest makes Wallace and Gromit the best choice in a year of
pretty bad choices in this category. Had I heard Mr.
Townsley's award winning score in time, things might have been
different. Well, here's to a better 2006. |
Composer of the Year Notes
|
Steve Townsley |
John Williams.
Four films, two nominations – he doesn’t slow down at all. Also considered:
Thomas Newman, James Newton Howard. |
|
Christopher Coleman |
Only John Williams could
release four exceptional scores in one year...and not receive
an Oscar for ANY of them. Here's to you John! Take
FOUR Cues! |
Newcomer/ Breakout Composer of the Year Notes
|
Steve Townsley |
Steve Burke.
He’s a game composer, but if he keeps up the good work, hopefully he’ll see
more film projects… Also in the running: Clint Mansell, who is slowly
breaking out of his shell… |
|
Christopher Coleman |
Dario Marianelli
certainly is becoming a household name...err at
discussion-board-name, but Harry Gregson-Williams noteworthy
work for Kingdom of Heaven and Narnia begs for this Cue Award.
A true breakout year for him. |
Disappearance of the Year Notes
|
Cap Stewart |
Jerry Goldsmith died in
2004, but his absence is still greatly missed. |
|
Steve Townsley |
Howard Shore.
Disappearing from the King Kong score was a disappointment, but hopefully
we’ll hear more from him in future projects. |
|
Christopher Coleman |
Eeellllliiiiiooooot.
Phone home. Write a score. And tell Basil to
release one in the USA every now and then. |
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