Tag Archives: Movies

Remembering James Horner (1953-2015)

(This is a repost of what I wrote when composer James Horner died ten years ago, very prematurely, in a plane crash. Apparently Horner had been an amateur, hobbyist pilot. My relationship with his music through the years was complicated, … Continue reading

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Bob and Bruce (a repost)

(This is a repost from a couple of years ago. I’m bringing it back in honor of the 50th anniversary of the release of JAWS, which opened June 20, 1975. I didn’t get to watch JAWS until I was a teenager, which … Continue reading

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Indy and the BPO

At some point in the last ten-fifteen years, orchestras happened upon a new formula for a cash-cow event: performing the entire score to a movie as the movie itself played on a screen above them. These events have proven very … Continue reading

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Happy Birthday, Maestro John Williams!

Today John Williams turns 93. His music stands as one of the undisputed bright spots and creative forces behind my own life; to recall a time in my life when I was not keenly aware of his music I have … Continue reading

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“In the roar of a crowded shelf of books”

I’ve just watched a wonderful documentary about the world of rare and antiquarian booksellers, and you can watch it, too! It’s quite a wonderful film that sheds light on the mindset of people who collect rare books, people who sell … Continue reading

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Oh, I don’t know if it’s the LAST verse…

…because surely we can add more, if we want. Seems to me it’s kind of the point. Here’s a tribute film Disney made for its definitive songwriting duo, the Sherman Brothers. I don’t think I was aware that Richard M. … Continue reading

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[shudders]

I’m not going to wait until my “Movies from the second half of 2024” post for this one: This is the kind of movie you’d think was entirely contrived from a deeply silly notion until you learn that it’s essentially … Continue reading

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Twenty-two

That’s how long Sheila O’Malley has been blogging. In her honor, a movie scene:

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Something for Thursday (Mitzi Gaynor edition)

Actress and singer Mitzi Gaynor has died. She was 93, and she was one of the very last remaining stars with ties to the great era of the Hollywood movie musical. Her biggest role was likely South Pacific, the Rodgers-and-Hammerstein classic … Continue reading

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Nobody talks about poor Pippet

We just watched JAWS last weekend, which is always a delight, so this sequence–the attack at the beach that makes everyone aware that a shark has taken up residence in the waters off Amity Island–is fresh on my mind. I’ve … Continue reading

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