Yearly Archives: 2016

The Fellowship of the Ring “The Bridge of Khazad-Dum” (2001)

“The Bridge of Khazad-Dum” begins in the depths of Moria, where the Fellowship has discovered what happened to Balin and his company of dwarves that tried to retake the former Dwarf kingdom. After repelling an attack by orcs (and one large cave troll), Gandalf hears more approaching and orders the group to run for the famed Bridge of Khazad-Dum, a bridge spanning an endless chasm (and also the only way to get out of the mines).

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The Fellowship of the Ring “Gandalf vs Balrog” (2001)

As the group begins to run, the music is a double-timed reprise of the “Fellowship Theme” (that will be covered when I discuss “The Ring Goes South”). Despite hearing this theme that represents unity among the 9 members of the fellowship, things don’t look good right now: thousands of orcs are literally swarming out of every corner, until the group is surrounded on all sides.

I like to think of this moment as a colossal fake-out: the music has been building in tension all this time, and it seems to be building to another fight between the Fellowship and orcs. But then, just as the strings and brass build up to the highest possible point…the music drops out, replaced by a guttural roar at the far end of the corridor.

The Fellowship of the Ring “The Bridge of Khazad-Dum” (Soundtrack only) (2001)

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Given how the orcs are now quivering in terror themselves (not to mention running away as fast as they can), it seems the actual enemy is something else, something much, MUCH worse than mere orcs. Just how much worse can be summed up by this exchange between Boromir and Gandalf:

“What is this new devilry?”

“A Balrog. A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you, RUN!!”

Okay, when a powerful wizard tells you to run, that’s a bad sign (because Gandalf isn’t one to just run away for no reason). This begins the second stage of “The Bridge of Khazad-Dum” as now the Fellowship must get out of the mines before the Balrog catches up to them. The Bridge itself is very close, but they still have to get over a ruined staircase, and THAT is quickly crumbling apart as the group is also being fired on by Orc archers. To help create even more tension, Howard Shore employs a Polynesian choir (introduced at the same time the Balrog is named by Gandalf). They add an almost primal feel to the moment, which is fitting because Balrogs are a very ancient type of monster, created by the first Dark Lord (Sauron was just his lieutenant).

Moria staircases

One tense moment that I love is when Frodo and Aragorn are caught on the remaining part of the stairwell just as a large boulder is pushed down (by the quickly approaching Balrog) and crashed through last remaining support, turning their part of the staircase into a free-standing pillar (that isn’t very stable). The chanting here is just amazing (sometimes I listen to this part over and over again). Thankfully, Aragorn employs a little momentum and they are reunited with the rest of the Fellowship.

Now comes stage three, the final dash for the bridge. But as Gandalf urges them on, time runs out. The massive Balrog comes soaring out of a fiery chasm, an infernal nightmare of flames and shadow (the animated Balrog from the first Lord of the Rings movie has NOTHING on this creature).

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The rest of the Fellowship makes it safely across the bridge as the Balrog approaches. But Gandalf turns around in the middle of the bridge and forbids the monster from coming any closer (this is the famous “You shall not pass!” moment). The Balrog challenges the wizard, who responds by cracking down on the bridge with his staff, causing a rupture that drops the Balrog to what will presumably be his doom at the base of the mountain. But just as everyone breathes a sigh of relief, the Balrog’s flame-whip darts back up and grabs Gandalf by the legs. He tries to pull himself up, but too much damage has been done. With a last “Fly, you fools!” Gandalf is gone!!

I remember the first time I read this moment in the books, I literally shouted in horror because, in my mind, this is GANDALF we’re talking about, Gandalf can’t die, he’s a powerful wizard! This is definitely one of the biggest “shock moments” of the film.

The aftermath of this moment and the subsequent flight to Lothlorien will be covered in “Lothlorien.” I can’t wait to share something I discovered about the nature of Lothlorien’s main theme….

I have to apologize for something: though I was able to find the complete soundtrack for this part, I’m having trouble finding the corresponding film scenes for the entire sequence. For now I’ll leave you with the final section (Gandalf vs the Balrog) and as I find the rest I will upload it. Enjoy the terror and suspense of “The Bridge of Khazad-Dum.”

See also: Film Soundtracks A-W

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The Fellowship of the Ring “The Wood Elves/Passing of the Elves” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “Flight to the Ford” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “Shadow of the Past” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “A Knife in the Dark” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “Lothlorien” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “Many Meetings” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “The Treason of Isengard” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “The Ring Goes South/Fellowship Main Theme” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “In Dreams” (2001)

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*all images are the property of New Line Cinema

The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)

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Film/TV Reviews

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*all images are the property of Walt Disney Studios

The Fellowship of the Ring “The Wood Elves/Passing of the Elves” (2001)

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Actually, if I’m totally honest, one of my favorite musical moments didn’t even make it into the theatrical cut of the film. “The Wood Elves/Passing of the Elves” is a brief scene that takes place during Frodo and Sam’s initial journey out of the Shire (before they meet up with Merry and Pippin). They’re making camp for the night when Frodo hears beautiful singing in the distance, and recognizes it as belonging to what he calls “wood elves.”

The Fellowship of the Ring “The Wood Elves/Passing of the Elves” (2001)

Elves are my favorite fantasy race because of Tolkien (and these films)

The Fellowship of the Ring “Passing of the Elves” (Song only) (2001)

The song doesn’t even last a minute in the film, but the sound is downright haunting (as it is meant to be). The lyrics are from “A Elbereth Gilthoniel,” a song taken from the book and are in praise of one of the Valar (essentially a “god” of Middle Earth) named Varda, who is also called Elbereth by the Elves. The song has a mournful quality to it, which seems strange because all of the Elves are returning home to the Undying Lands, so you’d think it would be more happy. But I believe this moment is bittersweet (as Frodo and Sam see it) because while the Elves are going home, they’re also leaving Middle Earth, and they’re never coming back. And once the Elves are gone, the world will never quite be as ‘magical’ again.

I understand why this scene was initially cut (due to pacing and story reasons; in the theatrical cut, we go from Bilbo’s brief voice-over directly to Gandalf arriving at Isengard), but I feel the story is better with this detail re-inserted. It helps to emphasize that the time of Elves is ending (a point referenced more than once later on) and soon they will all be gone, one way or the other.

This is a little shorter piece today, but I wanted to share it because it’s so beautiful.

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See also: Film Soundtracks A-W

The Fellowship of the Ring “Flight to the Ford” (2001)

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Having met up with “Strider” in Bree, Frodo and his friends had made it as far as the ancient tower of Amon Sul (also known as Weathertop). There, thanks to the thoughtlessness of those same friends, they’d been cornered by several Black Riders and Frodo had been stabbed by a Morgul blade (by none other than the Witch King of Angmar, but the hobbits won’t learn his name until the last film). It is imperative that they reach Rivendell quickly before the dark poison in the blade turns Frodo into a wraith.

The scene begins with the group making camp in the shadow of the three trolls that tried to eat Bilbo, Thorin and company in The Hobbit. Frodo is rapidly getting worse so Strider and Sam go to find some athelas to help slow the damage being done. And while doing so…Strider encounters a friend! It’s Arwen, Elrond’s daughter, who’s been out looking for them for several days. She tries to restore Frodo using her own Elven powers, but the damage is too great, only Elrond can help him now. Strider wants to be the one to ride with Frodo to Rivendell, but Arwen insists: SHE is the better rider, so she will go. Strider is clearly worried, but Arwen assures him that she has no fear of the Black Riders.

The long ride begins, and it’s here that the music really picks up and comes into play. The jump cut takes us to (presumably) the following day/afternoon where Arwen and Frodo are racing to Rivendell on the white stallion Asfaloth. The music keeps a steady beat in the background, highlighting the urgency of the moment. But then the music begins to intensify by degrees as several Black Riders become visible through the foliage, galloping along behind her. They know that this is their last chance to grab Frodo, because Rivendell is a place they can’t enter due to Elrond’s powers.

The chase is on as at least eight wraiths appear and stalk their quarry. There is a dramatic longshot of the group in a V-formation, slowly gaining ground on the lone rider in front of them. In fact, as the music echoes with themes of Mordor, one of the wraiths nearly manages to grab Frodo, but Arwen spurs her horse on and they begin a game of cat and mouse in the pine trees. Finally, with the wraiths only seconds behind them, Arwen crosses the Ford of Bruinen.

The wraiths won’t give up though: the leader demands that Frodo be turned over to them, to which Arwen replies “If you want him, come and claim him!” The wraiths draw their swords and advance, but it’s a trap! As they enter the river, Arwen begins a magical incantation that sparks a flood far upstream. The roaring flood is moving so fast that the riders have no time to escape before the floodwaters (in the shape of galloping horses) overtake them and send them far downriver (we’re led to believe they’re destroyed, but this will be proven otherwise in the next film).

Victory for the heroes! Frodo is safe…or is he? Just as all seems won, Frodo appears to succumb to his injuries at last and Arwen is moved to tears by his condition (it is here that she prays for Frodo to be allowed to journey across the sea in her place, even now she can see that that’s the only way Frodo will ever truly recover from this). Frodo is taken into Rivendell and after several days, he wakes up. He’s surprised to find Gandalf there with him, but that story will have to be picked up in “Many Meetings.”

“Flight to the Ford” is one of those soundtrack pieces that I love to listen to simply for its own sake. It’s full of tension, suspense, you can literally follow the chase simply by hearing the music. I love this scene so much, it’s actually a minor pet peeve of mine if someone starts talking during this scene, because I’m thinking “why aren’t you paying attention to this awesome moment??”

As far as Arwen being the rider that takes Frodo to Rivendell, I’m personally okay with that, even though I know the Arwen in the book does no such thing. I just wish they’d followed through with making her this badass Elven warrior/rider, instead of backtracking in the following films and removing her from the fighting (I do know that Arwen was supposed to sneak off to Helm’s Deep, but that was deemed one subplot too many and the scene was cut).

What do you think of “Flight to the Ford” ? Is it one of your favorite Lord of the Rings moments? Let me know what you think in the comments below 🙂

See also: Film Soundtracks A-W

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Check out the YouTube channel (and consider hitting the subscribe button)

The Fellowship of the Ring “Shadow of the Past” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “The Wood Elves/Passing of the Elves” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “A Knife in the Dark” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “The Treason of Isengard” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “Lothlorien” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “Many Meetings” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “The Ring Goes South/Fellowship Main Theme” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “The Bridge of Khazad-Dum” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “In Dreams” (2001)

Don’t forget to like Film Music Central on Facebook 🙂

*all images are the property of New Line Cinema

The Fellowship of the Ring “The Shire” (2001)

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Fellowship of the Ring “Concerning Hobbits” (Film Scene) (2001)

There are dozens of musical themes in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, but very few are quite so dear to me as “The Shire,” one of the earliest themes we hear in The Fellowship of the Ring.

After the Prologue establishes how the story came to this point, we meet Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), who has been waiting for Gandalf (Ian McKellan) to arrive. Today is Bilbo Baggins’ 111th birthday and most of the Shire has been invited (with the rest turning up anyway).

Fellowship of the Ring- “The Shire” (Film Scene) (2001)

Most of this scene is a conversation between Frodo and Gandalf, talking about Bilbo’s party, how the reputation of the Baggins family never recovered after the “incident with the dragon” in which Gandalf was “barely involved”, and also how Bilbo has been acting more odd than usual in recent weeks.

Fellowship of the Ring “Concerning Hobbits/The Shire” (Soundtrack) (2001)

There’s a brief cut-scene here which shows Bilbo frantically searching Bag End for something (revealed to be the Ring, which had been sitting safe in Bilbo’s pocket the entire time). There is also a lovely moment when the Hobbit children come running up to Gandalf’s cart and beg for some fireworks. And just as they think they won’t get any, a small flurry of fireworks comes out of Gandalf’s cart, to the delight of the children.

A lot of the finer details of this theme are lost in the dialogue and rumble of Gandalf’s cart, so I’ll highlight some of my favorite parts:

Underlying most of the theme (Before the well-known flute solo) is what sounds like a harpsichord, a keyboard instrument that plucks the strings instead of beating them with a hammer (like a piano does). There is an inherent rustic quality to a harpsichord that puts one in mind of the countryside and is a perfect instrument for describing the Shire musically.
As Bilbo describes the different qualities of Hobbits, the music takes a rather quirky turn, with short bursts from the flutes and strings. This symbolizes both Bilbo’s good humor in describing his fellow Hobbits and the general innocence of the Shire’s residents.
The music takes a more soothing turn as Bilbo describes what Hobbits really love (and it’s not food): peace, quiet and good-tilled earth. The strings really take over here, with the harpsichord fading back.
Lastly (and this is the part most people love best), after Frodo jumps off the cart, we hear the enchanting flute solo as Gandalf rides his cart up to the gate of Bag End. Though the entire piece symbolizes the Shire, it is this flute solo that really encapsulates the peacefulness that exists here. This is what everyone imagines the countryside to be like, and if the Shire really existed, people would go there and never come back.

I love watching this scene, it always makes me smile, no matter how bad a mood I’m in at first. Howard Shore does a great job of using the music complement the scene and it just sounds amazing. I hope you enjoy listening to “Concerning Hobbits/The Shire.”

See also: Film Soundtracks A-W

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Check out the YouTube channel (and consider hitting the subscribe button)

The Fellowship of the Ring “The Ring Goes South/Fellowship Main Theme” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “Many Meetings” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “A Knife in the Dark” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “Lothlorien” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “The Treason of Isengard” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “The Wood Elves/Passing of the Elves” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “The Bridge of Khazad-Dum” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “Flight to the Ford” (2001)

The Fellowship of the Ring “In Dreams” (2001)

Don’t forget to Like Film Music Central on Facebook 🙂

*all images are the property of New Line Cinema

Random Thoughts on High-Rise (2015)

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After waiting months and months, I finally got to watch Ben Wheatley’s High-Rise on Friday night. Starring Tom Hiddleston, the film centers around life in a brand new 40 story high-rise building (the first of a planned 5) located on the outskirts of London. The newest resident of the high-rise is Dr. Robert Laing (Hiddleston), a doctor specializing in physiology, with no family (it’s mentioned that his sister has recently died). Moving into Apartment 2505, Laing is over halfway up in the social order that exists in the building. He’s much higher than the families that live on the lowest floors, but not quite high enough to be “good enough” for the rich snobs that inhabit the very highest floors. On the floor above him lives single mother Charlotte and her smarter-than-average son Tobey (very unusual, since “proper” families all live on the lower floors). Laing also makes the acquaintance of filmmaker Richard Wilder (Luke Evans) and his heavily pregnant wife Helen. Floor 40, the penthouse, is inhabited by Anthony Royal (Jeremy Irons), the architect of the building, and his incredibly snobby wife (who has turned the roof into a fantastical country garden complete with a sheep, a horse and lots of trees).

This is one of my favorite images in the film

From the beginning, things seem “off” about the building (and Laing himself, if I’m honest). He openly admits at a party that he’s not very good at “this sort of thing” and seems to prefer keeping to himself. Though the building is brand new, nothing seems to work properly very long. The lights begin to flicker in the supermarket, and the food is seen to be going bad very quickly (with no one bothering to replace it). The trash disposal system doesn’t work very well either, with bags of refuse quickly piling up.

The building is meant to be a self-contained world in and of itself: there’s a school, a swimming pool, supermarket, squash court, every luxury imaginable. As mentioned before, the rich live on the upper floors, and residents become increasingly poorer the lower the floor becomes (even though everyone (according to Wilder) pays the same rates to stay in the building). Tensions are already thick between rich and poor when Laing moves in, and the disparity between the two is obvious as can be seen with two parties. The first, held in Charlotte’s apartment, is a relatively “normal” party with loud music, lots of drinking (implied sex) and casual “getting to know you” things. Then there’s a party given by Royal’s wife (Laing is invited by Royal) which turns out to be an 18th century costume party complete with a string quartet. Laing (who is unaware of it being a costume party and showing up in normal clothes) is unceremoniously thrown out and humiliated, especially by Munrow, a fellow colleague at the school they work at. Determined to get revenge, Laing lies and tells Munrow that a brain scan has revealed a mass in his brain (even though the scan is perfectly normal). Distraught, Munrow later commits suicide by jumping from the 39th floor and Laing is deeply guilt-ridden as a result.

To think it all started so well…

From that point on, things get….weird (that’s the only word I have for it). How things go from tension-filled normal to post-apocalyptic, I’m still not quite sure, but what I do know is it happens very quickly (the film only covers a three month period of time). Events devolve into a class war between the rich (huddled in the penthouse) and the poor (the lower floors of the building). Most of the women end up joining a “harem” in the penthouse. The utilities (power, water, etc.) eventually stop working (the swimming pool is briefly seen as a place to wash clothes), and a lot of residents wind up dead. Laing spends a great deal of time holed up inside his apartment, having apparently lost whatever remained of his sanity. I think that because he spends so much time locked away from the fighting, this is partially what allows him to move so freely between the “rebels” on the lower floors and the rich up top.

One big secret comes out towards the end of the film: Tobey is actually the son of Anthony Royal because of an affair he had with Charlotte some years back. Royal himself ends up shot dead by Richard Wilder (who is in turn killed by the “harem” of women). By the end of the film, a weird sort of “normal” has taken over what remains of the building. The women have established order from the penthouse and Laing is content to wait with Charlotte until the same thing happens to the next completed high-rise tower (in which event he will be happy to welcome them to the “new world.”)

I think I would have understood the film a little better if I’d been able to read the source novel beforehand (I’d still like to read it at some point). Even though parts of the film were weird and slightly confusing, that didn’t stop me from enjoying the story. I loved the 70s vibe of the film (the original novel is set in the 1970s) and the look of the building was just wonderful.

Everyone seemed well-cast, particularly Jeremy Irons as Anthony Royal. He’s so good at playing the “elder statesman” sort of role, and I enjoyed any scene he appeared in. Hiddleston….was good for the most part…but a few of the “awkward” scenes were almost too awkward, if that makes sense. I think Hiddleston might have been trying too hard at times. Luke Evans was believable as hot-headed Richard Wilder. His devolution into an enraged maniac is somewhat frightening (especially before a particular scene involving Charlotte) and a good example of what can happen to the “everyman” when they’re pushed too far.

Jeremy Irons is magnificent as always

I wish some of the characters had been more fleshed out. Many of the “rich” characters sort of blended together in my mind and I didn’t know much of anything about them (even the “famous actress” character became unrecognizable by the end of the film, I didn’t realize it was her until she said a line about giving her autograph). As for James Purefoy’s character, I’m pretty sure I couldn’t tell you his name, even though I know it was mentioned at least once.

These problems aside, I still enjoyed High-Rise very much and would happily watch it again.

Mulan “I’ve Heard a Great Deal About You Fa Mulan…” (1998)

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So now we come to the conclusion of Mulan, hope everyone has enjoyed the ride! On to the finale!

First of all, there’s the good news: Mulan survives her injuries. The really bad news? In the course of saving her life, the doctor discovers what we’ve known all along: that “Ping” isn’t a man at all, he’s a girl!! Shang is in disbelief, but even he can’t deny the physical evidence. Chi-Fu (who has disliked “Ping” from the start) is enraged and begins howling about “high treason” and “ultimate dishonor” while Mulan attempts to explain that she only did what she did to save her father’s life.

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Things are pretty grim. By law, Mulan should die for what she has done, and as Shang comes forward with Mulan’s sword, it looks like that’s exactly what’s going to happen. However…Shang also can’t deny that Mulan did save his life. Therefore he spares Mulan’s life in return and orders the company to move out towards the Imperial City, leaving a devastated Mulan behind. Mulan and Mushu have a heart-to-heart about their motives, and Mushu finally confesses that he didn’t come on the orders of Mulan’s ancestors, but at least Mulan had good intentions with what she did. The two promise that whatever happens, they’ll get through it together. Which is good, because as it turns out, the adventure isn’t over just yet….as Shan Yu’s falcon flies over the carnage left by the avalanche, a giant hand breaks out of the snow: Shan Yu is still alive!! And he’s not alone, he has almost a dozen warriors who survived the avalanche and the only one who knows they’re headed for the Imperial City is Mulan!!!!

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Meanwhile, down in the city, Shang and his men are being treated to a hero’s welcome. But the only one enjoying the attention is Chi-Fu, the others are downcast because they know THEY didn’t win anything, it was Mulan who earned the victory. And speaking of, Mulan rides up and tries to tell Shang about the Huns, but now that Mulan is openly a woman again, Shang won’t listen to her (even though she’d earned his trust as “Ping” several hours ago). The parade winds its way to the Imperial Palace where the Emperor himself stands waiting to receive Shan Yu’s sword. As Shang climbs the palace steps, a great Chinese dragon follows, seeming to crouch down as the procession reaches a stop (that should’ve been the first red flag).

Ciudad_Imperial

Down in the crowd, Mulan tries to warn everyone about the danger, but again, because she’s a woman, no one listens. But soon everyone is going to believe her, because just as Shang hands the sword over, the falcon sweeps in and snatches it away, flying up to where Shan Yu has been hiding on the palace roof!!! I love the music in this short moment. The strings tremble in anticipation because we know what’s about to happen: out of nowhere, Shan Yu’s arm snaps out and he grabs the sword, a devilish grin on his face. A lot of things then happen very quickly: the rest of the Huns leap out of the dragon, knock Shang down and take the Emperor captive!!

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Yao: Does this dress make me look fat?

Time for Mulan to spring into action: while Shang’s men (futilely) try to batter the doors of the palace down with a large statue, Mulan realizes that there’s a better way to get inside. For the plan to work, Ling, Yao and Chien-Po must dress as women (to pass themselves off as royal concubines) and the quintet climb up into the palace using the pole-climbing technique that they learned in training. At the same time, up on the palace balcony, Shan Yu confronts the Emperor: the Hun leader believes he’s won, and he wants the Emperor to bow to him. Outside, the plan is working, Shan Yu’s men are fooled by the disguise just long enough to be taken out while Shang runs to rescue the Emperor.

With Chien-Po safely taking the Emperor away, the fight is briefly between Shang and Shan Yu, but the former is hopelessly outmatched by the furious Hun. Mulan (who is definitely in love with Shang) distracts Shan Yu and reveals that it was SHE who defeated him in the mountains (pulling back her hair to briefly resemble Ping). Enraged, Shan Yu gives chase and Mulan literally runs for her life, as the Hun will kill her if he catches her. While running, she notices a tower full of fireworks on the opposite side of the roof and briefly tells Mushu her improvised plan. The chase makes its way to the roof and before long Mulan is cornered by a vicious Shan Yu, who believes that Mulan is finally “out of ideas.”

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The technique of using a fan to wrench the sword away is a real martial arts technique

As it turns out, Mulan has one last trick up her sleeve: at the opposite end of the roof, Mushu is ready with the world’s largest fireworks rocket strapped to his back. Mulan uses Shan Yu’s own sword to pin him to the roof as the rocket races towards him, sending him flying into the rest of the fireworks as they all explode!! Mulan saves herself with a flying leap and crash lands onto Shang. The Emperor is saved, China is saved!! But Chi-Fu (naturally) is in a fury because Mulan got involved. But before Shang can finally give the snobby adviser a punch in the nose, the Emperor himself appears and wants to speak with Mulan.

At first it seems like the Emperor is berating Mulan by listing everything she’s done: running away from home, impersonating a soldier, deceiving everyone, destroying a sizable portion of the palace AND…saving everyone. As thanks, the Emperor bows (ever so slightly) to Mulan, prompting everyone in the square to fully bow as well (since no one stands higher than the Emperor). It’s one of the highest honors someone in China can receive, and that’s not all. The Emperor would like to give Mulan Chi-Fu’s job (which causes him to faint), but Mulan decides that she’s been away from home long enough, so she’s given Shan Yu’s sword and the Emperor’s personal crest as reminders of what she did for China. After Mulan leaves, the Emperor has a few words for Shang:

disney_quotes_mulan_shang_emperor

“The Flower that blooms in adversity, is the most rare and beautiful of all.” When Shang doesn’t get it, the Emperor gets blunt “You don’t meet a girl like THAT every dynasty!” (translation: go after her and marry her you idiot!)

Back home, Mulan’s father is watching the cherry blossoms fall, and he clearly misses his daughter very much. So when Mulan comes into the garden, loaded with gifts from the Emperor, he’s very much surprised! But her father doesn’t really care about honor, all he knows right now is that his daughter is home and he’s missed her very much. As it turns out, Shang DID follow Mulan home and is invited to stay for dinner by a pleased Mulan. And back in the ancestral temple, the Great Ancestor grudgingly lets Mushu be a guardian of the family again, much to Mushu’s delight. All is well, and as the saying goes: they all lived happily ever after!

Wow, I had a lot of fun working on Mulan, thanks for all your comments and likes, you guys are the best!

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For the rest of the Mulan series:

Mulan “Honor to Us All” (1998)

Mulan “Reflection” (1998)

Mulan “Mulan’s Decision” (1998)

Mulan “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” (1998)

Mulan “A Girl Worth Fighting For” (1998)

Mulan “The Huns Attack” (1998)

And for even more great Disney songs and films, check out the main page here: Disney Films & Soundtracks A-Z

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*all images are the property of Walt Disney Studios

Danny Elfman “Planet of the Apes” scoring session (2001)

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*warning, extreme plot spoilers for this film and the 1968 original appear below

Danny Elfman “Planet of the Apes” scoring session

There are two iterations of the Planet of the Apes franchise that most people know very well. The first is the original film series led by Charlton Heston beginning in 1968. This was the first of a series of five films created between 1968 and 1973. The other is the ongoing reboot that began with Rise of the Planet of the Apes in 2011. Inbetween the two is the sometimes forgotten (at least by me) remake Planet of the Apes that launched in 2001.

The 2001 Planet of the Apes was directed by Tim Burton and starred Mark Wahlberg as the astronaut who finds himself stranded on “the planet of the apes,” where apes (gorillas, chimpanzees, etc.) are the dominant species and humans are treated like animals. Unlike the 1968 original, which ends with Charlton Heston’s astronaut discovering that the “planet of the apes” is in fact the planet Earth in the distant future (he finds the twisted remains of the Statue of Liberty on a beach and realizes this is the ruins of Manhattan), the 2001 film ends with Mark Wahlberg’s astronaut using a space pod to launch himself back to his own time. Except, when he crash-lands in Washington D.C., everyone is still an ape (an ending that is never fully explained and was criticized by some for being too confusing).

Though the 2001 film was a financial success, Fox decided to not make any sequels and instead rebooted the series in 2011 with the hit “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” series starring Andy Serkis.

The music for this film was composed by Danny Elfman (of Batman fame), as Tim Burton was directing and the two are well-known for their collaborations. The above clip is a short excerpt from a recording session of the film’s soundtrack. It seems to focus primarily on the brass section, which is great because the music is stunning. I hope you enjoy this brief look at the music of Planet of the Apes (2001)! -Becky

See also:

Danny Elfman talks Batman (1989)

Danny Elfman talks Batman Returns (1992)

Danny Elfman talks Spider-Man (2002)

Danny Elfman talks Meet the Robinsons (2007)

Danny Elfman talks Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Danny Elfman talks Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)

Danny Elfman talks Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)

Film Composer Interviews A-H

Film Composer Interviews K-Z

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*poster image is the property of 20th Century Fox

John Powell talks How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

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Following the success of the original How to Train Your Dragon (2010), a sequel was released in 2014 to general praise. Five years after the village of Berk made peace with dragons, they live together in harmony and Hiccup is still riding Toothless and exploring new lands.

John Powell talks How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

But there’s an enemy on the horizon: the mad warlord Drago Bludvist is on the move with an enormous dragon army. He seeks to conquer the world with his dragons and it’ll be up to Hiccup and his friends to stop him.

Composer John Powell returned to compose the music for this film (having scored the original film and earning an Academy Award nomination in the process). The interview that I have found features the composer speaking in-depth about his score for the film, how he created the various themes and what his creative process was. John Powell is familiar with scoring animated films, having previously worked on such films as Robots, Rio, Happy Feet, Antz and three of the Ice Age sequels (to name a few).

This is another film series that I haven’t seen due to a lack of free time, but I’ve heard good things about it, so if you haven’t seen it, I recommend it to you. A third film, How to Train Your Dragon 3 is due out in 2018. Enjoy Powell’s talk about How to Train your Dragon 2!

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See also:

Film Composer Interviews A-H

Film Composer Interviews K-Z

Don’t forget to like Film Music Central on Facebook 🙂

*poster image is the property of 20th Century Fox

Mulan “The Huns Attack” (1998)

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After discovering that the Huns have wiped out the Imperial Army, Shang and his small group of men move towards the pass that leads to the Imperial City, as they need to warn the Emperor of the danger. They seem to be alone…but as they move through a snowy valley, Mushu inadvertently sets off one of the rockets (he tries to blame Lucky Cricket), which quickly reveals that the Huns have been following them all this time as they launch an ambush, destroying many of the valuable rockets in the process. Most of the ambush party is taken out, and suddenly only one rocket is left.

But now the true attack is coming: the smoke clears to reveal Shan Yu up on the hillside, alone. But then his advisors ride up to join him, and then more men and more men…suddenly the entire top of the mountainside is bristling with Hun soldiers, and a loud roar indicates that there are thousands more behind them. Shang orders everyone to prepare to fight, but this is really a suicide mission now (and everybody knows it). Even if they had a hundred men, they wouldn’t even put a dent in Shan Yu’s massive army, which now comes spilling down the mountainside as their leader charges forward.

This moment never fails to send chills down my spine: the sight of the army pouring down in this huge wave, it really is incredible. In fact, so determined were the Disney animators to get this right, that a whole new software program was invented just to render the Hun army realistically. And Jerry Goldsmith’s music for this moment adds the right level of tension, even though the whole army hasn’t crossed over the mountain yet, you know that this is a huge and awesome force, nothing stands a chance against them!

With one cannon left, Shang decides to use it to take out Shan Yu. But as Yao prepares to fire, Mulan looks up and realizes that the taller mountain above them is thick with snow. A cannon blast there would trigger a huge avalanche….with no time for explanations Mulan grabs the cannon and runs ahead to get in proper range to fire. With Shan Yu quickly advancing, Mulan is forced to use Mushu to light the cannon, which fires just as Shan Yu rides up. It’s a perfect hit and Mulan can’t help but smirk a little as the massive avalanche begins. It’s also worth pointing out that the music momentarily vanishes during the beginning seconds of the avalanche and all you hear instead is the rumble of the falling snow (a good example of when it’s better to have no music).

A stunned Shan Yu looks back and sees his massive army being slowly wiped out. Enraged, he swings back to Mulan who suddenly remembers that there’s a really angry Hun standing in front of her. He swipes his sword across her chest but Mulan has no time to react as she needs to run with everyone else to safety before the avalanche takes THEM out as well.

Mulan and Shang are saved in just the nick of time, while the entire Hun army (Shan Yu) included appears to have been taken out. All seems to be well, except now that the adrenaline is wearing off, Mulan suddenly remembers that she has a serious chest wound and quickly passes out. Things are going to be very different when she wakes up….

Next time: Mulan is finally caught, the Huns aren’t all dead and the Emperor is in serious danger!

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See also:

Mulan “Honor to Us All” (1998)

Mulan “Reflection” (1998)

Mulan “Mulan’s Decision” (1998)

Mulan “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” (1998)

Mulan “A Girl Worth Fighting For” (1998)

Mulan “I’ve Heard a Great Deal About You Fa Mulan…” (1998)

For more great Disney songs and films, check out the main page here: Disney Films & Soundtracks A-Z

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