Skip to main content

George Lucas and Marius de Vries consider six decades of music’s best for the soundtrack to Strange Magic

Marius de Vries

Marius de Vries (“Moulin Rouge”) has been involved in some of the most culture-defining recordings and soundtracks of the past two decades. In his latest project, he serves as musical director and composer for George Lucas’ new animated film, “Strange Magic.”

“Strange Magic” is a fairy tale—but not your average fairy tale. It’s a madcap musical with a princess who has sworn off love, a vulnerable villain, a slightly nutty Sugar Plum Fairy, a tenacious and big-hearted elf, a mischievous imp, and a knight who is no Prince Charming.

“I love telling stories with music,” says executive producer George Lucas. ‘Strange Magic’ may take a different approach than we did with ‘American Graffiti,’ but I had just as much fun. I love all kinds of music from classical to ethnic to contemporary. Since childhood, music has been an important part of my life.”

“I chose Marius as the musical director because I loved what he did with ‘Moulin Rouge,’” Lucas continues. “I’ve always thought that sound and music were just as important as the visuals in a film. It was an extraordinary experience to work with Marius on such an intricate collection of songs and the complementary score.”

Weaving together new versions of favorite songs from the last six decades—including songs made
strange magic
famous by artists ranging from Mickey & Sylvia and Elvis Presley to Kelly Clarkson, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga – is no small task. According to de Vries, criteria for song selections included—first and foremost—storytelling needs, as well as emotional resonance and—at times, comedic potential. He adds, “Each song needed to feel true to the character singing it.”

De Vries says he took Lucas’ lead when it came to the stylistic anchors of the film’s music. “Each of the kingdoms’ tribes is colored by a specific genre of pop music drawn from a very eclectic and diverse range of periods and styles, and woven into a narrative tapestry that still manages to feel coherent and emotionally logical.”

If pressed to identify the songs that form the core of the film, de Vries says “Strange Magic” is the heart of the movie, while “I Can’t Help Falling in Love” is the spine. “Love Is Strange” showcases the underlying pretext of the story. And, of course “Mistreated” deserves a special mention, “because we are in danger of forgetting Deep Purple,” he jokes.

“Strange Magic,” a new animated film from Lucasfilm Ltd., will be released by Touchstone Pictures on January 23, 2015.


THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK
THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER
THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+
THE BEARDED TRIO ON PINTEREST

CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON STEVEN SPIELBERG
CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON GEORGE LUCAS
CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON JOHN WILLIAMS

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Did Paul Freeman Accidentally Eat A Fly In Raiders of the Lost Ark?

The Famous Indiana Jones Fly In Belloq's Mouth Scene.  Did It Really Happen? I've always wondered if Paul Freeman unintentionally consumed a fly in this scene in  Raiders of the Lost Ark ?  It's the scene where Indiana Jones shouts down to Bellosh...I mean Belloq and threatens to blow up the ark.  Did a fly go in his mouth? I remember watching this scene back in the early eighties and my ten year old mind thought he definitely had a snack while filming.  I recall talking about 'flygate' in my school playground at the time and the general consensus with my friends was that Freeman definitely had a sneaky snack. Paul Freeman talks about the famous 'fly' scene in an interview with TheIndyExperience.com  and settled 'flygate:' This is a bit of a dicey question so don’t get too upset. (Laughs) A movie’s always got bloopers in it, some have a lot, and some only have three or four. And the most remarkable blooper was right before the opening of th...

Star Wars VII Movie Poster - Every End Is A New Beginning

Star Wars VII Movie Poster Just saw this Star Wars VII movie poster on Kyle Newman's Facebook fee d.  The poster is by  Lyndon Berresford and Paul Bateman.  I am loving this.  Who do you think the two characters are?  Lando and Leia?  Han and Leia's children? Have you seen other Star Wars VII movie posters?  Let me know. Rob Wainfur @welshslider

Explaining That "Weird" Cut In Poltergeist. Read The Missing Scene

Why Is There A Strange Cut In The 1982 Horror Classic, Poltergeist? If you're a fan of the 1982 Horror classic, Poltergeist then you will be very familiar with that "weird" cut in the movie.  It's 32 minutes and 47 seconds in to the movie and the scene is where Diane is explaining the strange phenomenon that is happening in the kitchen.  First, she shows to Steve a chair scraping across the floor all on its own then she does the same with Carol Anne.  Steve leans up against the kitchen wall and is completely shocked at what just happened.  It's at this point Diane starts to explain the sensation of being pulled and then...A very abrupt cut.  One moment we are listening to Diane and suddenly it cuts to Diane and Steve at their next door neighbours door.  Why the sudden cut?  It's on the VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray and even the streaming versions.  Why does this awful and weird cut exist in the movie, Poltergeist?  Watch the clip below to see the cut...