The Bearded Trio

Lets have some good news.  Nay!  Let's have some awesome news!  John Williams it seems isn't retiring. At an event, sponsored by the American Cinematheque and held at the Writers Guild Theater, John Williams and Steven Spielberg spoke for 90 minutes about their career.  Moderator Jon Burlingame left the best question until last. “A final question for each of you. John, are you really retiring from films? Are this” — “The Fabelmans,” the last film to come up for discussion — “and the Indiana Jones film to come your last work for the medium?” “Well, Steven is a lot of things,” replied the composer. “He’s a director, he’s a producer, he’s a studio head, he’s a writer, he’s a philanthropist, he’s an educator. One thing he isn’t is a man you can say no to.” “You never told me that before today,” said Spielberg, slightly, happily rattled. Williams pointed out that Arnold Spielberg, the director’s WWII-veteran father, died at 102, was still working at the Shoah Foundation w...

Top ten lists of an artist's work are never controversial. Nope. Never any discourse, disagreement or finger-pointing with these! But eh, I don't care. My top 10 list of John Williams Star Wars tracks is unique to me and needs neither validation nor dispute from anyone else Your list is 100 percent as legitimate as mine or anyone else's. That's the beauty of the art John Williams has created over his eight decade career of film music composition. You love what you love, and no one need love it like you do. So here is my list, with YouTube links for your listening pleasure. These tracks come from officially released John Williams tracks for the Star Wars films only. 1. City in the Clouds - Empire Strikes Back For me, the word "ethereal" was invented to describe this track.  We begin this track on Dagobah as Luke's Jedi powers are clearly growing. When used correctly, as it is here, the celeste might be my favorite musical instrument. It delicately plays as ...

I was nine years old, galloping down the carpeted stairs of my childhood home in Farmington Hills, Michigan. It was 1982. I was intent on getting a snack, but it was just a quick snack. The kind of snack that wasn't worth going all the way to the record player to lift the needle while you were out of the room. I wanted that music to already be playing when I returned to my bedroom with that coveted snack. "Heroics of Luke and Han" was coming out of my primitive little record player, from the soundtrack album Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980). As I started my sprint back up the stairs, my mom called to me. I think I defied the laws of gravity in stopping, waiting to hear about either the speed of my movement or the questionable nutritional quality of my snack. "I just wanted to say how nice it is that you're listening to classical music!" my mom declared to me, also hearing the bombastic music from my bedroom.  I paused for an indignant moment before ...

THE EIGER SANCTION Music Composed and Conducted by JOHN WILLIAMS ISC 465 Intrada's latest release features a 2-CD set of John Williams' music for the 1975 Universal Pictures thriller  The Eiger Sanction.  The score is a masterful example of the composer’s 1970s style, encompassing orchestral and jazz elements, tonal and atonal moments, and memorable themes. From the foreboding theme of the main title to the thrilling action of "The Car Chase" and the majestic "The Top Of The World," the score is a showcase of a composer who was rapidly rising to the top of the industry's game. The first disc features his complete 75-minute score, offering substantially more music than was represented on the MCA LP, a re-recording that also included tracks often substantially reworked by Williams. While the original scoring sessions were in three-track split-mono, ace producer Mike Matessino has mixed the tracks into a satisfying stereo experience, similar to his prior wo...

Varèse Sarabande Records has re-released what kind only be described as a beautiful-looking L.P.  It's the epic The Empire Strikes Back - Symphonic Suite from the Original Motion Picture Score and this piece of treasure has been out of print since 1980.  Just look at that cover!  If that isn't enough you get special notes from Ray Bradbury, Christopher Palmer and of course the man himself, John Williams.  Below is the full press release with details on how you can order yours: Varèse Sarabande Records  is re-issuing the long out-of-print LP  The Empire Strikes Back  – Symphonic Suite from the Original Motion Picture Score  by Academy Award®-winning composer  John Williams . Out of print since 1980, the record is pressed on 180-gram black vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket featuring the original Star Wars paintings and notes. Available now from  VarèseSarabande.com  along with two limited exclusive versions: “ Imperial G...

Superman The Movie (1978) was one of the first films I saw at the cinema, my mother had taken me and my brother to see ‘Grease’ but it had sold out. I had seen Star Wars in that year as well and loved it but (shock & horror to anyone that knows me) I gravitated more towards Superman in 1978...at 6 years old I was already familiar with superheroes and, besides, it looked more fun dressing up in a red cape than a dull farm boy tunic. In the school playground we played ‘swaps’ with our Star Wars & Superman bubblegum cards (it was one or the other, the inferior Black Hole cards wouldn’t turn up until a year or two later) and it was always a win to get a good shot of Superman himself as opposed to a rather dull Lex Luthor image (no offence to the wonderful Gene Hackman) The appeal of a Valerie Perrine image wouldn’t occur to me until much later. Now, after 40+ years, the film still holds a wonderful place in my cinema-loving life. Generally speaking Superman II probably gets more lo...

SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE “I’M HERE TO FIGHT FOR TRUTH, JUSTICE, AND THE AMERICAN WAY.” - Superman  U.S. Release Date: December 15, 1978 Starring: Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve Music by: John Williams  Directed by: Richard Donner Oscar win: Best Visual Effects This week is the 42nd anniversary of what most people consider to be the greatest superhero film of all time. It also happens to be my all-time favorite film. It started the superhero genre on the big screen, and to this day is the gold standard on how superhero films are made or ought to be made. The director of 2017’s WONDER WOMAN used this film as a template, and the president of Marvel Studios has stated that they use it as inspiration in their films.  Much has been documented about the making of this great blockbuster that almost wasn’t. Both director Dick Donner and executive producer Ilya Salkind have gone on record about the trials and tribulations of trying to make a man fly, because many special...

HOME ALONE “I MADE MY FAMILY DISAPPEAR!” - Kevin U.S. Release Date: November 16, 1990 Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern Music by: John Williams  Directed by: Chris Columbus Last month saw the 30th anniversary of one of the highest grossing comedies of all time. Little eight-year-old Kevin is left behind to defend his home from burglars after his family hastily flies to Paris without him.  John Hughes got the idea for the script while working on his previous film UNCLE BUCK with John Candy and Macaulay Culkin. Hughes loved Culkin’s performance so much that he wrote the part of Kevin for him, though he’d only be cast after hundreds of other kids auditioned first, including the actor who would play Kelvin’s brother Buzz.  Hughes chose Chris Columbus to direct after backing out of his previous project, CHRISTMAS VACATION, due to clashing with its star Chevy Chase. Hughes wanted to give Columbus another shot because of his love for Christmas. Columbus had prev...

Rise of Skywalker Bags 72nd Grammy Nomination For John Williams John Williams has picked up his 72nd Grammy Nomination as the full nominations have been released.  Williams will go up against Thomas Newman, Kamasi Washington, Max Richter and Hildur Guðnadóttir in the Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media.  You can see the full list of nominations here. Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media Ad Adstra, Max Richter, composer Becoming, Kamasi Washington, composer Joker, Hildur Guðnadóttir, composer 1917, Thomas Newman, composer Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, John Williams, composer The Grammy Awards will broadcast on Jan. 31, 2021, on CBS at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Source: Grammy.Com The Bearded Trio - The Site For Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, John Williams and a whole lot more.

"...And this is Lando Calrissian and this is Boba Fett...And look, they can even have wars."  - Elliott showing his Star Wars figures to E.T. My second recommendation for a piece of John Williams music to wind down to, I have chosen "E.T. and Me" from the original release of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, track number three. This serene piece has the relaxing harp as the primary focus for the first part and has a dream-like, almost mystical feel to the piece that portrays love and trust between friends.  At 2'04, the harp is accompanied by the full orchestra to change the tone and bring home the feeling of friendship and a sibling love theme.  I have an affection for this piece of music from E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.  The scene shows Elliott showing his new friend his toys such as his Star Wars figures and placing a toy shark in a fish bowl to show the basics of the food chain, "fish eat the fish food, the shark eats the fish and nobody eats the shark....