POWER OF THE DARK CRYSTAL Announces Director...

[AndyDursin]

...and it's Genndy Tartakovsky, who has earned major acclaim for his STAR WARS CLONE WARS animated shorts.

The movie will be a mix of puppets, CGI and the like, not fully animated.

The CLONE WARS shorts are interesting in design but were intended to be seen in 2 minute increments, which has always made them somewhat jarring to watch on DVD, when edited together.

That said, I'd be very interesting in seeing what kind of artistic touch Tartakovsky would bring to the movie. It also sounds as if the story -- set several hundred years in the future -- is going to be quite different so it's not a direct rehash of the original.

I'm sure the skeptics will yawn, but this is one follow-up I'd be interested in checking out.


Variety Article Text
http://www.variety.com/article/VR111793 ... =1&s=h&p=0

The Jim Henson Co. has set Genndy Tartakovsky to direct "Power of the Dark Crystal," sequel to 1982 fantasy film "The Dark Crystal."

Tartakovsky, who created the animated series hits "Samurai Jack," "Dexter's Laboratory" and "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," will involve his Orphanage Animation Studios to take the lead on the CG animation elements for the puppet-driven film.

Film becomes a co-production of Henson and the Orphanage. Lisa HensonLisa Henson, co-CEO of the Jim Henson Co., will produce with Orphanage chairman Scott Stewart. Brian Froud has returned to design the new characters.

Pic's development has so far been funded by Henson. Overseas distribution will be sold during the Berlin Film Festival by Odyssey Entertainment; Henson will secure a domestic distributor by the time the film begins production in late summer.

Annette Duffy and David Odell penned the script.

Set hundreds of years after the first pic, sequel follows a mysterious girl made of fire who steals a shard of the crystal in hopes of reigniting the dying sun.

"The original 'Dark Crystal' was the pinnacle of puppetry; they created characters that were as believable as the ones you see in animated films," Tartakovsky said. Tartakovsky said that unlike in the pricey original film, for which otherworldly sets were built, the puppets this time around will operate amid a CGI backdrop.

"There is a limited budget here, and this will be more artsy, in a 'Sin City' fashion, with characters performing over greenscreen and great backgrounds behind it," he said.

Brian Henson, Ralph Kamp and Louise Goodsill will exec produce.

[Paul MacLean]

Any word on whether Trevor Jones is coming back? His score was one of the most important elements of the original Drak Crystal (and still arguably his best score).


Paul

[Eric W.]

Any word on whether Trevor Jones is coming back? His score was one of the most important elements of the original Drak Crystal (and still arguably his best score).


Paul

Largely thanks to the deceased orchestrator, Peter Knight.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0461032/

Trevor Jones has NEVER again composed music anywhere near the caliber of that amazing score.

I like Jones and own several of his scores, but DC was clearly his magnum opus, and I think that Knight deserves big thanks for that.

[AndyDursin]

Any word on whether Trevor Jones is coming back? His score was one of the most important elements of the original Drak Crystal (and still arguably his best score).


Paul

Largely thanks to the deceased orchestrator, Peter Knight.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0461032/

Trevor Jones has NEVER again composed music anywhere near the caliber of that amazing score.

I like Jones and own several of his scores, but DC was clearly his magnum opus, and I think that Knight deserves big thanks for that.

Paul MacLean and I argued with Lukas over that rumor a long time ago. I don't know who started it but it's pretty much junk as far as I'm concerned, as Jones has written several fine scores (Cliffhanger, Arachnophobia, Dinotopia, Loch Ness, Last of the Mohicans) without any help from Peter Knight, who's best known for orchestrating instrumental backing for The Carpenters among other pop groups....how someone put the equation together that somehow he WROTE the score -- or had some kind of heavy influence on it -- is absurd in my estimation.

Back at the time I heard that same thing, that Phillippe Sarde DIDN'T write "Ghost Story" and "Quest For Fire" because Peter Knight orchestrated them...also complete and total garbage IMO. I remember asking someone "why would anyone think that?" and the answer was "well, has he written anything like them?" Obviously said person had NO IDEA about the dozens and dozens of other scores Sarde had written, that had no bearing on Peter Knight's involvement.

I put as much stock in those rumors as I do for the arguments you'd hear -- persistently -- that SHIRLEY WALKER was the reason for Danny Elfman's success...just like Thomas Pasateri and Jonathan Sheffer were some kind of "genius orchestrators" responsible for writing scores for James Horner among others (of course they've certainly confirmed those rumors with solo scores of their own like THE OMEN IV!).

Not to be mean but does Shirley Walker even work any more? I'm sure she was the reason for Elfman's success, because he's had a real hard time in the last 14 years without her.

[Eric W.]

Any word on whether Trevor Jones is coming back? His score was one of the most important elements of the original Drak Crystal (and still arguably his best score).


Paul

Largely thanks to the deceased orchestrator, Peter Knight.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0461032/

Trevor Jones has NEVER again composed music anywhere near the caliber of that amazing score.

I like Jones and own several of his scores, but DC was clearly his magnum opus, and I think that Knight deserves big thanks for that.

Paul MacLean and I argued with Lukas over that rumor a long time ago. I don't know who started it but it's pretty much junk as far as I'm concerned, as Jones has written several fine scores (Cliffhanger, Arachnophobia, Dinotopia, Loch Ness, Last of the Mohicans) without any help from Peter Knight, who's best known for orchestrating instrumental backing for The Carpenters among other pop groups....how someone put the equation together that somehow he WROTE the score -- or had some kind of heavy influence on it -- is absurd in my estimation.

Very true, and I certainly wasn't suggesting that Knight wrote the score or anything like that, nor was I trying to take anything away from Jones.

I just know that, for any number of reasons, Dark Crystal was Jones's magnum opus and he never reached that height again, imho, at least.

Back at the time I heard that same thing, that Phillippe Sarde DIDN'T write "Ghost Story" and "Quest For Fire" because Peter Knight orchestrated them...also complete and total garbage IMO.

Very likely bunk.

I remember asking someone "why would anyone think that?" and the answer was "well, has he written anything like them?" Obviously said person had NO IDEA about the dozens and dozens of other scores Sarde had written, that had no bearing on Peter Knight's involvement.

Yup.

I put as much stock in those rumors as I do for the arguments you'd hear -- persistently -- that SHIRLEY WALKER was the reason for Danny Elfman's success...just like Thomas Pasateri and Jonathan Sheffer were some kind of "genius orchestrators" responsible for writing scores for James Horner among others (of course they've certainly confirmed those rumors with solo scores of their own like THE OMEN IV!).

Not to be mean but does Shirley Walker even work any more? I'm sure she was the reason for Elfman's success, because he's had a real hard time in the last 14 years without her.

I liked some of her work, but clearly she was not Elfman's ghost writer.

[AndyDursin]

Largely thanks to the deceased orchestrator, Peter Knight.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0461032/

Trevor Jones has NEVER again composed music anywhere near the caliber of that amazing score.

I like Jones and own several of his scores, but DC was clearly his magnum opus, and I think that Knight deserves big thanks for that.

Paul MacLean and I argued with Lukas over that rumor a long time ago. I don't know who started it but it's pretty much junk as far as I'm concerned, as Jones has written several fine scores (Cliffhanger, Arachnophobia, Dinotopia, Loch Ness, Last of the Mohicans) without any help from Peter Knight, who's best known for orchestrating instrumental backing for The Carpenters among other pop groups....how someone put the equation together that somehow he WROTE the score -- or had some kind of heavy influence on it -- is absurd in my estimation.

Very true, and I certainly wasn't suggesting that Knight wrote the score or anything like that, nor was I trying to take anything away from Jones.

I just know that, for any number of reasons, Dark Crystal was Jones's magnum opus and he never reached that height again, imho, at least.

No argument from me either on that front Eric -- it's definitely his magnum opus. On the other hand, Cliff Eidelman has written only one big score I'm a fan of...and I don't credit his orchestrator for that. You could make the same statement about Poledouris. CONAN was clearly his magnum opus, and while he's written about a handful of solid scores, I don't see people crediting Greig MacRitchie with all of Poledouris' success.

Anyway you get my drift.

[Paul MacLean]

Actually, the Dark Crystal LP credited "Orchestration by Trevor Jones, Peter Knight and John Coleman".

Unlike *too many* composers these days, Jones is fully capable of orchestrating himself. He studied composition and orchetration at the Royal Academy of Music.

Even when working with composers who *do* know how to orchestrate (i.e. Williams, Barry, Horner, Jones, etc.) orchestrators can and do add "texture" to the instrumentation, if the composer so desires. If you compare the scores for Dark Crystal and Philippe Sarde's Quest for Fire (which was orchestrated by Knight) there are arguably similarities in the string blends. But that's about it. On the other hand, Nate and Hayes does not sound anything like Tess, even tho Knight worked on both.

Many of the distinctive timbres heard in The Dark Crystal -- solo voice, recorder, vibra-slap, synclavier effects, etc. -- are also to be found in Jones earlier work on Black Angel, which Knight had nothing to do with.

I don't want to dminish Knight as a musician -- he was a brilliant arranger, arguably best-known for "arrranging" the instrumental acompaniment to the Moody Blues' "Knights in White Satin" (which is such a foregorund arrangement Knight is practically co-composer of the song).

But unquestionably, most of The Dark Crystal's sound comes from Jones' preferences (I hear consitency of style in Jones' instrumental combinations in many scores since).

Peter Knight also worked on some of Jones' other early scores, like Nate and Hayes. But many of Jones' later scores, written after Knight passed away (like Last of the Mohicans, Merlin, The Mighty, Hideaway) are to my mind better scores than Nate and Hayes. Also, Knight is not credited on The Sender -- yet oddly enough it has that same lush sound as The Dark Crystal.

There's a lot of reasons why Trevor Jones' later work is unlike The Dark Crystal. Composers' styles, tastes, methods, etc. change over time. Jerry Goldsmith pretty-much abandoned avant garde writing after 1979, Maurice Jarre went electronic in the 80s, John Barry got more and more legato, John Williams got symphonic after meeting Steven Spielberg.

Interviewed by Jeff Bond in FSM, Jones said since The Dark Crystal was his first big score, he strove to write a score which was "well-written from an academic point-of-view". After the lukewarm reception of the film, he was disappointed no one ever seemed to notice the score. He said this altered his ideas on film scoring, and resulted in a long period, starting in the mid-80s, in which he wrote unobtrusive, mostly electronic scores, almost like tonal sound effects, or mood enhancing tones and chords (i.e. Angel Heart, Sea of Love, etc).

The fact that Peter Knight died in the mid-80s, and Jones went suddenly electronic around the same time, seemed too coincident for some people.

As far as Philippe Sarde, the lush sound and exquisite instrumental blends heard in Tess and Quest for Fire are also to be found in later Sarde works like The Bear and Concierto Por La Tierra. So either he conjured-up Knight via a medium, or Knight had less to do with the sound of his scores than some like to claim.

The Dark Crystal remains (to my mind) Trevor Jones' best score, and I don't think he's equaled it since. But that doesn't mean someone else wrote it. Basil Poledouris never wrote another score of equal artistry and inspiration to Conan The Barbarian. Does that mean it was actually written by Grieg McRitchie?

I think Jones' career path is kind of the opposite of John Williams. Other than The Reivers and Images, almost all of Williams' truly great work began with Jaws -- partly because most of the earlier films didn't require interesting scores, but also because Lucas and Spielberg were supportive and gave Williams the incentive to do great work which was a forefround element. I think Jones just needs the right collaborator. He adored working with Jim Henson -- and it shows. Even Labyrinth, for all its pop goofiness, is a very cever and well-crafted score. I just don't think he's ever found anyone with whom he works as well as he did with Henson.

He needs to work with me!


Paul

[Carlson2005]

I'd never heard the Sarde rumours before, which are pretty ridiculous - not only is he one of France's best and most prolific composers, but Ghost Story is very much a typical example of a Sarde score, if such a thing exists considering how adept he is at various different styles. I guess it comes down to the fact that he has scored so few US films that some people just aren't familiar with his work or style and jump to conclusions.

[AndyDursin]

I'd never heard the Sarde rumours before, which are pretty ridiculous - not only is he one of France's best and most prolific composers, but Ghost Story is very much a typical example of a Sarde score, if such a thing exists considering how adept he is at various different styles. I guess it comes down to the fact that he has scored so few US films that some people just aren't familiar with his work or style and jump to conclusions.

You know it!

[Eric W.]

Actually, the Dark Crystal LP credited "Orchestration by Trevor Jones, Peter Knight and John Coleman".

Unlike *too many* composers these days, Jones is fully capable of orchestrating himself. He studied composition and orchetration at the Royal Academy of Music, and probably orchestrated Excalibur himself (as there was very likely no money to hire an orchestrator on that film).

Even when working with composers who *do* know how to orchestrate (i.e. Williams, Barry, Horner, Jones, etc.) orchestrators can and do add "texture" to the instrumentation, if the composer so desires. If you compare the scores for Dark Crystal and Philippe Sarde's Quest for Fire (which was orchestrated by Knight) I hear similarities in the string blends, which is very precise and lush. But that's about it. On the other hand, Savage Islands does not sound anything like Tess, even tho Knight worked on both.

I don't want to dminish Knight as a musician -- he was a brilliant arranger, arguably best-known for "arrranging" the instrumental acompaniment to the Moody Blues' "Knights in White Satin" (which is such a foregorund arrangement Knight is practically co-composer of the song).

But unquestionably, most of The Dark Crystal's sound comes from Jones' preferences (I hear consitency of style in Jones' instrumental combinations in many scores since).

Most other of of Jones' early scores -- among them Savage Islands and The Sender -- were also orchestrated by Peter Knight...but those two are to my mind not as good as some of Jones' later, post-Knight scores (like Last of the Mohicans, Merlin, The Mighty, Hideaway).

There's a lot of reasons why Trevor Jones' later work is unlike The Dark Crsytal. Composers' styles, tastes, methods, etc. change over time. Jerry Goldsmith pretty-much abandoned avant garde writing after 1979, Maurice Jarre went electronic in the 80s, John Barry got more and more legato, John Williams got less "pop" after meeting Steven Spielberg.

Interviewed by Jeff Bond in FSM, Jones said since The Dark Crystal was his first big score, he strove to write a score which was "well-written from an academic point-of-view". After the lukewarm reception of the film, he was disappointed no one ever seemed to notice the score. He said this altered his ideas on film scoring, and resulted in a long period, starting in the mid-80s, in which he wrote unobtrusive, mostly electronic scores, almost like tonal sound effects, or mood enhancing tones and chords (i.e. Angel Heart, Sea of Love, etc).

The fact that Peter Knight died in the mid-80s, and Jones went suddenly electronic around the same time, seemed too coincident for some people.

I think Jones' career path is kind of the opposite of John Williams. Other than The Reivers and Images, almost all of Williams' truly great work began with Jaws -- partly because most of the earlier films didn't require interesting scores, but also because Lucas and Spielberg were supportive and gave Williams the incentive to do great work which was a forefround element. I think Jones just needs the right collaborator. He adored working with Jim Henson -- and it shows. Even Labyrinth, for all its pop goofiness, is a very cever and well-crafted score. I just don't think he's ever found anyone with whom he works as well as he did with Henson.

He needs to work with me!


Paul

Great post! Agreed 100 percent!

[AndyDursin]

Muppet Central has the first bit of conceptual art (Kira as an adult queen) up there now:
http://www.muppetcentral.com/news/2006/020106.shtml

[John Johnson]

Any word on whether Trevor Jones is coming back? His score was one of the most important elements of the original Drak Crystal (and still arguably his best score).


Paul

Largely thanks to the deceased orchestrator, Peter Knight.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0461032/

Trevor Jones has NEVER again composed music anywhere near the caliber of that amazing score.

I like Jones and own several of his scores, but DC was clearly his magnum opus, and I think that Knight deserves big thanks for that.

Paul MacLean and I argued with Lukas over that rumor a long time ago. I don't know who started it but it's pretty much junk as far as I'm concerned, as Jones has written several fine scores (Cliffhanger, Arachnophobia, Dinotopia, Loch Ness, Last of the Mohicans) without any help from Peter Knight, who's best known for orchestrating instrumental backing for The Carpenters among other pop groups....how someone put the equation together that somehow he WROTE the score -- or had some kind of heavy influence on it -- is absurd in my estimation.

Back at the time I heard that same thing, that Phillippe Sarde DIDN'T write "Ghost Story" and "Quest For Fire" because Peter Knight orchestrated them...also complete and total garbage IMO. I remember asking someone "why would anyone think that?" and the answer was "well, has he written anything like them?" Obviously said person had NO IDEA about the dozens and dozens of other scores Sarde had written, that had no bearing on Peter Knight's involvement.

I put as much stock in those rumors as I do for the arguments you'd hear -- persistently -- that SHIRLEY WALKER was the reason for Danny Elfman's success...just like Thomas Pasateri and Jonathan Sheffer were some kind of "genius orchestrators" responsible for writing scores for James Horner among others (of course they've certainly confirmed those rumors with solo scores of their own like THE OMEN IV!).

Not to be mean but does Shirley Walker even work any more? I'm sure she was the reason for Elfman's success, because he's had a real hard time in the last 14 years without her.

Yes, I too heard about the connection between Peter Knight and Sarde many years ago when I worked at Silva Screen. As for Trevor Jones, there are two scores that haven't been mentioned. One is Merlin, my favourite all time Jones score. And the other is Savage Islands. Wish that would be released on CD.

[Paul MacLean]

As for Trevor Jones, there are two scores that haven't been mentioned. One is Merlin, my favourite all time Jones score. And the other is Savage Islands. Wish that would be released on CD.

Yeah, me too!

Tell me, since you've worked in the soundtrack biz, do you have any idea why so few of Trevor Jones older scores have gotten released?

Loch Ness went thru numerous delays (and there were rumors it was held-up pending Jones' approval, which was not immediately forthcoming). And The Dark Crsytal CD was done without Jones' participation, with the additonal tracks taken from the DVD isolated music track (even tho Jones reportedly has the complete masters on DAT).

Does Jones not want his older stuff on CD?


Paul