Restoring the Final Frontier

The December 2010 issue of Film Score Monthly Online includes a short article I wrote to accompany a "Score Restore" feature on Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. Through this feature, FSMO subscribers can view the film's prologue with its final production audio, and then watch the same clip with around three minutes of Jerry Goldsmith's magnificent music restored to the mix (courtesy producer/editor Neil S. Bulk). This was an exciting feature to be involved with, because (a) Goldsmith's Trek V is one of my favorite adventure scores (I also happen to think the film is severely underrated, warts and all), and (b) the music in question was not popularly known to have existed prior to a few weeks ago, when La-La Land Records released the complete score as a spectacular 2-disc limited edition – one of my personal holy grails! This is kind of like buying a new printing of your favorite book, only to discover that the author had written an extra chapter that was censored in previous editions. In other words, both thrilling and immensely satisfying!

(Note: the artwork accompanying this entry is from a Vulcanology blog feature on Nilo Rodis, who worked as a costume designer and storyboard artist on the film.)

Announcing: Clash of the Titans

Today sees the release of another very special project for me: Intrada's 2-CD definitive version of Laurence Rosenthal's awe-inspiring score for the 1981 Ray Harryhausen epic Clash of the Titans. This was the first Rosenthal score I ever heard, and remains among my favorite scores of the 1980s. It's simply brimming over with spectacular romance and adventure. To be able to contribute the liner notes for this mammoth production was a great pleasure, and a humbling honor. As always, thanks to Doug Fake and all the gang at Intrada for making it happen, and to maestro Rosenthal for speaking with me at length about the score. I also want to give a special shout-out to art director Joe Sikoryak, who pulled out all the stops ... this is a beautiful package, and I especially love the flippable cover that gives you the option of the classic Kraken art, or the Medusa version by the Bros. Hildebrandt. An amazing release of some of the most stunningly awesome music ever put to film!