tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9602155.post428262525970310775..comments2024-03-04T08:47:21.895-06:00Comments on The Nicsperiment: Carl Orff -- Carmina BuranaThe Nicsperimenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08101227163387381013noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9602155.post-63582344647350433772012-04-08T01:16:39.181-05:002012-04-08T01:16:39.181-05:00*sigh* That was me up there. Darn captcha stuff we...*sigh* That was me up there. Darn captcha stuff went screwy and ate my name.Nealnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9602155.post-9982934740574325022012-04-08T00:47:44.775-05:002012-04-08T00:47:44.775-05:00The first Hollywood LWtW was okayish, but it refle...The first Hollywood LWtW was okayish, but it reflects the current Hollywood need to have massive battle scenes. Ironically, I think this need was influenced by the Lord of the Rings movies.<br /><br />So we didn't even bother with Prince Caspian. It was more of the same, and featured even bigger, unnecessary divergences from the plot (I recall that Peter ordered an attack on the Telmarine castle, or something like that). I read Ebert's review of Dawn Treader, and he described some island with a castle that looked like a skull... or something. It was unrecognizable to the actual story. *shudders* Hollywood can't seem to let the Narnia stories be small adventure stories, which is what they are. Unless they have massive battles or huge castles, they're just not "good" enough and require some spicing up. Sad.<br /><br />As for the other music, Duel of the Fates has to be something of an homage or riff on Fortuna, not a texture thing. I can't imagine Williams is unfamiliar with it, and it's got too many similarities. Not that this is a bad thing. It is its own song, even if it has some similarities. Same thing for my story I'm working on called "The Nose." Similarities to the one from Gogol, but very different.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9602155.post-54372341055373804632012-04-03T14:30:35.945-05:002012-04-03T14:30:35.945-05:00Man, I used to love that Lion, the Witch, and the ...Man, I used to love that Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe adaptation when I was a kid. To my memory it was far more enjoyable than that dreck Hollywood made a few years back. Anyway, that kid who played Peter seems like he was pretty good in it, though I guess he's older than us now? Been a while, though.<br />Also, Williams was definitely emulating Orff. In fact, if you listen to other pieces, there are a lot of little touches you can hear in Williams own work. The quiet moments, as well. Orff's flute solo in Movement Six of this is reminiscent of pretty much any of the more light-hearted moment in Star Wars (especially involving droids) and even the more laid back moments of Saving Private Ryan. I guess, as they were/are both "popular" composers, they worked/work with a lot of the same textures and emotions.The Nicsperimenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08101227163387381013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9602155.post-31528188990986185632012-04-03T12:17:39.964-05:002012-04-03T12:17:39.964-05:00It's funny that I even did it, as I'm not ...It's funny that I even did it, as I'm not a big autograph person. Just sounded like fun, so we did it. <br /><br />I'd love to say we discussed something more significant, but we went with the old failsafe of "Love Excalibur, how's the weather." Humans are so predictible. <br /><br />Another fun fact about Stratford: the pub across the street from the RSC is called the Black Swan, AKA "The Dirty Duck" Pretty much everyone calls it the Dirty Duck (it's even called that on Google maps!), and you can sometimes find actors over there after a production. Nigel Terry never wandered over, but we did see the guy that played Peter in the BBC version of the Chronicles of Narnia over there (he was playing Peter again in an RSC production).<br /><br />Back to Carmina Burana... I've had it playing in my head sometimes this week after listening to it again, and I have to say I think John Williams was trying to emulate Fortuna with "Duel of the Fates" from episode 1. Iffy movie, but good song, also hits on everything that Fortuna does, especially the choir in the background singing/shouting in a non-English language. Heh.Nealnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9602155.post-21805394954707038522012-04-02T12:41:53.791-05:002012-04-02T12:41:53.791-05:00As soon as I wrote this, I knew I needed to see if...As soon as I wrote this, I knew I needed to see if Excalibur is out on Blu Ray.<br />If King Arthur says it's "blowy," then it is definitely "blowy!"<br />That is a great story.<br />Also, I'm glad you checked this out. I was into this review more emotionally than usual, even though I knew it wouldn't receive much traffic (Once More With Feeling's received three times as much in less the time!), but it meant a lot to me for some reason.The Nicsperimenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08101227163387381013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9602155.post-63764662567085165562012-03-31T00:41:10.781-05:002012-03-31T00:41:10.781-05:00I'm a huge Arthurian legend fan, so I've s...I'm a huge Arthurian legend fan, so I've seen Excalibur a couple times, the first time for a high school class on Arthurian Legend. It's got its weird moments, but then, so does Arthurian legend! But it is epic when Arthur decides to move at the end and Fortuna kicks in. Modern films with all the shaky cam and special effects wish they could be that awesome.<br /><br />Fun, random Neal fact. I saw a Royal Shakespeare production of Chekhov's The Seagull when I was studying in England in 2000. Nigel Terry was one of the major characters, and it took me awhile to figure out why he was so familiar! For some reason, another guy in my school group and I decided to wait and get an autograph on our programs. What earth-shattering thing did we discuss while he signed? The weather, of course! <br /><br />Us, bundled up in coats: "Kind of windy out tonight, isn't it?"<br />Him, looking old and tired in a fisherman's cap: "Bit blowy, isn't it?"<br /><br />Profound.Nealnoreply@blogger.com