July 2015

The Death of Movie Composer James Horner

Dear friends,

As I sit down to write this blog entry (23^rd June 2015) I have just heard on a news bulletin of the tragic death of film composer James Horner. He was one of the “giants” of the film industry and his passing at the untimely age of 61 is not only a great loss for his friends and family; but will sadden movie fans across the globe.

Apparently, Horner (a keen flyer) was piloting his Tucano turbo-prop plane when it crashed somewhere in the Los Padres National forest in Southern California. Sylvia Patrycja, his assistant, wrote on Facebook: "We have lost an amazing person with a huge heart and unbelievable talent. He died doing what he loved."

And, although he will never compose another film score, what a legacy he has left us. James Horner's credits (to name just a few) include:-

Wolfen, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Cocoon, The Name of the Rose, Batteries Not Included, Willow, Field of Dreams, The Pelican Brief, Honey I shrunk the Kids, Glory, Aliens, Patriot Games, Braveheart, Casper, Apollo 13, Titanic, Iris, A Beautiful Mind, Troy, The Legend of Zorro, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, The Amazing Spider-Man, and Avatar.

Speaking of music, I enjoyed the soundtrack of Mad Max: Fury Road – which I saw at the weekend. A little too heavy-handed with the strings at times (perhaps) but overall a very effective, stirring, and varied score. Dutch composer Tom Holkenborg (aka Junkie XL) has really made his mark with this one. Please do go see Mad Max: Fury Road if you haven't seen it yet and like action films done with aplomb. It's a crazy film in many respects but well worth a look. Highly recommended. Tom Hardy puts in a suitably taciturn performance as Mad Max – but it's Charlize Theron's Furiosa who steals the show. The more people who see this feature in theatres the more likely there'll be a sequel. Also still playing from previous months are movies such as Insidious: Chapter 3, Pitch Perfect 2, Spy, and The Longest Ride.

New releases in the UK in July include Magic Mike XXL, Terminator Genisys, Ted 2, Ant-Man, Inside Out, and Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation. As usual, you can learn about these films (and others) in the latest edition of my newsletter Big Films Monthly which outlines the latest cinema releases.

Big Films Monthly – July 2015