"The Big Trip Up Yonder" on StarShipSofa →
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My performance of Kurt Vonnegut’s “The Big Trip Up Yonder” is now live on StarShipSofa. Episode 207 is here.
October 2011
9 posts
“I think it’s really hard to do a soundtrack that completely misses the mark. I can’t remember a single one I’ve listened to that actually pulled that off. However, in re-listening to these eight soundtracks, I’ve come to the conclusion that a good soundtrack needs a few cohesive themes, not too much crazy orchestration, and the ability to make listeners re-enact the film’s scenes in their heads if they’re not actually watching the movie. Most of the Potter soundtracks do all three of those things — they all do at least two. I count that as a rousing success for the studio, the films, and the composers.”
—Music and Magic: The Harry Potter Soundtrack Retrospective — Part 10 of 10: Conclusion « Escape Pod
“As Dr. Medici throws her head down onto her folded arms on the table, I cross the lab and pick up the silver tray that she threw. I see myself reflected in its surface–thick glasses, big nose, bald head, pure geek…not her type. ”I thought you liked the crinkle-cut ones,” I say as I pluck chicken fingers and french fries from the floor and drop them onto the tray.”
—My latest narration, “Playing Doctor” by Robert T. Jeschonek, is now available for your downloading pleasure: EP313: Playing Doctor : Escape Pod
“This soundtrack is more about cycles than themes, though — I counted at least three of them. I approve of that style of orchestration — giving the major climactic sequence of the film its own series of specific themes and cues (all of them at least somewhat derivative of the other themes already established in the movie).”
—Music and Magic: The Harry Potter Soundtrack Retrospective — Part 9 of 10: Deathly Hallows 2 : Escape Pod
“So far, I’ve given H.I.V.E. a lot of grief over its use of genre conventions, but I hope I’ve done it good-naturedly enough to keep you from being put off the book. I mean, it’s YA; it’s sort of YA’s job to use genre conventions to make characters relatable and understandable. And the story itself is something most kids can understand: being taken from your home because you’re special, but once you get away, all you want is to go back again.”
—Book Review: “H.I.V.E.: Higher Institute of Villainous Education” by Mark Walden : Escape Pod
Soundproof #12 : Escape Pod →
escapepod.org
My review of Lev Grossman’s “The Magician King” has been reprinted in this month’s Soundproof Escape Pod.
September 2011
10 posts
“Overall I was very pleased with Desplat’s soundtrack for the first half of Deathly Hallows. I was leery at first, but the studio really came through with a good choice for the film’s score, and I was quite looking forward to what he would do with Part Two. He proved he can do films, he can do homages, he can hint ahead at future tracks… basically, everything that I praised Patrick Doyle for — and, as I said, he wrote my favorite soundtrack of the series. But this one’s pretty good too.”
—Music and Magic: The Harry Potter Soundtrack Retrospective — Part 8 of 10: Deathly Hallows 1 : Escape Pod
“Overall, I think the Half-Blood Prince soundtrack was by far the better of Hooper’s two outings into the Potterverse. While I didn’t like the film almost at all — I’d put Deathly Hallows 1 at the bottom of the list, and this film just above it — I definitely got some enjoyment out of the soundtrack. It’s a solid piece of art, despite its overuse of bells and choruses, and it provides what I felt to be an excellent companion character to the film.”
—Music and Magic: The Harry Potter Soundtrack Retrospective — Part 7 of 10: The Half-Blood Prince : Escape Pod
"Bring on the Rain" in StarShipSofa #203 →
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“Bring on the Rain”, originally published in the July issue of Asimov’s, has been reprinted in audio form by StarShipSofa. I was asked to narrate the story as well — it’s a new experience, narrating my own stuff — and, at the end, I was interviewed about the story submission and acceptance process. Take a listen.
“Overall, I think Nicholas Hooper is a talented composer, and I found several tracks I was able to enjoy as singular pieces of music. However, I thought the soundtrack of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was a step backward in terms of soundtrack-as-character and soundtrack-as-complete-work-of-art.”
—Music and Magic: The Harry Potter Soundtrack Retrospective — Part 6 of 10: The Order of the Phoenix : Escape Pod
Listen
Here’s something fun: the opening to a radio show I produced in 2003. The host, Andrea Shea-King, was a really nice person, regardless of your agreement or disagreement with her political views.
And she let me do things like this.
“[P]rincipals all across the country are telling me that more and more lawyers are accompanying parents for school meetings dealing with their children.”
—
I seem to remember writing a story about this and having it published in Big Pulp’s Winter 2010 issue.
Just saying.
“Doyle’s strength with this soundtrack was to create a series of cues and themes — the “Family Guy” theme, the music and mood he used for the Voldemort sequences, the waltzes and love themes — that feels, for the first time, like a complete piece of art.”
—Music and Magic: The Harry Potter Soundtrack Retrospective — Part 5 of 10: The Goblet of Fire : Escape Pod
“I enjoyed reading the book, and there were a lot of clever and funny things to keep me interested until I got to the next plot point. And, unlike the first book, The Magician King clearly sets up another sequel. I’m not sure how much longer Grossman can keep up this particular style of storytelling, but I’m on board for book three.”
—Book Review: “The Magician King” by Lev Grossman : Escape Pod
Soundproof #11 : Escape Pod →
escapepod.org
My review of Philippa Ballantine’s “Spectyr” was reprinted in this month’s Soundproof Escape Pod.
“I imagine that it can be difficult to sell big-idea hard-science-fiction books. How do you elevator-pitch a story about the virus that may have been the catalyst to turn humanity from people living in caves to the society we know today?”
—Book Review: Fade to Black by Josh Pryor : Escape Pod
August 2011
7 posts
“While the Prisoner of Azkaban soundtrack isn’t my overall favorite of the entire series, I definitely mark it as my favorite of the John Williams scores. I think it was Prisoner that really showed us how the music of Harry Potter can make us feel.”
—Music and Magic: The Harry Potter Soundtrack Retrospective — Part 4 of 10: The Prisoner of Azkaban : Escape Pod
“While Chamber is a darker film, as noted before, the soundtrack is still a bit too juvenile to really pass on the feeling of peril.”
—Music and Magic: The Harry Potter Soundtrack Retrospective — Part 3 of 10: The Chamber of Secrets : Escape Pod
Music and Magic: the Harry Potter Soundtrack Retrospective, part 2 of 10: The Sorcerer's Stone →
escapepod.org
From the article:
Overall, I think that the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone soundtrack will forever live on in our hearts because it gave us “Hedwig’s Theme”. However, in terms of soundtracks, I’d say it’s only average.
A new part drops every Monday at escapepod.org.
“While listening to the Deathly Hallows Part 2 soundtrack, I thought that it might be time to take a look back at the adventure of Harry Potter’s cinematic journey by listening to the soundtracks independent of the films. I pitched the idea to Escape Pod’s editors and they agreed, and here we are.”
—Music and Magic: The Harry Potter Soundtrack Retrospective — Part 1 of 10: Introduction : Escape Pod
