Tag Archives: John Williams

John Williams said he never takes Spielberg for granted

By Ray Bennett LONDON – ‘My hope is that I can work with Steven for many years to come,’ composer John Williams told me. That was in 2000 by which time he had written the scores for sixteen Spielberg-directed movies … Continue reading

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When John Williams asked for me …

By Ray Bennett LONDON – In 2000, John Williams, who turns 90 today, was named ‘Maestro of the Year’ at ShoWest in Las Vegas. He agreed to an interview with The Hollywood Reporter tied to that with one proviso. He wanted … Continue reading

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FILM REVIEW: Steven Spielberg’s ‘The Post’

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Given the times, it’s no surprise that Steven Spielberg wants to tell the story of a corrupt swine in the White House who turns the press into an enemy. It’s also hardly surprising that film … Continue reading

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KFMF: Great composers light the beacon for 10th anniversary

By Ray Bennett KRAKOW – The Krakow Film Music Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary on Saturday night with a spectacular concert of movie and television themes by some of the greatest names in film composing. The three-hour show at the … Continue reading

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Composers Williams, Morricone up for Bafta film awards

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The nominees for original music in the Bafta Film Awards announced this morning are Thomas Newman for “Bridge of Spies”, Ennio Morricone for “The Hateful Eight”, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Carsten Nicolai for “The Revenant”, Jóhann Jóhannsson for … Continue reading

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MUSIC REVIEW: The LSO: A Life in Film at the Barbican

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The London Symphony Orchestra celebrated its 70-plus years making music for movies with a sold-out concert at Barbican Hall on April 4 that ended with an enthusiastic standing ovation. The warm response was sparked not … Continue reading

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John Williams on Sinatra, Gene Kelly, and Hitchcock

By Ray Bennett John Williams celebrates his 80th birthday this year with concerts at The Hollywood Bowl on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 and the Royal Albert Hall on Oct. 19. He is celebrated rightly for his extraordinary work with Steven Spielberg … Continue reading

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MUSIC REVIEW: ‘Star Wars: A Musical Journey’ at the O2 Arena

By Ray Bennett LONDON – If you think the world doesn’t need another variation on “Star Wars” on top of the six films, assorted animations, videogames and toys, you forget the extraordinary force of the music John Williams wrote for … Continue reading

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Top film composers lined up for 35th Ghent Film Festival

By Ray Bennett The World Soundtrack Awards 2008 at the Ghent Film Festival in October will see British composer Dario Marianelli, who won the Academy Award and the Golden Globe for best score this year for “Atonement,” once again meet … Continue reading

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Abbey Road Studios opens to public for first time

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Abbey Road recording studios, where the Beatles made almost all of their music, attracts around 100,000 fans each year but they couldn’t go in. Until now. They come from across the world to worship at … Continue reading

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