FFF: Pirates, Dinosaurs, & Wizards [Guest Post]

One of the ways I plan to mix it up in 2011 is by bringing in guest writers.  The first one coming at you is Aunt Bethany from Miracle On 32nd Street.  She’s a doo-hoozy, a bubbly beamer who only joined the blogosphere a few months ago but already knows her way around the posts.  She’s a gifted musician, good writer, and sweet person.  Better yet she knows her way around the pop culture water cooler and gets downright latitudinal on Twitter where you can follow her and let her know how sweet this Friday Flick Faceoff is.

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Pop quiz! Quick!  Take 2 seconds and hum the theme to Jaws.

Duh dun…duh dun….duh dun duh dun duh dun duh dun…..

Great!  Now, how about the theme to Star Wars?

Star Wars…nothing but Star Wars…give me those Star Wars…don’t let them end…

 

Close enough.  You’re lucky I’m giving out points for effort.  At any rate, I could go on and on with this quiz, asking you to croon other movie themes like Superman, Indiana Jones, E.T., and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  Sure enough, those familiar refrains instantly pop into your head and bring you back to the moment you saw cinematic excellence on the big screen. 

Darth Vader evokes a memory of strong brass and snare drums.  Indiana Jones gets his own trumpet and woodwind fanfare.  And every Great White known to man cannot escape from that infamous half-step motif, introduced to us in 1975 by the composer who is responsible for all music in the films mentioned so far.  That man is John Williams.

Nearly four years ago, I had the amazing opportunity to meet Mr. Williams at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.  An avid fan of his movie scores, I attended an open rehearsal for an upcoming concert and watched him conduct the New York Philharmonic as they played his own music. 

It’s one thing to idolize the man who gave the Ewoks a theme song but something completely different to watch him perform his own compositions.  I was in heaven.  I could have sat and listened to him conduct for hours.  Strains of his famous works filled the auditorium while video clips from his films were displayed on a screen overhead.  Here stood a man who has, time and time again, given life to our favorite characters, a man who was singularly responsible for providing the heart and soul for some of my favorite movies. 

In today’s Friday Flick Faceoff I share with you three of those movies, all mega-hits scored by John Williams.  The three contenders are Hook, Jurassic Park, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.  In the words of Dustin Hoffman’s Captain Hook, they are all “great and worthy opponents.”

Hook (1991) was a huge vehicle for Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, and Bob Hoskins.  The movie’s plot is a direct answer to the question “What would happen if Peter Pan grew up?”  Through Peter’s adventures back to Neverland, we are introduced to some wonderful music from Mr. Williams, including themes for flying, Tinkerbell, and The Lost Boys.  The score has moments of poignancy, excitement, and introspection reminding us to never lose that child-like wonder in our own lives.