Conductor's 8 x 10: Jerry Goldsmith

When I was nineteen or twenty years of age I decided to collect some eight-by-tens of orchestra conductors. Back in the days before the Internet the process of getting mailing addresses for the various orchestras was not too much of a problem. My local library, like most of the kind, had reference books for such a task. I collected several contacts. In the name of good public relations I always got a response, a large-size envelope containing an eight-by-ten glossy.

While he did guest-conduct symphony orchestras, Jerry Goldsmith (1929 - 2004) was one of the greatest composers of movie music. His scores for films such as Seconds, The Sand Pebbles, Planet of the Apes, Patton, The Omen, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Under Fire, and The Mummy demonstrate not only his keen dramatic sense, but his ability to go chameleon.

In the pre-Internet early 1980s I did not know to get in touch with Mr. Goldsmith's agent, so I did the next best thing; something that I knew would work: Lionel Newman was 20th Century Fox's music director and a friend and colleague of Goldsmith's. "Mr. Lionel Newman c/o 20th Century Fox...."

Perhaps Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane said it best on a recent BBC radio interview:

"(Goldsmith was) an insanely talented guy."

Avro Lancaster Bomber at CWHM

It's always a pleasure to see the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum's Avro Lancaster bomber, whether it's in the sky -- on occasion the machine flies over my neighbourhood here in Toronto -- or as a static display. (Note the missing engine; the 'starboard-outer'.)

Matte Painting Concept Painting

Back in late 1988 I designed some concepts for a low budget feature film. A few of these were 'optical matte painting' shots, an attempt by the producers to "open up" the film. Unfortunately, as was often the case with older low budget pictures, the wish to include matte shots was one of the first things to be jettisoned. (Now, of course, for peanuts one can whip up something on a computer.) And forget about hiring a matte artist when you have no money; he or she is of a very specialized craft and charges accordingly.

The film was photographed in black and white, hence my monochrome still photo.

To those Trekkies or Trekkers out there it's pretty obvious I was inspired by Albert Whitlock's paintings for Star Trek, specifically his artwork for the show's second pilot episode, "Where No Man Has Gone Before".

Max (a Cat)

Happy Halloween! Monster from "Hyper-Reality"

On Sunday I posted another piece about my uncompleted 35mm short film epic, Hyper-Reality. It's Halloween today and I thought I would post an on-set photograph of the film's monster.

Actor Mike Garr rehearses a fight scene with the monster -- actually a guy in a costume that I designed and built (with some valued assistance from Erminia Diamantopoulos).

When the fight choreographer first saw the costume, she said: "I find that really disturbing."

A Curious Cat

What could it be? A butterfly? A bug? A fly? It might be a pigeon.

Behind the Scenes Pics from "Hyper-Reality"

Several times since February of last year I have posted about my unfinished 35mm short film epic, Hyper-Reality (90% done epic, that is). I wrote about trying to possibly crowd-fund its completion.

More info, soon. But for now....

Camera assistant Carolyn poses with the Mitchell.

I look to direct.

The technical crew sets up the business side of the "Irwin Allen Panel".

Setting up a shot in the "Alien Lair".

An Alien relaxes on the "Corman's Bar" set.

Actor Mike Garr and I enjoy a laugh over some issue.

Behind the Mitchell on "Hyper-Reality"

"Graveyard Shift" Set Build Pics from October 1985

Set builder Dave Fiacconi takes a break for the camera.

I check to see if Dave is level headed.

I hang on for dear life while the crew works to prep the set in the studio.

Chris Leger paints after building some pyro charges into a tombstone.

Set builder Rae Crombie paints some details into the mausoleum set.

The set build crew works their magic. (The shoot starts in hours.)

How Could I Not List Benny?

Back on September 20th I listed some of my favourite film scores. It was a pop-up list, and because of that, I missed some titles.

What I realized recently is the fact I made a serious omission: Scores from the late great movie composer Bernard Herrmann.

Quick. In order of release:

1. The Day the Earth Stood Still
2. Vertigo
3. The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
4. Psycho
5. Taxi Driver

Try to imagine those films without their respective scores.

"Film People!" (Emulsionites)

Poem: Who's Flattery?

How much is too
much flattery?

It depends on who it
is you are flattering

It might fly
or lie flat.

___

2017

Simon St. Laurent

Laser Accurate Toronto Road Painting

Face of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

An RCAF Canadair Sabre at the CWH Museum

A beautiful aircraft at the impressive Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton, Ontario.

This Can't Be Healthy...

... But how about "tasty"?

Toronto Maple Leafs:

Tragedy plus Time.

Earlier this evening I sat on a TTC subway car. Standing nearby were Leafs fans. How could I tell? They were pleasant blokes but they wore Leafs jerseys.

They were on their way to the game at the Air Canada Centre. A sacrifice; a marching of Toronto Maple Leafs fans into the Mouth of Pollock. The players marched a long time ago.

Funny vs Not

Last night I started my reintroduction to the old SCTV Network 90 shows. NBC picked up the Canadian produced half-hour comedy series SCTV and scheduled it in a ninety-minute time slot for the 1981 - 1982 season. Due to the extended length (actually 65 minutes of program), in addition to the new material the producers edited in bits and pieces from the show's previous three seasons to fill out the running time. (Those who worked on the series say today that it was the only way the show could have been produced.)

Seeing it now I realize how funny the program is. At times it bogs down, certainly with some of the weekly feature film parodies, but the success rate is impressive.

A few weeks ago I pulled out a "Best of Saturday Night Live" DVD -- a burn I made from a discounted VHS tape I had found -- and my opinion of that comedy series has not changed: Not very funny. You'd think a best-of compilation would score more often, but like the Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey team, it's not very funny at all.

Toronto Police Action at Bloor and Spadina

March 7th: "Toronto's Finest", and a few photogs, at the intersection of Spadina Road (and Avenue) and Bloor Street.

"Sheppard West" TTC Subway Station Satellite

... Formerly "Downsview" Station.