The Royal Albert Hall in London will host an exclusive World Premiere of Danny Elfman's music from the films of Tim Burton on Monday 7 October 2013 from 8pm.
Conductor John Mauceri has collaborated with composer Danny Elfman and visionary Hollywood film maker Tim Burton to create a unique filmic experience, blending music and visuals to celebrate the long standing partnership of two of Hollywood's top players.
This live concert features Danny Elfman's famous Tim Burton film scores brought to life on stage by the BBC Concert Orchestra, enhanced by visuals on the big screen of Burton's original sketches, drawings and storyboards.
With a range of films from a fascinating back catalogue of classics including Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Alice in Wonderland and Frankenwienie, this concert explores the collaborative relationship between music and storytelling and the process and importance that this has in filmmaking.
Public screenings of the Vincent Price cult classic Theatre of Blood are like waiting for a London bus these days - they're few and far between, then two come at once.
In additon to the NFT screening of the 1973 feature on 6 March, with actor Reece Shearsmith doing an introduction, the Classic Horror Campaign folks are featuring it in a Krazy Killers double-bill with the 1932 Lionel Atwill creeper Doctor X on 24 March at the Roxy Bar & Screen from 3pm.
Wednesday 6 Mar 20:30 NFT1
Actor, writer, comedian and television producer Reece Shearsmith (League of Gentlemen, Shaun of the Dead, Psychoville) will be at London's NFT on the Southbank to introduce the film that inspired him Theatre of Blood, starring Vincent Price as Edward Lionheart, a washed-up Shakespearan actor who, after one too many bad reviews, wreaks gory revenge on his critics.
This is only open to BFI members at present, who can book up to two tickets, the first is free, the second at Member guest price £8.50 (£5.25 concs). Please contact the BFI Box Office on 020 7928 3232. Tickets will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Check out the event online.
Coming to to the Rio Cinema in London this Saturday 16th February at 11:30pm Cigarette Burns Cinema presents the Michael Reeves' 1968 classic Witchfinder General starring Vincent Price in one of his greatest roles in an actual 35mm print.
Buses, 38, 56, 67, 76, 243, 242, 149, plus East London Line to Dalston Junction and the Overground to Dalston Kingsland all drop you off at the Rio’s doorstep and plenty of night buses back.
Following the history-making announcement this week of the
exhumation of Richard III by the University of Leicester, I thought it timely to
recall Vincent Price’s two cinematic roles as the last king of the Plantagenets, who was killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field on 22 August 1485.
In 1962’s Tower of London, which was inspired by Shakespeare’s classic play and the 1939 period romp starring Basil Rathbone as the
evil-minded Richard, Price brought an air of macabre malevolence to Roger
Corman’s B-movie. Though stagey, with costumes and sets that look right out of
panto, the film is still fun to watch – mainly for Price chewing the scenery, especially his hysterical death scene.
In 1973’s Theatre of Blood, Price played much-maligned Shakespearean actor Edward Lionheart, who was out for revenge against the
critics who issued poisonous barbs against his hammy renditions of the Bard’s plays. One of which was Richard III, in which Price sends up Lawrence Olivier’s
1955 portrayal of the crook-back king in a scene that recalls Price’s appearance in 1939’s Tower of London, in which his character, the Duke of Clarence, is drowned in a butt of malmsey. Wow! I need a tipple myself after writing that sentence.
• For more information about the archaeological findings of the real king, check
out the Leicester University website; and, if you are a UK resident,
you can watch the Channel 4 documentary Richard III: King in the Car Park on
the 4oD service. Below are a couple of clips of Price as Richard III.
WAR-GODS OF THE DEEP & CROSSPLOT COMING FEBRUARY 2013
Stanley Black (1913-2002) was one of the most popular English band leaders who arranged prolifically for the BBC and Decca as well. Coming from the 1930s London jazz scene and a background in radio music, Black's film music career includes over 100 titles, horror films Blood of the Vampire (1958) and Jack the Ripper (1959), the Cliff Richards musical The Young Ones (1961) and the adaptation of Ferde Grofé pieces for Ken Russell’s Valentino (1977). Black’s film music output has been criminally neglected in the last few decades, the only major compilation of his works is Chandos CD The Film Music of Stanley Black. This CD from Quartet Records presents two different films from the composer’s output from the tumultuous 1960s: War-Gods of the Deep (1965), the AIP adventure inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem The City in the Sea and starring Vincent Price, and Crossplot (1969) starring Roger Moore.
Stanley Black’s dark and gothic score for War-Gods of the Deep could be easily compared to Les Baxter’s similar Poe/AIP horrors; while Crossplot – a dry run for Moore's later role as James Bond – has a proto-007 feeling, headlined by the John Rowles theme song I’ll Find My Love with imaginative variations peppered thoroghout the score. The music was later tracked into several episodes of the cult Roger Moore/Tony Curtis show The Persuaders.
Since the recording tapes of these films are now completely lost, this release is mastered from music stems elements in mono, courtesy of MGM, accompanied by a 28-page booklet with liner notes by Gergely Hubai, who discusses the composer and the films with a track-by-track analysis for both titles.
WAR-GODS OF THE DEEP
1. Main Title / Turgillis Manor (2:27)
2. Gillman Attack (1:45)
3. Jill’s Theme (1:54)
4. Kidnapped Jill / Secret Watergate (3:07)
5. The Captain Enters (2:47)
6. The City in the Sea / My People, My World / The Hunting Party (3:12)
7. First Edition Poe (1:45)
8. Jill Found (1:33)
9. A Shrine to Beatrice (1:13) 10. Underwater Escape (10:05) 11. Cave Fight (1:16) 12. Volcano Eruption (1:03) 13. Final Escape / End Titles (6:07)
CROSSPLOT 14. Prologue / I’ll Find My Love (4:05) 15. Fenn’s Place (1:46) 16. Off to Work (2:48) 17. Planted Photo (0:45) 18. I’ll Find My Love (Instrumental) (1:10) 19. Finding Marla (1:26) 20. The Promise (1:42) 21. Drive On (1:20) 22. Photo Shoot (1:21) 23. Chasing Warren (4:12) 24. Mystery Guest (0:56) 25. Black Convoy (0:41) 26. Oldsmobile Chase (2:05) 27. Helicopter Pursuit (4:41) 28. Marla’s Bath (1:15) 29. Just Married (2:09) 30. Camera Gun /Chilmore (2:49) 31. Hyde Park Charge (1:10) 32. Wedding Night / I’ll Find My Love (2:24)
