The STAR TREK Simply Spectacular Saturdays Summer Series at the Royal Theater in West LA comes to an end tonight with the JJ Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek movie. And the special guest for the night will be Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino.
Star Trek is back – again
Tonight Laemmle Theaters (in conjunction with Ledjer Film & Theater services and TrekMovie.com) presents the final film in its 11 film series of Star Trek movies. After going through the original crew movies and the Next Generation films, it is finally time to watch Nero hammer that timeline and see the first adventure for the new Kirk, Spock and rest of the crew of the new USS Enterprise (NCC-1701). So head down to the Royal Theatre in West L.A at midnight and get ready for thrilling action, Star Trek adventure, big nacelles, coincidence (destiny?) meetings…and lens flares.
Star Trek trailer #3
As we do with each film, the screening is proceeded with a Q&A session and tonight the guest is Oscar and Grammy-winning composer and long-time Abrams cohort Michael Giacchino. For this week I will demure and hand over the Q&A to "Music of Star Trek" author and all around film score expert Jeff Bond.
Michael Giacchino with director JJ Abrams scoring "Star Trek" (scoringsessions.com)
EVENT DETAILS
What: Final film of the Star Trek Movie Series
When: Saturday at midnight September 4th
Where: Laemmle’s Royal Theatre is located at 11523 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025, (310) 478-3836
Tickets: $10 for general admission. You can buy tickets at the box office or online at www.laemmle.com.
See the 2009 Star Trek feature on the big screen with special guest Michael Giacchino at the Royal Theater in West LA tonight September 4th
I so wish I could be there!
ditto
Wow. Going from ‘nobody’ to Giacchino in a week’s time is pretty darn good! Have fun, and report, please!
What does Mr. Giacchino think of Trek’s previous composers/scores? Goldsmith was a legend, and Horner is one.
I will be there in SPIRIT! LLAP.
Does anyone know if the Q&A happens before or after the film?
Hey Anthony. A.J had a great question. If you can ask Michael what he thinks of the other Composers of Trek. From Tos to the Movies.
Just bought tickets online. See you all there.
Any question requests?
Yes? What are his thoughts on the sequel? Is he interested on using the same cues? making new ones?
Which is is favourite Trek Score?
Will he give an “all in” on the next score? Will it be more vibrant more emotional?
Please bring in Jerry Goldsmith material for the sequel.
10. Why, we already have at least 5 films with Goldsmith tracks.
8- Would he consider including other bits of the classic scores, like the famous Amok Time fight music or other lesser known themes.
I hope someone takes him to task for his uncharacteristically mediocre work in ST09. It still baffles me when I hear other stuff, like the Incredibles score, that comes from the same guy.
#13
Yeah, I’m sure he was invited there just so people could throw tomatoes at him. Geez…. it baffles me how graceless some of you people are.
If I were not on call for support, I’d have LOVED to go to this.
Loved his Trek ’09 score.
@ 12
Nothing against themes or motifs from other scores, but “Amok Time”‘s fight music was wild stuff. Some crazy intervals. It’s so iconic, it’s used in spoofs of the episode. “Cable Guy” and Futruama’s “Why Must I Be a Crustecean In Love?” If he uses it for a future movie, I might laugh thus turning Trek into more parody.
IF Jeff Bond is looking for questions, here’s three.
1. Loved the “Up” and “Ratatouille” scores. Movie themes in minor keys seem to be rare and it seemed unusual for a Trek movie to have its main them in a minor key. Was the main theme for Star Trek 09 (heard at the begining ) in a minor key?
2. If hired to do Star Trek (2012) would he use or consider using that main theme from Trek ’09?
3. If hired to do Star Trek (2012) would he use the Alexander Courage theme music that was used in the end credits of Trek ’09.
13,
JJ told him to keep the music with an “unfinished” feeling, like the rest of the crew. It was symbolic, I guess. This is why the end theme sounded so good. It was the final “coming together” of everything.
Personally I hope that the same theme isn’t used time and again in the next one.
Why don’t I live in LA? :/
After going through the original crew movies and the Next Generation films, it is finally time to watch Nero hammer that timeline and see the first adventure for the new Kirk, Spock and rest of the crew of the new USS Enterprise (NCC-1701).
This makes it sound like it was a chore to watch the previous ten movies to see this one. That the other ten movies were not important to fans.
And I thought the new movie was parallel to the rest of Trek.
I am going to go through all 11 movies myself on blu ray.
@ 20
Because its a very dark and sad place to live in. According to Kramer in Seinfeld.
@16
I agree. The score for ST09 was wonderful!
The greatest Star Trek Movie of all time. Loved the score.
I will say that 7 0f 9 was by far the best character of any Trek beyond tos. If they have to have any character slip into the next film hopefully it is she.
I hope that they include Jerry Goldsmith’s theme music from the Star Trek Insurrection end credits at the end of the next Star Trek film. They should have used it at the end of the last film. It would be good if they also include Russell Watson’s ‘Where My Heart Will Take Me’ (the excellent album version). The Original Series theme music and new theme music in the last movie was unnecessary. The soundtrack was disappointing overall. ‘Labour of Love’ was the best part of it.
We *love* the ST09 score – wish we could be there!
We see Nero hammer that timeline?
That sounds a little harsh as though it was a chore to watch the past movies and that this is the only good one.
An opinion that I don’t share.
Well the Q&A and screening were great. Michael’s a smart, funny and generous speaker. I recorded a bit of the beginning of the interview on my iPhone where he discusses the development of the score as a whole. He tried the ‘epic space opera’ approach (I’m assuming of the Goldsmith variety) which apparently didn’t fit with the story and tone of the film. The key was to get to the emotional core of the story, which was simply about the relationship between Kirk and Spock. Great stuff. I recorded that bit and will post that clip on YouTube.
Someone behind me, which I’d imagine is from TrekMovie, recorded the whole Q&A so I’d guess that’ll be up here at some point.
Here’s my clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a56AjNTsxvk
I did ask Michael about working with the Alexander Courage material, which he explained was a process of carefully holding back till the big payoff at the end when the crew as we know it was finally formed. He doesn’t know whether the themes he developed for this film will return in the next. Again it’s all about story.
The screening itself was also fantastic as it was only the second time I’d seen it on the big screen. Speaking strictly in terms of cinematic experience Star Trek 09 is for me quite clearly the best of the film series, with Wrath of Khan a very close second. And yeah I’ve seen all the films in theaters.
28/Meni:
Thanks for the report.
I am gratified that Giacchino thought the Courage fanfare should be reserved for the “big payoff” at the end, and I truly love how he interweaves it during the end credits into his own motifs for the film.
The film soundtracks are always grist for endless debate. Whether it is Goldsmith’s Oscar-nominated score for TMP (and subsequent knock-offs), ridiculously young James Horner’s scores for II and III, Rosenman’s almost minimalist approach in terms of orchestration in “IV” or Cliff Eidelmann’s (who?) ‘Planets’ influenced score in “VI,” there is not one piece of crap among them.
Giacchino knows he is treading hallowed halls, I hope.
@ 28, @ 29
Thanks for the video and post. I now get Michael Giacchino’s approach to the main theme because it was unusual for a Star Trek film. Interesting that Spock’s theme had a chance to become the main theme. Try humming that theme where the main theme should be. I like it better. That’s just an opinion.
I still love Goldsmith’s majestic score for TMP, the best. I remember at the theater they started the movie with Iliia’s theme and darkness. And it wasn’t boring. Just absolutely gorgeous piece of music. And of course the main theme used many times in TNG and other movies. It was just great that Goldsmith could graft Courage’s begining fanfare to his main theme.
Most or all the ST2009 music was totally original and exciting the way it had that Trek undertone but in its own way. Its not a score we’ve heard in any other Trek movie and I still can’t think of another movie with those themes, although you can almost feel like you’ve heard it before.
I definitely rate the music and audio balance 10/10
Giacchino = versatility= the new Goldsmith.
If i was the Producer or director of star trek, i would have given Joel Goldsmith a chance to step into his fathers place for the new movies.
I know that ship has sailed, and the old trek no longer exists except in another timeline, for which they no longer will make films for since 2009 JJ trek was successful.
I think the TOS theme needed to be there, at the end, as the crew coming together, and (in essence) becoming the crew of TOS.
If I’d heard other themes, such as Goldsmiths’ it would have felt inappropriate and out-of-place.
Given the direction of the film, it’s story, there was really no other way to appropriately score it than with Giacchino’s approach.