Summer of Silence

As summer is nearing a close, I can't help but reflect on the greatness lost this summer:







Oscar Mayer

Farrah Fawcett

Don Hewitt

Ted & Eunice Kennedy

Dominick Dunne

DJ AM

Billy Mays

David Carradine

Ed McMahon

Karl Malden

Michael Jackson


These people entertained us, inspired us, and let us know what was possible. In remembrance of them and all of the people in our lives lost within the past few months, we miss you.

Rest in Peace.

(Happy birthday, Michael).

Shark Week on Discovery: A Help or Hindrance?

Ah, Shark Week. For years, Discovery Channel has unleashed this panic-inducing gem, ensuring that everyone thinks twice before stepping into the water over summer. Remember the year it was in 3-D?

Growing up, I enjoyed Shark Week. As a young person, I didn't read into it much and was hypnotized by these sleek powerful survival machines.
This year, I indulged in "Blood in the Water", which recounted the bloody summer of 1916 that inspired "Jaws", i.e. "The Massacre at Matawan Creek" and the attacks on the Jersey shoreline. In all honesty, I found the true story to be far more disturbing than Jaws - not just because it was real but because humans were so out of their element that summer. When you put it into perspective, there's a difference between having Quint the shark hunter onboard (one of my favorite movie characters of all time) and living in a time when nothing was understood about these creatures, including the idea that they could actually

kill a man.

Like any kid growing up in the 80s (especially in Florida where my mot

her took us out every weekend on the boat), one couldn't help but think Jaws was going to come right up and steal you in the blink of an eye. Hell, even when I was in the swimming pool, I was convinced he would make an appearance (a la Jaws 3 when he broke into Sea World's Shark Encounter). All these years later, I still think about it every time I go through that tunnel. Between Jaws and the Ghoulies, toilet bowls were even off-limits to kids after midnight.

As a massive fan of the movie theater experience, I must say of all my hundreds of unique cinematic experiences, watching Jaws with a live audience is still my favorite. I used to sit in the back of the theater at revival screenings in Los Angeles and watch the crowd move in sync and terror. All these years later, Jaws remains one of the most perfected films of all time per audience reaction. Every single note or beat Stephen Spielberg and John Williams created sent shockwaves through viewe

rs, who responded with frequent gasps and synchronized seat-jumping. This film evoked such an extreme reaction after the film's release that sharks were slaughtered in mass numbers and the population is far from safe about them, not us).

A demand for shark fin soup is also on the increase as is shark cartilage for medicinal purposes, especially in Asian countries. The popular belief is that

since sharks are relatively healthy and rarely get sick, ingesting shark must have health benefits. There is no medical proof to back this claim. Sharks are caught by boats, their tails and fins severed, and their bodies thrown back into the ocean to sink and die. The image of sharks around the w

orld has severely suffered due to the role of the media and Shark Week is certainly a large contributor to arguments against sharks, not pro-species. One walks away from watching Shark Week with a sense of fear and terror and not a deep understanding of this mysterious creature. While there were a few shows dedicated to learning about the habits of sharks, the majority were exploitative features on shark attacks, which seemed non-stop. From watching the week, one would think sharks were out for our blood attacking us every chance they get. The sheer panic of the programming and the constant floodgate of dramatic recreations and gore were sure to bring in ratings, the desired effect. I was disappointed by the hypocrisy of the occasional shark commercial randomly thrown in to r

emind us all about shark conservation while the programming largely incited an opposite reaction.

Let's get our facts straight about sharks.

They are a vital part of our ecosystem and as the ocean's top hunter, a necessary part of the food chain. Shark decimation affects every creature in the ocean and affects the natural order and balance of the undersea world.

A few shark facts we can sink our teeth into:

You are 1,000 times more likely to drown in the sea than you are to be bitten by a shark.

About 100 people in the world are bitten by sharks each year. Of these, five to ten die.

The chance of being killed by a shark is one in 300 million. The chance of being killed by airplane parts falling from the sky is one in 10 million.

(sharkfacts.org)

"Great white sharks kill and inju

re fewer people each year than other types of shark."

(sharkinformation.org)

In fact, hundreds of thousands of people die a year from dog bites (No one ever thinks twice about letting a dog into their home) yet you can count the number of shark-related human deaths a year on one hand. More people are killed by vending machines a year than by Jaws!

It's important for people to let go of their superficial tendencies and quickness to believe what they hear relating to these creatures that really aren't all that interested in human flesh. (Clearly, the human fear is mostly psychological, sharks embodyin

g many physical attributes and traits we have grown to associate with monsters.) In a time when we are armed with education at our side and doctors that actually know how to do blood transfusions and the common man knowing how to make a tourniquet, should you happen to get a shark bite, your chances aren't too bad nowadays. Sharks mistake humans for other food sources such as seals (especially when they are on surfboards and can look like seals from below) and unless a shark is protecting it's territory or has made an error in judgment, you probably aren't going to be killed. A shark might take an inquisitive bite, but once it realizes you aren't preferred food you have a good chance of survival. The majority of shark-related deaths are the result of massive blood loss, which can occur depending on the bite and certainly if an artery is severed. However, us modern day folk have a lot more medical training and shark education than we did in 1916. While the real life events were indeed terrifying, it's been nearly 100 years and we haven't seen such a string of occurences again. There is always an exception to everything.

So, what do you d

o if you happen to bump into a shark in the ocean that appears to be in attack mode? They used to say punching a shark in the nose worked, because it temporarily blinded them. Not that sharks use their eyes anyway when they bite (their eyes roll backwards to protect them), not to mention you run the risk of miscalculating and shoving your fist in its mouth. Some people try to poke them in the eyes to escape. Supposedly (and I don't know who the rocket scientist is that actually tried this), since the shark is the ocean's top expert it is unaccustomed to a challenge. If you swim away from an animal in predatory mode, it will swim after you. If you duck underwater and stare it right in the face, it is used to everything in the ocean swimming away from it and becomes confused and figuratively shrugs its fins and wanders away. Good luck with that, I'll leave that one up to you. Report back and let us know what happens >:p Though I can confirm that there was a dog that tried to maul me as a child and as I ran it came after me but when I slowed down and walked and didn't look back at it, it turned around and walked away. Predators do like a good chase and there's no point trying to outswim the Michael Phelps of the sea.

While you should

be fine swimming in the ocean and humans unknowingly swim alongside sharks frequently without any mishaps, you should exercise common sense and keep a few things in mind if it's a concern. While they have poor eyesite and mostly rely on smell, they are attracted to contrasts in color so you should probably pick bathing suits that more closely resemble the colors of the ocean and avoid yellow and orange which might create a strong color contrast with your environment. Don't go swimming alone or in any way injured and definitely not bleeding (that includes you, ladies) and avoid swimming in the middle of the ocean or any unguarded location. Overall, you should be pretty safe from shark attacks and we are a far greater threat to them than the reverse. A jellyfish sting is probably a more realistic concern (I can vouch for this, they hurt!).

I grew up in the Shark Tooth Capital of the World so it's not a surprise that I realize their importance (Kudos to anyone bored enough to look it up). Every year, the Sharktooth Festival is celebrated in my hometown and there's no shortage of teeth and souvenirs. However, the shark is quite revered in town as it should be across the globe where they make important contributi

ons to our ecosystem.

A great documentary to watch is Sharkwater: The Truth Will Surface, the 2006 documentary release that goes into great detail about the shark fin industry and the perils all sharks in our oceans face and the horrid statistics on the decimation of the shark population, particularly since the film Jaws was released as well as the implications of these actions. Also, the filmmaker challenges us to rethink our preconceived notions of sharks by putting himself at the helm and swimming in shark-infested waters just to prove his point that they aren't anywhere near the monsters of public perception (the footage of him swimming and petting wild sharks is pretty awe-inspiring). This film rips Shark Week in half while providing you with beautiful photography and a new found appreciation for these increasingly rare populations.

I encourage Shark Week to be consistent in its message and to vote in favor of shark conservation and run more specials and programming in defense of sharks instead of dramatic accounts of rare events. I'd love to see a documentary like Sharkwater make it's way onto next year's lineu

p. If anyone has suggestions for Shark Week or would like to voice their concerns about the mixed messages the channel has sent, visit Discovery Channel's website and voice your opinions. Never underestimate the power of expressing your views and inciting change.

FYI: While it wasn't common knowledge in 1916 in America that sharks could kill a human (even the foremost 'shark experts' in the country were in denial), a few images made their way right along with mythological monsters in books, art, and tales to demonize the creatures, before the advent of modern media, such as the famous painting "Watson & The Shark" (1778), based on

the first full report of a shark attack (the victim survived). I first saw this painting at the Louvre and was intrigued. Notice the shark has fictionalized features as the painter had clearly never seen a shark firsthand. The modern conveniences we take for granted!

SAVE FIGMENT

"Two tiny wings

Eyes big and yellow

Horns of a steer, but a lovable fellow

From head to tail, he's royal purple pigment..

and there, voila, you've got a Figment..."

Since my first trip to Disney's Epcot Center in 1984 when I first glanced at His Purple Badness for the first time, I have never quite been able to get over him. Figment, otherwise known as the purple dragon that is the literal embodiment of the 'figment' of your imagination, has captivated generations with his charming laugh, catchy songs, mischievious nature, and adorable features. Figment was the first Disney character not designed by Walt himself. Disney Imagineers thought him up while they were planning Epcot (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow), the first Disney park designed in a different vein altogether from Disneyland or Magic Kingdom. Initial drawings revealed Figment to be a strange green concoction, but fortunately he was redrawn to look... well, I imagine what the figment of one's imagination must look like – random and surreal. With his orange horns and wings, purple body, pink belly, and yellow t-shirt, Figment was unmistakeably original.

Figment and his side-kick Dreamfinder were the animatronic hosts of the fantastic Journey into Imagination ride (1983-1998), where they traveled through the mystical land of human imagination (from dreams to nightmares and everything in between) all the while collecting ideas and daring us to dream up the impossible.

In one of the biggest blunders in Disney history (yes, those are my words), Imagineers decided to tear down the original ride (and the accompanying ImageWorks) as the ride's track was encountering problems. The ride was completely rebuilt as something altogether different and public reaction to the renovation was excessively negative. Disney employees wore black and sulked outside of the attraction and even a Disney stockholder demanded a CEO's explanation as to why Figment was not prominently featured in the ride. Two years later, the ride underwent another extensive renovation to become Journey into Imagination with Figment, a ride which saw more Figment but continuing public dissatisfaction. If you go to Epcot today, you will notice it is the emptiest ride in the park. Upon a trip to Epcot this year, I expressed to an employee my love of Figment to which he sadly responded “It's not what it used to be.” Given the sad state of the attraction and the empty omnimovers, it's a safe bet that the current attraction's days are numbered.

The original Figment was voiced by brilliant character actor and dwarf Billy Blarty, who sadly passed away and took with him that enthusiastic voice that breathed incomparable life and energy into Figment, and who gave him the greatest laugh I've ever heard. Dave Goelz voices the current Figment, which is but a shadow of its former self. During the 1980s, Figment was to Epcot what Mickey was to Magic Kingdom. Figment merchandise abounded and Epcot took a brave unique stance at keeping other Disney characters separate from the Epcot theme park. In other words, Figment owned. The original ride was comprised of every essential element for a classic Disney attraction: the theme, strong visuals and endearing animatronics, a great song... Having taken away the ride was the Epcot equivalent of Pirates of the Caribbean being removed from Disneyland. (Can you imagine the reaction?!) I'm still trying to fathom how such a thing could have happened. Heaven forbid they just replace the troublesome track instead of rebuilding the entire ride.

Yes, that is Michael Jackson at the original ImageWorks Rainbow Tunnel in the amazing first Journey Into Imagination ride, just in case you needed proof that this thing was that cool...

I imagine (pun intend) that one of the great dilemma's facing Disney Imagineers is guest division: half of the guests are traditionalists and want their favorite nostalgic rides to be kept intact while others expect to see constantly revamped attractions and new rides. However, when something works that well it shouldn't be tampered with much (such as Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion which goes through the occasional small update but overall remains the same).

Figment is my all-time favorite character. His lessons are universal – belief, imagination, and creativity should be boundless and take us to the places in life we want to go. His message is as relevant today as it's always been, only hardly no one can hear it anymore. The modern ride features a largely computer-animated figment, which very much detracts from the magic of Disney animatronics previously in place (sometimes, older is actually better). The theme isn't very strong, the “One Little Spark” song spans a few lines for the audience to sing along with (which they never do), and overall the ride is as bland as last night's meatloaf. The original ImageWorks featured technologies the public had never seen (early versions of virtual reality exhibits and odd technological spectacles) while the current version gives us little to dream about. Figment's pal Dreamfinder is nowhere to be seen and Figment merchandise is generally yawn-worthy and only sold in a few locations at the park. The last time I went to Epcot, I stopped by Guest Relations to ask them when the costumed Figment mascot would be out and about so I could get a birthday photo with him (Hey, I had to!) and the woman looked at me as if I was insane. Apparently, even the Figment-costumed Epcot cast member is no more, either. They didn't even know he had existed recently! My inner child was completely crushed by everything at Journey into Imagination and the Imagination Institute. What a sorry ending for such a fabulous creature.

Poor decision making = poor audience attendance. The public's love and interest in Figment has not dissipated. Upon speaking with fellow Florida residents and Epcot attendees, I find that they fondly remember Figment and bring their children to experience him as well (the current generation got jipped). Disney honchos must know that Figment is not as of yet altogether through as they have released countless Figment pins and yearly release a limited edition Figment statue, while Figment merchandise on eBay continues to escalate in price and desire. Hopefully these signs will point Disney in the obvious direction and allow them to finally give Figment the updates he deserves instead of sending him into retirement. I believe Figment has generations left to entertain while old generations will fall in love with him all over again. Long live Fig.

To learn all about Figment (and why we should save him from extinction), check out an Figment's amazing unofficial page at figmentsimagination.com.

Favorite Pop Culture Invention O' The Day

Wonderbread sandwich container wins!!!

In the pace of our hectic lives, we often forget the joy a simple little invention can bring us. And, in that haze of busy, we don't stop to fathom how we didn't think of it sooner, lest invent it ourselves and be zillionaires.

For years, we've been hassling ourselves zip-locking every sandwich. Who can even make an educated guess on how many baggies we've gone through in a single lifetime? And for one-time use only! The amount of money the American family spends on such bags a year all seems completely laughable when you see this simple little invention it took us a century to finally think up. It seems like such a no-brainer...

Tupperwear fit for a sandwich! Practical and stylish too (well, as sexy as Tupperwear gets).

*heavenly trumpets resound*

"It's a Wonder we haven't thought of it sooner." Should no doubt be the motto of this nifty critter.

(For the record, I have no idea if Wonderbread was the brainchild behind this as other brands have caught wind of it, including Crayola which now makes their own version among others.)

I'll admit, I'm not the most eco-conscious person in the world, but I do try to recycle and pick up trash and do little things that hopefully add up to making some sort of dent in the grand scheme of Planet Earth. Eating healthier for me means eating at home more often, and the number of paper bags and plastic baggies an individual can go through is astounding. (Have you ever noticed how fast trash piles up at your house?!) It occured to me that I should invest in re-usable products, so I bought a cloth lunchbag (again, why did it take so long to invent this?!), plastic re-usable drink boxes, and - low and behold - I found the amazing sandwich container miracle sitting on the shelf. Life as I know it will never be the same.

Viva la Sandwich!

FYI: You can get these just about everywhere now apparently (I'm a bit slow), they are usually in with the tupperwear products or hanging off a shelf somewhere. They cost less than $2 and totally rock! Do the environment a favor and stock up on re-usable lunch items.

The short life and tragic death of Jonathan Brandis

Once upon a time in Connecticut, there lived a charming little boy wonder named Jonathan Brandis. Jon expressed an interest in the arts from a very early age, and had a strong desire to be an actor. In seemingly no time at all, Jonathan found himself in countless commercials. His parents supported his ambitions and the family moved to Los Angeles, where Jonathan made his mark performing several television guest spots and made his entry into the movie world in films such as Stephen King's "It" and "The Neverending Story 2".



It was Jonathan's role in the 1992 teen comedy "Ladybugs" with Rodney Dangerfield that brought him to the attention of screaming teen girls everywhere, and when Stephen Spielberg cast him in the sci-fi TV series "SeaQuest DSV", the rest was history.

During the early 90s, there was not a teen rag that didn't have Jonathan on the cover, where he dominated the scene as the top ranking teen idol of that time, a position reinforced by the fact that every teen idol magazine in which he appeared not only featured multiple pinups, but the centerfold and a non-stop slew of articles chronicling all aspects of Jonathan's life - from his close relationship to his parents as an only child to his prom night, which he attended with Brittany Murphy.

Jonathan wasn't your typical teen idol. Sure, he had the dazzling blue eyes and the ever-present charisma, but he was clearly a deep thinker and a man who had his own way of doing things. During the 90s, his longterm girlfriend at the time was Tatyana Ali from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and he was proud of his interracial romance (Unfortunately, even by today's standards you don't see that often). Jonathan was one of the most prolific autograph signers and letter writers. Despite receiving 4,000 pieces of fan mail a week from around the world, he took every opportunity to return a letter to fans or sign a photo wherever possible. He even had his own advice column in teen magazines and enjoyed a tremendously positive reputation. Jonathan was not part of the wild teen star scene and was a low key character who stayed away from the party and drug scene while trying to remain as accessible as possible to his adoring public. The possibilities for his future seemed endless.

Fast forward to 1997. Jonathan's run as the boy genius with the pet dolphin aboard SeaQuest ended, and Jonathan found himself struggling for parts. Much of the mainstream public wasn't aware, but he was still actively working. He continued acting via made-for-TV movies and independent films and bit parts in larger films including Hart's War (starring Colin Farrell and Bruce Willis, which Jonathan had high hopes for resuscitating his career). Sadly and through no fault of his own, that role ended up on the cutting room floor. George Lucas auditioned him for the role of young adult Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones. The part eventually went to Hayden Christensen.




I vividly remember sitting at my computer in 2004 digging for entertainment updates. This was in the days before blogging had become all the rage, and while reading news on the E! news website, I saw a single line "Jonathan Brandis, star of SeaQuest DSV, committed suicide by hanging at the age of 27." At first I thought it was a rumor, so I Googled it only to find one other location reporting it, a small newspaper based in Middle America. Eventually the news would be confirmed as true.

I remembered Jonathan well, like any other girl growing up during that era, I thought I would end up marrying him. I couldn't believe that someone with such astronomical fame had been reduced to not being worth more than a few words in a sentence on E!, without a picture or any other mention. To put it into perspective, if Zac Efron died in 15 years, would he have this to look forward to? Seeing Zac, one can't help but think of the similarities. Both were a little too pretty, multi-talented and underestimated, proud of their girlfriends, bore big flashy grins, positive attitudes and endless charm, and were squeaky clean compared to their counterparts.

If you ever see the last known photograph of Jonathan, he was stopped by a fan a few days prior to his death where he posed for a photograph. Looking at the picture, I can honestly say as big a fan as my teenage self had been, I would have never recognized him. He didn't look like the Jonathan I had remembered - his face had filled out, he wore scruffy facial hair, and frankly looked a bit out of sorts. I probably did pass him numerous times on the street, unbeknownst to me he lived a few blocks away from my then West Hollywood apartment and in my favorite neighborhood.

No matter how much one tries, they can never understand what it is to go from thousands of pieces of fan mail a week to walking down a street unrecognizable and forgotten. Apparently, Jonathan's suicide came with a few friends in another room. He had come back from an outing flustered, and threw a rope over the rafters of the hallway in his apartment complex completely sober. By the time his friends found him, he was unconscious, and died from his injuries the following day.

The only magazine that took the time to remember his life in any way was People magazine, who wrote a half-page article on him. Apparently, he wasn't important enough to make it on mainstream entertainment news programs, even though he once ruled the world for an era of teen girls everywhere. Are teen idols really a dime a dozen? How can anyone be on top of the world one day and forgotten the next and maintain the sanity to live a quality life afterwards? I am reminded of one of my all-time favorite films, 1950's "Sunset Boulevard", which gave us the iconic character of Norma Desmond - the aging film star forgotten by the world who mentally unwinds in her Sunset Blvd mansion after discovering the extent of her public neglect. Clearly, here-on-day-gone-tomorrow in Tinseltown is nothing new.

Suicide can touch the lives of just about anyone. Upon researching, I found a few old advice columns Jonathan Brandis wrote in teen magazines. A few people wrote in about contemplating suicide, and he claimed such topics were among the hardest he could ever read. He advised that they call the suicide prevention hotline, something he sadly didn't choose in the end. By all accounts, Jonathan was a good kid from a loving home, not the typical child star with the forceful stage parents and didn't have a long history of addiction, and took his life free of any drug or alcohol impairment. He also had aspirations as a writer and director which we will never see fully realized. In an uncharacteristic move, I wrote a letter to his parents. I remembered he was an only child and couldn't imagine how anyone could make that choice without taking that into account, not to mention the many good friends Jonathan seemed surrounded by who would ultimately be so profoundly affected. His mother wrote me back (in true Brandis fashion) and seemed touched her son was remembered and that the time was taken to write. She said Jonathan was the light of her life and would be, and sent a laminated card of Jonathan in his later years, smiling, with the dates of his birth and death. Above his picture, the card was titled "Fade to Black: Gone but far from forgotten".

To this day, many people don't even know he passed, despite it having been five years. However, several fans picked up the torch and created online website memorials, and JonathanBrandis.org became a suicide prevention site as well as an online testamonial to a beautiful life. We are all left to wonder what could have been, and fated to contemplate how something so awful could have happened to such a once-hopeful and optimistic young man. Jonathan made tremendous contributions to the film and television industry with his enormous talent and will be sorely missed and indeed remembered by those whose lives he touched. He is forever chrystallized on film as the young boy with the bluest of eyes and the biggest of dreams.

RIP.

To those contemplating suicide - Please take the advice Jon didn't and call 1-800-273-TALK (8255), a free 24-hour suicide prevention hotline. No matter how much you think people won't notice or care, they will. It's never too late.

"There's something wrong with (fill in the blank and leave Esther out of it)"

Adoption advocacy groups are in an uproar over the release of the thriller "Orphan", claiming it deters people from wanting to adopt.

Any person who would halt adopting due to a Hollywood blockbuster clearly has no business adopting in the first place.

I guess this means we shouldn't swim in the ocean, never feed our pets after midnight, and stick to hanging garlic outside our bedrooms. While we're at it, we might as well not watch TV, we might get sucked into a vortex and be stuck in TV Land for eternity.


Any time some advocate group pipes up with this kind of nonsense because of a film, I just want to say "Congratulations! You must made this movie a guaranteed hit!"

A Tribute to John Williams

No, he's not dead (thankfully). However, John Williams is one of my all-time favorite artists and someone I believe had he been born any other time would be considered one of the great composers of all time. Because we are living in a modern age and movie composers don't quite get their due or rightful appreciation: John - this one's for you.

John Williams is my musical god. Some of you may not know him by name but you would certainly know him by ear. He is the composer of some of the greatest movie scores of all time and is to blame for bringing us the music to Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jaws, Home Alone, Schindler’s List, Empire of the Sun, Hook, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, and countless other masterpieces – including the theme of the Olympic games and NBC Nightly News. John Williams also wrote a composition specifically for President Obama’s inauguration which was played right before he took the presidential oath.

I wanted to pay tribute to this man, who I consider the Beethoven of our time. If he had been born 400 years ago, we’d still be listening to his music today. While I am glad he was born in present day, it saddens me to think that when we lose this genius, his work will be lost to time and his resounding themes will probably not be played several centuries from now. I consider him one of the great musical masters and I wish his work could live on in infamy. John Williams themes aren't just vital to film history, they stand alone as prodigious pieces of triumph, terror, joy, and heartbreak on your radio or iPod just the same.

What would these great movies be without John William’s music, which perfectly captures and evokes the feelings and emotions of these cinematic gems? I don’t think any of these movies would be what they are without his contributions. E.T. was actually written as a completely different film until John Williams wrote the captivating soundtrack which caused a complete rewrite of the film and an entirely different change of direction. Our images of Jaws, the beastly man eater, wouldn’t be complete without his haunting theme. Visions of Jedi and Sith wielding light sabers to any other music would be a travesty. “Duel of the Fates” made Phantom Menace worth it.

No doubt, I was familiar with John Williams themes as a child growing up in the 80’s. However, my first specific recollection of his music and it’s effect on me was when I saw Empire of the Sun in school in fifth grade. I was too young to understand the movie (and am a bit shocked such a violent film was played in class, at a Catholic school no less) but I remember being completely floored by the soundtrack, particularly “Toy Planes, Home, and Hearth” which I thought was the most beautiful tragic piece of music I’d ever heard. I went out and bought the soundtrack and used to listen to it on my headphones, tears flowing every time. That probably wasn’t normal, haha, but I couldn’t help it. I was so moved by the piece and the power of the composition.

I began collecting John Williams soundtracks and soon amassed quite a collection. John kept giving me so much to work with. Home Alone was one of my favorite childhood films. I absolutely loved the soundtrack, which I considered heavily influenced by my all time favorite song – The Nutcracker Suite. Such songs are in the tradition of 'neoromanticism', which I can never quite get enough of. There is a beautiful haunting melody on the Home Alone soundtrack CD that doesn’t completely make it’s way to the film that is mind boggling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEy1bSfOcQ4


Hook and Jurassic Park also took my breath away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWIdO9DidqU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip-ubq5HwpY


I had the opportunity to see John Williams perform some of his classic film scores at the Hollywood Bowl and never made it out. It’s one of the few regrets I have in life. For those fortunate enough to have an opportunity to see John perform live, I urge you to go - I’ve seen performance clips of the show on YouTube and it’s awe-inspiring. He also plays from time to time in other major cities, please check him out of he comes to your area, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

As some of you know, The Legend of Zelda is one of my favorite theme songs of all time. There is an orchestral version that exists and is available for download on file-sharing sites or can be viewed on YouTube. It is mistakenly attributed to John Williams, but is actually played by the amazing Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra which redid several classic video game themes into sweeping soundtracks available on a rare multi-disc set. However, it’s easy to see the similarities between the Zelda theme and classic John Williams compositions, especially when you hear the orchestral version which is so epic. The composer of the Zelda music, Koji Kondo, unsurprisingly lists John Williams as his main influence musically. John Williams has involved himself in some surprising projects in the past so I suppose it isn’t completely unrealistic to assume how this rumor may have been started.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDlDV_vn8qU

The hallmark of a John Williams soundtrack is that one feels completely overwhelmed and invincible after hearing it. It will make you cry, get chills all over your body, or send your heart racing even when you are in your car listening to a soundtrack CD. There is truly no other individual I would rather listen to. I credit Steven Spielberg for hearing one of John’s early soundtracks and recognizing his potential, wanting him to be the person to compose for his films. It takes a great to know a great.

A few fun John Williams facts:

One of John William’s sons replaced the lead singer of Toto.

John Williams has been nominated for 45 Oscars for his soundtracks, and only won 5 (He is the only living individual to receive that many nominations).


As John gets older, I shudder to think of a world without him. His impact on my life has been beyond measure. I’m sure my love affair with the movies was in part due to those very compositions that changed me profoundly. While he clearly isn’t reading this, I just want to send some great karmic vibes into the universe for him and let him know how much he is appreciated and that he is singular. No one can replace him. To me, his name is right up there with the all time greats where he belongs. None of those movies would be the same without him.

Many orchestras, bands, symphonies, and artists have been inspired by John Williams and have countless performances on YouTube, including compositions conducted by John himself. I am adding a few links of some incredible performances for your viewing pleasure, I encourage you to check them out – they are well worth it.

Thanks, John. You are truly and simply, THE MAN.


Additional links to amazing John Williams compositions. (Must click!)
Watch these and imagine what those films would be without the amazing scores they were blessed with:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE_vbrj0MqU (Jaws, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, E.T. orchestral)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr1jHBd5upo (Phantom Menace Soundtrack orchestral)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv-Z-nSipJY (for the Harry Potter fans)



Even Puerto Rico gives mad love to John Williams:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRiW0j6ATx4 (Jurassic Park Boricua Style!)



And, if you really want to dork out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk5_OSsawz4