In this episode:

Alex, Teddy, and guest host, JC Blass, jump into a spoiler heavy discussion of Christopher Nolan's blockbuster film, Inception. If you haven't seen Inception yet, don't listen to this episode! Go see the movie already! They also briefly touch on the Batman 3 casting grid story in this long and entertaining episode of the podcast.

Show notes:
http://www.nolanfans.com/inceptionscreenplay
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good podcast

Great podcast Even though I don't agree with everything, great podcast

Jonas Agersø wrote:Great podcast Even though I don't agree with everything, great podcast

What don't you agree with?

AlexHaas wrote:

Jonas Agersø wrote:Great podcast Even though I don't agree with everything, great podcast

What don't you agree with?

The part about the kids, even though im very torn in two with the whole is it a dream, is it not - I think that the kids have aged, as you can see on IMDB it is different actors playing the kids in the different ages: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375666/fullcredits#cast

Anyway Alex, what is the outtro track of the podcast?

It's Rory's First Kiss (Ryeland Allison Remix) from the collector's edition of the DARK KNIGHT score.

TeddyBlass wrote:It's Rory's First Kiss (Ryeland Allison Remix) from the collector's edition of the DARK KNIGHT score.

Thanks! Can it be found on stream somewhere online? or be bought for download some place?
Edit: Nvm, found it on Itunes!

Regarding the score, I respectfully disagree that its too similar to Nolan's Batman films. I'm not saying its not similar either, but to me it doesn't sound at all like a retread Batman score..it sounds pretty original.

I always loved that Zimmer created something atypical for Batman, that it sounded unique to the world of cinema. If anything, they should have left James Newton Howard out of the mix for those movies. I respect him as a composer, but his contribution sounds too conventional for my liking, not that I find it inappropriate, particularly since Batman is such a big property for WB, but Zimmer's contribution to those movies seems much more distinctive and interesting. Nolan's movies are usually too out of the box for a conventional score, and Zimmer seems to have the right approach to me, and if anthing he seems less stylistically restrained here than he did on the Batman films. I think the Inception score is a bit of an evolution in his 'Nolan style' and so it feels wholely appropriate to me, and not too similar to Batman at all. Perhaps there are some cues that have some similarities, but it doesn't make me think of Batman while watching Inception, and to me that's the ultimate litmus test.

One of the most innovative directors in terms of how music is used in a film is Michael Mann, and I hear cues that remind me of how he would use music in a film here. Not that they sound like they belong in a film of his, just that they feel unconventional and cool as hell in the movie. The song 'Old Souls' sounds like it was influenced a bit by the jazzy atmospheric tones of the Blade Runner score. Not surprising given Nolan's love for that movie. Overall, I think this score is better than Batman's.. but I guess its doomed to comparison because Batman came before it.

I'd be curious as to what Julyan could have done. His scores haven't seemed as grand as someone like Zimmer, which was needed for this film, for sure. I don't know that it means he can't do it either... just sayin'. I also loved the music in the trailer, and had assumed that it woud make its way to the movie. Did Hans not construct that score?

As far as Inception's score being unconventional or out of the box... well, I just don't see it. The ending is completely conventional as far as Hans Zimmer scores go. It's a complete rip-off of Journey To The Line, a 13 year old cue that Zimmer and his associates go back to time and time again. This time they decided to just add Johnny Mar. How interesting! Not really.

Now, speaking about Old Souls, to me it sounds very John Berry inspired. Very bond-ish. In fact, it sounds extremely similar to a cue from David Arnold's Quantum of Solace score - just slowed down.

I don't really want to address the idea of leaving James Newton Howard off the Batman scores. I think it certainly would make for a more boring, less original, and less varied score. Plus I can only accept such an argument if the person I am arguing with can correctly pick out all of the James Newton Howard cues - which I am guessing you can't, otherwise you wouldn't be bringing up this notion.

Well, I'm not pretending to be an expert in film scores, and I would say all film scores are derivative to some capacity. I'm sure I could take any piece from any given movie and find elements from a composer's earlier career (see James Horner), so what you've said makes sense. But to me, this score sounds anything but derivitive to the average moviegoer like me. If unconventional is not the best term, perhaps "non-traditional" is better? I am familiar with Batman's score, but Inception's doesn't remind me of that so much, which was the big comparison as I recall. Where it is similar is just in how its not traditional. It feels unique, and akin to a musical style that seems to be used in Nolan's films. I haven't even tried to pick out JNH's cues vs. Zimmer's in the Batman movies, but there are two major stylistic differences that stand out, and I would rather they have used one style or the other for those movies. If memory serves, this is a reflection of the two composers. I'm not suggesting they drop JNH at for B3 either.. to not maintain what has been done in the past two movies scorewise wouldn't seem to be the best option for a final Nolan film. I just thought it would have been better one way or the other. The blend works fine, I don't dislike it, but I'd prefer one or the other, and given the choice, I'd prefer the non-traditional music which Zimmer seemed to lead. The traditional theme in those movies sounds very generic to me, although it is effective.