“Spectre” by Thomas Newman

I am not really a James Bond fan. The movies do have my recognition for leaving a cultural mark on the film business and pop culture in general. But I’m not awaiting every new entry in eager anticipation. I also appreciate the modern twist that Daniel Craig brought into the franchise – which says it all basically. It was more because of Sam Mendes and especially Thomas Newman, that really got me enthusiastic in these films (and scores). But with the lukewarm reception of Spectre this short-lived collaboration may be approaching its end. And my James Bond custom covers series may as well. The poster campaign once…

“The Martian” by Harry Gregson-Williams

After last week‘s side blow about custom movie logos and how they are bound to fail in almost every case, it was crystal clear that I would put myself in a spot with this week’s The Martian. This custom cover series more or less served as a playground for my graphic design abilities… or rather inabilities, if you ask me. I’ve not only restrained myself from using the official logo as much as possible, but rather encouraged to go down a totally different route, graphically and also stylistically. But first things first. With The Martian Hollywood finally got it right. After numerous failed attempts to produce a successful Mars-themed…

“Inside Out” by Michael Giacchino

Michael Giacchino’s triple pack of scores concludes with Inside Out and I have the feeling, that this will be his best work out of the three. Given Giacchino’s past with Pixar and the highly creative premise of the film, I’m hoping for an emotional rollercoaster ride. A story revolving around joy, sadness, fear, anger and disgust might be the perfect opportunity for any composer. But with Giacchino Pixar wisely chose the perfect man for the job. Just listen to Up and you’ll know what I mean. The ad campaign for the film had a very nice set of colours. It’s cheerful but not oversaturated. Just the right balance….

“Jurassic World” by Michael Giacchino, John Williams

We’ve actually arrived in times when sequels and reboots are being made by childhood fans of the original. The Jurassic World teaser poster looks like any fan out there would design it (and even did). But when you think about that, isn’t that great? Doesn’t that mean, that the film will receive as much care and lifeblood as possible? I think that’s the best premise we could wish for. I decided early on, that my custom covers should reference the iconic design of the first Jurassic Park soundtrack. I even went so far and re-used the same Paint Shop Pro template (had to reinstall PSP…

“Tomorrowland” by Michael Giacchino

A secret world, future technology, a faceless enemy and a mysterious little pin… these are the ingrediences of Brad Bird’s latest tale of wonders. I’m really looking forward to Tomorrowland, both the movie and the score. But while the titular place has a BioShock Infinite like retro-futuristic vibe, the marketing campaign was severely underwhelming so far. This film holds so much promise, but for an entirely new intellectual property Disney imho failed to create something remarkeble. I dig the pin design to some degree, but I think even this MacGuffin-like prop could look a little more magical. The director himself designed a really wonderful logo (which I…