E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
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Release date: June 11, 1982
Studios: Universal Pictures
Running time: 115 minutes
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, K.C. Martel, Sean Frye, Tom Howell, Erika Eleniak, David M. O'Dell, Richard Swingler, Frank Toth, Robert Barton, Michael Durrell
Technical information: Technicolor, Dolby Stereo, 1.85:1
J. K. Rowling's hugely successful children's novel, the first in a planned seven-part series, becomes a hugely successful film starring relatively unknown child actors and seemingly every great British thespian alive.
The Film | The Music
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Music: John Williams
Orchestration: Herbert W. Spencer
Music editor: Ken Hall
Music recorded: MGM Music Scoring Stage, Culver City
Williams composed the music for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone during the spring and summer of 2001, mainly at Tanglewood, and recorded the music in London between August 28 and September 12. He had previously composed original music for two of the film's trailers; these utilized a waltz for Hedwig the owl, a theme he wove throughout his 142-minute score for the film.
Contrary to his usual practice, Williams read the book on which the film was based and said he "loved it." Williams' contribution to the annual Tanglewood on Parade benefit concert on July 31, 2001 was a preview of music from the film, a performance of "Hedwig's Theme." Williams has also composed a nine-movement concert suite based upon themes from the score, each of which highlights a different section of the orchestra in the manner of Benjamin Britten's A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra; this suite was also recorded at the September sessions at London's Air Lyndhurst recording studios.
Warner 48096-2
The soundtrack album for A.I. (Warner Sunset/Warner Bros. 48096-2) was released by Warner Bros. records July 3, 2001. In addition to just over one hour of music from the film score, the CD contains two version of the song "For Always" not used in the film (one a solo by Lara Fabian, the other a duet with Fabian and Josh Groban). The following month it was released in DVD-Audio format, featuring the same contents as the original release. In December of 2001, Warner Bros. Studios released a non-commercial 2-CD edition of the score to members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; it omits the two renditions of the song "For Always" heard on the commercial soundtrack release, but includes a great deal of previously unreleased music from the score.
The Film | The Music
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has released a piano/vocal version of the song "For Always."
References
"Spielberg's Journey into a Darkness of the Heart," Rick Lyman
New York Times, Jun 24 2001
"Do Androids Long for Mom?" A. O. Scott
New York Times, Jun 29 2001
"A New Smile, but the Same Charm, from E.T.," Michael Mallory
Los Angeles Times, March 17 2002
The Film | The Music
Audio | Video | Sheet Music
References | Links
Internet Movie Database entry for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Cinebooks Database entry for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
All Movie Guide entry for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Official web site for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial reissue
Page last modified
June 05, 2006
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