Ready Player One is a 2018 American science fiction action film based on Ernest Cline's novel of the same name, directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Zak Penn and Cline. The film stars Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller, Simon Pegg, and Mark Rylance.
| Ready Player One (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Film score by | ||||
| Released | March 30, 2018 | |||
| Recorded | 2017–2018 | |||
| Studio | Sony Pictures Studios, Culver City, California | |||
| Genre | Film score | |||
| Length | 1:24:22 | |||
| Label | WaterTower Music | |||
| Alan Silvestri chronology | ||||
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| Ready Player One (Songs from the Motion Picture) | |
|---|---|
.png) | |
| Soundtrack album by various artists | |
| Released | March 30, 2018 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 56:31 |
| Label | WaterTower Music |
The original score was composed by Alan Silvestri, rather than Spielberg's usual collaborator John Williams. Ready Player One was the third of Speilberg's films since 1974 not to be scored by Williams, after The Color Purple (1985) and Bridge of Spies (2015). The score album titled Ready Player One (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) was released by WaterTower Music on March 30, 2018. The same day, a compilation album titled Ready Player One (Songs from the Motion Picture) was also released, featuring incorporated songs performed by various artists.[1][2]
Background and production
editOn June 9, 2016, John Williams who received the AFI Life Achievement Award by Steven Spielberg, had stated that he will be scoring for Spielberg's Ready Player One.[3][4] However, a year later, Williams exited from the project, in favor of scoring The Post (2017),[5] another Spielberg film, which had similar post-production schedules as Ready Player One.[6] Alan Silvestri took over the project as a composer.[7][8] Silvestri had felt working with Spielberg as "intimidating" on regards of his regular collaboration with Williams. Irrespective of the film's futuristic setting in 2045, Silvestri did not want a futuristic sound, as it might feel "dated" or "emotionally hollow", but he felt that the score was all about "playing on the emotion of the characters and playing up the action, which has a very timeless feeling".[9]
"His music is not subliminal accompaniment, but it’s a central character and is intended to be noticed in a big way. Like John Williams, Alan understands the purpose of tailoring the themes you walk out of the movies humming in order to identify characters, and the epic movements in movies that are designed to be somewhat operatic."
— Spielberg on Silvestri's work in the film.[10]
Silvestri could not provide demo score on the piano as Williams did, hence Spielberg sent an early-cut of the film and had scheduled a full-day orchestra session, after The Post's shooting completed and let him to write the score with total freedom. The recording of the score, began in mid-2017 at the Sony Scoring Stage in Sony Pictures Studios, Culver City, California. Spielberg supervised the first day of recording the film's music, and was impressed with Silvestri's composition. The brass fanfare conducted for an early scene became the film's main theme, which Spielberg had approved. The same day, Spielberg had recorded thirty minutes of music for the film, and much of the recording included in the final score.[9]
Silvestri also simultaneously recorded the score for Avengers: Infinity War (2018), while working on Ready Player One. He felt that "it is incredible that there is this chance to write melodic, orchestral, thematic material, and there are folks that still want that". John Williams also visited Sony Scoring Stage to supervise Silvestri's recording and also complimented his work.[10]
Thematic references
editAt Spielberg's request, Silvestri references his own music from Back to the Future within the film's score,[11] as well as quoting music written by other composers including Max Steiner's theme from King Kong, Akira Ifukube’s main theme from Godzilla, and the score composed by Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind from The Shining.[9][12] Silvestri commented, "There were several instances where Steven said, ‘I don’t want something similar to the Back to the Future score, I want the exact score and I want this particular section of it. I want it the way it was in the film.’ Steven had a lot of fun with the score".[9]
One sequence recreated the Overlook Hotel (which had been the setting of The Shining). The location consisted both physical sets and computer-generated imagery to recreate the location from that film, but Spielberg wanted the sequence to be authentic and asked Silvestri to create the score, which was more faithful to that film. Silvestri recalled it "very fun to re-create that and see how he mirrored the shots in the film".[9]
Silvestri commented on the closing scenes: "After talking with Steven, it appeared to me that after Halliday got his bad diagnosis, he was really handing over his child to someone else. The OASIS was his creation and it was a culmination of his life’s work. He designed a great way to find a new parent for this child that he could no longer care for.… And he found someone pure of heart, who loved the good things about the OASIS just as he did."[9]
Track listing
editReady Player One (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
editAll music is composed by Alan Silvestri
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Oasis" | 1:49 |
| 2. | "Hello, I'm James Halliday" | 2:01 |
| 3. | "Why Can't We Go Backwards?" | 4:18 |
| 4. | "An Orb Meeting" | 4:11 |
| 5. | "Real World Consequences" | 3:30 |
| 6. | "Sorrento Makes an Offer" | 3:34 |
| 7. | "Welcome to the Rebellion" | 3:14 |
| 8. | "High 5 Assembles" | 4:24 |
| 9. | "Orb of Osuvox" | 3:45 |
| 10. | "Sorrento Punked" | 3:57 |
| 11. | "Wade's Broadcast" | 5:51 |
| 12. | "Arty on the Inside" | 2:33 |
| 13. | "Looking for a Truck" | 5:36 |
| 14. | "She Never Left" | 2:41 |
| 15. | "Last Chance" | 3:20 |
| 16. | "Get Me Out of This" | 1:35 |
| 17. | "Hold on to Something" | 5:14 |
| 18. | "This Is Wrong" | 3:49 |
| 19. | "What Are You?" | 3:29 |
| 20. | "There's Something I Need to Do" | 5:01 |
| 21. | "Main Title" | 2:26 |
| 22. | "End Credits" | 8:04 |
| Total length: | 1:24:22 | |
Ready Player One (Songs from the Motion Picture)
edit| No. | Title | Performed by | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Jump" | Van Halen | 4:03 |
| 2. | "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" | Tears for Fears | 4:12 |
| 3. | "I Hate Myself For Loving You" | Joan Jett & The Blackhearts | 4:06 |
| 4. | "I Wanna Be Your Lover" | Prince | 5:47 |
| 5. | "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" | The Temptations | 3:48 |
| 6. | "Faith" | George Michael | 3:12 |
| 7. | "Stand on It" | Bruce Springsteen | 3:05 |
| 8. | "One Way or Another" | Blondie | 3:27 |
| 9. | "Can't Hide Love" | Earth, Wind & Fire | 4:09 |
| 10. | "Blue Monday" | New Order | 7:24 |
| 11. | "Stayin' Alive" | Bee Gees | 4:45 |
| 12. | "Main Title (The Shining)" | Wendy Carlos & Rachel Elkind | 3:24 |
| 13. | "Midnight, the Stars and You" | Al Bowlly | 3:28 |
| 14. | "We're Not Gonna Take It" | Twisted Sister | 3:38 |
| 15. | "You Make My Dreams" | Hall & Oates | 3:11 |
| Total length: | 56:31 | ||
Critical reception
editJames Southall of Movie Wave wrote "the score just throws together a load of pre-existing material, but that couldn’t be further from the truth – the way the composer pieces it all together, so seamlessly (and lovingly) incorporates all his own easter eggs, is truly remarkable. Throw in the fact that there’s a killer thematic base and you get a spectacularly satisfying experience which will bring a smile to the face of anyone who grew up with scores like this."[13] Zanobard Reviews gave 9/10 to the score and wrote "The score to Ready Player One is epic, memorable and contains some of the best action cues of recent years. The music is soft and emotional at times yet soaring and heroic when it needs to be. The lack of a great villain theme is a tad disappointing, and there could have been a couple more memorable themes in there other than the main and Rebellion ones. Still, even without them it stands out as one of the best scores in recent years. A welcome breath of fresh orchestral air which is rare in todays music."[14]
Jonathan Broxton wrote "Much like the films it is referencing, Ready Player One is a piece of pure entertainment, where every visual reference, every throwaway character cameo, and every musical homage, took me back to those summers where I would sit wide-eyed in a darkened room, enraptured by the silver screen, loving the movies of Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis, and the music of Williams and Goldsmith and Horner and, yes, Alan Silvestri."[15] Mfiles.com wrote "Much as it's tempting to write off Ready Player One as a mere wallow in nostalgia, the movie does have a big heart, championing a period in history that gave rise to a rich plethora of games, music, literature and cinema. Silvestri's score follows suit, interweaving around the inevitable needle drops (including the likes of Van Halen's 'Jump') to craft both a sweet homage to his own style and a robustly entertaining adventure score in its own right. Both he and Spielberg are careful not to overdo the self-referentiality: they instead realise that by spotting the music carefully, and by grounding everything in a comforting air of melody and harmony, the music will work almost alchemically on the target audience. There's no doubt it succeeds. In his first collaboration with Spielberg, Silvestri has delivered a cracking blockbuster score, and should John Williams bow out in the not-too-distant future, it's clear exactly who the director should call."[16]
Filmtracks.com wrote " this is not a perfect soundtrack, nor is there a really satisfying album for the film, but the project must still be categorized as a success for Silvestri. His collectors have been waiting years for him to crank out a score with the personality and size of Back to the Future, Judge Dredd and Van Helsing, Ready Player One is that appropriately nostalgic resurrection."[17] Kaya Savas of Film.Music.Media wrote "Ready Player One manages to feel classic and new at the same time, and that becomes the score’s biggest strengths. It’s impossible to not have a smile on your face as Silvestri employs techniques and adventure stylings that he has perfected through his entire career. The music is mainly about scoring the mission at hand, and it’s an amazing ride from start to finish."[18]
Chart performance
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Accolades
edit| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMI Film & TV Awards | May 10, 2018 | Best Film Music | Alan Silvestri | Won | [25] [26] |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 14, 2018 | Best Original Score in a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film | Nominated | [27] [28] | |
| International Film Music Critics Association | February 21, 2019 | Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film | Nominated | [29] [30] | |
| Saturn Awards | September 13, 2019 | Best Music | Nominated | [31] |
References
edit- ^ "Ready Player One - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack". WaterTower Music. March 30, 2018. Archived from the original on April 2, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
- ^ Newman, Melinda (March 28, 2018). "How Steven Spielberg Picked 'Ready Player One's' Classic '70s and '80s Tunes: Exclusive Track Listing". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
- ^ McHenry, Jackson (June 10, 2016). "John Williams Plans to Score Star Wars 8, Ready Player One, and Indiana Jones 5". Vulture. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ Burlingame, Jon (June 9, 2016). "AFI Honoree John Williams Looks Back on Six Decades of Iconic Themes". Variety. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on June 11, 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
- ^ Chitwood, Adam (July 10, 2017). "John Williams Not Scoring Spielberg's Ready Player One". Collider. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ Burlingame, Jon (July 7, 2017). "John Williams and Alan Silvestri to Score Steven Spielberg's Next Films (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on July 9, 2017. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
- ^ Mithaiwala, Mansoor (July 8, 2017). "Alan Silvestri Will Score Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One". ScreenRant. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ Anderton, Ethan (July 8, 2017). "Alan Silvestri Replacing John Williams On Steven Spielberg's 'Ready Player One'". /Film. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Burton, Byron (April 2, 2018). "'Ready Player One' Composer Alan Silvestri on Its Touching Final Moments". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on April 5, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
- ^ a b "How 'Ready Player One' became the rare Steven Spielberg movie not scored by John Williams". Los Angeles Times. March 30, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ Burton, Byron (March 27, 2018). "'Ready Player One' Premiere Featured a 'Back to the Future' Reunion". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ Broxton, Jonathan (April 3, 2018). "READY PLAYER ONE – Alan Silvestri: Review". MovieMusicUK.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
- ^ "Ready Player One soundtrack review | Alan Silvestri | movie-wave.net". April 8, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ Zanobard (April 11, 2018). "Ready Player One – Soundtrack Review". Zanobard Reviews. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ "READY PLAYER ONE – Alan Silvestri". MOVIE MUSIC UK. April 3, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ "Ready Player One by Alan Silvestri - original film score soundtrack, an mfiles review". www.mfiles.co.uk. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ "Filmtracks: Ready Player One (Alan Silvestri)". www.filmtracks.com. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ "Film.Music.Media - Ready Player One by Alan Silvestri". www.filmmusicmedia.com. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Soundtrack – Ready Player One". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ "Official Soundtrack Albums Chart Top 50 - 6 to 12 January". Official Charts Company. January 1, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
- ^ a b "Billboard 200 – Week of April 14, 2018". Billboard. April 14, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ a b "Soundtracks – Week of April 14, 2018". Billboard. April 14, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ "Official Compilation Albums Chart". Official Charts Company. April 20, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ "Official Soundtrack Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. April 13, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ "John Williams Honored With Special Award at 34th Annual BMI Film, TV & Visual Media Awards". BMI.com. May 10, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ "34th Annual BMI Film, TV, & Visual Media Awards". Pop Disciple. May 14, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ "'A Star Is Born,' 'Black Panther' Lead Hollywood Music in Media Awards Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. October 17, 2018. Archived from the original on October 18, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
- ^ "'Black Panther,' 'A Star Is Born' Lead 2018 Hollywood Music in Media Awards Nominees". Variety. October 16, 2018. Archived from the original on October 17, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
- ^ Flores, Marshall (February 7, 2019). "15th Annual IFMCA Awards Nominations". AwardsDaily. Stone, Sasha. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ IFMCA (2019). "2018 IFMCA Awards". IFMCA. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ Hammond, Pete (July 15, 2019). "'Avengers: Endgame', 'Game Of Thrones' Lead Saturn Award Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.