John Williams

John Williams

Many of the films we love would not be the same without John Williams. Take a few minutes to watch and listen to some of his most memorable cues as we celebrate the birth of one of the most iconic composers around.

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John Williams
  • Ep. 243 - John Williams' 'Jaws'

    "Main Title & First Victim" from the film Jaws, composed by John Williams, stands as a masterclass in the use of music to amplify cinematic tension and invoke primal fear. This track introduces the now-iconic two-note motif, a simple yet profoundly effective musical figure that has become synonym...

  • Ep. 242 - John Williams' 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'

    Where to watch: https://letterboxd.com/film/harry-potter-and-the-philosophers-stone/

  • Ep. 215 - John Williams' 'The Accidental Tourist'

    There is something about this film that is quite unique, mainly because of the incredible performance by Geena Davis and William Hurt. Based off of the 1985 book by Anne Tyler, the story revolves around a middle-aged travel writer whose life and marriage have been shattered by the tragic death of...

  • Ep. 207 - John Williams' 'The Fabelmans'

    There is something so personal and exquisite about this film, and it makes sense that John Williams would compose such a beautiful and touching theme on piano to accompany it. There is no question that the Williams & Spielberg collaboration is timeless, inspiring, and unique. What you hear in thi...

  • Ep. 161 - John Williams' 'Saving Private Ryan'

    As we celebrate Memorial Day, we felt it necessary to showcase John Williams' masterful work to the Spielberg epic 'Saving Private Ryan'. Considered to be one of the greatest American films ever made, it has been preserved in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as 'culturally, h...

  • Ep. 156 - John Williams' 'Home Alone'

    We think it is fair to say that the 1990 Chris Columbus film 'Home Alone' is one of the best Christmas movies ever made. Produced by the great John Hughes, it was nominated for multiple awards including two Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song.

    The opening of the film de...

  • Ep. 152 - John Williams' 'Superman'

    Richard Donner's 1978 masterpiece featuring the great Gene Hackman and the late Marlon Brando & Christopher Reeve was nominated for 3 Academy Awards including Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and of course... Best Music (Original Score) by maestro John Williams. Even though John Williams did not wi...

  • Ep. 143 - John Williams' 'Munich'

    This 2005 historical drama produced and directed by Stephen Spielberg is a film we can never forget. Nominated for five Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing, John Williams also received a nomination for Best Original Score. Williams was actually ...

  • Ep. 134 - John Williams' 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban™'

    There is no question that each cue from the score to this film is gorgeous and unique, with this being one of them. "Buckbeak's Flight" is not only just a beautiful theme with sweeping strings and percussion (and don't forget the subtle flute!), but it comes at time when Harry, just for a second,...

  • Ep. 132 - John Williams' 'Hook'

    Who can forget the 1991 Spielberg film, 'Hook'? It is, by far, one of John Williams' best scores to-date. Nominated for a Grammy, there are moments in this film that are strikingly gorgeous when combining the set design, Spielberg's direction, and Robin Williams' emotional performance.

    This scen...

  • Ep. 130 - John Williams' 'Born on the Fourth of July'

    Who can forget the 1989 film directed by Oliver Stone? Based on the 1976 autobiography by Ron Kovic, it goes down in cinematic history as one of the most riveting anti-war film sever made.

    The score was produced, composed, and conducted by John Williams, who agreed to work on the film after wat...

  • Ep. 99 - John Williams' 'E.T.'

    What can be said about the genius of this score? It was the fourth in history to accomplish the feat or winning the Academy Award, Golden Globe, Grammy, and BAFTA (the previous two, 'Star Wars' and 'Jaws', were also composed by Williams, who remains the only person to have won all awards for the ...

  • Ep. 96 - John Williams' 'Jurassic Park'

    Nobody can question that the score to 'Jurassic Park' is one of the most beloved and iconic of John Williams' career. The unforgettable 'Jurassic Park Theme' can be heard in this snapshot to which Williams himself stated that it was an attempt "to capture the awesome beauty and sublimity of the d...

  • Ep. 94 - John Williams' 'Memoirs of a Geisha'

    Where to Watch: https://letterboxd.com/film/memoirs-of-a-geisha/
    Listen to the score: https://open.spotify.com/album/4wcOu3JLqjWjcFpMwKS69C?si=uofEun7bRIWJSYT-4HlY8g&dl_branch=1
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    Every Monday and Wednesday, SCORE CUE SNAPSHOTS brings you iconic scenes married to the corresponding score cue with...

  • Ep. 78 - John Williams' 'The Patriot'

    For today's Score Cue Snapshot, we bring to you another incredible John Williams score, one of which was nominated for an Academy Award. This scene in particular is can be tough to watch, but Williams does something incredible in the final showdown between the Captain Benjamin Martin (Gibson) and...

  • Ep. 62 - Hans Zimmer's 'Man of Steel'

    There is no question that following in the footsteps of John Williams' iconic score to the 1978 Richard Donner film is pretty much impossible. However, if anything Hans Zimmer has taught us, is that he is excellent at re-defining and re-creating iconic themes for superheroes. In fact, Zimmer's sc...

  • Ep. 60 - John Williams & John Powell's 'Solo: A Star Wars Story'

    This clip features three cues from the Deluxe Edition of the soundtrack, featuring "Meet Han (1M1)” composed by John Williams & John Powell, with the two others ("Bunk / Proxima", "Corellia Chase") composed by John Powell. One can say it must be exceedingly difficult to follow in the footsteps of...

  • Ep. 56 - John Barry & A-ha's 'The Living Daylights'

    This continues the great 007 tradition with John Barry at the helm, but this time collaborating with the great A-ha to compose the title track, "The Living Daylights". This was the eleventh and final Bond soundtrack to be scored by Barry, and the soundtrack introduced sequenced electronic rhythm ...

  • Ep. 2 - Military Influence in Film

    In our second episode, CineConcerts President/Producer Justin Freer discusses military music and its influence in film. He digs into JFK and Clear & Present Danger.

    Where to watch:
    JFK- https://letterboxd.com/film/jfk/
    Clear & Present Danger- https://letterboxd.com/film/clear-and-present-danger/

  • Ep. 45 - Howard Shore's 'The Hobbit: An Unpexpected Journey' (4K HDR)

    Composed, orchestrated, conducted and produced by Howard Shore, this majestic score was performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, London voices and Tiffin' Boys Choir and featured several vocal soloists. 'Over Hill' was one of the few cues that were completely new from The Hobbit film serie...

  • Ep. 40 - John Williams' 'The Rise of Skywalker' (4K HDR)

    Different from the previous episode, this one focuses on a beautiful and tender moment between Ben and Rey, after Ben uses the Force to revive her at the cost of his own life. It was one of the most emotional moments in the entire series, and the music is so beautifully written. It gives the char...

  • Ep. 39 - John Williams' 'The Force Awakens' (4K HDR)

    Utilizing an 85-piece orchestra and recording around 175 minutes of music, John Williams received his 50th Oscar nomination for this score, and also won a Saturn & Grammy Award. This particular scene contains two tracks from the soundtrack as Rey, Finn, and BB-8 steal the Millennium Falcon and es...

  • Ep. 32 - John Williams' 'Schindler's List' (4K HDR)

    Considered to be one of the greatest films ever made, "Schindler's List" was nominated for twelve Academy Awards including Best Original Score. Williams ended up winning the Academy Award, in addition to a BAFTA, Grammy, and Golden Globe. The film won numerous other awards including seven BAFTAs,...

  • Ep. 3 - John Williams' 'Far and Away'

    The music of Far and Away was composed and conducted by composer John Williams. The expansive score features a mixture of traditional Irish instrumentation and conventional orchestra, creating one of the most memorable scores ever written.

    Where to watch: https://letterboxd.com/film/far-and-away...