Music makers elevate movies

The fusion of music and movies has always been a good fit and led to exciting results. Look no further than three new releases showcasing music makers' role in enhancing films both in front and behind the camera.

Title: Hickok (Cinedigm)
You might like if you enjoy: Classic Westerns, HBO series "Westworld," Kris Kristofferson, Trace Adkins
Tell me more: While Westerns no longer arrive in movie theaters on a regular basis, don't underestimate how much an artful and intelligent tale set in the 19th century can evoke its power on modern-day viewers. The newly-released Hickok provides stylish nods to some of the genre's most beloved classics but stands tall on its own thanks to a well-written script based on an episode in the life of "Wild Bill" Hickok, excellent performances everywhere (including Luke Hemsworth in the title role, as well as country music greats Trace Adkins and Kris Kristofferson), a stirring score courtesy of Andrew Joslyn and  director Timothy Woodward Jr.'s ability to get affecting cliche-free performances amidst the dramatic backdrop of the Old West. Information: cinedigmentertainment.com.

Artist: Prince
Title: Purple Rain Deluxe - Expanded Edition (NPG Records / Warner Bros. Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Prince
Tell me more: Released as both a "Deluxe" 2 CD version and a "Deluxe - Expanded Edition" featuring three CDs and a DVD, the re-release of Prince's masterwork Purple Rain recently captured the #1 on the Top Soundtrack Albums Chart and the top spot on the Top Vinyl Albums Chart, as well as returned to the Top 5 of the Billboard Top 200 too. More than three decades after the release of the film and the accompanying soundtrack, "Purple Rain" continues to cast its magic via dynamic recordings blending rock, soul, funk and pop (both newly-released versions are anchored by the official 2015 Paisley Park Remaster of the original tapes from the soundtrack). Of the most interest to hardcore fans of the late artist (Prince died in April 2016) is a CD full of rarities and a slew of previously-unreleased tracks, and a DVD featuring a concert with Prince and the Revolution captured in Syracuse, NY on March 30, 1985. That concert features restored audio and video from the original production master tape, and offers a real glimpse into Prince as a groundbreaking performer at the beginning of his career. Information: warnerbrosrecords.com.

Title: Spider-Man: Homecoming (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
You might like if you enjoy: Composers John Williams, Danny Elfman, Michael Giacchino
Tell me more: Grammy and Academy Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino has provided memorable scores for a number of well-known films, and his riveting music for the blockbluster  Spider-Man: Homecoming can be added to his growing list of achievements. For those who have seen the latest "Spider-Man" flick, they know how wonderfully the music works in support of the on-screen action. But the soundtrack also plays well as a pure listen; the dramatic "The World Is Changing" and "Monumental Meltdown,"  playful-to-tense "Drag Racing / An Old Van Rundown" and symphonic "No Vault of His Own" showcase Giacchino's masterful touch and ability to create music that challenges and entices. Information: sonymusicmasterworks.com.

Robert Kinsler

Sights and Sounds: Luke Hemsworth, Trace Adkins, Kris Kristofferson and Bruce Dern star in HICKOK

One of my favorite concerts of 2016 featured legendary singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson performing a memorable acoustic set at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa in November (read my review of that show here).. He and his wife Lisa were kind and emailed me a "thank you" from the set of a film he was working on. Now that movie titled HICKOK is set to be released and it stars several other noted performers including actor-singer Trace Adkins, actor Bruce Dern and star Luke Hemsworth. Here is the media release...

SOMETIMES, IT TAKES AN OUTLAW TO STOP AN OUTLAW...

 

THIS SUMMER, SADDLE UP FOR THE FRONTIER THRILLER

HICKOK

STARRING LUKE HEMSWORTH, TRACE ADKINS,

KRIS KRISTOFFERSON AND BRUCE DERN

OPENING IN LOS ANGELES AT 

LAEMMLE MUSIC HALL ON JULY 7, 2017

Actor Luke Hemsworth stars in HICKOK.

In the hopes of escaping his past as a notorious outlaw, "Wild Bill" Hickok seeks redemption as a small town lawman.  Unfortunately, as the titular gunslinger discovers, the past has a way of catching up with you in HICKOK, a frontier thriller starring Luke Hemsworth in his first leading role in a feature film; the period Western also stars Trace Adkins, Country Music Hall of Famer and Golden Globe®-winner Kris Kristofferson and Oscar®-nominee Bruce Dern.  On July 7, HICKOK opens theatrically and, day-and-date, will also be available on demand and Digital HD

 

Actor-singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson stars as George Knox.

 

Synopsis:

 

The story of the West's most notorious gunslinger and his road to redemption, HICKOK finds the infamous, hard-drinking outlaw (Hemsworth) in 1870's Abilene, Kansas, seeking to start a new life.  Captivated by Wild Bill's unparalleled gun skills, the mayor, George Knox, (Kristofferson) quickly ropes him in as the town marshal.  Recognizing the need to clamp down on the wildest cow-town in the west, Hickok soon finds himself at the center of a controversial ordinance while dispensing his own brand of frontier justice.  His attempts to protect Abilene, however, are quickly challenged by a band of outlaws led by powerful saloon owner Phil Poe (Adkins).  And when Poe places a bounty on Wild Bill's head, the marshal, with the help of outlaw turned lawman John Wesley Hardin, makes a stand for Abilene and his new life, while putting his reputation as the fastest draw in the west on the line.

Trace Adkins stars in HICKOK.

HICKOK

Directed by: Timothy Woodward Jr.

Produced by: Timothy Woodward Jr., Lauren de Normandie, 

Henry Penzi and Chris Nicoletti

Cast: Luke Hemsworth ("Westworld"), Trace Adkins (Stagecoach,

Traded,Deepwater Horizon), Kris Kristofferson (Traded, A Star is Born, Blade, Billy the Kid), Bruce Dern (The Hateful Eight, Django Unchained, Nebraska), Cameron Richardson (Flashburn, "Murder in the First",

Alvin and the Chipmunks), Kaiwi Lyman-Mersereasu (American Violence, Den of Thieves), Robert Catrini ("Bosch," Jack Reacher: Never Go Back), Hunter Fischer (Traded, American Violence) 

TRT: 90 minutes

Language: English

Genre: Western