FSM # 35: Weird Dreams
- This topic has 21 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 3 days, 12 hours ago by
.
-
Posts
-
One of my (and H Rocco’s) favourite threads over at the mm.com messageboard, was one called Weird Dreams, in which people recounted their off-beat, film music-related dreams. Since I find the topic of dreams very interesting, and since it was great fun, I thought I’d have a similar one here. Since the last time, I have had YET ANOTHER Goldsmith dream, which I will tell you about:
I remember only fragments of this dream, but this sequence started off as I found myself in a busy street that LOOKED very English, but that my unidentifiable traveling companions urged me to believe was L.A. As I’ve never been to the US, I thought this was great. Finally I could look up some great CD stores with good film score collections. At one point, though, my companions told me I was in New York, and consequently I felt eager to visit Footlight Records. I did. As I entered what – through the sign – seemed to be Footlight Records, I found myself in a small, narrow CD shop – like the one on the corner, not a big thing at all. All the shelves and tables were covered with MINIDISCS only – and to exorbitant Norwegian prices! Being slightly disappointed with this, I asked the clerk where all the CD’s were.
– “Oh, those old thingies? We’ve got a few of them over there in the corner.”, he said. In a dark corner was a small white shelf with a few CD’s. Eagerly, I looked through them to see if I could find anything of interest. I didn’t. One of my traveling companions approached me to tell me he had found Morricone’s THE MISSION for a mere $20 in that CD shelf just now, but that was it. The disappointment continued. Then, the strangest thing happened. The whole CD shop was suddenly transformed into a chilly, square room with white, hospital-like walls. At the far end of the room, a big square hole was carved into the wall – like a “hot dog” sales desk or something. Through that hole, I glimpsed a vast, dark room – the sole light emerging as a turned-on TV set in the background. More peculiarly, though, Jerry Goldsmith was situated at the other side of “desk”, handing out free, various-coloured T-shirts (that had nothing to do with film music) to a long line of fans. I don’t know why. I positioned myself in the line. When it was my turn, I seized the opportunity to chat with the maestro:
– “So, how do you feel about this? It’s not easy to be a celibrity, eh?”, I asked.
– “No,” was the terse reply. erry seemed a bit grumpy, yet smiling as though trying to maintain a certain sense of service attitude. His long hair curled down onto his forehead. He was sweaty, probably from all the stressful T-shirt work.
– “Do you think you would be so kind as to sign one of these T-shirts for me?” I continued.
– “No, no, no. Please move along, you’re holding up the line here.”
– “Please?” He shook his head once again, jammed an orange T-shirt into my hand and tapped me on the shoulder, as if to tell me that I had to move along. I eventually complied. The last thing I remember (there was more, but I’ve forgotten it) was an image of myself, standing in the middle of the white room with a lousy, orange T-shirt in my hand WITH NO AUTOGRAPH! I remember seeing Jerry as an arrogant snob. Now, someone please explain to me: Why do all of my film music dreams involve Goldsmith? Both Williams and Elfman are “higher up” on my favourite list, yet they never appear. Always Goldsmith. There must be something “mysterious” about him that fascinates me unconsciously….YOUR TURN!
One of my favourite threads from FSM, this — now almost 26 years old! There are several more dreams in that thread that I could re-post here, peacemeal (to keep the thread alive). But also a good opportunity to post about NEW dreams you’re having.
Everyone always says how boring it is to hear about other people’s dreams, but I’ve always found it endlessly fascinating.
I never had film music related dream. Actually I almost never can remember much of dream execpt that it might been weird…
OK, I’m gonna give up ONE more dream from that thread, before I let the thread be dormant for a bit (there are probably about 20 dreams that I wrote down right after I had them):
—
#2:
“Two nights ago, I finally had my first dream starring John Williams, at least the first I am capable of remembering. Although it is planted in my short term memory now, I am only able to remember fragments of the REM involving Williams.
I was back in my high school days again, 10 years ago (as was also the case with the Goldsmith dream – see above) and I was home with my family.
In our TV livingroom on the second floor: Mom, dad, my 18 year old sister and 12 year old brother (they were the current age although *I* was back in my high school days – go figure). We were all sitting in the bended brown sofa, relaxing with cups of coffee and biscuits.
As a guest-of-honour, John Williams was situated in the corner of the sofa, speaking fluently Norwegian, of course. It was like having grandpa over.
I remember sitting perfectly still, afraid to engage in conversation with the maestro (I’ve always disliked that indelible ass-kissing that journalists pour over celebrities in interviews, and wanted to avoid that at all costs). My father spoke enthusiastically, though, telling him how big a fan I was and how large my collection was. The latter part concerned me – I was convinced that if Williams caught a glimpse of my collection in my room with all the bootlegs, he would turn red in a fit of rage and yell at me. That didn’t happen, though, as far as I remember.
My father, still enthusiastic, continued to praise Williams for the wonderful statuette that he had sculptured (sic) – the statuette which the contestants of the TV show SURVIVOR gets when they have won a trial of sorts and are “immune” in the next “council” (the ones who have seen the not-so-great show know what I’m talking about). My father URGED Williams to take with him this statuette the next time they were in the freemason’s lodge (of which my father, and now also obviously Williams, is a member).
That’s all I can remember, but it’s pretty weird, I think.”
I mostly don’t remember my dreams, over time, I had some of the most disturbing, weirdest dreams ever. A bit over thirty years ago I had about a year long phase where I dreamt intensely and had recurring dreams almost every other night, sometimes exactly the same, sometimes with slight variations from dream to dream. I still shake sometimes when I think about them, and they were something that no other dreams were ever before or after: frighteningly real.
Some other time, years later, I had some trippy “dream in dreams”.. a bit like INCEPTION. I woke up from something weird, and thought, “ah, that was just a dream”, but I was still in a dream, I just woke up from one dream into another dream. I remember that was a bit disorienting for even several minutes when I woke up.
I don’t remember ever having had any film music specific dream (which doesn’t mean I never had one, I often don’t remember my dreams… sadly… because the ones I do remember I usually find quite interesting), but I do remember that I had a couple of dreams that had actual “End Credits”… meaning the dream was over, faded to black, and then credits rolled. That’s when I joked I watched to many movies that even my dreams now come with end credits.
Yes, I definitely recognize that ‘variations on a theme’ dream sequence. I often have one regarding marginalization in one form or another, for example.
And indeed — those last few seconds before you wake up, when you’re sometimes AWARE you’re dreaming, are fascinating. And can be excruciatingly scary.
Weird things. Too bad I never can rememeber things or am too slow to write down anything I still have a glimpse of. I believe being aware of currently dreaming is called lucid dreaming or so?
#3:
“I also remember a dream, in which I was back in my high school days, practising with the local teen choir. Then suddenly, out of nowhere came Jerry Goldsmith and started conducting. His facial expression was kind of wild, and as he eventually stepped up on the scene, he started lashing out atonal harmonies on the keyboard, while simultaneously banging his ponytailed hair and waving his arms ferociously. Sort of a maniac version of Jean Michel Jarre.
Later I found out that he had locked his wife into a closet on the first floor, and as the poor woman was helped out, she stuttered:
– “Oh, that’s ok. He does that all the time!”
#4:
“The first dream starts in some european city (Prague or Paris, don’t remember). As a tourist, I’m trodding about aimlessly. Suddenly I find myself on the town square. It’s only me and a handful of other people. The entire square is sealed off and there are literally hundreds of people standing outside the perimeters, pushing the fences. I am one of the lucky few of something, obviously. Soon I see Elfman standing in the middle of the little crowd in front of me. I join them. Elfman is dressed in a dark training suit with a marathon number attached to his chest. Suddenly all the members of the little crowd wears one too. With a sudden burst, Elfman takes off and runs like hell down the street with the 12somewhat-membered crowd (the disiples?) in pursuit, me included. I remember running as fast as I possibly could, yet it was very hard to keep up with Danny. Suddenly we all enter a small record store. Elfman, sweating like a madman, is hurrying through the aisles, picking up soundtracks and CD’s faster than a predator. I am very keen on looking through the CD shelves myself (noticing a surprisingly good score selection), but there is no time. As soon as he has arrived, Elfman is out the door again, with the crowd on his heels. The last thing I remember was myself running across a lawn trying to catch up, but futile. Elfman & the crowd turn the corner and are gone….
The first flash from my second, more recent dream sees myself lying flat on the stomach on the back of a dirty old lorry, all dressed in army outfit and with my rifle digging its way into my hip (I’m back in the military service again, obviously). There are at least 4 or 5 other military guys lying around me, all with their helmet-covered heads down so as not be seen above the lorry “fence” (you know what I mean?). There are distant sounds of bombs falling.
The guy next to me lifts his head. It’s Danny Elfman, his redlit hair curling its way out of the helmet.
– “Hi! You’re Danny Elfman, right?” I say
– “Yes?”
– “Wow, I just love your work!”
– “You do? What part?”
– “The film scores. Boingo. Everything”.
– “Really? Why, thank you. What’s your name?”
At that moment, a giant fireball swishes by, and we throw our heads down.
The second flash sees myself running around in a weird, pipe-structured airport. I enter one door and come out at the complete opposite of the terminal, and have to go all around the airport to start over. I am chasing Elfman again, a sort of continuation of the first dream, perhaps. Elfman, just ahead of me, enters a door, yet when I follow him through, he vanishes. This continues in a nightmarish fashion.”
# 5:
“Had another one of those very common CD shop dreams last night. Can’t remember much of it, just that I was in this used record store somewhere and that the selection of soundtracks was extremely skimpy. Nevertheless, there were a few real gems there, like a beautifully-packaged CD of EXCALIBUR and several unavailable titles like that.
I also remember finding a CD compilation called RAW!! – THE BEST OF JOHNNY WILLIAMS (with a black and white cover) that included the previously unavailable theme from the famous 60’s TV series STALKER (sic). It also included selections from scores that actually exist and are composed by Williams, like GILLIGAN’S ISLAND, THE PLAINSMAN, DADDY-O, BACHELOR FATHER, and STORY OF A WOMAN (and more), none of which have seen the light of day, of course.
I remember wondering why I hadn’t read about this compilation on the Williams sites or in the buyer’s guide etc.
Peculiarly, all the CD’s were prized in kurona, the currency of the Czech Repulic, and I remember being annoyed by the fact that I didn’t remember how that correlated to the Norwegian krone…”
# 6:
Williams appeared briefly tonight:
At one point in the dream I was inside some sort of café. Through the window I witnessed a concert outside on the square. It was a local school marching band that performed the STAR WARS main title. The conductor was John Williams.
Suddenly, one of my friends (who is inside the café with me) tells me that he will try to conduct a theme next, namely one of my own compositions. He walks out, is handed the the baton from Williams and says:
– “We will now perform Oslo’s second most famous marching band piece!”, referring to my own composition (sic). What is the most famous theme, we don’t get to know…
What comes out next is peculiarly “Liberty Bell” by Sousa and not my own theme (“Liberty Bell” MAY very well, of course, be Oslo’s second, if not THE, most famous piece). My friend, who has absolutely no conducting skills – not even a rhytmical sense – is seen waving his arms helplessly on the podium. However, the band plays well because Williams himself is walking through the orchestra while conducting. Everyone is consequently looking at Williams and not my poor friend.
As the piece draws to its conclusion, however, Williams disappears and pops up on the second floor of the adjacent building, sitting in the windown wearing nothing but a couple of red shorts.
The audience (and the band) rapidly disappears as well, and I walk out to greet my friend.
– “What happened?” I ask.
– “Don’t know. I was intending to play your theme, but….”
– “It’s ok.”
I notice one woman staring at us from the other side of the square. I suspect that she is an audience member that did not disappear, and I approach her.
– “What did you think of the concert?” I ask.
She giggles insanely, and leaves.
Quite interesting that you have dreams about film music… hardly any dreams I ever had had anything to do with (film) music, very few even with film… my dreams tend to be weird, probably ultra-symbolic for anyone skilled in interpreting dreams (which, personally, I’m not). As I noted up there, I had once a period in my life where I had several re-curring dreams, either the same dream or the same dream with — slight — variants. One dream, which ended with me getting shot by someone from a crowd, I had so often that I started to think in my dream “hey, this is like in my dream!” just before I get shot anyway. For a long time, this stuck with me and I always wondered whether that was supposed to be “prophetic”. Interestingly enough, in 2008, years AFTER I had these dreams, I was in a situation similar to the one in my dream, so I was suddenly very alert… but no one shot me. 🙂
# 7:
Had another Williams dream a couple of nights ago, and I’ve gotta get it down on paper before I forget.
John Williams was once again Norwegian and had his usual friday lecture at the institute that I’m attending (Media Studies). He talked about film music, but also something else I can’t remember. Hopefully relevant. I remember thinking how lucky I was to have Williams as a regular lecturer at ‘my’ university when there are so many fans out there who would dream of even MEETING him in real life.
When the lecture finished, I hooked up with him as he was leaving the auditory and accompanied him down the hallway. I talked, in a professional manner, about my interest in film music and that I ran a website and that I’ve had some contact with various Norwegian film composer and so on. He seemed slightly impressed, and responded in his usual calm and soft-spoken manner.
As we were approaching the elevator, I realized that Williams was suddenly wearing a plummer’s outfit.
– “Ah, this is my second job”, he said, “you’ve gotta earn a living, you know”.
We entered the elevator and he pressed down. Apparently, the institute was now a Pentagon-type building with numerous floors beneath the ground. As finally we left the elevator, we had arrived at the bottom of a scyscraper that was located in the middle of a lake. There were several cafés at the left side of us, and we were walking on an extremely narrow pavement, almost falling into the water surrounding us (the water level was almost adjacent with the edge of the pavement).
Williams wanted a bag of potato chips and I followed him into the supermarket (I have no idea why I kept following him all this way – he MUST have found it annoying), and that’s about all I can remember.
Dammit, I recently had a weird dream about music and film scores but that is sadly all I remember 😉
You could really make a totally weird book out of this 😉
Wow, Thor. I am now thinking about how to write the soundtrack to your dreams… Just so that Ludwig G. doesn’t do that Odyssey!!
🙂
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.