Two scores from a late, modern icon of film soundtracks; a classic late-period soundtrack to a Hitchcock classic, an informal kickoff to another soundtrack legend's centennial celebration; and a major gap filled in the most notable director-composer canon? La-La Land always brings out the big titles for their last batch of releases on Black Friday, but they've really outdone themselves this year with an era-spanning offering of five great archival score CD releases.

Perhaps the most exciting is a stunning new reissue of John Williams' stirring score to Steven Spielberg's Hook. The 1991 blockbuster told a whimsical tale of a workaholic businessman (Robin Williams) who has to confront an unbelievable past: he is the legendary Peter Pan all grown up, and must save his neglected children from a vengeful Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman). While critics were mixed (and even, ultimately, the director himself), a generation of young fans who'd age into the similarly whimsical Harry Potter series in the next decade were dazzled by the broad comedy, emotional stakes, colorful sets, and one of Williams' most enchanting scores written for a Spielberg picture.

This release - as always brilliantly produced, edited, and mastered by Williams' archivist Mike Matessino - finally lifts the curtain on Hook like never before: it was indeed considered as Spielberg's first foray into musical territory (a realm he would not enter until his brilliant remake of West Side Story three decades later). Working with the late lyricist Leslie Bricusse, the Maestro developed several songs that never ended up in the film but remained deliciously hummable themes in the final score. At long last, a host of those songs, in various versions, will be released for the first time, alongside a fresh remaster of the original score offering additional material and increased sonic quality to La-La Land's 2012 expansion of the score. This 3CD set, clocking in at nearly four hours(!) and limited to 5000 units, features an array of informative liner notes by Matessino and the set's associate producers John Takis and Jason LeBlanc, and brilliant new artwork by Jim Titus including two booklets. For fans of Spielberg and Williams - or dazzling film scores in general - this one is an awfully big adventure.

Two beloved modern blockbuster scores from the late James Horner are also on the books from LLL. 1992's Sneakers was a crackerjack thriller with an all-star cast including Robert Redford, Ben Kingsley, Sidney Poitier, River Phoenix and Dan Aykroyd. In the film, Redford heads up a team of security specialists and must confront some secrets from his past on their latest job. Horner's malleable filmic style is complemented here through saxophone solos by Branford Marsalis, known for his work with Sting and Buckshot LeFonque as well as the then-new bandleader for NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. This 2CD set, produced by Neil S. Bulk and Matessino (the latter of whom also masters the audio), brings together the film score presentation, the original soundtrack and even a few additional alternates; Jeff Bond pens notes for the set, with package design by Dan Goldwasser. It's limited to 3000 copies.

Another Horner favorite, his work for The Mask of Zorro, also gets a release from La-La Land. This stylized take on the dashing masked vigilante of early 20th century pulp novels, helmed by GoldenEye director Martin Campbell, found Antonio Banderas adopting the Zorro mantle from an elder swordsman (Antonio Banderas). Along the way, the new Zorro romances his mentor's long-lost daughter (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and plots a course of vengeance against the corrupt leaders of 19th century California. The 1998 blockbuster established Banderas and Zeta-Jones as movie stars, and remains a thrilling, adventurous spin on an old favorite. Horner, who at the time had just picked up an Oscar for scoring Titanic that spring, brought his nimble action scoring style to the project with a distinctive Latin flavor (including two versions of the end-credits ballad "I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You": one sung in English by Marc Anthony and Tina Arena, and a Spanish-language version by Jon Secada and Ana Gabriel. This 2CD presentation, again produced by Bulk and Matessino (with Doug Schwartz this time mastering), gathers the film score presentation with over a half-hour of unreleased music, plus several original soundtrack album suites. Takis writes liner notes in a package designed by TItus and limited to 3000 copies.

For fans of '60s scoring, La-La Land has you covered this Black Friday as well, with two intriguing entries in the ongoing Universal Pictures Film Music Classics Collection. Maurice Jarre's score to Topaz, a late-period 1969 thriller from Alfred Hitchcock, adapts Leon Uris' novel of the same name (itself based on true events), in which a French spy becomes entangled in Soviet espionage against the backdrop of the Cuban missile crisis. This unique entry in Jarre's discography marries traditional orchestral textures with unique percussion and even early synthesizers for a sound with few parallels. And speaking of sound: the score, belatedly released on CD in France in the last decade, is further expanded and presented for the first time in stereo! It's all courtesy, once again, of Matessino as producer, mixer, editor and mastering engineer; Jeff Bond writes liner notes in a booklet designed by Jim Titus. This disc is limited to 2000 copies.

Finally, the Universal Pictures Film Music Classics Collection perhaps helps to kick off a flurry of potential activity in 2024 surrounding the legendary Henry Mancini, who would have turned 100 this coming spring. Here, LLL offers an entirely unreleased score by Mancini: his work for 1966's noir thriller Moment to Moment. (The film's title song, featuring lyrics by Johnny Mercer, was a standard in its time, covered by Johnny Mercer and Matt Monro.) Directed by Mervyn LeRoy, the film features two friends (Jean Seberg and Honor Blackman) who work together to bump off a man with whom one of them is having an affair - but both get a shock when his death doesn't seem so permanent. Films like these offered Mancini some of his finest chances to shine, and fans will delight in hearing this one for the first time anywhere. The tireless Matessino serves as producer, mixer, editor and mastering engineer, with more notes from Bond and design by Goldwasser. This set is limited to 1500 units.

In a welcome break from LLL's usual tradition of taking the weekend off, all five titles are ready to order now at the below links. The Mancini and Jarre titles are now shipping, while the Horner and Williams titles are slated to ship December 1. Get your copies below!

Henry Mancini, Moment to Moment (Limited Edition - Universal Pictures Film Music Classics Collection) (La-La Land Records LLLCD 1628, 2023 - original film released 1966)

1. Main Title ('Moment to Moment')
2. 'Moment to Moment' Prologue
3. The Flower Stalls
4. Daphne Drops In
5. Chicken Salad
6. First Goodbye/Invitation
7. Hotel Terrace
8. On the Road
9. Mougins
10. Pier Parting
11. Missing Mark
12. Beach Party
13. Gallery Montage
14. Stormy Romance
15. Pick It Up/Help
16. Scene of the Crime
17. Passport
18. Homecoming
19. Mark's Return/Something Clicks
20. More in Mougins
21. Flower Stalls Dance
22. Moment to Moment Dance
23. The Missing Piece
24. Mark Remembers
25. The Terrace and End Title ('Moment to Moment')
26. 'Moment to Moment' End Cast
27. The Flower Stalls (Alternate)
28. Hotel Terrace (Alternate)
29. Moment to Moment Guitar

All tracks previously unreleased

James Horner feat. Branford Marsalis, Sneakers (Expanded & Remastered Limited Edition) (La-La Land Records LLLCD 1629, 2023 - original film released 1992)

Disc 1: Film score presentation

1. Jeremy Subharmonics
2. 'Sneakers' Main Title (Film Version)
3. Bank Penetration
4. How Much Do You Want?
5. Bishop Goes to NSA/Surveillance /Black Box
6. Janek's Office
7. "Too Many Secrets" (Extended Version)
8. The Hand-Off (Film Version)
9. Cosmo...Old Friend (Film Version)
10. Phone Trace
11. What Did It Sound Like?
12. Planning the Sneak
13. Carl Enters Playtronics
14. Playtronics Break-In Part 1
15. Playtronics Break-In Part 2
16. Cosmo Sounds Alarm
17. Cosmo's Monologue
18. The Escape/Whistler's Rescue (Extended Version)
19. Goodbye
20. The Sneakers Theme
21. "...And The Blind Shall See"

Disc 2: Original soundtrack album (1-10, released as Columbia CK 53146, 1992) and additional music (11-13)

1. 'Sneakers' Main Title
2. "Too Many Secrets"
3. The Sneakers Theme
4. Cosmo...Old Friend
5. The Hand-Off
6. Planning the Sneak
7. Playtronics Break-In
8. The Escape/Whistler's Rescue
9. Goodbye
10. "...And the Blind Shall See"
11. Janek's Office (Alternate)
12. The Sneakers Theme (Alternate)
13. "...And the Blind Shall See" (Alternate)

James Horner, The Mask of Zorro (Expanded & Remastered Limited Edition) (La-La Land Records LLLCD 1631, 2023 - original film released 1998)

Disc 1: Score presentation

1. Main Title (from the Motion Picture The Mask of Zorro)
2. The Plaza of Execution (Film Version)
3. Elena and Esperanza
4. Don't Touch My Brother
5. Interrupted Getaway
6. Joaquin's Death
7. Meeting on the Beach
8. Prison Escape
9. The Hand/Emotions Torn
10. Diego Meets Alejandro
11. The Medallion/The Master's Wheel
12. The Fencing Lesson (Film Version)
13. Lesson #3
14. The Black Tornado/First Meeting
15. Tornado in the Barracks
16. The Confession (Film Version)
17. Rooftop Getaway
18. Choose Your Weapon
19. Diego in the Study
20. Sexy Dance
21. The Mine (Montero's Vision)
22. Jack's Demise
23. Love's Suspicions
24. So Long Ago...
25. Sick Souvenirs
26. An Unknown Past

Disc 2: Film score presentation continued (1-9) and original soundtrack album versions (10-15, released on Sony Classical/Sony Music Soundtrax SK 60627 and CDIC 60798 (Mexico), 1998)

1. Stealing the Map
2. Alejandro & Elena's Duel
3. The Ride
4. Alejandro's Plea
5. Elena's Truth
6. "Leave No Witnesses..."
7. Diego's Goodbye (Film Version)
8. Zorro's Theme (Film Version)
9. I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You - Marc Anthony and Tina Arena
10. The Plaza of Execution
11. The Fencing Lesson
12. The Confession
13. Diego's Goodbye
14. Zorro's Theme
15. Quiero Vivir La Vida Amandote - Jon Secada and Ana Gabriel

John Williams, Hook - The Ultimate Edition (Expanded & Remastered Limited Edition) (La-La Land Records LLLCD 1632, 2023 - original film released 1991)

* includes lyrics by Leslie Bricusse

Disc 1: Film score presentation

1. Hook Prologue (Extended Version)
2. We Don't Wanna Grow Up (Extended Version) *
3. Banning Back Home (Film Version)
4. Wendy's Entrance
5. The Bedroom
6. The Nursery Scene
7. Saying Goodnight
8. Hook Returns to Kensington
9. Hook is Back
10. Forgotten How to Fly
11. The Stories Are True
12. The Arrival of Tink
13. The Flight to Neverland
14. Pirate Town and Presenting The Hook
15. Hook's Entrance
16. Draw Your Sword!
17. Peter's Challenge
18. From Mermaids to Lost Boys (Film Version)
19. Enter Rufio
20. The Lost Boy Chase
21. The Face of Pan
22. Hook's Epiphany
23. Smee's Plan
24. Pick 'Em Up *
25. Hook's Lesson
26. The Banquet
27. The Never-Feast (Film Version)
28. When You're Alone *
29. Goodnight Neverland

Disc 2: Film score presentation continued (1-10) and additional music (11-15)

1. Stop That Clock!
2. Home Run and Follow That Shadow
3. Peter Remembers (The Flying Sequence)
4. You Are The Pan (Film Version)
5. Tink Grows Up
6. The Ultimate War (Film Version)
7. Death of Rufio
8. The Sword Fight and The End of Hook
9. Farewell Neverland
10. Hook End Credits and Exit Music
11. Hook Prologue
12. Banning Back Home (Extended Version)
13. From Mermaids to Lost Boys
14. The Face of Pan (Choral Version)
15. The Ultimate War

Disc 3: Songs, Alternates and Source Music

1. We Don't Wanna Grow Up *
2. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
3. Childhood *
4. When You're Alone - Moira's Lullaby *
5. The Stories Are True (Alternate)
6. The Arrival Of Tink (Alternate)
7. The Flight to Neverland (Alternate)
8. Low Below - Pirate Sequence *
9. Hook's Entrance (Alternate)
10. The Lost Boy Chase (Alternate)
11. The Never Song *
12. The Never-Band
13. The Never-Feast
14. When You're Alone (Instrumental)
15. Mothers *
16. Stick with Me *
17. Take Me Out to the Ball Game
18. Remembering Childhood
19. Believe *
20. Farewell Neverland (Short Version/Alternate)
21. Hook Exit Music (Alternate)
22. Pirate Sequence (Instrumental)
23. Smee's Concertina Medley
24. Presenting The Hook (Vocal Version Segment) *

Portions previously released on Epic Soundtrax EK 48888, 1991 and La-La Land Records LLLCD 1211, 2012

Maurice Jarre, Topaz (Expanded Stereo Limited Edition - Universal Pictures Film Music Classics Collection) (La-La Land Records LLLCD 1635, 2023 - original film released 1969)

1. Topaz March (Main Title)
2. Kidnapping
3. Going to America
4. Arcy's Office
5. Russian Defector
6. The Attaché Case
7. Arriving in Cuba (Part 1)
8. Arriving in Cuba (Part 2)
9. Love with Juanita
10. Mendoza
11. Last Farewells to Juanita
12. Rico Shoots
13. Back to the States
14. Sad Comeback
15. Lunch At Pierre
16. Francois Arriving At Jarré
17. Something Has Happened
18. Portrait of a Dead Traitor
19. Duel and Topaz Finale
20. Love Theme from Topaz
21. Topaz March (Alternate)
22. Topaz Finale (Alternate)
23. Main Theme from Topaz
24. Love Theme from Topaz

Portions previously released in mono on Universal Music France 370 478-2, 2012