Film (movie) Music

[karlhenning]

I've always been fond of Billy Goldberg's score for Spielberg's debut tv-film Duel...

Perhaps; but a rear-end jutting out front and center from a poster is poor artistic judgment 

[jochanaan]

Perhaps; but a rear-end jutting out front and center from a poster is poor artistic judgment 

Well, whoever claimed movie posters were "artistic"? On the other hand, not all rear ends show "poor artistic judgment."

[Ugh!]

Perhaps; but a rear-end jutting out front and center from a poster is poor artistic judgment 

Not at all, it just establishes the central psychological theme of the film: homophobia, fear of some stranger coming up from behind

[karlhenning]

Cue: Spinal Tap, "Big Bottom"

[jochanaan]

Cue: Spinal Tap, "Big Bottom"

Cue for flashback: Ma Rainey's "Black Bottom."

[Szykneij]

Yesterday I watched a broadcast of "Casablanca" on television and, although I've seen it on many occasions, I was struck this time by one particular scene. As a group of German soldiers sing (what I believe to be) "Die Wacht Am Rhein" in Rick's bar, Victor Laszlo gets up and leads the band and the rest of the patrons in a stirring rendition of "La Marseillaise". The two pieces go on simultaneously for a while until "La Marseillaise" finally prevails.  It's an excellent scene in all respects, especially in a musical sense. I've just ordered the Max Steiner soundtrack to the film.

[Bogey]

Yesterday I watched a broadcast of "Casablanca" on television and, although I've seen it on many occasions, I was struck this time by one particular scene. As a group of German soldiers sing (what I believe to be) "Die Wacht Am Rhein" in Rick's bar, Victor Laszlo gets up and leads the band and the rest of the patrons in a stirring rendition of "La Marseillaise". The two pieces go on simultaneously for a while until "La Marseillaise" finally prevails.  It's an excellent scene in all respects, especially in a musical sense. I've just ordered the Max Steiner soundtrack to the film.

Let me know how that is, Tony.  I have been tempted in the past, but the ones I have seen are riddled with dialogue (maybe I just have not looked hard enough) and I prefer one that is strictly music, like the Treasure of Sierra Madre disc I have.

[Szykneij]

Let me know how that is, Tony.  I have been tempted in the past, but the ones I have seen are riddled with dialogue (maybe I just have not looked hard enough) and I prefer one that is strictly music, like the Treasure of Sierra Madre disc I have.

Will do. This is the one I ordered.



Somewhat of an impulse buy, but sometimes those are the ones that turn out best.

[Bogey]

Ordered these two OOP (at least I believe this to be the case) cds:

[Bogey]

This morning:

[karlhenning]

Sometime this weekend Mamochka and I will likely watch Laura together.

I'll make a note of the score by David Raksin, this time around 

[Bogey]

The Klingon Battle track is just the "berries" of this soundtrack IMO.

[Bogey]

Now listening to:

[Szykneij]

Let me know how that is, Tony.  I have been tempted in the past, but the ones I have seen are riddled with dialogue (maybe I just have not looked hard enough) and I prefer one that is strictly music, like the Treasure of Sierra Madre disc I have.

Well, I can't say I'm totally disappointed, but this CD came today and it isn't what I expected. If you want to avoid dialog, definitely avoid this CD. I don't think there were many lines spoken in the film that aren't on it. The audio quality leaves much to be desired, too. It sounds as if someone sat in the theater with a tape recorder on their lap to produce it. Despite all that, it is a fun recording to have. It's just too bad it doesn't do justice to the score.

[Bogey]

Well, I can't say I'm totally disappointed, but this CD came today and it isn't what I expected. If you want to avoid dialog, definitely avoid this CD. I don't think there were many lines spoken in the film that aren't on it. The audio quality leaves much to be desired, too. It sounds as if someone sat in the theater with a tape recorder on their lap to produce it. Despite all that, it is a fun recording to have. It's just too bad it doesn't do justice to the score.

Darn.  Well, maybe there is one down the road.  I know they released a Maltese Falcon and of course The Treasure of Sierra madre (Two versions I believe, the original score and a remake.  I have the original on the Rhino label and enjoy it).  I wonder if Thomas has any insight here.

[Wilhelm Richard]

Beecham's Tales of Hoffmann for Powell and Pressburger...Not only a fine arrangement and soundtrack for the film, but one of the finest recordings of (one version of) the opera.

[Bogey]

Now playing: 

[Cato]

One of the greatest scores is on my player right now: Max Steiner's King Kong.

My favorite CD of it is now OOP, I believe, and only available used.

http://www.amazon.com/King-Kong-Max-Steiner/dp/B000JNUXEG/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1223561254&sr=1-25

The conductor is Fred Steiner (no relation) with the National Philharmonic Orchestra.
There is less  music (48 minutes) than on the Marco Polo Moscow Symphony CD, but the clarity of the counterpoint comes through much better, and the climaxes are harder hitting and therefore much more appropriate.

Steiner in his later years can be rightly accused of too much Mickey-Mousing, and there is of course some of that in King Kong.

Still, worth looking for, if you do not know this version.

[Cato]

I almost forgot to add this from Wikipedia's entry on conductor/composer Fred Steiner:

Another of Steiner's famous works, "Park Avenue Beat," was used from 1957 to 1966 as the theme song to Perry Mason and was re-recorded by Dick DeBenedictis for the subsequent made-for-TV movies in 1985. Steiner also composed the main theme to The Bullwinkle Show

My emphasis!

There!  Proof of Genius!  Probably a genius greater than...say...Debussy's while composing P/M!

And as Bugs Bunny would say, "Yeah, them's fightin' woids!"   

[Bogey]

One of the greatest scores is on my player right now: Max Steiner's King Kong.

My favorite CD of it is now OOP, I believe, and only available used.

http://www.amazon.com/King-Kong-Max-Steiner/dp/B000JNUXEG/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1223561254&sr=1-25

The conductor is Fred Steiner (no relation) with the National Philharmonic Orchestra.
There is less  music (48 minutes) than on the Marco Polo Moscow Symphony CD, but the clarity of the counterpoint comes through much better, and the climaxes are harder hitting and therefore much more appropriate.

Steiner in his later years can be rightly accused of too much Mickey-Mousing, and there is of course some of that in King Kong.

Still, worth looking for, if you do not know this version.

Looks as though I need to add another recording of this GREAT score to my shelf, as I have the Polo one.  Thanks for the review, Cato.