 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I just want to say that any film about Vikings where they wear those absurd horned helmets just has no cred.
They never did. In reputable flicks like Fleischer's they never do.
That loony Ludwig of Bavaria and his crew invented that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Again, I truly appreciate the comments about Jaime Mendoza-Nava, my father. I continue to review his archives and have started to organize, preserve and restore (as needed) the scores, classical works & recordings that exist. My goal is to make more of his music available. I do post updates periodically on a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jaime.ignacio.733450?lst=100012967661869%3A100012967661869%3A1482868778. Finally, I agree that there are other composers whose work remains largely unknown. Preserving and making available their music certainly would be an intriguing project. Thanks again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Mar 7, 2017 - 12:27 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
|
THE NORSEMAN was the first of several projects produced by Fawcett-Majors Productions, Inc., with the goal of advancing the film careers of television stars Lee Majors and his then wife, Farrah Fawcett-Majors. The company co-financed the $3 million budget with Charles B. Pierce Film Productions, and Majors received a $500,000 salary along with ten percent of the film’s gross. Co-star Cornel Wilde was paid $125,000 for five weeks of work.
Susie Coelho was cast as “Winetta,” a beautiful Native American girl, making her feature film debut. Coelho had previously acted with Majors on one episode of the television series "The Six Million Dollar Man."
On the poster below, only two production personnel are listed: writer-producer-director Charles B. Pierce and (in type equally as large) composer Jaime Mendoza-Nava.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Oct 21, 2018 - 12:08 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
|
What's the quality of this transfer, Bob ? I hear from others its not too hot. Probably taken from an old Telecine transfer. You know, on You Tube they got a Russian version which looks like a
total restoration in wide screen but it has Russian dialogue, so not so good for us Americans.
This version is also not in stereo so no help for TV tapers.
Well, it's not an HD transfer, that's for sure, but I found it to be a perfectly viewable SD transfer. If you have access to the MGM HD Channel and can find the film, that would be the way to go. (Although that Russian version gives me pause. It has the MGM HD logo on it, but it's in a 1.78:1 ratio rather than 2.35:1--except for the credit sequence.) Since all prior VHS and laserdisc versions of THE NORSEMAN were 1.33:1, the DVD transfer was more recent than for those. The second film on the disc, THE BARBARIANS, remains in 1.33:1, with a rather dark transfer, and the complaints about the disc may relate more to that film.
THE NORSEMAN was a mono release, and MGM will never be ginning up a 5.1 soundtrack for the film.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I appreciate the comments about my father’s score for the Norseman. Thank you. I’m writing today to share a few memories that I have about that time, and to report that I did find the multi-track reels from his sessions with the Graunke Symphony Orchestra (now the Munich Symphony Orchestra) recorded at the Bavaria Musik Studios - Tomás Endrulat, engineer. Unfortunately even after having been baked, they were in very poor condition having succumbed to the sticky-shed syndrome. Even so, I did finish one pass of each tape that I found so far. The other issue I recall my dad speaking about after having returned from Germany, was the sound being muffled. At the time, I didn’t understand what technical problem had occurred, but I believed it had something to due with Dolby noise reduction. Unfortunately, the muffled sound was evident when I recently play back the tapes. In part because of this problem, Dad ended up having to record quickly several simpler cues requiring fewer musicians at a studio in Burbank, Ca.
Charlie Pierce called dad about The Norseman during the time I was in high school. I recall being with him in the backyard of our home when he told me he had very little time to write (I think about 10 days) and that he would have to compose many of the cues without having seen the film; instead only having Charlie’s description of it’s plot and characters. Dad mentioned specifically having to write a romantic theme for Lee Major’s character and the Native American woman played by Susie Coelho. I don’t believe the relationship was ever fully developed in the story.
While I still have some tapes to review, I’m curious to learn what cues may not have been used in the film. One day driving with dad to his post-production studio the week after the film’s release, I commented that the LA Times had mentioned him in their review - something to the effect that he had tried valiantly to improve the film, albeit his score was a bit bombastic. Dad didn’t speak much about his work, in fact my mom mentioned that he never spoke to her about a film project after it was completed. The one exception was “The Glass Cage” with John Hoyt; he was happy with the score and admired the hutzpah of those who put together the small independent motion picture. Dad’s comment about the newspaper’s review was that he couldn’t be at the final mixing session as he was trying to finish a couple of other projects. He mentioned that someone had decided to remove certain musical cues and instead repeat music used during battle scenes. He was explaining why he thought the critic considered the score bombastic. He didn’t seem too bothered. I suppose the person who changed the music thought he added to the excitement of the scenes in question. If ever possible, I’d enjoy watching the film with dad’s entire original score remaining intact.
Finally, I do hope to find a way to release some of the music from The Norseman. However, having the good fortune to hear him interact with the musicians with whom he worked, makes the digitizing of his tapes personally a real joy - one that I hope to be able to share in the future.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Count me as another fan.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
