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 Posted:   Nov 7, 2008 - 9:02 AM   
 By:   Sarge   (Member)

Two years ago tomorrow, my favorite film composer, Basil Poledouris, was taken from us.




Aside from his staggering magnum opus...




...he was equally at home with Westerns.






Or with popular action / adventure films.




And for such an epic composer, he was also remarkably adept at intimate drama.




In the years to come - years in which he should have been enjoying the fruits of his labor and building his legacy - I'm certain that his reputation will only continue to grow, and he'll be widely recognized for his indelible contribution to the art of film scoring.

We miss ya, Basil...

 
 Posted:   Nov 7, 2008 - 9:13 AM   
 By:   David Sones (Allardyce)   (Member)

In addition to the above excellent scores, I must also mention...







Thank you, Sir Basil, for the wondrous legacy you've left us. The beauty of your contributions will outlive most of us.

 
 Posted:   Nov 7, 2008 - 10:02 AM   
 By:   LeHah   (Member)

Two more to add to the list


(I swear to you, the woman I marry will let me use the title as the wedding march)


(Amazing this score hasn't seen an expanded release yet. Theres some staggering material left off of the album.)

 
 Posted:   Nov 7, 2008 - 10:17 AM   
 By:   spanosdm   (Member)

Yes, everytime a new CD is announced I always keep my fingers crossed it will be Starship Troopers expanded/complete. Gonna happen one day, I'm sure of it.

I'm still missing Basil. I can't believe it's been two whole years without him...


 
 Posted:   Nov 7, 2008 - 10:51 AM   
 By:   LeHah   (Member)

Yes, everytime a new CD is announced I always keep my fingers crossed it will be Starship Troopers expanded/complete. Gonna happen one day, I'm sure of it.

My friend Dave played for me some demos or unreleased stuff from the score. After calling him a lousy git for having it, I was really impressed by some of the unused/unfinished/whatever music that wasn't in the film? Theres one huge 5 minute action sequence that goes balls-out with the Fednet and Bug theme.

I haven't heard that thing in years but remember being incredibly impressed with that material.

 
 Posted:   Nov 7, 2008 - 1:06 PM   
 By:   Matt B   (Member)

I still can't listen to The Blue Lagoon without tearing up.

Basil was one of the very best there ever was, and composed my favorite score of all time (Conan). He was taken from us far too soon, but his music will continue to live on.

 
 
 Posted:   Nov 7, 2008 - 1:33 PM   
 By:   dashrr   (Member)


No kiddin'...I thought CONAN THE BARBARIAN equal to an opera when it first came out..still do for that matter...miss Basil very much!

 
 
 Posted:   Nov 7, 2008 - 1:39 PM   
 By:   sergioleone   (Member)

Basil will be in my heart forever!!! Thanks Basil!!!

 
 
 Posted:   Nov 7, 2008 - 1:41 PM   
 By:   Suicide is imminent   (Member)

.

 
 Posted:   Nov 7, 2008 - 2:39 PM   
 By:   Micki Moreau   (Member)

Red dawn will always remain my favorite score by this composer. Still an awesome listen 20 years later and expanded wink

Mick

 
 Posted:   Nov 7, 2008 - 4:32 PM   
 By:   Moonie   (Member)

Starship Troopers is still #1 with me.


Miss ya Basil frown

 
 
 Posted:   Nov 7, 2008 - 4:36 PM   
 By:   Michael24   (Member)

Perhaps a lesser score of his to most, but I still enjoy Under Siege 2: Dark Territory. I like how thematic it is, and there's some fun action material in there. Also love Quigley, Down Under as well. smile

 
 Posted:   Nov 7, 2008 - 8:12 PM   
 By:   Sarge   (Member)

Perhaps a lesser score of his to most, but I still enjoy Under Siege 2: Dark Territory


No argument here. It's got a solid heroic main theme and plenty of action. I also like the way Basil combined the orchestra with electronics - you never feel like they're competing with each other.

In my opinion, both UNDER SIEGE 2 and ON DEADLY GROUND are terrific scores - and amazingly, Basil loved working with Steven Seagal!

In fact, an expanded UNDER SIEGE 2 would be most welcome... there's some terrific stuff that was left off the album.

 
 Posted:   Nov 7, 2008 - 8:24 PM   
 By:   Glenn Butler   (Member)

I've been listening to the Prometheus edition of Quigley Down Under very often recently--it really is an impeccable presentation of some great music--and with that utterly delightful main theme! It never fails to lift spirits.

Poledouris is dearly missed.

 
 Posted:   Nov 8, 2008 - 2:20 AM   
 By:   Olivier   (Member)

Here's another "not a big title": Fire on the Mountain / Flyers.

The former score is nice, but somehow it's the latter which I have always listened to the more of the two.

It naturally has some "action" moments, but the most striking feature, I think, is the very peaceful, calm music in several tracks, starting with the score's very first notes.
Seeing the cover, it is not the kind of music you expect; it is rather graceful, slow music for, say, birds gliding in a beautiful sky.
Very soothing.

I want more expanded scores of his!
Please.

 
 Posted:   Nov 8, 2008 - 8:30 AM   
 By:   Sarge   (Member)

Another of my favorites... I rank this one right up there with his very best. I'm still astonished that he wasn't at least nominated for an Oscar for it.



And it's another score that could use expansion / re-editing...

 
 
 Posted:   Nov 8, 2008 - 9:00 AM   
 By:   Gordon Reeves   (Member)



He’ll Never



Be Gone



with



the



Definitively Distinctive
Department:



... wink

 
 Posted:   Nov 8, 2008 - 2:38 PM   
 By:   Matt B   (Member)

I forgot to mention the fact that I never go anywhere without a copy of Conan... on CD, on an iPod, whatever... since Varese put the expanded version out in the mid 90's, I have never once been without it. Nothing else in my collection, not even my most favorite scores, shares that distinction.

 
 Posted:   Nov 8, 2008 - 2:40 PM   
 By:   Sarge   (Member)

Soundtrack Interview with John Milius
December 1997

"My favorites are Conan and Farewell to the King. These are lush melodic scores with enough music in there for five movies. There are enough themes for five movies and they're particularly gorgeous scores, which you can listen to forever.

Basil has a vast amount of creativity, so he has much to draw from. He can come up with a lot of different things and throw them away. Nothing is precious, there's lots coming from the fountain.

Most writers and most composers are very precious and very careful about their work because they get it all down there and they write it down on three by three cards and stuff, writers anyway. It's all very precious because they took so much time to create it. It doesn't take Basil anytime to create something, it's there."

 
 Posted:   Nov 8, 2008 - 2:49 PM   
 By:   LeHah   (Member)

Farewell To The King is such an oddity. Its so Barry but its obviously Poledouris. It sticks out on Basil's resume because its at once so unlike him and yet some of the best work he ever did.

 
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