When I was reminessing about John Barry's career, I noticed that between 1975 to say 1985 or 86, John Barry wrote a lot of good music for a lot of bad films. King Kong, The Deep, The White Buffalo, Legend of the Lone Ranger, Howard the Duck. Oye! Yes yes he also wrote music for some very good films in the same period. This does not reflect badly (at least in my eyes) on the legendary Mr. Barry. His music was usually top notch and some of these score are favorites of mine. So it leads me to ask a question. Can a great film score save a bad film? In my opinion, no. It could help elevate a mediocre movie maybe. But if Mozart were alive and scored Gigli, it would still be awful. Could be wrong. Has anyone experienceed a bad film and felt the music saved it?
When I was reminessing about John Barry's career, I noticed that between 1975 to say 1985 or 86, John Barry wrote a lot of good music for a lot of bad films. King Kong, The Deep, The White Buffalo, Legend of the Lone Ranger, Howard the Duck. Oye! Yes yes he also wrote music for some very good films in the same period. This does not reflect badly (at least in my eyes) on the legendary Mr. Barry. His music was usually top notch and some of these score are favorites of mine. So it leads me to ask a question. Can a great film score save a bad film? In my opinion, no. It could help elevate a mediocre movie maybe. But if Mozart were alive and scored Gigli, it would still be awful. Could be wrong. Has anyone experienceed a bad film and felt the music saved it?
Maybe that's what the producers were going for. Opposite of recent films being terrified of music domination film. These guys needed it. Or maybe they just wanted to meet him.
An example of what you asked is damnation alley by Jerry goldsmith.
KING KONG (1975) would'nt be the movie it is without master Barry's tunes. The majestic cues for Kong is what makes the whole movie.
Another movie I like just because of the score is NO RETREAT NO SURRENDER 2: Raging Thunder . The acting in this movie always make me cringe with agony, yep it's that horrible... ...but David Spear's score is what makes it worth while.
I'm sad that the score has never been released. Who knows, maybe one day.
Another movie I like just because of the score is NO RETREAT NO SURRENDER 2: Raging Thunder . The acting in this movie always make me cringe with agony, yep it's that horrible...
Wow. That bad. Never heard of it or the composer for that matter. The acting is that bad? Is David Hasselhoff in it?
I think Legend is not a good movie with Tangerine Dream's music.
It is however a good movie (and one of the better examples of the genre) with Jerry Goldsmith's music.
I'm ashamed to admit it cause I'm a HUGE Goldthsmith fan but I've never seen that version of the film. Saw the U.S. version. I just can't plow thru it. Just no emotional connection. Perhaps Tangerine Dream is partly to blame. It does a good job making the film seem other worldly, but at the same time it distances me from it. Since I'm confessing, I did see Legend of the Lone Ranger. Twice. In a theater. Oh the shame. But I enjoyed JB's music. I will now go flog myself.
Since we are remembering John Barry: THE SPECIALIST. There's a yawning gulf between the score that twaddlesome movie deserved, and the magnificent score Barry gifted it.
Since we are remembering John Barry: THE SPECIALIST. There's a yawning gulf between the score that twaddlesome movie deserved, and the magnificent score Barry gifted it.
Many may think it's an awful film ... but I really enjoy The Specialist. Certainly the best Stallone film that I can recall seeing. Since I measure a film by how it entertains me (and often whether I'm inclined to watch it again and again) then The Specialist rates high with me. The score by Mr. Barry certainly plays a large part in this ... my favourite score from the 1990's.
Since we are remembering John Barry: THE SPECIALIST. There's a yawning gulf between the score that twaddlesome movie deserved, and the magnificent score Barry gifted it.
Many may think it's an awful film ... but I really enjoy The Specialist. Certainly the best Stallone film that I can recall seeing. Since I measure a film by how it entertains me (and often whether I'm inclined to watch it again and again) then The Specialist rates high with me. The score by Mr. Barry certainly plays a large part in this ... my favourite score from the 1990's.
The only thing I like about The Specialist aside from Barry's magnificent score was the hilarious overacting provided by villains Rod Steiger and James Woods.
THE MUMMY - when I listen to the score away from the film, I can "see" the film that Goldsmith was scoring. How he got that out of the visuals he was presented with, I'll never know...