This is a great little gem of a score that I've always wanted ever since I saw the movie as a boy over 40 years ago. Van Cleave channels Debussy in many passages depicting the austere landscape of Mars, the Martian sky at night and the loneliness & isolation felt by stranded astronaut Kit Draper. Those are some of the real highlights of this score and quite evocative. The electronic organ really adds an otherworldly sound to the setting much like it did in some of Van Cleave's scores for The Twilight Zone. Mars was rarely better served than it is here!
Thanks for the heads up about this earlier Lukas. I set aside some Martian moolah ahead of time for this one!
Excellent! I didn't see it mentioned, but is this a limited edition? I also want to get a copy for my dad, but can't afford to get two right now. Just watched the movie again last week, and it really got me excited for the score.
On a side note, I met Paul Mantee at a convention in 2002 (total fluke; had no idea he'd be there), just a few months after I'd seen the movie on AMC for the first time. He signed a photo for me, and we chatted a bit about the film (he said he was pleasantly surprised to see AMC was starting to show it recently) and what it was like working with the monkey. He was quiet but very friendly, and wouldn't let me pay when I started to. He said he enjoys doing the convention circuit but hates when the staff imposes autograph prices and refuses to ask money for them whenever he can.
