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I love Mancini's score. What a theme! Never saw the movie, know its reputation. The movie was based on a Colin Wilson book, Space Vampires. Never read that, but Wilson's Ritual in the Dark, a moody, disturbing novel about a serial killer set in the gritty London of the late 1950s.
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Posted: |
Aug 10, 2022 - 8:08 AM
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By: |
SJT69
(Member)
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I'm playing my BSX double discer right now - and it sounds GREAT! - and it's weird that the propulsive (medieval and brilliant) main theme is hardly used.
I haven't seen the film in years, but I remember it being tracked in a lot more IN THE FILM.
I'd also forgotten how moody and broody the whole thing is. Quite low-key and sombre.
And without coming over all Thor-like, the original LP programme is superb and the best way to enjoy this film score, in my opine.
You're quite right, it seems Mancini's original intent with that fabulous driving main theme was to have it bookend the film for the opening and closing titles only. It does get rather clumsily tracked in at several points, as does the 'Carlson's Story' cue which is partially used three times in the film, if memory serves. Mancini's original cues for these sections (as heard on the BSX complete score CD, and soon to be heard again in what I know will be the wondrous Intrada release) would have been far preferable in my view but, hey ho. If one is familiar with the score as originally composed, these edits can be a bit wince-inducing when watching the film. It's a great shame in particular that the opening section of the film is so rushed and editorially-condensed (I am still referring to the "long" 116 minute version of the film, which I believe was edited down from Hooper's original cut of 125 minutes or thereabouts, which to my knowledge was never seen anywhere other than by the film-makers and whoever deemed it too long. I would dearly love it if this true "director's cut" could be made available at some point but I doubt it exists in any viewable form). Clearly Mancini scored this 2 hour-plus first cut of the film with enormous relish and was understandably peeved at his work being diminished (I remember reading an interview around the time of the film's 1985 release, in Starlog magazine I think, where he expressed his disappointment about this opening section of the film and score being reduced).. God knows what he felt about the even-more-reduced USA version with the (to me) deeply unimpressive Kamen partial re-score. I'm not having a pop at Kamen who I know was a superb composer in his own right, just not in this instance of Hollywood "quick fix" nonsense.
I also agree with you that the album assembly (and mix) is the best way to enjoy this score, although I do love hearing the whole thing too. We are spoilt these days to have both options being made available to us again. Lucky us!
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Posted: |
Aug 10, 2022 - 8:24 AM
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By: |
SJT69
(Member)
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I'm heartened to read the thoughts of fellow posters on here who have a higher regard for this admittedly wacky but undeniably hugely enjoyable film than its "critical" reputation would suggest. "Lifeforce" has almost become a dumping ground when people snicker about big-budget campy 80s silly horror/sci-fi wannabe epics, when it deserves greater respect for its energy and inventiveness. Yes, there are moments which can provoke hilarity in some but I genuinely believe much of the humour in this film, or rather dark irony of a very British kind, is completely intentional. I adore that a very talented and, if I may say, somewhat maligned, American director pulled off such a quintessentially droll "English" tone in this movie. Steve Railsback's manic Texan intensity may not be to all tastes (personally, I feel he brings a great haunted energy to his role), but who can resist the charms of Frank Finlay who gives an acting master-class as the suave Dr Fallada. He's an absolute joy and I miss him when he disappears from the film. A truly great actor of mesmerising ability. And for all our cheap "tit jokes" about Mathilda May, I think she displays admirable acting skills and projects a tremendously effective and otherworldly presence in this film. And, of course, she's utterly exquisite (clothed or unclothed!).
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If you pay extra Mathilda May delivers your copy in the nude.
Isn't "In The Nude" a Glenn Miller tune?
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Holy smokes! Four cool and DIFFERENT covers for the same film! Wow.
The last release (BSX 2006) included about 20 minutes of Kamen music.
Exactly, which is why this seemed like an unlikely pick, to me.
I'm frankly amazed that Michael Kamen wrote and recorded enough music to justify its own album. I'm guessing a great deal of it wasn't used in the film, OR included with the Kamen material on the previous release. This sounds like it could be a revelation. I wonder how long the Kamen CD will be.
Yavar
There is 5th cover counting the Milan release
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Which didn't keep Colin Wilson (the very British author of the novel it was based on) from calling it the worst film adaptation of a adaptation of a novel ever...
It is certainly true that the movie kind of misses the point of the book. On the other hand some scenes are remarkably close to the novel, more than I really expected after I had started reading it and realized how different it was.
But it sure as hell ain't a worse adaptation than Zeffirelli's crappy take on Endless Love, which is a really powerful novel. Just for instance.
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