Despite being a big fan of Herrmann I am split on The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (Rozsa) and the recently re-released Robert O Ragland score for Q.The Winged Serpent - a film I just love.
Was sad to hear that Larry Cohen had passed away - just 77 - you had to just love his early style of directing, working very creatively with low budgets.
I'm sorry to say I haven't seen any of his directing work, even if I've heard about several of the titles. I mostly know him as a friend of Bernard Herrmann late in the composer's life.
But I've seen some of the films he's written (or co-written), like PHONE BOOTH and MANIAC COP -- both good. I might also have seen THE AMBULANCE at some point. But I can't really remember any scores, sorry.
Of the films he directed, I have only seen A RETURN TO SALEM'S LOT and AS GOOD AS DEAD, but I have heard some music from ORIGINAL GANGSTAS and THE AMBULANCE too.
I just chatted with Mr. Horunzhy about ORIGINAL GANGSTAS, and he said it was actor/producer Fred Williamson who got Horunzhy the gig, as he liked his demos. Larry Cohen was very easy to work with.
Larry Cohen loved film music, and the films of his that I've seen have good to great scores. Herrmann's "It's Alive" is my favorite - great suspense scoring and the main title is magnificent. Cordell's "God Told Me To" would definitely be next - a big and beautiful score that hopefully sees the light of day.
I'm also very fond of Miklos Rozsa's "The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover," Robert O. Ragland's "Q: The Winged Serpent," Laurie Johnson's adaptation scores for "It Lives Again" and "Island of Alive," and Anthony Guefen's "The Stuff." Dominic Frontiere's music for "The Invaders," a TV show Cohen created, is also wonderful.
I haven't seen "Black Caesar," which was scored by none other than James Brown - I look forward to catching up with it at some point and hearing Brown's score. I haven't seen any of Cohen's '90s films, nor heard their scores.
