 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Jun 20, 2001 - 5:50 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Thor
(Member)
|
A wonderful film experience that showcased a tribute to the "American Spirit", even explicitly - by coupling horseback-riding "cowboys" alongside mechanical airplanes. The "old frontier" meets the "new frontier", so to speak.
It's a long and ambitious film, aiming to capture most of what the excellent FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON series was all about; The american quest for space control (and being the first to get it).
There is a long line of stars attached to the film (and I'm not only talking about those outside the spacecraft) and I think they all do very well. Many of them radiate juvenile positivism and energy. Veronica Cartwright is a bit on the grating side, though...I can't stand her "nervous breakdown"-portrayals.
Healthy dose of comedy attached, although it can become a bit stereotypical at times (such as the Lyndon B. Johnson interpretation).
Wonderful cinematography and arial shots.
I particularly loved the scene where Scott Glenn has to pee and there are those cross-cuts with someone drinking a glass of water, going to the toilette etc. Perfectly captured the crampled feeling of astronaut Alan Shephard.
There are more interesting details that I don't have the time to go into right now.
This is not a very "profound" film, but it's overly entertaining.
----------
The "jupiter" and "mars" pieces were explicitly credited in the end titles, so I think Conti should be cut some slack when it comes to the "plagiarism" accusations. Obviously they were put in there as original pieces (the "jupiter" piece as Yeager is dropped from the airplane carrier and is about to break the sound barrier).
Conti's original main theme is a rousing, aweinspiring piece of americana-meets-adventure. He alternates between presenting this theme in a fully symphonic and a strict electronic manner - the duality of "old frontier" and "new frontier" maintained musically. There are also many intersting arrangements of this theme, pertaining to the moods and narrative significance of the scenes in question.
I must also mention the brooding percussive effects that accompanied the hilariously "dark" and "evil" russian scenes (i.e. whenever the russians were first to do something). Talk about stereotyping!
A great score that has only been released on a coupled disc (with NORTH & SOUTH). It is pretty well represented there, but I'm sure an expanded release is called for in this case.
What do you think of this score and film?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Jun 20, 2001 - 6:41 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Wickenstein
(Member)
|
I'd rank this up in my top 20 films at least. I grew up watching this movie so it holds a special place in my heart. In fact, this movie got me interested in space history and space crafts. My planned major next year in college is going to be Aerospace Engineering, so you could say this movie influenced me a lot!I think everybody nailed their parts in this movie. Kudos especially to Ed Harris, he nailed the John Glenn part exactly from looks to manner. I'm not sure if LBJ was historically correct, but it's funny as hell. So is Jeff Goldblum and some other guy's duo. The part when the two are giving their presentation to that commitee is priceless. The score is perfect. The use of The Planets in the score is really an excellent choice. The main theme is great, but I never really got around to buying this score because it is mostly just the main theme and the Planets. I would have liked to hear what John Barry had or would have written.
|
|
|
|
|
|
great film, great score. I listen to the suite on Conti's North and South/Right Stuff recording frquently. Shows what Conti is capable of.By the way, do you know parts of the film use Henry Mancini's music from "The White Dawn" (another Kauffman film)?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Jun 20, 2001 - 7:00 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
JJH
(Member)
|
finally a Cinema Club thread that uses a film I have seen! sweet!In addition to the score proper and The Planets, don't forget the tracking in of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, as the astronauts walk down the corridor. Ironically, it's not a violin solo that was used, but the big orchestral march. excellent piece. I basically grew up on this film.
Gave me a real sense of wonder and awe about space and what men can accomplish (even if it was for political rather than scientific gain). The breaking of the sound barrier was a magnificent achievement; scored very well by Conti, who's music doesn't particularly strike me in anyway.
Never liked the Rocky theme. Very well-made and well-researched film also, I believe, accurately portrays the very real dangers of being a test pilot. Lance Henriksen's Wally Shirra (sp?) part kinda gets the shaft though. Film's been playing recently on the Encore channels, and I sat throught the whole thing on a Saturday when I wasn't causing internet havoc.
good stuff.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I found this music to be dismal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hi Guys!
No more talk!!
Where's the complete CD soundtrack! 
Rich
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A very good movie. I remember that I liked the music in the film (and "The Planets" fit in there, too), though I don't have it on CD. It has a catchy main theme. There's a special edition DVD out that I have on my "to get" list, as I have not seen the movie in years.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
