This week Intrada has released two separate score albums by two different composers for the same film.
LIFEFORCE, released in 1985, was Cannon Pictures' attempt at making a lavish sci-fi horror film in the vein of Nigel Kneale's Quatermass stories. Originally titled Space Vampires (until Tri-Star, its American distributor, decided that wasn't a classy enough title), the film was directed by horror legend Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Poltergeist) and starred Steve Railsback, Oscar nominees Peter Firth and Frank Finlay, Patrick Stewart, Michael Gothard, and a memorably naked Mathilda May, with visual effects by Star Wars Oscar winner John Dykstra.
Henry Mancini composed the film's exciting original orchestral score, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, but when the film was released in the United States, its run time was reduced from 116 minutes to 101 minutes, and parts of Mancini's score were replaced by new music composed by Michael Kamen in hopes of making the film more traditionally scary. (The original, Mancini-only cut of the film has since become more widely available, and most revival house screenings of the film feature this longer European version.)
Intrada is releasing Mancini's score as a two-disc set, featuring the full score recorded for the film, the LP sequencing, and alternate cues. They are also releasing a full CD of the music Kamen composed and recorded for the film, much of it heard here for the first time.
CDS AVAILABLE THIS WEEK
Lifeforce - Michael Kamen - Intrada Special Collection
Lifeforce - Henry Mancini - Intrada Special Collection
IN THEATERS TODAY
Beast - Steven Price
Get Away If You Can - Tony D'Oporto
The Immaculate Room - Steve London
The Legend of Molly Johnson - Salliana Seven Campbell
Orphan: First Kill - Brett Detar
Spin Me Round - Pino Donaggio
We Are Living Things - IDEM
COMING SOON
September 9
Where the Crawdads Sing - Mychael Danna - Decca
September 16
Bridgerton: Season Two - Kris Bowers - Capitol
The Gravedigger's Wife - Andre Matthias - Kronos
September 30
The Innocents - Pessi Levanto - Svart
October 14
Firestarter - John Carpenter, Jody Carpenter, Daniel Davies - Sacred Bones
Coming Soon
Claret - Oscar Martin Leanizabarrutia - Kronos
Hollywood Soundstage - various - Chandos
Nope - Michael Abels - Waxwork
Psycho Storm Chaser - Andrew Scott Bell - Howlin' Wolf
Suoni Velati - Matteo Cremolini - Kronos
THIS WEEK IN FILM MUSIC HISTORY
August 19 - Fumio Hayasaka born (1914)
August 19 - Herman Stein born (1915)
August 19 - Luchi De Jesus born (1923)
August 19 - William Motzing born (1937)
August 19 - Ray Cooper born (1942)
August 19 - Gustavo Santaolalla born (1951)
August 19 - Elmer Bernstein begins recording his score for Desire Under the Elms (1957)
August 19 - Recording sessions begin for Bronislau Kaper's score for BUtterfield 8 (1960)
August 19 - Alexander Courage's score for the Star Trek episode "The Man Trap" is recorded (1966)
August 19 - Jerry Goldsmith begins recording his score to The Illustrated Man (1968)
August 19 - Jerry Fielding records his score for the Mission: Impossible episode “The Controllers” (1969)
August 19 - Ludovic Bource born (1970)
August 19 - John Williams begins recording the soundtrack LP of Earthquake (1974)
August 19 - Lalo Schifrin begins recording his score for Telefon (1977)
August 19 - Luchi De Jesus died (1984)
August 19 - Jay Chattaway records his score for the Star Trek: Voyager episode “Equinox, Part II” (1999)
August 19 - Geoff Zanelli wins the Emmy for Into the West; Sean Callery wins his second Emmy, for the 24 episode “Day 5: 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 a.m.”; Edward Shearmur wins for Masters of Horror’s main title theme (2006)
August 20 - Raoul Kraushaar born (1908)
August 20 - Edward Williams born (1921)
August 20 - Alain Goraguer born (1931)
August 20 - Stelvio Cipriani born (1937)
August 20 - Isaac Hayes born (1942)
August 20 - Irving Gertz records his score for the Land of the Giants episode “The Creed” (1968)
August 20 - Ron Jones records his score for the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Naked Now" (1987)
August 20 - Recording sessions begin for David Arnold’s score for Stargate (1994)
August 20 - Richard Peaslee died (2016)
August 21 - Basil Poledouris born (1945)
August 21 - Recording sessions begin for Hugo Friedhofer’s score for Two Flags West (1950)
August 21 - Constant Lambert died (1951)
August 21 - Joe Strummer born (1952)
August 21 - Walter Schumann died (1958)
August 21 - Gerald Fried records his score for the Mission: Impossible episode “The Widow” (1967)
August 21 - Angelo Francesco Lavagnino died (1987)
August 21 - Richard Band begins recording his score for Robo Warriors (1996)
August 21 - Alex Wurman wins the Emmy for his Temple Grandin score; Sean Callery wins his third Emmy, for the 24 episode score “Day 8: 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.; Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman win for Nurse Jackie’s main title theme (2010)
August 22 - Stanislas Syrewicz born (1946)
August 22 - Bronislau Kaper begins recording his score for Ride, Vaquero! (1952)
August 22 - James Dooley born (1976)
August 22 - Bruce Broughton begins recording his score for This Girl for Hire (1983)
August 22 - John Williams begins recording his score for the Amazing Stories episode "The Mission" (1985)
August 23 - Constant Lambert born (1905)
August 23 - Martial Solal born (1927)
August 23 - Ian Fraser born (1933)
August 23 - Willy Russell born (1947)
August 23 - Julian Nott born (1960)
August 23 - Alexandre Desplat born (1961)
August 23 - Howard Blake begins recording his score for S.O.S. Titanic (1979)
August 23 - Marvin Hatley died (1986)
August 23 - David Rose died (1990)
August 23 - Jurriaan Andriessen died (1996)
August 24 - Jean-Michel Jarre born (1948)
August 24 - Peter Kyed born (1963)
August 24 - Mark Lawrence died (1991)
August 24 - John Debney wins his first Emmy, for the Young Riders episode score “Kansas;” Richard Bellis wins for part 1 of It; Randy Newman wins his first Emmy for his Cop Rock songs (1991)
August 25 - Ray Heindorf born (1908)
August 25 - Leonard Bernstein born (1918)
August 25 - Harry Manfredini born (1943)
August 25 - Tom Manoff born (1945)
August 25 - John Williams begins recording his score for Bachelor Flat (1961)
August 25 - Leith Stevens records his score for the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea episode “Time Bomb” (1965)
August 25 - Robert Drasnin records his score for The Wild Wild West episode “The Night of the Casual Killer” (1965)
August 25 - Richard Markowitz records his score for The Wild Wild West episode “The Night of the Raven” (1966)
August 25 - Joby Talbot born (1971)
August 25 - Zoe Poledouris born (1973)
August 25 - Elvis Costello born (1954)
August 25 - Jack Nitzsche died (2000)
DID THEY MENTION THE MUSIC?
ALONE TOGETHER - Graham Reynolds
"Holmes’ direction is, otherwise, hopelessly amateurish. When the big confrontation with John finally comes, they keep crossing and counter-crossing without motivation, like actors in an undirected high school forensics scene. She tries to build a big emotional moment out of June returning to the city and hearing the 7pm banging-pots-in-the-window tribute, but it doesn’t take an eagle-eyed viewer to notice that there’s no one in the windows of the wide shots, only the mismatched inserts. And when all else fails, she slathers on Graham Reynolds’ plinky piano score, which gets old fast."
Jason Bailey, The Playlist
"The pair’s tense dynamic softens into something sweeter. June and Charlie spend nights drinking, cooking and playing games. They share their secrets with each other and fall into an endearing love. There’s an appreciable tenderness to Holmes’ direction here. With the help of DP Martim Vian, Holmes seems to be aiming for an almost Austenian depiction of June and Charlie’s time upstate: Think spontaneous bike rides, picnics on the lawn, roasting s’mores in the fire-pit. These scenes, overlaid with a bright score and laced with winking irony, help us overlook the predictably plotted screenplay (written by Holmes herself)."
Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter
DEEP WATER - Marco Beltrami
"A more probing director and writers might have made something of a wealthy white man barely rousing suspicion in the midst of a whole lot of dastardly deeds. But not here. The detective who does briefly question Vic (Jeff Pope) brings up the common knowledge that his wife has been sleeping around but just leaves it there without pursuing the matter further. The lack of coherent logic is as nagging as the complete absence of a sense of place, and despite composer Marco Beltrami’s hard-working strings, tension is also MIA."
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
FIRE OF LOVE - Nicolas Godin
"The manner in which the film frames the trajectory of its subjects’ work is masterful, and the pair’s intuitive understanding of the Kraffts’ two different personalities is also evident in editorial choices within some of the movie’s on-location volcano footage, which deepens the depicted relationship between Maurice and Katia. Abetting this lovingly curated look at soul-matched affinities is a wonderful score from composer (and Air member) Nicolas Godin, which further buoys Dosa’s inspired choice to bring on July for ruminative narration."
Brent Simon, The Onion AV Club
"'Fire of Love' thus wants us to see the world and its wonders as Katia and Maurice Krafft saw them, to reap the benefits of their expertise and share in their astonishment. (The emotional swells of Brian Eno’s 'The Big Ship' and Ennio Morricone’s 'The Ecstasy of Gold' help direct our awe, as does an exquisite score by Nicolas Godin of the French duo Air.)"
Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times
"The documentary tells the story of Katia and Maurice Krafft, married volcanologists who bonded over their childhood fascination with volcanoes, spent their lives chasing volcanic eruptions around the globe and, yes, died together while studying an active volcano. Accompanied by a dreamy soundtrack and philosophically flowery narration by Miranda July, it’s a doomed love story on every level, a gorgeous collage of a film in which romance, scientific inquiry and death do a 93-minute dance. The footage is astonishing, a record of the Earth tearing itself apart and reforming, with billowing plumes of smoke, torrential downpours of flaming boulders and river after river of glowing lava, sometimes hardening in to rock, sometimes meeting the sizzling barrier of the sea and sometimes flowing freely, terrifyingly. It’s hypnotic -- though many things become hypnotic when you set a montage to a track by Air -- and alien and undeniably sensual. Freud would have a field day with the intersection of the erotic and near-death that come together in these sequences, which Erin Casper and Jocelyne Chaput edit with an unerring sense of nature’s own percussion."
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter
ON THE COUNT OF THREE - Owen Pallett
"Carmichael doesn’t shy away from this mess. That’s never been his style, either in his standup or on 'The Carmichael Show.' His natural confidence as a director only grows increasingly evident as 'On the Count of Three' ramps up and widens its scope to include car chases and shootouts, but he’s also never had more support than he does here, from Owen Pallett’s versatile score (which always helps the movie to feel 10 times bigger than it is) to Marshall Adams’ honest but pliable cinematography, which renders the dreary gloaming of a New York winter with the giddy sense that a crime thriller could break out at any moment."
David Ehrlich, IndieWire
"Carmichael appropriately stages this melancholy tale on a bleak winter’s day, but cinematographer Marshall Adams ('El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie') every so often lets the sun peek in through the flat, gray clouds. The score by Owen Pallett ('Her') finds its way through the film’s balance of moods, always landing exactly where each scene needs it to be."
Alonso Duralde, The Wrap
"Captured on celluloid, there’s a richness to the hues on screen, whether the pink façade of the nightlife establishment where the duo almost perished is paired with the drab natural palette of the New Jersey winter or contrasts between the co-lead’s outward appearances. One could say that cinematographer Marshall Adams, with a career mostly on television, capitalized on the opportunity to shoot a project with great kinetic force on 35mm. A nighttime chase set to an evocative score testifies to Carmichael’s ability to make a vivid, aesthetically memorable directorial debut."
Carlos Aguilar, RogerEbert.com
THE NEXT TEN DAYS IN L.A.
Screenings of older films in Los Angeles-area theaters.
August 19
ALMA'S RAINBOW (Jean-Paul Bourelly) [Los Feliz 3]
AMERICAN PSYCHO (John Cale) [Nuart]
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Alan Menken) [El Capitan]
THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE AND HER LOVER (Michael Nyman), THE BABY OF MACON [Aero]
THE DEER HUNTER (Stanley Myers) [BrainDead Studios]
GREASE [IPIC Westwood]
GREASE 2 [Alamo Drafthouse]
HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH (John Carpenter, Alan Howarth) [Alamo Drafthouse]
HEAVY TRAFFIC (Ray Shanklin, Ed Bogas) [Los Feliz 3]
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS [New Beverly]
PHANTOM THREAD (Jonny Greenwood) [Nuart]
PRINCE OF DARKNESS (John Carpenter, Alan Howarth) [Alamo Drafthouse]
RESERVOIR DOGS, SLACKER [New Beverly]
SEND ME NO FLOWERS (Frank De Vol) [Academy Museum]
THEY LIVE (John Carpenter, Alan Howarth) [Alamo Drafthouse]
THE THING (Ennio Morricone) [Alamo Drafthouse]
TRESPASS (Ry Cooder) [New Beverly]
WHITE (Zbigniew Preisner) [Los Feliz 3]
August 20
THE ARISTOCATS (George Bruns) [New Beverly]
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Alan Menken) [El Capitan]
THE BELLY OF AN ARCHITECT (Wim Mertens) [Los Feliz 3]
BLADE RUNNER (Vangelis) [Alamo Drafthouse]
BOB LE FLAMBEUR (Eddie Barclay, Jo Boyer) [BrainDead Studios]
CONAN THE BARBARIAN (Basil Poledouris) [Alamo Drafthouse]
THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS (BT) [BrainDead Studios]
FIVE EASY PIECES [Los Feliz 3]
THE 5,000 FINGERS OF DR. T (Frederick Hollander) [Academy Museum]
THE GODFATHER (Nino Rota) [Landmark Westwood]
GREASE [IPIC Westwood]
GREASE 2 [Alamo Drafthouse]
MAGNOLIA (Jon Brion) [Nuart]
RESERVOIR DOGS, SLACKER [New Beverly]
SUGAR & SPICE (Mark Mothersbaugh) [New Beverly]
TEXASVILLE [Aero]
THEY LIVE (John Carpenter, Alan Howarth) [Alamo Drafthouse]
THE THING (Ennio Morricone) [Alamo Drafthouse]
WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP (Bennie Wallace) [BrainDead Studios]
A ZED AND TWO NOUGHTS (Michael Nyman) [Los Feliz 3]
August 21
THE ARISTOCATS (George Bruns) [New Beverly]
BACK TO THE FUTURE (Alan Silvestri) [IPIC Westwood]
BASEKETBALL (Ira Newborn) [BrainDead Studios]
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Alan Menken) [El Capitan]
BLADE RUNNER (Vangelis) [Alamo Drafthouse]
THE 'BURBS (Jerry Goldsmith) [Los Feliz 3]
COOL HAND LUKE (Lalo Schifrin) [Academy Museum]
DR. NO (Monty Norman) [Fine Arts]
DROWNING BY NUMBERS (Michael Nyman) [Aero]
GREASE [Alamo Drafthouse]
GREASE [IPIC Westwood]
GREASE 2 [Alamo Drafthouse]
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (John Williams) [Fine Arts]
HIROSHIMA, MON AMOUR (Georges Delerue, Giovanni Fusco) [BrainDead Studios]
THE HUSTLER (Kenyon Hopkins) [BrainDead Studios]
ONE WAY OR ANOTHER (Sergio Vitier) [Los Feliz]
RESERVOIR DOGS, SLACKER [New Beverly]
SAHARA (Miklos Rozsa) [Los Feliz 3]
THERE WILL BE BLOOD (Jonny Greenwood) [Nuart]
THEY LIVE (John Carpenter, Alan Howarth) [Alamo Drafthouse]
THE THING (Ennio Morricone) [Alamo Drafthouse]
August 22
BLADE RUNNER (Vangelis) [Alamo Drafthouse]
CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 (Mark Mothersbaugh) [Alamo Drafthouse]
HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH (John Carpenter, Alan Howarth) [Alamo Drafthouse]
PRINCE OF DARKNESS (John Carpenter, Alan Howarth) [Alamo Drafthouse]
THE SHAOLIN INVICIBLES, SHAOLIN DEATH SQUADS [New Beverly]
SPIDER BABY (Ronald Stein) [Los Feliz 3]
THEY LIVE (John Carpenter, Alan Howarth) [Alamo Drafthouse]
THE THING (Ennio Morricone) [Alamo Drafthouse]
WHITE (Zbigniew Preisner) [Los Feliz 3]
August 23
ANNIE (Charles Strouse, Ralph Burns) [Alamo Drafthouse]
BLADE RUNNER (Vangelis) [Alamo Drafthouse]
BOYZ N THE HOOD (Stanley Clarke) [Academy Museum]
CAT PEOPLE (Giorgio Moroder) [Alamo Drafthouse]
GAS FOOD LODGING (J. Mascis), GRACE OF MY HEART (Larry Klein) [New Beverly]
GIRLS OF THE NIGHT (Hikaru Hayashi) [Los Feliz 3]
GRADUATION DAY (Arthur Kempel) [Alamo Drafthouse]
GREASE [Alamo Drafthouse]
MISHIMA: A LIFE IN FOUR CHAPTERS (Philip Glass) [BrainDead Studios]
ONE WAY OR ANOTHER (Sergio Vitier) [Los Feliz 3]
THEY LIVE (John Carpenter, Alan Howarth) [Alamo Drafthouse]
THE THING (Ennio Morricone) [Alamo Drafthouse]
August 24
BLADE RUNNER (Vangelis) [Alamo Drafthouse]
BOOGIE NIGHTS (Michael Penn) [Nuart]
CONAN THE BARBARIAN (Basil Poledouris) [Alamo Drafthouse]
GAS FOOD LODGING (J. Mascis), GRACE OF MY HEART (Larry Klein) [New Beverly]
GRADUATION DAY (Arthur Kempel) [Alamo Drafthouse]
GREASE [Alamo Drafthouse]
RED (Zbigniew Preisner) [Los Feliz 3]
THEY LIVE (John Carpenter, Alan Howarth) [Alamo Drafthouse]
THE THING (Ennio Morricone) [Alamo Drafthouse]
August 25
HEAD (Ken Thorne) [Los Feliz 3]
INHERENT VICE (Jon Brion) [Nuart]
LE SAMOURAI (Francois De Roubaix) [New Beverly]
LORENZO'S OIL [Los Feliz 3]
REFORM SCHOOL (Lou Frohman) [Academy Museum]
SHORTBUS (Yo La Tengo) [Aero]
August 26
ALTERED STATES (John Corigliano) [Nuart]
APOCALYPSE NOW (Carmine Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola) [Alamo Drafthouse]
BLUE (Zbigniew Preisner) [Los Feliz 3]
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS [New Beverly]
LE SAMOURAI (Francois De Roubaix) [New Beverly]
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (Tom Holkenborg) [Los Feliz 3]
RED (Zbigniew Preisner) [Los Feliz 3]
THE ROAD WARRIOR (Brian May) [Alamo Drafthouse]
SOUTHLAND TALES (Moby) [Aero]
THEY LIVE (John Carpenter, Alan Howarth) [Alamo Drafthouse]
WHITE (Zbigniew Preisner) [Los Feliz 3]
August 27
APOCALYPSE NOW (Carmine Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola) [Alamo Drafthouse]
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Alan Menken) [New Beverly]
THE EMPEROR JONES (Frank Tours), PRINCESS TAM-TAM (Dallin, Goehr, Grenet, Alain Romans) [Academy Museum]
THE FLYING ACE [Academy Museum]
FOUR ROOM (Combustible Edison) [BrainDead Studios]
HACKERS (Simon Boswell) [New Beverly]
HAPPY FEET (John Powell) [Los Feliz 3]
HOT FUZZ (David Arnold) [Landmark Westwood]
THE KEEP (Tangerine Dream), THE RELIC (John Debney) [New Beverly]
LABYRINTH (Trevor Jones) [BrainDead Studios]
MAPS TO THE STARS (Howard Shore) [BrainDead Studios]
PADDINGTON 2 (Dario Marianelli) [Academy Museum]
RED (Zbigniew Preisner) [Los Feliz 3]
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (Richard O'Brien, Richard Hartley) [Nuart]
SPIRITED AWAY (Joe Hisaishi) [Alamo Drafthouse]
THEY LIVE (John Carpenter, Alan Howarth) [Alamo Drafthouse]
WHITE (Zbigniew Preisner) [Los Feliz 3]
THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK (John Williams) [Aero]
August 28
ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE (Richard LaSalle) [Academy Museum]
BABE (Nigel Westlake), BABE: PIG IN THE CITY (Nigel Westlake) [Aero]
CLASS OF 1984 (Lalo Schifrin) [Alamo Drafthouse]
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Alan Menken) [New Beverly]
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (Patrick Doyle) [Fine Arts]
HOOP DREAMS (Ben Sidran) [BrainDead Studios]
JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE I.R.T. (Eric Sadler) [Aero]
KEANE [Los Feliz 3]
KISS ME DEADLY (Frank DeVol) [Los Feliz 3]
THE KEEP (Tangerine Dream), THE RELIC (John Debney) [New Beverly]
RED (Zbigniew Preisner) [Los Feliz 3]
THE ROAD WARRIOR (Brian May) [Alamo Drafthouse]
SAW (Charlie Clouser) [BrainDead Studios]
SPIRITED AWAY (Joe Hisaishi) [Alamo Drafthouse]
TOPSY-TURVY (Arthur Sullivan, Carl Davis) [Los Feliz 3]
THINGS I'VE HEARD, READ, SEEN OR WATCHED LATELY
Heard: Flirting with Disaster (Endelman, various); Jaws 2 (Williams); Three Kings (Burwell); I Heart Huckbees (Brion); Jaws 3-D (Parker); The Fighter (Brook); Jaws the Revenge (Small); Silver Linings Playbook (Elfman, various); Beetlejuice (Elfman); American Hustle (Elfman, various); Beloved (Portman); Joy (Campbell, Thordson, various); The Film Music of Richard Addinsell (Addinsell); Coraline (Coulais); Casper (Horner); ParaNorman (Brion); The Boxtrolls (Marianelli); The Changeling (Wannberg/Wilkins); Kubo and the Two Strings (Marianelli)
Read: Murder Twice Told, by Donald Hamilton
Seen: The Thing [1982]; Body Snatchers; Fall; Pillow Talk; Friday the 13th: A New Beginning; Lover Come Back; A Patch of Blue; Emily the Criminal; Summering
Watched: The Curse of the Living Corpse; Deadwood ("Childish Things"); Star Trek ("The Lights of Zetar"); Deadwood ("E.B. Was Left Out"); What We Do in the Shadows ("Citizenship"); The Boys ("The Innocents"); You're the Worst ("Side Bitch"); Counterpart ("Both Sides Now"); The Venture Bros. ("SPHINX Rising"); Damages ("Flight's at 11:08")
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