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Author	Topic: Elmer Bernstein

robin4 Oscar® Winner	Last night I watched two excellent movies on TCM for which he made phonomonal scores: The Great Escape and The Magnificent Seven. In fact the reason why they were playing Mag 7 during Oscar Month was because it was nominated for (and should have won) best score. Anyways, my question is, I have these two scores but was wondering what other of his works were just as good? Thanks for the help! N.P. TWINE (soon to be Mag 7) <4/5>
posted 03-04-2000 11:16 AM PT (US)

SBD Oscar® Winner	Although he despised being typecast, I consider his comedy scores to be among his best. Particularly: ANIMAL HOUSE AIRPLANE! GHOSTBUSTERS SPIES LIKE US STRIPES
posted 03-04-2000 12:47 PM PT (US)

Cole Oscar® Winner	well... yes his comedies are great. Airplane and Ghostbusters especially. But I happen to love his score for the Deep End of the Ocean. it is very beautifull and somewhat similar to his greatest score ever (imo - which is debatale considering his score to the Mag 7) To Kill a Mockingbird. His lyrical beauty is almost unsurpassed in this score and the theme is so wonderfully composed its rediculous. check out those two for sure. and dont forget the 10 commandments. they just dont get any more "epic" than that!!!
posted 03-04-2000 12:55 PM PT (US)

SPOR2 Oscar® Winner	Well, if you only had the choice of picking one score or, even just one track, I think it would be a safe bet to suggest To Kill A Mockingbird. The opening title music is amongst the most bittersweet ever written for film. On the other end of the spectrum is his bravura contribution to Heavy Metal. Thankfully, the Mockingbird score is available as a re-recording on Varese whereas Heavy Metal is only available on CD in the form of a sonically challenged bootleg.
posted 03-04-2000 01:03 PM PT (US)

JJH Oscar® Winner	try some of these if you can find them: Hawaii Hoodlum Frankie Starlight The Comancheros NP -- Garden of Evil, B. Herrmann
posted 03-04-2000 01:03 PM PT (US)

Al Oscar® Winner	Pick up HOODLUM. It's a very satisfying listen.
posted 03-04-2000 01:44 PM PT (US)

JEC Oscar® Winner	Bernstein gems: Sons of Katie Elder Hallelujah Trail Caretaker Zulu Dawn
posted 03-04-2000 01:47 PM PT (US)

robin4 Oscar® Winner	How about his rejected Last Man Standing? Is it good? Also, was I an idiot to pass up a used copy of Army of Darkness for $6?
posted 03-04-2000 03:33 PM PT (US)

JJH Oscar® Winner	forgot to mention GENOCIDE. NP -- eXistenZ
posted 03-04-2000 03:54 PM PT (US)

Hard Target Oscar® Winner	Those are good choices but these are worthy gems too: John Grisham's The Rainmaker (my personal favorite) Deep End of the Ocean Frankie Starlight Twlight An American Werewolf In London A Rage In Harlem Bringing Out The Dead Devil In A Blue Dress Stripes Slipstream Three Amigos Spies Like Us Last Man Standing-rejected Ghostbusters I Love Trouble-rejected Wild Wild West The Age of Innocence Twlight P.O. John Grisham's The Rainmaker (E.B.) ***/***
posted 03-04-2000 05:38 PM PT (US)

PeterD Oscar® Winner	Robin4, As you can see from all these replies, Bernstein has written a LOT of great scores. But since you probably can't afford to buy them all, I'd recommend starting with "The Comancheros," "The Ten Commandments," and "To Kill a Mockingbird," which represent three very different sides of his talent. And I can practically guarantee you'll love all three.
posted 03-04-2000 06:57 PM PT (US)

H Rocco Oscar® Winner	WALK ON THE WILD SIDE is gorgeous; so is THE BLACK CAULDRON (the first Disney animated feature not to have a song, I believe, and the first to have a score by a composer not known for cartoons, I believe). And while CAPE FEAR is technically an adaptation of a Herrmann score, Bernstein came up with some Herrmannesque interpolations that weren't in the original version; that aspect and the terrific conducting and sound make the second CAPE FEAR CD a keeper. I actually prefer it to the original (in this one rare case).
posted 03-04-2000 07:55 PM PT (US)

JJH Oscar® Winner	is his Birdman of Alcatraz score available anywhere?
posted 03-04-2000 07:56 PM PT (US)

James Oscar® Winner	TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD Watch the movie, too, its one of the best films ever made. And while you're at it, read the book. James NP - Alice in Wonderland (****)
posted 03-04-2000 08:09 PM PT (US)

dantoris Oscar® Winner	Robin4 - Army of Darkness is a fun romp of fun and action. Pick it up. My favorite Bernstein score is The Magnificent Seven, but I'll mention another of his I like that no one else (I think) has mentioned: I really enjoy Spacehunter, which is only available as a less-than-stellar-sound-quality boot CD. It's hardly Star Wars, but it's got a rousing main title and plenty of fun throughout. TRIVIA NOTE: You can hear early echoes of the Spacehunter theme in Bernstein's "pirate" music for Belushi in Animal House, when Belushi's climbing up and then standing on the roof of a building during the climactic parade sequence, just before he spots the girl and swings down on the banner. NP: StarGate ***/*** [This message has been edited by dantoris (edited 04 March 2000).] [This message has been edited by dantoris (edited 04 March 2000).]
posted 03-04-2000 10:33 PM PT (US)

Jack Oscar® Winner	MAG 7 is actually my high school song, although we added lyrics (Marlboro NJ). I don't think you can go wrong with anything mentioned on this list. NP-The Whole Nine Yards
posted 03-05-2000 04:33 AM PT (US)

joan hue Oscar® Winner	Since you like Mag 7, then you must get Sons of Katie Elder. VERY similar. In fact, some people get them confused. I love both scores. Next comes Comancheros. You mentioned Great Escape. Another fabulous Berstein war filmscore if BRIDGE AT REMAGEN. That theme is only in a compilation. Happy hunting; he is one of my favorites too. NP Take a Hard Ride, Goldsmith ***/*** [This message has been edited by joan hue (edited 05 March 2000).]
posted 03-05-2000 08:21 AM PT (US)

PeterD Oscar® Winner	Jack, I think we deserve to hear those lyrics -- if you remember them, that is . . .
posted 03-05-2000 09:40 AM PT (US)

Nicolai P. Zwar Oscar® Winner	Yes, "Last Man Standing" is a very good score, and it's out of print, so if anybody wants a copy, better hurry. "To Kill A Mockingbird", on the other hand, is even more than that: it's a genuine film score classic that should be in every serious collection. The Varese re-recording is not just sonically, but even musically a downright success. Bernstein's second take on the score is remarkable in every way. Few film scores play this easily divorced from the images as "pure" music.
posted 03-05-2000 10:19 AM PT (US)

Leopoldskron unregistered	Two of my favorites are: The World of Henry Orient Hawaii
posted 03-05-2000 12:39 PM PT (US)

robin4 Oscar® Winner	Okay, anyone have Captain from Castille by Thomas Newman? Any good? N.P. The Postman <**/***>
posted 03-05-2000 02:41 PM PT (US)

joan hue Oscar® Winner	Hi Robin. It has been too many years since I heard Captain from Castile, but I remember thinking it was melodic and swashbuckling in sound. It isn't done by Thomas Newman unless a new one is in the making. Alfred Newman did the score, and he is one of the best! [This message has been edited by joan hue (edited 05 March 2000).]
posted 03-05-2000 07:18 PM PT (US)

robin4 Oscar® Winner	Yeah, I didn't realize the mistake until I had posted it and was gone.
posted 03-05-2000 07:36 PM PT (US)

Lou Goldberg Oscar® Winner	Hey Robin 4--- Bernstein is a very solid composer, though like everybody, some things are better than others. Mag. 7 and G. Escape are action scores, but as you've read, he's done a lot of different films with different approaches. One score, Where's Jack?, has a baroque sound, another like Man With the Golden Arm, is all jazz. A lot of Bernstein's best scores are still only available on LP having never been re-issued on CD. The Comancheros is on CD. The Sons of Katie Elder is too at Intrada or Screen Archives. I would have to second all the Mockingbird advice, but it isn't an action score as the film is about children. In a similar vein, scored for only 4 instruments, is the chamber music score to House-After 5 Years of Living. This is one of my very favorite things by Bernstein, although it is short and off the beaten track, I highly recomend it. The CD is on Citadel records and probably goes under the title of The Midas Run, another Bernstein score on the CD, which is OK but not of the first rank.
posted 03-06-2000 12:52 AM PT (US)

SBD Oscar® Winner	I also love The Rainmaker. Great theme.
posted 03-06-2000 05:48 AM PT (US)

JohnT Oscar® Nominee	Look out for Some Came Running, and Summer and Smoke. Very good scores. I have a feeling they were doubled-up on a cd re-issue but I'm not certain. Kings Go Forth is another 'must'. Great music. Cheers. JohnT.
posted 03-06-2000 11:29 PM PT (US)

Dr.Evil Oscar® Winner	Unfurnately one of his great scores ever, The Age Of Innocence was composed in the same year of Schindler's List...
posted 03-07-2000 06:15 AM PT (US)

John C Winfrey Oscar® Winner	Bernstein, like Goldsmith, has done around 180 films in his career and many other documentary scores for things like the Eames Brothers short subjects and others. The link on Bernstein has a good list of his work. Take care, John.
posted 03-08-2000 04:20 PM PT (US)

JEC Oscar® Winner	Summer and Smoke was recently reissued by RCA Spain. Kings Go Forth was doubled up with Some Came Running and released by Cloud Nine in the UK around 1992. I believe it may be out of print. Check with Screen Archives or Intrada. Both still have some Cloud Nine titles. [This message has been edited by JEC (edited 08 March 2000).]
posted 03-08-2000 06:14 PM PT (US)

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