Next to my computer, I keep a running list of movies I’d like to rent because
somebody at a soundtrack web site mentioned the score. It doesn’t behoove
my pocket book to just arbitrarily buy a score based on someone’s recommendation
as tastes vary too much. While I’ve managed to rent tons of videos this year
to hear their scores, I find certain videos totally absent from my area. Hence, I have no idea about their scores. I wonder
if some of you have been looking for DVD or video rentals in hopes of hearing
a frequently mentioned score? It took me two years to find Return to Oz and
Durango, and it was our local library that finally purchased them.

Here are just a few of the movies I’ve searched for with no luck just because their
scores have been heralded.

Heartbeeps, From Noon to Three, The Horsemen, Knightrider, Comes a Horseman,
Wild Palms, Tai Pan, Jayhawkers, Crossed Swords, Inchon, The Shooting Party, The
River Runs Black, Voyage of the Damned, Master Gunfighter, Too Late the Hero,
The Woodlanders, Babe (TV Goldsmith), Elephant Man, Images, Cassandra Crossing,
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, Riddle of the Sands, The Shooting Party
Objective Burma, A Handful of Dust, King of the Sun, Haunted Summer, Until
September, The North Star, and Raid on Entebbe. Ortolani scores: Seventh Dawn,
Glory Guys, The Yellow Rolls Royce, Red Dragon, Anzio, The Hunting Party, The
Valachi Papers, and Cannibal Holocaust. Never have found Taras Bulba, but I own it
anyway.

Bloody Darn to absent videos!!

NP They Died With Their Boots On

TAI-PAN is dreadful, though I like the score. INCHON, I think, has NEVER been released to video. HAUNTED SUMMER was, has a good reputation, but I only know it by the score.

I last saw THE ELEPHANT MAN on cable, and THE CASSANDRA CROSSING was, for some reason, a brief perennial on PBS a couple of years ago.

Others: Sink the Bismarck, 1900 Novento, Passionate Friends, The Prize, The
Bliss of Mrs. Blossom, Hidden Fortress, Mississippi Mermaid, Chouans,
The Chairman, Lover's Prayer, The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom, Captain Blood, Throne of Blood and William the Conqueror.

Inchon-Laurence Olivier sleepwalks through his performance Grade of film D

Noon to Three-hokey Bronson/Jill Ireland film, one of many they have made together

Too Late the Hero-is fun but not very realistic. Caine and Robertson are good in it though. Denholm Elliott gives a good performance as the dopey, inept captain that gets people slaughtered. The score is great. Michael Caine gives an excellent performance as the wise-cracking British soldier. Also called Suicide Run.

Jayhawkers-if this is the old Fess Parker film from late '50s don't waste your time.

Babe-the true story of Babe D. Zaharias, the all-around athlete. Starred Susan Clark and husband(the football player), he is in Centennial too, both on Webster together. Its fair.

Tai Pan-dumb.

Cassandra Crossing-fair, deadly train in Europe. Crossing is a bridge. Score tremendous, film no.

Crossed Swords-poor.

Most on your list aren't worth seeing.

The Objective Burma film is pretty good. Errol Flynn gives good performance in it. So do many of the back-up actors. Lots of the battle scenes are inept though. Wrong weapon sounds in several scenes. I like the film though. One of the better WW II films in my opinion.

Thanks again.

Others still not found: Zelly and Me, Terror in the Aisles, Our Mother’s House,
Nicholas and Alexandria, Tom’s Midnight Garden, Catch a Falling Star, Ring
of Bright Water, A Handful of Dust, and Summer Lovers.

(This difficult search is the fault of all you posters who mention these films for their
scores or list them under NP.

Sink the Bismarck is a good film, it does not have the Johnny Horton song in it. A good score in there though by Parker.

quote:

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Originally posted by SBD:
Outbreak

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Don't!

And, not only are most on VHS, I can rent most of them here in town, although the chains like Blockbuster really cut back on what they had to offer. Of course, saying that really isn't fair. Ann Arbor where I live is a college town with students, profs, and a lot of other professionals, the people here are always trying to one up each other with the extent of their cultural namedropping so we have more of this stuff available than the average place.

I'm with Rocco. It takes a strong stomach to watch Cannibal Holocaust. Among many other nasty moments, I don't know who thought cutting open live giant sea turtles and having their entrails spill out was entertaining, but they were wrong.

In addition to Objective Burma which is a 3 star film, I'd advise watching Destination Tokyo as well. It earns less stars from me as a film but, as I have said ad nauseum, I think it has one of the best of Waxman's scores and I certainly prefer it to OB.

I see some of you have added suggestions. Oh goodie, more films to
track down. In my lifetime, I’ve ordered too many filmscores based
on others’ recommendations only to find they don’t suit my taste, so
I make a sincere effort to first view the movie before buying the music.
A lot of films are poor, but the music may make the watch worthwhile.
I’m becoming an expert at fast forwarding through non-underscored
parts.

I have found a few: River Runs Black which had a mediocre score, and
Cassandra Crossing that sported a solid, action packed Goldsmith score.
Silly movie but fun. Too Late the Hero glued hubby and me to the
TV. I liked it and the score. Nicholaus and Alexandria was well done
and had a decent score, but the book was even better.
First to Fight was cheesy as John said, but I really liked the music.

Lover’s Prayer was released last week. (Super Duh! I might be smart to
NOT look for a movie BEFORE it’s released.) It is suppose to have
a lush McNeely score. No show at my local stores.

The search continues.