It's a good disc overall, and it does pop up on ebay semi-frequently for $10-20. I was suprised it hadn't been mentioned before, as it contains a solid 73mins. of action that'll have you ready to grab an M-16 and stalk around in the bush. I can hear a few Star Trek:TNG riffs from Chattaway in some of his work here, written for orchestra and electronics. Chattaway also works in some Maniac Cop-ish synth music, which was written around the same time as this. There was an interview with him in an old FSM issue, where he told of the unusual creation of these scores. IIRC, he laid down generic orchestral tracks, creating suites which were later edited and used in the film wherever appropriate. Sorry, that is highly paraphrased, but I can't remember the specifics. He gets 33mins. on the disc, while the other 40mins. feature more great action work from the underappreciated Brian May, who leaves the synths at home for his half of the disc. It's kind of like Death Before Dishonor Lite, not quite as rah-rah as that score, but not without the expected heroic trumpet themes. His score winds up with a great 17 1/2 min. suite, full of that bristling action May fans know and love. It's not quite 'The Road Warrior' but in the same neighborhood. I never have(or probably will) see these films, but am curious if anyone else has any thoughts.

A bit dated, these scores, but a bit fun too...your cryptic message has thrown me off my current trend of renting Golden Age films , to check out these by the Mother Chucker(Norris)! I thought these pictures were just Diet Rambo - so there's more to it than that? Thanx a lot!

I can't watch Invasion USA anymore, although I do remember liking Chattaway's score, and have caught sight of the LP here in town. Can't watch it due to the 'coke sniffing straw nose' scene....I'm SURE you know of what I speak!

I like Jay Chattaway's music, what I've heard of it...he has a somewhat identifiable sound. I wish someone would release his great Morricone cum Goblin music for the Bill Lustig sleaze classic VIGILANTE. I'd buy it in a heartbeat, terrific catchy main theme. I wish the Dutch dudes who put the less intersting(outside of the main theme) score for MANIAC on disc would follow through with Vigilante, as promised in the aforementioned FSM article.

I know this picture is ridiculed now, but I still think the robot is neato

NP:nada, but I was digging Holdridge's CALL OF THE WILD about an hour ago, and loving it....like a spinoff/cousin to Poledouris' outdoor adventure music.

Has anybody heard of how Saturn 3 was originally quite a different film before it was released in the theaters? I don't remember where, but I read that the movie's director (John Barry, no relation to the composer) died before he finished the filming. Then the studio hired somebody to go in and finish it...something else happened, the studio changed the feel of the film completely I think...making script changes, re-shoots of certain scenes, etc. I remember reading that it was a 'labor of love' before the changes were made. Maybe it was more of a romantic sci-fi film with intelligence? I'm not sure on all of the details. I'll have to dig up my old magazines to see if there's anything about this there. I'll report back if I find anything

I'm intrigued by the detail on how 'Papa' (I like that Sean ) Elmer's Taarna theme originated here. Anyway, thought I'd add in here, I actually haven't seen this film before...anybody else know of it's troubled history?

Dylan

Anyway, Donen was way out of his element here, obviously, although some of his directorial humor pops up now and then in Saturn 3. I think the film you may be thinking of Dylan is The Keep by Michael Mann, where an elaborate efx finale was to have wrapped things up....except the Production Designer who conceived this sequence(and apparently kept it all to himself - !?!?), died during filming, hence the abrupt ending. And for some reason, I keep thinking a similar thing may have happened with John Stears, longtime Bond efx man?

Sorry to sour the pot with more misinformation, but hey conversation is conversation, right?

NP: The Bride Wore Black(Herrmann) Another fave, so good to hear a couple of the original tracks, although these Paris performers leave something to be desired!

OH NO! I'm terribly sorry that you had to settle for the cropped version of the 2.35 Elephant Man (one of my top 5 favorite films)....I would've sent you my DVD for viewing! Oh well, I too saw it for the first time in pan and scan, seeing it in widescreen was an entire new experiance, because the photography was so meticulous and not to mention beholds some of the richest angles I've seen in film (just think Robert Wise's "The Haunting" before and after pan and scan). When I saw only about the last 50 minutes in pan and scan, it became one of my all time favorite films...when I saw the entire thing in widescreen, it found a place in my top 5. I'm very glad you loved John Morris' score (one of my favorites), be sure to add him to the list of forgotten composers who need to be brought out of it and score a new film...like Richard Band, John Morris has been terribly ignored in recent years.

Benny's Twisted Nerve is a winner indeed. Very unique.

As wonderful as it is to have some original Bride tracks, my favorite are not in any sort of circulation (including that absolutely splendid, grotesque, waltz with the vibe and the wonderful introduction cue when the Julie walks to the train station, and from there to the hotel...wonderful scoring). Are those cues I mentioned on that Bernstein-recorded suite, by the way?

I'll write you and see if your up for a chat tomorrow online....I would now, but I'm exhausted, have to hit the sack

I just wanted to add that you have to hear the Bernstein/RPO suite of 'Bride', it's terrific, and contains more than the cues you sent. It's been so long since I've seen the film, I can't remember if those cues you asked about are specifically on there or not, but I think you'll like the suite regardless. And yes, watching the P & S Elephant Man made my skin crawl! I had to continually exclaim 'Look, there's a pan! That should be a one shot, not a two shot!'
I'm curious to synch up Morris originally intended finale music one of these days....the Barber Adagio worked fine, but thanks to Hollywood's knowledge of so few pieces of classical music, they've managed to take this heartfelt piece and run it into the ground. I always thought that Morris was only really capable of those Mel Brooks comedies, and this is his first serious work I've heard by him...the only other title that comes to mind is SCARLETT, which was pretty much panned by everyone, so I avoided it.

NP: Bride is over, now it's time for bed to the tune of THE OTHERS(Amenabar) - some great themes here, and it made me chuckle to see the director filming this movie with a boombox on his lap, blasting the Varese SCREAM album to 'set the mood' on set. His attack music for the film is clearly inspired by the Beltrami fortissimo/brass/ anvils school of shock! This bit can be seen in the documentary on THE OTHERS Dvd.