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Author	Topic: The Fury !

Al Standard Userer	I'm not a Williams collector--as a matter of fact, I only own 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' thanks to the generosity of Shaun Rutherford--but after I read the recommendation 'Peter the K' gave this a while back (as well as many others), I ordered "The Fury" when Varese announced that 200 copies remained. I just listened to it this evening, and I was ecstatic. This is an incredible score, the album presentation especially, and it truly is an essential purchase. The dark approach, as well as the unpopularity of the film, may turn away some potential listeners, but this is still a passionate, operatic score, seething with a Herrmannesque style that Williams usually doesn't employ. When I heard the theramin in the finale cue, I couldn't help but smile. This is truly enthusiastic music, and it would be difficult to not enjoy it. So, for those of you who are thinking of skipping out on this, I urge you to think again. As for the near 3000 of you who already have this, I now know why you snatched this up so quickly--and why it's about to go out of stock.
posted 09-08-2004 06:53 PM PT (US)

John Maher Standard Userer	What do you mean by "unpopularity"? I saw the film three times when it was at the theaters, and each time the theater was packed. The film returned over double its budget in the US alone. That's a hit in my book. Do you mean continuing popularity? I suppose not many people know it today, but that would be true of most films from the past. Anyway, I find the film to be one of De Palma's best, and THE best John Williams score, ever!
posted 09-08-2004 07:39 PM PT (US)

Al Standard Userer	Yes, current (continuing) popularity, as opposed to many of the other films Williams scored at the time--aside from Heartbeeps--and I just may agree with your last statement.
posted 09-08-2004 08:59 PM PT (US)

Lorien Standard Userer	And allow me to side with the original film score on this one. I've had the album since it was on LP, and it's nice, but the film tracks are a revelation. The moody LP gives it the Batman (1989) sound so much that I was completely surprised to hear how perfectly these film tracks fit next to those of Jaws and Superman. It was like finding an entire lost mid-1967 Beatles album. David np - Duck, You Sucker (wow!) Oh yeah - that Shaun's a great guy, isn't he! [Message edited by Lorien on 09-08-2004]
posted 09-08-2004 09:37 PM PT (US)

Marian Schedenig Standard Userer	quote: Originally posted by John Maher: What do you mean by "unpopularity"? I saw the film three times when it was at the theaters, and each time the theater was packed. The film returned over double its budget in the US alone. That's a hit in my book. All I know is that, sadly, you usually get to read bad reviews of it these days. quote: Anyway, I find the film to be one of De Palma's best, Agreed. quote: and THE best John Williams score, ever! Very possible. I have yet to see another film where the music complements the visuals as stunningly as Fury does.
posted 09-09-2004 07:35 AM PT (US)

Mark Olivarez Standard Userer	Sadly it seems many film made before 1990 are no longer looked at with the same respect they were when originally released. Williams' "The Fury" is a great score and I urge people to grab a copy while they can. If anyone has missed out on the Varese release I still have my original CD and would be willing to part with it.
posted 09-09-2004 07:50 AM PT (US)

Al Standard Userer	It's quite easy to say "The Fury" is ONE of De Palma's best, simply because he's made plenty cinematically-strong films, with a great eye and ear to bring an absurd story such as this a film adaptation better than it deserves. "Sadly it seems many film made before 1990 are no longer looked at with the same respect they were when originally released." That or they don't hold up to the test of time with regular moviegoers, something which I could definitely see "The Fury" not doing. This is a must-see film for De Palma fans, just as it's a must-have album for Williams' fans (or film music fans for that matter), but the story of this film, which most people would watch it for, may just be too absurd for the regular moviegoer. In that case, I hardly think it's a matter of respect. De Palma deserves respect, Williams deserves respect, but should the general audience really be expected to respect a story about a secret US agency that gathers children with parapsychologic abilities to train them to be war killers, ending with a man being telekinetically blown to pieces? It's not that I frown upon the genre--horror/thriller films crowd my favorite list--but "The Fury" would hardly be the first film I'd point out to those who barely know of De Palma or Williams.
posted 09-09-2004 08:33 AM PT (US)

Marian Schedenig Standard Userer	I would argue that the story isn't any more absurd than that of the average blockbuster nowadays (hey, even today's pirate movies have more absurd stories than this one ). But unlike The Fury, most of them aren't masterpieces of direction, cinematography and film scoring. I do get your point though.
posted 09-09-2004 09:24 AM PT (US)

Camillu Standard Userer	quote: Originally posted by Marian Schedenig: *Very possible. I have yet to see another film where the music complements the visuals as stunningly as Fury* does.** That good huh? Hmmm, I'll have to find this on DVD...
posted 09-09-2004 09:53 AM PT (US)

Brad Wills Standard Userer	quote: Originally posted by Camillu: <BLOCKQUOTE><font size=1 face=arial>quote:</font><HR size=1>Originally posted by Marian Schedenig: [b] Very possible. I have yet to see another film where the music complements the visuals as stunningly as Fury does.<HR size=1></BLOCKQUOTE> That good huh? Hmmm, I'll have to find this on DVD... [/B] Be warned...the transfer is a little lacking. The colors aren't as rich as I remember them being in the initial theatrical release, and there's quite a bit of grain. This needs a special edition!!
posted 09-09-2004 11:03 AM PT (US)

Al Standard Userer	"But unlike The Fury, most of them aren't masterpieces of direction, cinematography and film scoring.' I fully agree. Movies push the level of absurdity now more than ever, and sadly, most don't do it with a fraction of the class as can be found in "The Fury." "Kill Bill," I think, is one of the few exceptions. [Message edited by Al on 09-09-2004]
posted 09-09-2004 12:31 PM PT (US)

Dana Wilcox Standard Userer	quote: Originally posted by Lorien: And allow me to side with the original film score on this one. I've had the album since it was on LP, and it's nice, but the film tracks are a revelation. The moody LP gives it the Batman (1989) sound so much that I was completely surprised to hear how perfectly these film tracks fit next to those of Jaws and Superman. It was like finding an entire lost mid-1967 Beatles album. David Amen! I much prefer the original tracks to the rerecorded album, despite the latter's lusher treatment. Due to some birth defect, I almost always prefer original tracks, warts and all, to rerecordings...but that's another thread.
posted 09-19-2004 08:11 AM PT (US)

Alexborn007 Standard Userer	I simply haven't been able to stop listening since this arrived on Wednesday. I started off with the album. It didn't knock my socks off until I realized I'd listened to it three times in a row! There is a power and impact that both CDs have that's...other worldly. There has been heaps of praise for this score so naturally I wasn't as blown away as some, but this is a score that will just go to show how much emotion and power can be evoked with an orchestra. It also prompted me to listen to a few of my Herrmann albums again. I urge anyone remotely interested in Williams or horror scores to pick up the CD club edition or LSO album. It is true that the original score sounds more true to Williams's late 70's style as opposed to the more gothic LSO recoring (but I must say I prefer the room shaking intensity of the album ) NP: The Fury
posted 09-19-2004 04:52 PM PT (US)

MWRuger Standard Userer	All Gone. If you are still looking for this score it will probably be available in some secondary channels for a while. I'd Email PeterK and ask him. Otherwise Intrada, Screen Archives, Footlight and Buysoundtrax may still have copies.
posted 09-20-2004 03:48 PM PT (US)

SBD Standard Userer	I got this a long time ago. It's kinda weird to hear that it's selling out. While I wouldn't go so far to call it Williams' best (maybe if Spielberg and Lucas never existed, then perhaps...), it is a magnificent work. I really love the Herrmannesque influences, esp. in "Gillian's Escape".
posted 09-20-2004 04:38 PM PT (US)

Ken S Standard Userer	Ooooh, can't miss this chance to say again... Williams' DRACULA (1979) is better than THE FURY! And MONSIGNOR has a more powerful main theme than THE FURY has. Got to say it. KEN
posted 09-21-2004 10:09 AM PT (US)

Graham Watt Standard Userer	Ken! Welcome back! But you came back just to say THAT? Yes, MONSIGNOR has a great, haunting theme, and DRACULA is very good too. The Main Theme for THE FURY does seem to be more constricted as regards notes than either, and apples seem to have a slightly less pungent taste than oranges. Was struck by the music in a Dutch film I saw a few years back. I think it was called KARACTER (though I don't know why I'm spelling it like that). The film had lots of scenes in a draughtsman's office, all musty 19th century horror, and one of the supporting karacters had a chin like a bulldog, and all the young girls in the cinema thought he was funny. Dae ye know the film ah'm talkin' aboot? Some of the music sounded very like the "For Gillian" piece in THE FURY. Even arty Dutch films can't avoid the temp track!
posted 09-25-2004 02:33 PM PT (US)

Ken S Standard Userer	quote: Originally posted by Graham Watt: Ken! Welcome back! But you came back just to say THAT? No, I didn't come back just to say that. I still am in desperate need for the GREASE 2 song writer credits. KEN
posted 09-26-2004 08:20 PM PT (US)

haineshisway Non-Standard Userer	"That or they don't hold up to the test of time with regular moviegoers, something which I could definitely see "The Fury" not doing. This is a must-see film for De Palma fans, just as it's a must-have album for Williams' fans (or film music fans for that matter), but the story of this film, which most people would watch it for, may just be too absurd for the regular moviegoer." You must be joking. The story and script are positively brilliant compared to most of what I see today. Not to say that The Fury IS brilliant, but how anyone can make a statement like that shows just how low the movie-going public has sunk today.
posted 10-01-2004 01:58 PM PT (US)

Al Standard Userer	"The story and script are positively brilliant compared to most of what I see today. Not to say that The Fury IS brilliant, but how anyone can make a statement like that shows just how low the movie-going public has sunk today." The story and script are positively brilliant compared to most of what you see today? To what exactly--Resident Evil: Apocalypse? I'd agree with you there. But no matter the decade, there are absurd horror films, there are intelligent horror films, and there are films like The Fury which, no matter the talent involved, fall somewhere in between. Also, how could a single statement I make sum up the entire movie-going public? My statement doesn't show "how low the movie-going public has sunk today." It shows that I have high standards.
posted 10-01-2004 08:47 PM PT (US)

Marian Schedenig Standard Userer	quote: Originally posted by Al: there are absurd horror films, there are intelligent horror films, and there are films like The Fury which, no matter the talent involved, fall somewhere in between. That I agree with. Fury certainly isn't an "intelligent horror film". But I also don't see where the script is as bad as it's always said to be. The ending is a bit over the top, perhaps too much, but other than that, it's a good story. And as far as I'm concerned, when a good story is masterfully turned into a film, the result is still a masterpiece. (And I don't use the term lightly here)
posted 10-02-2004 05:00 AM PT (US)

Al Standard Userer	At no point was I criticizing the script nor the screenwriter for this film. I was referring to the storyline itself: "a story about a secret US agency that gathers children with parapsychologic abilities to train them to be war killers, ending with a man being telekinetically blown to pieces."
posted 10-02-2004 03:42 PM PT (US)

Marian Schedenig Standard Userer	As I said, the ending is somewhat over the top. But the rest? You've got telekinesis - seen in plenty of other movies. You've got a secret government agency doing evil stuff - also seen in many other movies. With a script that works, I can live with that. (And it was only a year after the start of a famous saga about an evil "government" killing people with telekinetic abilities )
posted 10-02-2004 05:29 PM PT (US)

Al Standard Userer	Okay, Mr. Schedenig, just for you: Compared to other films featuring head-exploding telekinesis and secret government agencies doing evil stuff, "The Fury" is certainly the best of the best.
posted 10-02-2004 05:43 PM PT (US)

Marian Schedenig Standard Userer	LOL!
posted 10-03-2004 05:04 AM PT (US)

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