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      Great Scores for Bad Movies

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    Topic:   Great Scores for Bad Movies

     filmfactsman
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    As I was playing the CD to Dimitri Tiomkin's "Fall of the Roman Empire" this morning, I got to thinking about other great soundtracks from some (not so) great movies. Others that come to mind: "Valley of the Dolls" (John Williams), "The Shoes of the Fisherman" (Alex North) and "The Omen" (Jerry Goldsmith). All four scores were, not surprisingly, nominated for Academy Awards (with Goldsmith winning). Any other film scores that come to mind?

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    posted 04-12-2005 10:48 AM PT (US)     

     Mark Olivarez
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    I wouldn't say The Omen falls into the category of bad films but I will say Goldsmith might be the front runner for great scores / bad films.

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    posted 04-12-2005 11:08 AM PT (US)     

     Al
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    Beltrami's score for Mimic. How a giant cockroach movie inspired him to write such operatic music is beyond me.

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    posted 04-12-2005 11:14 AM PT (US)     

     filmfactsman
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    quote:
    Originally posted by Mark Olivarez:
    I wouldn't say The Omen falls into the category of bad films but I will say Goldsmith might be the front runner for great scores / bad films.

    How about bad Godlsmith scores for bad films ("Rent a Cop")?

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    posted 04-12-2005 11:52 AM PT (US)     

     Scorro
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    Unless 'Conan The Barbarian' is a true movie masterpiece whose plot and acting (cough) somehow eluded me, then perhaps the Poledouris score for this popcorn matinee offering might apply.

    There are so many more...

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    posted 04-12-2005 05:25 PM PT (US)     

     Lou Goldberg
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    Hmmphf! I take offense at the idea that FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE is a bad film. I know there are those who think it's camp, but I think it's really entertaining. In fact, for me, it's EL CID that's the weaker more impersonal Anthony Mann epic.

    FALL, on the other hand, has got so much good in it from amazing performances by Alec Guinness (saluting the visiting tribunes) and James Mason (standing up to torture) to great action scenes (chariot chases and hand-to-hand combat) to wonderful bits of atmosphere (chariots in the snow, torches at the funeral procession, etc. etc. etc.).

    Anthony Mann is a great director and he did a solid job of this. My main problem with the film is that the third act seems rushed. The film clocks in at 161 minutes so they were probably cutting everything in sight before the premiere. Sophia Loren and Stephen Boyd don't see eye to eye about the succession, so she starts a civil war and then despite the clash of armies and thousands dead, it seems to get resolved with no harm done to her or their relationship, and then they both return to Rome where a whole lot of loose ends have to be tied up in the last 15 minutes.

    So, it's not quite his best film and it's not quite a masterpiece (though someone who wrote a book on Mann considered it both) but I simply can't think of Mann's best 10 works without including it.

    And for the record the top 10 Mann would be (not in any rank or order):

    Men in War
    The Naked Spur
    The Furies
    The Far Country
    Bend of the River
    T-Men
    Devil's Doorway
    Fall of the Roman Empire
    The Glenn Miller Story
    Man of the West

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    posted 05-01-2005 08:46 AM PT (US)     

     sean
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    King Arthur - Hans Zimmer's best
    Cutthroat Island - John Debney's best

    Generally, Goldsmith and Zimmer have scored some really bad movies, but composed incredibly good scores for them—scores that those film never deserved.

    NP: Steamboy (Steve Jablonsky) *****/*****

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    posted 05-01-2005 09:42 AM PT (US)     
     

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