Has anybody else given a try to this fantastic and hilarious score? By pure chance, I got this one recently, and I can't stop listening to it! The main theme is like a combination of italian music, jewish music, Carl Stalling and Danny Elfman. It's so addicting! It even puts me a smile on my face every time I hear it and makes me imagine the Coyote chasing the Roadrunner through the desert XD
For any lovers of slapstick and mickey-mousing music, this is a must! And for those familiar with Powell's previous works, you'll notice a couple of winks to his own work, specially to Chicken Run and Antz.
Rat Race is one of my favorite movies and favorite scores. I'd have gotten ahold of the score CD by now if it wasn't out of print and listed for $65+ on Amazon...
Either I need more cash or this needs to be reissued.
And expanded, it's missing some really fun cues like Powell's rendition of I Love Lucy when Cuba Gooding throws a fit on the bus and is practically stripped down to his shorts. Fun scene fun cue. Sadly missing on the album.
I love this score -- pure fun. I always searched for the score album in stores around the time the film came out, but never found it. This was before I did a lot of my buying online. It eventually drifted off my radar, and by the time I thought to check, it had soared in price. Ah, well ... we all need something to hunt for in used bins, right?
I barely remember the score but I do remember at the time thinking, "Hey, this movie's pretty good!"
Maybe one of the labels will release a complete version one of these days along with Elmer Bernstein's rejected score.
(I've read that there is indeed a rejected score but I've never heard a note of it. The thought of what would've been Bernstein's last big comedy score sitting in a vault somewhere... not a good feeling.)
(I've read that there is indeed a rejected score but I've never heard a note of it. The thought of what would've been Bernstein's last big comedy score sitting in a vault somewhere... not a good feeling.)
And there's a very good reason for you not hearing a single note of this. Don't expect this anytime soon.
(I've read that there is indeed a rejected score but I've never heard a note of it. The thought of what would've been Bernstein's last big comedy score sitting in a vault somewhere... not a good feeling.)
And there's a very good reason for you not hearing a single note of this. Don't expect this anytime soon.
Well, if not that, probably due to one or more of these:
a) licensing issues, either with Paramount or with Jerry Zucker / his studio b) the tapes were tossed out c) only Elmer's estate has the tapes and they refuse to give them up d) someone ELSE has the tapes e) Elmer wrote little music for the film f) Elmer wrote no music at all and the statement that he was involved in Rat Race is entirely false g) the music is so horrendously bad that no one wants to hear it (I doubt it ) h) the tapes are damaged / destroyed
f) Elmer wrote no music at all and the statement that he was involved in Rat Race is entirely false
I wonder if this is true. He wrote a score for a 60s movie with the same name (about Wall Street I believe...though it might have been "The Rat Race") so could it be that somehow his named got attached because of that?
I'm among those who didn't like Powell for a long long time, but was finally turned around on him around 2006, circa UNITED 93 and X-MEN: THE LAST STAND, which showed that his music had matured considerably.
RAT RACE is one of the reasons I disliked him early on. I felt that the music was in complete and total overdrive the whole time in a way that damaged the picture greatly. And RAT RACE isn't the only movie where he did this... I remember thinking the same thing during EVOLUTION and a few other comedies he did around that time. The themes he hit the film with were so big and goofy that the comedy was severely undercut. Sort of like the musical equivalent of a stand-up comedian coming out with an arrow through his head or rainbow suspenders.
f) Elmer wrote no music at all and the statement that he was involved in Rat Race is entirely false
I wonder if this is true. He wrote a score for a 60s movie with the same name (about Wall Street I believe...though it might have been "The Rat Race") so could it be that somehow his named got attached because of that?
And yeah, this is a great fun score.
Nope, Elmer wrote and recorded the score. And if it's any consolation, one of Basil's points hits the right note.
Powell's score is fantastic, lush with themes and great goofy moments. The film is a live action cartoon, so describing the score as "Coyote chasing Road Runner" is very fitting.
I gave you more information than anyone before. I told you the score actually exists, the music survives and it's not being released for a reason. I can't imagine how the nitty-gritty legal stuff would be of any interest. Needless to say, if the matter is resolved, I'll be happy that you get the chance to hear the music.
One thing about Powell's score is that is in deed hyper-charged and contains a lot of mickey-mousing, but it has a few standout tracks (such as the music with the flying cow). Plus I also kinda liked the song choices in the movie - the nonsense Smash Mouth ending was fun in a goofy way too.
Bernstein's "Rat Race" music moved a bit more along the "Airplane!" aesthetitcs without that score's historic importance or genuine wit. But I'm sure that if it may get released one day, it will find its fans.
Let's not forget who the original composer of Rat Race was going to be:
JERRY GOLDSMITH!!!
He was due to score the film before he got ill so had to leave the project which kinda of disheartened me at the time but Bernstein was a good replacement and Powell turned out to be better. So it went from two lengendary maestros to the best of a new generation.
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