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Posted: |
Aug 30, 2010 - 12:54 PM
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By: |
ahem
(Member)
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Yes, his more sober dramatic scoring was expert and worth more attention, but consider some of the unfortunate films that fall in this category. I've no desire to look at Nightwing again, grateful as I am to have the score. I
But you want to revisit the films The Final Conflict, The Swarm, King Solomons Mines (85), Spacecamp, Baby, Warlock, Lionheart, Star Trek V, Link, Leviathan, Rambo III, Rent a Cop, Runaway, Mom and Dad Save the World, Heartbeeps, Hook, Superman IV, Howard the Duck, Invaders from Mars, king Kong Lives, The Swarm, Inchon or KRULL (which has been a massive rerelease recently), time and time again?
In my opinion, I don't think the argument that "the film was unfortunate, hence the score and the later body of work is ignored" is acceptable here. Plus, Mancini, at least in my opinion, scored some really good films in his sobre dramatic style, particularly Great Mouse and Without a Clue.
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Posted: |
Aug 30, 2010 - 2:21 PM
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By: |
cushinglee
(Member)
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Yes, his more sober dramatic scoring was expert and worth more attention, but consider some of the unfortunate films that fall in this category. I've no desire to look at Nightwing again, grateful as I am to have the score. I
But you want to revisit the films The Final Conflict, The Swarm, King Solomons Mines (85), Spacecamp, Baby, Warlock, Lionheart, Star Trek V, Link, Leviathan, Rambo III, Rent a Cop, Runaway, Mom and Dad Save the World, Heartbeeps, Hook, Superman IV, Howard the Duck, Invaders from Mars, king Kong Lives, The Swarm, Inchon or KRULL (which has been a massive rerelease recently), time and time again?
In my opinion, I don't think the argument that "the film was unfortunate, hence the score and the later body of work is ignored" is acceptable here. Plus, Mancini, at least in my opinion, scored some really good films in his sobre dramatic style, particularly Great Mouse and Without a Clue.
Fair enough. I'd argue though that the Williams and Goldsmith titles you mention fall into the genres and styles for which they are most revered. The fans always want more. If either had done Glass Menagerie (one of Mancini's best IMO) I don't know that it would have been any more popular. Alex North's paucity of genre ttitles, as opposed to all those prestige dramas, probably explains why he isn't more popular with the fanboys than he is.
Maybe the issue is that there isn't much of a "cult" around Mancini. Jerry's is quite fierce, as is Morricone's. Sometimes the stamp of industry approval is so strong (crossover fame, awards, etc.) that it kills that underdog rooting interest and sense of discovery Alfred Newman may be victim of this too, compared to Rozsa and Herrmann for instance.
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Those of us who really love Mancini's THE GREAT IMPOSTER, EXPERIMENT IN TERROR, CHARADE (the film version), HATARI (the film version), ARABESQUE (both the LP and the film version), WAIT UNTIL DARK, THE MOLLY MAGUIRES, THE THIEF WHO CAME TO DINNER, THE NIGHT VISITOR, NIGHTWING, THE GREAT WALDO PEPPER, THE GLASS MANAGERIE, LIFEFORCE, and, for those real Mancini connoiseurs, FEAR, know what a truly fine film composer he could be. Even Mancini himself would occasionally obliquely admit how he got trapped into feeding the RCA "gravy train." Even his fluff would have polished gems like the opening sequneces of THE PINK PANTHER, the swordfight sequence from THE GREAT RACE, and much of ME, NATALIE (although the Rod Mckuen songs are pretty dire these days.)
Buried under the popular artist was a quite "serious" artist, yearning to break free. I treasure that part of the man.
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