I doubt that many are familiar with this 1980 punk/art film by Ulli Lommel, chronicling the punk band scene in New York at the time.
Richard Hell plays the struggling punker, the lovely Caroline Bouquet as TV interviewer-turned-love interest, Howard Grant as apathetic manager and a weird cameo by Andy Warhol playing himself towards the end! It's not really a bad film; I love the artsy approach and the deliberate lack of emphasis on storytelling, but the characters leave a little to be desired: they're schizophrenic, a bit superficial and without much development. Performances are not too good either.
However, the music is pretty interesting. There's obviously the punk songs, several of which are performed in full and live as source music on stage (by Richard Hell and the Voidoids). Goldenthal's music is also quite eclectic. There's some strange, exotic percussive stuff for the agitated part of the couple's relationship, then some melancholic piano/string-based theme for their more intimate moments and sultry jazz sax for their time alone. Much of it has a definite film noir vibe.
I really think it deserves a release, obscure as the film may be, perhaps coupled with his other Lommel score for COCAINE COWBOYS (1979).
Youtube is your friend! It doesn't have many clips from the film, but I found two, and as it just happens, both of them showcase Goldenthal's music without much else! The first is the sultry jazz sax stuff:
The second is a type of montage towards the end (before the end credits) that kinda sums up some of the film's events. It has this very avantgarde music with an undulating, repeating piano figure running in the background:
"Thanks for posting this, it looks interesting!", The first clip = "I don't like it", The second clip = "I like it", The film is "Not really my cup of tea"
I actually thought you were announcing a new, upcoming score from Mr Goldenthal, something you don't see a lot of these days. I had to laugh at the guy crossing the street and walking down the snowy street, lasting a whole ONE MINUTE!!! Can you imagine that happening in a film made today. There'd be riots in the cinema, people poppin pills just to see them through it
I had to laugh at the guy crossing the street and walking down the snowy street, lasting a whole ONE MINUTE!!!Can you imagine that happening in a film made today.
I doubt you'll see it happening in mainstream Hollywood films, but it's still prevalent outside the mainstream, in socalled artfilms and alternative expressions (which, to be fair, this film is). Personally, I LOVE languid films that take their time, even in transportation sequences like the above. Makes the "action", if and when that happens, stand out all the more.
I just watched the clips at work, which means that I couldn't hear the music, but that's ok, because anything with Carole Bouquet is worth watching.
So a qualified "I like it" thus far, and if I remember to revisit it at home where I can also hear the music, I'll comment further in an unqualified sort of way.
Yes, I agree with the languid comment. And you're right, it's still (thankfully) prevalent in European films, if only to pad the running time, as well as allow the film to breathe. I think Transformers 1 and 2 were crying out for some scenes of Labouf walking slowly down a street, if only to give my headache tablets a chance to kick-in.
We watched this film last night. Really dug it, although I had a lot to drink by this point, coming after the Cheers call.
The score in parts reminded me of Bernard Herrmann. Never heard of Elliot Goldenthal. Has he scored anything else I might have seen? EDIT: Just looked him up on IMDB and I have apparently seen none of these films.
We watched this film last night. Really dug it, although I had a lot to drink by this point, coming after the Cheers call.
The score in parts reminded me of Bernard Herrmann. Never heard of Elliot Goldenthal. Has he scored anything else I might have seen? EDIT: Just looked him up on IMDB and I have apparently seen none of these films.
Wow, I'm shocked that you've been on this board for years on seen the threads on Goldenthal!. He is a major talent, brilliant concert composer as well and was an A-list composer for about 12-13 years. He garnered a major fanbase during in the 90's, mainly starting with ALIEN 3 and on through two BATMAN movies, A TIME TO KILL, SPHERE, INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE and he even won an Oscar for FRIDA in 2003.
He garnered a major fanbase during in the 90's, mainly starting with ALIEN 3 and on through two BATMAN movies, A TIME TO KILL, SPHERE, INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE and he even won an Oscar for FRIDA in 2003.
Well, these aren't the kind of films that I seek out, so that explains it.
He garnered a major fanbase during in the 90's, mainly starting with ALIEN 3 and on through two BATMAN movies, A TIME TO KILL, SPHERE, INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE and he even won an Oscar for FRIDA in 2003.
Well, these aren't the kind of films that I seek out, so that explains it.
I can easily recommend two scores to start. First is Titus, which is, pretty much, a summation of much of the kind of music he wrote up to that point in his career. The other is Michael Collins, an Oscar-nominated score that, in my opinion, presents a very cohesive listening experience while maintaining much of his musical proclivities.
He garnered a major fanbase during in the 90's, mainly starting with ALIEN 3 and on through two BATMAN movies, A TIME TO KILL, SPHERE, INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE and he even won an Oscar for FRIDA in 2003.
Well, these aren't the kind of films that I seek out, so that explains it.
I can easily recommend two scores to start. First is Titus, which is, pretty much, a summation of much of the kind of music he wrote up to that point in his career. The other is Michael Collins, an Oscar-nominated score that, in my opinion, presents a very cohesive listening experience while maintaining much of his musical proclivities.
Thanks.
Are Titus and Michael Collins films, or composers?
Are Titus and Michael Collins films, or composers?
They’re films. Titus was a ‘99 film, the feature debut of his partner, Julie Taymor. Michael Collins was released in ‘96, Goldenthal’s second collaboration with Neil Jordan, first being Interview With The Vampire.
He, he....Onya, I love how you sometimes plead ignorance to composers who - to most everyone else - are iconic. Goldenthal is among my three favourite composers, and I have everything he's done. But I'm not sure I would recommend big orchestral things like MICHAEL COLLINS or TITUS (even though TITUS is eclectic) if we're using BLANK GENERATION as the starting point. Rather, some of the more jazzy or peculiar soundscapes would fit the bill - DRUGSTORE COWBOY, GOLDEN GATE, THE GOOD THIEF or THE BUTCHER BOY, perhaps. Maybe HEAT. And some of the concert works.
