Love and Bullets (Lalo Schifrin)

 

Phoenix cop Charlie Congers (Charles Bronson) is charged with retrieving Jackie Pruit (Jill Ireland) from Switzerland, as the authorities believe that her proximity to mob boss Joe Bomposa (Rod Steiger) could be sufficient enough to put him behind bars. A needlessly cruel narrative choice near the end aside, this is an entertaining and scenic yarn. Bronson is Bronson and he's good at that and Ireland's Dolly Parton cosplay is surprisingly endearing.

In the midst of one of the most creatively fruitful periods of his career, Lalo Schifrin responded well to the international setting with one of his most colorful scores (the "Opening" alone spotlights harpsichord, cimbalom and harmonica!).

Love and Bullets
composed & conducted
by
Lalo Schifrin

1. Opening 2.16
2. Mourning 0.27
3. Bombed 0.16
4. Drive to Train 0.52
5. Mountain View 0.08
6. Biding Time 0.34
7. On the Move 1.45
8. Lobo's Last Ride 1.15
9. Conflicted 0.40
10. Call to Vittorio/Stakeout 1.28
11. Strudel Promise 0.13
12. Being Watched...and Followed 2.30
13. Kandersteg 1.11
14. Detour 0.49
15. Cold Pursuit 0.49
16. Eat at Joe's 0.15
17. Travel Montage 1.36
18. Fox in the Hen House 1.38
19. The Search Continues 2.31
20. Fast Getaway 1.56
21. Peaceful Slumber/Homemade Weapons 3.48
22. Shopping Spree 0.27
23. Made 2.10
24. Sneaking Around 3.33
25. Catching the Boat 1.25
26. No Driver 1.13
27. Relaxing Night 1.55
28. Goodbyes 0.36
29. All for Nothing 1.03
30. Back to America 0.30
31. Take a Swim 0.41
32. Water Torture 0.54
33. Drive to Joe's 0.24
34. Charlie Meets Joe 1.31
35. End Credits 1.36

Here's a sample:

Day of the Animals (Lalo Schifrin)

A group of hikers head for a weekend of hiking, only to discover too late that the deteriorating ozone layer has turned the animals into crazed killers. If you accept the limitations of the time (weak effects, TV-style cinematography) and meet it on its own level, this is a pretty decent thriller with a fine cast (Leslie Nielsen makes for an effective scumbag).

Lalo Schifrin provided a creepy main theme, as well as some ferocious attack music and an intermittent love theme.

Day of the Animals

composed & conducted

by

Lalo Schifrin

1. Day Break (Main Titles) 2.21
2. Bird of Prey 0.13
3. Whirly Birds/Fresh Meat 2.48
4. Eagle Eye 0.24
5. Hot Dog/Walk and Stalk 2.45
6. Night Owl/Love Birds 0.56
7. Wolf Attack 1.47
8. Back on the Path 0.28
9. Spider Walk 0.14
10. Catlike Reflexes/Birdemic 4.38
11. Too Much to Bear 0.42
12. The Little Girl 0.37
13. Scratching 0.47
14. Rat Bastard 0.36
15. Evacuation 1.46
16. Cat Nip 1.56
17. Fade to Morning 0.35
18. Seeking Safe Ground 2.34
19. Alpha Male 0.24
20. Regrets 2.03
21. Bear Hug/Road Hogs 1.52
22. Empty House 0.12
23. Dog Tired 0.58
24. Torn Apart 1.08
25. Wolves on a Chopper 1.00
26. Barricade 2.01
27. Attack and Raft 2.26
28. Survival 0.48
29. Finale and End Titles 2.58

By the way, no, I'm not ashamed at all the animal puns. 

The Manitou (Lalo Schifrin)

An evil and powerful medicine man is reincarnated as a fetus on the neck of Karen Tandy (Susan Strasberg) and her boyfriend, Harry Erskine (Tony Curtis) will do whatever it takes to save her. An out-there premise like this demands a similarly out-there treatment. The overqualified cast is admirably straight-faced given the silliness of the project, making for an engaging slice of cheese.

Lalo Schifrin provides a terrific score, with a beautiful love theme, effective suspense music and some neat Native American touches.

The Manitou

composed & conducted

by

Lalo Schifrin

1. Main Titles 3.16
2. The Birth Chart 0.38
3. Mrs. Winconis' Reading 3.35
4. Funky Source 1.01
5. Harry and Karen 2.22
6. Fisherman's Wharf/Late Date 1.55
7. Bad Hand/"Pana...witchi...salatu." 1.16
8. Botched Surgery 0.50
9. Mrs. Herz/Karen in Bed 3.10
10. Karen Wakes Up 1.17
11. The Seance 2.40
12. Recovery 0.26
13. What's the Connection 0.58
14. Drive to Sausalito 0.56
15. Fight Fire With Fire 1.08
16. Laser Aftermath 0.44
17. Hughes' Analysis/John Singing Rock 2.30
18. John Agrees 0.56
19. John Goes to Work 1.25
20. Misquamacus Identified 1.18
21. Looking in on Karen 1.32
22. Misquamacus Reborn 3.28
23. March of the Skinless Intern 2.15
24. Breaking the Circle/Hungry Lizard 3.06
25. Winter Wonderland 2.06
26. Misquamacus Takes a Letter 0.28
27. Power Struggle 3.51
28. Karen Fights Back/It's Not Over/End Credits 7.52

Silent Movie (John Morris)

Filmmaker Mel Funn (director/co-writer Mel Brooks) has a plan to save the beleaguered Big Picture Studios: a silent movie! But that could never work...or could it?

An interesting choice of material for Brooks following the one-two punch of Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. Not every gag lands, but it is a real delight for those who get into it.

John Morris contributed a lively score for the film, from its bouncy main theme to the haughty melody for Engulf and Devour to the insistent motif for Marty Eggs' (Marty Feldman) failed pick-up attempts.

(Note: Some of the tracks run into each other in the film, making this perhaps the hardest track listing I've ever done, but I like to think I did my best.)

Silent Movie
music by
John Morris
1. Main Titles 2.43
2. Pregnant Lady 1.17
3. A Brilliant Idea/Big Picture Studios 0.47
4. Two Cigars 1.02
5. Good Luck 0.32
6. Silent Prayer/Fingers Crossed 0.56
7. Bad News/Next Big Hit 0.57
8. Slapstick Lives 0.11
9. Good News/Latest Fashions 2.34
10. Burt Reynolds' House 0.41
11. Over the Wall 0.19
12. The Shower/Tall Visitor 2.16
13. Burt Says Yes 0.13
14. Breaking News/James Caan 2.05
15. Broken Spring 0.14
16. A Little Snack 0.33
17. Getting the Story 0.22
18. City Skyline/Engulf and Devour 3.58
19. Happy Drive 0.29
20. The Wrong Dog Rag 1.25
21. Lunch Rush/Screening Room 1.02
22. The Day's Shooting 0.39
23. Mel's Promise 0.34
24. Liza Minnelli/Knight Time 1.31
25. Liza Says Yes 0.30
26. Get My Coat 1.36
27. Anne Bancroft 2.25
28. The New Flamencos 3.58
29. The Pause that Refreshes 1.15
30. At the Hospital 1.20
31. Hospital Rush 0.49
32. Bad Medicine 2.13
33. Going to Call Paris 0.40
34. Marcel Marceau 1.33
35. It's Paul Newman 0.37
36. Wheelchair Chase 2.54
37. The Board Gets a Raise 0.41
38. No Drinks/Dancing Fool 2.41
39. Vilma's Dance 3.02
40. First Date 4.07
41. Mel Drinks and Staggers 2.49
42. Looking for Mel/Lord of the Winos 3.07
43. Pile of Bums 0.41
44. Let's Make that Movie!/Sneaky Preview/Final Chase/Coke Dealers/That's a Wrap 8.31
45. Positive Response 1.38
46. End Cast 1.28

Murder by Death (Dave Grusin)

Some of the greatest detectives in all of fiction have been gathered to solve the murder of their host, Lionel Twain (Truman Capote), but is there more to this than meets the eye? A marvelous cast makes the most of Neil Simon's hilarious screenplay that pays tribute to the sleuths while taking the piss out of them.

The score by Dave Grusin is a delight, anchored by a main theme that beautifully reflects the mystery and comedy aspects of the film. It's been said that the elements for this score are lost, precluding a release. Still, one should not give up hope.

Murder by Death
composed and conducted
by
Dave Grusin
1. Main Titles/The Invitations 4.54
2. Dick and Dora/The Dark Hand 1.45
3. Sidney Wang 0.28
4. Milo Perrier/Sam Diamond 1.34
5. Across the Bridge 1.07
6. 22-Twain 1.03
7. The Wangs Arrive 0.27
8. Answering the Door 0.24
9. Strange Storm 0.18
10. Sidney's Room 0.35
11. Dusting for Prints 0.10
12. "A Nice Cozy Fire" 0.36
13. The Charlestons Arrive 0.36
14. "The Cheeriest Room" 0.19
15. The Maid Arrives 0.32
16. Yetta's Problems 1.09
17. Sam's Story/Milo's Room 0.48
18. "Kiss Me" 0.51
19. Dressing for Dinner 1.36
20. "Wang is Wrong" 0.21
21. Jessica Marbles 0.51
22. "It's Coming from the Face" 0.19
23. Dickie's Toast 0.53
24. The First Course 1.00
25. The Moose 0.05
26. The Blackout/Lionel Twain 1.10
27. "No One Leaves" 0.12
28. Twain's Proposition 0.54
29. Twain Disappears 0.41
30. Investigation 0.30
31. Bensonmum's Death 0.41
32. The Knife/The Bill 1.05
33. Empty Suit 0.20
34. "Where is Everyone?" 0.07
35. "Gunshots!"/"He's Back" 0:47
36. More Disappearances 0.27
37. Midnight 1.04
38. Twain's Death 0.34
39. The Mannequin 0.19
40. Connections to Twain 0.34
41. A Rough Night 3.23
42. Wang Figures it Out 0.53
43. Marbles' Solution 0.12
44. Dickie's Explanation 0.12
45. Perrier Returns/Eileen Twain 1.05
46. Dinner Plans 0.11
47. "Checkout Time" and End Credits 4.36

High Anxiety (John Morris)

Ever since becoming the head of the Institute for the Very Very Nervous, trouble seems to strike Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke (director/producer/co-writer Mel Brooks) at every turn. To this day, I'm not sure if this or Spaceballs was my first Brooks movie. I loved it as a kid, but these days, it reminds me of his 90s work: some great gags, but you have to wade through a lot of nonsense to get to them. Not a total loss (for me, Nurse Diesel > Frau Blucher), but not up to Brooks's classics.

John Morris responded brilliantly to the Hitchcock takeoff with a lively score that balances comedy and thrills.

High Anxiety
composed & conducted
by
John Morris
1. Nervous Flying 0.30
2. Main Titles 1.20
3. The Mad Woman 0.15
4. The Cop 0.35
5. Main Titles Part II 1.11
6. "Foul play!" 0.22
7. The Institute 0.09
8. "Your new home." 0.29
9. The View 1.04
10. "...your life!" stinger 0.02
11. The Toast 0.07
12. Have a Nice Time? 0.06
13. Some Weird Noises 0.12
14. Diesel Dominates 0.07
15. Going for a Spin 0.14
16. The Violent Ward 0.11
17. "I know you won't." 0.40
18. The Elevators 0.13
19. The 17th Floor 0.58
20. Suspicious 0.04
21. Get the Newspaper 0.09
22. The Shower 0.51
23. No Tip for that Kid 0.18
24. Victoria 0.03
25. Braces 0.09
26. The Bar 1.25
27. "High Anxiety" 2.29
28. This is Arthur Brisbane? 0.32
29. The Murder 0.52
30. On the Run 0.09
31. The Picture 0.22
32. The Seaside 0.10
33. "That's the Doc!" 0.41
34. Richard Makes a Call 0.37
35. The Airport 0.18
36. The Gun! 0.09
37. Sneaking Around 0.42
38. The North Wing 0.24
39. "...suicide!" stinger 0.02
40. Up the Stairs 0.41
41. Going After Norton 0.47
42. Childhood Flashback 1.01
43. Richard Climbs 0.20
44. The Tower 0.34
45. The End of Diesel 0.21
46. Happy Endings/Wedding Night 0.34
47. "High Anxiety" reprise/End Credits 2.34

Somehow, I think that this will be the year for it.

S*P*Y*S (Jerry Goldsmith)

A botched operation results in the deaths of two KGB agents. Citing a policy that demands 'a body for a body', CIA men Griff (Elliot Gould) and Brulard (Donald Sutherland) are targeted for termination, by the KGB and, ultimately, the CIA!

20th Century Fox vainly hoped to replicate the success of M*A*S*H with this sporadically funny lark. The two stars do their best, but, suffice it to say, writers Malcolm Marmorstein, Fred Freeman and Lawrence J. Cohen are no Ring Lardner Jr.

Much like Bill Conti's later work on Neighbors, Jerry Goldsmith's score, for good or ill, has a way of sticking with you, trying to poke the funny bone when the film does not.

1. Main Titles 3.00
2. The Getaway 2.51
3. Dress Up 1.41
4. Goodbye 0.25
5. Sybil's Pad 1.36
6. Hanky Panky 2.25
7. Hand to Hand Combat/Lunch Date 1.40
8. Surveillance 1.09
9. Slow Boat to London 0.56
10. No Place for Guns 0.28
11. Dog Sitting 0.58
12. Punctuation 0.45
13. Caught! 0.29
14. Chinese Fishing Boat 0.05
15. Follow the Leader 1.54
16. Tools of the Trade 1.20
17. Uninvited Guests 3.41
18. Wedding Chaos 2.54
19. End Credits 2.22

As I understand it, there's a British version of this movie featuring a far more serious score from John Scott. Much like Varese CD Club did with Neighbors, I imagine a release of this music, paired with Scott's serious music. It practically sells itself, don't you think?

Love at First Bite (Charles Bernstein)

Count Dracula (George Hamilton) travels to America to woo his intended, model Cindy Sondheim (Susan Saint James). However, he must deal with the jungle that is New York City and Cindy's psychiatrist (Richard Benjamin), a descendent of Van Helsing. Perhaps the funniest Dracula movie ever made, with an amusing script by Robert Kaufman and fine performances, especially Arte Johnson as Renfield.

Though he gained some fame years later for scoring more serious horror stories (The Entity, Cujo, A Nightmare on Elm Street), Charles Bernstein's score is terrific, with a lovely main theme of violin and cimbalom.

Love at First Bite
music by
Charles Bernstein

1. Main Titles/Dracula's Solo 2.18
2. "There she is" 2.01
3. Dracula's Promise 0.11
4. The Angry Mob 1.50
5. "Remember this..." 0.50
6. Drive to New York/The Funeral 1.19
7. Dracula Walks the Streets 1.33
8. The Photo Shoot 2.49
9. "A bite to drink" 2.07
10. Dracula's Lament 1:06
11. Dracula Bites Cindy 1.17
12. Jeffrey's Theories 2.25
13. A Staring Contest/On the Balcony 1.28
14. Wake-Up Call? 0.22
15. Racing the Clock 0.54
16. "Burn, baby, burn!" 1.45
17. Dracula Sucks!/The Hearse 0.18
18. Pillow Talk 1.55
19. The Brown-Out 1.40
20. The Chase 4.21
21. Run to the Plane 0.29
22. The Third Bite 1.16
23. Finale 0.30

Animal House (Elmer Bernstein)

In another attempt to stave off boredom at the blog, I'm introducing a new feature.

As you may or may not care, I love film music. Sadly, not every score I like is available. That's where this new feature comes in. For a time in the early part of the last decade, I took track listings of some of my favorite scores. I saved a bunch of them and, whenever things look dead around here, I'll be posting them.

Today's score started a new chapter in the career of Elmer Bernstein: that of comedy composer. His straight-faced score for National Lampoon's Animal House, earmarked by a terrific, stately main theme, is a delight. Since the film is a Universal release, who knows? We might just be seeing it someday.

National Lampoon's Animal House
composed & conducted
by
Elmer Bernstein

1. Main Titles (Faber College) 2:29
2. Boon and Katy 0:44
3. Dean Wormer 0:22
4. "That foot...is me." 0:18
5. "May I have another?" 0:42
6. Horseback Riding 0:47
7. And Away He Goes 0:11
8. Getting Even 2:32
9. Peeping Bluto 0:59
10. The Exam 1:57
11. Wormer's Threat 0:25
12. The Food King 2:45
13. One Night Stand 0:51
14. Road Trip! 1:28
15. Otter Gets Jumped 0:15
16. "You look grotesque." 0:21
17. "A futile and stupid gesture." 2:42
18. The Parade 0:35
19. "Let's go." 0:29
20. "No prisoners!" 8:04

Granted the score seems a little short (barely a half-hour), but I'm sure that some enterprising label can find another (short) score to pair it with.