CONCEPT CREATED & MIXED - planetmeech
ARTWORK - planetmeech
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE MADE AWARE WHEN FUTURE PROJECTS BECOME AVAILABLE,
THEN PLEASE
THIS IS NOT A MONEY MAKING EXERCISE
IT HAS BEEN DONE PURELY FOR
THE LOVE OF MUSIC
AND WE ARE HAVING AN ABSOLUTE BLAST
BELOW YOU WILL FIND LINKS TO THE FEATURED ARTISTS ALONG WITH BASIC NOTES EXPLAINING MUSICAL CHOICES AND INSPIRATIONS
This film may have been my very second ever DVD purchase, after The World Is Not Enough. As you can imagine, with only two DVD's in my collection, this used to get played an awful lot.
THE BREAKFAST MACHINE - DANNY ELFMAN
Probably the single film that has made me laugh more than any other outright 'comedy'.
From my absolute favourite film that does not include spice worms, gangsters, space wizards, Martin Sheen, or a shark.
Always guaranteed to put a huge smile on my face whether it was my 1st, or 101st viewing.
An interesting bit of trivia to point out here, whilst reading one of my Sonic Youth biographies, I learned that Danny Elfman was on the scene with Kim Gordon, long before the Thurston Moore hook-up. Apologies for the departure into Hello/TV Quick territory.
GODZILLA THEME - AKIRA IFUKUBE
I absolutely love Japanese Monster Movies! Lining up after Pee Wee quite well due to Tim Burton also paying respect to the genre in his very first feature film.
ROBOCOP (MAIN TITLE) - BASIL POLEDOURIS
'I'd buy that for a dollar'.
L'ULTIMA DILIGENZA DI RED ROCK - ENNIO MORRICONE
You don't need me to tell you just how fortunate Quentin Tarantino is to have one of the all time greats score one of his projects. It is widely known he's a fan and has been heavily influenced by Morricone since his early years as a film-maker.
I would compare this to Prince being commissioned to record a planetmeech radio intro.
THE STONE KILLER (MAIN TITLE) - ROY BUDD
When DVD's became very affordable, I launched my own personal Charles Bronson collector's club.
I've always been partial to a bit of 70's Crime Cinema, so this was very welcome.....Punk!
MR MAJESTYK (MAIN TITLE) - CHARLES BERNSTEIN
As above.
You really need to check this film out if you've not come across it.
Gritty, grisly Australian crime, telling the true story of John Bunting and the Body In The Barrel murders.
ROMPER STOMPER (MAIN TITLE) - JOHN CLIFFORD WHITE
More gritty Australian crime, this time with Rome's greatest General turned Gladiator playing a racist skinhead.
The title track for this film is amazingly good, and I'm hoping to use it on a future non film based project. I've been aware of Tindersticks ever since John Peel introduced me to their unique sound way back in the nineties.
Quite a few years ago, when people still visited the cinema, I held membership at the BFI and would get regular emails alerting me to events and special screenings. Of course, I jumped at the chance to see Clair Denis in conversation with Stuart staples of the Tindersticks. I'm not sure if I was aware at the time of just how symbiotic the Tindersticks were with the work of Clair Denis, but I've acquired several of her films since, and many of their albums.
I would have to label Denis Villenueve as my current favourite Director of films.
He seems to be able to turn his hand to a very wide range of high level cinema.
If you're familiar with this film, then you'll know just how gripping this segment is?
DOG FIGHT - MIKE SHINODA & JOSEPH TRAPANES
This is from one of my favourite films of that year, basically the same set up as Dredd (below). I'm not sure if this was intentional, but you quite often get films cropping up with similar themes and story lines coming out fairly close to each other
(Turner & Hooch/K-9).
The opening of this is guaranteed to startle the listener, it always takes me by surprise even though I'm the one that's responsible for placing it here?
I still remember going to see this at the cinema, and it causing quite a stir amongst my fellow students.
THE BATMAN THEME - DANNY ELFMAN
I'm fairly certain that this was the first big budget comic book event movie.
The marketing budget was probably equal to the production cost, but I was alerted to it long before I ever saw a tv spot, trailer or lunch box.
The dedicated Prince soundtrack was enough to make sure that I purchased tickets for the opening night.
Where do I begin?
I'd have to start by saying that eighties action films don't get much better than this.
COMMANDO (THEME) - JAMES HORNER
Continuing with my Arnold Schwarzenegger suite of film scores, I did have to remove the Terminator theme though because it tended to drag a little with this selection. I think I'm right in saying that this is virtually the same score as 48 Hours?
SET FIGHT WITH CHUCK NORRIS - JOHN BARRY
I'd always remembered Chuck Norris appearing in Way Of The Dragon ('72). But this was used in the posthumous Bruce Lee film, which was just made up of archive footage. But it was scored by John Barry, so not to be dismissed out of hand.
THE CHAIRMAN'S WALTZ - JOHN WILLIAMS
If you are looking for a Rocky style underdog story, complete with a training montage, but transferring heavyweight boxing to becoming one of Japan's most celebrated geisha, then this is for you.
If you're not looking for that, you should watch it anyway - it's bloody good!
JACOB'S LADDER - MAURICE JARRE
I'd always assumed that Maurice Jarre was the father of the popular sythesizer pioneer Jean-Michel.
I've just looked that up, and it turns out that I'm correct in that assumption.
Did I know that before?
Almost completely forgetting to pass any comment on Jacob's Ladder.
If you've not seen it yet, GO AND WATCH IT AS SOON AS YOU CAN!
Then we can discuss it, well worth watching.
A very atmospheric and unsettling film that will get under your skin, much like the following film....
THE SHINING (MAIN TITLE) - CHUCK CIRINO
To call this film atmospheric and unsettling is probably under selling the genius at work here.
SHE'S A PASS - PAUL LEONARD-MORGAN
Another of my favourite films from that period, and I can't praise this enough.
I still like to catch up with this from time to time at home, and still fully appreciate the stunning visuals. One of the better 3D films to see at the cinema, but still a chore.
I'd planned on using this to hinge the whole show at the very beginning of the process. This idea was probably not originally my own anyway and could have been incepted... How would I know?
If you've not seen any of these films by Godfrey Reggio or Ron Fricke yet, GO AND WATCH THEM AS SOON AS YOU CAN!
Well worth investigating.
I was looking forward to this film, being a particular fan of Ben Wheatley. Unfortunately, I don't think it left as big an impression as any of his other films. But I really wanted to include something on here by Clint Mansell, and couldn't resist matching this up with the next track.
THE TOWERING INFERNO (MAIN TITLE) - JOHN WILLIAMS
I really like a good 1970's Disaster film, and I don't think they come much better than this. I'm certain that I didn't know that this was another John Williams score.
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (MAIN TITLE) - ALAN HOWARTH & JOHN CARPENTER
I really like a good John Carpenter film, and you can always expect that very distinctive signature score. I'm certain that I didn't know that this was a co credit with Alan Howarth....Why would I???
THE WARRIORS (MAIN TITLE) - BARRY DE VORZON
This film is both very cool and quite cheesy in equal measures, but the cheese can be viewed in quite a cool way. Its also good to see David Patrick Kelly who's better known as Jerry Horne from Twin Peaks and the sleazy guy from Commando.
EXOTIC SKATES - HAROLD FALTERMEYER
I'd wanted to include this on my SELECTED FILM MUSIC OF THE 80's show, but decided to remove all the straight up score music.
My overriding memory from this film is of the title character in another of his trademark disguises, dressed as a new age hippie-type roller skating along Santa Monica Boulevard to this piece of music.
GREMLINS (MAIN TITLE) - JERRY GOLDSMITH
I'd had the idea to include one of the Return Of The Living Dead themes, but mistakenly remembered them for being a bit more light hearted and up-tempo.
Not surprising really that any of those films had a theme that could work with this set of tracks. Thankfully, this links the silliness of Fletch to the Teddy Bears of Endor.
PARADE OF THE EWOKS - JOHN WILLIAMS
I'm deliberatly not using the correct title for this film. I'm very certain that when I used to trade Star Wars figures in the playground at school, we never ever referred to this film as Episode VI.
These characters were derided long before the amphibian Rastafari character from Episode I, and all of the latest rubbish dished up by Disney. But I've always really liked Return Of The Jedi, and this piece of music is basically the main theme of the film.
IS THAT WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS? - CLIFF MARTINEZ
Another link up to MEECHADEMIC, Cliff Martinez and Steven Soderburgh compliment each other in the same way as other great pairings in the world of cinema.
Tim Burton & Danny Elfman, Sergio Leone & Ennio Morricone, Clair Denis and Tindersticks, David Lynch and Angelo Badelamenti.....er,
Alan Howarth & John Carpenter??
I've only ever seen this film once before at the cinema for some reason. I've been aiming to add it to my collection ever since, but have been put off by just one scene that I was really not prepared for at the time.
If you've seen it, I think you'll know which one?
The music score is incredible, and vitally important to the overall feel of the film.
BLADE RUNNER - (END TITLES) - VANGELIS
I'd hoped to use this at the very end, but couldn't decide between these two. At least this closes out my Science Fiction segment.
CAROL ANNE'S THEME (END TITLE) - JERRY GOLDSMITH
This had to fit in right at the end. I think I used to watch this right through to the finish just to make sure there was nothing 'wrong' with my television.
If I'd not watched it all the way through, then I don't think I would have known about the final few seconds of this track...
ALTERNATIVELY, FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW FOR THE
APPLE MUSIC 'SOFT EDIT'