Classic Ross Amico

Category: Daily Dispatch

Elmer Bernstein A Centennial Celebration

April 4 would have been the 100th birthday of Elmer Bernstein. Over a career that spanned some 50 years, Bernstein scored dozens of film and television projects, many of them now classics.

This week on “Picture Perfect,” sample his versatility with selections from just a few of them, including “The Magnificent Seven” (1960), “The Age of Innocence” (1993), “Stripes” (1981), and “To Kill a Mockingbird” (1962).

In all, Bernstein was nominated for 14 Academy Awards, but claimed the Oscar only once, fairly early on, for his work on “Thoroughly Modern Millie” (1967), of all things. His final nomination was for his very last score, for “Far from Heaven” (2002). Bernstein died on August 18, 2004 at the age of 82.

Elmer will have you glued to the radio, on “Picture Perfect,” music for the movies, this Saturday evening at 6:00 EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

PLEASE NOTE: If you were hoping to hear some of Bernstein’s music for “The Ten Commandments” (1956), tune in next week, as we anticipate Passover with selections from Biblical epics from the Old Testament!

April 2, 2022
Roy’s Sci-Fi Corner Two Years of Bond & Beyond

104 weeks of Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner, and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.

Last night, Roy and I celebrated two years of delving into a shared nostalgia for science-fiction film and television of the 1950s, ‘60s, and ‘70s, with a conversation about “Dr. No” (1962), the first of the James Bond films – not coincidentally marking its 60th anniversary this year.

Technically, I didn’t join the show until June 2020 (more to celebrate in June), but the series was initiated by Roy in April, with Phil Merkel the first guest, as a means of bringing everyone together during the doldrums of pandemic isolation.

We’ve had plenty of laughs along the way. Thank you to all of you in our loyal audience, who show up week after week to share your wisecracks and insights. It’s always a great way to launch a weekend. Most amazingly, Roy and I had not seen one another for a good 35 years, prior to our Zoom reunion.

You can watch two April fools blather about Bond at the link. We’ll do it again next week, once we decide on our next topic. Mix yourself a Vesper Martini (shaken, not stirred) and join us for the Facebook livestream, next Friday evening at 7:00 EDT.

April 2, 2022
Bach or Rachmaninoff Music Styles Compared

Is it Bach or Rachmaninoff?

When Rachmaninoff’s birthday falls on April Fool’s Day, it can only be…

April 1, 2022
Uplifting Friday Music April Foulds

April Foulds! Some uplifting music by John Foulds to brighten your Friday morning.

April 1, 2022
Dr No 60th Anniversary Bond on Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi

This week on “Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner,” we kick off the show’s third season with a discussion about “Bond… James Bond,” in the character’s feature film debut, “Dr. No” (1962).

To mark the 60th anniversary of the film’s release, we’ll note what made that first installment such a success – Sean Connery’s suave, dangerous, even ruthless characterization as Ian Fleming’s super-spy; the assignment to an exotic, Caribbean locale; an overweening villain with deadly prosthetic appendages bent on world-domination; the fortuitous appearance of Ursula Andress as a shell diver, emerging from the ocean in an unforgettable bikini – and how these ingredients were later ramped-up and perhaps overdone, as the Bond franchise continued to unfold.

This inaugural run is a dream for anyone who adores the surf guitar and swinging brass of the James Bond theme, which is played throughout, and repeatedly landed composer Monty Norman and arranger John Barry in court, as they grappled for the rights to this exceptionally lucrative tune.

Say yes to “No,” as Roy and I bond over Bond, on the next Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner. We’ll be shaken, not stirred, by your insights in the comments section, when we livestream on Facebook, this Friday evening at 7:00 EDT!

https://www.facebook.com/roystiedyescificorner

March 31, 2022

Tag Cloud

RECENT POSTS