Classic Ross Amico

Tag: Conan the Barbarian

Howard’s Barbarians Great Movie Music

In “Conan the Destroyer” (1984), one of Conan’s companions speculates, “I suppose nothing hurts you.”

To which Conan replies, “Only pain.”

Discriminating viewers may feel a little pain themselves watching these silly, cheesy, violent films, all of which were inspired by the writings of pulp master Robert E. Howard. Howard created the warrior Conan in 1932. The character became the center of a series of lucrative stories first published in “Weird Tales” magazine.

It would be a half century before Conan made the leap to the big screen, under the direction of John Milius. “Conan the Barbarian” (1982) propelled Arnold Schwarzenegger, already a legend in the field of bodybuilding, to international superstardom. While “Conan” isn’t exactly “Citizen Kane,” it does have its pleasures. The intensity of the violence can be a little disturbing, but the ponderous tone is a blast. “Conan” is a film that takes itself just seriously enough to make it occasionally hilarious.

Another thing “Conan” has going for it is the fact that it was made on a blockbuster budget. The first-rate production values extend to the music by Basil Poledouris, who employs a full symphony orchestra to impressive ends. In fact, the “Conan” score was one of the strongest of the decade. It’s amazing that anyone would find so much inspiration in such a mediocre film, but Poledouris’ music intersperses Borodin-style Central Asia lyricism with brawny, thrilling action music.

Sadly, the sequel, “Conan the Destroyer,” betrays signs of penny-pinching, so that it often winds up feeling like a direct-to-video effort. Poledouris was forced to make do with a smaller orchestra, which sounds a bit too much like a television ensemble. Still, he gave it his all, and there’s something to be said for the fact that it is an original score, rather than a mere retread of the original.

Another one of Howard’s creations, Kull of Atlantis, was given the big screen treatment as “Kull the Conqueror” (1997). Kevin Sorbo, TV’s Hercules, plays the title role. The composer, Joel Goldsmith (son of Jerry Goldsmith), was asked to incorporate heavy metal riffs into his orchestral underscore. I haven’t actually seen this one, but for some reason I don’t feel like I’m missing anything.

The astoundingly prolific Ennio Morricone – who has more than 500 motion picture and television scores to his name – has an uncanny knack for spinning garbage into gold. His music for “Red Sonja” (1985) lends the film an aura of ‘80s cheese ball fun, perhaps more so than it deserves. This is the film that introduced Brigitte Nielsen as the chain-mailed barbarian beauty. Schwarzenegger appears in the supporting role of Lord Kalidor.

In the ‘80s, even bad films had great scores. I hope you’ll give “Conan the Barbarian” a chance this week, on “Picture Perfect” – music for movies inspired by the writings of Robert E. Howard – this Friday evening at 6:00 EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

BONUS! Tune in a little early (before 6) to hear selections from a virtuoso organ transcription of “Conan the Barbarian” by Philipp Pelster!

September 6, 2019
80s Sword Sandal Film Scores

“…To crush your enemies… to see them driven before you… and to hear the lamentations of their women!”

Leave it to me to wait until the heat wave dissipates to program music from movies featuring lots of men without shirts. This week on “Picture Perfect,” we venture very far from Turner Classic Movies territory with an hour of guilty pleasures, as we listen to music from sword and sandal flicks from the 1980s.

These include “The Beastmaster” (1982), a film that was once so pervasive on cable that comedian Dennis Miller branded HBO as “Hey, Beastmaster’s On!” and TBS was known in some circles as “The Beastmaster Station.” I still haven’t seen it, believe it or not, but I know it has something to do with swords, sandals, two ferrets, and Tanya Roberts.

The music by Lee Holdridge is given the royal treatment, in a performance conducted by Charles Gerhardt, of RCA’s legendary “Classic Film Scores” series, on an album produced by George Korngold (son of Erich Wolfgang Korngold).

To prove that I have no reason to lie to you about not having seen “The Beastmaster,” I enthusiastically own up to the fact that, as a 15 year-old, I totally lapped up “The Sword and the Sorcerer” (1982). And since I still love everything now that I did when I was 15, you can draw your own conclusions.

A pre-“Matt Houston” Lee Horsley stars as Talon, a mercenary-warrior of royal blood, who wields an improbable sword with three blades that can be projected by unexplained means like lethal rockets. There’s also a hideous wizard played by Richard Moll, who went on to play Bull on television’s “Night Court,” king of the B-movie villains Richard Lynch, and George Maharis.

This is the best example I can think of of a really trashy movie with a fantastic score. Revisiting the music for “The Sword and the Sorcerer” merely affirms what I’ve known for a long time – that 1982 was a kind of second Golden Age for film scores, when even the terrible movies had fabulous music. The first Golden Age, of course, was roughly 40 years earlier – though the movies were generally better.

English composer David Whitaker, a veteran of 1970s Hammer Films, relates in the album’s liner notes that he wrote and orchestrated 75 minutes of music at white heat. The result sounds like one of the great scores of three or four decades earlier. If you like Korngold, John Williams, or Vaughan Williams, for that matter, definitely check this one out.

“Clash of the Titans” (1981) had a much more distinguished pedigree. It was the last film of stop-motion special effects genius Ray Harryhausen before his retirement. Harryhausen was responsible in large part for such classic films as “Mighty Joe Young,” “It Came from Beneath the Sea,” “Earth Versus the Flying Saucers,” “Jason and the Argonauts,” and any number of Sinbad movies.

The supporting cast employed Sir Laurence Olivier as Zeus, Claire Bloom as Hera, Maggie Smith as Thetis, and Ursula Andress as Aphrodite, alongside Burgess Meredith and Flora Robson in her final film appearance. It was also the film which introduced Harry Hamlin, as Perseus. Hamlin went on to success on television’s “L.A. Law.”

Laurence Rosenthal, who studied at the Eastman School and with Nadia Boulanger in Paris, wrote the score. Rosenthal was responsible for the music for, among others, “A Raisin in the Sun,” “The Miracle Worker,” and “Becket.” This one actually does turn up on TCM from time to time.

While “The Clash of the Titans” was an end of an era of sorts, the success of “Conan the Barbarian” (1982) sparked a sword and sandal resurgence. Of course, most of the imitators it spawned were low-budget affairs that nobody ever saw. “Conan” proved a high water mark of its kind. It also made Arnold Schwarzenegger one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.

It sports unquestionably the best-loved score of its composer, Basil Poledouris. The music is regarded in soundtrack collector’s circles as a classic. The original soundtrack was revived in a lavish 3-CD set on the Intrada label, featuring all the available music, with alternate takes.

If this hour serves to illustrate anything, it’s that the overall quality of a film (or lack thereof) need not hinder a composer. At least back then. If you decide to stick with it, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Release the Kraken! Then slip on your man-flops for an hour of ‘80s sword and sandal flicks, this Friday evening at 6:00 EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

September 7, 2018
Conan Movie Music Tonight on WWFM

When met with the conjecture, “I suppose nothing hurts you,” Conan responded, philosophically, “Only pain.” That was in the Hyborian Age, before the advent of “Picture Perfect.”

Join me this evening at 6:00 EDT for an hour of music from movies inspired by the writings of pulp master Robert E. Howard. We’ll have over-the-top scores from barbarian movies, by the likes of Ennio Morricone, Joel Goldsmith and Basil Poledouris, on WWFM – The Classical Network and at wwfm.org.

It’s only minutes away, but there’s still time to pray to Crom.

September 16, 2016
Nadia Boulanger Meets Conan Music Today

What did Nadia Boulanger and Conan the Barbarian have in common? A lot, apparently, at least from what may be deduced from anecdotes by her pupils. Boulanger’s strong will, cold objectivity and blunt assessments made her perhaps the greatest – and certainly the most influential – musical pedagogue of the 20th century.

Her influence on American music, in particular, is incalculable, having taught composers from Aaron Copland and Virgil Thomson through Elliot Carter and Philip Glass. It was Thomson who quipped, “She was a one-woman graduate school, so powerful and so permeating that legend credits every United States town with two things: a five and dime and a Boulanger pupil.”

Join me this afternoon, beginning at 4 p.m., as I celebrate this remarkable figure on her birthday, with two hours of music and music-making by but a handful of her hundreds of remarkable students, including Copland, Igor Markevitch, Dinu Lipatti and Lili Boulanger.

Then stick around at 6 p.m. for “Picture Perfect,” as I introduce music from movies inspired by the writings of pulp master Robert E. Howard. Howard is certainly best-known as the creator of Conan. While an hour of scores for barbarian movies may not seem like everyone’s cup of tea, I can guarantee that most of the music is thrilling and inventive, in ways one would be unlikely to encounter at a theater today.

“Conan the Barbarian” (1982) was released at a time when even the most embarrassing movies could have knockout scores, and composer Basil Poledouris really outdid himself in transcending the violent, silly visuals with a viscerally thrilling soundtrack. I know, I was skeptical myself, until I heard it. “Conan” has long been held by collectors of film music as one of the great scores of the decade, and it’s hard not to be pummeled into submission by its grandeur.

The hour will also feature music by Ennio Morricone, who has made a career out of spinning gold from garbage. Morricone recently received a much-overdue Academy Award for his work on Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight.” We’ll hear some of his score to “Red Sonja” (1985), which also featured Arnold Schwarzenegger, though in a supporting role. In addition, there will be music by Joel Goldsmith, the son of Jerry Goldsmith, for “Kull the Conqueror” (1997).

It’s a brains-and-brawn double feature today, from 4 to 7 p.m. EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and at wwfm.org.

September 16, 2016
Conan the Barbarian Organ: A Holy Film Score

If what’s been keeping you out of church is that there’s simply not enough music from “Conan the Barbarian” being played on the organ, Naxos Records has done your soul an enormous service.

Organist Philipp Pelster has transcribed and recorded Basil Poledouris’ film score magnum opus for the King of Instruments. What’s that, you say, something GOOD actually came out of “Conan?” Well, yes, actually, as a matter of fact. Having seen the movie, I was skeptical, myself. But Poledouris’ film score is one of the best of the era. And that’s saying something.

To bless the venture and keep it holy, here’s Arnold Schwarzenegger’s prayer to Crom:

If you just can’t deal with the silliness, here’s the music without the visuals:

Feel free to needle-drop. There’s great stuff all the way through it.

Unfortunately, there are no clips of the organ transcription posted on YouTube. I guess I’ll just have to shell out the $12 and hope for the best. CROM! HEAR ME, CROMMM!!!!

January 12, 2016

Tag Cloud

RECENT POSTS