This week on “Picture Perfect,” we’re off to Mars – or are we?
“Capricorn One” (1978) posits, in true conspiracy theory fashion, that the first manned mission to Mars is a fabrication, filmed on a sound stage. However, when the actual capsule burns up upon re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere, the government attempts to cover it up, and the astronauts are sent scrambling for their lives. This is the film in which O.J. Simpson eats a rattlesnake. The cast also includes Elliott Gould, James Brolin, Sam Waterston, Hal Holbrook, and Karen Black. Jerry Goldsmith wrote the propulsive score.
The Red Planet is also the destination of the crew of Mars Gravity Probe 1, in “Robinson Crusoe on Mars” (1964). In events which loosely parallel the trajectory of Daniel Defoe’s classic novel, commander Paul Mantee survives a crash on the seemingly desolate planet, along with the mission’s test monkey. Later, he develops a friendship with an escaped alien slave, whom he names Friday. The composer is Van Cleave.
Van Cleave had much in common with Ferde Grofé. Yes, THE Ferde Grofé – he of “The Grand Canyon Suite.” You’ll recall Grofé acted as an orchestrator for the Paul Whiteman Band. His most celebrated achievement in that capacity was his arrangement of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”
Cleave had also served as an arranger for Whiteman. Later, he pioneered the use of the theremin in his television scores, for series like “The Twilight Zone.”
It was Grofé who allegedly introduced the theremin to outer space, with his music for “Rocketship X-M” (1950). “Rocketship X-M’s” unlikely premise is that the spacecraft of the title overshoots its target, the moon, and inadvertently ends up on Mars – a difference of many, many, many millions of miles! Lloyd Bridges heads the cast.
Sadly, “John Carter” (2012), Walt Disney’s long-overdue adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Martian tales, was branded a colossal flop. It’s a sad state of affairs when a 300 million dollar take is considered a disappointment! Though the film failed to live up to box office expectations, and some of the tropes established by Burroughs 100 years ago seem a little overly-familiar in the decades since the release of “Star Wars,” “John Carter” was nowhere near as bad as one was led to believe. It was certainly no worse than any other film of its kind made in recent years, and in fact a good deal better than many. And I would include in that assessment any of the recent Tolkien adaptations.
True, most of the potential magic is lost in the usual over-reliance on computer effects, and the screenplay makes some unnecessary alterations to the books. But all in all, “John Carter” is a satisfying Martian adventure. Edgar Rice Burroughs never aspired to be Joseph Conrad. The film’s epic, evocative score is by Michael Giacchino.
Prepare to see red with music from movies about the fourth planet, when Mars is our destination – whether by design, by accident, by conspiracy, or by unexplained means – on “Picture Perfect,” music for the movies, this Saturday evening at 6:00 EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org!
