OST- Streets of Fire

DSCN3863This was $5.  I got this the same time I got the Eddie and the Cruisers album that I posted last July. I think it is odd that both of Michael Pare’s early and biggest two roles where in musical related movies.  I got this for the track that I am going to post.MPW-21790

Streets of Fire was a Rock & Roll Fable that came out in 1984.  Slated to be a blockbuster film, it did poorly both at the box office and with critics.  Growing up, HBO played the hell out of it for awhile which probably tells you a lot about HBO at the time.

IMDB Page on Streets of Fire

The film itself is kind of a all over the place.  There are different styles of music being presented.  The time period is half 50’s/ half 80’s.  There is action, comedy, and drama.  The cast includes Pare, Diane Lane, Rick Moranis, Willem Defoe, Robert Townsend, Amy Madigan, Deborah Van Valkenburgh, Lee Ving, and Bill Paxton.DSCN3864

I would go more in depth on the album but I need to get some sleep.  Been killing it work and the apartment appliance issue which I finally resolved today kept me up late.  So here is a link to figure it out on your own.  Sorry.

Wikipedia Link to Movie/Soundtrack

I bought this album for the Blaster’s track.  They appear singing it in the movie if I can remember right, at the greaser bar where Willem Defoe’s villainous gang hangs out.willem-dafoe-gets-the-horn-streets-of-fire

Meh.  I can take or leave this album.  As far as the film goes, I would like to see it again but my money is it probably hasn’t held up to time well.

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OST- Porky’s Revenge

DSCN3859This was a dollar I think… or maybe $3.  Hard to say.  I am going back to a dollar. They just don’t make T&A films like they used to.

Original Cinema Quad Poster - Movie Film Posters

Porky’s Revenge, the third and final of the Porky’s series has the whole gang back for graduation from high school.  Pee-Wee, Billy, Tommy Turner, Brian, and Meat along with notorious brothel owner, Porky.  This was the least successful of the Porky’s movies.  Oddly enough, despite being filmed in Florida, the original Porky’s was produced by a Canadian company and was technically the highest grossing Canadian movie of all time until recently.   I believe it is now the third.

IMDB Page for Porky’s Revenge

This was also the last film role for Kaki Hunter who played the easy Wendy Williams.

This screenshot was taken from http://www.tepg.se owned by Krister Nielsen (info@wonderworks.se)

On the other hand, the soundtrack was all right. It was put together by Dave Edmonds and features some big names.  Jeff Beck, George Harrison, Carl Perkins (with 2/3s of the Stray Cats), Clarence Clemons, Willie Nelson and a super group which includes Robert Plant and Phil Collins.  The vast majority of the songs are reworking’s of 50’s hits.DSCN3860

For a sample, I went with one of my favorite tunes, the good ole “Stagger Lee” performed by The Fabulous Thunderbirds.p3still

Satisfactory album I guess.  If I indeed paid a dollar, then for sure.  Three bucks, maybe not.  As far as the movie, I think I saw it years ago but it really lacks compared to the first Porky’s.

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OST- Camelot

DSCN3856This was $4.00.  I actually like some of the music from the Musical.

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This was a 1967 adaptation of the popular 1960 Tony winning Broadway musical.  It originally stared Richard Burton (King Arthur), Julie Andrews, (Guenevere), Robert Goulet (Lancelot), and Roddy McDowall (Mordred).  Richard Harris campaigned heavily for the movie role, going as far as to send a height comparision to Richard Burton to the casting director.  As far as I can tell the film might not have done as great as expected at the box office.  That is strange as I thought it was regarded decent enough today.  One critic noted that it may have been a mistake to cast three principle actors who can’t sing.  Strangely enough, according to Wikipedia, Richard Harris bought the rights to the stage production and made a ton of bank off the revival tours.

IMDB Page

I said this last night, but I think I solved my kitchen leak and as I am tired of struggling with this, I will make it brief.  I can sum up this album by the words spoken at the end of this classic clip.  I actually liked some of these songs but Richard Harris vocal idioms make them sound silly.

For a sample, let’s go with a example of the above with the opening number, “I Wonder What the King is Doing Tonight”.  In this song, we find our hero in a rather childish manner, fretting over his new arranged bride to be. I can kind of picture Kim Jong Un singing the same thing and then stuffing his mouth with cake.DSCN3858

Meh.  I agree with the critic.  As an album, it could have used better singers.  as a movie, it is not too bad.

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OST- Gunn

DSCN3854This was $3.20.  I have minor flooding issues right now and although I think I turned a major corner, this post will be brief.  As this album was done by Henry Mancini, it was worth checking out.b70-3386

IMDB Page for Gunn

Gunn, directed by Blake Edwards in 1967 was based on the TV show Peter Gunn with the famous theme music my Mancini.  Craig Stevens was the only actor to reprise his role as the cool and sophisticated private dick.  The rest were replaced.  In the case of Peter Gunn’s girlfriend, they thought Lola Albright was too old so they went with Laura Devon.  I am guessing the movie did pretty poorly as I have not seen it.  Also, since they named this Gunn #1, they were planning on making some sequels, perhaps, ala James Bond.  This did not happen.

In terms of the music, it is written and arranged by the master himself.  Mancini makes use of his orchestra with these tunes.  The thing I immediately walked away from was how good the theme song is.  It has been covered many times but there is still magic in the original. DSCN3855

Anyway, for a sample, I went with “The Monkey Farm” described by the liner notes as “a wild uninhibited orgy of rhythmic gimmicks.”  The interplay between the electric baritones, piano, and fuzz guitar make this track.peter-gunn-w-paper-classic-television-revisited-2856910-800-600

Satisfactory record.  I have not seen this movie but my money is on bad.

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OST- Far From The Madding Crowd

DSCN3852This was $4.00.  An adaptation by Thomas Vinterberg came out last year with Carey Mulligan as the lead heroine Bathsheba Everdene.It had decent reviews, some critical acclaim , and grossed roughly $30 million worldwide. Some have gone as far to say it was better than this version posted today but I find that a stretch.  Far-From-the-Maddi_3230428k

Either way, the 2015 version was the fourth movie adaptation of the Thomas Hardy novel of the same name.  This version was the second.  Directed by John Schlesinger, who did Midnight Cowboy , and released in 1967, it tells the story of the headstrong, independent Bathsheba and the three men who tried to win her heart.  These actors who play these men, Alan Bates, Peter Finch, and Terrance Stamp, all give excellent performances.  And of course I am enamored by Julie Christie who is excellent in this as well.  Schlesinger had previously directed Christie in Billy Liar and Darling.   I also think Stamp was dating Christie at the time, mainly based on the reference in 1967’s “Waterloo Sunset” by the Kinks (“Terry meets Julie”).

IMDB Page on This Film

Anyway, I think this is a real good movie.  But reviews were mixed.  Roger Ebert, for example criticized the film for omitting class distinctions and social codes of 19th century rural life, as compared to the novel. The film did well in the UK but not so much in the states. DSCN3853

It was nominated for an Oscar, however, oddly enough for Best Orginal Score, along with Dr, Doolittle, Cool Hand Luke, and In the Heat of the Night”. In a not so sutble use of foreshadowing on my part, all of these would lose to Thoroughly Modern Millie. As a soundtrack, it is decent.  The original songs were composed and arranged Richard Rodney Bennett.  There are some traditional songs on here and there are a few vocal tracks as well.julie-259218

I was going to take he easy way out and just post the overture.  However, after some thought, I went with a traditional song with vocals, “The Bold Grenadier”.  What is interesting is that adaptations of this song have been posted twice before.  Their links are below.

The Clancy Brothers Adaptation “The Nightingale”

Judy Collins Adaptation “Wild Rippling Water”

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So this is satisfactory enough.  I give the movie a high rating on a scale that I have not nor will not develop for this month. Please note that I have not read the book.

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OST- Mrs Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter

DSCN3850It is Oscar Month this month. Anyone with social media probably knows this. In tribute, I decided that I would post nothing but soundtracks this month, for better or for worse. This was $5 with discount. I got it for the Title Track.-Mrs_Brown,_You've_Got_a_Lovely_Daughter-_(1968)

This movie came out in 1968, probably in an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the title song. It follows the story of five lads from Manchester who inherit a race hound, Mrs Brown. Together  as Herman’s Hermits, they play any gig in town they can to raise money to enter a big race in London.  Along the way Herman (Peter Noone who is still alive btw) falls in love with a girl whose family name also is Brown.  I can’t get a good take on how it was received but a lot of critics seem to label it as a silly relic.  The best I could find was one reviewer who said it was better than “Help” but not good as “A Hard Day’s Night” which is strange as I liked “Help”.

DSCN3865This album is pretty good.  I like a lot of it.  “It’s Nice to Be Out in the Morning” is a real good sice of Manchester life including a shout out to the Reds. “Holiday Inn”, “There’s a Kind Of Hush” and the title track are all good as well.  I really liked some of the non-Hermit tracks but I felt they were better visually.

For a sample, I decided to go with “Ooh, She’s Done It Again” and the instrumental track “Daisy Chain Part 1”DSCN3851

Satisfactory Record.  Have not seen the move so I can not comment.