Where do we even begin?
Over 400 film scores........some for world famous directors and their films.......some for the most obscure, weird little movies that almost nobody ever heard of.......(sometimes deservedly, sometimes not)
But one thing they all had in common.........distinctive music that flowed out of a genius talent......sometimes startling, stunning and disturbing to the ear..........sometimes impossibly lush and romantic......sometimes stirring to the soul.........sometimes nightmarish......
The Maestro Of Movie Music put his indelible, unforgettable stamp on every one of them.....and took film scores to new heights of ear-catching creativity and symphonic splendor......
Everyone has their own personal favorites.........(even casual moviegoers who pay no attention to such things can instantly recognize the "......wah....WAH....wah" from "The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly".....
We could talk forever about our own favorite Morricone scores, devote an entire separate blog to them.......for now, we mention a few of our special faves......
"Grand Slam" A playful theme for a slick Euro-Crime big heist film......only Morricone would think of combining chanting schoolgirls with aggressive, wailing brass.......
"Once Upon A Time In The West" Arguably, Morricone's ultimate masterpiece, a score written for the film and its characters before Sergio Leone rolled the cameras.....with multiple legendary themes that define each of the story's four major players. And some of the saddest, sweetest music ever written for a film.
"The Red Tent" Morricone's operatic emotionalism really rescues this bloated, heavy-handed historical adventure, a misbegotten Italian-Russian co-production........his theme's so beautiful and uplifting, you can only wish it was put to use in a better movie........
"Navajo Joe" Typical way-over-the-top Morricone spaghetti western craziness (the one that featured Burt Reynolds in a wig straight from the Halloween Shop. We love, love love those insane screaming voices that kick it off........no wonder director Alexander Payne used it to underscore Reese Witherspoon's temper tantrums in "Election"
"The Ecstasy Of Gold" No one but Morricone could bring their music to such a delirious crescendo as this.......the perfect riotous accompaniment as Clint Eastwoods 'Good', Lee Van Cleef's 'Bad' and Eli Wallach's 'Ugly' close in on the treasure they've lusted after.
There's so many, many more that we could spend days doing this.........a tribute to one of the most vital cinema artists ever......as prolific as he was gifted.
Feel free to share with us any Morricone scores that sit on your own hit parade.....love to hear about it!
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