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Craig Safan's The Last Starfighter - New Intrada Complete January 2015


Jay

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He'll always be a JWFanner to me.

Yeah, but he had so much potential with his post count.

And yet his standing was "neutral."

Still, once a JWFanner, always a JWFanner.

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Lol seriously? The guy was a perve and would randomly go off on posters. At first I thought he was being sarcastic cause what he would say was so ridiculous but he always ended up being serious. Must have been bipolar or something.

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Still, once a JWFanner, always a JWFanner.

Even AI?

 

Those snakes don't count.

According to your original statement, he most certainly counts. It's OK, hypocrisy is a prerequisite here.

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  • 1 month later...

I've always found the Close Encounters sort of reference interesting. Aside from that, this is just a more minimalist approach to the original cover. Still, I'm getting excited about this. . . !

Although the one thing I've always wondered about the poster art is . . . why did they choose to show Xur's scepter rocketing through space? Wouldn't a gunstar be both cooler and more accurate?

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INTRADA Announces:

post-50-0-37954600-1420556505.jpgpost-50-0-97326900-1420556506.jpg

THE LAST STARFIGHTER

Composed and Conducted by CRAIG SAFAN

INTRADA MAF 7139

Craig Safan's score to the Warner Bros. and Univeral Studios co-production The Last Starfighter (1984) remains the most popular and iconic of his numerous film scores. The late-Romantic symphonic approach was almost a prerequisite for genre scores in the '80s, and Safan met the challenge with a large-scale score for orchestra with electronics. To distinguish himself from the other guys composing similar genre scores at the time, Safan turned for inspiration to the works of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (18651957), whose lush symphonies and tone poems he found particularly beautiful. Safan also strove to distinguish himself through his integration of electronicschiefly, in his music for the films alien characters. The aggressive material for Xur and the Ko-Dan, for example, was accompanied by a bed of low synthesizers, doubled with tubas, low strings and contrabassoon. The centerpiece of Safans music, however, is his powerful and multifaceted main theme, kicking off with a lengthy, hard-driving fanfare for brass.

The soundtrack was originally released on LP and CD in 1984 on the Southern Cross label (a brief half-hour presentation), followed by a modest expansion on the Intrada label in 1995. Both previous editions were drawn from ¼˝ two-track mixes made for the composer at the conclusion of the 1984 scoring sessions. This new Intrada disc, featuring the premiere of the complete score, is the first release sourced from the multi-track masters, mixed directly from the 2˝ 24-track session elements and includes a wealth of previously unreleased music.

The film tells the story of Alex Rogan (Lance Guest), a teen who lives in a trailer court with his mother (Barbara Bosson) and kid brother (Chris Hebert). Dreaming of a seemingly unreachable life in the outside world, he finds solace in his sympathetic girlfriend, Maggie (Catherine Mary Stewart)and in a peculiar arcade game titled Starfighter. When Alex breaks the high score and wins the game, he receives a visit from a mysterious stranger named Centauri (Robert Preston), who claims to have invented the machine. Centauri is, in fact, an alien bounty hunter, and the actual purpose of the game is to seek out potential Starfighters to face the real-life menace of the traitor Xur and the Ko-Dan alliance. Alex is spirited away to the distant world of Rylos, where he is mentored by Centauri and Grig (Dan OHerlihy) a reptilian pilot, to join reluctantly in the battle for freedom.

INTRADA MAF 7139

Retail Price: $19.99

SHIPPING NOW

For track listing and sound samples, please visit

http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.9143/.f

Long-awaited release of complete score by Craig Safan for landmark 1984 sci-fi tale with Lance Guest, Dan O'Herlihy, Robert Preston, Catherine Mary Stewart, directed by Nick Castle. World of Rylos, battles with evil Xur, his armies of Ko-Dan, heroic efforts of "the last starfighter" to conquer the enemy - all were fodder for pioneer computer-generated imagery back in 1984. Surprise hit movie finds young Alex Rogan proving himself adept at video games in small town trailer park. Soon, mysterious visitor appears, whisks Alex to planet Rylos to fight conquering menace. Romance, an android "beta unit", vicious "hit beasts" and more add dimension to rewarding tale.

Craig Safan launches in brilliant major key fashion with dynamic fortissimo rhythmic motif for trombones, then adds trumpet fanfares, finally allows heroic main theme to take command. Both ideas play important roles throughout score. Propulsive action cues dominate with emphasis on aggressive low brass rhythms, sweeping lines for upper strings, zig zag material for woodwinds, synths. Brass parts throughout are commanding! Unusually crisp, punchy recording courtesy engineer Lyle Burbridge, acoustics of MGM Studios Scoring Stage 1 (known currently as Sony Pictures Scoring) and sizzling performance by 100 top L.A. session players. Highlights abound but spotlights go to showstopping "Centauri Into Space", rousing "Death Blossom, Ultimate Weapon", powerful "Centauri Dies", exciting "Target Practice". Special mention is due "Record Breaker": Here, Safan ingeniously melds low-brow synth sound of video game seamlessly into powerful orchestral variants of his propulsive opening material as piece progresses. Clever!

March 1984 sessions were recorded onto 2" 24-track tape, then mixed down to both 1/2" three-channel, 1/4" two-channel stereo tape and preserved in pristine condition. Entire score presented in picture sequence, courtesy both Warner Bros. & Universal. Craig Safan conducts. Intrada MAF series CD release is a must for all sci-fi, fantasy and eighties orchestral action score enthusiasts!

01. Main Title (2:31)

02. Alex Dreams (1:44)

03. Record Breaker (2:28)

04. Centauri Into Space (5:59)

05. Rylos (2:01)

06. Beta Transforms (0:44)

07. Gunstars (0:39)

08. Victory Or Death (0:54)

09. Zur (2:30)

10. Krill (4:25)

11. Slap (0:30)

12. Hit Beast (0:54)

13. Centauri Dies (6:53)

14. Target Practice (2:20)

15. Alexs First Test (2:53)

16. Alex Decides (2:50)

17. Betas Sacrifice (3:47)

18. Good Luck Starfighter (0:44)

19. Death Blossom, Ultimate Weapon (4:46)

20. Big Victory March (2:15)

21. Alex Returns (3:28)

22. Into The Starscape (7:21)

post-50-0-74899500-1420556508.jpg

Order from here, shipping today:

http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.9143/.f?sc=13&category=22848

http://www.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm/ID/28477/

http://www.moviemusic.com/soundtrack/M09725/last-starfighter/

http://www.musicbox-records.com/en/cd-soundtracks/1401-the-last-starfighter-expanded.html

Order from here, SIGNED BY CRAIG SAFAN, but not shipping until Jan 17:

http://creaturefeatures.com/shop/cds/last-starfighter/

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Anybody want to talk about this great new release? I think it's so great!

"Record Breaker" is a highlight new cue! So good!

Anybody read Takis' liners yet?

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Is this worth blind-buying for $20?

I don't often say this (not knowing people's particular tastes), but . . . in this case, I can answer with an unequivocal "yes."

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On the other hand, there's always a chance you won't like it, so you probably shouldn't just jump in and—

Oh. You already bought it? Great! I'm sure you'll love it. :sarcasm:

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It's a fantastic, classic orchestral, big Space-y score. It gets a lot of spins from me. And the new release of it is flawless!

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The main theme is currently my default ringtone.


It's a fantastic, classic orchestral, big Space-y score.

But it also has the poignant romance necessary for such a story. The final buildup (during the last part of "Into the Starscape") is a Williamesque start-small, end-big piece reminiscent of the end of "Adventures on Earth" from E.T. and "Leaving Home" from Superman. Not often that a non-Williams type person can pull that off so well.

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Anybody read Takis' liners yet?

He did a great job as always. There were a couple of mistakes along the way (random font switches 'n' stuff), and I was disappointed that he left out my favorite story involving this score--that Safan hit on the main theme one day while sitting at a stoplight. But I always learn new things from these liner notes, no matter how well I think I know the score or film (I never knew director Nick Castle played Jason in Halloween!).

For some reason, the CD itself seems a little plain to me. I guess I'm always hoping for better things with these big re-releases.

But the star of the show--as it should be--is the score itself. The sound is beautiful, I love the new additions, and even after two prior releases this feels like I'm finally getting everything I wanted. With all the great scores from all the great composers I own, this remains (and is now confirmed as) a top-shelf player in my collection.

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It's been ordered and on its way to me, along with Broughton's The Boy Who Could Fly. These two sound like very nice scores.

Of The Last Starfighter I only know the excellent fanfare, which is like the most Williams-y track not written by him.

I first heard it by the Prague Philharmonic on one of their Space & Beyond compilations. There's also the fantastic Kunzel & Cincinnatti Pops version.

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(I never knew director Nick Castle played Jason in Halloween!).

??????!!!!!!

Yeah, I know, I know. I was jes' jokin' with yeh. I'm totally aware the Halloween movies feature Freddie, not Jason. :sarcasm:

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(I never knew director Nick Castle played Jason in Halloween!).

??????!!!!!!

Yeah, I know, I know. I was jes' jokin' with yeh. I'm totally aware the Halloween movies feature Freddie, not Jason. :sarcasm:

Freddie Mercury is a great slasher villain.

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This CD has been in my CD player since I picked it up on the 17th at Creature Features.

I wanted to echo the comments on the sound quality and mixing on this release. Absolutely top notch, and as far as I can tell, pretty much flawless.

On the music itself, it is one of those scores that has stood up extremely well since 1984, and is a fun, heartfelt, spirited and fantastic score.

It's also one that stands up as a pure listening experience in complete form.

I do feel sorry for the brass section here. Their lips and lungs must have needed serious medical attention after all that. :)

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