1982, the Great Year in Film Music.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

The year is 1982, perhaps the greatest year for filmmusic in the modern era.

It was also a great year for film. It was the year of E.T., or was it Gandhi, no it was Toosie, wait, wasn't it the year of Sophies Choice? All and all it was a fabulous year for the filmmusic community.

Lets star with the best of the best, the Oscar Winners

Steven Spielberg had made a film he called a Boy's Life. It was a very personal film. The actual title ended up E.T. the Extraterrestrial. It is a story of friendship, and loss. Of boyhood bonds. Its the story of a boy and his new friend. John Williams gave the film the ultimate score. It is often gentle and quite. It is lyrical and humerous, and it is profoundly sad. But at the end, it quite simply soars. It lifts year heart and soul, and makes you feel that child in you. Lightning in a bottle? Perhaps, John had captured it before and since, but never better. Oscar was never so right.

Henry Mancini is as well known publically as John Williams. A beloved figure. His film relationship with Blake Edwards was a strong as Steven Spielberg's relationship with John Williams. In Edwards remake of the 30's film Victor und Victoria, Victor/Victoria is perhaps the last great traditional musical. Granted dialogue is not sung, but the musical interludes are quite wonderful. Julie Andrews at her finest, works wonderfully with Robert Preston, who stole the show. The songs are jazzy, funny, sultry, and just plain fun, but the underscore by Mancini is delicate and thoughtful. It provides an elegance to a bygone era. It's Oscar for best Song score is well deserved.

Poltergeist is the Steven Spielberg film, that he didn't film, or did he? Doesn't matter. Jerry Goldsmith subbing? for JW, writes another horror score that not only manages to provide chills, and thrills, but gives a gentleness, and childlike presense to the film about a family in peril. The score is a revelation of what music does for the horror film. It enhances and elevates from schlock to shock. If it were not for E.T., the Oscar would have been Jerry's.

James Horner was not nominated for an Oscar, and perhaps he should have been. He created a score for Star Trek II the Wrath of Khan, that was every bit a wonderful as the Jerry Goldsmith ST score 3 years earlier.

Horner's score perfectly captured the naval feel of this exciting film. When needed the music climbs to noble heights, conveing the heroic nature found in this film. It is a great score in every sense of the word. One of James' best.

Sophie's Choice is a painful film to watch, made much easier by Marvin Hamlisch's poingent score. Beautiful is a word well used to describe this incredible score. It underscores the despair of the situations, without allowing the music listener to experience the despair. While understanding the loss, the listener is allowed to experience the quite triumpts in this score. In many ways this is Hamlisch's best film score.

In a year that forced everyone rise to the challange Basil Poledorius climbs this mountain as well. His martial score for Conan, is loud, and big, and perfectly captures the essence of this film. Before Terminator, Arnold WAS Conan, and Conan WAS Arnold. This score is just a treat to listen to. At times it is brutal, and forceful, and not like the other scores in 1982. It pushes and shoves the listener and finds it own place. Poledorius has numerous scores but like most other composer mentioned here rarely was better.

Four other filmscores of great importance came from 1982, An Officer and a Gentleman, by Jack Nitzische, Tootsie, by Dave Grusin + Alan & Marilyn Bergman(uncredited), Gandhi by Ravi Shankar and Gerge Fenton, and finally, Vangelis's Blade Runner. All were significant. All lived up to the high standards set by the film. Nitzsche won the Oscar for Best Song from An Officer, in one of the best and most memorable movie songs of all time. The song is well incorperated into the film, yet doesn't dominate. Shankar and Fenton capture the essence of the man who was Gandhi, while each lends his voice to the culture presented in the film's framework, providing a seamless onesounding voice. Tootsie, like Victor/Victoria deals with themes that were not considered the norm in 1982. The Bergman's & Grusin find just the right approach, not too wimsy, not too gay. Their approach lends a perfect comical touch. Last is Vangelis' Blade Runner. This dark film offers up a moody score that at times is equally dark. Using a electronic approach, Vangelis comes up with a score that can best be discribed as closterphobic. It is as bizarre as the film, and is the most unique score of 1982.

To sum of the year that was 1982, it was a year of great filmmaking. Each director asked for and received their respective composers very best. In baseball terms it was a home run derby. Few years in the modern era can come close to the many accomplishments of these composers.

I urge everyone to search out these films and watch. Listen to how perfect the music is in each of them. Give them a chance, you don't have to like them to understand their impact. And don't be afraid to like Tootsie or Victor/Victoria because of the subject matter. Be secure in who you are and watch 1982's best.

[Morn 8]

Poltergeist is the Steven Spielberg film, that he didn't film, or did he? Doesn't matter. Jerry Goldsmith subbing? for JW, writes another horror score that not only manages to provide chills, and thrills, but gives a gentleness, and childlike presense to the film about a family in peril. The score is a revelation of what music does for the horror film. It enhances and elevates from schlock to shock. If it were not for E.T., the Oscar would have been Jerry's.

Chills are in that score? Where? And Thrills? If you mean the action music. The childlike presense is cool though. The score has very good action music and a great theme, but I really don't consider it a masterpiece. Sorry. :twisted:

Morn - Who finds it interesting though that Goldsmith thinks his score is better than ET

[Justin 2]

Morn - Who finds it interesting though that Goldsmith thinks his score is better than ET

Oh now that is total ****.

Justin -Who couldn't resist.

[stewdog1 50]

Out of that whole list, Bladerunner is my favorite with a close second to Star Trek II.

Love the E.T. music, but not quite a fan of the movie. Maybe I need to see it again like Joe said.

[Guest]

Personally I dislike the 80's when it comes to films and film scores. Every year has it 'good' scores and 1982 certainly is no exception, but you're obviously overstating it when you call it 'perhaps the greatest year in film music history'.

The 80's are generally considered as a 'bad' decade for film.

Bye,

Roald, The Snob

[Mari 279]

Steven Spielberg had made a film he called a Boy's Life.  It was a very personal film.  The actual title ended up E.T. the Extraterrestrial.  It is a story of friendship, and loss. Of boyhood bonds.  Its the story of a boy and his new friend.  John Williams gave the film the ultimate score.  It is often gentle and quite.  It is lyrical and humerous, and it is profoundly sad.  But at the end, it quite simply soars.  It lifts year heart and soul, and makes you feel that child in you.  Lightning in a bottle? Perhaps, John had captured it before and since, but never better.  Oscar was never so right.

You captured my thoughts exactly! I haven't seen three of the films you listed (Blade Runner, Poltergeist, Conan). I agree completely with your comments on the ones I have seen so will try to catch the others.

[Morn 8]

I don't think Roald likes Figo

[Figo 2]

Personally I dislike the 80's when it comes to films and film scores. Every year has it 'good' scores and 1982 certainly is no exception, but you're obviously overstating it when you call it 'perhaps the greatest year in film music history'.

The 80's are generally considered as a 'bad' decade for film.

Bye,

Roald, The Snob

If the '80s were bad for film, how about the '90s and -- what are we calling the present decade -- the aughts?

Figo, who believes Roald should accentuate the positive. LOL

[Lurker 5]

What about Monsignor?

Neil

[Hlao-roo 389]

Poltergeist is the Steven Spielberg film, that he didn't film, or did he? Doesn't matter. Jerry Goldsmith subbing? for JW, writes another horror score that not only manages to provide chills, and thrills, but gives a gentleness, and childlike presense to the film about a family in peril. The score is a revelation of what music does for the horror film. It enhances and elevates from schlock to shock. If it were not for E.T., the Oscar would have been Jerry's.

Chills are in that score? Where? And Thrills? If you mean the action music. The childlike presense is cool though. The score has very good action music and a great theme, but I really don't consider it a masterpiece. Sorry. :twisted:

Morn - Who finds it interesting though that Goldsmith thinks his score is better than ET

Don't be silly, Morn. Nothing Goldsmith has written is less than an absolute masterpiece.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

What about Monsignor?  

Neil

I don't think that it quite fits with the rest, but hey if you do?

And Roald, I don't think the 80's takes a back seat at all. It is easily any match for the 90's and would give the 1970's a run for the money, and it is difficult, if not impossible to find a year since that was any more solid than 1982.

[Steven Awalt 0]

Poltergeist is a phenomenal score and it is indeed full of chills (listen to it through headphones in a darkened room).

One score you forgot Joe (perhaps on purpose) is The Thing. I love the minimalistic sound--pure dread in that score. Morricone doing Carpenter of all things!

[JoeinAR 1,949]

As I said, 1982 was a phenomenol year, The Thing, Monsignor, Missing(I didn't even think about this one), and others out there. It was such a pleasure going to the movies that year. There haven't been as many good films in 2000, 2001, and 2002 combined than there was in 1982.

[PetePan 163]

a pity I was three years old at that time...

[Morn 8]

What is so bad about the 90's?

[Morn 8]

What is so bad about the 90's?

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Morn, I didn't say the 90's were bad, just that the 80's was better. Much better. The 90's has many great films, the 80's imho had more.

[Guest]

I'm sorry, but the '70's and the '90's were so much more profound and creative for film that the '80's are simply best forgotten.

There were exceptions ofcourse. The Empire Strikes Back, E.T., Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Back To The Future, Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, After Hours and many, many more, but the '80's were really defined by studios and directors trying (and failing) to do what Lucas and Spielberg did and by stupid and often bad comedy's (Police Academy XIII and such).

The '70's were serious, dark, realistic. The Godfather, Mean Streets, The Exorcist, The Deer Hunter, The Godfather Part II, Apocalypse Now... These films alone blow away all the dramatic stuff from the following decade.

And the '90's kind off returned to the characteristics that defined the '70's. Films like Se7en, 12 Monkeys, Fargo, Pulp Fiction, Goodfellas, The Piano and countless others were much more controlled by the directors and writers behind those projects.

During the '80's the studios had ALL the control. This was never good for the industry.

Bye,

Roald, The Snob

[JoeinAR 1,949]

As usual, you and I disagree, on several but not all points.

In the 80,s directors did try to breakthrough like Spieberg, but they were trying to control and find their own niche. John Hughes was quite succesful and in 1986 was near perfect with Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The 90's saw studio's looking for that next franchise, that next blockbuster. Quality be damned and it shows. We do agree the 80's wasn't the 70's but few decades can match that.

You talk about stupid comedies well the the 70's is full of bad car chase comedies, while the 90's have Dumb and Dumber, truely as horrid a film as you can get, not to mention anything else with Jim Carrey. And speaking of bad did I mention Godzilla. I'm sorry that was a low blow. Let me go lower, Batman and Robin, recently voted the worst film of all time. Now I think that isn't quite true, but hey anyfilm that can make Battlefield Earth look good, needs to be considered really really bad.

Of the films you praise from the 90's some are vulgar overated films, some cannot hold a candle to the best of the 80's. What people see in Fargo is beyond me. Quirky does not equal great. Personally I think the Coen brothers in any decade are vastly overated, and the movie going public tends to agree.

Granted the 90's got off to a wonderful start. Silence of the Lambs, Beauty and the Beast, Prince of Tides. I really am not saying any of these decades are bad. They are all good, but imho the quality goes 70's, 80's 90's. Looking at the acting in each decade, there were great performance in each. Best Actor would be tough between Brando in Godfather and Hopkins in Lambs. Best Actress would be Meryl Streep in Sophie's Choice hands down, no other single performance resonants as much power.

Roald it is easy for me to understand why you really love the 90's. It is your decade afterall. Your teen years. That why I love the 70's my teen years.

Oh and while we disagree on the 80's vs the 90's you still have not been able to dispute my claims on 1982. Truely a great year by any standards.

[Morn 8]

Dumb and Dumber, truely as horrid a film as you can get, not to mention anything else with Jim Carrey

You don't like Jim Carrey?

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Jim Carrey is just not funny to me at all.

[Trumpeteer 302]

Joe, I just need to make one correction:

the Bergmans did not write the score to Tootsie. They wrote the lyrics to te original songs. Dave Grusin wrote a very good score.

1982 was a very good year, even if you don't consider the scores, which is hard to do. That's because many of the films wouldn't be as good without the music.

Jeff -- who think 1982 was the one year Oscar got all the music categories right.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Actually the Bergmans are uncredited on the music but they assisted as well, and I should have stated that. Either way the music in Tootsie is just another example of getting it right.

[Figo 2]

Perhaps Roald needs to be a little more selective in his choices. Instead of running to see all the crappy third-rate Spielberg rip-offs, he should seek out better quality fare.

Some outstanding films of the '80s (off the top of my head):

Raging Bull

Melvin and Howard

Missing

Atlantic City

Altered States

Body Heat

Quest for Fire

Coal Miner's Daughter

Sophie's Choice

Silkwood

The Stunt Man

The Year of Living Dangerously

The King of Comedy

The Empire Strikes Back

Raiders of the Lost Ark

E.T.

Excalibur

Das Boot

Nosferatu (Herzog)

Fitzcarraldo

Arthur

Amadeus

Airplane!

Stripes

Ghostbusters

Splash

Tootsie

Trading Places

A Fish Called Wanda

The Blues Brothers

My Favorite Year

Diner

Rain Man

Return of the Secaucus Seven

The Big Chill

Back to the Future

Moonstruck

A Christmas Story

Modern Romance

Lost in America

Hannah and Her Sisters

Radio Days

Crimes and Misdemeanors

Cinema Paradiso

Driving Miss Daisy

Tess

Tucker: The Man and His Dream

Road Warrior

The Bounty

Blade Runner

Witness

Aliens

Terminator

The Untouchables

Mona Lisa

The Little Mermaid

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Platoon

Full Metal Jacket

Born on the Fourth of July

Once Upon a Time in America

Field of Dreams

Eight Men Out

Fanny and Alexander

The Right Stuff

Reds

Ghandi

Glory

Prizzi's Honor

The Dead

The Dresser

The Natural

The Big Easy

Mississippi Burning

Stand By Me

Hope and Glory

The Elephant Man

Blue Velvet

The Fly (remake)

Brazil

Birdy

Blood Simple

Dead Calm

The Evil Dead

Stranger Than Paradise

Down By Law

Babette's Feast

The Return of Martin Guerre

The Last Temptation of Christ

The Pope of Greenwich Village

Dangerous Liasons

Kagemusha

Ran

Henry V (Branagh)

A Room With a View

Local Hero

84 Charing Cross Road

My Left Foot

Chariots of Fire

The Gods Must Be Crazy

Wings of Desire

Bagdad Cafe

[Morn 8]

You forgot The Shining

[Figo 2]

I thought I included that? Oh well. I forgot a lot of films. Remember, this was supposed to be off the top of my head. I thought a few more last night, but of course now I've forgotten them. "The Shining" was not Kubrick's strongest film, but middling Kubrick is still better than most of what's out there.

Oh yeah, how about:

Gallipoli

Big

Time Bandits

Otello (Zefferelli)

Lucas

Zelig

Ragtime

Secret Honor

The Hitcher

The Big Red One

No Way Out

Romancing the Stone

The Man from Snowy River

The Lair of the White Worm

The Last Emperor

Jean de Florette

Au Revoir les Enfants

When Harry Met Sally

The Princess Bride

This is Spinal Tap

Knightriders

Greystoke

Seems like a pretty solid decade to me.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Another 80's classic, Xanadu, with Olivia Newton John, wait forget I said that.

Joe, defeating his own argument

[Steven Awalt 0]

Yeah, but Xanadu has a handful of great ELO songs! The movie is terrible (but it does bring back great '80's memories), but Jeff Lynne was in good form at least.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Actually Steve, I love the soundtrack, but boy does the movie stink. And yes ELO was terrific.