Figo 2 Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 I'm sure this topic must have surfaced before, but it beats the hell out of another 9-page Sith thread. I started watching a bargain-basement Agatha Christie adaptation last night, called "Appointment with Death." It was a Menahem-Golan production from the 1980s (so the warning light should have already been flashing), the third in an increasingly bad series featuring the otherwise-talented Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot. Death on the Nile was passable (though hardly good), Evil Under the Sun less so. But with the backing of M-G, the cast degenerated from Bette Davis, David Niven, and George Kennedy (was there a bad, all-star movie made in the '70s without GK?) to a laundry list of washed up TV actors, including David Soul, and post-Jedi/pre-When Harry Met Sally Carrie Fisher. Piper Laurie and Lauren Bacall rachet up the badness by trying to out-ham one another as an obligatory couple of old bitches. The direction is inept -- lots of bland long shots when important plot points should have been punched up visually, interspersed with seemingly random close-ups. What I was able to take of it (maybe ten or fifteen minutes) started to resemble a period remake of The Love Boat. More to the point, for you film music lovers, perhaps the clincher was the horrendous contribution of -- wait for it -- Joe's favorite, Pino Donaggio! http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006043/Donaggio (under the influence of Dave Grusin?) contributes an anachronictic swath of '80s wallpaper, complete with Chuck Mangione-style brass soloist. The story, of course, is set in the 1920s. I thought maybe this was Donnagio's warped perception of jazz in the age of bathtub-gin -- but then the drums started in. This is quite simply one of the worst (or least appropriate?) scores I've ever heard by a good composer. Can anyone think of any others?Oh wait a minute, I guess this has been done. The frequent mention of Ladyhawke springs to mind. (Although Andrew Powell hardly qualifies as a major film composer.) Oh well, it's written now. I'm posting it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSM 126 Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 Can you summarize the main statement of your post? I have no time to read through it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figo 2 Posted May 31, 2005 Author Share Posted May 31, 2005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSM 126 Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 Aha. Then it apparantly isn't worth reading Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fommes 153 Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 Can you summarize the main statement of your post? I have no time to read trough it.I don't agree with your first sentence. I'll have to come back later to read the second though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSM 126 Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 How can one not agree with a question? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figo 2 Posted May 31, 2005 Author Share Posted May 31, 2005 Aha. Then it apparantly isn't worth reading Next time I'll be sure to give it to you in comic strip form. Should Pino Donaggio be Archie or Jughead? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 Alas Pino doesn't always make the right choices, but when he does, HE DOES.Joe, wishing he had a Carrie cd or Dressed to Kill cd here at work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker 5 Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 Joe, wishing he had a Carrie cd or Dressed to Kill cd here at work.I have them both on my iPod at work.Neil - who needs to get Blow OutP.S. Evil Under The Sun has a really good score Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figo 2 Posted May 31, 2005 Author Share Posted May 31, 2005 Nino Rota did Death on the Nile.Pino Donaggio did Appointment with Death.Who did Evil Under the Sun? Morricone?One of the best Agatha Christie adaptations, And Then There Were None, was scored by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco.What's with Christie and all the Italians?Figo, wondering how to twist Bernard Herrmann (Endless Night) to suit his argument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 I also want Tourist Trap, and the Howling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 8,207 Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 Speaking of Donaggion, anybody know what's up with Toyer? According to the (ever-reliable...) IMDb, that would at last be the reunion of De Palma and Donaggio.Marian - who can dream... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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