Ennio Morricone

...there's clearly a dearth of action films worth watching in theaters this summer but here's a joint that's worth going back and taking a peep at...a couple of years ago, I recall having that happen to me while I was on a trip and had a couple of hours of free time so I shot over to a matinee to see Kill Bill...here's a review I wrote that got killed that starts like this... ...Following an absence of just over half a decade Quentin Tarantino returns to the big screen ... MORE

Charles Bronson is a fox! And dubs a mean harmonica!
Well, summer is officially over for me. School's starting and although I am really excited, the first days of school as an elementary art teacher can be likened to a Spaghetti Western (the best movie of all time!) without the less-than-stellar dubbing & bloody vengeance. Some of the territory is uncharted ( Kindergarteners) and some of it is wild (pre-pubescent 5th graders). But in the end we all decide to get alon... MORE

For Director Sergio Corbucci's 1966 Spaghetti Western "Navajo Joe (Original Main title)" Morricone used the high pitched death cry of an Indian for the opening. Matched together with an evil driving rhythm and a piano underneath, the song then breaks into the chant: "NAVAJO JOE-NAVAJO JOEEEE!!" As the woman chants "Navajo Joe", she gives an almost otherworldly spin on the sounds. This is one of my favorite themes from the compilation simply because its so different and unu... MORE

This is going to be a multi-part tribute to one of my favorite film composers: Ennio Morricone. In it I describe the sounds and styles of music from the many film scores Morricone created. I hope you enjoy it! Ennio Morricone is a legend in the film world. He has scored hundreds of films and his work with the master director Sergio Leone is one of the most acclaimed partnerships in cinema history. Morricone not only scored Leone's Spaghetti Westerns, he also scored many... MORE

Whacked-out psychedelic '60s soundtrack just right for Mario Bava's high camp comic book side show. Has to be heard and seen to be believed how good/bad it is. A childhood favorite reduced to pure mindlessness, and that's high praise indeed!

This reminds me, when Tom Guido and I started the Fuzz Club at Morty's in North Beach in '89, cops showed up one nite because they thought it was named for them! As heard here, they also come uninvited to the nightclub in Danger: Diabolik. Twisted psych-lounge from the '68 Mario Bava flick.

DISC TWO Violins play a serious steady rhythm as tinny organ notes float in while flutes play a soft melody. With a sing-songy style we hear the whistles of the main character Sean Mallory (James Coburn). This is "Duck You Sucker Main Title". The playful whistles turn into an Irish accented male voice singing "Sean Sean Sean...". Singer Edda Del'Orso's beautiful voice then brings in a lovely sound as she breaks into an accompanying tone with the other instruments. The stri... MORE

Last night, myself and 20,000 other film and music freaks had the rare opportunity to see Ennio Morricone perform for the first and possibly last time in the United States. Even if you don't know his name, you know his music. The score from "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly", "A Firstful of Dollars", and "For A Few Dollars More" defined the way the West sounds. Morricone also composed the soundtracks to "The Untouchables", "The Mission", "Cinema Paradiso", "Love Affair",... MORE

The late Henry Fonda stars in this comedic spaghetti western about an aging gunman and his biggest fan, a mysterious drifter named Nobody (Terrence Hill). The film has a wonderful spirit and charm. It could be called a "slapstick spaghetti western" following the tradition of Hill's They Call Me Trinity films. Hill and Fonda make a quirky, entertaining team and Tonino Valerii's precise, imaginative direction is beautiful. Director-Producer Sergio Leone is said to have phant... MORE

"Robodog"from the film The Humanoid (1975) begins with computer like chirping, then different toned blips join in creating an array of robotic high pitched sounds. Very futuristic and strange but also playful. A very quick theme. "Cavallina A Cavallo" from the film Dedicated to the Aegean Sea (1979) starts with a woman laughing in a playful, funny way. The harpischord, funny chimes and strings play along and then Illona Staller's voice begins to pop off in an almost Betty ... MORE

Found a great CD at the weekend in the bargin section of my favourite music shop (Criminal Records - Tunbridge Wells). Ennio Morricone - A Fistful Of Sounds, two CD's with the complete soundtracks from A Fistful Of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More and Once Upon A Time In The West. As A Judgement has a very, very nasty guitar sound in the first half of the track and I love the way the melody is mirrored using a more orchestral sound in the second section of the track. Epic s... MORE

After watching the (mediocre at best -- whatever your politics) Dixie Chicks win 5 Grammys, I'm not sure this is such a big deal. The credibility of Industry Awards has just gone down the shitter, having been awarded to snarling and shrieking political commentators. BUT. Ennio Morricone, one of the most amazing composers of film music in history (if not the #1 film scorer) may get one of those "afterthought" Oscars. I'm not sure I need to comment on the fact that the ... MORE

it's interesting how the hang em high soundtrack compares to the two morricone ones. there are some striking similarities, and i think it is the oldest of the three movies. at least its the oldest print of the three records (1968). cool beans. copied them to computer yesterday! Aaaaahhaaaahhhaaaahhhaaaaaah, Wah wah wah!