Category Archives: Odds and ends
Sound & Motion Pictures: TV shows nostalgia 3
Here’s my third foray down memory lane, it’s time for the glam eighties! There are so many TV shows from that decade that I watched and liked but the following are the ones I consider most iconic. As usual they are listed in chronological order.
Magnum P.I. – theme by Ian Freebairn-Smith, Mike Post, Pete Carpenter (1980)
Mustachioed, manly Tom Selleck driving a Ferrari and helping people in Hawaii… what’s not to like?!
Hill Street Blues – theme by Mike Post (1981)
The daily life of a police department with its ups and downs. Quirky, relatable characters and interesting stories made for a solid, quality procedural cop show.
Fame – Fame, Irene Cara (1982)
“You got big dreams, you want fame? … Well, fame costs. And right here is where you start paying. With sweat.” Lydia Grant is not kidding and all the students at the NYC High School for the Performing Arts know it.
Knight Rider – theme by Stu Philips and Glen A. Larson (1982)
An A.I. on a car that helps the hero fighting for justice… how cool was that!
Miami Vice – theme by Jan Hammer (1984)
Another manly man on a Ferrari, no wait… two of them, and in Armani suits, fighting crime… even better! Bonus: an alligator as a pet on a sailing boat.
Filed under Odds and ends, Sound & Motion Pictures
Sound & Motion Pictures: great villainous entrances
Great villains are even better and far more memorable with an iconic theme. This is a list of my favorite entrances of Big Bad with amazing personalised soundtrack.
1. Jaws – theme by John Williams (1975)
Two notes by John Williams and you get a panic-inducing appearance of a “sea monster”. We need a bigger boat!
2. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi – Imperial March by John Williams (1983)
Again John Williams works his magic and make the arrival of evil personified in the Star Wars saga foreboding and menacing. Such anger, young Skywalker.
3. Once Upon a Time In the West – Man with The Harmonica, Ennio Morricone (1968)
Dusters flapping in the wind, the bad guys show themselves like the four horsemen (after killing a whole family) and then do one more heinous act. All this happens to the unforgettable sound of Morricone’s music.
4.The Third Man – Harry Lime theme by Anton Karas (1949)
A nice contrast between the darkeness of the scene and a happy and light music, it makes for a truly iconic introduction!
5. The Departed – Gimme Shelter, The Rolling Stone (1969)
Scorsese really likes Gimme Shelter, I think he uses it in another couple of films as well. Anyway Nicholson’s monologue and walk to the notes of the Stones is awesome.
Bonus for a laugh:
Face/Off – Hallelujah from the Messiah, George F. Handel (1742)
John Woo gives us Handel, white doves and a manic Nick Cage in an over-the-top scene. He’s dressed like a priest and gropes a choir girl…evil!
Filed under Odds and ends, Sound & Motion Pictures
Ramblings of a cinephile 