I think we all need at least one
really nice positive thing about the entertainment business every single
day of the year, including weekends. Sometimes it may be something
simple, like a video that showcases something fun and sometimes it may
be a movie poster that embraces the aesthetic we all want Hollywood to
aspire to. Sometimes it may be a long-winded diatribe. Sometimes it’ll
be from the staff and extended family of CHUD.com. Maybe even you
readers can get in on it. So, take this to the bank. Every day, you will
get a little bit of positivity from one column a day here. Take it with
you. Maybe it’ll help you through a bad day or give folks some fun
things to hunt down in their busy celluloid digesting day.

10.2.10
by Elisabeth Rappe Author Page  Twitter Page Facebook Page

What I’m Thankful For

Lalo Schifrin

Would Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood, or Bruce Lee be as cool without Schifrin’s quick, jazzy beats? Probably.  But they were only helped out by Schifrin’s soundtracks, which not only set the stage for their cool personas, but told you what you were in for. This is not a highbrow or snooty movie. This is not a movie about weak or indecisive people.  This is a movie about men. Lean men, doing violent things, but only in pursuit of justice.  In other words, you’re about to watch an unforgettably kick ass movie.

At least that’s what the title tracks of Bullitt, Enter the Dragon, and Dirty Harry say to me.  Perhaps they speak differently to you.  (I’ve left Cool Hand Luke off that list, because his theme is a little more folksy and sad. But it still packs a tough kick.)

Schifrin scored some of the most iconic movies of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1970s. He bounced easily from genre to genre — THX 1130, The Amityville Horror, and The Four Musketeers sit comfortably among all his action and thriller scores. If you think he could only do “one thing” and that one thing was ’70s jazz, check out the score to The Four Musketeers. It’s full of adventure, trumpets, and Restoration styling.

But for me, it’s all about the 1970s badass themes.  They define an era, and further underscore the fact they just don’t make ’em like they used to.  My favorite is and will always be (surprise surprise) Dirty Harry. It’s a simple theme, and not really hummable, but it’s the perfect accompaniment to Callahan’s unflappable stride.  It’s flashy, like the .44 Magnum he carries. But it’s a theme that, once slowed, also speaks to his isolation and despair.  Callahan is really a miserable and lonely guy underneath the steel, and the strings of the End Credits tell you everything you need to know about his demons and inner conflict. It’s character work all on its own.  Good stuff.

This Main Title track is actually my ringtone, not that I really feel cool enough to use it.


And just because it’s Saturday, here’sMagnum Forceand the hands of Eastwood.Download it to your iPod, get outside, and jog to this one. Remember to wear your sunglasses, and scowl once and awhile.