Classic Movie Themes: Game of Death
Game of Death was Bruce Lee’s fourth Hong Kong martial arts movie. Due to the success of his previous films he found himself in a position where he could finally write and direct a project himself. Filmed in late 1972 and early 1973, the film was put on hold midway through production when Hollywood offered him a starring role in Enter the Dragon. He died shortly after completing the US backed movie that made him an international star, so Game of Death remained unfinished. Several years later the rights to the raw footage were sold and recycled for a new movie, that kept the name but bore little resemblance to Lee’s original vision. For most of Game of Death, Kim Tai-jong and Yuen Biao double for Bruce Lee and it is only in the final act that audiences actually get to see about 12 minutes of material that he shot himself. The 1978 release of Game of Death, directed by Robert Clouse, is a mess but remains a cinematic curiosity. The scenes which genuinely feature Bruce Lee are outstanding, even in an abridged form.
Game of Death was Bruce Lee’s fourth Hong Kong martial arts movie. Due to the success of his previous films he found himself in a position where he could finally write and direct a project himself. Filmed in late 1972 and early 1973, the film was put on hold midway through production when Hollywood offered him a starring role in Enter the Dragon. He died shortly after completing the US backed movie that made him an international star, so Game of Death remained unfinished. Several years later the rights to the raw footage were sold and recycled for a new movie, that kept the name but bore little resemblance to Lee’s original vision. For most of Game of Death, Kim Tai-jong and Yuen Biao double for Bruce Lee and it is only in the final act that audiences actually get to see about 12 minutes of material that he shot himself. The 1978 release of Game of Death, directed by Robert Clouse, is a mess but remains a cinematic curiosity. The scenes which genuinely feature Bruce Lee are outstanding, even in an abridged form.
Game of Death was marketed to capitalise on Lee’s international fame and appeal. Due to his iconic status it was packaged in a comparable idiom to a Bond film. Hence the opening credits to Game of Death are lurid and literal; very much like the work of Maurice Binder on the various James Bond movies. And then there is the score by John Barry that lends a certain classy ambience to the proceedings. The main theme is brassy, sumptuous and oozes style in the same way that Barry brought those qualities to the 007 franchise. Variations of this cue are subsequently used during all the major fight scenes in the film. Musically it works best with the footage in the film’s climax which was shot by and features Lee himself. The presence of such a noted film composer elevates the status of Game of Death, despite its many flaws. However, the Catonese and Mandarin dialogue versions of the movie feature an alternative soundtrack by Joseph Koo, who was an established composer in the Hong Kong movie industry.
The complete soundtrack for Game of Death was recently released by Silva Screen and also includes the score for Roger Vadim’s Night Games from 1980. The soundtrack contains all major cues featured in the film along with the song “Will This Be The Song I'll Be Singing Tomorrow” performed by Colleen Camp, who also starred in the film. I suspect it was hoped that this number would do well on the strength of the movie but it is far from memorable with its overly fastidious lyrics and melancholy tone. Here is the main title theme which underpins Game of Death. It is instantly recognisable as a John Barry compositions, as it exhibits all his musical hallmarks. It is far more grandiose in its scope than the quirky scores of Bruce Lee’s earlier work. If Lee had lived perhaps the Hollywood studios would have attempted to pigeonhole him into more sub Bond style movies as Game of Death strives to. Irrespective of such idle speculation, John Barry’s work remains as iconic as Lee himself and effortless reflects his charisma and physical prowess.
Classic Movie Themes: Starcrash
Starcrash is a shameless Italian Star Wars knock off from 1979. The movie is regarded by some critics as a campy B film with cheap special effects that falls into the “so bad its good” category. Directed by exploitation cinema veteran Luigi Cozzi, Starcrash stars ex-Bond girl Caroline Munro (The Spy Who Loved Me) as Stella Star. She spends most of the film wearing very little as she cavorts around the galaxy with her trusty sidekick, Akton (Marjoe Gortner). The plot is derivative even by genre standards and boasts some staggering inane dialogue. For example, "You know, my son, I wouldn't be Emperor of the Galaxy if I didn't have a few powers at my disposal. Imperial Battleship, halt the flow of time!" and then there’s "Look, Amazon women on horseback. I hope they're friendly".
Starcrash is a shameless Italian Star Wars knock off from 1979. The movie is regarded by some critics as a campy B film with cheap special effects that falls into the “so bad its good” category. Directed by exploitation cinema veteran Luigi Cozzi, Starcrash stars ex-Bond girl Caroline Munro (The Spy Who Loved Me) as Stella Star. She spends most of the film wearing very little as she cavorts around the galaxy with her trusty sidekick, Akton (Marjoe Gortner). The plot is derivative even by genre standards and boasts some staggering inane dialogue. For example, "You know, my son, I wouldn't be Emperor of the Galaxy if I didn't have a few powers at my disposal. Imperial Battleship, halt the flow of time!" and then there’s "Look, Amazon women on horseback. I hope they're friendly".
However, despite poor miniature effects and cheap stop motion monsters, Starcrash has a curious cast of quality character actors. Christopher Plummer and Joe Spinell both allegedly accepted their respective roles simply to get a free holiday in Rome. Starcrash also features a top-notch soundtrack by the legendary John Barry. The score certainly has a Bond vibe, sharing more than a little in common with Moonraker which was composed shortly afterwards. The main theme is suitably grandiose and as it develops picks up a subtle disco beat reflecting the times. Overall, it’s a far better soundtrack than the film deserves and is its only truly redeeming quality. Michael Giacchino’s main theme for Rogue One has an interesting passing similarity to Barry’s work on Starcrash, although I consider this more to be a homage than plagiarism.
Classic Movie Themes: The Black Hole
The Black Hole was a major gamble for Disney back in 1979 as they tried to capitalise of the post Star Wars sci-fi boom. Although audiences are still split over the strange mix of anthropomorphic robots, armchair philosophising and the one of the most metaphysical endings ever filmed, John Barry's score is universally praised. It features all his hallmark musical signatures and greatly embellishes the on-screen action with its stately and portentous style. There is also a substantial amount of music, with over an hour of cues for the ninety eight minute running time. This was the second space themed score that Barry wrote that year, the first being Moonraker, the eleventh Bond film.
The Black Hole was a major gamble for Disney back in 1979 as they tried to capitalise of the post Star Wars sci-fi boom. Although audiences are still split over the strange mix of anthropomorphic robots, armchair philosophising and the one of the most metaphysical endings ever filmed, John Barry's score is universally praised. It features all his hallmark musical signatures and greatly embellishes the on-screen action with its stately and portentous style. There is also a substantial amount of music, with over an hour of cues for the ninety eight minute running time. This was the second space themed score that Barry wrote that year, the first being Moonraker, the eleventh Bond film.
The "main title" theme for The Black Hole is in some ways one of the most compelling and grand themes crafted by veteran composer John Barry. It has an ominous majesty to it with its off-kilter waltz. It’s a skillful blending of orchestra with synthesisers which was quite an innovative style at the time. It has an altogether eerie ambience that neatly sets the tone for the movie, which was quite a bold experimental piece of studio cinema. Barry did not make the mistake of simply trying to replicate the grandeur of John Williams Star Wars theme but instead constructs something far more Gothic.
“Durant is Dead,” is a major shift in musical cue and it clearly signals the start of the movies climatic third act. Its pounding brass and substantial rhythm is unmistakably Barry. Once again the piece has a sinister overtone, forcing the audience to contemplate the fact that the heroes may not be able to avert disaster and events may not end well. It is important to remember that this was a Disney production so the target audience more than likely came to the theatre with clear preconceptions regarding style and tone. Barry's skill as a composer contributed to standing those notions on their head.