MovieChat Forums > Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga (1972) Discussion > Italian score vs Les Baxter score

Italian score vs Les Baxter score

posted 13 years ago by MikeJackKearney
6 replies | jump to latest

I've read several DVD reviews where the author will refer to the Les Baxter score as "inferior," and write AIP's addition off as just another stupid American company brutally mutilating a European classic. Well, I'm sorry, but the Italian score BLOWS! There's a reason why AIP hired Les Baxter to write a new one. The Stelvio Cipriani score is in no way "superior." It's a bunch of boring bongo drums and no suspense whatsoever. I'm sorry, I know everyone is trained from birth to think every American remake is "worse" than the original, or that any changes an American distributor makes to a foreign movie must automatically be half-assed and slipshod, and believe me, I enjoyed Mr. Cipriani's score to BAY OF BLOOD and CITY OF THE WALKING DEAD and other movies, but his music for BARON BLOOD just plain sucks. I don't care how Italian he is. It's awful.

[–] LJ27 12 years ago

I thought I was the only one who felt the same way. Les Baxter's score may be a tad over the top at times but at least it registers a pulse unlike the so-called "superior" score by Stelvio Cipriani. I didn't think much of Baxter's score until I bought the Image laserdisc with the Cipriani score praised by Tim Lucas and thought, "For a superior score, this isn't scary, suspenseful or anything." At that point, I thought Baxter's score was much better. I think the changes AIP made were probably for the best - and as far as gore, both the US and Italian versions seem to be exactly the same, other than the music, and the US version is a little tighter.

[–] prbronx5 12 years ago

Most of these Italian horror classics have awful scores. Listen to Tentacles or Suspiria. Awful. I know fans will say "you've gotta be crazy", but I just don't think that crappy rock music playing over people being butchered is scary.

[–] soultransfixion 11 years ago

Suspiria has one of the best horror soundtracks ever! Goblin is amazing.

But yes, scores from Italian films in the 70s are very hit-or-miss.

Learn to Swim.

[–] LJ27 11 years ago

I like the score to SUSPIRIA too as well as Goblin's DEEP RED.

[–] jimbodden 11 years ago

Which score is featured in the version available on Netflix Instant? Judging from what I read here, I think it is Baxter's?

[–] Ezreal 11 years ago

Since Netflix is largely playing the same versions as Epix, I'm pretty sure it's Baxter's.