Is the score. I love this film, I think the material is timeless, but the music makes it sound dated. Terrible score. I'm also not a big fan of the DVD box art, either. Looks too chintzy. Once again, this is me being picky. I think this is one of the best courtroom movies of all time. And does anyone else wish that Jack Warden was their crazy uncle?
shareYes, I couldn't agree more! I just saw this for the first time last night, and was blown away when brass-led 70's funk/pop started playing after the title appeared. The movie instantly changed moods, from one of foreboding to one very lighthearted. The same problem occurs several times, most noticeably when Al is in the park after McCullaugh gets shot. Jack Warden is great, as always, but nothing compares to All the President’s Men.
shareMan pacino was brilliant simply brilliant in the film but from the first time the score comes on i felt sick!! they should have redone this bigtime for the dvd release.the funny thing is normon praises it in the commentary!!!
"its a great scream" -BLOW OUT
[deleted]
I love soul music. This was not soul music. This sounded like Muzak pap. Soul music requires the musician to have one (a soul, that is).
"A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin." -H.L. Mencken
Just curious, what music would you prefer to redue the DVD with?
shareUntil I actually read your post it didn't even occur to me but now that I recall the film, you are absolutely correct that the music in this film is terrible. It sounds like the them music from some cop show from the late 60's and early 70's.
shareI don't recall having any thought on the music one way or the other. What's funny about film scores are the way you can instantly tell what decade a soundtrack came from. I think film music is one of those things where you have a few stand out composers, like (obviously) John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Maurice Jarre and John Barry who each are identifiable by their scores, and then everyone else who is inspired by them.
The 70s music is often what'd I'd call "quirky". A lot of it sounds like sitcom music. I prefer it to the electronic age of the 80s where it sounded like film scores were performed on a Casio do-it-yourself keyboard (I have a hard time with the score from "The Princess Bride").
I'll have to see (and hear) this film again and see what I think about the score.
Most of these "kids" here have no idea who Williams, Goldsmith, Jarre, and Barry are.
In the words of another Pacino character: "What do you know you've been watching MTV all your life".
You can guarantee if woodwinds and brass are involved, they're going to call it cheesy.
And as for the 70's detective shows. Many were scored by Quincy Jones or Marty Paich. Accomplished composers, who were well schooled in the jazz genre, and didn't learn their craft in their parents applified garage.
You took the words right out of my mouth. As soon as the music comes, I feel as though I am watching a 70s TV movie. The movie is still quite good despite the cheesy music, thanks to the terrific story and the actings.
shareITA that the music in this film was really horrible...the worst part of what is one of my favorite movies.
shareI was thinking the same thing. Watched the movie last night and thought the score stinked. Like something on a cheap TV show. A real shame for such a good movie.
shareI don't know what everybody's problem is with the score, I think they did a great job with everything when they made the movie.
shareI'm glad other people agree that the score in this movie is horrendous. I mentioned in another post that it sounded like something you would here in CHIPS. Fine movie and all, but the score is very embarrassing. I agree with FizzyGillespie about this music not being soul music. If they had used something like Al Green or Marvin Gaye, then fine, but the "soul" music used in this flick is the generic equivalent to Kenny G's "jazz".
shareI love this movie, and I had forgotten until just the other night when I watched it how awful the music is. Very dated, and cheesy at that. One of the worst scores I've heard in eons. The opening music made me cringe and laugh at the same time, I thought they would have changed it to update it for the DVD.
shareWorse than the score being crap is that it does not fit in any way. The film is a drama and a satire, but the score is too much and it doesn't work with the tone of the film or play off of it. None of the different covers I've seen are any good.
I think Jack Warden should have at least been nominated for an Oscar.
He kinda kisses like an adolescent
I agree. I loved this movie (and think Pacino should have won an Oscar for it), but I thought the music in this sounded like subpar disco. It also seemed really out of place with the mood of the movie. However, the majority of movies released in 1979 probably had disco music in them somewhere, heh.
shareI think to truly see how bad, Ill fitting and outdated the music was you have to look at some of the other films that came out that year:
Apocalypse Now
Alien
All That Jazz
The China Syndrome
Norma Rae
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Escape from Alcatraz
There were cheap, corny movies from earlier in that decade that might have had as bad a choice in soundtrack, but only one comes to mind:
Slapshot
One of my favorite comedies from back then. I think they must have gotten that Maxine nightingale song for cheap, because they repeated it throughout the movie.
The movie was being filmed in 1978 for 1979 release.
SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER soundtrack with it's disco sound was selling big time so I'm sure they wanted to go for soulful disco sound.
I saw this movie when it first came out and that kind of music was always used in tv shows and action movies mostly. Even though I was a disco queen I hated that fake disco music. But now it bothers me less and it adds to the film because it goes along with the clothes and scenery. And it has some jazzy music which is pretty good, which I did not appriciate at the time. I wonder who did the music. What I hate the most now is Jeffrey Tambors over the top acting.
shareThis is so true, this movie is so dated because of the score.
As said before, its like a cop tv show of the 70's. This movie deserves better.
Fantastic movie even with this score.
Im not saying the lyrics or music is not good when the movie was released. But now it sounds not right.
It wasn't like he was a second rate composer. I looked up who did the score because it sounded more jazzy then I remember and when I saw it was Dave Grusin I knew why He is a very repected Jazz artis, producer and TV and Movie composer he has won 10 Grammy awards and a Oscar. So he is about the best you can get. The phony disco music was bad but the rest was very good. When I saw he was nominated for The Firm and that music is very similer.
shareIn those days people probably didnt even think the music was bad. But its just when I see it now, its so clearly a movie from the past and the only real reason is the music. It sounds horrible now but back then, he composed it right I guess (for most scenes).
shareExactly. At the time the music made more sense but now it is dated, the phony disco music was horrble. I heard that they do not make movie scores really for our musical pleasure but more to move the movie along. But the jazzy spots in the movie are very good
shareDave Grusin did the score. A well respected jazz composer. The score is jazz with a disco beat. I could have done without the disco, but otherwise I like the score.
My sense is that most viewers here have a lack of exposure to jazz, and therefore don't like the score.