Jones' restrained, minimalistic approach - single piano hits, rising and falling over an ominous bass drone - adds a menacing edge to the sequence, effectively suggesting how dangerous Roy's behaviour is. Grieving in the aftermath of Kilvinski's suicide, Roy hits the bottle, secretly drinking on duty whenever he can. Kilvinski goes inside and - after making a seemingly innocuous phone call to Roy - he shoots himself. Jones colours this short portentous cue with queasy electronics, hinting that something is very wrong with the retired cop. In one of the film's most atmospheric shots, an unhappy Kilvinski stands on his apartment's balcony and watches the Los Angeles skyline as the rising sun bathes it in a sickly yellow light. This faintly sleazy source cue features flute jamming along with loud percussion and electric and bass guitar. Wah-wah guitar, cowbell percussion, brass exclamations and a driving bass riff combine to make a conventional shootout appear more exciting than it really is.Īfter Kilvinski announces his retirement, he joins Roy in a raunchy bar where an "exotic dancer" struts her stuff on stage. Jones' first full-blown action material is unleashed as Kilvinsky stalks a pair of bank robbers in a parking lot. Jones magnifies the shocking image of Roy being blasted backwards by using a brutal chord on low end piano, and then he scores Roy's numb descent into unconsciousness with a disorientating blend of orchestra and electronics. Roy tries to protect an innocent bystander from a nearby robbery in progress, but it turns out he's actually the getaway driver and he shoots Roy in the stomach. Jones delivers a somber, unsettling cue, and although it's not immediately recognisable, "Roy's Theme" is first heard here in a very slow, hesitant arrangement. Scott) as they patrol the seedier streets of Hollywood.Īfter an argument, Roy and Dorothy discuss their marital problems in their garden. Strangely, we don't get to hear any Quincy Jones music here - it's scored with a warm instrumental version of the popular Carole King song "It's Too Late" (presumably arranged by Jones himself).Ī number of groovy/funky source cues (quickly crossfading in and out) accompany Roy and his experienced older partner Kilvinski (George C. Their marriage is fairly happy at this point, although that will soon change as the pressures of police work increasingly impact on Roy. Roy (Stacy Keach) returns home and talks to his wife Dorothy (Jane Alexander). ROY'S HOME (Instrumental of "It's Too Late" by Carole King and Toni Stern) Possibly they were intended to be longer and shortened editorially - we'll probably never know since the Blu Ray gives us only the short film versions.Ġ3. All of these cues last just a few seconds - they are dialled out quickly when the characters start to speak. Virtually every time we see a police patrol car cruising down LA streets, Jones uses a percussive, funky riff to underscore it. It would have been interesting to hear an original Quincy Jones composition for this, but instead the filmmakers used the Sousa march. Stacy Keach plays the idealistic Roy, who will get the lion's share of screen time his buddies are Gus (Scott Wilson) and a pre-CHIPs Erik Estrada as Sergio. The three young cop protagonists are seen in a training montage at the Police Academy. MAIN TITLE (The Washington Post March by John Philip Sousa) The score was composed in the same year as THE HOT ROCK and THE GETAWAY, and never released on LP or CD.Ġ1. It's in mono, and needed lots of volume dips correcting. This is my rip of the isolated score on the Twilight Time blu ray.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |