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[Scyther]

Here's a different one: what are some Eurocrime titles (or any title, really) that you really dig, but are really put off by the score?

I'll start with Young, Violent and Dangerous. The film is good, but almost ruined for me by Gianfranco Plenizio's weak score. The composer has done some good stuff (Cat in Heat, Django Strikes Again), but his folky take on this film really kills the momentum and hurts what the story is trying to achieve.

Thoughts?

[Inspector Tanzi]

I quite like the score myself.

[KommissarX]

Off the top of my head I'd say Umberto Smaila's score for La belva col mitra (1977). Haven't watched the film in a while, but I remember that the main theme, which is rather repetitive itself, was used so often it got annoying real quick.

[DjangoLi]

I Nomadi's "Mama Giustizia" is used about 500 times throughout "No, Il Caso e Felicemente Risolto" - If it wasn't such a great tune I'd say that was overkill - I mean it really is used in practically every scene (either the tune itself or a variation of it)

The song seemed to have done decent business back in the day and I Nomadi still play it at gigs after all these years. Co-written by Riz Ortolani, I believe.

Personally, I like it, but I can see someone saying it's a bit much...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5S69EjIzDk

Talking about bad songs that ruin the film? "Strange World" by Katya Ranieri, one of the opening songs in 'Banditi a Milano' almost springs to mind. Fantastic song - but damn! that is some seriously bad attempt at singing in English... it is WAY off key throughout. Again, though, it's saved by the fact that musical arrangement is actually very good, I mean, it IS a nice tune...

Something tells me Riz Ortolani probably got her the deal because she was his wife... or he didn't have a fucking clue she was singing completely out of tune.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EebS-U4fEiQ

Note: The original 7" pressing goes for quite a sum (around 30 - 40 euros) The Nomadi 7" isn't so expensive - look for the pressing with the theme from "La Ragazza di Via Condotti" on the b-side - it's cheaper than the picture sleeve issue (iirc)

[Scyther]

Off the top of my head I'd say Umberto Smaila's score for La belva col mitra (1977). Haven't watched the film in a while, but I remember that the main theme, which is rather repetitive itself, was used so often it got annoying real quick.

I haven't watched this one in a bit, but I remember liking the main theme, although that's the only Smaila score I think I've heard.

[Luca Canali]

I generally dislike any soundtrack by 'Lallo Gori who did Violence For Kicks & Battle of the Godfathers amongst others. Terrible scores for both of those.


re: the above comments - I actually think Beast With A Gun score is one of the best in the genre! Very John Carpenter-esque keyboard/synths, love it!

[Scyther]

I generally dislike any soundtrack by 'Lallo Gori who did Violence For Kicks & Battle of the Godfathers amongst others. Terrible scores for both of those.


re: the above comments - I actually think Beast With A Gun score is one of the best in the genre! Very John Carpenter-esque keyboard/synths, love it!

Lallo Gori's scores for those movies are cheap, indeed, but they have a certain charm for me, for some weird reason! They should release the Beast With a Gun score on CD, in my humble opinion.

[KommissarX]

They should release the Beast With a Gun score on CD, in my humble opinion.

Only if you promise to set your player to repeat all and rip out the stop button! 
Jesting aside, the main track is not bad at all, I'd probably shell out the money for a nice release myself. It was just the endless repetition with hardly any variation that made it rather annoying to me. I also like Cipriani's Rabid Dogs score musically, but again the main track is used far more often than I'd prefer. As DjangoLi mentioned there are lots of worse offenders in Italian movie scoring. I guess sometimes they just tried to hammer home their main theme hit singles or only had money for so and so much (library) music. But I suppose this is not the kind of example of bad scoring that you were looking for.

[DjangoLi]

Giving this thread some more thought - it isn't that easy to think of really bad scores... which is probably a good thing. But! I do have a contender, and I'd say it's pretty tough to beat: Arduino Sacco's "Rand Rover" - Seriously, it's like someone gave the director a cheap casio keyboard (of the toy variety) and let him have his way.

I defy anyone to come up with an Italian soundtrack that's worse than "Rand Rover"

I'd like to say it's a good film, but I'd be lying through my teeth - its only saving grace is how utterly bonkers it all is. I always thought the title was a mistranslation of 'Land Rover' but the film is actually based on a novel of the same name... or maybe they just screwed up twice? 

[Scyther]

They should release the Beast With a Gun score on CD, in my humble opinion.

Only if you promise to set your player to repeat all and rip out the stop button! 
Jesting aside, the main track is not bad at all, I'd probably shell out the money for a nice release myself. It was just the endless repetition with hardly any variation that made it rather annoying to me. I also like Cipriani's Rabid Dogs score musically, but again the main track is used far more often than I'd prefer. As DjangoLi mentioned there are lots of worse offenders in Italian movie scoring. I guess sometimes they just tried to hammer home their main theme hit singles or only had money for so and so much (library) music. But I suppose this is not the kind of example of bad scoring that you were looking for.

Haha. I love that Rabid Dogs main theme, so I don't personally have a problem with that sort of repetition. I've only seen Arduino Sacco's XXX flick with Paola Senatore, and THAT was really low budget, so I can only imagine what the Rand Rover score sounds like, haha.