Intrada Soundtrack Forum

In the 30-plus years of Intrada’s history, one particular soundtrack album has been requested for CD release as much as any other I can recall. This coming Tuesday it can finally be yours to enjoy. It’s certainly a classic, requiring a pair of licensors and several years of effort to make it happen. Two other soundtracks make new CD appearances as well, both written by composers extremely important to our history. One expands on an earlier half-score/half-song album, the other brings a magnificent, previously unreleased title out for the first time. All three new releases will be available this coming Tuesday, November 29th. Artwork, contents and sound samples will be posted on our site this Monday evening.

On a slightly related but sort of different note, the Blu-ray slate has been really exciting lately. If you keep up with movies on video, especially those with terrific scores, you’ll want to consider the following western gem: One-Eyed Jacks, on Criterion, known as the “Rolls-Royce” of Blu-ray/DVD labels. Marlon Brando stars and directs. Sam Peckinpah and Stanley Kubrick were both initially involved in this incredible picture but the directing reins ultimately went to Brando. How lucky we are to see what this most-gifted of all actors was able to do with his one-and-only time behind the camera, even if much of what he shot was tampered with by the studio prior to its 1961 release. With an outstanding score by Hugo Friedhofer, stunning Oscar-nominated cinematography by Charles Lang and one of Brando’s most nuanced and complex characterizations in a career filled with landmark portrayals, One-Eyed Jacks is tough, tender, violent, involved… and simply fascinating! With a 4K restoration and names like Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese attached to this newly-restored project, this one merits applause. In a slightly smaller league but still exciting for western fans with an interest in top drawer film music, check out 100 Rifles. From the incredibly prolific Kino Lorber label, the print is crisp and the feature-length commentary makes numerous mentions of Jerry Goldsmith’s outstanding score. And youngish Burt Reynolds even looks a little bit like Brando.