Conan the Barbarian (1982) - A brief soundtrack review

Not many people really equate Conan the Barbarian to class. But that is probably because they label it as a "Schwarzenegger vehicle", dismiss it as a movie "for guys who like movies" and move on. Oh, they don't know what they are missing! The outstanding soundtrack aside, it really is a very well-made movie.

I believe that the only movies I've watched with music composed by Basil Poledouris are Conan the Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer. I am not sure how much Schwarzenegger and the rest of the cast appreciated Basil's efforts after filming but the soundtrack is definitely one that even Crom, for once in his life, would bow to. For brevity, I have only listed the five tracks that I listen to most often.

5. Riddle of Steel/Riders of Doom

Watching the visuals when this track is played is sure to get the hair at the nape of your neck stand on end...and the prime reason why the opening sequences in Saving Private Ryan (1998) and Gladiator (2000) didn't impress me...as much as those two were very well-made movies indeed.



4. Theology/Civilization

I don't recall in which segment of the movie this track is played but many would feel that the sometimes cheerful nature of the track does not quite reflect the grit that is the rest of the movie.



3. The Atlantean Sword

I believe the pictures in this video are from Age of Conan, the PC game. This mostly brooding track conjures up visions of magic and sorcery more so than any other from the soundtrack. A third of the way into the track, there gathers a very strong feeling of melancholy. Overall there develops an impending sense of something significant in the air, a drastic change of sorts.



2. Theme (Anvil of Crom)

The theme is majestic, draws you in with gutsy, warmongering chords and winds down with a surprisingly serene sense of direction...reminiscent of a father who toils under the sun and, at the end of the day, comes home to play with his son. And the way the track switches back and forth between the booming bass of a horn and the feminine chorals of violins is simply fantastic!



1. The Orgy

In my opinion, the abolutely best piece of soundtrack ever recorded for a movie. 'nuff said!

The little gray sock

One night this past winter, I found a little gray sock in my laundry. I picked it up and gazed at it for a while. It must have been left behind in the dryer by a neighbor. I can't quite think of who it might belong to as almost everyone I know in my building is almost as tall or taller than me - I may or may not find that exciting - and the little gray sock looked like it belonged on a kid. Maybe one of my neighbors was visited by a young niece or nephew for a few days and the kid left behind the little gray sock. Anyway, dormant emotions came to the fore on seeing the little gray sock. So I composed a little poem...about the little fella.


The lonesome little fella...

Ah mi dear little gray sock,
Ye gave me quite a shock.
And as thee made mi gawk,
Mi realized that thee totally rock.

World Class Eggs

Do you like eggs?

Hi!

Well, try this "recipe" then:

1. First hard-boil your eggs. I use a steamer for this purpose.
2. Next, in low-medium heat, prepare a nonstick skillet with your choice of oil. I use 1/2 tbsp coconut oil for 4 eggs.
3. Once the oil heats up, throw in a bit of salt, freshly ground black pepper, turmeric and move the oil around until there is an almost uniform distribution of spices in the skillet. I use 1/4 tsp of turmeric and about the same of pepper.
4. Next place the eggs (with their shells removed) in the skillet. Keep moving and rotating the eggs around in the skillet to prevent any one area of the egg getting burnt. For ensuring a better application of oil and spices on the eggs, use your finger. And remember: its your finger! You can do what you want with it!
5. After 1.5 to 2 minutes or once the oil and spices have completely wrapped around the eggs, remove from the pan and serve. You might find that the thicker part of the egg has more oil and spices to it.

You could stop here...

Or you could take it a delicious step further!

This has got to make a healthy breakfast!

Last Post - 2008

Well, I got a few things to take care of this winter like getting a technical certification and concentrating on ski season training. And with more hours of planned sleep every day, I have decided that something needs to give. I also tend not to socialize much during winter preferring to spend most of my time by myself. No dating either since I can't be bothered with putting on nice winter clothing and taking long walks in city streets in winter. This is my last post for this year. Here is some food for thought until my first post next year:

This is half a week's worth of shopping. A second trip to the market will be to buy chicken, vegetables and more fruit. I use eggnog instead of cottage cheese for a couple of months out of the year. I also prefer heavy cream to that half-and half stuff. The white package is wild salmon. I like to cook fish the same day I get it as I don't like storing fish in the fridge. So I make 2 to 3 trips a week to the market just to buy fish. Alright, so there is some stuff in there that is not organic.

Fish and vegetables washed down with some plantation rum: my flagship recipe!


Breakfast stuff including some piping hot PG Tips' tea.


Bison hamburger with sauteed onions and mushrooms. No cheese. I prefer eating cheese by itself.


Roast chicken and eggs.

Roast chicken and vegetables.

Roast chicken and rice.

Of course, I could always get stuff from the food court in Faneuil Hall, a five minute walk from my house, if I don't feel like cooking at home. Here we see lamb kabobs from a Greek shop in the food court. I wouldn't have minded a little more meat and a little less rice though.

This blog will now go on hiatus until next spring...

Quantum of Solace (A brief movie review)

Opening Sequence

One of the most anticipated moments in a Bond movie is its opening sequence. In Quantum of Solace (QoS), the opening sequence is a continuation of where Casino Royale (2006) left off. As it played out, I yawned. Then the opening credits and the song accompanying it came on. The main reason why I developed a liking to Chris Cornell's You know my name was because I enjoyed how the visuals in the opening credits for Casino Royale played out. That eventually led me to develop an ear for Chris Cornell's track. Not so here. In QoS, I didn't even attempt to figure out who the singer was. The visuals were rather flat and so I sat back with pursed lips. This has got to be the worst opening in a Bond movie. I yawned again.

Bond Girls

Gemma Arterton is forgettable. Her time on screen is so brief that I don't even remember if I had a chance to observe her..um..selling points. Her destiny, in the same mold as a former Bond girl from a much better Bond movie, isn't as impressive. The other Bond girl, Olga Kurylenko, impresses to an extent. She is more in the mold of Maryam d'Abo from The Living Daylights (1987) except Kurylenko knows what she is getting into once she is, figuratively speaking, in bed with Bond. Her accent, playing a South American character, is slightly uneven but admirable given Kurylenko is East European.

The Baddies

The baddie from Casino Royale has hardly any screen time and is forgettable. We just want him dead and done with so as to be able to see what the movie can do after that. Another baddie, a corrupt South American General (how original) is on-and-off menacing. The main baddie is a pussified version of a villain from any action movie and I was sorely disappointed.

The Plot

After a point, I stopped caring.

The Stunts

An airplane chase over no-man's land is the highlight of the movie. The other stunts are cursory, badly edited and didn't stay in my mind.

Daniel Craig

Craig had a memorable presence in Casino Royale. In QoS, his character is severely lacking and he speaks no memorable one-liners. I think that Daniel Craig will be a Bond who is only as good as the script and its pacing. Otherwise, a distinct lack of charm with his leading ladies (think Roger Moore) and flair for a playful sense of humour (Pierce Brosnan) stand out rather painfully.

Conclusion

It is obvious that the filmmakers were unsure as to how to continue with the franchise from where Casino Royale left of. Without the Bond brand, QoS would have been just another piece of disposable action entertainment.

RIP M.N.Nambiar

Know anyone who has acted with 7 generations of actors and starred in more than a 1,000 movies?



From the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7737798.stm

Anatomy of a scene

This is a repost of a post originally published on Crossroads back in June 2007. I am so busy at the moment at the office that I have not had much time to write.

"It was late afternoon as I pulled into my driveway and climbed out. The sun was warm and making its way toward the horizon. On a whim, I walked across the huge yard toward the rolling fields beyond the property line. I scurried over the freshly painted white fence and, with my hands on my hip, stood there taking in the lazy scene. The sky was a deep blue with wisps of milky white clouds passing by at a snail's pace. They had all the time in the world. A cockchafer went flying past me. I craned my neck to follow his flight path. He was moving fast and soon he was out of sight over a small hill overflowing with dandelions that were swaying gently to the breeze. It was a calm day but then it was always calm out here.

As I sunned, I slowly became acclimatized to the smells and sounds of the field. A slight but angry rustle nearby indicated that my presence had disturbed the slumbers of a small animal, perhaps a field mouse. Two butterflies were in earnest conversation a ways off. They seemed to tumble down a bit. They were in combat. Were they fighting for the love of a lady then? The distant warble of a purple martin seemed to add a layer of melancholy to their battle. One of them was destined to lose. I hoped that they were not brothers.

The sun was sinking lower in the sky and the breeze had picked up. The light had turned to a cooler blue. There was a faint hint of a familiar scent wafting down from a small hill yonder to my right: the fragrance of bur marigolds that I could not see. Maybe that cockchafer had a cousin who made her home amidst those marigolds. Had he been taking tea with her before he said his goodbyes and so ended up flying past me on his way home? Maybe it was time for me to be getting home too. I took one long earnest look around. Everything seemed to indicate that it was time to start settling in for the night. I turned and started waddling my way back home."