Bill Wrobel's DVD - Film Score Rundowns

sheep, and then more horses were scared. Now it’s the chickens! They are so scared that
they are literally flying yards away --or, as we suspect, is it a worker tossing them
chickens way, way out?! (seen also in the early scene in Jack the Giant Killer when the
chicken flies out because of the approaching giant in Jack’s farm! One chicken towards
the end pretty much fell on its head it was so scared. My wife got a chuckle out of that
general scene too! I’m sure a lot of people chuckled, especially with all that serious &
suspenseful music playing in the background!
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-Dante’s Peak (1997) *** 1/2 [music ***]
http://www.amazon.com/Dantes-Peak-Pierce-
Brosnan/dp/0783225547/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1292889349&sr=1-1
I like this disaster movie filmed in Idaho and California. I will not give it a tepid
review, although it is no hot classic. It jolts better than Earthquake for instance. Except
for a few isolated quick moments, there are no gory blood/burn scenes, no extreme
brutality and violence between people (as in Cliffhanger). I like the casting of Pierce
Brosnan as the principal star/hero, and Linda Hamilton is quite fine. Incidentally, she
does not get terminated at the end of the movie! There are predictable been-there-sawthat-before
plot devices in this movie. This includes Brosnan trying to convince the town
that there is a real danger here (remember this device used in Jaws?). Obstinate grandma
remaining in the nearly inaccessible cabin up the mountain was very irritating. I’d say,
she made her (lava) bed so let her lie in it! Otherwise it is an easy-to-digest popcorn
movie, rather mild-mannered despite the exploding volcano and lava! I liked the pretty
scenery, the town, the often relaxed and quiet scenes. The movie doesn’t fray your
nerves or scorch your sensitivities. I like the commentary by Director Roger Donaldson
and I believe the effects supervisor. You learn a lot here.
-Jurassic Park III (2001) ***
http://www.amazon.com/Jurassic-Park-III-Widescreen-
Collectors/dp/B00003CXXS/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1292889918&sr=1-1
-Band of Angels (1957) ** 1/2 [music ***]
http://www.amazon.com/Band-Angels-Clark-
Gable/dp/B00005JP4J/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1292890009&sr=1-1
I have discussed this okay (middle-drawer) score for a weak movie in my online
paper, Max Steiner Potpourri” located at:
http://www.filmscorerundowns.net/steiner/potpourri.pdf
The only reason to purchase the dvd is to listen to Max Steiner’s music. The
movie itself is largely forgettable despite Clark Gable and Sidney Poitier. I am being
generous giving it a two-star (and a half) rating! Yvonne DeCarlo is not very good in this
picture, too over-the-top with her constant and annoying protestations, not very
believable, miscast, no chemistry with the star, out of her league or depth with the other
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