New Score in The Legend? (1 Viewer)

[JasonKrol]

Hey,

Legend with Tom Cruise is one of my favorite movies of all time. Im very very excited for the Ultimate Ed coming in May. But the one thing Im wondering is about the new Original Score. I havent seen this movie in quite some time but the one thing that stands out was how eerie and cool the music was. I see that this new version contains the original directors cut with original score in addition to the theatrical cut with Tangerine Dream score. Im wondering if the scores are that much different that they are almost 2 separate movies.

Basically Im wondering if Im going to be dissappointed with the Directors Version because of the original score?

Thanks!!

(cant wait for this movie!! - with either score!!)

 

[Bill McA]

Both the Tangerine Dream and the Jerry Goldsmith scores are available on CD and tape...check them out!

 

[cafink]

I've only seen the European version of the film (I hadn't seen it before but bought the DVD based on the great word-of-mouth), so I can't personally comment on the differences, but I understand that they're completely different in style. My girlfriend is a big fan of the film, and she tells me that she much prefers the American score.

I'm just glad that the upcoming disc has BOTH versions. Everybody is happy!

 

[Dick]

I'm not a big fan of Tangerine Dream (flame shield up), but I did have the score album for Legend and thought it was their best work (not saying much). However, I also own the Goldsmith score, and find it to be superlative - atmospheric, beautiful, often strange and mystical - just the way a score for this movie should be. I can't wait to see LEGEND with this score beneath it..I'm sure I will appreciate the film as I never have before.

 

[Sarah S]

I'm just glad that the dvd is supposed to have both scores so the Tangerine/Goldsmith wars can end.

 

[Bryan Tuck]

Jason,

The Goldsmith score is actually the original original score. I think that the Dream's music is effective in some places, but overall, Goldsmith's is much more appropriate for the film. I grew up with the American version of Legend, but I'm really looking forward to the director's cut, because it will finally be a chance to see it the way it was originally intended. The European release was also heavily cut (including some horrible edits in the music), so this should be cool. I'm also glad that both the DC and the US version will be on the DVD.

Hope that helps a bit.

 

[Steve Christou]

If it didn't have Jerry Goldsmith's original score on the director's cut I would have had second thoughts about buying it, one of Goldsmith's greatest scores, and one of my most played soundtrack cds.

For the US release the original score was replaced with Tangerine Dreams score, supposedly to appeal to the American youth market, and the irony was that TD's music was far too twee (love that word)and flutey, compared to Jerry's rich majestic score, it was all for nowt the film still bombed at the US box office.

 

[Tim_Prasuhn]

Jerry Goldsmith has stated on many occasions that his Legend score is his personal favorite. Glad we can (will) finally hear it in context.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

I love the Tangerine Dream score but wish the american cut had her singing to the unicorn...that part of the goldsmith score should *never* have been cut from the american version.

Glad we'll have both films now!

(just wish *both* were in 5.1...bummer that the american one will be 2.0 only)

 

[JasonKrol]

thanks for all of the info!

DaViD Boulet: are you sure that the american is only 2.0? Thats horrible!! I guess the DTS thats listed is for the Directors Cut version. At least, I thought the disk had DTS. But makes sense, dont see how they could fit 2 versions of the movie in DTS on 1 disk! (or even 2 with all of the supplemental features added too)

ohh well. I still cant wait for this movie to arrive!!

 

[Sam Hatch]

I agree with David -- that the Tangerine Dream score is great but losing the Princess' unicorn serenade is a negative aspect of the US version's soundtrack.
I've been living with both cuts of the film for a while now and despite the fact that the Goldsmith score feels a part of the film now, it still can't top Tangerine Dream's effort. They built an all-encompassing mood for each scene, instead of schizophrenically leaping from 'good-guy-cue' to 'bad-guy-cue' as Jerry often does. Personally, I think his work on 'Total Recall' is ten times better than his Legend score.
And while the flutes and Jon Anderson bits from TD's work may sound 'twee', so is a big part of the film itself. The music centering around Darkness is some pretty dark (natch), atmospheric stuff. And that's another part where Jerry drops the ball -- in the latter half of the film he doesn't seem to be trying anymore. The dance with the 'black dress' is one scene in particular where Tangerine Dream excel. Jerry backs it with a mediocre ballroom overture, while TD brought the scene to life with a creepy music-box theme. And Goldsmith's score can't even touch what TD does with the entrance of Darkness himself, with that great ominous chanting.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. TD set up an ambient mood similar to what Vangelis did for Blade Runner. Goldsmith pumped out a score that sounds very reminiscent of most of his early to mid-80's work. Maybe it plays better on compact disc than in the film itself.
And another thing -- every mention in print about Tangerine Dream's score brushes it off as 'teen-pop' since it was supposedly geared towards kids. Does the inclusion of synthesizers automatically categorize it as kiddie music? Then what about the aforementioned Blade Runner score? How is that considered 'adult' when Tangerine Dream's incredible work on Legend is consistently pooh-poohed? Even if some suit did think that, and even if it does accompany a lesser cut of the film -- it's sublime material! And personally, I don't remember too many of my teen friends 'rocking out' to Tangerine Dream albums at the time. Maybe if Duran Duran had done the score they may have had a point. But hell, I never hear anything similar about Toto's work on Dune! How did they get away with it?
Just because Jerry's music was the 'original' doesn't necessarily make it the better of the two. So my tirade over, I now will play the hypocrite and head to the HT for a viewing of the euro cut DVD with the Goldsmith score!

 

[Bryan Tuck]

And that's another part where Jerry drops the ball -- in the latter half of the film he doesn't seem to be trying anymore.

Remember, as I said above, Goldsmith's score in the European cut is almost as butchered as the film itself. Cues are repeated, hacked together, and completely replaced in some places by music from Psycho II. There's even a cue from a different composer (can't remember the scene or the name).
I agree with you that the Dream's score is better than it's reputation would suggest, but comparing it with Silva's CD release of Goldsmith's score, I just find his music more appropriate for the original intention of the film.
I think Goldsmith originally scored the 125-minute rough cut, so the 113-minute director's cut may still have some cuts in the music, but surely not any as bad as those in the 94-minute Euro cut. In fact, I feel that overall, the 89-minute American cut of Legend is actually a better edit than the Euro version. And part of why it feels that way is that the Dream's music is more cohesive than the hacksaw-edited version of Jerry's.
Anyway, most of my info comes from the Legend FAQ website at http://www.figmentfly.com/legend/index.shtml. It's a great site; anyone interested in the film should check it out.

 

[RickardL]

Well, even Ridley Scott himself says that the TD music

was a mistake:

"I went to Berlin and did the score with Tangerine Dream. In three weeks they did an incredible job, but it was completely different. It was a driving, more modern way to go, and given what they did in the time, I thought they did a fantastic job. On reflection, it was the wrong thing to do, and the first score [by Jerry Goldsmith] was what it should be, which is what we,ve got on this disc."

I have not seen the US version yet, only the original European version with Goldsmith's score and allthough

I am a big fan of TD and I have heard the (Legend) music

on CD, I can't even imagine how it would work with

a movie like Legend. TD has done some really good scores,

like they did for The Keep which was a quite bad movie

but the music made it watchable.

 

[Kevin M]

Is it just me or does Ridley Scott just bend all over for the studios? He never seems to stand up for his work......I'm sort of kidding...sort of. :frowning:

 

[Veli-Matti Reitti]

I personally haven't seen the movie but i've heard a great deal of it and most of it has been positive.
I notice everyone i looking forward of getting the new UEVD including myself. Can someone tell just what is so great about the movie?
I really can comment on the score since i've never seen the movie but i guess the Ultimate edition is going to extraordinary in any case.

 

[Martin S]

>>>>>The dance with the 'black dress' is one scene in particular where Tangerine Dream excel. Jerry backs it with a mediocre ballroom overture, while TD brought the scene to life with a creepy music-box theme.>>>>>>>

I guess to each his own but I nearly spilt my coffee reading this!!

I like Tangerine Dream's effort but Jerry's "black dress waltz" blows Tangerine Dream's electronic twiddelings out of the water. Their piece builds up to... absolutely nothing whilst Jerry's delivers the punch.

Similarly Jerry's music for the big fight at the end is awesome. Tangerine Dream's is barely noticeable above the sound efx.

Can't wait for this DVD!!!!!!

 

[RickardL]

What's so great about the movie?

The first time I saw in theatres in 1985, I was kind of disappointed.

But the movie has grown on me since then.

For me, the outstanding things about the movie are

- the Jerry Goldsmith score

- the scenery and atmosphere of the movie

- the characters: Darkness, Gump, Blix, Screwball, etc

- actors: Tim Curry, Mia Sara and David Bennent

- and the story; truly a faerie tale

 

[Dharmesh C]

As far as I'm concerned, Legend with Goldsmith score is the only version of the film I want to see. The Tangerine score is not the original version, it's almost as bad as going back and redoing the f/x of Star Wars.