[Thor Joachim Haga]

– Zanussi/Kilar
– Wajda/Kilar
– Polanski/Kilar

Leave it to Kilar to work with some of the most interesting Polish directors. I don’t think I’ve seen a single Zanussi film. Embarassing. But I’ve heard about A WOMAN’S DECISION. For Wajda, I’ve seen PROMISED LAND, which has an uneasy Kilar score. PAN TADEUSZ is also good. For Polanski, it’s easier. THE NINTH GATE is easily my favourite of their work together, followed by DEATH AND A MAIDEN (but that’s mostly Schubert anyway). Should give THE PIANIST another chance one of these days, it didn’t really impress back when it came out.

Christopher Young and Jon Amiel

Interesting choice. I have a soft spot for THE CORE – the film. The music is good too, but rather overbearing on the too-long album. Needs whittling. The best score to come out of an Amiel film was Elfman’s SOMMERSBY anyway.

but more of a composer/producer collaboration is Jerry Goldsmith/Andrew Vajna

Yes, unusual choice with the producer rather than director. FIRST BLOOD is a masterpiece. And MEDICINE MAN, TOTAL RECALL and THE 13TH WARRIOR. They all feature high on my Goldsmith list. Looking him up on Wiki, appears he worked on many films with great scores, also beyond Goldsmith.

Producer Donald Borchers worked 10 times with Jonathan Elias.

CHILDREN OF THE CORN is a classic. Love VAMP. But TWO MOON JUNCTION stands above them all, one of the best erotica scores ever.

Another collaboration that was not named yet was Emir Kusturica and Goran Bregovic.

It’s a classic collaboration, but it gets a little TOO intense with the folk music and the Romani stylings for my taste.

Mauro Bolognini leads the way with 15 films, which I’d say is probably an underrated relationship, given that the ones that immediately spring to mind are Leone (6) and Tornatore (13). If you think about it a bit more, you may alight on Pasolini (8), Corbucci (7) and Argento (5)

All great! My favourite Morricone for each is: Leone – ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, Pasolini – TEOREMA (but hefty dissonance, my favourite Pasolini is IL VANGELO SECONDO MATTEO, and that’s Bacalov), Corbucci – IL GRANDE SILENZIO, Argento – THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMMAGE (but again, dissonance goes over my head, I veer more towards Goblin for this particular director).

After Leone, however, my favourite might just be Elio Petri, with seven films in common with Ennio. Definitely underrated, in my opinion.

There’s something “stark” about the Petri works that I’ve always had trouble getting into, but THE WORKING CLASS GOES TO HEAVEN has some good stuff. I even heard bits from this in one of the Morricone concerts I attended.

From relatively highbrow Italian films to the ridiculous, Gerald Thomas and Eric Rogers worked together on 22 Carry On films (if you include “Don’t Lose Your Head” and “Follow That Camel”; otherwise 20).

I know the CARRY ON films are huge in Britain. Never seen a single one or heard their scores. What is it about these that makes them such a big deal over there, I wonder?