WINTER 2008
KEEPING SCORE:
LALO SCHIFRIN
FEBRUARY 12-13
Northwest Film Forum’s annual "Keeping Score" series celebrates cinema's greatest composers. This year we focus our attention on the extraordinary contributions of legendary Argentinean pianist, composer and conductor Lalo Schifrin. He's written over 100 scores for film and television since the early 1960s, among them COOL HAND LUKE, BULLITT, THE FOX, ENTER THE DRAGON, THX 1138, DIRTY HARRY, and most famously, the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE theme. Schifrin’s tremendous ability to blend classical, jazz and popular music forms has gained him the admiration of veteran cinephiles and composers as well as a new generation of djs. Join us for special 35mm screenings of the two classic films for which Schifrin is best known
(NOTE: The previously announced event with Lalo Schifrin in person has been cancelled.)
Sponsored by Easy Street Records and KBCS 91.3 FM
FEB 12, Tuesday at 9pm; FEB 13, Wednesday at 6:30pm
KEEPING SCORE: LALO SCHIFRIN
COOL HAND LUKE
Sponsored by Sherman Clay Pianos, Easy Street Records and KBCS 91.3 FM
(Stuart Rosenberg, USA, 1967, 35mm, 126 min)
Lalo Schifrin’s Oscar-nominated score for the classic late-60s ode to nonconformity, COOL HAND LUKE, is among his greatest achievements. Paul Newman stars as Luke Jackson, a bored-with-life veteran who, after a drunken act of social defiance, finds himself doing hard time in a Southern chain gang. As the loveable loner’s “cool” style of rebellion uplifts the prisoners, the chain gang bosses are determined to break him down. The composer incorporates elements of blues and bluegrass, and utilizes a range of different instruments and tonal shifts, yet never overpowers the film. From the meditative recurring theme – a duet of acoustic guitars- to echoing banjos and violent staccato bursts, Schifrin’s music mirrors the complexities of Newman’s quiet rebel.
FEB 12, Tuesday at 6:30pm; FEB 13, Wednesday at 9pm
KEEPING SCORE: LALO SCHIFRIN
BULLIT
Sponsored by Sherman Clay Pianos, Easy Street Records and KBCS 91.3 FM
(Peter Yates, USA, 1968, 35mm, 113 min)
The hip score for Peter Yates’ classic action film is among Lalo Schifrin's most memorable jazz writing for the big screen. BULLITT stars the ultra-cool Steve McQueen as a tough cop whose simple assignment to guard a witness turns into a tangled and dangerous one-man mission. Schifrin’s West Coast-flavored jazz score by turns blends in with the late ‘60s San Francisco setting and rises up to drive the film’s sharp excitement and tension. Its main theme- a funky brass masterpiece- has become a favorite among both veteran jazz aficionados and a new generation of djs and collectors. Don’t miss this special single screening of a 35mm print on the film’s 40th anniversary!
