: (John
Debney) The two films represented on this album are unrelated except in
the facts that most fans have not heard of them and that they are both
relatively early efforts in composer John Debney's career. This album
can be deceiving in its treatment of what it erroneously calls "Eye of
the Panther." Based on one part of the collection of supernatural
stories by Ambrose Bierce,
(its actual
name) was one episode in Showtime's "Nightmare Classics" series that
debuted in 1989. The series failed after just a handful of episodes, and
was certainly not its highlight,
providing an unengaging examination of the love story between an Old
West man and a woman who turns into a panther at night. As a horror
genre tale,
was technically Debney's
first outright horror assignment. A few years earlier,
was Debney's second feature film score. The first film by
independent director Brett Thompson,
, receives the vast majority of if publicity due
to the involvement of the now-famous Debney. The story of
is one of a man attempting to choose between seven
girlfriends, each serving as a metaphor for larger societal issues in
the 1980's. It's a lighthearted romantic flick with little demand on the
brain. From the perspective of a Debney collector looking back at these
two scores in retrospect, neither one will be particularly spectacular.
Their constructs and renderings are somewhat simplistic and
narrow.
The scores do offer, though, a glimpse of a composer
testing the waters, and there are technical aspects of the music that
will foreshadow more mature Debney works over the following ten years.
The storyline for
The Eyes of the Panther allowed for more
variety in genre, with cues written for the intensity of everything from
animalistic lust to horrifying transformations. Hints of the horror
techniques heard in
The Relic are sprinkled throughout. Performed
by a large chamber orchestra,
The Eyes of the Panther never
unleashes the mass of its orchestral force on the listener, especially
compared to Debney's later scores. He does employ two elements that
distinguish the score, however, including the use of exotic flutes to
accentuate the raw, primordial nature of the wilderness, and the
incorporation of two "musical sound effects" to represent the panther.
The growling of the animal is used three or four times to a great end,
as is the sound of scratching and/or sharpening of claws built with
percussive elements. The score also offers romantic, frolicking themes
that Debney would expand upon further in his more frivolous efforts late
in the 1990s. Much different in style and scope,
Not Since
Casanova has more intimate themes, and yet a more expansive scope in
its recording mix. Debney conjures several ideas for the film,
presumably for each of the seven various girlfriends, and a few of them
are quite lovely. They feature a genuine depth that exceeds most, if not
all, of his later romance work, with a genuine sway of beauty that
sounded at the time like a cross between similar John Barry and James
Horner ideas. Gentle piano themes weaving in and out of the orchestral
accompaniment would be a trademark of future Debney romance fluff.
One of the themes for
Not Since Casanova stands
above the rest, featured only twice on album; heard at about 3:30 into
the "Overture" and during "Irish Wedding," the theme is performed in the
latter cue by solo woodwind and violin (or viola) over the ensemble with
great charm. The only downside of
Not Since Casanova is one of
the other themes, bursting twice into the consistency of the remaining
music with a carnival atmosphere. Together, the two scores may make an
unlikely pair. Despite being considerably different in scope, theme, and
genre, they provide an intriguing glimpse into John Debney's earlier
compositions. Between them, there's certainly going to be something here
to satisfy you, though
Not Since Casanova is easily the better
listening experience. The album presentation, though generous in its
existence, is problematic. Running 47 minutes, it may not justify its
price as a promotional product. It's also unfortunately lacking in its
accuracy and presentation; producer Ford A. Thaxton should be whipped
for his work on this product. Given that it's very rare for a product to
misspell or otherwise misstate the title of its score(s), and given that
Thaxton products often have lengthy back-stories, it wouldn't be
surprising if the changing of
The Eyes of the Panther to "Eye of
the Panther" was done for some money or legal related issue. Otherwise,
there's no excuse for that error. The insert notes by David Hirsch,
written in 1996 just before the album's release, contain factual
mistakes. Finally, the tracks are mislabeled on the packaging; tracks 6
through 8 on
The Eyes of the Panther are either misplaced or
completely missing (see Filmtracks' track listing for corrections).
Otherwise, Debney collectors will be pleased by the substance of the
music on the product.
@Amazon.com: CD or
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- The Eyes of the Panther: ***
- Not Since Casanova: ****
- Overall: ***
| Bias Check: |
For John Debney reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.33
(in 56 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.09
(in 49,879 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
|
