Jonathan Melville: Music is the food of movies - even Hitchcock's Psycho

Published on Friday 13 March 2009 08:49

A LOOK at what's on at Edinburgh cinemas over the coming week.

DA-DUM-DE-DA-DE-DA-DUM or Da-dum, da-dum,da-dum-da-dum-da-dum? While my written renditions of the opening bars of both the James Bond and Pink Panther themes might not be pitch perfect, the battle rages in my head about which one is better. Today I'm thinking Henry Mancini is ahead of John Barry, but that may change tomorrow.

The reason for this instrumental introspection is down to the news that March 24 will see Bernard Herrmann's original music score for Hitchcock's Psycho go under the hammer at Bonham's for an estimated 40,000. That's a lot of notes for a lot of notes.

Can the buyer of these old pieces of paper really be said to have spent his or her money wisely?

A quick Google reveals that the soundtrack for Psycho can be bought for around eight quid online, while another fiver will bag you a DVD of the film – surely money well spent for any movie buff?

Whether you realise it or not, music has probably played a huge part in your movie-going life, with the most successful examples ensuring that the images we see are indelibly linked with music we hear.

Whether it's the shark gliding through the water around Amity in Jaws or Peter O'Toole traversing the sand dunes in Lawrence of Arabia, both make the most of impressive sound and vision.

Who doesn't think of Bond without humming that tune? Can you watch a Clint Eastwood Western and not expect to hear the twang of a guitar from the incomparable Ennio Morricone? Would you really believe a man can fly without John Williams' Superman theme?

My most recent experience of music and movies coming together in perfect harmony was at the Cameo last Saturday, where sold-out screenings of two silent Buster Keaton films were accompanied by musicians playing specially composed scores for the 80 year old classics.

Recreating something that was once commonplace in cinemas, they were a magical few hours that made me fall in love with film all over again.

So, while 40,000 is a bit out of my league, the sheer skill of Herrmann in complementing Hitch's finely paced lesson in suspense with a score that effortlessly accentuates the on-screen action rather than overwhelming it, leads me to think that whoever gets their hands on the Psycho music is getting a bargain.

Anyone want to go halfers with me?

Fans of horror, science fiction, sword and sandal epics or any number of other genres should check out the Filmhouse's current Stanley Kubrick Retrospective for some examples of cinema at its finest.

This Sunday sees Kirk Douglas star as Spartacus as he fights for his life in ancient Rome, while coming weeks bring a rare screening of both Barry Lyndon and 2001: A Space Odyssey in glorious 70mm prints.

Finally, set aside the weekend of April 30-May 3 for Dead by Dawn 2009, the world-renowned horror festival that takes place at the Filmhouse.

Expect some exclusives and a few golden oldies in the schedule, see www.deadbydawn.co.uk for tickets.

Visit itsonitsgone.com for more film reviews and news