What does LEGEND and SLUGS: THE MOVIE have in common?

[Chris K.]

The answer: Jerry Goldsmith's score. Oh, but let me explain.

I recently bought the "Ulitimate Edition" DVD or Ridley Scott's LEGEND that contains the U.S. 88 minute Theatrical Cut and the 113 minute Director's Cut that played in Europe. Now, in the Director's Cut it contained the music of Jerry Goldsmith, while in the U.S. cut Goldsmith's music was stripped-out and replaced with the so-so music of Tangerine Dream! But, the Director's Cut is really the better version.

So, how does SLUGS: THE MOVIE, a low budget Spanish-American co-production, coinside with LEGEND, a big budget British-American co-production? During my viewing of the Director's Cut of LEGEND, their is this fight scene that has the exact same score that would show up in SLUGS! How does this small Jerry Goldsmith music cue end up in a low-budget splatter flick? In the music credit of SLUGS, it states that Tim Souster was responsible for the music. But, could it be an alias credit that 'Tim Souster' is really Jerry Goldsmith!

I just bring this up for small talk, but watch the Director's Cut of LEGEND back-to-back with SLUGS: THE MOVIE and listen to the small score cue very carefully.

But does anybody here at least have a theory as to how these two are the same?

[Steven Millan]

         So,Jerry Goldsmith also did the music for "Slugs",eh?!
                     Thanks for pointing out this most valuably informative movie history lesson.

[Chris K.]

The small music cue in LEGEND sounds exactly the same as the one used in SLUGS: THE MOVIE. However, I am not too sure that Jerry Goldsmith really did the music for SLUGS. I was implying earlier that Goldsmith might have something to do with that low-budget Spanish flick, but I will not say that Goldsmith was 100% involved. It is interesting to find out though, if one around here knows about this little mystery and can solve it.

I have only two theories. My guess would be that Tim Souster probably worked for Goldsmith and asked permission to use a few music cues for SLUGS. Or, it could be that Goldsmith did the music for SLUGS, only to be quite unimpressed by the film and decided to go under the alias 'Tim Souster'.

I will also add that Jerry's son, Joel Goldsmith, did the music for THE RIFT (1989; Video Title: ENDLESS DESCENT) that was directed by J.P. Simon, the same director responsible for SLUGS. It could be that Joel "borrowed" his fathers music cues and loaned them to Simon!

But, I too would really like to know just how did that music cue end up in SLUGS. If you ever get a chance, watch both the Director's Cut of LEGEND and SLUGS: THE MOVIE back-to-back and listen to the music cues.

But for now, it will remain a complete mystery.

[Chadzilla]

Much the same way that Kingdom of the Spiders used Goldsmith's music for The Twilight Zone episode The Invaders, Goldsmith was not credited there either.  Many productions sample other scores, A cue from Goldsmith's score for Alien is used in Aliens when Ripley climbs into the elevator and the Queen pops out.  I don't remember just what cue it was (The Droid?), but it was Goldsmith's - straight from the soundtrack album.  Since the music is 'unused', it is mostly considered public domain, so producers can just cobble a 'new' score from rare outtakes and unused, or no longer copyrighted, film scores (Romero did it very well in is earlier movies).

[Chris K.]

Chadzilla wrote:
>
> Since the music is 'unused', it is mostly
> considered public domain, so producers can just cobble a
> 'new' score from rare outtakes and unused, or no longer
> copyrighted, film scores (Romero did it very well in is
> earlier movies).

Well, Goldsmith's music cue was used in the 113 minute version of LEGEND that was released in Europe (however it was not used in the 88 minute U.S. version). Yet, I do know about "stock scores", but it just struck me as odd that a few music cues created by a well-known musican ended up in a film like SLUGS without any credit given to him! But you explained it well, so I guess that ends that.

Incidentally, if you watch Romero's CREEPSHOW segement "The Crate", some of the music is the stock scores from NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968). So yes, Romero also did that in his earlier features.

[Fearless Freep]

Speaking of music scores, has anyone noticed that some of the music in "Aliens" sounds a lot like some of the music in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan"

I should probably look up to see if it was the same composer

[Fearless Freep]

Yeah, James Horner did the score for Aliens, Star Trek II and about a zillion other movies

[Chadzilla]

Chris K. wrote:
>
>Incidentally, if you watch Romero's CREEPSHOW segement "The
> Crate", some of the music is the stock scores from NIGHT OF
> THE LIVING DEAD (1968). So yes, Romero also did that in his
> earlier features.

Stock cues also used in NotLD also pop up in The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill.  I have the old Varese Sarabande Night of the Living Dead soundtrack release, so I know 'em by heart.

[Chadzilla]

Ironically, the score for Star Trek II is an almost complete retool of many of the cues Horner composed for Wolfen, and the majestic Wolfen theme was redone as the Riplay saving the Marines asses from peril cue in Aliens, come to think of it.  Hmmm.

Who da Hack?

[JohnL]

>majestic Wolfen theme was redone as the Riplay saving the Marines asses
>from peril cue in Aliens, come to think of it. Hmmm.

I watched Wolfen again recently and it didn't even dawn on me, but now that you've mentioned it, it's like "How did I miss that?".