Roger Bourland
writes about music and life

The Wolf at the Door (1986)
Motion picture with music composed and conducted by Roger Bourland
Henning Carlsen, director; starring Donald Sutherland as Gauguin.

Main Title
Gallery Reflections
Dejection
Tahiti
Judith’s Bath
Leaving Mette
Juliette
Juliette and Germaine
Anna Arrives
On the town
Brittany
Slashed Painting
Tahiti Hopes Fade
Judith’s Present
End credits

I landed this film in an amusing way. The producer decided to throw out the existing score. I have to [...]

I logged on to Technorati and clicked on the link that said TOP 100. It displayed THIS.

In case you can’t see this image, the tags people are MOST interested in are LIFE, MUSIC, WEBLOGs, and WRITING and POETRY, with FRIENDS and RELATIONSHIPS close behind. Even though global warming is discouraging, I find this momentary statistic [...]

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I’d like to put in a plug for an excellent new book on blogging. As the cover says: “does the world need another book about blogging?” I’d have to say YES on this one. Whether you’ve been blogging for a long time (4 years), a short time (1 year), or interested in getting involved, BUY [...]

For those who wish to know more about the master composer for motion pictures, Bernard Herrmann, Here is a 45 minute, 6-segment rip of the 1992 documentary recorded on VHS, digitized, and uploaded to YouTube by Andrew Hawke. A must see for young film composers.
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Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Part 5:

Part 6:

I love it that Bernard Herrmann’s credit is right before Alfred Htichcock’s. I always found this music reminiscent of the wicked old witch of the west music in the WIZARD OF OZ. The music has such a thumbprint, such personality, such demonic intensity without being “modern music.”
This title sequence is also by Saul Bass.

I remember loving this music profoundly as a boy. Is this really movie music? Yeah, I guess technically it is. But where are the roots for this? It’s not so far from TV music in the late 50s and early 60s, but is there a classical predecessor of this? Khachaturian? Holst?
Great opening title sequence by [...]

Here is a new trailer for the newly restored RULES OF THE GAME by Jean Renoir. The film is brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! Why did it take me so long to find this? Robert Altman states: “The Rules of the Game” taught me the rules of the game. If you’ve not seen it, do. (It is [...]

I watched this video a few days ago, and it hooked me. Granted, it’s a strange song, but Loretta sings it with conviction.

Now here is a fairy picture I can get behind. It’s a piece called ENVY by artist, illustrator, designer, and blogger Christopher Cox. His own website, Change The Thought is full featured and his work is provoking, striking, magical, raw, and brilliant. His clients have included McDonalds, Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol, Meat Loaf, Black Sabbath, [...]

I’m am up for a big promotion at UCLA: it’s called Professor with Great Distinction, or, on the academic ladder it’s called Professor Step VI, where one must show evidence of national and/or international reputation. I received a letter from the ad hoc committee that evaluated my career. It was a “This Is Your Life” [...]