take61: 18.12.2013

Happy Animation!!!

Door open 20h

20h: Short, Animation, Art

 

21h00: Italy 1973: 84 min, english

 

Two lovers wants to tour the world. They will meet the infant Jesus in Bethlehem, visit Greece and Holland (strong Rembrandt influence in the cartoon here), Belgium (and help the Manniken Pis), Spain, and Florence. They will be invited to the wedding of Michelangelo's David and Botticelli's Venus and then meet Federico Fellini. In England they will meet the Queen and the Beatles. Other famous figures such as Captain Nemo, Don Qixote, Nixon!!!

 In 1974, Raymond Peynet's whimsical book Il giro del mondo degli innamorati di Peynet (or "Peynet's Loves around the World") was adapted as a seldom-seen animated feature. Though the film runs less than an hour and a half, its soundtrack features a huge amount of music with full scores written by both Ennio Morricone and his frequent collaborator (and choir leader), Alessandro Alessandroni (the whistling guy on many Morricone spaghetti westerns). Morricone's pieces are numbered variations on "Forse Basta," with the first a particular standout. Its memorable vocal version, "A Flower's All You Need," is performed in the film by Egyptian-born crooner Demis Roussos, who's still a big international favorite. The score by Alessandroni (who did The Devil's Nightmare around the same time) is equally good, with the stunning "San Pietro" especially worthwhile.

Well, since nobody bothered to see the movie, Morricone was fond enough of the Roussos theme to use it again one year later when he was brought on board for Night Train Murders, a particularly savage and effective Italian riff on Last House on the Left by director Aldo Lado. This time the song plays out over the opening credits, with two ruffians mugging Santa Claus! The other two score cues are eerie stuff, with a harmonica used to particularly chilling effect.

 22h30:
Short, Animation, Art