At last....RENT-A-COP
Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2023 11:26 am
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Re: At last....RENT-A-COP
Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2023 11:49 am
Re: At last....RENT-A-COP
Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2023 12:18 pm
I can't remember but isn't this one of those movies where they did some exterior U.S. location shooting but every time they go inside it's Rome or something. 
Edit: yes Chicago and Rome
Edit: yes Chicago and Rome
Re: At last....RENT-A-COP
Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2023 5:07 pm
If you look at the TV in Reynold's apartment it's a European TV!AndyDursin wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 12:18 pm I can't remember but isn't this one of those movies where they did some exterior U.S. location shooting but every time they go inside it's Rome or something.
Edit: yes Chicago and Rome
I'd love to know why anyone thought audiences would bang down the doors to see a movie with Burt and Liza.
And I'd love to know why Jerry Goldsmith -- hot off his Oscar-nominated score for Hoosiers -- bothered with this turd.
Re: At last....RENT-A-COP
Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2023 5:53 pm
Though I can't think of a worse career choice (arguably MOM AND DAD SAVE THE WORLD could be right there too), I wonder if he was just having a lull in 1987 because he scored this and LIONHEART which also was a massive bomb right around the same time. At least with that one you can blame it on his relationship with Franklin Schaffner but with RENT-A-COP there really is no excuse.
Didn't he also score CRIMINAL LAW and ALIEN NATION around this time too? One rough electronic score there followed by another one which was tossed.
87 kind of seems like a black hole in Jerry's filmography the more you look at it.
Didn't he also score CRIMINAL LAW and ALIEN NATION around this time too? One rough electronic score there followed by another one which was tossed.
87 kind of seems like a black hole in Jerry's filmography the more you look at it.
Re: At last....RENT-A-COP
Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2023 11:15 pm
I can understand Lionheart because it was Franklin Schaffner (plus he'd never gotten to score a Medieval movie before), but yeah, Alien Nation and Criminal Law both came along in '88 -- followed by Leviathan! 
Goldsmith overbooked himself, taking too many jobs on inferior pictures. I suppose he wanted job security, but his average of five movies a year left no holes in his schedule for worthier films that might pop-up unexpectedly (it also forced him off his dream project, Masada, halfway through, because that series' schedule ran over).
Goldsmith overbooked himself, taking too many jobs on inferior pictures. I suppose he wanted job security, but his average of five movies a year left no holes in his schedule for worthier films that might pop-up unexpectedly (it also forced him off his dream project, Masada, halfway through, because that series' schedule ran over).
Re: At last....RENT-A-COP
Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2023 10:40 am
Just a tough road there for Jerry at the time. You'd have thought HOOSIERS being a hit and earning him all kinds of kudos would've immediately opened up him scoring some better projects there -- or at least some dramatic works (I guess CRIMINAL LAW was connected since it was also a Hemdale movie, albeit a dreary project for a score which bombed completely). Who was his agent at the time? The selection of films there is puzzling.
And then consider he did EXTREME PREJUDICE around this same time which turned out pretty well -- but that only happened because they tossed Ry Cooder off it!
To be fair, things like LEVIATHAN I can partially understand because it was a big-budget sci-fi movie and he worked with George Cosmatos before -- and ALIEN NATION was a major studio sci-fi movie too, and he worked with Graham Baker before -- it's RENT-A-COP that's thoroughly confounding because it wasn't even a big studio movie, it was made by Kings Road when they were on their last legs. Burt and Liza had already lost their luster at the box-office. And it didn't seem to have been made by anyone he had a relationship with either!
And then consider he did EXTREME PREJUDICE around this same time which turned out pretty well -- but that only happened because they tossed Ry Cooder off it!
To be fair, things like LEVIATHAN I can partially understand because it was a big-budget sci-fi movie and he worked with George Cosmatos before -- and ALIEN NATION was a major studio sci-fi movie too, and he worked with Graham Baker before -- it's RENT-A-COP that's thoroughly confounding because it wasn't even a big studio movie, it was made by Kings Road when they were on their last legs. Burt and Liza had already lost their luster at the box-office. And it didn't seem to have been made by anyone he had a relationship with either!
Re: At last....RENT-A-COP
Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2023 11:51 am
The opportunity to work with director "Jerry London" must have been too great to refuse.AndyDursin wrote: ↑Sun Feb 05, 2023 10:40 am Just a tough road there for Jerry at the time. You'd have thought HOOSIERS being a hit and earning him all kinds of kudos would've immediately opened up him scoring some better projects there -- or at least some dramatic works (I guess CRIMINAL LAW was connected since it was also a Hemdale movie, albeit a dreary project for a score which bombed completely). Who was his agent at the time? The selection of films there is puzzling.
And then consider he did EXTREME PREJUDICE around this same time which turned out pretty well -- but that only happened because they tossed Ry Cooder off it!
To be fair, things like LEVIATHAN I can partially understand because it was a big-budget sci-fi movie and he worked with George Cosmatos before -- and ALIEN NATION was a major studio sci-fi movie too, and he worked with Graham Baker before -- it's RENT-A-COP that's thoroughly confounding because it wasn't even a big studio movie, it was made by Kings Road when they were on their last legs. Burt and Liza had already lost their luster at the box-office. And it didn't seem to have been made by anyone he had a relationship with either!
Re: At last....RENT-A-COP
Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2023 12:08 pm
The only real "A-project" Goldsmith did in that 1987-89 period was Innerspace, and even that bombed at the box office despite producer Spielberg's Amblin clout.
Re: At last....RENT-A-COP
Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2023 2:01 pm
Edmund Kattak wrote: ↑Sun Feb 05, 2023 11:51 am
The opportunity to work with director "Jerry London" must have been too great to refuse.
London was one of the most prolific directors of TV movies in Hollywood history. Everything from KILLDOZER to SHOGUN! Seems like he didn't direct theatrical features too often...for good reason.
Re: At last....RENT-A-COP
Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2023 2:37 pm
There were also Rambo III, The Burbs and Star Trek V.Monterey Jack wrote: ↑Sun Feb 05, 2023 12:08 pm The only real "A-project" Goldsmith did in that 1987-89 period was Innerspace, and even that bombed at the box office despite producer Spielberg's Amblin clout.
At the time he was represented by "Laventhal and Horwath" (if I spelled those names right). He decided to change agents around '89-'90 because he was mostly doing films for old friends who weren't even on the B-list anymore (like Cosmatos, and J. Lee Thompson).AndyDursin wrote: ↑Sun Feb 05, 2023 10:40 am Who was his agent at the time? The selection of films there is puzzling.
He signed with Richard Kraft, since he knew Kraft from Varese Sarabande (Kraft would also acquire Barry, Elfman and Poledouris as clients). It's fair to say Kraft got Goldsmith work on more diverse projects (Goldsmith actually preferred "people stories" to action and sci-fi), though I'm not sure Sleeping With the Enemy, Angie and IQ were any real improvement on Rent-A-Cop, Baby and King Solomon's Mines!
I was in the Goldsmith Society at the time, and Jerry would frequently shoot a letter to the society about what he was up to. He revealed that he was about to take a long vacation in Spring of '87, but at the last minute he was offered the re-scoring job on Extreme Prejudice, so he did that instead. I'm sure his family were thrilled!AndyDursin wrote: ↑Sun Feb 05, 2023 10:40 amAnd then consider he did EXTREME PREJUDICE around this same time which turned out pretty well -- but that only happened because they tossed Ry Cooder off it!
Re: At last....RENT-A-COP
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2023 7:57 am
SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY was a big hit and Julia Roberts was in her prime too so I think that one actually was a huge boost for him at the time coming off most of those other projects.
Some of those other movies were really questionable assignments too (don't forget Warlock!) Though sometimes it was a case where the movie wasn't a bad assignment, it just didn't pan out.
Like IQ was Paramount's major Christmas release where he was working for Fred Schepisi so you can't blame the pick there. The movie just didn't turn out well, which also happened to him a lot.
Regardless there's still no defense for RENT A COP
Some of those other movies were really questionable assignments too (don't forget Warlock!)
Though sometimes it was a case where the movie wasn't a bad assignment, it just didn't pan out.Like IQ was Paramount's major Christmas release where he was working for Fred Schepisi so you can't blame the pick there. The movie just didn't turn out well, which also happened to him a lot.
Regardless there's still no defense for RENT A COP
Re: At last....RENT-A-COP
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2023 11:03 am
Surprised to hear Sleeping With the Enemy was a hit, given it's release date (wasn't it January or February of that year?) and I remember Siskel and Ebert panning it.AndyDursin wrote: ↑Mon Feb 06, 2023 7:57 am SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY was a big hit and Julia Roberts was in her prime too so I think that one actually was a huge boost for him at the time coming off most of those other projects.
Some of those other movies were really questionable assignments too (don't forget Warlock!)
In any case, I do think that, among the A-list composers, Goldsmith lacked a "nose" for prestige projects. People like Jarre and Horner seemed to have a sense for what would turn-out well, whereas Goldsmith and Schifrin couldn't recognize an obvious turkey!
Re: At last....RENT-A-COP
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2023 11:17 am
This was in the era when dinosaurs roamed the Earth and a movie with a coveted star would make money just on their presence alone. How else to explain Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves?Paul MacLean wrote: ↑Mon Feb 06, 2023 11:03 am
Surprised to hear Sleeping With the Enemy was a hit, given it's release date (wasn't it January or February of that year?) and I remember Siskel and Ebert panning it.
Re: At last....RENT-A-COP
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2023 11:28 am
It was also an era where people actually went to the movies on a regular basis and there were multiple wide releases usually every week too -- with different kinds of movies to hit different demographics of viewers. One that doesn't resemble 2023 programming in any way shape or form.
Did over $100 mil domestic at the time (unadjusted for inflation) on a $19 million budget -- nearly $200 million worldwide -- so it's likely one of the biggest hits Goldsmith was ever involved with back in the 90s. Ended up becoming a #1 renter/seller on home video later that year too.
He also got the score out on a major label (Columbia) which likely served him well -- even if it was mainly because BROWN EYED GIRL was on it!
It was February -- and it did get bad reviews -- but it didn't matter. One of the biggest hits of the year because Julia Roberts was hot and coming off PRETTY WOMAN. Movie scored huge with female viewers, couples, etc.Paul MacLean wrote: ↑Mon Feb 06, 2023 11:03 amSurprised to hear Sleeping With the Enemy was a hit, given it's release date (wasn't it January or February of that year?) and I remember Siskel and Ebert panning it.
Did over $100 mil domestic at the time (unadjusted for inflation) on a $19 million budget -- nearly $200 million worldwide -- so it's likely one of the biggest hits Goldsmith was ever involved with back in the 90s. Ended up becoming a #1 renter/seller on home video later that year too.
He also got the score out on a major label (Columbia) which likely served him well -- even if it was mainly because BROWN EYED GIRL was on it!