Frantic (1988)
American doctor Richard Walker checks into a Paris hotel with his wife Sondra to attend a conference and celebrate their wedding anniversary. However, shortly after arriving at the hotel Sondra disappears and soon Richard is plunged into a nightmare kidnap scenario, roaming the streets of Paris trying to find a lead in the search for his missing wife. His only clue comes in the form of drugged-up young punk Michelle.

Presumed Innocent (1990)
Based on the bestseller by Scot Turow, Rusty Sabich is an attorney who finds himself charged with murder. The victim was a colleague of his with whom he had a brief but intense affair and Rusty finds himself in need of a defence lawyer.

The Fugitive (1993)
Based on the 1960s American television series, eminent Chicago surgeon Dr Richard Kimble, married to wealthy heiress Helen, arrives home one night to find his wife murdered and a one-armed man in his house. Due to incriminating evidence and prime motivation, Kimble is wrongly convicted for murder. However, on his way to death row he is involved in a spectacular train crash that precipitates his escape. Kimble then strives to prove his innocence whilst staying one step ahead of the dogged US Marshal Sam Gerard.

Firewall (2006)
Jack Stanfield is an average family man in Seattle who heads up the hi-tech security team at his local bank. But following a seemingly trivial case of identity theft, Jack's life is turned upside down when his wife and two children are kidnapped. The ransom is $100 million which the kidnappers, led by Bill Cox, want Jack to obtain for them via his expert computer skills. Initially compliant, Jack is soon irked by Cox and his cronies to the point where he decides to risk everything to get his family back and bring the bad guys to justice.

42 (2013)
A biographical drama about African-American baseball player Jackie Robinson, here portrayed by the late Chadwick Boseman. In 1945, having been spotted by a scout, Robinson is signed by Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey and becomes the first black man to play in the Major League. Despite his talent, Robinson is met with opposition, even from his fellow players, because of his race. As he tries to keep his own frustrations in check, he excels in his sport and gradually receives the recognition he deserves.

Made-for-television biopic, directed by Peter Hall, about the famous Biblical character. Jacob (Matthew Modine) and Esau (Sean Bean) are two brothers fighting for their father's affection and inheritance, driven to war, enmity, and eventual reconcilliation. Also featuring performances from Lara Flynn Boyle and Joss Ackland.

Ennio Morricone has scored over 500 films, and as he himself says in the brief liner notes, only 30 of them were Westerns. He's unlikely to ever shake the legacy of spaghetti Western scores that first brought him wide attention in the States, but it is nice to see a collection that broadens the scope of his work a bit. Morricone High picks the best moments from a handful of European films that the composer scored from 1969 to 1971 in a number of genres, none of them Westerns either. It manages to retain all of the tension that made his best known work so great and captivating, while adding more of the mod and psychedelic elements that were fermenting in the greater cultural brew of the times. Breezy, romantic mod as heard on the brittle Morricone High opener "Excuse Me, Let's Make Love?" and the more straightforward "Take Me Now," both tunes that will sit well with fans of the Free Design and Serge Gainsbourg. They also bring attention to one of Morricone's greatest signatures, the wordless vocals (often voiced by one of his chief muses, Edda Dell'Orso) anchoring his subtle, rich arrangements that rode shotgun. It can be heard again on the relaxed, introspective "A Lidia" and the orchestral pop psych of "La Bamola." Psychedelic music takes many shades in Morricone's work, from the obvious charge of fuzz wah-wah guitar in the go-go number "Allegretto per Signora" to the icy, tense harpsichord and cascading chimes of "Astratto 1" (aka "Abstract 1," why some of these titles are translated and others not isn't clear) and "Le Fotographie." Clearly there's a lot going on in this little collection! It's a tastefully selected introduction to Morricone's non-Western soundtracks that doesn't overlap with any of the other established winners in that field. With so many Morricone scores yet to be pillaged, this should be the first in a very long line of Morricone Highs. ~ Wade Kergan

With nearly 400 scores to his credit, Ennio Morricone is one of the most prolific and influential film composers working today. He has collaborated with many significant directors, and his scores for such films as The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly; Once Upon a Time in America; Days of Heaven; The Mission; The Untouchables; Malena; and Cinema Paradiso leave moviegoers with the conviction that something special was achieved a conviction shared by composers, scholars, and fans alike. In Composing for the Cinema: The Theory and Praxis of Music in Film, Morricone and musicologist Sergio Miceli present a series of lectures on the composition and analysis of film music. Adapted from several lectures and seminars, these lessons show how sound design can be analyzed and offer a variety of musical solutions to many different kinds of film. Though aimed at composers, Morricone s expositions are easy to understand and fascinating even to those without any musical training. Drawing upon scores by himself and others, the composer also provides insight into his relationships with many of the directors with whom he has collaborated, including Sergio Leone, Giuseppe Tornatore, Franco Zeffirelli, Warren Beatty, Ridley Scott, Roland Joffe, the Taviani Brothers, and others. Translated and edited by Gillian B. Anderson, an orchestral conductor and musicologist, these lessons reveal Morricone s passion about musical expression. Delivered in a conversational mode that is both comprehensible and interesting, this groundbreaking work intertwines analysis with practical details of film music composition. Aimed at a wide audience of composers, musicians, film historians, and fans, Composing for the Cinema contains a treasure trove of practical information and observations from a distinguished musicologist and one of the most accomplished composers on the international film scene."

With nearly 400 scores to his credit, Ennio Morricone is one of the most prolific and influential film composers working today. He has collaborated with many significant directors, and his scores for such films as The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly; Once Upon a Time in America; Days of Heaven; The Mission; The Untouchables; Malena; and Cinema Paradiso leave moviegoers with the conviction that something special was achieved-a conviction shared by composers, scholars, and fans alike. In Composing for the Cinema: The Theory and Praxis of Music in Film, Morricone and musicologist Sergio Miceli present a series of lectures on the composition and analysis of film music. Adapted from several lectures and seminars, these lessons show how sound design can be analyzed and offer a variety of musical solutions to many different kinds of film. Though aimed at composers, Morricone's expositions are easy to understand and fascinating even to those without any musical training. Drawing upon scores by himself and others, the composer also provides insight into his relationships with many of the directors with whom he has collaborated, including Sergio Leone, Giuseppe Tornatore, Franco Zeffirelli, Warren Beatty, Ridley Scott, Roland Joffe, the Taviani Brothers, and others. Translated and edited by Gillian B. Anderson, an orchestral conductor and musicologist, these lessons reveal Morricone's passion about musical expression. Delivered in a conversational mode that is both comprehensible and interesting, this groundbreaking work intertwines analysis with practical details of film music composition. Aimed at a wide audience of composers, musicians, film historians, and fans, Composing for the Cinema contains a treasure trove of practical information and observations from a distinguished musicologist and one of the most accomplished composers on the international film scene.

From A Fistful Of Dollars to The Mission, the legendary Italian composer Ennio Morricone has created dramatic and distinctive music that has transformed the cinema. Here we present 20 classic pieces from his amazing career on 2CDs, including selections from his unforgettable spaghetti western themes and so much more. The Arena Concerto captures the Rome Sinfonietta Orchestra in full flow, composed, orchestrated and conducted by Ennio Morricone and recorded live in Verona, Naples and Rome. This album reveals the live experience that is Morricone s genius, in all its beautiful, passionate glory.