# For the love of Og and all that is decent: Someone re-score LadyHawke already **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 23, 2006, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823 "2006-04-23T03:37:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823/1 "2006-04-23T03:37:36Z")
That is all ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823/2 "2006-04-23T03:50:41Z")
As long as they’re good and don’t fuck anything else up. Because Rutger Hauer is to die for. So is that movie. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823/3 "2006-04-23T03:53:55Z")
Now, now … even if LadyHawke’s score isn’t very good, she can rely on her extracurricular activities and personal essay to get into the school of her choice. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823/4 "2006-04-23T03:54:47Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > Now, now … even if LadyHawke’s score isn’t very good, she can rely on her extracurricular activities and personal essay to get into the school of her choice. \*slaps \*\*Snooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooopy \*_with a cold fish_ ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823/5 "2006-04-23T04:03:24Z")
[Ladyhawke](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladyhawke) > [@](#): > > The music of the film was composed by Andrew Powell, a composer and orchestrator most well known for his work with Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson for The Alan Parsons Project. Donner stated in the soundtrack’s liner notes that he had been location-scouting with a steady soundtrack of the Projects’ albums, and so he married music style to pictures in his mind before the film was even begun. Powell wrote the score and approached Parsons to produce the music, thus making it appear as if it was an instrumental album of the band ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823/6 "2006-04-23T04:05:00Z")
In all seriousness, what don’t you like about the score? I don’t remember it (and even if I did, I doubt I would have much of an opinion one way or the other, not being a connoisseur of scores). ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823/7 "2006-04-23T04:07:49Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > In all seriousness, what don’t you like about the score? I don’t remember it (and even if I did, I doubt I would have much of an opinion one way or the other, not being a connoisseur of scores). It’s a medieval-type movie. And a love story. The score is modern and like rock & roll. ---
**Author:** ![JelleyBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ebca7d/32.png) [@JelleyBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JelleyBean)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823/8 "2006-04-23T04:17:10Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > It’s a medieval-type movie. And a love story. The score is modern and like rock & roll. I agree completely. I love this movie, love the story, love Rutger (mrow) and hate the music with the fire of a thousand suns. When I am queen of the world, my first command will be to rescore this movie. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823/9 "2006-04-23T04:21:31Z")
> [@JelleyBean](#): > > I agree completely. I love this movie, love the story, love Rutger (mrow) and hate the music with the fire of a thousand suns. When I am queen of the world, my first command will be to rescore this movie. My second command will be to \*\*restore \*\*Rutger Hauer. To what he was in that movie, that is. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![JelleyBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ebca7d/32.png) [@JelleyBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JelleyBean)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823/10 "2006-04-23T04:28:51Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > My second command will be to \*\*restore \*\*Rutger Hauer. > > To what he was in that movie, that is. 😉 Hey, if that were at all possible, I’d do it to myself, first. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823/11 "2006-04-23T04:38:58Z")
Seriously. I love the movie, but that’s in spite of the score. It sounds like the composer was trying for a copy of the score for Highlander. Syth, and electric shouldn’t be in a medieval morality play. I thought when I first saw the movie, and each time I review it, that it would have done so much better with actual religious music from the time period. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823/12 "2006-04-23T07:36:25Z")
In the parts that don’t have the drum beat and synthy stabby chords, it’s really nice music. I wish it had been done that way all the way through. But then, Richard Donner hasn’t even released a special edition of it yet, it’s just a basic edition. I’m happy that _Legend_ has two scores, and both were released on the same DVD set. Yay for Ridley Scott. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823/13 "2006-04-23T10:12:59Z")
> [@OtakuLoki](#): > > Seriously. I love the movie, but that’s in spite of the score. It sounds like the composer was trying for a copy of the score for Highlander. Syth, and electric shouldn’t be in a medieval morality play. > > I thought when I first saw the movie, and each time I review it, that it would have done so much better with actual religious music from the time period. Really? Wow timetravel. Ladyhawke came out in 85 and highlander in 86. Ladyhawke is in the [more or less] Alan Parsons style and Highlander is Queen. BOTH are fantasy. There _is_ no time period for Ladyhawke. Highlander actually OTHER than the flashbacks, set in modern New York. The flashbacks are [if i can remember] 1300s Scotland, 1700s colonial america and WW2 for meeting the little girl that became his assistant. Deal with it. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823/14 "2006-04-23T12:50:07Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > BOTH are fantasy. There _is_ no time period for Ladyhawke. Despite the magical element and some anachronisms, it’s set in medieval France, not an entirely fantastic fairytale world like, for ex., The Princess Bride. The synth music is rather jarringly modern in contrast. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823/15 "2006-04-23T13:33:28Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > In the parts that don’t have the drum beat and synthy stabby chords, it’s really nice music. I wish it had been done that way all the way through. > > But then, Richard Donner hasn’t even released a special edition of it yet, it’s just a basic edition. > > I’m happy that _Legend_ has two scores, and both were released on the same DVD set. Yay for Ridley Scott. I’m clinging to the hope that an upgraded DVD release will include an alternate score. I completely agree about the lovely, brief moments that are accompanied by a more traditional sounding orchestral score. But they’re also like salt poured and rubbed into an open, festering wound because they just provide more contrast for the crap, and they leave me yelling at the screen, \*\*“Why didn’t you just do that all the way through???” \*\* I adore this movie, and I’ve seen it countless times. But in my unforgiving old age, I consider the score downright insulting. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823/16 "2006-04-23T14:07:06Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Deal with it. Jeez, why are you so touchy? As **Miss Mapp** says, it is set in medieval France, so there could be music used. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823/17 "2006-04-23T14:23:14Z")
I agree wholeheartedly with the OP. I won’t go so far as to say that the wrong music will _ruin_ a movie for me, but it certainly can make me question the director’s artistic sensibilities/sanity. Even seeing the film for the first time as a 14-year old who would normally have liked the kind of music that scores _LadyHawke_, I felt that it sounded, well, just _wrong_. It took what was, in essence, a beautifully filmed historical romance with a touch of fantasy, and gave it an air of cheesiness that made it just that much harder to take seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823/18 "2006-04-23T14:27:56Z")
I didn’t see Ladyhawke 3 or 4 years ago and although I found it to be enjoyable the music had a very negative impact on me. The music just screamed “I was made in the 80’s” and it just didn’t sound very good. It is a horrible score. Marc ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823/19 "2006-04-23T14:33:30Z")
I had completely forgotten about the score… …until I introduced the movie to my 13 year old daughter who had never seen it. And I _like_ Alan Parsons (and his style), just not in this sort of movie. It was COMPLETELY jarring, and Himself & I almost stopped watching because of it. But I bullied my way through it, because it’s an awesome movie, otherwise. But rescore the thing? You betcha! ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2006, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823/20 "2006-04-23T19:49:30Z")
Mind if I join the choir? I also like The Alan Parsons Project. I’ve owned several of their albums over the years. _Ladyhawke_ is also one of the first DVD’s I bought. I particularly like Mouse’s relationship with God. I like the movie, however, despite the soundtrack. I don’t wince at it any more, but I do wonder what the people who produced were thinking, even after reading the explanation. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-og-and-all-that-is-decent-someone-re-score-ladyhawke-already/353823.md?page=2)