# RIP Basil Poledouris **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 9, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-basil-poledouris/379741 "2006-11-09T18:22:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-basil-poledouris/379741/1 "2006-11-09T18:22:40Z")
[This just in](http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061109/film_nm/poledouris_dc_1). He was 61. Probably best known for his work with Paul Verhoeven (_RoboCop, Starship Troopers_) and his Emmy-winning work on _Lonesome Dove_, I think his greatest achievement remains his wonderful music for **Conan the Barbarian**. Listen to his music from the film [here](http://youtube.com/watch?v=o78CQvChsz4&mode=related&search=), [here](http://youtube.com/watch?v=2nSo7AjryA4&mode=related&search=) and [here](http://youtube.com/watch?v=E3x76kuc5UU&mode=related&search=). He seems to owe quite a bit to Miklos Rozsa in particular stylistically, but his “old school” style was still very distinctive. He’ll be missed. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-basil-poledouris/379741/2 "2006-11-09T18:24:13Z")
Note: since the 3 links are YouTube excerpts from the film, the last of these may not be considered completely SFW. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-basil-poledouris/379741/3 "2006-11-09T18:51:30Z")
Didn’t even know he did RoboCop or ST. CtB is one of the most influential soundtracks ever and is probably only behind _O Fortuna_ itself as the most influential opus on fantasy/sci fi soundtracks. (Of course, Basil owes a debt to Orff in more than a superficial sense: he copied the spirit and the execution of the entire “primitive sound” from him IMO.) ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-basil-poledouris/379741/4 "2006-11-10T02:16:29Z")
I think he also did the music for **The Hunt for Red October**. The music was quite stirring, in a Soviet martial anthem sort of feeling. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-basil-poledouris/379741/5 "2006-11-10T04:28:11Z")
Conan the Barbarian is the best action movie score of all time. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-basil-poledouris/379741/6 "2006-11-10T07:46:03Z")
_Red Dawn_, too. Jeez…we lose Poledouris, and how many other evil f\*\*ks are still alive? Tell me how _that’s_ right. ☹ So long, Basil. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-basil-poledouris/379741/7 "2006-11-10T11:21:36Z")
He also did the soundtrack for _Quigley Down Under_, with Tom Selleck. I checked out his listing on the IMDB. It hasn’t been updated yet to show his death. A busy man he was, doing a lot of work both for film and TV. I’m sorry he’s gone.