Saturday, August 7, 2010

Saturday Music for Our Man Flint

THE FUTURIST! has been watching spy films recently. He has several on the back burner to watch. He might revisit some that he saw a long time ago. The memory of their plots are a bit faded. One of the movies that came to mind was the campy spy adventure OUR MAN FLINT (1966) directed by Daniel Mann. The 1960s was rife with espionage films, primarily due to the popularity of the James Bond film series. There were quite a lot of "serious" spy films in the cinemas, but the two FLINT pictures were more fun and spoofed the genre. THE YOUNG FUTURIST! recalls having his Dad show him this film and laughing at the antics and tongue in cheek approach of the writers and director. However, THE YOUNG FUTURIST! was impressed by James Coburn's cool demeanor and acting. The film was full of delight and laughs, but it, also, made THE YOUNG FUTURIST! feel tense at times when Flint was in danger ... and there was such an air of sexuality flowing through the film. Movies were a big part of THE FUTURIST!'s maturation.

The music from the film truly impressed THE YOUNG FUTURIST!. The score was by the prolific film composer Jerry Goldsmith. It is marvelous. It aurally brings to life the soul of the film ... the wink and the danger of this comically clever spy adventure.

On a side note, the red phone that summons the head of Z.O.W.I.E. (that's Flint's secret spy organization) has a ring that is duplicated in the Austin Powers series. But that is the only thing duplicated. AUSTIN POWERS is pure finger poking satire of the genre. FLINT plays on both sides of the streets of Comedy and Adventure.

THE FUTURIST! suggests you watch the FLINT films. They are what movie watching fun is all about. A spy spoof that doesn't go overboard in it's comedy.

Listen:


OUR MAN FLINT THEME
composed by Jerry Goldsmith
from the film
OUR MAN FLINT (1966)

2 comments:

Dara said...

I love the Flint films. Not great films, I know, but they're mad, and they have James Coburn! And I love zany '60s spy films.

Also, In Like Flint is Austin Powers' favourite film, as he mentions at the start of The Spy Who Shagged Me!

THE FUTURIST! said...

Can't decide which TF! likes better ...
the first or second.

Music is great in both.