Can You Dig It? Black Action Films 1969-1975

Soul Jazz is always worth keeping an eye on for some interesting tunes, but movie fans are getting in on the act with Can You Dig It? Black Action Films 1969-1975, which is out today.

Available as a two CD set or limited edition double album set, it charts the rise of black action flicks from the late 60s onwards, throwing in a 100-page booklet, a limited-edition mini-film poster, cards and stickers. There's some very cool soul and funk on-board too, from the likes of James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, Willie Hutch and Roy Ayers, helped along by some big arrangement from Quincy Jones, Johnny Pate and JJ Johnson.

Want to see the tracklisting? Check it out over the page. or buy via Amazon now for £9.88. The two vinyl releases are available from Soul Jazz itself, more details here.

Find out more at the Amazon website

DVD Review: Maurice Jarre: A Tribute to David Lean

Throughout David Lean's impressive career as a filmmaker he often worked with the talented French composer Maurice Jarre. Jarre composed soundtracks for many of Lean's award winning productions including Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago, (1965), Ryan's Daughter (1970) and A Passage to India (1984). The new DVD release of Maurice Jarre: A Tribute to David Lean from Milan Records is a wonderful celebration of the films that Lean and Jarre worked on together.

This impressive two disc DVD set features Maurice Jarre's 1992 tribute concert, which was performed at the Barbican Center in London with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra after Lean's death in 1991. During the concert, clips from the films that Jarre and Lean collaborated on were shown on a large screen behind the orchestra. These clips also feature behind the scenes footage of David Lean directing the cast and crew while making his films, which adds a personal touch to the event.

Mad, Mod & Macabre

Mad, Mod & Macabre: The Ronald Stein Collection is an impressive new 5-Disc CD collection from Los Angeles-based Percepto Records that features the fabulous film scores of American composer Ronald Stein.

Stein created memorable soundtracks for many great cult movies such as Jack Hill's Spider Baby (1968), Francis Ford Coppola's Dementia 13 (1963), Charles Rondeau's The Girl in Lovers Lane (1959) and Edward Cahn's Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957). He also scored many of Roger Corman's best film including The Terror (1963), The Haunted Palace (1963), Last Woman on Earth (1960) and Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957).

The CD package includes five full hours of film music remastered from Stein's own personal archives. It also comes with a lavish full-color booklet featuring an in-depth look at Ronald Stein's composing career, reminisces from his wife Harlene Stein, many rare behind-the-scenes photographs, some beautiful classic movie poster art and much more. The collection brings together many of Stein's most unforgettable scores, which is sure to please soundtrack enthusiasts.

This new deluxe set is limited to only 1,000 copies and currently sells for $49.95. You can purchase Mad, Mod & Macabre: The Ronald Stein Collection directly from Percepto Records and they offer domestic as well as international shipping options. For more information visit their official website: Percepto Records

- Kimberly Lindbergs

Attori A Mano Armata Soundtrack Collection

Cinedelic has recently released an amazing collection of music from Italian crime films called Attori A Mano Armata: The main actors of the most Violent season of the Italian Cinema. This terrific soundtrack compilation includes over 20 tracks from different films by some of Italy's greatest composers such as Ennio Morricone, Luis Bacalov, Stelvio Cipriani, Alessandro Alessandroni, Riz Ortolani and Piero Piccioni.

This fantastic CD also comes with a colorful 64 page book that includes over 200 photos, film posters and profiles of many of the actors who were featured in Italian crime films or 'Poliziotteschi' including Tomas Milian, Franco Nero, Fabio Testi, Ray Lovelock, Mario Merola, Antonio Sabato, Henry Silva and more.

If you enjoy seventies era Italian soundtracks you won't want to miss Attori A Mano Armata: The main actors of the most Violent season of the Italian Cinema. This funk-filled collection is sure to please many fans of Italian cult cinema.

The CD is available from Movie Grooves for (€21.30/$23.84) which is located in the U.K., but they'll ship to anywhere in the world. You can also hear sound samples at their site.

Blood On Satan's Claw - the soundtrack

Hopefully you caught our recent Cult Clip of Blood On Satan's Claw. If you liked what you saw and indeed liked what you heard, you may be interested in a reissue of the soundtrack.

It's released by the always-excellent Trunk Records and features the haunting orchestral (with a twist) score of Marc Wilkinson. The CD reissue is accompanied by a very limited vinyl reissue of just 500, so you'll need to get in quick if you want one.

No specified date as yet for the reissue, but you can find out more and see stills from the movie at the Trunk website.

Find out more at the Trunk Records website