Musically, the American composer Basil Poledouris belongs to the John Williams camp of film scorers. Like Williams (and two of his protégés, David Arnold and Mark Mancina), Poledouris made his name by composing the music for elephantine-budgeted Hollywood special-effects extravaganzas and high-gloss Sirkian soapers. The distinction lies in Poledouris' somewhat unique instrumental approach to the material. In the case of fantasy films (on which Poledouris worked many times), he combined traditionally overwrought Williams-esque orchestrations with exhilarating bursts of choral music. This now-familiar trope did much to embellish the genre on an aural level.
Born in Kansas City on August 21, 1945, Pouledoris projected a keen aptitude for music as a youngster, with piano lessons at nine years old and high-school membership in a folk band. He studied music and cinema at USC, then graduated to telemovies in the early '70s, segueing into feature films via repeated collaborations with two university colleagues: director John Milius (Big Wednesday [1978], Conan the Barbarian [1982], Conan the Destroyer [1984], Red Dawn [1984], Farewell to the King [1989]) and director Randal Kleiser (The Blue Lagoon [1980], Summer Lovers [1982]). Additional titles that Poledouris scored include The Hunt for Red October (1990), directed by John McTiernan; Cherry 2000, directed by Steve De Jarnatt; andRobocop 2 (1990), directed by Paul Verhoeven.
Poledouris was doubtless considered one of the industry leaders in fantasy and action film scores, but as time rolled on, he branched out into innumerable genres, including darkly comic satires (Serial Mom [1994], Cecil B. Demented [2000]), more traditional comedies (Celtic Pride [1996], Mickey Blue Eyes [1999]), and family dramas (Lassie [1994], Free Willy 2 [1995]).
Poledouris also remained active on the small screen, authoring the score for the acclaimed TV miniseries Amerika (1987) and Lonesome Dove (1989). In 1996, he was appointed to author a six-minute overture for the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, GA, and in doing so, drew on his extensive studies of Greek philosophy, history, and mythology. The work was performed by a 300-member choir and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
| Title | Year | Editors' Rating | User Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Bunyan & Babe
Composer (Music Score) |
2013 | NOT YET RELEASED | ||
|
The Legend of Butch and Sundance
Composer (Music Score) |
2003 | |||
|
Tian Mai Chuanqi
Composer (Music Score) |
2002 | |||
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Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
Composer (Music Score) |
2001 | |||
|
Love and Treason
Composer (Music Score) |
2001 | |||
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Cecil B. Demented
Composer (Music Score) |
2000 | |||
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If These Walls Could Talk 2
Composer (Music Score) |
2000 | |||
|
Daddy Who?
Composer (Music Score) |
1999 | |||
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For Love of the Game
Composer (Music Score) |
1999 | |||
|
Mickey Blue Eyes
Composer (Music Score) |
1999 | |||
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Les Miserables
Composer (Music Score) |
1998 | |||
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Breakdown
Composer (Music Score) |
1997 | |||
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Starship Troopers
Composer (Music Score) |
1997 | |||
|
Switchback
Composer (Music Score) |
1997 | |||
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Celtic Pride
Composer (Music Score), Songwriter |
1996 | |||
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It's My Party
Composer (Music Score) |
1996 | |||
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The War at Home
Composer (Music Score) |
1996 | |||
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Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home
Composer (Music Score), Songwriter |
1995 | |||
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Under Siege 2: Dark Territory
Composer (Music Score) |
1995 | |||
|
Lassie
Composer (Music Score) |
1994 | |||
|
On Deadly Ground
Composer (Music Score) |
1994 | |||
|
Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book
Composer (Music Score) |
1994 | |||
|
Serial Mom
Composer (Music Score) |
1994 | |||
|
Free Willy
Composer (Music Score) |
1993 | |||
|
Hot Shots! Part Deux
Composer (Music Score) |
1993 | |||
|
Ned Blessing
Composer (Music Score) |
1992 | |||
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Robocop 3
Composer (Music Score) |
1992 | |||
|
Wind
Composer (Music Score) |
1992 | |||
|
Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man
Composer (Music Score) |
1991 | |||
|
Return to the Blue Lagoon
Composer (Music Score) |
1991 | |||
|
White Fang
Composer (Music Score) |
1991 | |||
|
Flight of the Intruder
Composer (Music Score) |
1990 | |||
|
Quigley Down Under
Composer (Music Score) |
1990 | |||
|
Robocop 2
Composer (Music Score) |
1990 | |||
|
The Hunt for Red October
Composer (Music Score) |
1990 | |||
|
Why Me?
Composer (Music Score) |
1990 | |||
|
Farewell to the King
Composer (Music Score) |
1989 | |||
|
L.A. Takedown
Composer (Music Score) |
1989 | |||
|
Lonesome Dove
Composer (Music Score) |
1989 | |||
|
Wired
Composer (Music Score) |
1989 | |||
|
Intrigue
Composer (Music Score) |
1988 | |||
|
Spellbinder
Composer (Music Score) |
1988 | |||
|
Split Decisions
Composer (Music Score) |
1988 | |||
|
Amerika
Composer (Music Score) |
1987 | |||
|
Cherry 2000
Composer (Music Score) |
1987 | |||
|
Island Sons
Composer (Music Score) |
1987 | |||
|
No Man's Land
Composer (Music Score) |
1987 | |||
|
Robocop
Composer (Music Score) |
1987 | |||
|
Flesh + Blood
Composer (Music Score) |
1985 | |||
|
Iron Eagle
Composer (Music Score) |
1985 | |||
|
Misfits of Science
Composer (Music Score) |
1985 | |||
|
Amazons
Composer (Music Score) |
1984 | |||
|
Conan the Destroyer
Composer (Music Score) |
1984 | |||
|
Making the Grade
Composer (Music Score) |
1984 | |||
|
Protocol
Composer (Music Score) |
1984 | |||
|
Red Dawn
Composer (Music Score) |
1984 | |||
|
Single Bars, Single Women
Composer (Music Score) |
1984 | |||
|
Conan the Barbarian
Composer (Music Score) |
1982 | |||
|
Summer Lovers
Composer (Music Score) |
1982 | |||
|
A Whale for the Killing
Composer (Music Score) |
1981 | |||
|
Fire on the Mountain
Composer (Music Score) |
1981 | |||
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The Blue Lagoon
Composer (Music Score) |
1980 | |||
|
Defiance
Composer (Music Score) |
1979 | |||
|
Dolphin Adventures
Composer (Music Score) |
1979 | |||
|
The House of God
Composer (Music Score) |
1979 | |||
|
Big Wednesday
Composer (Music Score) |
1978 | |||
|
Tintorera
Composer (Music Score) |
1977 | |||
|
Extreme Close-Up
Composer (Music Score) |
1973 | |||
|
Congratulations, It's a Boy!
Composer (Music Score) |
1971 |

