THEREMIN: AN ELECTRONIC ODYSSEY

THEREMIN: AN ELECTRONIC ODYSSEY (1995, Orion, PG, priced for rental) Ever wonder how those eerie, otherworldly musical sounds were created for such films as Spellbound or The Day the Earth Stood Still? Then check out this fascinating documentary about Leon Theremin and his invention the theremin, a simple box of tubes and antennae that helped introduce modern electronic music to popular culture. Writer-director Steven M. Martin combines home movies, film clips, and interviews with Theremin (who died in 1993 at age 97) and the charming Clara Rockmore, his longtime love and a theremin virtuoso, Todd Rundgren, Robert Moog, and others to tell a story that's as rich and mysterious as any of the movies that benefited from his weirdly marvelous instrument. Released in a few theaters last fall, Theremin will hopefully now reach the wider audience it deserves. A