Your favorite film scores?

[Rantlers]

I'm sure it had to be mentioned somwhere in the past 6 pages, but Hans Zimmer's score for The Rock was incredible! Its the only movie soundtrack that I actually own the CD, the intro and 2nd to last track (right before they bomb the island) are just...phenomenal. I'm getting goosebumps just listening to them in my head!

[Pirate King]

Originally Posted by DoYouBlu

a big example of a score that truly outdoes the movie:

the postman

ridiculously amazing score, decent movie

I agree. Excellent score..... not so excellent movie.

[Illini007]

I haven't paged through all the responses (have to do some work, right?), but if I could name the ones that are my favorites, then I would say:

Gladiator (know this was named early in the thread)
Thin Red Line
Blade Runner (my favorite)
Black Hawk Down (like Gladiator, the music just feels the mood of the movie)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (little dated, but I love the Bond vibe it gives)
The Dark Knight

[Blu-baton]

The following post turned out to be a bit of a lecture, but I needed a break from writing music myself, so sorry for the lengthy post

Some fine non-commercial composers have written some great film scores. Even way back in 1933, Prokofiev wrote a great score for Lieutenant Kijé. The 30’s and 40’s saw many European composers expats working in Hollywood, and these guys could really write. Tyomkin, Rosza and especially Korngold wrote fabulous scores for film, and Korngold almost set the standard (There is no John Williams without Korngold). It’s still done: John Corigliano wrote fantastic music for Altered States and The Red Violin; Toru Takemitsu wrote for many Kurosawa movies and could pastiche almost any style. I realize that as a musician, I may over-appreciate the technical skills of these guys, as I tend to listen to a score very closely, and probably shouldn’t. What a score brings to the film overall is what matters and if we notice the score too much, it could very well mean it’s in the way. I find a lot of stuff written nowadays to be overly simplistic, and that includes very talented folks like Vangelis, Elfman, Zimmer and other big names who certainly have a lot of imagination, but somehow don’t always engage me (this is purely a personal opinion – I have written some music for documentaries etc … but I tend to write orchestral arrangements and orchestrations, and am a performer first and foremost, so I’m not pretending I can do better).

I do consider John Williams to be a leader in the field still. He’s got great control over his final products and one of his orchestrators once told me that his short scores are so complete that working for him is like being a very well paid secretary. Last week I conducted an overture by John Williams made up of tunes he wrote for the movie The Cowboys. That’s pre Star Wars and the writing is absolutely pristine in every way (form, orchestration, tunes, harmonies, counterpoint etc …). It’s great fun to perform stuff like that, but I realize that this does not always translate in a “good movie score” – though here it probably does (I have never seen the film …). Everyone (myself included)loves the LOTR score, but my wife played in the orchestra for the “LOTR Symphony” last month, and everyone in the band thought it was a snore to perform (the audience truly loved it though). So different people have different expectations of what film music is supposed to do.

Finally, I should add another name to the list. Carl Stalling was truly one of the great pioneers in the field, and also developed many techniques for perfect film to music synchro. Everyone has heard his music but few realize who he is: Any Warner cartoon made until 1958 (Bugs Bunny etc …) was accompanied by his music. The man was absolutely brilliant!

[ALCOMData]

(in no particular order)

Barry Lyndon
The Mission
Rob Roy
The Rocketeer
An American Tale
The Untouchables
Backdraft
The Sand Pebbles
Charade
Glory
Dr. No (and the James Bond theme in general)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1939)
Psycho
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
Nightmare Before Christmas

[Pirate King]

I hope this is not too lengthy, but I love film scores. These are my favorites.

John Williams: Jaws, Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park

John Barry: The Lion in Winter, Out of Africa. He also wrote the James Bond theme that opens every Bond movie.

Max Steiner: Gone with the Wind

Maurice Jarre: Lawrence of Arabia, Dr. Zhivago

James Horner: Titanic, Apollo 13

Jerry Goldsmith: Star Trek, Patton, He also wrote the Twilight Zone theme.

Elmer Bernstein : The Magnificent Seven

Bernard Herrmann: Psycho, The Day the Earth Stood Still, North by Northwest

Klaus Badelt: Pirates of the Caribbean

Henry Mancini: Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Pink Panther

James Newton Howard: The Postman

Danny Elfman: Batman

Alex North: Spartacus, Cleopatra, He also wrote the song "Unchained Melody"

Ennio Morricone: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Dimitri Tiomkin: High Noon, The Alamo (1960)

Howard Shore: LOTR

Ernest Gold: Exodus

Hans Zimmer: The Lion King, Gladiator, The Da Vinci Code, Pearl Harbor

Randy Edelman: Gettysburg

[Gamma_Winstead]

Little Miss Sunshine.

[U4K61]

Originally Posted by Sussudio

Anyone else here a big fan of film scores? If so, what are some of your favorites?

Movies posted

• 2001
• 2012

Great Film Scores

• Tata Vega - Miss Celie's Blues 2:48
• Shug Avery - God Is Trying To Tell You Something 5:54
• Gone With the Wind - 1939
• Exodus - 1960
• Dr. Zhivago - 1965
• Lawrence of Arabia - 1962
• 2001 - 1968
• Star Wars - 1977
• Saterday Night Fever, Stayin' Alive - 1977
• Grease - 1978
• The Breakfast Club "Footloose" 4:45
• Blue Velvet - 1986

Directors

• Dennis Hopper

Links

• IMDb
• Rotten Tomatoes
• The Trailer Thread

Worst Movies

Rock Groups & Concerts

• Metallica
• Michael Jackson
• U2
• The Stones
• The Beatles

Back to A/V

[Ex Accountant]

Originally Posted by Blu-baton

The following post turned out to be a bit of a lecture, but I needed a break from writing music myself, so sorry for the lengthy post

Some fine non-commercial composers have written some great film scores. Even way back in 1933, Prokofiev wrote a great score for Lieutenant Kijé. The 30’s and 40’s saw many European composers expats working in Hollywood, and these guys could really write. Tyomkin, Rosza and especially Korngold wrote fabulous scores for film, and Korngold almost set the standard (There is no John Williams without Korngold). It’s still done: John Corigliano wrote fantastic music for Altered States and The Red Violin; Toru Takemitsu wrote for many Kurosawa movies and could pastiche almost any style. I realize that as a musician, I may over-appreciate the technical skills of these guys, as I tend to listen to a score very closely, and probably shouldn’t. What a score brings to the film overall is what matters and if we notice the score too much, it could very well mean it’s in the way. I find a lot of stuff written nowadays to be overly simplistic, and that includes very talented folks like Vangelis, Elfman, Zimmer and other big names who certainly have a lot of imagination, but somehow don’t always engage me (this is purely a personal opinion – I have written some music for documentaries etc … but I tend to write orchestral arrangements and orchestrations, and am a performer first and foremost, so I’m not pretending I can do better).

I do consider John Williams to be a leader in the field still. He’s got great control over his final products and one of his orchestrators once told me that his short scores are so complete that working for him is like being a very well paid secretary. Last week I conducted an overture by John Williams made up of tunes he wrote for the movie The Cowboys. That’s pre Star Wars and the writing is absolutely pristine in every way (form, orchestration, tunes, harmonies, counterpoint etc …). It’s great fun to perform stuff like that, but I realize that this does not always translate in a “good movie score” – though here it probably does (I have never seen the film …). Everyone (myself included)loves the LOTR score, but my wife played in the orchestra for the “LOTR Symphony” last month, and everyone in the band thought it was a snore to perform (the audience truly loved it though). So different people have different expectations of what film music is supposed to do.

Finally, I should add another name to the list. Carl Stalling was truly one of the great pioneers in the field, and also developed many techniques for perfect film to music synchro. Everyone has heard his music but few realize who he is: Any Warner cartoon made until 1958 (Bugs Bunny etc …) was accompanied by his music. The man was absolutely brilliant!

You remind me of a guitar virtuoso friend of mine who is a dedicated scholar of music. Often, he will have trouble enjoying a piece to which he is listening because he knows the lack of skill needed to perform it. I think I understand your point of view, but for me it's all about how it sounds. It's the end result as opposed to the process. Of course, I'm one of those guys who would be just as happy winning the lottery as opposed to working hard all of my life to earn the money. I'm just too easy.

[Sussudio]

just listened to Signs again, great score

[Blu-baton]

Originally Posted by DoYouBlu

just listened to Signs again, great score

That's James Newton Howard. That guy REALLY knows what he's doing!

[spolcyc]

Anything by John Williams.

Jurassic Park and Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones are my favorite.

[robertthunder]

Eraserhead
2001 A Space Oddysey
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Suspiria
There Will Be Blood
Once Upon a Time in the West
Apocalypse Now
The Godfather
Inglorious Bastards (Original)

[ClaytonMG]

I don't actually have favorite scores, but I do have composers I enjoy a lot.

Hans Zimmer
John Powell
Harry Gregson-Williams
John Williams
James Newton Howard (when he works with M. Night Shyamalan he can't be beat)
Mark Mancina (though, aside from August Rush, he hasn't done anything lately that's impressed me... well actually, he hasn't really done anything lately in general)
Trevor Rabin (again, not someone that has impressed me in the past few years, but his earlier scores were very good)
Steve Jablonsky (this guy needs more work IMO)
Jerry Goldsmith (The 'Burbs is one of the funniest scores ever)
Danny Elfman

[Lord_Stewie]

I would say both the last of the mohicans and the gladiator soundtrack were awesome.

[Midnightsailor]

Hook.

[Dubstar]

oh there are so many:

1) The Dark Crystal
2) Superman
3) Chariots of Fire
4) My Life as A Dog
5) Last Emperor
6) Lord of the Rings (Bakshi animated film)
7) Tekkinkonreet

[ThorianCreeper]

The Untouchables

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by darkpoet25

How could no one even mention the theme song Queen did for Flash Gordon? Or what about the theme to the Never Ending Story, done by Lamal from Kajagoogoo? My favorite soundtracks are mostly John Williams, and Danny Elfman. I loved Williams' scores for ET, and Close Encounters Of The Third Kind. Danny Elfman has created some great scores as well, mostly Tim Burton films. I like his work on Beetlejuice and Sleepy Hollow.

wasn't the international cut of the film feature a completely different music score.

[starryeyes]

Empire of the Sun is my favourite John Williams score followed by Star Wars.
Also love: LOTR's trilogy
Legend
The Abyss
Red Violin
Twin Peaks