Movie Scores

[Chaplin]

Thought it would be an interesting exercise to see how many real movie fans we have on here.

Can you name a movie score (not a soundtrack) that fits a movie perfectly, and another one that totally detracts from the movie? One of each.

Perfect Fit: The Last Temptation of Christ (Peter Gabriel)

Bad Fit: Avatar (James Horner)

 

[Cheesebeef]

I could go the easy way and list John William's scores for Indy or Star Wars or Alvin Sylvestri's Rocky score, but I'll go for one a little off the beat path for best together:

Danny Elfman: Pee Wee's Big Adventure

Worst?

Danny Elfman: Spiderman

that's just a coincidence that it's Danny both times.

 

[Gaddabout]

Perfect fits:
American Beauty (Thomas Newman)
Requiem for a Dream (Clint Mansell)
Flash Gordon (Queen)
Chinatown (Jerry Goldsmith)
Tao of Steve (Various riffs on Steve McQueen)

Bad fits:
Rumblefish (Stewart Copeland)
Magnolia (Aimee Mann)

 

[Chaplin]

I could go the easy way and list John William's scores for Indy or Star Wars or Alvin Sylvestri's Rocky score, but I'll go for one a little off the beat path for best together:

Danny Elfman: Pee Wee's Big Adventure

Worst?

Danny Elfman: Spiderman

that's just a coincidence that it's Danny both times.

Good call, I'd agree with that.

Here's another couple:

Perfect Fit: Jurassic Park (John Williams)

Bad Fit: Ravenous (Michael Nyman)
* I thought the idea was ingenious, I just didn't think it worked.

 

[mojorizen7]

Nice thread Chap.

Perfect: Gladiator Hans Zimmer
Very diverse score. Grand,haunting,beautiful,intimate,tribal,epic(like the film).
Runner up: Halloween John Carpenter
Just showing some campy love here
-------------------------------------------------------------
Wrong? I'm drawing a blank.
Dissappointing: The Dark Knight Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard
Completely unmemorable collaberation from two magnificent composers.
Flat.
I imagine the fact that its a collaberation is a direct result of there being not nearly enough "quiet time" in this film.
Even when the score isn't trying to take the lead there's a constant presence throughout thats just annoying.
Any quality songwriter knows that silence is a good thing for what follows,or what precedes.

 

[Gaddabout]

Just wanted to add I loved the Rumblefish soundtrack -- by itself. It's compelling. But it DOMINATES the movie. Makes me more aware of the music and doesn't draw me in.

 

[Chaplin]

Nice thread Chap.

Perfect: Gladiator Hans Zimmer
Very diverse score. Grand,haunting,beautiful,intimate,tribal,epic(like the film).
Runner up: Halloween John Carpenter
Just showing some campy love here
-------------------------------------------------------------
Wrong? I'm drawing a blank.
Dissappointing: The Dark Knight Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard
Completely unmemorable collaberation from two magnificent composers.
Flat.
I imagine the fact that its a collaberation is a direct result of there being not nearly enough "quiet time" in this film.
Even when the score isn't trying to take the lead there's a constant presence throughout thats just annoying.
Any quality songwriter knows that silence is a good thing for what follows,or what precedes.

Gladiator's a good choice. As for Dark Knight, that's a pretty interesting one. I thought the score for that movie was almost identical to Batman Begins. The score to DK wasn't intrusive at all, but I really don't remember it. Which to me either means it's so perfect you don't notice it, or it's so bland you don't realize it's even there.

Perfect Fit: Braveheart (James Horner)

Bad Fit: The Princess Bride (Mark Knopler)
* Great, great movie, but the score was not nearly as good as the movie.

 

[Gaddabout]

Bad Fit: The Princess Bride (Mark Knopler)
* Great, great movie, but the score was not nearly as good as the movie.

I hadn't thought about it before, but you're right.

 

[Gee!]

Rocky "Eye Of The Tiger" is all I can think of for music in movies.. Or the Star Wars theme..

 

[mojorizen7]

Bad Fit: The Princess Bride (Mark Knopler)
* Great, great movie, but the score was not nearly as good as the movie.

Wow, i didn't know that Mark Knopfler did that score. I'm ashamed i didn't know that. Yeah, hard to punch thru that film with a great score i guess.?

 

[Chaplin]

Do you guys know Christopher Young? He has done so many forgettable scores and one score that IMO is one of the best ever. He did Hellraiser, Virtuosity and Bandits, but then he did Murder in the First, which is just an amazing score.

 

[O]

One of my favorite scores is from The Cooler...... Mark Isham.

I really like his work.

 

[Stout]

Perfect Score: Basil Polidorus, Conan the Barbarian.

Awful Score: Whoever did There Will Be Blood. I mean, seriously, I kept waiting for Snidely Whiplash to waltz onto the screen.

 

[mojorizen7]

Perfect Score: Basil Polidorus, Conan the Barbarian.

Nice call there. Rewatched this a week ago and was amazed(again)at just how freakin cool that score is...top to bottom.

Awful Score: Whoever did There Will Be Blood. I mean, seriously, I kept waiting for Snidely Whiplash to waltz onto the screen.

I know many didn't like it (and it is odd) but it didn't stand out as terrible for me. Surrealism in the least likely of places.

 

[Chaplin]

I don't even remember There Will Be Blood's score. But then again, I thought the movie itself was something of a bore.

 

[Stout]

I don't even remember There Will Be Blood's score. But then again, I thought the movie itself was something of a bore.

We are in complete agreement there. The score was a lot of over-the-top, melodramatic evil music, with lots of screeching violins. Awful.

 

[Mulli]

For some reason, Platoon's score comes to mind.

 

[Pariah]

The very first one that popped into my head when I read the title of the thread was "Last Temptation of Christ." That was awesome.

And most of Ennio Morricone's scores were darn near perfect--especially on the spaghetti westerns.

 

[MadCardDisease]

I always loved the score from Glory by James Horner. It was perfect for that movie and is my all time favorite.

Also up there is Dances With Wolves - John Barry


Michael Kamen's score for the first X-Men movie has to be the most annoying for me.

 

[Dr. Jones]

I always loved the score from Glory by James Horner. It was perfect for that movie and is my all time favorite.

Also up there is Dances With Wolves - John Barry


Michael Kamen's score for the first X-Men movie has to be the most annoying for me.

Damn! Was about to say Glory.... Loved it.

Also Braveheart, Toy Story, & The Matrix.

Worst to me... There will be blood... So over the top and grating!

 

[earthsci]

You guys are such movie geeks! That is awesome though. I don't know how many times my wife and have watched a movie based on a thread here and we were both happy.

Anyway, best movie score for me (and I suck at this) - "Valley Girl"

 

[Chaplin]

You guys are such movie geeks! That is awesome though. I don't know how many times my wife and have watched a movie based on a thread here and we were both happy.

Anyway, best movie score for me (and I suck at this) - "Valley Girl"

Obscure picks are always the best.

A couple other great scores that get overshadowed by their soundtracks:

The Crow (Graeme Revell)
Forrest Gump (Alan Silvestri)
The Saint (Graeme Revell)

And of course, IMO the best working composer, Thomas Newman:

Scent of a Woman
American Beauty
The Shawshank Redemption
The Green Mile
Road To Perdition
Meet Joe Black
Red Corner
Six Feet Under (main theme)
WALL-E
Cinderella Man

Just an incredible body of work.

 

[Covert Rain]

OK, I am going to name some movies here that are obvious because they are "musicals" (and my kids favorites) and some other ones that just were awesome.

The Godfather
Wizard of Oz
2001: A Space Odyssey
Sound of Music
Psycho
Marry Poppins
Star Wars
Grease
Indiana Jones
Shaft
The Sting
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
Several Bond Films
Apocalypse Now
Betelgeuse
Back to the Future
Lord of the Rings
Stargate
Rocky Films
Oceans 11 & 12
Pirates of the Caribbean
Batman The Dark Knight


Ones that sucked:

Twilight films (take your pick)
The Last of the Mohicans
LadyHawk
Batman and Robin
Scarface
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Eyes Wide Shut

 

[Covert Rain]

P.S - Best composers in the biz:

John Williams
Danny Elfman
Randy Newmen
Hans Zimmer

 

[mojorizen7]

Obscure picks are always the best.

A couple other great scores that get overshadowed by their soundtracks:

The Crow (Graeme Revell)
Forrest Gump (Alan Silvestri)
The Saint (Graeme Revell)

And of course, IMO the best working composer, Thomas Newman:

Scent of a Woman
American Beauty
The Shawshank Redemption
The Green Mile
Road To Perdition
Meet Joe Black
Red Corner
Six Feet Under (main theme)
WALL-E
Cinderella Man

Just an incredible body of work.

Absolutely. What a resume'.
Road to Perdition & American Beauty are cut from the same cloth and they're both favorites of mine.