[MUSIC] Film Music

[Corki]

Everybody loves films. But the music that goes with the film tends to be forgotten behind the actors and actresses, the stunts, the cash the film rolls in.

 

So let's discuss film music then! Any favourites? Anything you don't like? Any composers you like?

 

Personally speaking, Gladiator is one of my favourite films for music. The music is stirring, and fits the film very well. And the fact I have the CD for the film's music twice (due to a special CD that released 5 years after the film with bonus tracks) shows this.

 

What about you?

[F Horn of Valere]

The Return of the King.

 

As a general rule, I love movie music in epics but don't go crazy over it. (John Williams usually just uses the same format when writing for every movie.. good, but not in excess)

 

But Howard Shore did such a wonderful job in LOTR, that it is musically AMAZING.

 

Specifically... in Return of the King, the score used during the lighting of the beacons is awesome, and the soundtrack also does include previous themes of the Rohan and the Fellowship.

 

But the star of the show for me is the final track.. Into the West. Not only is it beautifully written, and beautifully sung, but I love the idea of a duet between a french horn and a singer, especially when the horn player has the most beautiful tone...

[twinflower]

I love film music!  And not just from the popular soundtracks, although I have many of those.

 

Some of my favorites are from films that the soundtrack isn't really recognized even.  My husband and I have been looking for the soundtracks from some of the John Wayne movies.  Chisim, Big Jake, Son's of Katie Elder to name a few.  Another favorite is from the Victory at Sea mini-series.  All the music used in it is from Rodger's and Hammerstien musicals!

 

I agree with you on John Williams Horn, although I do enjoy most of what he has composed, and Star Wars is just a classic!

[Kristine]

Last of the Mohegans... that score is just inspired... Oh, and Braveheart.  I adore listening to the Pipes when they talk about the forgotten tunes on forbidden pipes.

 

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy soundtracks are wonderful, and even though I'm not a fan of the movie, I like the Titanic soundtrack.

 

Though... One thing that is sometimes overlooked is the Musicals because they are all song and not just background... Moulin Rouge is a good soundtrack - best song though is the piece that is played while the credits are rolling.

[Talya]

I agree Kris Moulin Rouge is a ovely sound track.

 

But Fav is LotR, I love all three, but the favourite is the Fellowship, and I love Enya May it be...it's so beautiful, and she sings in elvish...

[F Horn of Valere]

I think my favorite of all three is... all three combined into one big giant album! lol

[Taymist]

Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction have great soundtracks. And as Kris said, Braveheart is wonderful.

[Kara_J]

The Return of the King.

 

As a general rule, I love movie music in epics but don't go crazy over it. (John Williams usually just uses the same format when writing for every movie.. good, but not in excess)

 

But Howard Shore did such a wonderful job in LOTR, that it is musically AMAZING.

 

Specifically... in Return of the King, the score used during the lighting of the beacons is awesome, and the soundtrack also does include previous themes of the Rohan and the Fellowship.

 

But the star of the show for me is the final track.. Into the West. Not only is it beautifully written, and beautifully sung, but I love the idea of a duet between a french horn and a singer, especially when the horn player has the most beautiful tone...

 

Howard Shore is fantastic...did you know he'd completed the score for the films then had to redo the completed score to fit in the extended scenes for the DVD...yet it is still fantastic and you can't tell what bit was added where!  ;D

[North Star]

i have to say its my honest opinion that music can make or break a film. its what gives the emotion and the suspense, and im sure thats alot fo the reason why great films become great. LOTR would have been nothing without the music and films like Jurassic Park could well have been cheesy without it.

 

Howard Shore is definetly a great composer - and he likes his strings and brass! lol!!

 

James Horner is one of my favourite composers i.e. Braveheart, Titanic, Perfect Storm etc and he loves strings. like alot composers he usually uses similar phrases in alot of his music which is nice, but sometimes makes them hard to identify! lol!!

 

Hans Zimmer is who i would consider to be "the" composer. he is just a genius..he really is. i.e. Gladiator, Pirates fo the Carribean etc hes done loads of films and the music is always fabulous and varies more than other composers, although some fo the same phrasings are still used. to my mind, Gladiator is probably one of the most celebrated soundtracks ever written simply because of the volume of publications that have subsequently used the music - from adverts to holiday programs.

 

John Williams i think of as the American Heavyweight.  i think if you had to look for the big composer of recent times then it would be a close call between Hans Zimmer and John Williams. i have to say that the main theme to Jurassic Park always makes me smile no matter how many times i listen to it! for me thats the mark of a great composer - one whos music brings the emotion without needing the movie. Jerry Goldsmith also did soundtracks for series such as Star Trek

 

if you look back a bit then the heavyweight there would have been the Goldsmiths' (i think its plural as i think there were two generations from the same family?? im not sure...but id like to know! lol!!) who seem to always come up on the big old movies as composers

 

There are also what i think of as the "one hit wonders" of the film  world...as in ive only see them do one memorable piece of film music thus far. an excellent example if Michael Nyman - primarily a pianist and therefore did the music for the film "The Piano" directed by Jane Champion (i think?) and that has one of the most beautiful pieces of piano music in which i have taught myself to play and LOVE it. its called "The Heart asks Pleasure first" or soemthing like that. i guess its probably the main theme of the film, but its mostly piano coupled with strings.

 

and of course...we cannot forget the immortal... "FLASH! ahh ahh!!! savior of the universe!!" part of Queen's film music for the super hero film with the amazing Brian Blessed (sp?).

 

 

im sorry...i have a thing for film music!! lol!!

[F Horn of Valere]

I'm noticing a pattern here...

 

Seems like all the high budget fantasy/sci fi seem to do well with their music.

[BridMorgan]

I love the Gladiator soundtrack!  It's one of my favorites, but LoTR soundtracks take the top spot!  I think because this was such a huge movie with huge expectations, that Howard Shore went above and beyond anything he has done in the past.  I can listen to the cds all day long. 

 

As for John Williams, I think he's fantastic also, there is such a difference in his compositions from the original SW to the newest ones.  He's also done the music for HP and Indiana Jones.  Also, just found out that he was the composer for Jaws II and the conductor (uncredited!!) for Jaws.  Who can forget that music??

 

Some of my other favorite soundtracks:  Moulin Rouge, Labyrinth, Braveheart, Trainspotting, Rocky Horror Picture Show

 

I think they reason they do so well Horn, is cause they are high budget so they can pay for the best... ;D

[demonspawn]

I quite like the soundtrack for An American Werewolf in London, and the Star Wars Soundtrack, especially for the fight between Obi Wan and Darth Maul the best thing to come out of the second "Trilogy" if not the ONLY good thing :(

[BridMorgan]

Oooh Demonspawn, I love "Duel of the Fates" too!  That has to be one of my favorites!

[Taymist]

It was Jane Campion, Northie  :D and I agree, The Piano had a masterful soundtrack, really superb.

[kellan kiri]

In terms of Directors who were brilliant at using music in his movies my favorite of all time has to be stanley kubrick.  He could set moods perfectly, but also had a gift for making a song take on a whole new meaning.  For all who have seen Clockwork Orange, think singing in the rain.

 

Another movie that i thought managed great appropriate soundtrack was Snatch.  probably does not hurt that guy ritchie did music videos first.

 

In terms of epic movies. LOTR was one of the absolute best for music of all time.  Schindlers List was also quite good for its almost minimalist approach to the music, which made it even have more impact.

[BridMorgan]

Kel, I totally agree with you on A Clockwork Orange soundtrack!  I haven't really seen any other Kubrick movies, as far as I can remember, but the soundtrack like the movie sticks with you!

[Kristine]

Now, its not a movie, but there was one episode of Buffy that was done silent called Hushed - and that score was fab.

[twinflower]

that was well done...

 

Kell made me think of something, not neccessarily as a favorite score, but all the Hitchcock movies and how music was used in them.  I can't think of a single melody, refrain or any measure of music, but the way the suspense in them moves..is done with the score.

 

Also the whole genre of horror or suspense movies.  One of my favorites is The Shining with Jack Nicholson....

[F Horn of Valere]

ooo hitchcock reminds me of Teddy Bear Picnic, aka Dance of a Marionette

[Taymist]

Yes, Schindler's List was superb. There's a definite trick to making music enhance rather than detract from the movie. Snatch and Lock, Stock were both very good for that.

[F Horn of Valere]

my sister's windchimes have the basic 4 notes from Schindler's List's main theme... I get it stuck in my head every time I visit!

[Auld Manriva]

That North by Northwest score was by Bernard Herrman who did a TON of memorable scores for Hitch as well as other memorable ones as well. Psycho anyone? Citizen Kane, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Vertigo, Jason and the Argonauts (and other Harryhousen movies) and his last, Taxi Driver.

 

I really don't care for musicals, movie or stage for that matter.. But Paint Your Wagon is, I think, the only one I ever made it through... Any musical that has Lee Marvin singin his own songs as well as Clint Eastwood gets a nod in my book. Harve Presnell beltin' out They Call the Wind Maria, and Wanderin' Star done by a croaking Marvin (the theme song to my life) are just outstanding.

 

I won't even start on Maurice Jarres' score for Lawrence of Arabia... and the songs of Elvis' Blue Hawaii. Can't Help Falling In Love still gets me misty eyed :-\)... Two of the earliest I can remember..

[Nalesean]

LOTR is my fav, ROTK(Return of the King) and FOTR(Fellowship of the Ring) have better than TTT(The Two Towers)

U should find the top 5 movies and make a poll.

[Corki]

Once this thread starts slowing down, then we can try that option. But I think we should get a few more options.

 

Sadly, I can't comment on LotR, since I have only seen the first film. However, I do know Northie plans to change that...

 

For those of you who like Hans Zimmer, I do know he has produced an album of music that isn't based on film music. It's out there somewhere as a friend of mine has it...but can I find it?

[Taymist]

Corki!! I can't believe you've only seen one of them.  :-\ Someone who is worse than me lol. I'm usually last to see anything. You really have to see the other two. *noddity nod*