[Closed] Now Playing XLIX

NP: Εξοδος 1826 - Kanaris Keramaris

Pleasant score for this Greek drama - Exodus 1826 - featuring woodwinds that has a slight ethnic emphasis that adds to the emotional impact of the score.

Bring back Alan Menken.

NP: The Lego Batman Movie - Lorne Balfe

Not sure about this one. It all seems a bit too chaotic for my listening enjoyment. I like the references to Hans Zimmer's Dark Knight universe, and the action scoring is solid. But, I struggle to really relax when the electric guitars begin their assault on the ears.

That's very true. Lorne has encouraged me to give it another listen!

Indeed.

NP: My favorite 2016 cues playlist.

Mockingjay Part 2 - James Newton Howard

Missed this when it first came out. As with all the other scores, there's about 15-20 minutes of really good material floating in a sea of meh (in this particular one, absolutely nothing happens until "Sewer Attack" half an hour in). You could easily make a nice one-disk playlist from the Hunger Games scores that would sound pretty impressive, but taken individually these scores are just really, really underwhelming. Enormous missed opportunity for JNH on his first really big franchise (although I know he came into it under less than ideal circumstances). Luckily Fantastic Beasts seems to be off to a much better start.

Edit: Also, something is really up with the recording on this one. All the loud parts sound really shrill and thin, almost synthetic. I noticed the same thing with The Huntsman: Winter's War but it's even worse here. It makes the otherwise excellent action music in "Sewer Attack" a lot harder on the ears than it needs to be.

I must say that those scores have grown on me, still you are right concerning the one disc playlist:

1. THE HUNGER GAMES: The Hunger Games
2. Horn of Plenty
3. Rue's Farewell
4. Tenuous Winners / Returning Home
5. THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE: The Tour
6. Katniss Is Chosen
7. I Need You
8. Arena Crumbles
9. THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY, PART 1: The Mockingjay
10. The Hanging Tree
11. Air Raid Drill
12. Victory
13. THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY, PART 2: Your Favorite Color Is Green
14. Primrose
15. There Are Worse Games to Play / Deep in the Meadow / The Hunger Games Suite

This is the Silva Screen album playlist that I used as a template. It works really well.

Volker

That's a really solid playlist. It's got all of my favorite cues on it. I agree that those scores were just okay with some nice highlights. The Huntsman scores feel the same way for me. It seems like quite a few of JNH's scores are that way. When it comes to finales full of awe and wonderment, though, JNH can do amazing things.

I felt like FANTASTIC BEASTS was really strong all the way through.

How bizarre!? Waste such brilliant music on something as 'mundane' as a pinball game app!

Definitely checking out the link -- Holmquist is on my radar now. Thanks.

It matters because it needs MUCH wider exposure!

A Cure For Wellness Soundtrack (Benjamin Wallfisch)

Sad about that boring second part, because the first part was rather good. The lullaby and its various variations made for fun listening. Sad that the second part actually became the music I was afraid to get from the beginning.

I found it to be a perfect argument for non-chronological album arranging - the first half is fun, classical and leaves you wondering if at some point it'll start to be suspenseful, scary or moody, and then it's all mood, all suspense, boringly so.

It's also very much Zimmer, for whom he worked at the time. Thanks for sharing, though -- I've never heard it before.