• Categories

Vanilla 1.1.4 is a product of Lussumo. More Information: Documentation, Community Support.

 
  1. I'm sure everybody knows what I'm talking about. Those bad, or just not good movies that become good because they have a nice soundtrack accompanying them. In my opinion brilliant film music can elevate the overall quality of the film totally, regardless of gaping plot holes, boring characters or awful direction.

    Even movies that are generally regarded by critics and public as bland I tend to like, if they have that special fuzzy feeling playing in the background, created by some composer dude in a studio and his 80-piece orchestra.

    I'm sure everyone has examples, the one that keeps popping up in my head is Lost in Space, the sci-fi space adventure starring William Hurt and Gary Oldman, that bombed hugely and most people just found plain dumb. I was one of those people, but the more I saw it, and the more I heard Bruce Broughton's inspired adventurous score, the more I got to like the film. I can say the movie now even strikes an emotional chord with me, because the music has that quality, even if the actors fail to portray those emotions convincingly. Of course, I love the brilliant production design and art direction as well. And the special effects are ace. But Broughton rocks the house!!

    So what are some of the bad turned to good movies you have seen? Goldsmith movies will pop up here very often (King Solomon's Mines anyone?) cheesy
    "considering I've seen an enormous debate here about The Amazing Spider-Man and the ones who love it, and the ones who hate it, I feel myself obliged to say: TASTE DIFFERS, DEAL WITH IT" - Thomas G.
    •  
      CommentAuthorAtham
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    I'll have to say The Swarm. Music by Jerry Goldsmith (one of many bad films he scored).

    This film is a classic 70's disaster epic by Irwin Allen which means it's HUGE!

    Big cast, big effects and big music!

    I love this score! Always have! Especially the helicopter theme.

    I own the film on DVD and enjoy watching it with certain friends. We all pretend to take the film seriously and praise the cast for their stirling effort. And praise Irwin etc for a brilliant story and screenplay!

    Seriously though I really do love Goldsmith's score!
    •  
      CommentAuthorBhelPuri
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    Mission to Mars with music by Morricone. Utterly banal screenplay. The story's also a bit ridiculous but I still don't mind watching it again for the brilliant music.
    •  
      CommentAuthorDemonStar
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    I'd say Waterworld, with music by James Newton Howard. The movie was a big box office bomb. I watched the movie too, and IMHO, the plot was okay but the pace was bad and some parts, including the ending, were pretty bad. But the music by JNH is simply AMAZING. AMAZING. I might even call it one of his top five works. I watched the movie a second time just to listen to the score.

    Another example may be Van Helsing. Music by Alan Silvestri. Though the overall plot is OK, parts of the screenplay are pretty bland and in many scenes I was dead tired of the movie and wondering when it would end (and the make up of the Dracula brides, IMO, looked terribly fake and deliberate. It is Alan Silvestri's great score that keeps up some lively interest. I love the huge gothic choir, synth style bass drums and fast paced violins during the action scenes. As far as I know, the score is very popular among film score collectors.
    •  
      CommentAuthorplindboe
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    BhelPuri wrote
    Mission to Mars with music by Morricone. Utterly banal screenplay. The story's also a bit ridiculous but I still don't mind watching it again for the brilliant music.


    Couldn't agree more. The movie itself is banal, ridiculous and cheesy, yet I've seen it about 5 times because of that amazing music. Out of my couple of thousand scores "Mission to Mars" would probably feature in my alltime favorite top10.

    Peter punk
    • CommentAuthorKing Rao
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    Damn near everything Basil Poledouris ever worked on.
    • CommentAuthorAnthony
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    I don't have an example of good music helping a bad film, but I do have an example of the complete opposite.

    Eric Serra - Goldeneye

    OMG, did he get out an Atari game system to record this score? It just plain sucks. The music in the movie is so bad it's distracting...and that's not even mentioning the end credits song.

    vomit
    • CommentAuthorLéon
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    Hellbound - Hellraiser II. The first movie was ok, with great music by Christopher Young.
    The second movie was awful but had even greater and bigger music by Young. That's the only reason I keep watching it.
    •  
      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    BhelPuri wrote
    Mission to Mars with music by Morricone. Utterly banal screenplay. The story's also a bit ridiculous but I still don't mind watching it again for the brilliant music.


    Despite me being totally crazy for 70% of Morricone's music, i'd have to say the same about this movie's score as well biggrin
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
    •  
      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    RED PLANET

    Total bullcrap but the GRAEME REVELL score is his best work to date for sure and a wholly passionate, dreamy musical work for all tastes. With Emma Shapplin's ethereal singing all over it, it's a real winner.
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
  2. I don't think any of the vocal stuff is in the film though. Revell once said in an interview that he did the vocal tracks because he thought the album wouldn't be much good if he just put the underscore in.
    A butterfly thinks therefore I am
    •  
      CommentAuthorBobdH
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    franz_conrad wrote
    I don't think any of the vocal stuff is in the film though. Revell once said in an interview that he did the vocal tracks because he thought the album wouldn't be much good if he just put the underscore in.


    Now why doesn't he get this idea more often? It pretty much applies to 80% of his scores...
    •  
      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    There are some in the movie, but most of the gorgeous vocal tracks are on the CD which makes for a very coherent listening experience.
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
  3. DemonStar wrote
    I'd say Waterworld, with music by James Newton Howard. The movie was a big box office bomb. I watched the movie too, and IMHO, the plot was okay but the pace was bad and some parts, including the ending, were pretty bad. But the music by JNH is simply AMAZING. AMAZING. I might even call it one of his top five works. I watched the movie a second time just to listen to the score.


    Totally agreed. The score is one of the reasons I enjoy this movie more than I should, Waterworld is JNH biggest effort to date, and it is awesome. I liked the whole premise of the movie, I have always liked end-of-the-world films but this one is a little cheesier than the rest, however JNH's music is anything but cheesy!! punk

    One other I enjoy so much more is the Renny Harlin trainwreck, CutThroat Island, now this is what pirate films should have on their soundtrack, big brassy fun never letting up. It makes the movie 100 times more exciting and I forgive it for the sometimes ludicrous plot development.

    Alien 3 is a movie I would not like if it didn't have Elliot Goldenthal's genious and complex underscore upping the emotional impact of the movie. I didn't know what to make of the flick at first, too dark after the ballsy Aliens, but I've come to appreciate it, just because it's supposed to be dark and depressing, thanks in no small part to Elliot's brilliant musical stylings.
    "considering I've seen an enormous debate here about The Amazing Spider-Man and the ones who love it, and the ones who hate it, I feel myself obliged to say: TASTE DIFFERS, DEAL WITH IT" - Thomas G.
  4. Christodoulides wrote
    RED PLANET

    Total bullcrap but the GRAEME REVELL score is his best work to date for sure and a wholly passionate, dreamy musical work for all tastes. With Emma Shapplin's ethereal singing all over it, it's a real winner.


    Yeah great soundtrack but I've never come to love the movie though, just a mild like. The film is flawed sure but the ethereal scoring is a highlight and makes watching it less painful.
    "considering I've seen an enormous debate here about The Amazing Spider-Man and the ones who love it, and the ones who hate it, I feel myself obliged to say: TASTE DIFFERS, DEAL WITH IT" - Thomas G.
    •  
      CommentAuthorplindboe
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    Christodoulides wrote
    BhelPuri wrote
    Mission to Mars with music by Morricone. Utterly banal screenplay. The story's also a bit ridiculous but I still don't mind watching it again for the brilliant music.


    Despite me being totally crazy for 70% of Morricone's music, i'd have to say the same about this movie's score as well biggrin


    Meanie! angry
  5. I'd have to say that Conan The Barbarian is absolute drivel as a film, but as we all know the score is fantastic!
    If in doubt, let the wookie win
    •  
      CommentAuthorelenewton
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    Lady in the Water !

    If not for the score, I wouldn't be able to sit through that mess ~!
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    Tim (not timmer) wrote
    I'd have to say that Conan The Barbarian is absolute drivel as a film, but as we all know the score is fantastic!


    Awwwww Maaaaannn! I. LOVE. THAT. FILM.

    It's like an Opera with it's different acts, Arnold looking physically magnificent, a great female lead who doesn't look like a wimpy model with pouting lips in Sandahl Bergman, fabulous scenery and James Earl Jones with a bad haircut....what's NOT to like!? cheesy cool ....and Basil's supremely magnificent music just puts the icing on a wonderfully cheesy camp cake, I can watch this movie time and again.
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
  6. Such an interesting topic. smile I'd have to say The Perfect Storm was one for me. Just a totally cheesy film (sorry to offend those that are fans of Wolfgang Peterson) that was somewhat redeemed when listening to the totally entertaining and lovely score by James Horner.
    •  
      CommentAuthorMarselus
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    The perfect example of a bad (horrible) movie made better by good film music is First Knight. Such a bad film with such a great score.
    Anything with an orchestra or with a choir....at some point will reach you
    •  
      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    Talking about a horribly bad, all-gone-wrong, monstrosity of a movie which is also listed in most 'worst films ever' lists out there, GIGLI that got a beautifully sweet and fragile guitar-driven score by Powell. HOW THE HELL DID HE DO IT?!?
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
  7. Thomas Newman was wiser probably (working with Martin Brest since Scent of a Woman) biggrin
    http://www.filmmusic.pl - Polish Film Music Review Website
    •  
      CommentAuthorMarselus
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    Christodoulides wrote
    Talking about a horribly bad, all-gone-wrong, monstrosity of a movie which is also listed in most 'worst films ever' lists out there, GIGLI that got a beautifully sweet and fragile guitar-driven score by Powell. HOW THE HELL DID HE DO IT?!?

    Not looking at the screen more than two seconds each time. biggrin
    Anything with an orchestra or with a choir....at some point will reach you
    •  
      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    yeah.....and possibly thinking of J.LO's butt (and not only) instead, during ALL the rest of the time spent working on it!
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
    •  
      CommentAuthorMarselus
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    Now that I think about it, this would be an interesting question to ask to a composer (a bit risky though):"Mr. "X", did you realised while composing that you were scoring a pile of crap?" "How did you handle with it?"
    Anything with an orchestra or with a choir....at some point will reach you
    •  
      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008 edited
    Nobody (well apart Marc Shaiman obviously) would EVER answer such a question in a non-standard, non-professional, honest way. smile
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteven
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    Filmscoregirl wrote
    (sorry to offend those that are fans of Wolfgang Peterson)


    Don't ever apologise to fans of Peterson. (Unless they've only seen Das Boot.)

    biggrin
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteven
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    Christodoulides wrote
    Nobody (well apart Marc Shaiman obviously) would EVER answer such a question in a non-standard, non-professional, honest way. smile


    I think a few might. Zimmer would I think, and David Arnold certainly would.
    •  
      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeJan 29th 2008
    And James Horner biggrin Remember the "THE NEW WORLD was my worst ever experience and Gabriel Yared can't write a single note" interview? biggrin
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.