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      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeJun 16th 2017
    Southall wrote
    Inception Hans

    One of the most influential scores of recent times, and one of the best.



    Love it. I'd say with INTERSTELLAR he absolutely triumphed and set the highest standard for himself so far. His top moment imo.
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
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      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeJun 16th 2017
    Steven wrote
    christopher wrote
    Just finished my first listen to Geoff Zanelli's PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES.

    It's one of the better scores I've heard this year so far (which isn't say a whole lot really). Zanelli has done a really good job recreating the sound of the first three scores. It reprises all of my favorite themes from those scores as well as adding a few nice new ones. The techno remix of "He's a Pirate" at the end is entertaining, if a big shift away from the sound of the rest of the album. My favorite track was probably "The Dying Gull," which is short, but offers a huge rendition and nice variation of one of the former themes.


    I found it extremely OK, and it would be better if it didn't sound so cheap. The third remains by far the best.


    autopilotish, as expected. sound is good and clean, production is tight and enjoyable, glad it's not noise, but essentially all the potc scores sound leftovers of the same overlong project, except for the brilliant third score and that's all you need from the potc musical universe imo smile
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
    •  
      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeJun 16th 2017
    DreamTheater wrote
    The Passion of the Christ - John Debney

    The original release. Such a powerful score! Emotion up the wazoo, and a musical ambience that is spot on for the film. Give Debney the right project and he can definitely contribute in a major way. Too bad there are only a couple of such projects that were given to him.


    I think Debney got three brilliant moments in his career: absolutely hands-down THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, complete , whole work, heavily inspired and inspiring. I think he's deeply religious and he hit the magical right spot with this one. LAIR, and DRAGONFLY. The rest is filler in a standard career so far.
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
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      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeJun 16th 2017
    Captain Future wrote
    Batman vs Superman (2016) - Hans Zimmer, Tom Holkenborg

    Man of Steel (2013) - Hans Zimmer


    I really like the BvS score. The Man of Steel score has grown on me but is IMO inferior by comparison.

    Volker


    like these, hate amazing Spider-Man .
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
  1. Demetris wrote
    DreamTheater wrote
    The Passion of the Christ - John Debney

    The original release. Such a powerful score! Emotion up the wazoo, and a musical ambience that is spot on for the film. Give Debney the right project and he can definitely contribute in a major way. Too bad there are only a couple of such projects that were given to him.


    I think Debney got three brilliant moments in his career: absolutely hands-down THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, complete , whole work, heavily inspired and inspiring. I think he's deeply religious and he hit the magical right spot with this one. LAIR, and DRAGONFLY. The rest is filler in a standard career so far.

    That's the first time I've heard Cutthroat Island described as "filler" or "standard"...
  2. Thomas Glorieux wrote
    PawelStroinski wrote
    Thomas Glorieux wrote
    War Machine (Nick Cave & Warren Ellis)

    What the fuck kind of music is this? Ah, I know the filmmusic of today vomit


    Never heard a Nick Cave score before? He's not exactly a traditional composer.


    I have, just not a lot. But it's not just this score. So far it has been an absolute shit year concerning music. I hope with the "blockbuster releases" coming this summer things could improve a bit. But overall it's definitely a year where filmmusic has truly lost its touch. Thank god I'm returning to the masters who have done it before (aka going through a lot of Jerry Goldsmith, Alan Silvestri, Basil Poledouris soundtracks). Now that was quality.


    Yeah, and that's about the most unfair blanket statement you can make. The thing is that there are reasons, outside of "producer ear" why film scores changed recently, also in the more traditionally orchestral business (come to think of it, have you heard Horner's Southpaw?). There is a theory I have, but I still have to confirm it by a better knowledge of more contemporary classical music, but long story short (perhaps Timmer and Demetris, and Tom, may say if I'm going in the right direction): The inspiration changed from late Romanticism to more contemporary concert music.
    http://www.filmmusic.pl - Polish Film Music Review Website
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeJun 16th 2017 edited
    Demetris wrote
    Captain Future wrote
    Batman vs Superman (2016) - Hans Zimmer, Tom Holkenborg

    Man of Steel (2013) - Hans Zimmer


    I really like the BvS score. The Man of Steel score has grown on me but is IMO inferior by comparison.

    Volker


    like these, hate amazing Spider-Man .


    Liked Spidey 2 was exceptionally luke-warm to BvS and MoS

    Hello D old friend wave
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
  3. PawelStroinski wrote
    The inspiration changed from late Romanticism to more contemporary concert music.

    I'd rather say that the inspiration has changed from late Romanticism to non-classical genres (and oftentimes a combination of the two in both direct and indirect ways - see people like Tyler and Giacchino writing very simple pop-chord themes within otherwise orchestral environments).

    Contemporary concert music has never been a massive influence on film scoring I think, there have been the odd experiment here and there (Goldenthal, Davis' Matrix music, a period back there in the late 60s-early 70s with people like Fielding and Shrie and Goldsmith too) but it has never ingrained itself.
  4. Where would you see the inspiration for the "weaker" themes from orchestral composers like, say, Giacchino? (Meaning, mind you, the more emotional material rather than the indeed anthem-like Star Trek theme) They're more difficult than, say, the Horner or Williams classics. It seems the source is somewhere else.

    Also, let's not underestimate the impact of guys like Arvo Part or Henryk MikoĊ‚aj Górecki.
    http://www.filmmusic.pl - Polish Film Music Review Website
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      CommentAuthorSteven
    • CommentTimeJun 17th 2017
    The Lego Batman Movie Lorne Balfe

    A ridiculously entertaining score. One of my favourites of 2017.
    • CommentAuthorJosh B
    • CommentTimeJun 17th 2017
    Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Patrick Doyle

    This is one of those scores that I was a little disappointed on when it first came out but time has been very, very kind to. It comes across as very fresh now (although I'll admit part of that is because I listened to it right after Giacchino's incredibly dull The Book of Henry).
  5. PawelStroinski wrote
    Thomas Glorieux wrote
    PawelStroinski wrote
    Thomas Glorieux wrote
    War Machine (Nick Cave & Warren Ellis)

    What the fuck kind of music is this? Ah, I know the filmmusic of today vomit


    Never heard a Nick Cave score before? He's not exactly a traditional composer.


    I have, just not a lot. But it's not just this score. So far it has been an absolute shit year concerning music. I hope with the "blockbuster releases" coming this summer things could improve a bit. But overall it's definitely a year where filmmusic has truly lost its touch. Thank god I'm returning to the masters who have done it before (aka going through a lot of Jerry Goldsmith, Alan Silvestri, Basil Poledouris soundtracks). Now that was quality.


    Yeah, and that's about the most unfair blanket statement you can make. The thing is that there are reasons, outside of "producer ear" why film scores changed recently, also in the more traditionally orchestral business (come to think of it, have you heard Horner's Southpaw?). There is a theory I have, but I still have to confirm it by a better knowledge of more contemporary classical music, but long story short (perhaps Timmer and Demetris, and Tom, may say if I'm going in the right direction): The inspiration changed from late Romanticism to more contemporary concert music.


    heard Southpaw? Even wrote a review about it Pawel wink
    And unfair statement. Absolutely not. I know times have changed, and that music now needs to stand out less than ever before. But don't tell me composers can do a better job than what they are doing? Don't tell me, even if they are droning out their notes or bringing ambience that they can't infuse some melody or god forbid themes in the midst?
    waaaaaahhhhhhhh!!! Where's my nut? arrrghhhhhhh
  6. Josh B wrote
    Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Patrick Doyle

    This is one of those scores that I was a little disappointed on when it first came out but time has been very, very kind to. It comes across as very fresh now (although I'll admit part of that is because I listened to it right after Giacchino's incredibly dull The Book of Henry).


    Dam, and I had high hopes that Giacchino could restore my faith with his new release sad
    waaaaaahhhhhhhh!!! Where's my nut? arrrghhhhhhh
    • CommentAuthorJosh B
    • CommentTimeJun 17th 2017
    Thomas Glorieux wrote
    Josh B wrote
    Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Patrick Doyle

    This is one of those scores that I was a little disappointed on when it first came out but time has been very, very kind to. It comes across as very fresh now (although I'll admit part of that is because I listened to it right after Giacchino's incredibly dull The Book of Henry).


    Dam, and I had high hopes that Giacchino could restore my faith with his new release sad


    There's a couple of good cues in there, maybe ten minutes or so. But it's surrounded by a lot of meandering Lostian suspense material and I heard enough of that by the end of 2010. Others may feel differently but for a new Giacchino score, there's been a surprising lack of commentary on it.
  7. Playing music of 1989 and 1990. Excerpts from

    Dead Poets Society (Maurice Jarre)
    Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (John Williams)
    Star Trek V The Final Frontier (Jerry Goldsmith)
    Born on the 4th of July (John Williams)
    Batman (Danny Elfman)
    Dances With Wolves (John Barry)
    Presumed Innocent (John Williams)
    Total Recall (Jerry Goldsmith)
    Back to the Future II (Alan Silvestri)

    It was the time when the Berlin Wall came down which let to the unification of Germany. I was 18 years old back then and I recall this period intensively. Most people would name pop songs when asked for the soundtrack of that time. For me that film music is the musical background of these two years.

    Volker
    Bach's music is vibrant and inspired.
  8. Thomas Glorieux wrote
    heard Southpaw? Even wrote a review about it Pawel wink
    And unfair statement. Absolutely not. I know times have changed, and that music now needs to stand out less than ever before. But don't tell me composers can do a better job than what they are doing? Don't tell me, even if they are droning out their notes or bringing ambience that they can't infuse some melody or god forbid themes in the midst?


    Well, a couple of things then:

    1. Who said that film music actually has to be thematic and/or melodic for at least the majority of times? There are brilliant film scores that aren't in any way thematic or melodic and what makes them so fantastic (The Matrix!) is... well
    2. Who said that creating texture isn't difficult and hard work? I know for a fact that Hans stated a few times that he loves creating the soundscape to the point that somebody has to remind him to actually write the theme (that's why his saving grace is his suite format, he can do both at the same time).

    When you discuss the decline in modern film music there are a few factors which have to be taken into account, really. The problems you have with it come from things that really nuance the point we as listeners don't take into account, but if we want to be objective about the state of the art today, I think we indeed should:

    1. Deadlines: Goldsmith was the master at these (Chinatown and Air Force One, anyone? Though even the latter with Joel McNeely!), but if we, say, would have 3 months to deliver 40-50 minutes of score and 4 months or a bit more for about 2 hours of an Golden Age score, today 4-5 WEEKS to deliver 2 hours of fully recorded AND mixed score might impact inspiration.

    2. Film aesthetics. A tricky one, but cinema strives to be even more and more immersive. In an academic article, and I never expanded on it theoretically, I made a passing mention once that the difference between a combat film like The Longest Day and Saving Private Ryan is the movement between observation and participation. The camera of an older film would observe the events from a far. When equipment changed to hand-held cameras and so on, and so on, the directors started filming "in the middle" of the events. Composers have to take note and two strategies which I could show of dealing with that challenge is on the Saving Private Ryan's lack of music and, on the other hand, nigh-sound-effect experimental mayhem (while it has themes, obviously) of Black Hawk Down. Both being war films, of course.

    3. New sources of film composers. Weird phrasing, but the fact that after Zimmer and Elfman there started to appear a group of musicians who have no musical education whatsoever and come from the pop genres. Not sure what's Harold Faltermeyer's education (or lack thereof), but this is also plays in the factor. Themes simplified, harmony simplified... This, though, isn't as clear-cut. Even formally trained composers resort to that rock simplification and yes, I'm looking at you, Brian Tyler. Consider the fact that, actually, Marco Beltrami, Brian Tyler and even Ramin Djawadi are actually formally trained musicians with composition degrees.

    4. Textures. I think this works in a few ways, because I think even composers are actually recently very interested in creating sounds. I'm not talking just about electronics, I am talking about working with the orchestration to create sounds that would express certain emotions like normally thematic material would. A good example of that is something like Beltrami's Logan which I am much more warm about (in fact, I find some ideas admirable) than most of this board. Hans of course reworked his concept of hybrid orchestral/electronic score (which got a lot of praise from Scott Glasgow on Facebook, but the question remains if he really thinks so or is looking for work, and he did have one job at RCP), and the biggest achievement of that, texturally, may be Inception. Not just melodies speak. Arrangement speaks too. And it's one of my biggest intuitions I've had almost since I've started listening to this genre. Film music is about orchestration more than about melodies themselves. And I started in mid-90s!

    All of these impact the challenges and the sound of film music today. And while point 1 should be always criticized and point 3 sometimes, the change of aesthetic of cinema and music alike, shouldn't be judged that harshly. Because, and perhaps some will say that this is all my post should say, really...

    Things change over time.
    http://www.filmmusic.pl - Polish Film Music Review Website
  9. PawelStroinski wrote

    2. Who said that creating texture isn't difficult and hard work? I know for a fact that Hans stated a few times that he loves creating the soundscape to the point that somebody has to remind him to actually write the theme (that's why his saving grace is his suite format, he can do both at the same time).



    It's also hard to polish shit. We know this because "Mythbusters" set about finding out whether you can polish a turd. It's also hard to polish other non-shit things.

    Really cleaning a car and polishing it can be hard and a detailed process:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFXfSBR5Q9w

    Polishing a your kitchen stainless steel appliance with no streaks, can also be hard, but I wouldn't even begin to compare the two just because both involve difficulty.


    I think I've said what I need to say without laying it out fully.
    The views and opinions of Ford A. Thaxton are his own and do not necessarily reflect the ones of ANYONE else.
  10. SYMPHONETTE #2

    Oh, and have you ever actually tried to create a sound with a synthesizer? From scratch?
    http://www.filmmusic.pl - Polish Film Music Review Website
  11. PawelStroinski wrote
    Things change over time.


    Yes, that doesn't mean I can't complain about it wink

    You know, I adore ambience and soundscape too, if not I wouldn't praise Aliens or The Abyss like that. But those scores in particular also have the balls to the walls approach to explode other moments as well. I know movies can't all be Cameron movies, but for me there needs to be a balance. And for me a composer needs to do what's needed to aide the film. So if ambience is what the film needs then so be it. But the thing is, not all films need this. And yet for better or worse, it's like its approaching more and more into films. The less is better approach is getting ridiculous.

    Perhaps the more bombastic approach of the 80's was a bit too much, but at least it gave life and color to those films. Nowadays everything needs to be so goddamn serious and bleak. Again for most of the times, thank god there are still moments where I get surprised.
    waaaaaahhhhhhhh!!! Where's my nut? arrrghhhhhhh
  12. Casper - James Horner

    This is a stupendously brilliant score ! Full of magic, emotion, and some swashbuckling fun too. It has superb themes and creativity from the very first moments of the album which is masterfully put together (songs included). The music has that same timeless quality as his best scores. Horner managed to treat the film as a real emotional family film with some comedic moments. He took the film seriously and for that reason I still love the film to this day, and the magical score is a huge part of that.
    "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.
  13. Thomas Glorieux wrote
    PawelStroinski wrote
    Things change over time.


    Yes, that doesn't mean I can't complain about it wink

    You know, I adore ambience and soundscape too, if not I wouldn't praise Aliens or The Abyss like that. But those scores in particular also have the balls to the walls approach to explode other moments as well. I know movies can't all be Cameron movies, but for me there needs to be a balance. And for me a composer needs to do what's needed to aide the film. So if ambience is what the film needs then so be it. But the thing is, not all films need this. And yet for better or worse, it's like its approaching more and more into films. The less is better approach is getting ridiculous.

    Perhaps the more bombastic approach of the 80's was a bit too much, but at least it gave life and color to those films. Nowadays everything needs to be so goddamn serious and bleak. Again for most of the times, thank god there are still moments where I get surprised.


    As much as I dislike the Faltermeyer-type stuff of that era, that was a different cinema.

    Say, even without doom and gloom, but if Commando was made today, the camera would be way closer to the action and even still tongue-in-cheek, it would be an ostinato-based score, maybe a tad more simplistic than Bourne (think an overblown Bourne score where the ostinato is played by a full orchestra kind of thing), but it would be more withdrawn and textural. Though Commando itself was very textural already.

    That's the thing - music had and still has to reinvent itself for film.
    http://www.filmmusic.pl - Polish Film Music Review Website
  14. Another day, some more Horner listens...

    We're back: A Dinosaur's Story

    I take it this is a tad underrated among film score fans but I've always had a soft spot for it. At times gorgeously sensitive and others just plain wacky, it touches all the right buttons in what I look for in a score. Horner was just about to write a couple of masterpieces in the following years and this one nicely leads up to those in terms of enjoyment. And those circus cues? They're just amazing. cool
    "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.
    •  
      CommentAuthorDreamTheater
    • CommentTimeJun 18th 2017 edited
    Honey I Shrunk the Kids

    This is just a big bag of old-school fun that never seems to let up, not until the cd stops of course. I only wish that there was much more music than the 50 minutes that Intrada gave us. Not in my top 5 but definitely in my top 10 of the man. I know all about its lack of originality but I do not care when I'm having this much fun with music. beer
    "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.
    •  
      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeJun 19th 2017 edited
    Modern film music changes as films change as well. Now with streaming speeds, netflix etc, attention moves from cinemas to largely to polished, big serious tv productions the likes of which (during the past 5 years or so) we hadn't seen in the past in such quantity and quality. Times change, people netflix and..chill while they stream and who goes to the cinemas? mostly teens i'd assume. That, teens, and the fact that most big productions these days involve something super-hero-ish or comicbook/character influenced, and of course lots of cheesy well done but still game-looking gfx and vfx, well the audience and the appeal the paying producers and studio execs want to make on them, has largely influenced the sound of films. There's some very good done being composed still and indie films have grown into a huge, fantastic market but you have to look for the good stuff even more these days. There are horrible exceptions like composers who write brilliantly orchestrally but are forced by the times to write horribly mindless electronic crap without identity like Philippe Rombi's L'amant double which i guess is a sad situation to observe (and way more difficult if you are someone like Rombi working in there today, i'd guess).
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
    •  
      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeJun 19th 2017
    Thor wrote
    NP: PAIN & GAIN (Steve Jablonsky)

    One of my favourite scores (and films) from 2013.


    yep, we've found one fan smile
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
    •  
      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeJun 19th 2017
    christopher wrote
    NP - THE EXCEPTION - Ilan Eshkeri

    I'm wrapping up my first listen to this and really enjoying it. It's very classical-sounding (a sound that Eshkeri excels at) and dramatic. This is certainly one of the better scores I've heard from 2017 so far.


    Love Eshkeri lately. He has a very subtle type of writing and glad to see he's completely departed the rc sound.Still Alice was lovely, same goes for strength and honor and also collide, but my favorite until today remains his overlooked hannibal rising (haven't seen the film though).
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
    •  
      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeJun 19th 2017
    Mogens wrote
    The Mummy - Brian Tyler

    Ridiculously entertaining! Great stuff!

    As an archaeologist I particularly like the track title "Liberators of Precious Antiquities" biggrin


    I hear that the film is plain...ridiculous wink
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
    •  
      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeJun 19th 2017
    Demetris wrote
    Thor wrote
    NP: PAIN & GAIN (Steve Jablonsky)

    One of my favourite scores (and films) from 2013.


    yep, we've found one fan smile


    Not quite. It's one of those films and scores that are appreciated more by film critics than film music communities.
    I am extremely serious.
  15. Searching for Bobby Fischer - James Horner

    This is as intimate as any small-scale score he has written, but it has one big selling point... the wonderful themes ! It's those that stick in the mind long after each listen. Some of the piano work in this score is really great. Now that the man is dead, I can appreciate such intimate scores more than before (when I was into his more fullblown adventure scores).
    "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.
  16. The Spitfire Grill - James Horner

    Staying somewhat in the same compositional style, I think I like this one even more than Bobby Fischer. The second half of the album is whimsical and delightful, full of memorable cues. Some of Horner's most original and intimate writing. It shows what a sensitive soul the composer really was.
    "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.