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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeFeb 19th 2020
    Alright, a bit late, but finally time to list last year's best.

    My top 10 "Best Film Scores" list can be found in this Celluloid Tunes podcast episode:

    http://celluloidtunes.no/celluloid-tune … l-edition/

    If you don't care to listen, these are my favourites:

    1. A HIDDEN LIFE (James Newton Howard)
    2. L'HEURE DE LA SORTIE (Zombie Zombie)
    3. MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN (Daniel Pemberton)
    4. DON’T COME BACK FROM THE MOON (Johnny Jewel)
    5. ZWINGLI (Great Garbo)
    6. ALL IS TRUE (Patrick Doyle)
    7. TOLKIEN (Thomas Newman)
    8. AD ASTRA (Max Richter & Lorne Balfe)
    9. FINIS TERRAE (Christoph Zirngibl)
    10. BLANCHE COMME NEIGE (Bruno Coulais)

    Dan Levy’s I LOST MY BODY would have been on there, but I heard it too late for the podcast recording.

    Honourable mentions to MARRIAGE STORY (Randy Newman), DOLEMITE IS MY NAME (Scott Bomar), SWOON (Nathaniel Mechaly), CURIOSA (Arnaud Rebotin), DEEP WATER (Toydrum), THE WHITE CROW (Ilan Eshkeri), JUDY (Gabriel Yared), TRAUMFABRIK (Philipp Noll), PARASITE (Jung Jae-Il), THE ELEPHANT QUEEN (Alex Heffes), JOKER (Hildur Gudnadottir), DOMINO (Pino Donaggio), THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (John Williams), MIDWAY (Harald Kloser & Thomas Wander), TORPEDO (Hannes de Maeyer), THE FAREWELL (Alex Weston).

    My top 20 favourite films of 2019 (Norwegian premieres) can be found here:

    https://montages.no/2020/02/thor-joachims-topp-20-2019/

    Full list (145 films from 2019) can be seen here:

    https://mubi.com/lists/2019-films-ranked

    I watched a recordbreaking 455 films in 2019, if you include older films, newer films and films I saw again, but – as mentioned above – a record LOW 145 films from the year (I’m usually about 100 more films from the concurrent year, but last year I prioritized rewatches and older films).
    I am extremely serious.
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeMar 6th 2020
    It shouldn't have been necessary to point it out, but yes -- this was created to hear about YOUR favourites too, not just sharing mine.
    I am extremely serious.
  1. I haven't been making top 10 lists for a while now. They always feel forced. I generally do not like forming lists like that, as I don't feel it serves the artists themselves well.
    http://www.filmmusic.pl - Polish Film Music Review Website
  2. Sorry! I haven't been around for a while. Thor, we don't have a single score overlapping in our top tens, but we get some overlap when you get to our honorable mentions.

    Here are my favorites from 2019:

    1. CRESCENT MOON - Naoki Sato

    This is one I haven't heard many other people talk about, and due to its low availability outside of Japan, I suppose that makes sense. It's not just my favorite score of the year, but also my favorite Sato score ever. I love the gorgeous themes, the Morricone nods (of which there are quite a few), and I don't mind the big band boogie stuff, either. It's an eclectic album, but a really good one, imo.

    2. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: HIDDEN WORLD - John Powell

    This one keeps climbing in my estimation every time I listen to it. If I gave it another spin right now I might put it at #1. I think Powell's contribution to this franchise is as good as Shore's for LOTR or Williams' for STAR WARS. That's how much I like it.

    3. TRAUMFABRIK - Philipp Noll

    Super solid dramatic score, here, with some excellent themes.

    4. STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - John Williams

    His score was by far the best part of this film. I love the new Rise of Skywalker theme, and all the returning themes. While it wasn't perfect, or my favorite score of the year, this score felt like a fitting finale for an incredible series of scores.

    5. MAT BIEC - Christopher Wong

    Really lovely stuff. My favorite thing from Wong so far.

    6. THE WHITE CROW - Ilan Eshkeri

    Eshkeri's music just resonates with me on some level. Every year, it seems, he writes something that ends up being one of my favorites scores of the year.

    7. DOWNTON ABBEY - John Lunn

    It was great to hear Lunn's thematically complex, elegant, and beautiful music accompanying these characters on the big screen. And the new themes for the film are strong.

    8. CYBERWORK AND THE AMERICAN DREAM - Chad Cannon

    I really liked the energy of this score. It's always moving, always has direction. And it has some great woodwind writing, which seems to be becoming a lost art.

    9. UNTAMED ROMANIA - Nainita Desai

    Lovely documentary score. Her's was my favorite nature documentary score this year, which is saying something given some of the other excellent scores we got.

    10. CLIFFS OF FREEDOM - George Kallis

    Not much to say about this one. Another great drama score.

    Honorable Mentions: RORY'S WAY, MASQUERADE HOTEL, CHAMBORD, A HIDDEN LIFE, OUR PLANET, L'AMORE STRAPATTO, BUNUEL IN THE LABYRINTH OF THE TURTLES, TRANSMISSIONS, THE LION KING, LE MYSTERE HENRI PICK.

    Composer of the year: Naoki Sato
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeMar 13th 2020
    Yes, I'm not surprised we don't overlap that much, christopher, because your taste tends to veer more towards the traditional and orchestral. I have some of that too, but am more excited about other styles these days.

    But thanks for your your list! That's the kind of stuff I had hoped to read in this thread! smile
    I am extremely serious.
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      CommentAuthorCaliburn
    • CommentTimeMar 16th 2020
    I do not really have a top 10. But here you can find my favorites:

    https://soundtrackworld.com/2020/01/fav … tion-2019/

    Other soundtracks that come to mind (in no order in addition to the already mentioned Star Wars)

    John Powell - How to Train Your Dragon:
    Bear McCreary - Godzilla: King of the Monsters
    Alan Silvestri - Avengers: Endgame
    Daniel Pemberton - Dark Crystal - Age of the Resistance
    Lorne Balfe - His Dark Materials
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeMar 17th 2020
    Thanks for sharing, Caliburn. Your selection of favourites is rather mainstream. Were there any non-blockbuster-type scores you want to highlight from last year?
    I am extremely serious.
    • CommentAuthorJules
    • CommentTimeMar 19th 2020
    I find it hard to draw up lists, but a few of my faves:

    Last Black Man in San Francisco - Emile Mosseri

    On a purely emotional level, I love the sweetness of this score. "Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair" with the subdued horns is incredibly beautiful.

    Watchmen - Reznor/Ross

    This got a lot of praise, and it's a TV score (wasn't sure what the rules were here). I liked the Social Network, but haven't delved deep into Reznor/Ross scores before this one. Certainly did after this one, which I loved, even if the show ultimately disappointed with its ending.

    The Kid Who Would Be King - Electric Wave Bureau

    A fantastic adventure score, mixing all kinds of instrumentation. Still haven't caught the film, which seems to have been pretty much forgotten, but I imagine the score kicks the fun up more than a few notches.

    The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind - Antonio Pinto

    This score falls into my hotspot in a similar way to Last Black Man - instrumentation that is unique without getting truly weird, simple folk-like melodies. I love it. The movie was fine, nothing incredible.

    Out of Blue - Clint Mansell

    I've listened to this about 20 times when I'm falling asleep, it's one of the best atmospheric scores I can remember hearing in a while. Trance-like, very beautiful

    Parasite - Jung Jaeil

    Amazing score, holding the film's seams together and savnig the swift tonal changes from derailing the pacing.

    Ad Astra - Max Richter/Lorne Balfe

    This was always going to be one of my favourites, as I love both space scores and Max Richter. But it surpassed my expectations, what a magical score.

    Disneynature's Penguins - Harry Gregson-Williams

    Probably the most enjoyable score experience of the year, maybe because I checked it out on a whim. Wish Gregson-Williams would do more in the vein of this, Narnia or Zookeeper's Wife. Holding out hope for Mulan this year.

    HTTYD 3

    Not much else to say that hasn't been said about this one.

    Midsommar - Bobby Krilic

    I don't have a lot of horror score knowledge, but I appreciated a bunch of scores this year. This was probably my favourite in the genre. Plays well with the daylight/bright colours that Aster is trying to make unnerving as well.


    There's a lot more, and I tried to stay away from too many blockbusters in that list, but what a great year for film music! Thanks for all your picks Thor, you always put me onto some great niche or foreign selections.