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  1. PawelStroinski wrote
    Daniel Hart - The Green Knight

    Quite original and very compelling in its combination of old English folk and Arvo Pärt. Quite a bit of Fratres to it, but it can be both oppressive and gorgeous.


    Curious to see the film as well
    waaaaaahhhhhhhh!!! Where's my nut? arrrghhhhhhh
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      CommentAuthorBobdH
    • CommentTimeAug 1st 2021
    PawelStroinski wrote
    Daniel Hart - The Green Knight

    Quite original and very compelling in its combination of old English folk and Arvo Pärt. Quite a bit of Fratres to it, but it can be both oppressive and gorgeous.


    It’s certainly one of the more interesting scores of late, but once again the album presentation made me lose interest halfway through. Still, can’t wait to hear it within context of the film.
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeAug 2nd 2021
    I have trouble getting into Hart. I was never as enamoured with A GHOST STORY as everyone else seemed to be, and when I recently sampled THE LAST LETTER FROM YOUR LOVER, that didn't do much for me either. The only way I can describe it is "Desplat-like plodding".

    Now listening to THE GREEN KNIGHT, it has some interesting colours and orchestrational choices, but doesn't really spark any great interest either. Perhaps he's just not for me.
    I am extremely serious.
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      CommentAuthorBobdH
    • CommentTimeAug 2nd 2021 edited
    Oh yes, Hart is certainly a composer to admire rather than love or be emotionally moved by. I consciously said it’s an ‘interesting’ score for a reason. I’m interested to see The Green Knight because this type of film is (on paper) exactly right down my alley, but I’m also cautious since David Lowery’s previous films left me cold as well.
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeAug 2nd 2021
    I'm definitely interested in the film, even if the soundtrack fell short for me.
    I am extremely serious.
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeAug 2nd 2021
    NP: QUEEN OF THE DESERT (Klaus Badelt)

    Werner Herzog's 2015 epic was lambasted by critics (I was also unimpressed, giving it 2 of 5 stars on MUBI). But Badelt's score is gorgeous -- obligatory Arabic sonorities meet classical, western modalities (with some very Chopin-like piano solos). A tad long at almost 80 minutes, but a hearty reminder that Badelt is criminally underused these days.
    I am extremely serious.
  2. 80 minutes? I was only ever able to find a ten-minute suite on YouTube of that score, did it ever get a release or are you hearing a promo of some sort? Given the scarcity of music from Badelt of late - and his talent given the right project - I'd love to get a chance to hear this.
  3. It's no surprise that I'm listening to James Newton Howard's Jungle Cruise. It gets more enjoyable each listen. I wasn't blown away immediately, like I was with Hidalgo, but after seeing the movie (did the on-demand home theater option) it made more sense and now I keep putting it on repeat. So much energy and fun, and I'm really loving it a lot!
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeAug 4th 2021
    Edmund Meinerts wrote
    80 minutes? I was only ever able to find a ten-minute suite on YouTube of that score, did it ever get a release or are you hearing a promo of some sort? Given the scarcity of music from Badelt of late - and his talent given the right project - I'd love to get a chance to hear this.


    Yeah, I think it was a promo from way back when.
    I am extremely serious.
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeAug 4th 2021 edited
    Filmscoregirl wrote
    It's no surprise that I'm listening to James Newton Howard's Jungle Cruise. It gets more enjoyable each listen. I wasn't blown away immediately, like I was with Hidalgo, but after seeing the movie (did the on-demand home theater option) it made more sense and now I keep putting it on repeat. So much energy and fun, and I'm really loving it a lot!


    I'm hesitant to "kill" your enthusiasm for this, but I was not that impressed. Much like RAYA, I think there's some 30 minutes worth of highlights here that I'll weed the album down to at some point, whereas the rest was more bland (mickey mousey and frenetic). Best bits were the Metallica adaptations and the awe and wonder music towards the end.
    I am extremely serious.
  4. Thor, you can always share your opinions! They're just as valid as mine. smile But, have you seen the movie? The whole structure of the bland vs memorable parts made a lot more sense after seeing the film. There wasn't really breathing room for too much lush musical expression, as it was mostly chaotic (and somewhat slapstick) action.
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeAug 4th 2021
    Yeah, I saw the film. It was fun to see Collet-Serra attempt to mimic Stephen Sommers rather than Luc Besson, which he usually tends to do. But while it was always exciting to anticipate the next setpiece, he didn't quite take the pulpy material seriously in the way Sommers does. It was too family friendly/wholesome Disney entertainment, and too frenetic -- which, as you say, is also mirrored in the music.
    I am extremely serious.
  5. Maybe you not liking the movie, is partly why you're also not really liking the score?

    I really love most Stephen Sommers movies, like The Mummy and Van Helsing especially (also favorite scores of mine, as you know) and The Adventures of Huck Finn I adored as a kid...so I wonder if that's part of it too.
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeAug 4th 2021
    Filmscoregirl wrote
    Maybe you not liking the movie, is partly why you're also not really liking the score?


    Not really. They don't really have anything to do with each other for me. But it no doubt helps to EXPLAIN why the soundtrack is the way it is.

    I really love most Stephen Sommers movies, like The Mummy and Van Helsing especially (also favorite scores of mine, as you know) and The Adventures of Huck Finn I adored as a kid...so I wonder if that's part of it too.


    I love Stephen Sommers too! But I don't quite think Collett-Serra succeeded in nailing that particular aesthetic, even if it may have been a goal.
    I am extremely serious.
  6. Makes sense! smile

    On another note, I've been listening to Harry Gregson-Williams' Prince of Persia today and it's like The Mummy meets Bourne Identity plus Simon & Garfunkel and I forget where I am sometimes, haha! spin
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      CommentAuthorBobdH
    • CommentTimeAug 5th 2021 edited
    Filmscoregirl wrote
    Thor, you can always share your opinions! They're just as valid as mine. smile But, have you seen the movie? The whole structure of the bland vs memorable parts made a lot more sense after seeing the film. There wasn't really breathing room for too much lush musical expression, as it was mostly chaotic (and somewhat slapstick) action.


    If I’m honest that’s a problem with soundtracks nowadays. Years ago when I was in my heyday of collecting soundtracks and listening to them, usually a soundtrack was a condensation of all the music that would make up a good listening experience on its own, whereas music that was too bland, or chaotic or another reason why it would work well in the film but not on its own would simply be left out of the CD. Plenty of scores got 40 or 50 min. releases, because the score justified such a length on its own. Which didn’t necessarily mean a 40 min score would be less good than a 70 min score, it just meant it was a different kind.

    Nowadays, however, they throw everything on digital for the listener to sort out, all of a sudden EVERY score is a 70 or 80 min score, of even more, and you need to see the film to understand why music is a certain way to explain it. If you ask me, the soundtrack experience should just stand on its own.

    Having heard Jungle Cruise a couple times now I’d say it’s a solid 50 min score that is stretched to 73 minutes. I now retort to just listening to the suite, just like I did with Maleficent. And the whole album situation nowadays is more and more making me listen to film music a lot less than I used to.
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeAug 6th 2021 edited
    You won't get any disagreements from me, Bob. Well said! Now please join the next Zoom meeting, dammit! wink
    I am extremely serious.
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeAug 6th 2021 edited
    NP: NAVY SEALS (Sylvester Levay)

    I love Levay. My colleague's walkthrough of his career recently spurred me to relisten to this classic (that I have fond memories of seeing on VHS). As with HOT SHOTS!, the Faltermeyer influence is all over this, but in a good way. Beautiful sequencer-led tracks, and heroic fanfares in the style of Silvestri's THE DELTA FORCE. Great mix of orchestra and synth.
    I am extremely serious.
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      CommentAuthorBobdH
    • CommentTimeAug 6th 2021 edited
    Thor wrote
    You won't get any disagreements from me, Bob. Well said! Now please join the next Zoom meeting, dammit! wink


    Haha, I won’t, sorry. On one hand, because of me listening to less soundtracks nowadays and as such I’m certain I won’t contribute much to the conversation. I am listening more to Goldsmith lately, though. On the other hand my current medical situation (a brain thing) is prohibiting me from doing so, but that’s a long story. Thanks for inviting me though!


    On topic, NP: THE SUÏCIDE SQUAD - John Murphy

    This is pleasantly surprising me, but considering I had low expectations, that’s not saying much. It’s a rather pleasant combination of more raw electric guitar type stuff with strings and choir for more mellow moments. Also, that’s about it.
  7. Filmscoregirl wrote
    It's no surprise that I'm listening to James Newton Howard's Jungle Cruise. It gets more enjoyable each listen. I wasn't blown away immediately, like I was with Hidalgo, but after seeing the movie (did the on-demand home theater option) it made more sense and now I keep putting it on repeat. So much energy and fun, and I'm really loving it a lot!


    I've only heard the score once in and once away from the movie, so I feel like I haven't been able to digest it much yet, but I though parts of it were really fun. I'm happy to have a new JNH adventure score! It's got some great highlights.

    Thor wrote
    Yeah, I saw the film. It was fun to see Collet-Serra attempt to mimic Stephen Sommers rather than Luc Besson, which he usually tends to do. But while it was always exciting to anticipate the next setpiece, he didn't quite take the pulpy material seriously in the way Sommers does. It was too family friendly/wholesome Disney entertainment, and too frenetic -- which, as you say, is also mirrored in the music.


    It was a different style of film for Collet-Serra. I thought it was fun, but too derivative of The Mummy, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, and Indiana Jones, without being nearly as good as any of those. But each of the main characters made me laugh pretty hard at least once, so I was entertained.
  8. NP - GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE - Frank Ilfman

    A leitmotific action film score with some really good themes and a bunch of Morricone references. I highly recommend it.
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeAug 7th 2021
    BobdH wrote
    Haha, I won’t, sorry. On one hand, because of me listening to less soundtracks nowadays and as such I’m certain I won’t contribute much to the conversation. I am listening more to Goldsmith lately, though. On the other hand my current medical situation (a brain thing) is prohibiting me from doing so, but that’s a long story. Thanks for inviting me though!


    Ah! Sorry to hear it. Soundtracks only make out a tiny portion of what we're talking about (it's mostly all kinds of other issues), but I can understand the medical situation. Best wishes!

    On topic, NP: THE SUÏCIDE SQUAD - John Murphy

    This is pleasantly surprising me, but considering I had low expectations, that’s not saying much. It’s a rather pleasant combination of more raw electric guitar type stuff with strings and choir for more mellow moments. Also, that’s about it.


    I sampled it too just now, as it happens. It has some cool pieces -- love the propulsive guitar and rock sound that Murphy always does well, but there were a lot of tracks that just plodded along. Won't make it into my collection, I'm afraid.
    I am extremely serious.
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeAug 7th 2021
    christopher wrote
    NP - GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE - Frank Ilfman

    A leitmotific action film score with some really good themes and a bunch of Morricone references. I highly recommend it.


    For me, it was a bit too all-over-the-place. The synth/rock things were nice, but also some rather bland RC tropes. The Morricone references are cute, but adds to the whimsical nature of the score.
    I am extremely serious.
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      CommentAuthorBobdH
    • CommentTimeAug 7th 2021
    Thor wrote
    I sampled it too just now, as it happens. It has some cool pieces -- love the propulsive guitar and rock sound that Murphy always does well, but there were a lot of tracks that just plodded along. Won't make it into my collection, I'm afraid.


    Yes that’s it, it’s got quite an entertaining sound that probably suits the film well, but it doesn’t have enough thematic or melodious construct to carry your interest throughout. I won’t return much to it, even though it’s a pretty compact 51 minutes (for today’s standards - probably because most of the film is littered with songs, as I’ve heard).
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeAug 7th 2021
    NP: EYE OF THE EAGLE - THE FILM MUSIC OF.... (Søren Hyldgaard)

    What an amazing talent Hyldgaard was, one of the best composers that Scandinavia ever spawned. And how tragic that we lost him way too early. This gorgeous compilation is a testament to his varied and engrossing output - from noir-ish stuff to fullbodied, orchestral adventure.
    I am extremely serious.
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      CommentAuthorBobdH
    • CommentTimeAug 9th 2021 edited
    NP: EL LABERINTO DEL FAUNO - Javier Navarrete

    I knew it was good, but I almost forgot exactly how good it is. It’s such a shame Del Toro didn’t keep him as his standard composer for his next works. Navarrete would’ve been perfect for Crimson’s Peak and The Shape of Water, to name a few.
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeAug 10th 2021 edited
    Yes, Navarrete has been off my radar for a few years now. I've simply not attached to his work they way I did back in the 2000s. Like with a great deal of Spanish composers of his generation, in fact. Many of them have been swallowed up by contemporary tropes that don't suit their aesthetic. Like Banos, Velazquez, de la Riva, Amenabar....
    I am extremely serious.
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeAug 10th 2021
    NP: BROTHERS (Johan Söderqvist)

    A collision of geographies -- Eastern-European cembalom meets twangy Americana meets Scandinavian melancholy meets French accordions. It's very fitting that Thomas Newman scored the remake of this film, since it's very much in his ballpark, but I think ultimately I prefer this original Söderqvist more. The Söderqvist/Bier collaboration is vastly underrated.
    I am extremely serious.
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      CommentAuthorBobdH
    • CommentTimeAug 10th 2021
    Thor wrote
    Yes, Navarrete has been off my radar for a few years now. I've simply not attached to his work they way I did back in the 2000s. Like with a great deal of Spanish composers of his generation, in fact. Many of them have been swallowed up by contemporary tropes that don't suit their aesthetic. Like Banos, Velazquez, de la Riva, Amenabar....


    Yep, and to be honest, that happened to Navarrete as well. His Wrath of the Titans score, while not that bad, just didn’t show the promise he created with Pan’s Labyrinth and had him going all Hollywood. I just think that a further collaboration with Del Toro would’ve been able to get that same quality in him back, but he never composed anything on the same level as Pan anymore (except for maybe Fireflies in the Garden, which is gorgeous).
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeAug 10th 2021
    BobdH wrote
    Thor wrote
    Yes, Navarrete has been off my radar for a few years now. I've simply not attached to his work they way I did back in the 2000s. Like with a great deal of Spanish composers of his generation, in fact. Many of them have been swallowed up by contemporary tropes that don't suit their aesthetic. Like Banos, Velazquez, de la Riva, Amenabar....


    Yep, and to be honest, that happened to Navarrete as well. His Wrath of the Titans score, while not that bad, just didn’t show the promise he created with Pan’s Labyrinth and had him going all Hollywood. I just think that a further collaboration with Del Toro would’ve been able to get that same quality in him back, but he never composed anything on the same level as Pan anymore (except for maybe Fireflies in the Garden, which is gorgeous).


    Sure, FIREFLIES is great, but that's still within the 2000s. Jane Cornish's score for the US version is also wonderful.
    I am extremely serious.