Paul Blake's comment about John Williams' Star Wars score on one of the Star Wars threads got me to thinking about movie music and how much it enhances movies. I firmly believe that John Williams is a genius and, to this day and including watching The Last Jedi last night, the hair on the back of my neck goes up when I hear the opening bars to Star Wars films. I also noticeably get pumped up if I hear certain other scores, such as Rocky (Bill Conti - another great composer and another PB mentioned) and Chariots of Fire. The score to The Natural is another favorite of mine, as is the one to The Last of the Mohicans. I recall the Oscars doing a segment several years ago on the importance of scores and they showed a scene from Jaws with and without the music and the difference was amazing. I love listening to movie music and have found that I often like movie soundtracks since there are a variety of artists on them. Kenny Loggins was no doubt the king of the 80s soundtracks (Caddyshack, Top Gun, Footloose).
So, my BBI brethren, what are some of your movie score/soundtrack favorites?
Goodfellas score was chosen by Martin Scorsese so its kinda orignal
Inception Hans Zimmer owes me a new sound stick
My 3 favs
The Godfather movies
john williams is clearly excellent. but i think james newton howard is just as good. he's done a ton of movies. he is, for instance, the go-to guy for m. knight shyamalan. his work in unbreakable (particularly "the wreck"), signs, the village ("gravel road" and "those we don't speak of"), and lady in the water ("the healing") are flat-out awesome imho...
Harold & Maude (Cat Stevens)
The Commitments (covers)
Harold & Maude opening titles - ( New Window )
It is also about the selection of the music for the movie. Adagio for Strings in Platoon still haunts me when I hear it.
Now, John Williams is the absolute maestro when it comes to this and composed so many scores/themes that I loved-- Superman, Jaws, Indiana Jones theme, ET, Jurassic Park, Home Alone, and Schindler's List are all iconic and important to me.
Other scores that I have long loved
Back to the Future- Alan Silvestri
The Social Network- Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Friday Night Lights- Explosions in the Sky (more the TV show than the movie)
Batman- Danny Elfman
I agree Williams is a genius. We've been to the Boston Pops several times over the years when they've played his music and showed clips from the movies he scored.
+1 ON TGtBatU...especially Tuco in the cemetary looking for Arch Stanton marker.
agreed...all done by John Carpenter...in the credits the music was composed by "The Bowling Green Symphony." Carpenter was born in NY but moved to Bowling Green, KY when he was 5.
a few others
The Exorcist theme song
The Warriors
Opening music to Hombre
The Terminator theme
French Connection theme(Subway)
El Cid
The Great Escape
Patton
Backdraft
Batman - (Keaton Movie)
The Seahawk
Road to Perdition
Anything by John Williams and Hans Zimmer
Leaving Las Vegas
Doctor Zhivago (sp.)