No John Williams. I am a huge John Williams fan. I would have to have a Top 20 list just for John Williams. So let's take out the X-Factor.
No lyrics. In the sense that it should be a instrumental and/or choral piece. No pop songs, "inspired by" albums, and no albums like the Iron Man 2 "Soundtrack" that was just an AC/DC greatest hits album and the film only had 2 AC/DC songs in it. Last time I checked, that was not a soundtrack. That's an AC/DC album.
talk about Fight Club
And onto the list!
5. Pan's Labyrinth
The Pan's Labyrinth score is the perfect companion to Guillermo del Toro's beautifully created fairy tale. Javier Navarrete composed a score that somehow managed to convey every emotion a child knows. Or at least a child in a country torn by civil war. Happiness is a rare case in this situation, however he includes mystery, awe, fear, sadness and a sense of wonder to the overall piece of work. The score is one of the reasons I saw this film 3 times in the theater and had to buy it on DVD the day it came out. While the entire film's dialog is in Spanish with English subtitles, the music certainly helped convey the emotion and the story.
Best Example From Score: "Long, Long Time Ago"
4. Back to the Future Part 3
I am a huge fan of the Back to the Future Trilogy! Those 3 movies shaped and defined my childhood. When the first movie came out at McDonald's on VHS (don't ask me, I have no idea why it was at McDonald's) I made my mom go out and get it and it was a staple in our VCR for years! When the DVDs came out, my friend organized a viewing party and we watched all 3 back-to-back nonstop. And while Part 3 is largely considered to be the weakest of the three, I find that I am most fond of it. From the very beginning when the DeLorean streaks through Hill Valley's town square, reaching 88 MPH precisely when lightning strikes the clock tower, and Doc yells and dances down the street between the still-burning tire lines... And suddenly Marty rushes out from down the road, talks to Doc and Doc passes out, I was hooked. It was a classic homage to the long-gone Westerns of Hollywood. And why the score is on this list is simple: Alan Silvestri (NOT JOHN WILLIAMS! STUPID MUSIC PIRATES!) took the iconic theme song of the first 2 films and gave it a very simple western flair. Instantly, it was an entirely different song, but still recognizable to fans of the series. And, more importantly, Doc finally got his own theme in the form of a love theme for him and Clara. It was a much-needed bit of heart added to the series for the finale. Oh, and "Doubleback" by ZZ Top!
Best Example From Score: "The Point of No Return"
3. The Untouchables
Brian De Palma's Prohibition-Era motion picture remake of the classic television show was over the top and well made. It made Kevin Costner a star. It made the very Scottish Sean Connery a very Scottish-sounding, grizzled old Irish cop from Chicago and it let Robert De Niro be Robert De Niro in all the best ways possible. If you haven't seen this movie, there is something seriously wrong with you. You need to go see it now. Unless you love human heads... Then maybe you should sit this one out, because Brian De Palma apparently hates the human head.
better than his acting now
Best Example From Score: "The Untouchables"
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Poor, poor Klaus Badelt. I distinctly remember seeing Hans Zimmer credited as something like a "Music Supervisor" deep in the bowels of the score's liner notes. To me, that screams that Mr. Zimmer didn't want to have his name attached to a potential super bomb based off of a Disneyland ride, so he found some other composer is take the fall. And then when the movies took off, Hans kicked Klaus to the curb and went on to take the creative themes from the first movie and expand them to epic proportions! If you listen closely to the original score, all the elements of future scores are in there. Some of the themes to be featured so predominantly in the sequels were simply small phrases or counter melodies in the first film! So while I like the first score for it's foundation, the second movie deviated a little too far from what made the first film special musically... But the third movie really brought it all around. I can't help but smile when I hear "Up Is Down" from the scene that the crew is trying to capsize the ship before sunset! It is a quaint little piece that grows as the boat rocks more and more and becomes a thrilling piece that expels a sense of adventure. The love theme (which was hinted at, of course, but quietly in the first film) draws the viewers in the Will and Elizabeth's whirlwind romance and in the end, all of these little elements come together to piece a wonderfully colorful and powerful score.
Best Example From Score: "Drink Up Me Hearties Yo Ho"
1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
I can't remember a film I looked forward to more after hearing the soundtrack alone. It was incredible from start to finish. It tied all 3 films together exceptionally well, it followed suit and introduced new fantastic themes for Gondor and to top it all off, Howard Shore brought Sir James Galway in to give it some extra musical expertise. It was epic. And I'm not saying that The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers were not epic, it's just something about the War of the Ring that really takes it to the next level. The Battle of Helm's Deep was impressive in scale, as were the Mines of Moria, but both of those battles were fought entirely in the dark. The lighting of The Battle of Pelennor Fields was such a feat that the digital artists' abilities for tricks were slimmed down greatly. And all the while, the music was there. Intensifying every moment. Pippin's song during Faramir ill-fated ride across the fields towards certain doom brings a chill... Words cannot describe the impact of that scene alone. This is a score definitely worth your attention.
Best Example From Soundtrack: "The White Tree"
Especially at 2:36!
So there you have it! I hope I upset someone, but more so, I hope I made you think! Can you think of different or better scores?
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