Film Composers

[wizfan]

Though I am a fan of electronic music in general, when it comes to film scores, I am much more a fan of traditional/orchestral film scores than electronic ones (exceptions include Vangelis and TR&AR). I have a strong dislike for today's ultra-noisy scores, where sound design is more important than actual composition. I used to like Zimmer when he did standard orchestral scores like The Lion King and The Rock, but now even his orchestras are so heavily processed that they are indistinguishable from overproduced samples and synths.

This kind of thing always takes me out of the movie, when braaaaaaammmmmms and czzztzztztzzs are supposed to be taken seriously and enhance the dramatic aspect of a movie. I forget about the movie and I'm picturing just one person, holed up in a room full of keyboards and modular synths, pushing buttons ad nauseam. I winced when T-Bone Burnett used noisy synths in True Detective season 1, given how awesome he is at producing music with acoustic guitars. I'm currently playing the first Dead Space game and, although it is a sci-fi horror game, the score is almost entirely orchestral. I don't know if it was made with an actual orchestra or samples, but the composer resisted the urge to use bleeps and bloops and bwoooooms in favor of a more classic approach to horror music. As a result, the game felt more bone-chilling, and the scares more effective.

It's just my taste, you know. Creating dissonance using synth drones and computer noises is one thing, but evoking that same feeling with a 50-piece orchestra is much more satisfying for me. I understand that it is more challenging, expensive and time-consuming to conduct an orchestra nowadays, especially now that musicians are required to play flawlessly in a very short amount of time. Computer-made scores are easier and faster to produce, and that's totally fine. When it's done well, I usually won't mind. But when I saw Trent and Atticus working with an actual orchestra for Gone Girl, I couldn't help but gasp in amazement...

[onthewall2983]

I'm not so inclusive about it, not to say that there's anything wrong with being one way or the other (or as most often is the case, and particularly with the film score community online, being on the side of the orchestral side). I don't think I can ever remember a bad score to a good film, but can often go through what is at best mediocre if it has a score that outclasses everything else. Michael Kamen's score for Highlander is the example I use of this, not that the film is terrible but the score is just so much better than anything else (even some of the Queen songs).

[henryeatscereal]

Lately i been listening a lot to Bernard Herrmann and i think he was a genius when it comes to scores:

[wizfan]

Lately i been listening a lot to Bernard Herrmann and i think he was a genius when it comes to scores:

Thank you. Herrmann is awesome. Taxi Driver blew my mind, and Vertigo is brilliant.

[onthewall2983]

Just in time for Christmas, La-La Land Records is releasing a 30th anniversary 3-CD set of Michael Kamen's score. Previous releases were taken from stereo or mono sources, whereas this one is from newly discovered multi-tracks (presumably found when Fox was giving this a 4K upgrade), making this the best-sounding release of the score yet (if the audio clips are any indication). And with the extra tracks and alternate takes, the most complete.

[onthewall2983]

[eversonpoe]

15 years ago, mike patton put together a compilation of morricone's early work called Crime + Dissonance and honestly it's some of my favorite stuff he did (not that his later work isn't amazing, this is just what i enjoy listening to the most).

p.s. thought the video link i was posting to the full album playlist...not sure if it worked. anyway, look up the comp! it's great!