The Best Movie Scores of The 21st Century — IndieWire Critics Survey

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Jesus most of these people really don't know shit about film scores.  All due respect to Matt Patches of Thrillist, who's the only one who comes off well here.

 

The Best Movie Scores of The 21st Century — IndieWire Critics Survey

[Thor 7,504]

Actually, there are some really good film scores mentioned in those comments, although it's a bit heavy on music from the last few years -- and I've never understood the fascination for GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (neither film nor score), nor Desplat in general.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Oh sure, and I'm actually a person who would definitely count Grand Budapest among the best of the century so far.  But most of these people seem to limit their soundtrack appreciation to what they like to play in the background while they work.  Hardly the people whose opinions I'd find valuable in singling out great film music.

[Thor 7,504]

Well, they're film critics, not film music critics. I don't think we can expect much in terms of more conventional film music. I know from experience in my own film critic circles that only a select few of them have a reasonable overview and knowledge of the type of film music you probably have in mind.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Yes exactly, and several of them I would consider great film critics (Tasha Robinson and David Ehrlich especially are writers I've long admired), I just don't understand why this piece exists.  The headline and question the writers responded to indicates some kind of expertise and ability to look at film scores as a whole, but the responses mostly boil down to "Soundtracks? I pay attention to those sometimes."

 

And yeah, it's definitely another indicator that it is considered supremely "uncool" for a hip film critic to enjoy traditional orchestral scores. It's the 1970s all over again!

 

I'm not saying the scores they do single out are bad.

[Thor 7,504]

16 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

And yeah, it's definitely another indicator that it is considered supremely "uncool" for a hip film critic to enjoy traditional orchestral scores. It's the 1970s all over again!

 

There's definitely an element of that, yes. Although the film critics I respect in my own circle thankfully appreciate that too. The big classics, mostly, but still.

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

They're entitled to their opinions.  

[Disco Stu 15,495]

1 minute ago, Not Mr. Big said:

They're entitled to their opinions.  

 

That goes without saying.....

[Naïve Old Fart 9,528]

1 hour ago, Thor said:

 I've never understood the fascination for GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (neither film nor score), nor Desplat in general.

 

Get thee to a nunnery!

[Thor 7,504]

I don't like Wes Anderson either. That's 4 dislikes in one thread. Alex should be happy!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Wes is great!

[Gnome in Plaid 219]

"Best movie scores of the 21st century" and the names Shore, Mansell, and Young appear nowhere in the body of the article and the only honorable mention John Williams gets is Catch Me If You Can?  Really?  That's not even displaying poor taste or a lack of knowledge; it's contrarianism for its own sake.  I don't think the second quote in my sig has ever been more appropriate.

[DominicCobb 194]

I came across that article awhile back and just couldn't understand it. I honestly believe most of those people have simply forgotten what has come out this century (seems like 90% of their answers are from the current decade). This quote is telling: "Oh wait, John Williams’s “Catch Me If You Can” debuted in this millennium too." I bet if you said the words "Lord of the Rings" to them after their answers they'd all smack themselves on the head and say "of course!"

[Thor 7,504]

In this extra long, 2 1/2 hour episode of Celluloid Tunes, I invited my film critic colleagues in Montages to talk about each of their top 5 favourite film scores:

 

http://celluloidtunes.no/celluloid-tunes-20-montages-topp-5-soundtracks/

 

It's in Norwegian, so you won't understand a thing, but the relevant bit is their lists, which IMO are quite good for film critics that would probably fall in the same category as those at Indiewire. So they're not ALL like this, i.e. lacking a total overview of 2000s output; or only heavy on 'alternative' stylings.

 

Incidentally, the selections from all three combined included three Vangelis scores (1492, MISSING, BLADE RUNNER), ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA, APOCALYPSE NOW, LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING, AFTER HOURS, THE ROCK, LA DOUBLE VIE DE VERONIQUE, JULES ET JIM, HALLOWEEN, PSYCHO, PUNCH-DRUNK-LOVE and TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME.

[Bespin 8,482]

Not enough John Williams.