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What Is The Last Score You Listened To? (older scores)


Ollie

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0 of 14 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Mediocre, June 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Star Wars: A New Hope: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Special Edition) (Audio CD)

This Soundtrack has some good songs in it. But, they play the charachters themes hundreds of times. It gets to be a bore. It's not worth the money. Unless your a star wars collector.

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ROTFLMAO

Which reminds me of the time I bought SW 1997 set and the guy at the store told me (with some significant concern in his voice): "You are aware that this is just music and there is no dialogue on those discs? Are you sure you want to buy this?".

Karol

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A similar situation happened to me when I wanted to buy the disc of Star Wars sound effects, backgrounds, and wallpapers from Electronics Boutique back in the day. The salesman said, "You know, you are going to pay $20 for a disc of wallpapers, right?" I didn't buy it, but I did have my eye on another Star Wars-related disc item. "Oh, you do know that [star Wars Anthology] is just the background music," they said.

The rest his history.

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Wrath of the Titans

If Javier Navarrete didn't "consult" with Hans Zimmer while scoring this film, we'd really have something special here. The electronic loops, extraneous percussion and such really detracts from what is a potentially good score. As it is, when it's good -- it's really good like the main theme but when it's not underscoring a romantic or action scene -- it just drones in the background.

A shame, really.

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The Amazing Spider-Man

The more I listen to it, the more I love it. It's not perfect, and I wish Horner had a longer main/end title to develop his theme, but it's still a blast to listen to. Favorite score of the year! Sorry John Carter, you get the silver medal.

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It's quoted here under "a few more worst lines - No. 1".

“His hips and abdomen were the archways of mystical power. Hanging beneath the archway, his massive sex organ bore the tattooed symbols of his destiny. In another life, this heavy shaft of flesh had been his source of carnal pleasure. But no longer.”

This is art, ladies and gentlemen!

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The Amazing Spider-Man

Favorite score of the year! Sorry John Carter, you get the silver medal.

You do realize that you're wrong, right?

I might just side with Miles although both of these are 4 star scores for me. While both are terrific they lack something for me to award them score of the year title, perhaps in top 5 at the moment but not 5 star material.
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Oh, I agree this is 4 stars material for both score, and not 5. Yet, I rank Carter above Spidey. I just have to listen to Sab Than Pursues The Princess, or the beginning of Get Carter and that's all I need to know!

Get Carter is great track but the obvious rip from Medal of Honor Frontline (which is one Giacchino's best), at the beginning still bothers me a bit.
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I wouldn't say I've heard any 5 star scores yet this year.

I've really enjoyed Spidey, Brave, Prometheus, Cabin in the Woods and Journey 2, but none of them are truly exceptional scores.

I find John Carter a bit dull in places, and certainly isn't helped by the film.

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I can't see anyway The Hobbit won't be the best score of the year for me. But right now John Carter, TASM, and Brave are my top 3.

Looking forward to the new Chris Bacon score too, and of course, Williams' Lincoln, which is the wild card. I have no doubt it will be a heartfelt score from the maestro that he spent considerable time and effort on, but whether or not it will be my cup of tea is the part I'm unsure about.

I wish Arnold was scoring Skyfall :(

Another wildcard is Elfman's Frankenweenie. I usually love Elfman/Burton collaborations but I haven't even been compelled to listen to Dark Shadows or MIB III yet (nor have I seen the movies).... maybe I'm all Elfman-ed out for a while.

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The Amazing Spider-Man

Favorite score of the year! Sorry John Carter, you get the silver medal.

You do realize that you're wrong, right?

I might just side with Miles although both of these are 4 star scores for me. While both are terrific they lack something for me to award them score of the year title, perhaps in top 5 at the moment but not 5 star material.

Agreed. This has been a very lackluster year for film scores. It's especially disappointing after the strength of last year. Spiderman remains my favourite of the year so far. But I haven't heard any 5 star scores.

Of course, there is the Hobbit to look forward to.

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I definitely anticipate Williams' Lincoln and Shore's The Hobbit the most this year.

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I definitely anticipate Williams' Lincoln and Shore's The Hobbit the most this year.

Likewise. :yes:

I'm still a bit curious about what approach Williams will take. Yes, there will be his usual Americana writing. But he described it as hymn-like, which frankly leaves a bit unsure how to interpret that. Perhaps it'll be more of Williams' pastoral writing. I would love that.

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I am sure it will be more of Williams' pastoral writing perhaps seasoned with stylistic hints of the period. Williams' writing tends to have that quality anyway, a sort of hymnal singing lyrical way of expression which he often employs for such dramatic subject matter. Something in the vein of Born on the Fourth of July would make me a happy fan. :)

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I find John Carter a bit dull in places, and certainly isn't helped by the film.

For whatever reason i have that problem with most Giacchinos and i still can't quite figure out what he does to elicit that reaction...

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I find John Carter a bit dull in places, and certainly isn't helped by the film.

For whatever reason i have that problem with most Giacchinos and i still can't quite figure out what he does to elicit that reaction...

Could it be that it is something he doesn't do that is the problem?

I find Giacchino still a bit of a hit and miss. I certainly respect his full orchestral approach to film scoring but very few of his film scores have elicited full satisfaction from me.

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I find John Carter a bit dull in places, and certainly isn't helped by the film.

For whatever reason i have that problem with most Giacchinos and i still can't quite figure out what he does to elicit that reaction...

Could it be that it is something he doesn't do that is the problem?

I find Giacchino still a bit of a hit and miss. I certainly respect his full orchestral approach to film scoring but very few of his film scores have elicited full satisfaction from me.

It's the same for me. I don't think he's written a 5 star score since the first 3 Medal of Honor scores. Like you said, a hit and a miss for me as well. I certainly respect him, but I also think he might be a bit overrated with the film music community.

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Wallin is something unfortunate but it is not just about the recordings. I find many of Giacchino's scores quite worksman like and as such they do not necessarily rise above 3 star rating.

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Wallin is something unfortunate but it is not just about the recordings. I find many of Giacchino's scores quite worksman like and as such they do not necessarily rise above 3 star rating.

Worksman like. That might be how I describe them as well. I do really like some of his scores though, like John Carter and Ratatouille, etc. But I agree that many of Giacchino's scores lie with thin the 3 star or below range. I do really like his earlier works though (his video game scores).

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Nah, the recordings sound flat, but i have lots of recordings which sound worse and i still return regularly.

Case-in-point JOHN CARTER and SUPER 8, two scores which can't be accused of being just soulless sound companions to loud action blockbusters and still, there's this first moment you take the soundclips in and think 'yeah, it sounds like it could be something' and then upon further examination it sounds as if some evil force sucked out any memorable characteristics...so you are left with functional ostinati, big themes that go nowhere and a general busy-ness that accomplishes nothing.

In a way, i'm asking myself how he can write so much busy stuff and and almost nothing of it is sticking...

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Amazing Spider-Man

Horner just regurgitates Titanic, Sneakers, and even Wrath of Khan in one instance. That said, Horner mines a different side to the character, the more innocent and childlike wonder, that Elfman didn't really delve into. It's refreshing in one aspect, the main theme is good, but Horner in autopilot is just discouraging.

John Carter is better, score-wise.

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I definitely anticipate Williams' Lincoln and Shore's The Hobbit the most this year.

Yes! The Hobbit will be next Shore's masterpiece :)

:music: Foundations Of Stone

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Has anyone in the US seen Horner's movie FOR GREATER GLORY?

No, but I've heard the score

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Amazing Spider-Man

Horner just regurgitates Titanic, Sneakers, and even Wrath of Khan in one instance. That said, Horner mines a different side to the character, the more innocent and childlike wonder, that Elfman didn't really delve into. It's refreshing in one aspect, the main theme is good, but Horner in autopilot is just discouraging.

John Carter is better, score-wise.

Strange. I know the score by heart at this point and I own something like 40 CD's of Horner's work. And yet I can't hear any autopilot. Some stylistic nods here and there, yeah. That's his style of writing, I guess. But autopilot? If that's the example of a rip-off of then so is Tintin. In which you can hear at least half dozen of Williams' scores... And I love it!

Karol

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Has anyone in the US seen Horner's movie FOR GREATER GLORY?

No, but I've heard the score

So can you elaborate and tell us how is it?

Amazing Spider-Man

Horner just regurgitates Titanic, Sneakers, and even Wrath of Khan in one instance. That said, Horner mines a different side to the character, the more innocent and childlike wonder, that Elfman didn't really delve into. It's refreshing in one aspect, the main theme is good, but Horner in autopilot is just discouraging.

John Carter is better, score-wise.

Strange. I know the score by heart at this point and I own something like 40 CD's of Horner's work. And yet I can't hear any autopilot. Some stylistic nods here and there, yeah. That's his style of writing, I guess. But autopilot? If that's the example of a rip-off of then so is Tintin. In which you can hear at least half dozen of Williams' scores... And I love it!

Karol

Yes I agree. It does contain strong Horner stylistics and turns of musical phrase but having just listened to it I can't say that it sounds autopilot nor self referential in a way that would bother me. I quite thoroughly enjoy this score. It sounds very heartwarmingly traditional but has a wonderful youthful air about it.
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Has anyone in the US seen Horner's movie FOR GREATER GLORY?

No, but I've heard the score

So can you elaborate and tell us how is it?

Yea he wrote and recorded For Greater Glory (which was called Cristiada at the time) in 2011, before he recorded Black Gold! I too am surprised there has not been a OST CD announced yet. It's a nice, short little score, with spanish guitar, lots of the danger motif, and a theme reminiscent of the finale from Aliens.

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Yes I agree. It does contain strong Horner stylistics and turns of musical phrase but having just listened to it I can't say that it sounds autopilot nor self referential in a way that would bother me. I quite thoroughly enjoy this score. It sounds very heartwarmingly traditional but has a wonderful youthful air about it.

There are small moments reminiscent of other Horner scores, but it's not like Avatar where you can trace just about everything back to an earlier score. Horner seemed refreshed, and you can tell Webb appreciates music that makes an impact in the film (oh hai Nolan!).

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I remember reading on FSM that at this point, it's mathematically possible to recreate any unreleased Horner score. Guy might've been onto something. :lol:

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Bond Back In Action 2

I love the previously unreleased material included on this disc, especially Arrival at Chateau Drax / Freefal from Moonraker. Performances are also great, my only complaint is that some tempos are quite different from originals.

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by John Williams

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The Ghost and The Darkness by Jerry Goldsmith. Holy crap but the brass fanfare was some of the most powerful fanfares I've ever heard. And the percussion instruments blew me out.

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Frida by Elliot Goldenthal

Anyone else thinks this is actually a pretty good score?

Batman by Danny Elfman

This score has one of the best jaw-dropping third acts in the history of cinema. Anything from the charge of Batmobile scene to the end credits is just pure perfection. Better yet, it is much better than the film itself.

Karol

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Frida by Elliot Goldenthal

Anyone else thinks this is actually a pretty good score?

Absolutely. Certainly not his best score, but a very fine one. I was happy to see Goldenthal win the Oscar that year. I really think he would have deserved the Best Song award as well, though.

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It is a great score. I don't know if it deserved the Oscar though. There was probably something else nominated that was better.

It was a great line up in 2003: Catch Me If You Can, Road to Perdition, Hours and Far From Heaven in addition to Frida. I am hard pressed actually to choose any of these fine contenders for an Oscar since they all are great in their own way.

Papillon by Jerry Goldsmith: One of Goldsmith's absolute lyrical masterpieces and it initially surprised me with its beauty since it is written for such a harrowing tale.

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