143 replies to this topic

[Mark Olivarez]

Love Theme from Superman.


The entire cue is simply wonderful.

I thought about saying since I don't think there is a more beautiful track that JW has written.

But I was looking for just a smaller bit

I know I cheated but are quite a few of those short moments from Williams. I couldn't narrow it down.

[redfoxden]

Ａｎｏｔｈｅｒ　ｏｎｅ　ｆｒｏｍ　Ｅｍｐｉｒｅ：　Ｃａｄｉｌｌａｃ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　Ｓｋｉｅｓ

I second this. Assuming of course, that you mean the concert version.

[Adam S.]

Its too hard to pick one. There's hit you over the head type of magical like ET at the end which is great. But I also like the subtler moments like the blue fairy theme in AI playing underneath the dialog of the little boy and the alien to name one that comes to mind for some reason. Difficult question though.

- Adam

[MattyO]

It's definitely a tought choice, but I'm going to go with the climax of 'Buckbeak's Flight', where the orchestra gets into super-dramatic mode and I think a choir comes in. Also from Prisoner of Azkaban is a scene I thought was scored perfectly: after the first part of 'Secrets of the Castle', where there is a cut scene to an external Hogwarts and the dementors are closing in. The sinister rendition of 'Double Trouble' and the whispering choir are both amazing and suit the scene perfectly. It's only a 30 second piece of music but it's magic!

[Joey]

I think I've settled on the first minute and 50 seconds of Cadillac of the Skies from Empire of the Sun.

[Maglorfin]

Conclusions of Death of Jonathan Kent and Leaving Home from Superman (absolute favourites), last minutes from E.T., seeing the dinosaurs for the first time in Jurassic Park and a lot of moments from Star Wars and Harry Potter films.

[Bruce]

I think the Man against Beast cue in Jaws is probably the most magical. 5 minutes of mayhem and sheer adrenaline fuelled excitement....

[tpigeon]

"You are the Pan."

Ted

[Josh500]

Too many to list here.

But many of my favorites have already been listed here.

Hook's "Flight to Neverland"
E.T.'s "Adventure on Earth"
Jaws's "Man Against Beast"
Schindler's List's "I Could Have Done More"

etc. etc.

[Salacius]

When ET takes off in the end of the film something just happens, it's pure magic.
The whole acoustics of the orchestra change to such a wide sound, tough to explain.

To me it just doesn't get any better than that.

[Josh500]

Not to mention the best moments of Superman, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park...

[Marc]

Harry's Wondrous World comes to mind.

Especially the part where it goes :



With the strings playing this wonderful theme at the same time...

That is just a pure magical moment for me...huge goosebumps every time !

[Josh500]

Harry's Wondruous World comes to mind.

Especially the part where it goes :



With the strings playing this wonderful theme at the same time...

That is just a pure magical moment for me...huge goosebumps every time !

Agreed! This entire piece is magical (or wondrous, I guess)!

My favorite part is the Quidditch Fanfare followed by the Hogwarts Theme.

[Quint]

Oh god I hate reading me back years later. Cringe. The forum equivalent of digging out the old photos.

[STORM]

The duel cue in empire,partic the fanfare part!,flying seqence superman and chasing rockets!,reunion of friends in harry potter 2!,loads more from star wars scores,there`s to many to mention off top of my head at mo!.Does anyone else find flying seqence so emotinal,and uplifting,never get bored of listeing to many jw scores.

[Joey]

While I stand by my Cadillac of the Sky's comment,

I've narrowed my search to a magical moment, from Jaws.

Father and Son. Intimate, touching, truly magical and completely grounded in reality.

[Wojo]

The fourth orchestra hit at the start of the Pit of Carkoon cue. That moves me every time I hear it.

[publicist]

Or the whole escape through the nocturnal forest from DRACULA, when Langella carries Kate Nelligan to his castle. Things like this i even recognized when i saw it as a 10-year old. The last 40 seconds of the VISITORS cue form CLOSE ENCOUNTERS.

I always wished for a movie that actually supported his score for SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET.

[Ren]

5:43 to end of First Contact

[Wojo]

5:43 to end of First Contact

I like that 5:43 too. Wait.



What JW movie are we talking about again?

[SF1_freeze]

There are so many, i can only list some of my favorites:

The Finale of Home Alone 2 when Kevin says goodbye to the pidgeon lady
When Luke defeats Vader in RotJ.
Obi-Wan tells Luke to "use the force" with the magical string Force Theme statement during the battle of Yavin in Star Wars.
The film opening of Double Trouble when they approach Hogwarts in PoA.
When they reach the island and see the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park
Padme's Funeral cue in RotS (Funeral theme seques into the Force Theme which seques into the Imperial March)
Close Encounters when the Alien says goodbye and the ship leaves.
Map Room Dawn from Raiders when the sun shines through the staff
When ET and Elliot start flying

[indy4]

One of them is definitely when the trombones take over the horn ostinato in "Abducting Lucy" from Dracula.

Also pretty much any segment of "The Map Room."

[Joey]

One of them is definitely when the trombones take over the horn ostinato in "Abducting Lucy" from Dracula.

Also pretty much any segment of "The Map Room."

okay I must poke a bit of fun towards you.

I would think your answer would be all of them. although not all are equally most astoundingly magical.

[indy4]

Nope, just Jedi Rocks.

[TheUlyssesian]

1. The music which plays when E.T.'s plant comes back to life at the end. It almost makes me cry with happiness. It just a few bars of the flying theme but they are played in such an uplifting manner.

2. 12:38 There is a monumental finality to these orchestra crashes like the sound of a million hearts breaking at the same time.


I still find it incredible that for such a small and intimate film, E.T. has such a huge score.

3. Entry into the Great Hall in Harry Potter 1.


It just seems like the air itself is swirling with magic and mischief in it.

[stewdog1]

Alright, time for me to play.

Since so much has been said about Empire, I will continue it: The Rebel Fleet/End Title - Everything about this is just magical. Everything just went to hell, but the music lets us know that all is not lost. Then when the end credits kick in we get a wonderful rendition of Yoda's theme that is unexpected and then ending with the drawn out Empire theme.

[Ren]

LOL and then I'm thinking...... wait - I just did JG not JW....brb

okokok, JW - Leaving hogwarts.... (sorry boys, just going on the magical moment, not just JW earlier)

[Pasi Tiitinen]

Well its totally ok in this forum. No love for Johnny.

[Ren]

[wanner251]

Adventures on Earth... Hands down...

Next for me would probably be the powerful end of "Miracle of the Ark". It's just so badass.

[Quint]

Oh god Hornist's bleating fanboyism is getting fuckin' boring now. John Williams is a big boy, he doesn't need his wannabe entourage to protect him.

Lee - who is baffled by his original TESB choice at the top of the thread. Close Encounters When You Wish Upon a Star is the correct choice here. Neary surrounded by the Aliens etc.

[Thor]

For me, it's every time he dips into the 'religious sound' (or pastoral/spiritual sound, call it whatever you will).

Either that, or the JURASSIC PARK theme.

[Wojo]

The children touching Peter's face when they realize he is the Pan. Peter when he gets his happy thought. Leia when she senses his brother's precariousness beneath Bespin. The music when Luke emerges from his hiding position to assail Vader.

[Datameister]

Oy, so many great moments mentioned in this thread. One I'd like to add is the transition into the end credits of Star Wars. With this one, the performance and recording make such an incredible difference. Something about the fast tempo and aggressive brass sound in the original recording makes that moment purely magical. It brings the film to an absolutely perfect close.

I'm sure I've got more passages to mention, but at the moment, my brain is lost in listening to the end credits of Star Wars. (Remastered with a little convolution reverb and EQing...yum.)

Okay, it's over. More moments I absolutely love:

* The final high trumpet blast at the end of the helicopter sequence in "Journey to the Island."
* Much of the E.T. finale, of course, but everything starting with the round-like statements of the flying theme is jaw-dropping. Pure gold. The fanfares come in and then your heart just stops when the horns end the film with the exact same theme that started it.
* The end of "Leaving Hogwarts." Easily some of the best music ever written. By anyone.
* The entire last part of "Flight From Peru." I absolutely love the entire cue, including the bizarre pizzicato stuff, but it ventures into "magical" territory as the plane takes off, and it stays there through the end of the cue.

Damn. Too much great stuff in this man's oeuvre.

[Hlao-roo]

I find magic in every note that proceeds from the pen of John Williams. There is beauty in his work, wonder-working beauty, effulgent beauty, that fires the imagination and kindles the heart.

[Wojo]

I find magic in every note that proceeds from the pen of John Williams. There is beauty in his work, wonder-working beauty, effulgent beauty, that fires the imagination and kindles the heart.

Williams is bad.

Apparently your opinion of John Williams is as mysterious as my own.

[Ren]

Data

I agree with you on Leaving Hogwarts. It's deep and penetrating to my soul and I have a piano arrangement that I play along with the recording and just being able to play along with the recording is just about as rewarding as all get out.

[Datameister]

No kidding! Love playing that cue on piano:

[BloodBoal]

Oh, not again! The Cardello Piano!

[Ren]

I'll post me playing in a bit......