Knight of Ren

In that case I think Fury Road would fit the bill. I know many people dismiss it as just loud, wallpaper music, but I've grown quite fond of it, and I feel it's one of Holkenborg's better efforts, especially paired with the (awesome!) movie it goes with. In the album it's a bit too long but it's perfect whenever I need a bit of adrenaline. Brothers in Arms never fails to give me chills!

Well, yes. The track works as well as it does thanks to Rossini's memorable theme, but it's also really nice to hear how Zanelli mixes it with Zimmer's own themes for the movie. Such fun!

This! I know most people consider it average Zimmer, but this is a brilliant cue (well, credit here should go to Zanelli), and I really like the score as a whole, as derivative as it might feel at some points. I wish Zimmer returned to this kind of adventure scores more often!
 
Also, I've read some people mention Djawadi's work for GoT and I wouldn't consider that a guilty pleasure, as I believe they are brilliant scores!

This! I know most people consider it average Zimmer, but this is a brilliant cue (well, credit here should go to Zanelli), and I really like the score as a whole, as derivative as it might feel at some points. I wish Zimmer returned to this kind of adventure scores more often!
 
Also, I've read some people mention Djawadi's work for GoT and I wouldn't consider that a guilty pleasure, as I believe they are brilliant scores!

And Rossini.

Obviously there are many people who like anything that might be suggested, but if all we mean is guilty pleasure, then this:
 
 

It's really dark. Like really really dark. Even moreso than The Nun.
 
Thete are some really nice dramatic cues and some dark and more brooding cues. I want to see/hear how it works in context to make up my full thoughts.

New Korzeniowski and it's for Shyamalan's daughter first feature film. I hope it's closer to the orchestral side of Korzeniowski, with some hints of darkness and horror expected from the look of the film. It would be interesting to see if they develop a director-composer relationship similar to Shyamalan and JNH had!

In that case I think Fury Road would fit the bill. I know many people dismiss it as just loud, wallpaper music, but I've grown quite fond of it, and I feel it's one of Holkenborg's better efforts, especially paired with the (awesome!) movie it goes with. In the album it's a bit too long but it's perfect whenever I need a bit of adrenaline. Brothers in Arms never fails to give me chills!

In that case I think Fury Road would fit the bill. I know many people dismiss it as just loud, wallpaper music, but I've grown quite fond of it, and I feel it's one of Holkenborg's better efforts, especially paired with the (awesome!) movie it goes with. In the album it's a bit too long but it's perfect whenever I need a bit of adrenaline. Brothers in Arms never fails to give me chills!

The Idea of You
Boring and dull, and too long. Not even Anne Hathaway can save the film from feeling like a badly written Wattpad fan-fic, with no charisma or charm. Not for me.
 
Immaculate
Honestly, quite predictable at some points, but also quite fun in its third act. Sydney Sweeney is great in the lead role and I love the fact that she is a producer in this and was the one willing to move the project forward. The script is a bit simple and some of the jump-scares feel a bit cheap, but I really enjoyed the last part of the movie, where the mystery is revealed and it turns into a sort of revenge film. The last shot was brutal and Sydney really delivered there! Also, quite liked Will Bates' music, which is allowed to shine at some dialogue-less scenes.
 
Challengers
The latest over-hyped film that critics and Twitter users love. Don't get me wrong, I think there are some great things in here, but the insane expectations they had set for the movie made me feel disappointed. The three leads are brilliant in their respective roles, and are the main carrying force that holds the movie together, with their chemistry, their banter and their rivalry, and make up for some of the problems I have with the film, like the constant jumping forth and back in time. In some scenes it works and gives them a deeper meaning, and lets you understand the characters more, but at other points doesn't work as well.
 
Something similar happened with Guadagnino's direction, which is particularly flashy and dynamic during the tennis matches. Not everything he tries works, but I have to give it to him for being so willing to move the camera around in many unusual ways, trying to put you in their point of view (at one point, literally). I really liked the final ten minutes or so, where the emotions are at its peak, and his direction really goes to some places I wasn't expecting that really makes you feel all the emotions of the moment. As for the score, well, I think it feels out of place in all the dialogue scenes, and only really works in the tennis match. It's been overly praised and probably will earn Reznor & Ross a nom at the Oscars, and perhaps even a win, but I wasn't really feeling it except for a couple of moments.
 
So all in all, it's a solid film, that shines because of its cast and some of Guadagnino's direction choices, but has been excessively over-hyped, and really felt a lot more flat and predictable that everyone has been saying. The same thing happened to me with Everything Everywhere All At Once and Past Lives, where I had read so many good things about them beforehand that I left disappointed when I didn't like them that much.

Crimes of Grindelwald is a great score. I think I like a bit more the first one, but this one has some awesome highlights, and Wands Into the Earth is one of my favorite JNH cues! The vocal motif at the beginning, the way it builds until the trumpets enter, the choir joining and building towards that statement of the main theme of the franchise. Brilliant!
 
Too bad that apparently there won't be more of these, not because of the movies themselves, but because of Howard's music!

Been on a Horner streak lately, so here are some random thoughts:
 
Braveheart (LLL Expansion)
Watched the movie for the first time and man, does the score work brilliantly in there. There are some dialogue-less scenes that are entirely carried by Horner's love themes and they are breathtaking. The album works great, although there are a couple of tracks from the expansion that I would personally skip. But the final track is just pure brilliance!
 
The Land Before Time
Beautiful score, I very much prefer the emotional bits to the mickey-mousing stuff, but even that is done with such great care and attention to detail that it's a delight to listen to!
 
An American Tail
Might be my favorite Horner animated score. I love how unabashedly melodramatic it is at some points, and Reunited is one of Horner's finest emotional cues.
 
Balto
First time listening this, and I liked parts of it, but I also feel like it's lacking the emotion and delicacy present in other Horner animated scores. I feel a couple more listens will help me appreciate it a bit more.
 
Legends of the Fall (Intrada Expansion)
One of Horner's greatest achievements, and even though I don't really like the film, I think the score is amongst the best of its kind. The expansion is perhaps a bit too long, and because of the type of movie it is, at some points it might become a bit too saccharine for some, and that's why my favorite theme is Tristan's theme. Perfect blend of melodrama and epicness!
 
Mask of Zorro / Legend of Zorro
Both are instantly memorable and a lot of fun. The first one's a classic that works perfectly on album, and I feel the second it's a bit less interesting and tends to be a bit too reliant on themes from the first one, and it would work better with a strong new identity alongside the returning material, but is very enjoyable nonetheless.

Themes Breakdown
 
Before I begin, let me just say that the themes in Thelma is not among the strongest and catchiest themes in Powell's portfolios. Somehow it feels kinda 'muted', like I said before. It lacks that 'stand out'/'catchy' quality that we usually get from Powell. That's why, even though Thelma is still a mighty fine Powell score, it ultimately just land in middle/average rank among Powell's works.
 
Okay, so,...conceptually, Powell continued to use the same theme system like he did in Migration, which is there are two 'main themes' that often being played interchangeably. I guess this concept is another factor that makes Thelma score is not so stand out, because there is no the one big theme that binds it all (where as Migration has that amazing 'flying' theme)
 
Here we go,
Theme #1 and theme #2 (I wouldn't say theme A & B as they are, I think, not part of a one whole theme), as you have heard in the ost or film, is always played against one and another. It could be the case theme 1 go first and then the 2, or vice versa, depending on the context
 
Theme #1 - Thelma's Theme/ 'The Fame-Unicorn' Theme
This theme represents Thelma generally, but it also represents the 'fake fame' or 'the unicorn moment' as this theme is always played whenever the notion of fame, creating a fake fame, or the fame/success itself is shown.
 
This theme first heard in the first score track, as you can hear at this particular moment with its jazz/groovy arrangement (up until 0:34):
 
 
or during this particular moment in this track:
 
 
and in its triumphant moment, as heard in this track here:
 
 
However,
this theme is similar to Powell's very own 'Hero' theme from HTTYD 3, you can hear it here:
^^
You see the resemblance right?
 
Anyway, continue,
the theme is heard again in this moment that is probably one of the highlight of the score:
^^
Just pure ala Powell rising moment, lovely! 
Powell still got it!!
 
 

 
Theme #2 - Farm Theme/ 'True self' Theme
This theme also represents Otis, Thelma's donkey friend back in the farm as it's often played whenever Otis shows up. But I guess the character Otis itself here is the representation of the 'original self' that Thelma is always being reminded of. This theme can also represent the friendship/farm theme between these two characters.
 
First heard in the first score track, but here it starts with the base progression first, as you can hear here (until 0:14):
 
 
Then we can hear in its full during this moment (up until 1:05):
 
 
Then in its jazz/groovy statement ala Powell's old 'gigli' days, as you can here in this moment :
 
 
Then back to its 'base progression' in this solemn moment:
 
 
Sadly, this theme, in particular the base progression as you have heard above, is quite a direct lift from Zimmer's 'Time' theme, you can hear it here:
Alas,
not even John Powell himself couldn't escape the temptation of using the Time progression 😄
 
But it's only on the base progression, not the whole theme.
 
Anyway, let's continue,
as this theme mainly represents Otis and how he's always obsessed with his DnD-like board game, so it's only fitting if this theme is also played during Otis's many DnD imagination moments, as you can hear in this particular moment in this track:
^^
Hear how this theme is directly followed by Thelma's theme
(as during this moment, Otis imagines Thelma appears as another hero character in this DnD imagination sequence)
^^
a testament of how Powell's is still the king of themes structuring!
 
 
 
 
Villain Theme / Nikki The Narwhal Theme
Lastly we got the villain theme, represented by the character Nikki the Narwhal
 
First heard in this track (up until 0:29):
^^
Hear how this theme is also being played off by the 'True Self' theme, as right in this moment Nikki is scheming how to reveal the true identity of Thelma. Smart Powell!
 
Heard again in this track here:
 
 
And finally to its 'true over the top evil’ statement, heard here:
^^
Love the horn!
 
 
 
And that's it!
Despite how short the score we got, but Powell can still gives us a true cohesive score with great themes structure that I always love to make the breakdown of 😊
 

I've come to enjoy quite a bit some parts of Holkenborg's scores, but if Bear McCreary was to return, I would be more than happy, as I think he's done the best Godzilla score in ages!

Crimes of Grindelwald is a great score. I think I like a bit more the first one, but this one has some awesome highlights, and Wands Into the Earth is one of my favorite JNH cues! The vocal motif at the beginning, the way it builds until the trumpets enter, the choir joining and building towards that statement of the main theme of the franchise. Brilliant!
 
Too bad that apparently there won't be more of these, not because of the movies themselves, but because of Howard's music!

Crimes of Grindelwald is a great score. I think I like a bit more the first one, but this one has some awesome highlights, and Wands Into the Earth is one of my favorite JNH cues! The vocal motif at the beginning, the way it builds until the trumpets enter, the choir joining and building towards that statement of the main theme of the franchise. Brilliant!
 
Too bad that apparently there won't be more of these, not because of the movies themselves, but because of Howard's music!

Been on a Horner streak lately, so here are some random thoughts:
 
Braveheart (LLL Expansion)
Watched the movie for the first time and man, does the score work brilliantly in there. There are some dialogue-less scenes that are entirely carried by Horner's love themes and they are breathtaking. The album works great, although there are a couple of tracks from the expansion that I would personally skip. But the final track is just pure brilliance!
 
The Land Before Time
Beautiful score, I very much prefer the emotional bits to the mickey-mousing stuff, but even that is done with such great care and attention to detail that it's a delight to listen to!
 
An American Tail
Might be my favorite Horner animated score. I love how unabashedly melodramatic it is at some points, and Reunited is one of Horner's finest emotional cues.
 
Balto
First time listening this, and I liked parts of it, but I also feel like it's lacking the emotion and delicacy present in other Horner animated scores. I feel a couple more listens will help me appreciate it a bit more.
 
Legends of the Fall (Intrada Expansion)
One of Horner's greatest achievements, and even though I don't really like the film, I think the score is amongst the best of its kind. The expansion is perhaps a bit too long, and because of the type of movie it is, at some points it might become a bit too saccharine for some, and that's why my favorite theme is Tristan's theme. Perfect blend of melodrama and epicness!
 
Mask of Zorro / Legend of Zorro
Both are instantly memorable and a lot of fun. The first one's a classic that works perfectly on album, and I feel the second it's a bit less interesting and tends to be a bit too reliant on themes from the first one, and it would work better with a strong new identity alongside the returning material, but is very enjoyable nonetheless.

Crimes of Grindelwald is a great score. I think I like a bit more the first one, but this one has some awesome highlights, and Wands Into the Earth is one of my favorite JNH cues! The vocal motif at the beginning, the way it builds until the trumpets enter, the choir joining and building towards that statement of the main theme of the franchise. Brilliant!
 
Too bad that apparently there won't be more of these, not because of the movies themselves, but because of Howard's music!

When I want to listen to Zorro I listen to the first one. Also nothing new came to my attention in Legend of Zorro. And the first one nicely builds up from beginning to end. The second appears to me somehow like an a little unstructured elaboration on the old material that doesn't even try to bring something new. Seems a score Horner just did for the money or it was just done by his interns.
Also the movie is surely not very inspiring compared to the first one, it's an utter mess.
 
 
Listened to that on Tuesday, too.  
 

Been on a Horner streak lately, so here are some random thoughts:
 
Braveheart (LLL Expansion)
Watched the movie for the first time and man, does the score work brilliantly in there. There are some dialogue-less scenes that are entirely carried by Horner's love themes and they are breathtaking. The album works great, although there are a couple of tracks from the expansion that I would personally skip. But the final track is just pure brilliance!
 
The Land Before Time
Beautiful score, I very much prefer the emotional bits to the mickey-mousing stuff, but even that is done with such great care and attention to detail that it's a delight to listen to!
 
An American Tail
Might be my favorite Horner animated score. I love how unabashedly melodramatic it is at some points, and Reunited is one of Horner's finest emotional cues.
 
Balto
First time listening this, and I liked parts of it, but I also feel like it's lacking the emotion and delicacy present in other Horner animated scores. I feel a couple more listens will help me appreciate it a bit more.
 
Legends of the Fall (Intrada Expansion)
One of Horner's greatest achievements, and even though I don't really like the film, I think the score is amongst the best of its kind. The expansion is perhaps a bit too long, and because of the type of movie it is, at some points it might become a bit too saccharine for some, and that's why my favorite theme is Tristan's theme. Perfect blend of melodrama and epicness!
 
Mask of Zorro / Legend of Zorro
Both are instantly memorable and a lot of fun. The first one's a classic that works perfectly on album, and I feel the second it's a bit less interesting and tends to be a bit too reliant on themes from the first one, and it would work better with a strong new identity alongside the returning material, but is very enjoyable nonetheless.

Been on a Horner streak lately, so here are some random thoughts:
 
Braveheart (LLL Expansion)
Watched the movie for the first time and man, does the score work brilliantly in there. There are some dialogue-less scenes that are entirely carried by Horner's love themes and they are breathtaking. The album works great, although there are a couple of tracks from the expansion that I would personally skip. But the final track is just pure brilliance!
 
The Land Before Time
Beautiful score, I very much prefer the emotional bits to the mickey-mousing stuff, but even that is done with such great care and attention to detail that it's a delight to listen to!
 
An American Tail
Might be my favorite Horner animated score. I love how unabashedly melodramatic it is at some points, and Reunited is one of Horner's finest emotional cues.
 
Balto
First time listening this, and I liked parts of it, but I also feel like it's lacking the emotion and delicacy present in other Horner animated scores. I feel a couple more listens will help me appreciate it a bit more.
 
Legends of the Fall (Intrada Expansion)
One of Horner's greatest achievements, and even though I don't really like the film, I think the score is amongst the best of its kind. The expansion is perhaps a bit too long, and because of the type of movie it is, at some points it might become a bit too saccharine for some, and that's why my favorite theme is Tristan's theme. Perfect blend of melodrama and epicness!
 
Mask of Zorro / Legend of Zorro
Both are instantly memorable and a lot of fun. The first one's a classic that works perfectly on album, and I feel the second it's a bit less interesting and tends to be a bit too reliant on themes from the first one, and it would work better with a strong new identity alongside the returning material, but is very enjoyable nonetheless.

Been on a Horner streak lately, so here are some random thoughts:
 
Braveheart (LLL Expansion)
Watched the movie for the first time and man, does the score work brilliantly in there. There are some dialogue-less scenes that are entirely carried by Horner's love themes and they are breathtaking. The album works great, although there are a couple of tracks from the expansion that I would personally skip. But the final track is just pure brilliance!
 
The Land Before Time
Beautiful score, I very much prefer the emotional bits to the mickey-mousing stuff, but even that is done with such great care and attention to detail that it's a delight to listen to!
 
An American Tail
Might be my favorite Horner animated score. I love how unabashedly melodramatic it is at some points, and Reunited is one of Horner's finest emotional cues.
 
Balto
First time listening this, and I liked parts of it, but I also feel like it's lacking the emotion and delicacy present in other Horner animated scores. I feel a couple more listens will help me appreciate it a bit more.
 
Legends of the Fall (Intrada Expansion)
One of Horner's greatest achievements, and even though I don't really like the film, I think the score is amongst the best of its kind. The expansion is perhaps a bit too long, and because of the type of movie it is, at some points it might become a bit too saccharine for some, and that's why my favorite theme is Tristan's theme. Perfect blend of melodrama and epicness!
 
Mask of Zorro / Legend of Zorro
Both are instantly memorable and a lot of fun. The first one's a classic that works perfectly on album, and I feel the second it's a bit less interesting and tends to be a bit too reliant on themes from the first one, and it would work better with a strong new identity alongside the returning material, but is very enjoyable nonetheless.

Crimes of Grindelwald is a great score. I think I like a bit more the first one, but this one has some awesome highlights, and Wands Into the Earth is one of my favorite JNH cues! The vocal motif at the beginning, the way it builds until the trumpets enter, the choir joining and building towards that statement of the main theme of the franchise. Brilliant!
 
Too bad that apparently there won't be more of these, not because of the movies themselves, but because of Howard's music!

Been on a Horner streak lately, so here are some random thoughts:
 
Braveheart (LLL Expansion)
Watched the movie for the first time and man, does the score work brilliantly in there. There are some dialogue-less scenes that are entirely carried by Horner's love themes and they are breathtaking. The album works great, although there are a couple of tracks from the expansion that I would personally skip. But the final track is just pure brilliance!
 
The Land Before Time
Beautiful score, I very much prefer the emotional bits to the mickey-mousing stuff, but even that is done with such great care and attention to detail that it's a delight to listen to!
 
An American Tail
Might be my favorite Horner animated score. I love how unabashedly melodramatic it is at some points, and Reunited is one of Horner's finest emotional cues.
 
Balto
First time listening this, and I liked parts of it, but I also feel like it's lacking the emotion and delicacy present in other Horner animated scores. I feel a couple more listens will help me appreciate it a bit more.
 
Legends of the Fall (Intrada Expansion)
One of Horner's greatest achievements, and even though I don't really like the film, I think the score is amongst the best of its kind. The expansion is perhaps a bit too long, and because of the type of movie it is, at some points it might become a bit too saccharine for some, and that's why my favorite theme is Tristan's theme. Perfect blend of melodrama and epicness!
 
Mask of Zorro / Legend of Zorro
Both are instantly memorable and a lot of fun. The first one's a classic that works perfectly on album, and I feel the second it's a bit less interesting and tends to be a bit too reliant on themes from the first one, and it would work better with a strong new identity alongside the returning material, but is very enjoyable nonetheless.