Harry Potter

What about a Spielberg-directed Bond film? We know we'd get great direction, great editing, a great story, great acting, and, of course, a great score! Just a thought... well really just wishful thinking....

Hmmmm... James Newton Howard, while a very talented composer, lacks "The Last Push" in many of his scores. He consistently writes four-star scores but seems somehow restrained to write that five-star score, for whatever reason. He has an enormous amount of talent and I hope someday we can hear his five-star effort. Danny Elfman is undoubtedly one of the best composers working today. I've already said what I need to say about him in my Elfman thread. I suspect we'll have more of the same from him, but that's not at all a bad thing! Alan Silvestri has written some great scores in the past, and I assume that, given the chance, he will continue. Like Elfman, though, Silvestri will deliver more of the same unless, of course, a special opportunity comes along for either of them. Elliot Goldenthal is one of the composers on the list I'm not too familiar with, so I can't say anything about him. Howard Shore's Rings scores continue to uninspire me. I think they're good, but not great, and I never have understood the intense adoration for either the scores or the movies. I'm very pleased The Aviator turned out to be ineligible for an Oscar this year because Shore probably would have won simply off the mass-love for his Rings scores. I seriously doubt he will be the next "top of the heap" composer, at least not on the Williams-level. Patrick Doyle certainly has a chance to really prove himself with the next Potter film. I was decently impressed by his Secondhand Lions score as well as a few tracks from his Frankenstein effort. James Horner has had so many chances to become something other than a one-shot shooter. Granted many of his scores are great, the vast majority reak of unoriginality and complacency. Where a thoughtful composer could have drove the score into great successes, Horner just drove the score off the side of a bridge. One of the best surprises I could have this year is him not scoring the next Zorro film. Here's to hoping. John Debney is perhaps the most underused talent on the list. He's proven he can write a kick-ass score more than once, but for whatever reason he is not given the chance. Marc Shaiman is another talented composer on the list that hasn't been given many scores to really showcase that talent. Ann Dudley I have no idea about. Rachel Portman I haven't heard much of, but she's likely to be continually stereotypically assigned to the same types of films. Unless she can write some action music on the calibre of some of these other composers on the list, she's not going to go anywhere. She can't become the next "top of the heap" composer just on soft, sentimental riff-raff. Now what about those not on the list? David Arnold has continued to be one of my favorite composers. Like so many others, he needs a great movie to come along to inspire a great score because he certainly has the talent and the excitement. Michael Giacchino has quickly become one of my favorites. He continues to write strong scores whether they be for film or video games, and he continues to develop as a composer. I suspect he will continue to grow and in the process become a composing behemoth. Edward Shearmur is another rising talent, and, much like Giacchino, he will continue to grow and rise to be a mighty talent. Hans Zimmer, I feel, has proven to be a very strong force in the film score business. Though many here do not appreciate his music, I rather enjoy it, from the "guilty pleasures" of his early scores to the more recent epic-inspired scores. Zimmer is not a composer to be brushed aside. Harry Gregson-Williams is another composer on the rise. He has proven himself to be getting stronger and stronger with each passing year from the opportunities he has been given. Brian Tyler is yet another composer on the rise. Look out for him as well. Many of you may cringe at this, but perhaps he will become a Media Ventures-infused Jerry Goldsmith. So what does all this mean? There is an incredible talent in many of these composers waiting to be unleashed upon our ever-ready ears. Many of these composers are simply lacking the appropriate project to apply their talents. Given that opportunity, these composers have the potential to blow us away, and I hope for their fortunes and for ours they get those opportunities.

With Bond 21 announced recently and Pierce Brosnan most likely not playing Bond in the film, who should take over the role? Let's assume Brosnan will not be making another appearance, so don't pick him. On the poll are four major names that have been floating around since it was announced Brosnan would most likely not be returning. In addition, the "other" option is available. Please let me know what you think!

pixie twinkle, a very brilliant analysis. Great points!

I have not heard this one. What is it like?

Hey, there's nothing wrong with legos! Great creation, Merkel!

Just curious, weakest in terms of what?

If you ever have the chance, this is one score any Elfman fan should definitely check out. It's interesting to note how much he departs from the "normal" Elfman style we're used to. Fantastic music, though!

As I said, the ever-resourceful Neil

Hah. I never left.

Congratulations on your engagement! And what's going on with the server?

I imagine if The Terminal made in on the list along with Potter then for sure Johnny wouldn't be taking a statue home.

Really? Do you mind explaining why? Just curious....

You weren't a fan of Sleepy Hollow? Why is that?

That's one of my favorite things about that score! It's so effective being so evocative of spiders.

Well said, Jeshopk. I also enjoy his adept ability to blend orchestral and electronic elements, for instance in Planet of the Apes. Very well done.

Well I suppose all sound is real on some level, no? It's just the Zimmer uses an exceptional amount of synths in his scores. Since they aren't real instruments, they must be fake, eh?

I would be ok with that!

Methinks he uses it well most of the time, though.

Just out of curiosity, how many people here are also fans of Danny Elfman? In the last couple months, I?ve taken an extreme liking to his music and his particular style. He is able to richly capture such a zany character in many of his scores, most notably Mars Attacks! and the theme from Men In Black. In addition, he is able to delve into the emotional side of a movie as well, particularly with Edward Scissorhands and Black Beauty. We can?t forget, however, his handling of superheroes, such as Batman and Spider-Man. Particularly with the latter, Elfman was able to successfully blend a sound we now associate with him (meaning when Batman was released, he was still fairly new at this) with evocative emotional music (ala ?Peter?s Turmoil? and ?Train, Appreciation?) and his sense of action music (?Train, Appreciation?). Much like someone else we know, Elfman owes a great debt to a director who insists on a particular composer to score his movies, in this case Tim Burton. What Burton has allowed Elfman to do is compose in his natural right and setting because their styles and thirst for being ?out-there? match so well. They, much like Spielberg and Williams, are a perfect fit for a director-composer relationship. Now Elfman fans have Corpse Bride and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with which to look forward. These two scores will fit both the composer and director very well. (On a side note, I imagine Charlie will be one of the most wacked-out movies I?ve seen, just seeing the trailer thus far ? Burton, Depp, and Elfman ? three crazies.) Who else here shares a like of Danny Elfman? Please feel free to engage in this discussion. Thank you.

In regards to your first questions about there not being a piano concerto, he did write a piano sonata a very long time ago, but it wasn't ever performed. (Bottom of the list on the link below) http://www.jwfan.net/modules.php?op=modloa...rticle&artid=64 I'm still waiting for a euphonium concerto!

Yes, do check out his website: http://www.michaelgiacchino.com/credits.html

Does anyone else never receive confirmation emails stating a package has been shipped?

MG will be scoring Sky High and The Muppets Wizard of Oz in addition to his duties on his two television series, Alias and Lost. I imagine some war-related video game will come his way in the near future as well since they can't stay away from him and he can't stay away from them.

My apologies, Neil.