Pieter Boelen 633 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Every few days I will post a thread on a random score from my collection that we can discuss and rate. I made a playlist on my computer with one track of each score I've got, so by using the random play option, I'll be able to post a truly random score each time. Hopefully this will allow us to discuss some scores that would otherwise never be discussed. Also we can record the rating so that we can create a full list of the ratings given to scores by JWFan.com.Today's score is The Pagemaster by James Horner. Are you familiar with it? What do you like about it? What don't you like about it? How do do you think it works in the film? What are your favourite tracks?So far JWFan has rated:See Soundtrack Ratings by JWFan.com.This web page contains the ratings from all my previous polls as well as those of Blumenkohl's.Final ratings are converted to a 1-10 rating for both rating systems so that they can be compared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,484 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 4,5 stars.It's Horner at the height of his powers for fantasy films.Here you can listen to precursors to 'Harry Potter' ('The Library, The Pagemaster' vs. the 'Arrival of Baby Harry'), swashbuckling music ('Pirates', 'Towards the Open Sea'), modern action scoring how it should be done in this kind of film (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, A Stormy Ride to the Library) and some truly climactic stuff (Swallowed Alive!, The Wonder In Books)....if you have only the faintest idea how meager the accompanying film is, Horner should've been awarded in the category 'valiant effort' here. Jurassic Shark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smeagol 0 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Haven't heard it yet. I only have Casper, Williow and Land before time from Horner. I guess I should give it a listen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ollie 859 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 When the 90's began I began to lose interest in Horner and never bought the score. I've only seen this film once so I can't really give this one rating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,484 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 When the 90's began I began to lose interest in Horner and never bought the score. I've only seen this film once so I can't really give this one rating.You should. Along with several other scores from the period ('A Far off Place', i. e.), it's Horner at the top of his game. And certainly the scores are miles ahead of a lot of his 80s stuff. The orchestration tends to be much more refined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieter Boelen 633 Posted January 19, 2009 Author Share Posted January 19, 2009 I'll give it a 4,5. Definitly very good and I like the different styles presented in the music.What's up with the film anyway? I used to like it when I was a kid and would very much like to find it on DVD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Breathmask 480 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I'm not familiar with this score. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 5,520 Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Never heard it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paleo 29 Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Recently bought it. I gave it a 3,5. It's a nice score, but really more a compilation of his older fantasy (and other) themes than an original composition. Incredible that Horner doesn't even attempt to conceal his reuse of tunes.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Mark 2,924 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I never thought it was really good for this type of horner score. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin 22 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I haven't listened to the score in a while but from my memory is standard Horner animation goodness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Ware 428 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 <controversy>Weren't parts of this ghostwritten by Don Davis?</controversy>Having said that, I do rather like this score. Willow without the Schumann. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,484 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 <controversy>Weren't parts of this ghostwritten by Don Davis?</controversy>Having said that, I do rather like this score. Willow without the Schumann.Like in 'We're Back', 'A Far off Place' and 'Balto', there are suspicious parts in it. Some orchestral flourishes are definitely in 'Warriors of Virtue' and 'Matrix Reloaded', alas, both came later. All of these scores, either written entirely by Horner or supervised in part, are really good. It baffles me that people at a Williams board are mostly indifferent to them. The allegedly oh-so-terrible recycled bits are fleeting and not nearly as grating as in post-2000-scores and the writing and orchestration are really top notch. Jurassic Shark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 5,520 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Davis certainly learned some of his craft during his collaborations with Horner. Either that or he had a big influence on Aliens already. Having said that, I do rather like this score. Willow without the Schumann.Now that does sound promising (although does it mean the Grieg and Strauss are still included? ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,484 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Davis certainly learned some of his craft during his collaborations with Horner. Either that or he had a big influence on Aliens already. Having said that, I do rather like this score. Willow without the Schumann.Now that does sound promising (although does it mean the Grieg and Strauss are still included? )It's more 'Casper' than 'Willow'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 5,520 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Casper's nice, too. And the only rip I recall in it is from Wizard of Oz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitch 55 Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 Great rousing score to the only Macauley Culkin movie I could tolerate.....he's more animated when he's animated. Great voiceovers by Trek stalwarts Patrick Stewart, Leonard Nimoy and Whoopi Goldberg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 27,216 Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I'm not familiar with this score, but this thread makes me want to get familiar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankV 168 Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 What's up with the film anyway? I used to like it when I was a kid and would very much like to find it on DVD.The film is (only?) available on DVD in the US (released by Fox). In the Netherlands the film was only available on VHS (released by Columbia TriStar).As for the score, I like it very much. I've listened to some cues this morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieter Boelen 633 Posted March 11, 2009 Author Share Posted March 11, 2009 That's too bad. I hope one day they will release it on the DVD here too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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