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


Ollie

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Which is why it should have a crappy hero theme?

Would you prefer the two-note Batman theme instead?

No, I'd prefer it if he wrote themes that are neither barely indentifiable, nor sounding like a spoof.

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Yeah, the last thing we want in today's world of deadly earnest blockbuster crap presenting grim warriors and dire worlds is a bit of cheesy fun. He could have played it on a Casio watch for all i care...

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Which is why it should have a crappy hero theme?

Would you prefer the two-note Batman theme instead?

No, I'd prefer it if he wrote themes that are neither barely indentifiable, nor sounding like a spoof.

Would you really argue that the duhhhhhh....DUHHHH of Batman is unidentifiable? I really don't buy that. Whether or not you like it is another story.

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Which is why it should have a crappy hero theme?

Would you prefer the two-note Batman theme instead?

No, I'd prefer it if he wrote themes that are neither barely indentifiable, nor sounding like a spoof.

Would you really argue that the duhhhhhh....DUHHHH of Batman is unidentifiable? I really don't buy that. Whether or not you like it is another story.

Wrong terminology. Should have said "interesting" instead of "indentifiable".

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ROMEO & JULIET - Abel Korzeniowski

Not Korzeniowski's first score but his first one actually crushing a prior James Horner scoreTM so he finally might have arrived in Hollywood. Entrée! The film came and went without anyone making an effort to watch it - Horner, by all accounts, just showed them the finger when they requested a full-on rescore after some test screenings went awry, so things turned out not so well for all involved. With only a few weeks left to turn out his score, AK took his lead from Desplat's classically bittersweet TWILIGHT - NEW MOON score (talk about god moving in mysterious way; a classic play for the centuries now needs musical help from a current generation of illiterate junk) and produced a pleasant minimalist score recalling (sometimes retreading) Desplat, Glass and Michael Nyman in equal measure though it must be said that all the heavy sighs and breathings from a sea of pianos and strings tend to sound a bit superficial, lacking a stronger vision underneath (part of the problem is that his two main themes communicate nothing beyond classical-tinged romantic desperation). So it all goes by sounding very pretty indeed, fittingly featuring some short riffs on the very same James Horner's nightingale calls of BEAUTIFUL MIND as standout-moments, so Horner might rightfully claim to have been ended up in a R&J movie after all (try CHEEK OF THE NIGHT or TROOPING WITH CROWS).

I can't help liking Korzeniowski's clean and focused über-romantic sound but i'm not sure how often he should play this card again - after the similar W. E., COPERNICUS STAR and A SINGLE MAN (the best one) there's time for other genres which i'm certain Korzeniowski can tackle equally expertly (ESCPAE FROM TOMORROW, while not a favourite of mine, is a testament to this).

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Romeo and Juliet is not a very complex score, but for a film developed by a jewellery producer it's probably more than we should have expected. Korzeniowski's theme is actually pretty memorable, didn't seem so at first. Might not seem like it, but it does benefit from repeat listens. Did you know A Beautiful Mind is actually Abel's favourite score from Horner? And he's a big Desplat fan. So your assessment is quite accurate. I'm not sure if Copernicus' Star is exactly in the same category, though. Different sort of writing entirely. There is a certain directness and simplicity in the writing, but that's not a bad thing. Not every score needs a complex counterpoint, atonal screeching and thundering action. I'm sure he could have conjured something more complex if he wanted to, he's equipped to do it, - after all he was a pupil of Penderecki. But the old master was apparently never interested in forcing his students to write like him, he thought it's better if they focus on their own aesthetic tastes. Sometimes less is more and that's what I like about Korzeniowski. But it would be nice to hear something else from him. Have you heard Battle for Terra? It's pretty good.

:music: Live Free or Die Hard and A Good Day to Die Hard - both unsubtle and more obnoxious riffs on Michael Kamen mannerisms. Great art they aren't, but the reverence to originals is admirable to say the least. After all, those themes and motifs aren't exactly John Williams classics. That they chose to keep that sound largely intact is somewhat of a miracle. Entertaining.

Karol

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Jaws the Collector's Edition.

Becoming more and more fond of "Father & Son"

It has a sort of oddly somber, tender and foreboding mixture of moods in it. I like it a lot too. That type of pensive mood is quite unique to that track in the score. I have always felt it is a companion piece to the Jaws 2 track Brody Misunderstood.

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Romeo and Juliet is not a very complex score, but for a film developed by a jewellery producer it's probably more than we should have expected. Korzeniowski's theme is actually pretty memorable, didn't seem so at first. Might not seem like it, but it does benefit from repeat listens. Did you know A Beautiful Mind is actually Abel's favourite score from Horner? And he's a big Desplat fan. So your assessment is quite accurate. I'm not sure if Copernicus' Star is exactly in the same category, though. Different sort of writing entirely. There is a certain directness and simplicity in the writing, but that's not a bad thing. Not every score needs a complex counterpoint, atonal screeching and thundering action.

Karol

COPERNICUS' STAR is a bit more playful and varied but it's more similar than one might think in spots. What R&J lacks isn't more counterpoint but more thematic depth - it all seems filtered through a 'posh & pretty' blender and sounds a bit bland. Though i can see this being related to the movie which seems not to be very good anyway.

On a different note, youtube has a song by the late John Barry (sung by David Arnold, no less) and i can't put my finger on which vaguely similar Barry movie theme this one riffs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKHWUQ-7quY

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Jaws the Collector's Edition.

Becoming more and more fond of "Father & Son"

It has a sort of oddly somber, tender and foreboding mixture of moods in it. I like it a lot too. That type of pensive mood is quite unique to that track in the score. I have always felt it is a companion piece to the Jaws 2 track Brody Misunderstood.

Seems to fit with what's to come. A tense calm before the storm. Love Montage as equally.

Getting a copy of Jaws 2 would be neat at some point.

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Was Romeo & Juliet ever released on CD? I remember waiting but it got cancelled or something. Don't think I ever listened to ti.

It got a Sony Classical release in Europe.

Karol

Yup, digital only release in the US. From what I call MV of LLL tried to release a physical CD here but Sony wasn't interested.

Maybe in 30 years we'll get a 2CD set of Horner's score and Korzeniowski's score packaged together.

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Was Romeo & Juliet ever released on CD? I remember waiting but it got cancelled or something. Don't think I ever listened to ti.

It got a Sony Classical release in Europe.

Karol

Yup, digital only release in the US. From what I call MV of LLL tried to release a physical CD here but Sony wasn't interested.

Maybe in 30 years we'll get a 2CD set of Horner's score and Korzeniowski's score packaged together.

Anyway, any of you can great a fairly cheap copy of European release. It's not going to cost you much more.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park

The Desolation of Smaug

Poltergeist II - The Other Side

Die Hard 2: Die Harder

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

It's Karol's part II day!

Karol

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FFVII Crisis Core

Hancock

The Lost World

Lawrence of Arabia

Powell's Hancock? That's got a solid theme and some fun moments. One of those scores that cries out for an actually decent movie to be made for it.

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Currently listening to PROMETHEUS by Marc Streitenfeld. It's a hard enough listen outside of the movie but Harry Gregson-Williams' LIFE cue is fantastic. Crank it up to the highest decibel.

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HGW's Life cue is the only good cue in the entire score!

"Friend from the Past" does a lovely homage to Jerry. So I hear you're a new Administrator now. Well I'm gonna need a top DP. You know administrators they love to ban people :)

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I've finally started using my surround system in earnest after confirming that it doesn't interfere with any neighbors.

First thing I put on was The Asteroid Field. That was also the second, third, and fourth thing I put on.

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HGW's Life cue is the only good cue in the entire score!

:lsvader:

The entire score is too much, but there's an awesome 50 minutes in there.

Streitenfeld rocks!

Rocks sure, but he can't compose a decent orchestral cue to save his life.

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HGW's Life cue is the only good cue in the entire score!

The entire score is great.

Hahaha, good one Koray!

The boy has hidden comedic skills

Currently listening to PROMETHEUS by Marc Streitenfeld. It's a hard enough listen outside of the movie but Harry Gregson-Williams' LIFE cue is fantastic. Crank it up to the highest decibel.

YOU LIVE!!!!

Of course I live. You can't get rid of me that easily. What did I miss?

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HGW's Life cue is the only good cue in the entire score!

You are so hard on composers these days... It's certainly not the best score ever, but there are a couple of cues I like to listen to. The music for the collision, for example...

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I bought "The Amazing Spider-Man 2", the other day - the extra special one, or so it's called. I keep looking at it sideways, thinking: "shall I give it a go, or is it just crap?" I'll let you know.

Anyway, just listened to "1984" - the original score by Dominic Muldowney. Really good. Still like the Eurythmics' songs for it, though...

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HGW's Life cue is the only good cue in the entire score!

You are so hard on composers these days... It's certainly not the best score ever, but there are a couple of cues I like to listen to. The music for the collision, for example...

There are plenty of modern scores I listen to! Prometheus just isn't a good one.

I love Pacific Rim!

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We just need John Williams' new Star Wars score to usher in a new age of orchestral scores and put everything back on track like he did with the original in 1977.

And for the record, I have no issue with electronics or synths. I have a problem with shitty composers.

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I'm now listening to the new Lair release (which arrived this morning, along with The Unknown Known). While most, if not all, highlights were already present on the previous album, this programme is indeed more enjoyable and it's good to have it on CD.

Karol

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I am listening to my batch of new arrivals:

Lair by John Debney

Flesh + Blood by Basil Poledouris

Julius Caesar by Miklós Rózsa

Star Trek: First Contact by Jerry Goldsmith

I Love A Parade by John Williams and the Boston Pops Orchestra

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