The Overregarded and Overrated

[publicist 4,640]

He sure did. Maybe not always consciously.

Steiner has some good scores and some lesser scores. Gone With the Wind (not just the theme, the entire score) is really one of the best orchestral scores ever written, give it a try.

I know the score, but there are certain musical expressions i can't listen to. A lot of Korngold and Steiner is that way for me (not Newman, Rozsa or Waxman, though). I can intellectually see what it is and does and where it comes from, i just don't want to listen to it. Both are not overrregarded, though.

[Richard Penna 3,224]

I have a great deal of respect for Morricone and defended him here when he won his honorary Oscar and the JW fanboys went into bitch mode over it.

And thanks to the all the fanboys at the time who took my star rating down to 1 for that.

However I find him overrated, his music tends to sound cheesy and silly at times. He's written some nice music but I find most of it does not hold my attention away from the film. And please spare me the narrow minded BS.

I say that because almost everyone here is narrow minded even though they won't admit it. We develop our tastes over time. I'm always willing to expand my listening habits but after awhile you do get a grasp on what a composer does.

Yeah I admit I roll my eyes at threads like these because there are quite a few very good scores frowned upon here. And yeah I also look down on the "John Williams is god and above everyone else" mentality that exists here.

I don't remember much bitching over Morricone's Oscar - I'm sure it was more oriented towards hated of Santaolla.

I like some of his western material, but I've never investigated much further than that.

Richy, which scores do you love then?

Since you asked, I guess you could say that Jurassic is my Jaws/CE3K. They're two very different sounds, and the earlier one just doesn't click with me. I got into JW through Jurassic and HP and there hasn't actually been any period when I warmed up to his 70s material. It happens with all composers, and to suggest that Williams is somehow immune to this generational change is fanboy twaddle.

[gkgyver 1,645]

I think the bitching wasn't so much centered around Morricone getting a Lifetime Achievement Oscar, it was centered around Williams not getting one.

[Koray Savas 2,250]

JW already has 5, Morricone got a pity award. Not sure why that's a problem.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,139]

I don't really enjoy any of Jerry Goldsmith's work. I don't know if it is overrated or just not my thing, but I have tried to get into him...

I thought that too, a few years back. I fell in love with the First Knight cues recorded for the Hollywood '95 CD, and I've slowly changed my tune. Have you checked out his drama scores? I can understand people not liking Goldsmith action scores, since they do tend to sound alike if you're listening to several scores back-to-back.

I know I'm going to get crucified for this (especially the JW picks), but here's mine:

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

E.T.

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Star Trek (2009)

Boys from Brazil

Edward Scissorhands

Rise of the Guardians

Braveheart

Predator

The Amazing Spider-Man

Matt, I can understand everything else (although, as simply everyone knows, "CE3K" is the single towering achievement in motion picture scoring - and that's official!!!"), but how can you not like "The Boys From Brazil"????!!!!!!

[Not Mr. Big 4,538]

Any Spaghetti Western

Up

Hans Zimmer's recent output

Close Encounters

[Koray Savas 2,250]

Any spaghetti western encompasses hundreds of films. Ignorant much?

[King Mark 3,543]

KM's List :

Conan the Barbarian ( This gets my top spot, for some reason there's not a single portion of this score I can get into. Sounds more like medieval source music than a film score)

Spartacus (Can't get into this one either)

Braveheart (one of the most boring Horner scores with unmemorable themes IMO)

Cuthroat Island (bombastic in a bad way, and I usually love orchestral bombast)

Star Trek 2009 (I can't believe people are making elaborate score analysis of this and want every alternate unreleased cues)

Lord of the Rings (except the 3rd one)

Edward Sissorhands.(While I admit I'm not a huge Elfman fan, I can think of a bunch of other ones I like better)

Back to the Future (it's alright, but I never understood how it got that holy grail status)

If I must choose 1 Williams overrated score it's Schindler's List.

Morricone: Some GREAT main themes, but his underscore is a bit lacking. He's best suited for track compilation albums

[indy4 154]

Elfman's Batman and Beetlejuice

Silvestri's Back to the Future

Williams' Lost in Space

[Not Mr. Big 4,538]

Any spaghetti western encompasses hundreds of films. Ignorant much?

I just really don't like the genre. Emotionally, they do nothing for me and the composition is nowhere close to the level of larger scale westerns.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Any spaghetti western encompasses hundreds of films. Ignorant much?

I just really don't like the genre.

So that makes the films/scores overrated?

[Unlucky Bastard 7,775]

No idea why Independence Day got the first mention since I think it's one of those uncommon scores where every moment has something interesting and eargasmic to offer. Nothing wrong with the mixing either.

I hope Emmerich ditches Kloser and Wanker and rehires Arnold for ID Forever.

[crocodile 7,706]

He should definitely ditch Wanker. Doesn't make for a good poster name.

Karol

[Quintus 5,396]

Doubtful, but we can hope. Emmerich seems content to have shit music in his movies nowadays if it gets him regular head.

Actually, that would be a score highlight for me that year, guaranteed. To hear those themes return, have Arnold work them into fresh material in his own distinctly rich way. It'd be great!

Instead we'll probably get the musical equivalent of woodchip wallpaper.

[Incanus 5,663]

That's going to be a Kloser Wanker collaboration for sure.

[Not Mr. Big 4,538]

Any spaghetti western encompasses hundreds of films. Ignorant much?

I just really don't like the genre.

So that makes the films/scores overrated?

Not necessarily the films, just the music.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,775]

He should definitely ditch Wanker. Doesn't make for a good poster name.

Karol

Well he calls himself "Wander" now.

[King Mark 3,543]

Williams' Lost in Space

The thread is not "Random scores I don't like" . Lost in Space is not massively overrated. Nobody seems to like here except me and 3 other guys.

Same with some other choices I've read in this thread (Godzilla, Forrest Gump, etc...even Tintin is not massively popular here)

Scores like Conan , Cuthroat Island and Braveheart on are most people's top 10 list

I didn't bother naming Zimmer scores like The Dark Knight , since they apply to a different audience than true film score fans ( 15 year olds that like percussion driven music)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture. It's the greatest ever apparently because some Trekkies got together this one time and decided it is.

TMP is universally liked by film score fans. It's the Non-Goldsmith Trek scores that are only liked by Trekkies (TV box sets, Generations...).

[Quintus 5,396]

I know it's universally liked, as it should be, it's a great score. Still, it's nowhere near on the level of Star Wars or E.T., though. Something the Trekkies dispute, naturally.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,775]

I like your avatar, Quint. She was such a honey.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

All of David Arnold's Roland Emmerich and Bond scores (with perhaps the exceptions of DIE ANOTHER DAY and QUANTUM OF SOLACE).

[Koray Savas 2,250]

Any spaghetti western encompasses hundreds of films. Ignorant much?

I just really don't like the genre.

So that makes the films/scores overrated?

Not necessarily the films, just the music.

That's still a broad generalization. Scores like The Hills Run Red, Day Of Anger, Lo Chiamavano King, and even something like Navajo Joe or My Name Is Nobody aren't overrated. Underrated if anything, the Spaghetti Western is a very niche genre of both films and music. If you want to simply say The Man With No Name trilogy, that's fine.

All of David Arnold's Roland Emmerich and Bond scores (with perhaps the exceptions of DIE ANOTHER DAY and QUANTUM OF SOLACE).

This, though I really like Tomorrow Never Dies.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

All of David Arnold's Roland Emmerich and Bond scores (with perhaps the exceptions of DIE ANOTHER DAY and QUANTUM OF SOLACE).

This, though I really like Tomorrow Never Dies.

I like bits of it, but I find the action cues tedious. Arnold's at his best when a score is dominated by what he knows, understands and has hands-on contact with - synths. Somewhere along the line Nicholas Dodd clutters and distorts everything, like Chinese Whispers.

[Presto 4,714]

I think the opposite, Tomorrow Never Dies, is the only good Arnold Bond score, and the action cues are the best parts.

[Koray Savas 2,250]

The score is worth it for "White Knight" alone. I never got into The World Is Not Enough, Die Another Day, or Quantum Of Solace. I like parts of Casino Royale.

[A. A. Ron 1,398]

I'd place "All in a Day's Work" right up there with "White Knight." Actually, the only parts of Tomorrow Never Dies that I don't like are the Independence Day style themes for the US Air Force. As for Arnold's other Bond scores, I still find most of the action material to be better than that of Snoozeman's Skyfall, which is an okay score in its own right.

[publicist 4,640]

Arnold's at his best when a score is dominated by what he knows, understands and has hands-on contact with - synths. Somewhere along the line Nicholas Dodd clutters and distorts everything, like Chinese Whispers.

Arnold is best when he wrote some strong themes and uses them, preferably in a more pop-oriented setting. Synthesizers are not necessarily required for this.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,775]

Oh baby...

[BloodBoal 7,538]

She should have been Zod! Way more badass than him.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,775]

I just want her back in her own spin-off movie.

[crocodile 7,706]

She should have been Zod! Way more badass than him.

True.

Karol

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Arnold's at his best when a score is dominated by what he knows, understands and has hands-on contact with - synths. Somewhere along the line Nicholas Dodd clutters and distorts everything, like Chinese Whispers.

Arnold is best when he wrote some strong themes and uses them, preferably in a more pop-oriented setting. Synthesizers are not necessarily required for this.

No, but normally more synths = less Nicholas Dodd bludgeoning the orchestra.

FWIW, I like bits of White Knight, but most of the cue is way too ADD and overcluttered. A Bond score should be lean and minimalist, like Barry.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,262]

A Bond score should be lean and minimalist, like Barry.

Not all Barry's scores are.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

A Bond score should be lean and minimalist, like Barry.

Not all Barry's scores are.

Examples?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,262]

Goldfinger and Thunderball.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Goldfinger and Thunderball.

The underwater battle in THUNDERBALL is more complex than what Barry usually writes, but other than those scores are lean and homophonic.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,262]

Besides, you are comparing 60's and 70's scoring to 21th century scoring.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

I'm comparing one style of composing (Barry and Newman) to another (Arnold's). I'm just saying it fits the films and the character of Bond better. He should walk slowly but carry a big stick.

.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,262]

I maintain there is more then the John Barry-way to score a Bond film

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Even Eric Serra followed the John Barry method.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,262]

Anonymous synth doodling have nothing to do with the John Barry method.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Serra used a similar cell approach to writing. Favouring repetition, development and a limited harmonic pallet.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,262]

Yeah but is that a stylistic choice or simply the fact that Serra has limited abilities?

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Doesn't matter either way. It's the end result that counts.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,262]

Well, in the case of Goldeneye, the end result A: doesn't feel like it has anything to do with James Bond. B: isn't interesting to me as (film)music.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Your loss.

[Koray Savas 2,250]

Indeed.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,262]

Why? I actually own the CD. I listened to it a couple of times throughout the years. it just doesnt interest me. There are plenty of scores that don't interest me.

[Ollie 986]

Indeed.