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The Thomas Newman Thread


Jay

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True, they do. That said, I still find his Bond scores to be the least exciting of the bunch. And I'm not trying to say brass is everything. But composers like Williams or Goldsmith or Shore or Arnold—for all their moments of tenderness, which they're just as good at, they're still not afraid to really let the brass go wild when the time is right. And I guess my takeaway is that Newman never really feels okay doing that, never really feels the time is right. I feel like most of the composers I love, have a wider range of expression.

 

I mean look no further than the TPM soundtrack; you've got "Duel of the Fates" and "Anakin's Theme" one after the other. Williams is able to deliver the goods when it comes to exciting brass (and percussion and choir and strings and the kitchen sink), but he also has no problem writing a string-centric track of childlike innocence. Why do I get the feeling that if Newman were to have written those two tracks, the former would have been a lot wimpier and more boring, and the latter would have been punctuated by strumming guitar and little quirky piano/harp figures?

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I don't think it's that he doesn't feel confident in using them, rather that I don't think that's his style, or the scores he's written really need that brass writing, when virtually every other composer does it. 

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My first introduction to Newman's music was with Angels in America (of course, I had watched stuff like Nemo and Lemony Snicket when I was a child, and although I noticed the music, I didn't had the habit of seeing who was the composer). I was very, very early on my film music fan "career", then I listened to the OST and tbh... I didn't like it that much. It was too strange, too odd, for me, which back then was more used to Zimmer and Horner (I guess my favorite track back then was Gathering Na'Vi Clans to Battle, lol).

 

A few years later, a little more experienced, I decided to try again, this time with Shawshank Redemption. And I loved it! The now iconic End Titles cue was so perfect to me, it was an instant love. Then, I listened to more and more scores of him, includinv Angels in America again, and Newman quickly became one of my favorite composers.

 

Of course, the scores you said, like Bond, are not exactly his finest moments. To this day, I don't even know how Skyfall got nominated for the Oscar and An Unexpected Journey didn't, his Bond scores, although I don't hate them, is not that different from the Powell's Bourne model that Hollywood loved to use until a few years ago for every action/thriller movie.

 

But, if you like scores with great synth and piano atmospheres that delve deep into the psychology of the characters, combining with great moments of emotion for the whole orchestra, then, Newman is your guy. But if you prefer more action oriented scores, then you probably wouldn't like him that much anyway, as there's better people on Hollywood doing just that.

 

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8 hours ago, Arpy said:

Yes, I love that cue!

@Jay not sure if I'm misremembering, but ASOUE doesn't feature any film versions on the OST, kinda like Catch Me If You Can? Am I deluded?

 

I couldn't tell you, I've never heard this album and saw the film once in theaters 16 years ago and that's it

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1 hour ago, Disco Stu said:

Angels might be single favorite score of his

 

Mine too, I think. It's the best single snapshot of his range.

 

@Tydirium; sounds like you're just not a fan of his aesthetics and compositional principles. 

 

But if you want more "old-school" music, try these. Little Women might be more up your alley.

 

 

 

 

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I think Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) is one of his best (probably the best) early-ish scores (which I would define as anything pre-1994, his breakout year).  You might enjoy it as it's a bit more playful than he's generally known to be.  It sounds like a sequel to Zimmer's Driving Miss Daisy but is superior to that one in every way.

 

 

I would also recommend The Player among his earlier scores to hear the clear antecedent to the percussion-heavy (as in mallets and bells) "watery" style he became more famous for with American Beauty.

 

 

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On 1/29/2020 at 1:12 AM, Arpy said:

Yes, I love that cue!

@Jay not sure if I'm misremembering, but ASOUE doesn't feature any film versions on the OST, kinda like Catch Me If You Can? Am I deluded?

On 1/29/2020 at 9:24 AM, Jay said:

 

I couldn't tell you, I've never heard this album and saw the film once in theaters 16 years ago and that's it

 

I can answer here. I adore this score and it was one of the first ones that I obsessed over in wanting all the film versions. Honestly, most of it does match the film pretty decently. It's a usual sort of approach. Some cues are edited together, some have micro-edits and remove more sparse, experimental, or "redundant" bits in the film. There are a couple that are completely different, but not many. Mostly we're just missing stuff.

 

Let's see off the top of my head (and referencing some notes) and this is not everything, obviously I'm not including the Pit Orchestra cues and all the tracking of Loverly Spring, but you get the picture...

 

23 Loverly Spring

The OST version is missing several inserts/overlays from the version that appear at the top of the film. There's extra vocals at the very beginning and some harp flourishes added.

 

01 The Bad Beginning

Has a much shorter version of "Loverly Spring" on the front of it on the OST, but otherwise it's basically the film version give or take some edits      


03 The Baudelaire Orphans

Full recorded version, it's edited down in the film.

 

XX Justice Strauss

Appears to be tracked from "Resilience"

 

02 Chez Olaf

This one is where the major differences start happening. Everything on the OST was in the film, but the OST has some of the more experimental bits edited out. It's just edited down for a better listening experience.


04 In Loco Parentis

Full recorded version, edited down in the film.

 

XX Chores

Seems to be a shorter version of Puttanesca with a different ending. 

 

09 Puttanesca

OST is edited, it's the film version, but it's missing a section.


05 Resilience

Pretty much the film version, it might be edited in the movie, but I don't recall. Same recording though.


07 An Unpleasant Incident Involving A Train

The first 40 or so seconds of this are in the film, but the rest of the cue was dropped in favor of tracked music from 4M8 Hurricane Herman and Attack of the Hook Handed Man, plus an original insert recorded to better incorporate the tracked material called "Train Tag". This is easily the biggest editing mess of the whole film.

 

XX Take Them Mr. Poe

This cue doesn't appear at all on the OST, but is a simple combo of the opening of "Bad Beginning" and a new version of "Lachrymose Ferry" or a new recording / edit of a section from "4M8 Hurricane Herman"

 

06 The Reptile Room

Full recorded version, it's edited down in the film.


XX Sanctuary

Not on the OST, not surprised it wasn't, it's a short, more ambient underscore version of Resilience.

 

XX Meet Stephano

A new version of Olaf's theme, entirely missing from the OST, it's not super different from Chez Olaf, but it's definitely a different recording and a new cue altogether with many different elements.


19 Snaky Message

Pretty sure this one equals exactly what is in the film.

 

10 Curious Feeling Of Falling 

Full recorded version, it's edited down in the film.

 

11 Regarding The Incredibly Deadly Viper

I'll explain this later, but this is where things start getting curious. This cue is a combo of a cue from the end of the film "Olaf Scheme Pt2." and the cue the track was named for "Regarding The Incredibly Deadly Viper". Basically the first two minutes are "Olaf Scheme" and then it switches to "Regarding The Incredibly Deadly Viper".  The portion dropped from the OST is basically the same, but much sparser, which explains why they combined the cues here.

 

13 Lachrymose Ferry  

This cue matches more of what appears in "Take Them Mr. Poe" listed above, just missing an overlay and a different ending, but it's possible it was re-written for that scene. Regardless, the OST version seems to be what was fully recorded. The film, however, uses a more ambient version of this cue.

 

14 Concerning Aunt Josephine 

The OST includes a much bigger intro for this cue. The film version nixes this and just starts about 9 seconds in. The film also drops everything after 1:23 or so. I'd imagine this was a combination of different cues. Two of which were unused? Not sure.

 

15 VFD  

Full recorded version, it's edited down in the film.

 

16 The Wide Window 

Full recorded version and matches the film.

 

XX Ike's Room

This cue is technically on the OST. It's pulled from underlying elements of "Wide Window" starting at around 0:53 and is more ambient in nature.

 

XX Captain Sham

Completely new version of the set piece / victory theme featuring a fiddle starting with a short comedic bit. Lovely little cue. Not on the OST.

 

XX White Face Women

Just an edit of 5M4 Verisimilitude from the OST. Literally just the first 6 seconds.

 

17 Cold As Ike  

Like "Concerning Aunt Josephine", the OST features an unused cue for the opening. A big brass growl. I assume it was meant to underscore the reveal of the house or perhaps the broken window. The rest of the cue matches what's in the film. The film might have some edits.

 

18 4M8 Hurricane Herman    

Full recorded version and matches the film.

 

08 Curdled Cave    
Full recorded version, it's edited down in the film.
 
20 The Regrettable Episode Of The Leeches  

Full recorded version, it's edited down quite a bit in the film.

 

21 Interlude With Sailboat  

Completely unused in the film. Seems like it would've scored a more extended sequence involving the two boats. The scene is unscored in the film, but it's basically another version of "Concerning Aunt Josephine". Personally, I'd have rathered this cue get dropped and include the "Captain Sham" cue, but what do I know.

 

XX Jo's Demise

This cue is actually a sparser version of 4:09-4:44 or so from the otherwise unused OST version of "An Unpleasant Incident Involving A Train". It removes all the train elements and leaves just the strings and flute. So...it's kind of on the OST?

 

XX Our New Play

Technically, all the elements of this cue are on the OST. It's kind of an edit of "Chez Olaf", but has isolated elements. Super short.


12 The Marvelous Marriage

Full recorded version, it's edited down in the film.
 
22 5M4 Verisimilitude    

Full recorded version, it's edited down slightly in the film.

 

XX Olaf Scheme Pt 2

This mostly matches the OST track "Regarding The Incredibly Deadly Viper", but as discussed early, the ending was dropped and combined with that earlier cue. The film has a crescendo ending that goes into some of the Pit Orchestra source cues.

 

XX What Would Violet Do?

Not on the OST. Great little reprise of "Cold As Ike", but has more energy and movement. Short, but definitely one to be missed.


24 A Woeful Wedding

Full recorded version and matches the film.   


25 Attack Of The Hook-Handed Man    

Full recorded version and matches the film.


26 Taken By Supreeze    

The OST track is a combo of two cues: "Taken By Supreeze Pt 1 & 2". Technically, both parts appear in the film, but Part 2 (1:21-End) was to score a Deleted Ending. The very end of Part 2 is tracked onto Part 1 to give it a bigger ending.


27 One Last Look    

Full recorded version and matches the film.   


28 The Letter That Never Came    

Full recorded version and matches the film.   


29 Drive Away (End Title)

Full recorded version and matches the film.   

 

So, the OST is made up of material recorded for the film and typically matches quite well. There's definitely some differences in some places though. My theory for how this score ended up working from a production stand point is that I think some of the repeating material was recorded once or twice and reused as elements in other cues that either weren't scored initially or they had planned to be tracked from the beginning. The film consistently drops elements from recordings and uses sparser versions, see "Regarding The Incredibly Deadly Viper", "Lachrymose Ferry", "Ike's Room", "Jo's Demise", "Our New Play", etc. I wouldn't be surprised if many things were recorded as samples or elements and then looped or reused in the final cues.

 

This matches what they state in the documentary on the DVD and as well as what I was told when I spoke to Steve Kujala. Newman liked to record with small groups of instruments sometimes and it was all very experimental. Director's were generally discouraged from attending those, I assume, because they were recording elements and fragments of things to use later with the full orchestra. Here's what Steve had to say about Newman and a bit about Snicket:

 

Quote

I've done over 35 films with Tom, beginning with Flesh & Bone back in the early nineties. Tom is unique, in that he has a small group of musicians (including me) do a lot of experimenting with Tom in the studio well before the full orchestra is brought in for 6 days of sessions or so. On WALLe and Finding Nemo, for instance, our small group worked for 2 or 3 months ahead of the orchestra. A lot of improvising, experimenting, working off of Tom's sketches etc.. He writes all his major melodies, of course; we just fill in the "sonic holes" like painters adding their own brush strokes to the canvas. Snickets was another example of that approach to working. You heard Tom say in the interview that he prefers (actually insists) that the director NOT come to the small group sessions, as this is far too intimate and experimental a setting to allow a "breach from the outside". Tom had earned the right to this exclusion as he is one of the most sought after composers in Hollywood. Always a pleasure to have our "musical straight-jackets" removed so we feel creatively a part of the movie. He's one of a kind - and a nice human being as well! Have also worked a lot with his brother David, and his cousin Randy. All completely different.

 

Overall, the differences from the OST to the film don't sound drastic enough to warrant an expansion. I wish there could be. I'd like to hear clean versions of the other versions and extra cues. Plus there's plenty of alternates and inserts and quite a few source cues. Oh well.

 

We'll just have to appreciate the OST and anything that can be pulled from the film.

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Newman is not exactly fond of expansions, right? The only score of his that I remember being expanded by a specialty label was Shawshank.

 

So, is it the labels that don't go after his scores, or is it him that doesn't like expansions?

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7 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

Newman is not exactly fond of expansions, right? The only score of his that I remember being expanded by a specialty label was Shawshank.

 

So, is it the labels that don't go after his scores, or is it him that doesn't like expansions?

 

Not sure. In the case of Snicket specifically, it's a Sony Classical release, so...as far as I remember, Sony releases aren't really likely to get expansions either, so Snicket is double-screwed. That's why I'll take what I have of it. I've resigned for years that we'll never get any more of it, but you are right. It seems Newman specifically also doesn't get many expansions. Could certainly be a Newman thing. I don't even think many of his scores leak either as far as I'm aware.

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55 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

Maybe he considers the OSTs are enough? Usually his albums are very long, over 70 minutes of music.

 

Oh I'm sure. Like I said in my post. Snicket is certainly an extremely satisfactory OST. There's not much reason to spend the money and time to expand it out at this point, as much as I'd want it. Yeah, typically Newman does do Album assembly like usual, editing cues together, cutting things out and what not, but he typically includes everything you would want for the most part. There's not usually any missing themes or ideas (like POA missing almost all occurrences of Pettigrew and the Sirius Black material). It's typically all there.

 

I'd be very intrigued to hear more of his alternates or some of his experiments. To be a fly on the wall at those sessions would be quite something.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Yey, Newman again named The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel as a favourite score of his - my favourite film score of the 2010s:

 

Quote

But when I did ask which score he’s most proud of — or the one he looks back on most fondly — he at first struggled to answer. And after name-checking Angels in America and all of his scores for Mendes, he interrupted himself. “You know, I’ll tell you one that, when I listen to the CD, I so love the music,” he said. “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. That one I particularly enjoy listening to. It’s just a really fun CD for me to put on.”

 

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On 2/1/2020 at 5:05 AM, Edmilson said:

Maybe he considers the OSTs are enough? Usually his albums are very long, over 70 minutes of music.

 

It'd a pretty reasonable stance to take if he does - his albums generally must be some of the most comprehensive OSTs that there are.

 

I don't know whether something like Passengers is missing more, as it's a big sci-fi film. Even if some albums aren't close to being complete, he never omits absolutely key sequences, that I can remember.

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10 hours ago, TheUlyssesian said:

 

He enjoys putting on his own CD and listening to it?

 

Yeah, that was kinda weird to read. You rarely hear about composers putting on their own music and enjoying it.

 

That being said, MARIGOLD is a great score. Newman is so good at these ethnic-flavoured scores. HE NAMED ME MALALA is another fine one, as is VICTORIA & ABDUL, and I think there were elements of the sound in TOLKIEN too, interestingly (even though it has nothing to do with an exotic region).

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6 hours ago, Thor said:

 

Yeah, that was kinda weird to read. You rarely hear about composers putting on their own music and enjoying it.

 

That being said, MARIGOLD is a great score. Newman is so good at these ethnic-flavoured scores. HE NAMED ME MALALA is another fine one, as is VICTORIA & ABDUL, and I think there were elements of the sound in TOLKIEN too, interestingly (even though it has nothing to do with an exotic region).

 

5 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

England is priiitty exotic.

 

 

Probably because his minions (David and Randy) wrote it.

 

It is kinda like when they asked Paul Schrader which was his favorite film of the decade and he listed his own film! He was ridiculed for that. 

 

Maybe Newman doesn't quite know strange and frankly pompous it sounds.

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27 minutes ago, TheUlyssesian said:

 

 

It is kinda like when they asked Paul Schrader which was his favorite film of the decade and he listed his own film! He was ridiculed for that.

 

It's nothing like that. He was asked which of his own scores would be his favourite, and he commented on that.

 

And I think it's very natural for artists to look back at their work and reflect on them, and even occasionally taking pride in it. There's nothing wrong or egotistical about that.

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2 hours ago, KK said:

 

It's nothing like that. He was asked which of his own scores would be his favourite, and he commented on that.

 

And I think it's very natural for artists to look back at their work and reflect on them, and even occasionally taking pride in it. There's nothing wrong or egotistical about that.

 

This quote makes it sound like he puts on his own CDs on a regular basis

 

“You know, I’ll tell you one that, when I listen to the CD, I so love the music,” he said. “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. That one I particularly enjoy listening to. It’s just a really fun CD for me to put on.”

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Again, what's so wrong with that? Any artist and performer plays back their last recitals intermittently either to assess what worked and what didn't or to get a fresh perspective on their work.

 

Also, Newman's process works with an improvisational practice, so I can imagine he listens for different things in playback. Especially with something like Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which is actually built from all sorts of crazy improvised grooves and other sounds he created with his collaborators. When you're so in the middle of the process of creation, especially when it's not something that's traditionally written "note-for-note", you don't really get to really understand what you've made until you've had some distance from it. You don't see the forest for the trees. So why shouldn't he derive joy and possibly new meaning from looking back at that kind of creation?

 

He actually explains it very well in a brilliant interview with Burlingame that was linked earlier in this thread. 

 

Newman strikes me as the least "ego-driven" guy in the industry. He's very self-aware and straightforward about his work and what makes him click. 

 

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43 minutes ago, KK said:

Again, what's so wrong with that? Any artist and performer plays back their last recitals intermittently either to assess what worked and what didn't or to get a fresh perspective on their work.

 

Agreed. I play back some of my old scores from 7 or 8 years ago when I need a little inspiration. Not musically necessarily, but to try and figure out what worked so well in them and if I can recapture that on something I'm having trouble with.

 

I've come to realize that some of my older music is pretty decent through this process...probably overthought everything less back then. lol. I certainly don't do it on a regular basis. Typically when I'm looking for inspiration (and I'd rather pull from myself) and only very rarely do I just throw something I've mine on. I hear enough of my own music when I'm working on it. Lol.

 

45 minutes ago, KK said:

Newman strikes me as the least "ego-driven" guy in the industry. He's very self-aware and straightforward about his work and what makes him click. 

 

Also agreed. He seems like a quite relaxed and down-to-earth guy. I can think of other composers that seem far more "ego-driven".

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I agree - I don't think there's anything egotistical about going back and listening/watching old work. I do it sometimes with stuff I've edited, and it lets me remind myself of things that I felt worked well, and things that maybe don't work as well as I imagined when I did them.

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From what I've heard and read in interviews with Newman, he's pretty modest and quite self-critical. An admission that he likes one of his own scores is hardly a call to accuse him of being egotistic. Christ.

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46 minutes ago, LSH said:

An admission that he likes one of his own scores is hardly a call to accuse him of being egotistic. Christ.

 

Welcome to JWFan, it only gets worse.  Might as well turn back while you can.

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It honestly seems more down to earth to me that someone might enjoy listening to their own music or watching their own film...like I get that Schrader publicly ranking his own shit as the cream of the crop is unseemly but in general who tf else are you making it for if you don’t even like it? What else in the world exists that’s specifically tailored to your own particular tastes? Isn’t the whole point that you’ve got something burning in you that you just need to bring it into reality somehow or you’ll go nuts? And then you’re not even allowed to kick back and enjoy it in your own home....

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5 hours ago, LSH said:

From what I've heard and read in interviews with Newman, he's pretty modest and quite self-critical. An admission that he likes one of his own scores is hardly a call to accuse him of being egotistic. Christ.

 

Agreed. I'd be more worried if he didn't like his own music.

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  • 2 weeks later...

To be honest, I can massively understand why The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel might be one of his own favourite scores. A composer who  for years has demonstrated his love for playing around with weird and exotic instruments scoring a film set in India. Beautiful. Must have been an enjoyable field day.

 

It’s makes for a great album.

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  • 2 months later...

Currently listening to his "Tolkien". Not bad music, but I do very much wish that any actually English composer had done this for this very English character. That's a very important facet about Tolkien, and it's almost completely absent from Newman's music, which is more about, y'know, sounding like a Thomas Newman score. Ho-hum.

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  • 5 months later...

I just caught most of Skyfall on TV. Even more so than back then, I'm flabbergasted Newman got away with this soundtrack without much criticism. 

I listened to the score intentionally of course. My god can you have enough string ostinati already? 

Every time the movie gets just a little intense - NAnananaNAnananaNAnananaNAnaNAnaNAnananaFARTNAnananaNAnananaFARTFART

 

Ugh STOP

 

And some of that stuff, especially the brass, sounds just weird, and never actually full and resonant, which is just sinful in a Bond film. 

The Bond theme is used as a pure nostalgia kick. If you want the theme to eventually become parody, keep doing that. 

Thank god Newman was gone quickly. Spectre is even worse. 

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According to my personal algorithm, here could possibily be my "entries" to the fabulous world of Mr. Thomas Newman, the youngest son of Alfred:

  • American Beauty (AFI, Grammy Winner, BAFTA Winner, Academy Award Nominee)
  • The Shawshank Redemption (AFI, Academy Award Nominee, Grammy Nominee)
  • Skyfall (Grammy Winner, BAFTA Winner, Academy Award Nominee, Saturn Nominee)
  • WALL-E (Academy Award Nominee, Grammy Nominee, BAFTA Nominee)
  • Saving Mr. Banks (Academy Award Nominee, Grammy Nominee, BAFTA Nominee)
  • Bridge of Spies (Academy Award Nominee, Grammy Nominee, BAFTA Nominee)
  • Finding Nemo (Academy Award Nominee, Saturn Nominee)
  • Passengers (Academy Award Nominee, Saturn Nominee)
  • 1917 (Academy Award Nominee, BAFTA Nominee)
  • Unstrung Heroes (Academy Award Nominee, Grammy Nominee)
  • Angels in America (Grammy Nominee)
  • Meet Joe Black (Saturn Nominee)
  • The Green Mile (Saturn Nominee)
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  • 2 months later...
On 10/23/2020 at 8:11 AM, Bespin said:

According to my personal algorithm, here could possibily be my "entries" to the fabulous world of Mr. Thomas Newman, the youngest son of Alfred:

  • American Beauty (AFI, Grammy Winner, BAFTA Winner, Academy Award Nominee)
  • The Shawshank Redemption (AFI, Academy Award Nominee, Grammy Nominee)
  • Skyfall (Grammy Winner, BAFTA Winner, Academy Award Nominee, Saturn Nominee)
  • WALL-E (Academy Award Nominee, Grammy Nominee, BAFTA Nominee)
  • Saving Mr. Banks (Academy Award Nominee, Grammy Nominee, BAFTA Nominee)
  • Bridge of Spies (Academy Award Nominee, Grammy Nominee, BAFTA Nominee)
  • Finding Nemo (Academy Award Nominee, Saturn Nominee)
  • Passengers (Academy Award Nominee, Saturn Nominee)
  • 1917 (Academy Award Nominee, BAFTA Nominee)
  • Unstrung Heroes (Academy Award Nominee, Grammy Nominee)
  • Angels in America (Grammy Nominee)
  • Meet Joe Black (Saturn Nominee)
  • The Green Mile (Saturn Nominee)

 

READY TO LOAD A NEW COMPOSER IN MY COLLECTION!

R-517861-1218278305.jpeg.jpg

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Good luck! What a journey you have in front of you. I like a lot of his stuff from the 90s onwards, but I particularly want to highlight a great deal of his underrated 80s efforts, should it be necessary.

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Already ordered:

  • Shawshank Redemption - Expanded edition
  • Saving Mr. Banks Deluxe Edition
  • Passengers (oh it seems this one is already rare, I don't know why?)
  • Skyfall OST

 

Bridge of Spies currently unavailable? What???

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From the scores not mentioned on your list, @Bespin, I really like Fried Green TomatoesLemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events and Side Effects. I heard all three scores in their movies first, though, I don't know if that has any influence on how I enjoy them on album.

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That's true. But it has some highlights. And great to see Newman branching out into sci fi (well, there's WALL-E, but that's a different beast).

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Not even close. Neither is 1917 really (though there are some career highlight cues in there).

 

That list is missing Road to PerditionSeries of Unfortunate EventsLittle Children, Revolutionary Road and The Good German.

 

But yes, have fun Bes. Though Newman has pretty much stagnated his sound in the last decade, he is without a doubt one of the most intelligent and musically curious voices in the industry. His 90s/00s output is very rich.

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This is the flaw with Bespin's method.  All it does it tell you that Passengers got noticed against the other scores that happened to come out in 2016.  It doesn't tell you anything about how it ranks against Newman's entire output.

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Passengers has a handful of highlights, but they're surrounded by a somewhat average score which functions well in the film (which I enjoyed), but not so much on its own.

 

I adore the highlights in 1917, but I'd say that the action material is very much on the generic side, with only Sixteen Hundred Men really feeling to me like it does something special, once it's escaped from its Thin Red Line temping.

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I think the majority of people here do like action scores, but I don't think the majority of people here only like action scores.

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