The Best X score X didn't score

[Morlock 11]

What soundtracks did you hear, and could've sworn that composer X did it, but then find out it was Y, or just what soundtracks just sound like someone else did them?

For me, I was always %1000 sure that Elfman did the Addams family and it's sequel. That is the quintessential Elfman score, except that Marc Shaiman did it. I was shocked when I found out- not only that Elfman didn't score what I thought was one of his best scores, but that Shaiman, who I only really knew from his magnificent and majestic 'American President', did something so tongue in cheek. (Of course, later I saw that he did Southpark)

Anyway- The Addams Family Values is one I always enjoy. How could you not just sit back and enjoy 'It's an Addams' or 'Sibling Rivalry', with all it's references, and the obvious fun the composer had doing it?

And my second choice is one that will probably cause mre discussion.

I believe that just about all of Alan Silvestri's greatest hits sound like vintage John Williams material. Now I certasinly don't mean anything negative by it, I love Silvestri and await his upcoming projects more than even Goldsmith or Newman, but something about the style he does, the size and sound of the orchestra, and the movies he picks- just sounds like Williams. I often play Forrest Gump and people say "That's John Williams, right?".

Back to the future is as Williams as it gets (IMO of course- like all this thread), and the Main Titles from Practical magic is in every single way a Williams track, right down to orchestration, build, and pace.

Forrest Gump, although not sounding like any specific Williams, is in scope. I could easily see JW writing those beautiful piano pieces- and the move is full of thematic material and development.

And although Williams would never do something like The Mummy Returns, even that, which is IMO Silvestri's second best after Forrest Gump, has many Williams moments.

The action scenes are scored to perfection, not like a media ventures score, which might give you the right feel, but certainly not the pleasurec of listening to it. The action scene are full of thematic material, with no obvious cheep tricks like Synths or Electric guitars (which could work for the right movie) and that huge heroic theme is also Williams sounding.

Track 13 also sounds like Williams, with that great string intro leading into that male chorus building to the death of the Pharaoh- which seems to be taking a page (most effectivly) from Williams' death of Kwai Gon.

Again- I know it sounds like I'm just trying to cover my own ass, but I really do love Alan Silvestri, and I find it very unique that a composer sounds so much like someone else, but composes great, original and fantastic stuff, unlike a certain Horner.

[ChrisAfonso 186]

When I first the main theme from 13th Warrior (the big horn theme) I thought it was by Zimmer, because it was sooo similar in style to the theme from Crimson Tide (I hadn't heard much more by Zimmer to that date, and everything by Goldsmith I had heard sounded really different)

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

I agree about Silvestri sounding like Williams sometimes. One general similarity is that I think he's really good at writing quality and memorable themes.

Ray Barnsbury

[Marian Schedenig 8,208]

Re Silvestri, years ago, before the time when I had internet access, I watched the beginning of BTTF just to see if Williams might have scored it. I only vaguely remembered the main theme at that time though. I do agree there are similarities to Williams, but at the same time there are so many trademarks in the BTTF scores that are clearly not Williams (those orchestra/percussion staccato thingies, I don't think Williams has ever written anything like it).

Marian - still hoping for an expanded BTTF release.

[Elmo Lewis 6]

When I saw Independence Day at the theaters (I was 11, and my only Williams CDs were Jaws and Jurassic Park, I believe), I could have sworn that Williams had score the movie. Especially the finale.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Geez, thinking back, you must feel like an idiot, right?

Stefancos- who thinks ID4 has nothing more then a very slight resemblance with anything Williams has ever scored.

[Lurker 5]

When I was watching U-571 I thought Goldsmith had scored it. It turns out that it was composed by Richard Marvin, but the film must have been temp tracked with Goldsmiths Air Force One score.

Neil

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Yeah, i agree.

I only saw the film a few weeks ago, and knew Marvin had scored it, but it had Air Force One al over it.

Nice film BTW, great DTS sound, but not very historically correct.

[Elmo Lewis 6]

Geez, thinking back, you must feel like an idiot, right?

You mean, idiot enough to send a half-recorded CD thoroughout Europe? Nah. Only a very few human beings are so dumb.

[Morlock 11]

U571- nice film? Ok, my opinion of Stefancos' taste has just dropped a few more notches

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Do you have a problem with me, Morlock?

Stefancos- ???

[scissorhands 16]

My taste will drop for you too Morlock: U571 is one of the best action films in the last years. It's in my opinion better than the really entertaining Breakdown.

Jonatan Mostow is the best action director nowadays, despite having only directed 3 movies (T3 is gonna be one of the best this summer, ya'll see).

He knows how to measure out the action. U571 confirmed what in Breakdown was just talent.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Well, as I said, it's a nice film.

It's not very original though, and uses EVERY cliche of previous submarine films.

The acting is OK, although Bill Paxton is more or less wasted and at some point the David Keith character just seems to have dissapeared from the film. (can't remember seeing him die when the sub was attacked)

Well directed, well shot and with a un-original but rousing score, an enjoyable film, nothing more.

Terminator 3 could be good very good, but how are they gonna explain the fact that the timeline was altered so Skynet was never developed, and therefore there was no destructive war between man and machine, no terminators or anything like that?

Offcourse if you were to follow temporal logic then Arnie destroying himself at the end of T2 would have to cause somekinda termporal feedback loop, since if he destoyed the chip and himself then there would never be any terminators, therefore Arnie could never go back in time and destroy himself.

Maybe James Cameron should have send a copy of the script to Dr. Stephen Hawkins for inspection.

Stefancos- who's glad they finally hired a REAL composer for the third Terminator film.

[Morlock 11]

U571 was just another submarine movie. Although it had a few good moments, it was merely recycling Das Boot, The Hunt for Red October and Chrimson Tide. It used a distorted verson of history as it's flimsy plot line.

Although you could see some talent going into it- it was totaly useless. The submarine movies have been done and perfected by the three I mentioned above. K19 tried to be original, but it just ended up recycling the most boring parts of the movies.

Havn't seen Breakdown (is that the one with J.T. Walsh and Kurt Russel?) so I can't comment on it.

and @Stefancos: I simply disagree with many of your opinions, and only phrased my words in the way which you often phrase yours. My apologies if they came out negativly.

[Rogue_Leader 2]

This has never actually happened to me. I don't think I have ever heard a score or theme and not known who it was by.

This is usually because when I hear most soundtracks for the first time it is in the movie where the composer's name is shown right in the credits.

[Morlock 11]

Well, I've onlt become a soundtrack fan in the past three years, so The Addams Family and Back To The future were already etched in my mind.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

U571 was just another submarine movie. Although it had a few good moments' date=' it was merely recycling Das Boot, The Hunt for Red October and Chrimson Tide. It used a distorted verson of history as it's flimsy plot line.[/quote']

yes, but so what, the submarine film is a very limited genre anyway, there's only so much you can do with that kinda story.

But it was done well and I was entertained while watching the film, that's all i ask from that kinda movie.

and @Stefancos: I simply disagree with many of your opinions, and only phrased my words in the way which you often phrase yours. My apologies if they came out negativly.

I'm sorry, but copying my personal style is just something you are not good at, be yourself, you might be nothing more then mediocre, but that's not your fault, talented and gifted people like me are rare, your should admire me, not emulate me.

Stefancos- who is a reluctant role model.

[FrenchHornMoron 0]

Hmm.. This is an interesting question. I guess the only one I can think of is when I heard the Apollo 13 theme around the time I was really getting into film scores, and I thought maybe it was John Williams. I have a habit of always looking up the composer before I see the film. Apollo 13 has that opening snare solo, trumpet solo, and then entrance of the orchestra. Although the themes are not alike, the form is similar to the theme from JFK. (I think any trumpet player would die to play either of those solos.)

Chris

[Romão 2,274]

Well, when i was younger I thought Back to the Future was done by Williams.

I knwo I'll be flamed by this, but when I was 9, a movie called Schindler's Lost came out and I loved the music. I thought It was composed by some guy called...James Horner. I must be prescient or something, because indeed he wrote that very same theme for a 2001 movie called enemy at the gates.

[Lurker 5]

This has never actually happened to me. I don't think I have ever heard a score or theme and not known who it was by.  

This is usually because when I hear most soundtracks for the first time it is in the movie where the composer's name is shown right in the credits.

U-571 does not have opening titles.

I'm surprised how much I enjoy U-571. It's a very satisfying action movie. Whenever you think it's going to slow down for a lengthy dialogue scene, it gets interrupted and goes right back into "action mode". The nice thing is I never felt the action went overboard (no pun intended). It's a very exciting 2 hours.

And as for it being historically inaccurate, so what? It's a movie, not a history lesson. Amadeus is a brilliant movie (with a very good score ) and it's all pretty much false. That's never stopped me from enjoying it.

Neil

[Morlock 11]

yes, but so what, the submarine film is a very limited genre anyway, there's only so much you can do with that kinda story.

But it was done well and I was entertained while watching the film, that's all i ask from that kinda movie.

If its a limited genre- Don't stretch the limits!. Stop making submarine movies!

In a movie, I look for more than great action.

For instance- One of my favorite movies (and scores) is the Rock (Note that I said favorite, not best- I realize it's not one of the best) . That movie has so many things very rare in action movies. It has great comedy. It has a great chase that is acting as spoof, homage, and is good in it's own right. It has great actors. It has Sean Connery. It has Sean Connery. It has Sean Connery. It has a fantstic score. It has great action. It has as good a setting as any movie can hope for. You can tell that everybody involved is having a blast making it.

You're comparing U571 to Amadeus?

U571 uses historical inaccuracy as it's flimsy plot line. Amadeus distorts history to serve it's own plot line- which is not in the least bit flimsy- it is a fantastic character study, and the only movie since The Clockwork Orange that really cares about music. Music is something heavenly in the movie- making the one instance where music is used to absolute perfection.

Amadeus is one of the greatest movies ever made (On my top ten list), and the distortion of the story does not change anything fundamental to the story of Mozart or the love of music. And it does not pretend to be based on fact.

U571 distorted a story to A. Make the heroes American B. Put in a token Black man C. Put in a token Rock star D. Put in the old wise man E. Make sure something exciting is always happening F. Never stopping to tell a story. And it does pretend to be based on fact, which is why there was an uproar when people found it was the british who did everything.

I don't like going out of a movie theater feeling my intelligence has just been insulted.

[Rogue_Leader 2]

U-571 does not have opening titles.  

You gotta be a bloody stickler for the details dontcha?

[Jango Fett 0]

U-571 does not have opening titles.  

You gotta be a bloody stickler for the details dontcha?

Easy Give the man some credit for his work!