Popular Post GerateWohl 4,370 Posted January 8 Popular Post Share Posted January 8 My personal top 10 non-middle earth scores of Howard Shore are these. The Fly Eastern Promises Crash M Butterfly The Aviator A History of Violence The Silence of the Lambs A Dangerous Method Hugo The Last Mimzy Contenders for place 10 were also Dead Ringers and The Yards. But for now The Last Mimzy won. And yours? Bespin, Chen G., Jim Ware and 1 other 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faleel 5,355 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 1. Edge of Darkness 2. Soul of the Ultimate Nation 3. A history of Violence 4. A Dangerous Method GerateWohl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,511 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 I'm not through exploring the work of Shore. I didn't like his work for many years (mostly due to the droney Cronenberg scores), then the LOTR scores opened up the door a little bit, and then I've discovered bits and pieces since then that have raised my appreciated a bit more. I'm on the lookout for the Universal France compilation (hard to find!) which samples the central works of his career. But anyway, currently there are three non-LOTR Shore scores in my collection, so not enough to make a top 10 (MAPS TO THE STARS, ROSE WATER and THE SONG OF NAMES). But soon, I aim to reassess some things I've previously discarded, starting with the lighter fare like MRS. DOUBTFIRE, PHILADELPHIA, BIG etc. And THEN reassess the Cronenbergs. Maybe I like them better now than I did 20 years ago. GerateWohl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Edmilson 7,466 Posted January 8 Popular Post Share Posted January 8 Eastern Promises The Aviator Hugo The Silence of the Lambs Se7en Need to re-listen (or listen for the first time) to several of those though: A Dangerous Method, A History of Violence, The Last Mimzy, Panic Room, The Cell and, of course, his lighthearted scores for Mrs. Doubtfire and Big. Honestly, I always thought the idea of Howard Shore, the guy who did several dark, bleak, depressing, disturbing and violent movies for Cronenberg and about serial killers, plus the LOTR trilogy (which is also filled with darkness and disturbingness), scoring a lighthearted family comedy about Robin Williams crossdressing was always amusing to me. This is more of James Horner, John Debney or Bruce Broughton territory, lol. JTN, GerateWohl and Trope 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faleel 5,355 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 1 minute ago, Edmilson said: Honestly, I always thought the idea of Howard Shore, the guy who did several dark, bleak, depressing, disturbing and violent movies for Cronenberg and about serial killers, scoring a lighthearted family comedy about Robin Williams crossdressing was always amusing to me. This is more of James Horner, John Debney or Bruce Broughton territory, lol. Hey, he's Nobody's Fool. JTN 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bellosh 3,419 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 I like The Silence of the Lambs because there's shades of the ring/saurons theme. JTN 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edmilson 7,466 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 The most lighthearted and comedic stuff I ever heard Shore write was for LOTR, specifically this track (and only for the first minute, after that it gets disturbing again): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faleel 5,355 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 12 minutes ago, Edmilson said: The most lighthearted and comedic stuff I ever heard Shore write was for LOTR, specifically this track (and only for the first minute, after that it gets disturbing again): What about his SNL days? JTN 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eitam 364 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 I like a lot of his scores, but here are my favourite non-Tolkien : Silence of the Lambs Looking for Richard Esther Kahn The Cell The Yards The Aviator Eastern Promises GerateWohl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,079 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 The Aviator The Fly Looking for Richard Honourable mention: Hugo GerateWohl and JTN 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTN 2,030 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 - The Fly - Big - Silence of the Lambs - The Departed - Mrs. Doubtfire There are others I enjoy some cues of like The Aviator or Hugo, but don’t remember the entire scores. Scores like Se7en work great in the film, but if I had to listen to it on its own, I’d cut my head off and put it in a box. Jurassic Shark and GerateWohl 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trope 527 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 Hugo The Pale Blue Eye The Fly Edge of Darkness The Silence of the Lambs I still have yet to listen to The Aviator, Eastern Promises and A Dangerous Method. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,079 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 6 minutes ago, JTW said: if I had to listen to it on its own, I’d cut my head off and put it in a box. The same you'd do if you had to watch DoD?. JTN 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trope 527 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 2 hours ago, Presto said: What about his SNL days? Looks like Gary Oldman! JTN and Edmilson 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTN 2,030 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 5 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said: The same you'd do if you had to watch DoD?. No, then this would happen. Spoiler Just kidding. I would never seriously hate a film that you like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edmilson 7,466 Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 2 hours ago, Presto said: What about his SNL days? So this is where he got the inspiration for scoring Mrs Doubtfire JTN 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post thestat 348 Posted January 9 Popular Post Share Posted January 9 A top ten would consist of LOTR stuff for very obvious reasons, but this one from Seven both predates LOTR and acts as a great encapsulation of how Shore captures horror and madness, it is just so beautiful as a composition: And whatever you say about anything related to Shore, it will come down to this nightmare - still the greatest use of large orchestra as a narrative device - the uncompromising score is everything: Edmilson, Trope and Glóin the Dark 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GerateWohl 4,370 Posted January 9 Author Share Posted January 9 13 hours ago, Thor said: I'm not through exploring the work of Shore. I didn't like his work for many years (mostly due to the droney Cronenberg scores), then the LOTR scores opened up the door a little bit, and then I've discovered bits and pieces since then that have raised my appreciated a bit more. I'm on the lookout for the Universal France compilation (hard to find!) which samples the central works of his career. But anyway, currently there are three non-LOTR Shore scores in my collection, so not enough to make a top 10 (MAPS TO THE STARS, ROSE WATER and THE SONG OF NAMES). But soon, I aim to reassess some things I've previously discarded, starting with the lighter fare like MRS. DOUBTFIRE, PHILADELPHIA, BIG etc. And THEN reassess the Cronenbergs. Maybe I like them better now than I did 20 years ago. I find Philadelphia boring. But that doesn't mean, you might not like it. But I strongly recommend Crash to you. Congenial score. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,511 Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 Oh, I've heard a lot of his stuff, including CRASH. Interesting use of electric guitars. It's just that I've discarded many of them over the years, and am set to reassess them again now. Tastes change over the years. GerateWohl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Penna 3,694 Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 Not going to be a top 10 from me as Shore has limited appeal outside of Middle Earth. However: Panic Room - the film is very dark and tense, and the score is textural and brooding but has its appeals. Not completely indifferent to some of the darker music in RotK. Hugo works superbly in the movie but I found only a couple of tracks worked for me on album. Honourable mention goes to the song which is a beautiful example of the composer working on the song with their melody. A History of Violence - sort of liked at first, but it more and more started to sound like a collection of rejected ideas from Two Towers, and for me, highlighted some shortcomings in his ability to write truly memorable, original themes. I also got the quite wonderful Two Concerti for Xmas showing off his less brooding side. GerateWohl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bespin 8,483 Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 In no particular order: The Fly The Aviator A History of Violence The Departed Eastern Promises Hugo Ed Wood Crash Dead Ringers The Silence of the Lambs GerateWohl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chen G. 3,949 Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 5 hours ago, Richard Penna said: I also got the quite wonderful Two Concerti for Xmas showing off his less brooding side. Its funny how "brooding" Shore's oeuvre is, isn't it? Listening to him talking, you wouldn't think that would be his specialty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bespin 8,483 Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 1 hour ago, Chen G. said: Its funny how "brooding" Shore's oeuvre is, isn't it? Listening to him talking, you wouldn't think that would be his specialty. Just as John Williams' partnerships with Spielberg and Lucas have somewhat shaped the "John Williams" sound, although he has also been fortunate to compose other types of scores for more intimate films, Shore's partnership with David Cronenberg has also somewhat shaped the anticipated darker aspect of Shore. But he is so much more than that. GerateWohl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433 Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 Here's my top 10 Silence of the Lambs (I might even prefer it to his LotR scores) Panic Room Hugo Sliver Seven Nobody's Fool Eclipse The Fly The Departed Pieces of Woman GerateWohl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bespin 8,483 Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 To demonstrate that Howard Shore is far more than just the composer for "Lord of the Rings," David Cronenberg's films, or even those of David Fincher, here's a curated playlist that I've put together, featuring scores that you absolutely must explore. Howard Shore is an exceptional composer who still writes his scores by hand, much like John Williams. At 77 years old, he won't be around forever. The 'Écoutez le cinéma' series has already dedicated a compilation of 2 CDs to him, but he truly deserves a 20-CD box set, like Morricone and Williams. Make an effort to discover this exceptional composer. Tom Guernsey and Trope 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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