Jump to content

When the score beats the movie...


Willy

Recommended Posts

What soundtracks are - in your opinion - superior to the films they were composed for?

The one the springs first to my mind is The Final Conflict. I conjures up beautiful images that are nowhere to be found in the movie (although I don't think the movie is as bad as a lot of people claim).

Another one would probably be The Portrait of a Lady. I don't consider Kilar's score to be a masterpiece, but it features some hauntingly beautiful melodies that are a lot more enjoyable than the movie (which - again - I don't completely dismiss).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 30
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Star Trek: TMP

Moonraker

Superman

Damien: Omen II

Supergirl

First Blood

Rambo: First Blood Part II

Rambo III

SW: TPM

SW: AOTC

SW: ROTS

Judge Dredd

Jurassic Park

The Lost World: Jurassic Park

Jaws II

Lost In Space

The Mummy Returns

The list is endless.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

High Road to China was on TV just yesterday, and totally falls into this category; it's a great score though (IMO) by John Barry. Steef is correct; the list is endless - but even with really good films, you can't underestimate the importance of music. Apparently watching Star Wars with the temp score was very different to watching it with the final JW score.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Batman

The Mummy Returns

Van Helsing

A View to a Kill

The World Is Not Enough

Die Another Day

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz

And while I haven't seen the film, it's reputation tells me that The Avengers would qualify as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Batman

The Mummy Returns

Van Helsing

A View to a Kill

The World Is Not Enough

Die Another Day

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz

And while I haven't seen the film, it's reputation tells me that The Avengers would qualify as well.

Really? That score got bashed pretty bad in the Giacchino thread.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No matter. The film is horrible. The score is better as music than the movie is as a film. And I think some people may be confused: Giacchino did NOT write Ashanti's little R&B numbers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Peter Pan.

:nono:

Those scores are equal to their movies.

The Terminal - I really didn't like this movie very much. Catherine Zeta Jones' character turned out horribly, and it was quite boring IMO. Good score, though.

Can't think of a great deal of others specifially.

~Sturgis

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All of Jerry goldsmith's scores

K.M.

That's the problem with Goldmisth in my opinion in terms of popular recognition (opposed to, for instance, John Williams)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How did you do that - watch Star Wars with the temp tracks?

I didn't; but, I've read numerous accounts of people who were screenings of Star Wars (steven SPielberg, Brian DePalma etc.) who said that JW's score made a HUGE difference to the film. I understand that Brian DePalma was very negative, and openly mocked the film, but that Steven Spielberg was very supportive of George Lucas. Apparently some minor changes were made tothe film after these screenings. But, no one was laughing at the film once the sound was mixed, and JW's score was added. I've read that it felt like a very different film. Such is the power of music...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All of Jerry goldsmith's scores

K.M.

I agree. Most of his movies don't stand the test of time. Basic Instinct was a cool movie to watch in the '90s, but it just seems so ... slimy now. And The Omen is increasingly becoming a boring movie to watch. But I never tire of listening to the score. I only watch the movie to hear the choir whispering when the dog creeps through the house.

And I agree on the Star Wars prequels. I am finding myself listening to Revenge of the Sith a lot. And I can't get enough of the last 30 minutes of The Phantom Menace. But watching the movie .... :joy:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All of Jerry goldsmith's scores

I agree. Most of his movies don't stand the test of time. Basic Instinct was a cool movie to watch in the '90s, but it just seems so ... slimy now. And The Omen is increasingly becoming a boring movie to watch.

First you say you agree with Mark, who was very categorical about it, that "all his movies" are inferior. Then you say "most of his movies". What is it? "Most" or "all"?!

----------------

Alex Cremers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't mean it categorically.More like "generally".I mean Dennis the Menace,Mr.Baseball,Mom and Dad Save the World...ect..and the list goes on and on....

I know,some are good movies

Chinatown

The Omen

Poultrygeist

Patton

Alien

Basic Instinct

...

K.M.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

SW: AOTC

SORRY Stefan, this is one case where the film as wretched as it is, is superior to the score.

I agree with Jeff and Mark, in almost everycase JG's scores are better than the films.

JNH's the Village

Brian Tylers' Darkness Falls

Pino Donaggio's Tourist Trap

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Troy - the original Yared version

That's for damn sure.

I agree with all the above, save the following cases-

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Peter Pan

Azkaban the movie is not as perfect as Azkaban the score, but they fit each other like a glove. Peter Pan is a very good movie with a very good score.

The Terminal - I really didn't like this movie very much.  Catherine Zeta Jones' character turned out horribly, and it was quite boring IMO.  Good score, though.

I liked the movie, and liked the score.

All of Jerry goldsmith's scores

Mostly, yes. There are a few exceptions (Chinatown, L.A. Confidential , The Great Train Robbery, and Patton come to mind), but by and large.

Angela's Ashes reaches emotional peaks lacking in the movie. Stepmom manages to escape the total falseness of the movie.

I think The Fury is a major example. JW took an urban and rather trashy looking film and gave it such a textured, elegant and classy score which is far better than the movie.

Zimmer gave The Ring, a sucky and ugly looking horror film a rather elegant score, which, despite the fact that it was cliche piled on cliche, turned out a whole lot better than the movie did. He also gave Muppet Treasue Island a great piratey theme that the film didn't deserve. (Although that's a lot of pirate movies, I guess)

Patrick Doyle wrote what is in my opinion one of the greatest love themes ever for Great Expectations, when the movie totaly failed at creating any real emotion there (other than obsession, maybe).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Guidelines.