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Post by janntosh on Feb 7, 2020 23:54:21 GMT
you can scream "it's just nostalgia" all you want, and while there are definitely some good soundtracks still getting made (Hans Zimmer can still deliver for the most part and some others) , is there any movie scores today that reach the works of Max Steiner, Miklos Rosza, Alex North, John Barry, Elmer Bernstein, Basil Poledourus, Maurice Jarre, Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, and the best work of John Williams? Even Williams himself seems not as inspired these days.
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Post by lowtacks86 on Feb 7, 2020 23:59:10 GMT
Bit of an odd question, those works were released decades ago, so of course people look back on them now as "classics" and are held in higher regard to contemporary composers. As that shitty Sammy Hagar/Van Halen song goes "Only time will tell if they'll stand the test of time".
"Even Williams himself seems not as inspired these days."
Well yeah he's not that far from 90, what do you expect?
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Post by politicidal on Feb 8, 2020 0:05:29 GMT
There are some contemporary composers like Zimmer or Michael Giacchino and Alexandre Desplat that I really do like. But yeah, it's less often you hear a score that really sticks. I think the best blockbuster theme in a while was for Wonder Woman.
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Post by mslo79 on Feb 8, 2020 0:08:38 GMT
Personally I think scores for the following movies are among the best in general...
-Road to Perdition (2002)
-Lord of War (2005)
because for me... not many movies have a score that stands out regardless of if it's recent or in the 'old days'.
p.s. those also happen to make up 1/3rd (i.e. 2 out of 6) of my 10/10 level movies.
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Post by moviemouth on Feb 8, 2020 0:17:54 GMT
It is a matter of subjective taste.
Personally the movie score heyday was 1960-2000, but a few all time great scores have come out here and there since. I don;'t have any great affection for classic era movie scores, with some exceptions like Vertigo and North by Northwest. Bernard Herrmann was ahead of his time.
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Post by johnspartan on Feb 8, 2020 0:19:09 GMT
I agree. This video explains why.
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Post by moviemouth on Feb 8, 2020 0:23:42 GMT
I agree. This video explains why. That is just the MCU though and Marvel movies in general have notoriously forgettable scores. The exceptions are Black Panther, Thor: Ragnarok and Danny Elfman's Hulk and Spider-Man scores. That says nothing about the rest of movie scores in general.
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Post by johnspartan on Feb 8, 2020 1:04:47 GMT
I agree. This video explains why. That is just the MCU though and Marvel movies in general have notoriously forgettable scores. The exceptions are Black Panther, Thor: Ragnarok and Danny Elfman's Hulk and Spider-Man scores. That says nothing about the rest of movie scores in general. If you would have watched the video, you would see it mentions "300," "Fury Road", and "Inception", too.
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Post by moviemouth on Feb 8, 2020 1:21:24 GMT
That is just the MCU though and Marvel movies in general have notoriously forgettable scores. The exceptions are Black Panther, Thor: Ragnarok and Danny Elfman's Hulk and Spider-Man scores. That says nothing about the rest of movie scores in general. If you would have watched the video, you would see it mentions "300," "Fury Road", and "Inception", too. and as far as Fury Road and Inception go, I hugely disagree. I accept all opinions when it comes to movies and music and realize that everyone has a different preference.
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Post by politicidal on Feb 8, 2020 2:18:49 GMT
If you would have watched the video, you would see it mentions "300," "Fury Road", and "Inception", too. and as far as Fury Road and Inception go, I hugely disagree. I accept all opinions when it comes to movies and music and realize that everyone has a different preference. Yeah I think everyone remembers Inception's score since that's what kicked off the ' brass horn' craze after its release in a LOT of movie trailers.
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Post by Captain Spencer on Feb 8, 2020 4:53:58 GMT
you can scream "it's just nostalgia" all you want, and while there are definitely some good soundtracks still getting made (Hans Zimmer can still deliver for the most part and some others) , is there any movie scores today that reach the works of Max Steiner, Miklos Rosza, Alex North, John Barry, Elmer Bernstein, Basil Poledourus, Maurice Jarre, Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, and the best work of John Williams? Even Williams himself seems not as inspired these days. I'm surprised Ennio Morricone wasn't on your list. His very best work was done in the 60s and 70s.
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Post by Prime etc. on Feb 8, 2020 7:43:28 GMT
It's because Hollywood is sickly and dying.
It is not a place where creative freedom or enthusiasm is nurtured. Do any of the people sound inspired or enthusiastic in interviews these days?
If you were a composer would you be enthusiastic to write the score for Fat Thor 3? Or Texas Chainsaw Remake 5?
Hollywood isn't interested in cultural renewal, only getting this year's product out according to orders.
If Hollywood executives have no taste in story why would we assume their musical tastes would be better?
When they seek a composer they don't care what the music sounds like, they care if they support same sex marriage or oppose micro-aggressions.
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Post by Roberto on Feb 8, 2020 7:44:07 GMT
I could, but then I would be wrong.
Movie scores are definitely not as good as they used to be, just like movies themselves.
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Post by miike80 on Feb 8, 2020 8:16:51 GMT
I don't think we'll have another Ennio Morricone anytime soon
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Post by twothousandonemark on Feb 8, 2020 16:24:32 GMT
Not sure about quality, yet I can't recall the last memorable ones beyond TDK or Avengers.
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Post by johnspartan on Feb 9, 2020 15:11:44 GMT
The comments in this John Williams Youtube video says Hollywood directors don't want music that stands out because it's too difficult to edit around. www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z5YmjSgyoo&t=276s"The reason why even Williams can't write more fleshed out themes to modern film is due to the collapse of Hollywood into amateurism. New directors don't seem to know how to conduct a story, so in the editing room, they swap scenes around, shorten or lengthen them and re-shoot even down to the wire. To compensate, composers have to create very flexible and modular, isolated cues, rather than write long, symphonic forms with foreshadowing and call-backs to established figures that encompass the entire film. Of course this means the bar for entry as a film composer is much, much lower these days. All you have to do is write a bunch of hyped ostinati or brooding drones and buy samples to play them. Hans Zimmer has said that "modern films reject melody". Given that his career spans the gap between amazing thematic works as The Lion King and dull, trend-setting novelties like Inception, that observation of the climate is probably the most objective." |
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Post by Captain Spencer on Feb 9, 2020 16:20:41 GMT
I could, but then I would be wrong. Movie scores are definitely not as good as they used to be, just like movies themselves. No, you're not wrong at all.
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Post by jonesjxd on Feb 10, 2020 0:17:19 GMT
Movie scores have evolved over the years, it's not just that there's been a shift towards ambience or the influence of electronic music in scoring, but also movie scores have evolved to become more of a thing to be baked into the movie. Yes, music has always served to enhance the excitement and emotion of the movie, but now the score is also often the pulse of the movie, it's a pacing tool just as much as an emotional trigger. For scores to achieve this effect it becomes more about the rhythm than the melody. Rhythm is less "hummable" than melody, but it serves the movie much better. Even still. there are tons of iconic scores still being written, I think Tyler Bates did great work on the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, Michael Giacchino did great work on the Planet of the Apes movies, Clint Mansell consistently does really interesting work, especially when collaborating with Aronofsky, and Hans Zimmer of course is one of the all time greats.
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