On Friday I was listening to a bunch of sound track music at work and the Binary Sunset selection from Star Wars: A New Hope came on the old play list and I got to thinking what a great piece of music it was, especially in relation to Mr. Lucas' greatest achievement. It's the piece of music playing just after Luke is told he can't leave Uncle Owen's farm for at least one more season so adventure will have to wait. Luke stares into the desert as the twin suns of Tatooine slowly set in the distance. It's a great composition that seems to really capture the war between longing of youth to be free and the weight of responsibility.
It kind of got me thinking about the fact that Star Wars perhaps more than any film ever is desperately attached to it's score. Imagine if instead of John Williams, Fox or Lucas had settled on a Cassio Keyboard score so common in low budget sci fi from the 70's and 80's. Kind of like this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WCn_TpbMuo
Yikes. Glad they splurged on JW.
Another few that came to mind are Jaws and Superman (also John Williams composed) and maybe of the ingenious decisions Kubrick made for 2001: A Space Odyssey (Thus Spoke Zarathustra etc).
What about you guys? Any scores that are your favs that you just can not imagine the movie any other way?
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How about J.J. Abrams Star Trek? Every time I think of that movie I think of Giacchano's soundtrack right along with it. Especially the track Enterprising Young Men, which if I remember right plays on the way to them going to see the Enterprise for the first time. Absolutely cannot think of that movie without that soundtrack. Giacchano in general is one of my favs too. His Lost soundtrack is also pretty quirky and awesome. There are some really emotional parts in Lost and a couple of pieces that he wrote for that show always stick out in my head. I gotta admit, there are a few moments every time I watch it in Lost that when those violins strike up during the scene I get a little watery-eyed. How about Drive as well? That soundtrack fit so well with that Scorpion jacket and those brown leather driving gloves. Any other soundtrack would just not have done as well with that film. Especially the opening scene with Nightcall. Loved it.
ReplyDeleteOh also Gladiator. I haven't seen it in quite some time and can't quite hear what some of the songs were in my head right now, but always remember being emotionally drawn into Gladiator more by the music that was playing. Come to think of it, there are several Russell Crowe movies that are like that. A Beautiful Mind had great music as well that really spoke to me throughout the story. I'm sure there are so many others that I'm missing at the moment.
ReplyDeleteI love the music of the Abrams' Star Trek. The scores from Gladiator and Star Wars are indespensable parts of the films.
ReplyDeleteHow about The Dark Knight? I played a lot of Batman: Arkham City this weekend and the music that starts up while the game is loading grabs you by the ear canal and puts you forcibly into the cape and cowl. I eventually realized that is because it is the same music as the opening for the Dark Knight!
As an aside, play Batman: AC. Good stuff for any comic fan and fun gameplay for anyone who like 3rd person action games.
The Giacchano Star Trek theme is very good. A few more hit movies and I think it could run alongside the classic ST themes.
ReplyDeleteThe Nolan Batman films have a very distinctive sound from Hans Zimmer. He kind of cribbed himself for Inception - he used a lot of big dynamic hits and pops instead of big hooky melody (like Pirates of The Carribbean). I love Batman Begins and Dark Knight OSTs. "Why So Serious" is a really interesting piece in terms of dynamics and droning tones - great tension buidling piece of music.
I was thinking about Williams Superman theme - it's so attached to Superman whe they rebooted to Superman Returns they made John Ottman use the same exact theme!! Wonder if Zack Snyder will make his music guy do the same thing.
I hate to go here, but John Carpenter's soundtracks are pretty amazing - especially Halloween and Assault on Precint 13.
Also - Ennio Morricone's soundtracks for the spaghetti westerns of the 60's. Just awesome stuff and much duplicated/
Bill Conti. Rocky. Seriously....
ReplyDeleteHis work on not only the Rocky theme we all know and love but also kjust the general score (especially the final fights in the first three films) is pretty awesome. Vince Colletta in Rocky IV has some pretty good rock/synth/orchestral effots too but they are not anywhere near the caliber of Bill Conti's work.