The Film, TV, and Video Game Score Thread

[Darth Justicar]

I can't believe we haven't had one of these threads yet...

Who else here enjoys film, TV, and video game scores?  Personally, I love them a lot more than I do (most) movies. It's not often that I sit through a movie in the theater--maybe two or three times a year, tops--and I am several orders of magnitude lazier about ever playing a video game--but if there's one thing I love, it's good movie music.  Some of my favorite composers are Hans Zimmer, and the up-and-coming Bear McCreary (who I've literally been a fan of since the beginning of his career).  Michael Giacchino is earning my respect as well.

NOTE:  Even a movie being a truly stinktastic box-office bomb, a TV show being a flop, or a game being too awful to play doesn't mean it can't have an AWESOME score, so this is no place to debate the quality of the movie/show/game the music went with.  There are plenty of other threads for that!

[Jev Moldara]

Aside from all the classics (John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Michael Giacchino, Alan Silvestri, etc), two of my favorite scores are as follows:

The Last Starfighter - Craig Safan

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROdHOoIzZ48" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROdHOoIzZ48</a>

Clash of the Titans - Laurence Rosenthal

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yoNVy-JuzA" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yoNVy-JuzA</a>

[scifidude79]

Clash of the Titans.  Great movie, great music.

I love instrumental music, especially the kind you get in films.  No words are needed.  Aside from John Williams (LOVE his Superman score) and some others previously mentioned, I really like the music of the late great Jerry Goldsmith.  His Planet of the Apes score is one os my favorites.  It has a wonderful Simian sound it that really suits the film.  Anyway, I used to have the soundtrack on CD and I really need to get it again.  I also love old Godzilla music, especially by Akira Ifukube.

[Darth Justicar]

I seem to be one of the few who isn't really into John Williams--he seems a bit too bombastic and straightforward to me most of the time.

However, I WILL give him credit for the Kylo Ren theme, which in some of its iterations shows way more subtlety than Williams usually does.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uggMUO23L58" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uggMUO23L58</a>

I like Jerry Goldsmith...the Tora! Tora! Tora! theme is very memorable.  I really didn't realize just how much so until I isolated it today to hear what it sounded like by itself.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0n4piGt_VU" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0n4piGt_VU</a>

I think that the work he did on Star Trek: First Contact is one of the two best scores ever to grace a Star Trek movie. 

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhoa7oWPPhk" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhoa7oWPPhk</a>

The other--which ties it IMO--believe it or not, is IMO Michael Giacchino on Star Trek Into Darkness.  If you really want to hear something outstanding...here's the suite that was not in the movie, that I literally re-bought the entire soundtrack to make sure I could get my hands on:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2LYbXIYlP8" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2LYbXIYlP8</a>

[scifidude79]

I like Michael Giacchino's music.  I have the soundtrack from Star Trek (2009.) The music he did for Into Darkness was no doubt the highlight of the film.  I only saw it once, right after it came out on DVD, so I don't really remember the music.

[Jev Moldara]

I love Michael Giacchino's work. He's amazing. From LOST to Zootopia, his soundtracks are fantastic.

That said, I REALLY wish he would pick better names for his music rather than the puns he uses.

You're in the big leagues now, Mikey... time to act like a grown up.

Three of my favorites from Jurassic World:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpgurigMcx0" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpgurigMcx0</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcVv_6sd3xE" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcVv_6sd3xE</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTTIxvEtKr0" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTTIxvEtKr0</a>

James Horner's score to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is also amazing, especially Battle in the Mutara Nebula

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwkglsAgwZU" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwkglsAgwZU</a>

Also, Harry Gregson-William's score to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe is simply amazing.

Seriously, just listen to this:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZS3t6MkiCw" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZS3t6MkiCw</a>

[Darth Justicar]

Giacchino is very punny, isn't he?  I have noticed that too.  I don't mind so much on the kids' movie scores, but some of them...well, some of them are not only groaners, but also a bit spoilerish at times.

[scifidude79]

James Horner's score to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is also amazing, especially Battle in the Mutara Nebula

Duuuude, James Horner.  Another late great.  (yeah, his Aliens score had shades of Star Trek III, but we forgive him for that)  You're right about Star Trek II, a fantastic score. 

[Darth Justicar]

James Horner has a particular association in my head that I'm a bit ambivalent about...Titanic.  That became a cultural icon--but the choice of synth patches was IMO very questionable and did not age well.

(What can I say, I got stood up on a date by an immature jerk in my freshman year, so I ended up at the movies.)

[Darth Justicar]

Here's an interesting one...this score, from Metropolis, not only serves as the score as we know it--but also as the sound effects.  There's actually a lot more in common with ballet music, like something Tchaikovsky or Stravinsky would do, than a modern film score.  (Though the actual sound of it resembles Wagner more than either of those.) 

This is absolutely amazing even seen 90 years later.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9fuNWGrX4U" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9fuNWGrX4U</a>

[scifidude79]

I still haven't seen Metropolis.  I want to, though.  It's on Netflix, so I'll pop it on one of these nights.