Favorite film soundtracks?

Recycled_Brains · Post by **Recycled_Brains** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 1:57 pm

konabuzz wrote:the atmospheric ethereal stuff, too. Wow....gotta dig that out, now.

that's the best stuff to me. the little 30 second soundscapes and shit like that that movies have to heighten the tension or mood.

the musicians who compose that stuff don't get nearly the props that they should.

i always get pissed when you see a movie that has great music like that, but then when you go to buy the soundtrack, it's full of a bunch of bands playing music 'inspired by the film _____".

NewAndImprov · Post by **NewAndImprov** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 12:59 am

Oh man, too many to name, I'm a soundtrack nut...

As mentioned above, almost anything by Morricone, Taxi Driver, and Planet of the Apes are among my faves. But also:

Howard Shore: Scanners, which is I believe Shore's first score for a David Cronenberg film. All of the Cronenberg/Shore scores are terrific, but this one, with creepy modular synth textures and seriously dark string writing, is amazing.

Thomas Newman: American Beauty: This score became something of a cliche, tabla and marimba started to signify any kind of strange suburban drama for a few years, but it's just a beautiful record.

Goblin: Suspiria: Completely and appropriately over-the-top prog-fusion.

David Shire: The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3: The funkiest 12-tone score ever! Seriously, this entore score is written from 12-tone rows, but with a deep '70's vibe.

Vangelis: Bladerunner: Some of the coolest synth orchestrations I've ever heard.

Sun Ra: Space is The Place: I've heard this film described as the Citizen Kane of Free Jazz Blaxploitation Space Epics. The score is entirely appropriate. Bonus points for making a minimoog solo a major plot point.

Bebe and Louis Barron: Forbidden Planet. Wow. This really sounds like the sound of another planet, still completely alien decades later.

MoonPool · Post by **MoonPool** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 8:35 am

Another great one I forgot to mention is Lisa Gerrard's Whale Rider. This is a great example of picking the right person to score the movie, even though that person never did a complete soundtrack before. A spectacularly moving movie made even more powerful by the score.

pulse_divider · Post by **pulse_divider** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 9:08 am

Blade Runner---Vangelis
anything by Hal Hartley (used to call his musical stuff Ned Rifles)
of course Morricone, Mancini and all that stuff
Holy Mountain's a great one
anything by Goblin or John Carpenter
Riz Ortolani's work for Cannibal Holocaust was pretty intense
and recently I really liked the soundtrack for Me You and Everyone We Know

mjau · Post by **mjau** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 9:26 am

MoonPool wrote:Another great one I forgot to mention is Lisa Gerrard's Whale Rider. This is a great example of picking the right person to score the movie, even though that person never did a complete soundtrack before. A spectacularly moving movie made even more powerful by the score.

Forgot about that one...the soundtrack was very good in the context of the film.

KennyLusk · Post by **KennyLusk** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 9:27 am

Brahm Stoker's Dracula

The Saint (1997)

Pirates of the Caribbean

Hero (Tan Dun)

House of Flying Daggers (Takeshi Kaneshiro)

tret-lo · Post by **tret-lo** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 11:14 am

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Lost in Translation. Kevin Shields came out of retirement for it...

That extremely catch Phoenix song. Happy End. Squarepusher. So many great moments.

Knights Who Say Neve · Post by **Knights Who Say Neve** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 11:40 am

John Carpenter- Escape From New York

Herbie Hancock- Death Wish

horacesqueeze · Post by **horacesqueeze** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 11:41 am

Lately I have been really digging Lalo Schifrin's stuff (Mission:Impossible, Enter The Dragon, etc). I recently got the soundtrack to Fulichi's Zombi, which is filled with unsettling , throbbing synth work. Also Beretta 70: Roaring Themes from Italian Police films 1971 -1980 has been getting heavy play at casa de squeeze; good stuff!

curtiswyant · Post by **curtiswyant** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 4:54 pm

Anything by T-Bone Burnett. I like the Wes Andersen, too, especially Rushmore.

hammertime · Post by **hammertime** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 5:48 pm

Come to think of it, Quincy Jones has done some pretty decent soundtracks (in addition to writing the baddest ass t.v. theme song ever). The one that sticks out in my mind is "In Cold Blood" -- the Truman Capote film about the executed killers with Robert Blake.

jebjerome · Post by **jebjerome** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 6:29 pm

The Angelo Badalamenti stuff for David Lynch movies. Especially Mulholland Drive lately. There's some unsettling subbass going on in some of the scenes. The love theme is interesting as well.

Buena Vista Social Club

The Ligeti stuff from Eyes Wide Shut is pretty weird from what I recall. Don't really enjoy listening to this one, but it works with the film.

Love The Mission soundtrack and the Untouchables theme. More Morricone.

Brett Siler · Post by **Brett Siler** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 6:51 pm

oh man I love film scores, especially for horror movies.

Benard Herman, (one of my favorite composers) The Day the Earth Stood Still (theremin!!!), Psycho, Cape Fear, Vertigo, etc... He is the KING of horror movie scores.

Danny Elfman (another favorite) Edward Sissorhand (they choir work on that is beautiful, it makes me want to cry) To Die For (schizophinic music!!) Nightmare befor Christmas, Beetlejuice

The Angelo Badalamenti stuff for David Lynch movies. Especially Mulholland Drive lately. There's some unsettling subbass going on in some of the scenes. The love theme is interesting as well.

Yeah he is great also. Some songs will be these dark amient peices, then songs that sounds like lounge music, then full on orchestral peices. He is great.

I have been listening to the Nightmare on Elmstreet I & II soundtrack lately, by Charles Berstein and Christopher Young. The first is all Midi and synth. It's really cool hearing early midi work, and the creatation of the theme for the series of movies. The 2nd disc is all classical instruments and it is put together very well, it is very creep great.

I want to compose music for moives some day it would be so much fun! I have a gig coming up where I will be recording and performing on a persons film project, but some day I would really like to compose the music myself for a film.

lyman · Post by **lyman** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 7:36 pm

most of mine have already been said. Deadman (neil young), any Badalamenti, Lost in translation (shields), Bladerunner, The Virgin Suicides has a great score by Air, Apocalypse Now (Coppola's brother i think...)

anyway, cool thread! this makes me want to hit up blockbuster!

hammertime · Post by **hammertime** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 9:40 pm

Ry Cooder's probably the most influential (although he's not my favorite) "composer" for film in the last 25 years. You hear his sound (rubato slide guitar over droning synth pads) so much on T.V. commercials, films, etc, that you hardly even notice it anymore.

chacabuco wrote:Paris, Texas - Ry Cooder

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