Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Harmonia (A) on July 28, 2005 at 21:36:57

In Reply to: Your favorite film score composer? posted by rico on July 28, 2005 at 11:44:04:

...and of course the great master, Bernard Herrman, along with Korngold, Rota and Steiner too. Those would be my top guys.

Elmer Bernstein has a special place in my affection, especially for To Kill A Mockingbird, but also for Man With The Golden Arm, The Magnificent Seven, The Grifters, The Age of Innocence, My Left Foot, The Field, Hud, The Great Escape, True Grit, The Sweet Smell Of Success...heavens I've just realized he scored Animal House!

John Williams has written some brilliant film music - as some music I find repetitive and/or overblown - but I loved his recent scores to Catch Me If You Can and HP3/POA. Both of those were very fresh and sympathetic to the respective movies.

Jerry Goldsmith, uneven but when he's good, he's great.

I'm rather keen on Thomas Newman. I find his music supports the films he scores in subtle and interesting ways. You may know him from American Beauty, Oscar & Lucinda, Road To Perdition, The Green Mile, Finding Nemo and Six Feet Under.

James Newton Howard has done some things I quite like, as has Howard Shore (long before Peter Jackson took him on - remember all those scores for Cronenberg's films?).

Randy Newman is another film composer with whom I have a love/hate relationship. I like his scores to the Toy Story movies, The Paper, James & The Giant Peach and Babe Pig In The City. But Forest Gump and Seabiscuit - ugh.

Ennio Morricone - talk about iconic! My favorite is the score to the Untouchables.

Phillip Glass - I normally hate him but think his scores to Kundun and The Hours were quite fitting.

Michale Nyman - his work with Peter Greenaway is sympatico and special.

Angelo Badalamenti - the music to watch Lynch by.

I don't much like Hans Zimmer but he did interesting things for The Thin Red Line, plus I goota admit his main theme for Gladiator is...memorable.