Your Top 10 Movie Scores

[drfsupercenter]

Alright, I've seen these "favorite movies" and "favorite actors" threads, so I thought I'd start a new one.

List your 10 favorite songs from movie scores. Not the movie itself... but specific songs.

And the way I'm writing them is Title - Movie - Composer. If you don't know the title (You can use the one from the soundtrack, if there is one), just say "main theme", "end credits", etc.

1. Arrival to Earth - Transformers - Steve Jablonsky
2. The Imperial March - Star Wars Episode V - John Williams
3. He's a Pirate - Pirates of the Caribbean - Klaus Badelt (really Hans Zimmer...)
4. Main Theme - Star Wars (saga) - John Williams
5. The World Turns to Ash - Pokémon: The Movie 2000 - John Loeffler/Ralph Schuckett
6. Page 47 - National Treasure: Book of Secrets - Trevor Rabin
7. Hummel Gets the Rockets - The Rock - Hans Zimmer
8. Main Theme - Superman - John Williams
9. Scorponok - Transformers - Steve Jablonsky
10. The Terminator: Theme - The Terminator - Brad Fiedel

I'm curious to see what movie scores you all like!

[Flanger-Hanger]

I'll do whole scores anyway because I'm too lazy to look up specific songs:

Around the World in 80 Days
El Cid
How the West Was Won
Gigi
Sleeping Beauty
Gone With the Wind
Breakfast at Tiffany's (great jazzy score)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Maurice

I'll come back later and think up more.

[drfsupercenter]

LOL, I haven't seen most of those movies.

I tend to like the music they use in action movies and stuff... and I'm also a huge fan of John Williams (and Hans Zimmer and his accomplices)

[PixarFan2006]

Here are my top ten scores:

Back to the Future Trilogy
E.T.
Jaws
Jurassic Park
Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Pirates of the Caribbean
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Star Wars (original trilogy)
Spider-Man
Superman the Movie

[drfsupercenter]

LOL, FINE, you guys can just post movie titles!

Here I was thinking it would be more useful to say the actual parts of the movie you liked, rather than the whole thing... it's like saying I liked the music from Mulan, when I really only liked Donny Osmond's song.

But whatever. I'll change the rules.

[Lazario]

It would take me probably 2 hours at least to cite exact pieces of each score. It's a lot of work to find that information. But, to make quicker work, I'll try to sum it up quick (these are in no specific order):


1. The Fog (1980) - John Carpenter
2. Tenebre (1982) - Simonetti-Morante-Pignatelli
3. Piranha (1978) - Pino Donaggio
4. Cat People (1982) - Giorgio Moroder
5. Starman (1984) - Jack Nietzsche
6. Phenomena (1984) - Claudio Simonetti / Bill Wyman / Simon Boswell
7. Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) - John Massari
8. Sorority House Massacre II (1990); Tower of Terror / Hard to Die (1990) - Chuck Cirino
9. Creepshow (1982) - John Harrison
10. Carnival of Souls (1962) - Gene Moore

[Escapay]

1. "Lonesome Dove" (1988 ) - Theme from "Lonesome Dove" - Basil Poledouris - it is easily the best piece of music ever composed for television. The theme was the heart and soul of the entire miniseries and as morbid as this sounds, I know this is the music I want to have played at my funeral. The rest of the score is great too, but I know I just have to single out the main theme, it's THAT beautiful.

2. The Ten Commandments (1956) - Entire Score - Elmer Bernstein - Most would think that it'd be rather obvious that my favourite movie of all time would also be my favourite score. But the "Lonesome Dove" theme above really trumps this, I hate to say. Still, the score for this film is excellent. It fits the bill perfectly as an epic score, and if I had to cite one particular piece, it'd have to be the "Lullaby" version of Moses' theme, which is played when Bithia is raising baby Moses up to the sky and repeating his name. It then segues into Moses as an adult and the score gets active and boisterous as well.

3. The Cider House Rules (1999) - Entire Score - Rachel Portman - Rachel Portman is an extremely talented composer and there's always a degree of innocence to her music. Just listen to her scores for films like this, Nicholas Nickleby, and Marvin's Room. It instantly makes you feel better and gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling of hope inside.

4. The Rocketeer (1991) - Entire Score - James Horner - It's an adventurous score that keeps viewers entranced with what's happening while also being very fun to listen to. And it's James Horner, whose music is somewhat simplistic, but very appealing to the ears and senses. You just feel like you're a part of the music when it's a James Horner score (though he really could have done better with Troy...but given the circumstances of that, it's forgiveable).

5. Now, Voyager (1942) - Entire Score - Max Steiner - the lush orchestra that plays this score is like a staple of Steiner's scores, and this one is no different. Most people today probably don't even konw what Now, Voyager is which is a true pity as it's one of Bette Davis' greatest films (and my personal favourite from her resume). The entire score is perfect for the Cinderella story and the main theme from the film was later set to words as the timeless "It Can't Be Wrong."

6. Aladdin (1992) - "One Jump Ahead (Reprise)"- Alan Menken - it's my favourite scene from the movie and the score fits perfectly for it. You really understand how the character feels through the use of the music The way that it combines flute, piano, and strings, just makes it all the more touching for the scene.

7. Cinema Paradiso (1989) - Love Theme - Ennio Morricone - I don't know what's more bittersweet: the lilting music of the film, or the film's ending. Truly the stuff dreams are made of. If I had never heard the score for "Lonesome Dove", then I know I'd want this music to be played at my funeral.

8. Casablanca (1942) - Piano Improvisation - Max Steiner - I want to say that I like the entire score, which I do, but I really should give notice to the "Piano Improvisation" that Sam "plays" (Dooley Wilson didn't play the piano, he faked it while someone played off-camera) while Rick is getting drunk late at night. It's part of the famous exchange of lines that precedes the Paris montage:

Rick: What's that you're playing?
Sam: Just a little something of my own.
Rick: Well, stop it. You know what I want to hear
Sam: No, I don't.
Rick: You played it for her, you can play it for me.
Sam: Well, I don't think I can remember it.
Rick: If she can stand it, I can! Play it!

9. Laura (1944) - Theme from "Laura" - David Raksin - "Laura...is the face in the misty light...footsteps that you hear down the hall...the laugh that floats on a summer night...that you can never quite recall." The lyrics weren't written until after the film came out, but it fits the film perfectly. It's so haunting and sensual, like a woman in trouble.

10. Tuck Everlasting (2002) - "First Swim" & "Love Everlasting" - William Ross - I've noticed that most of the scores I've picked have a very calming feel to them, and the list ends with them as well. Both these pieces are just...to use a cliched word...magical. And given the circumstances in the film when they're used, it makes sense. It's a very Portman-esque score, and when I first heard it I thought it was a Rachel Portman score. But William Ross' work is just as magical (there's that word again).

albert

[Just Myself]

1. Cops or Criminals - The Departed, Howard Shore
2. Raiders March - The Indiana Jones Series, John Williams
3. Why So Serious? - The Dark Knight, Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard
4. The Impirial March - Star Wars, John Williams
5. I'm Not A Hero - The Dark Knight, Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard
6. Main Theme - Star Wars, John Williams
7. Visitors/End Titles - Close Encounters of the Third Kind, John Williams
8. Harvey Two-Face - The Dark Knight, Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard
9. Postcards - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Alexandre Desplat
10. The Mothership - Close Encounters of the Third Kind, John Williams

Cheers,
JM