Favorite Movie Composers

Pigman

Who's your favorite movie composer?

pauldeehan

Hans Zimmer- Gladiator, The Rock, etc

mike65

Tricky this, I lke Howard Shores stuff esp with David Cronenberg,
Morricone is just a legend but so prolific he has done a fair amount of dross too. I'll go for an "other" namely Lalo Schifrin who did alot of cool stuff in the 70s'. David Shire is worth a mention too.

Mike.

alastair

where's the daddy; John Barry?

agree on the schifrin and david shire stuff too

and Roy Budd's score for Get Carter.

alastair

other good stuff:
Michael Small; The Parallax View, Klute, Marathon Man

and of course
Bernard Herrmann: Psycho, Taxi Driver, Cape Fear, North by Northwest

Kali

john williams gets my vote.. close encounters of 3rd kind & jaws... he has a knack for these little catchy melodies that sum up movies.

Morricone also done score for The Thing afaik for those interested.

Winters

John Williams gets my vote. He has done so many amazing movie soundtracks: John Williams @ IMDB

And what about Pete Carpenter & Mike Post The A-Team theme song was a thing of beauty!!

Dustaz

Williams shaped my childhood so he gets the vote.

mike65

I forgot about Michael Small he did a great sparse score for The Driver (which seemed to inspire a generation of joy-riders). I liked Williams scores for CE3K and Jaws but too much of his stuff has a soupy-sentimental quality I can't warm to.

The seventies were the high-point of film composing for me, since then its been all about the spin-off albums....:(


Mike.

Karl Hungus

There's many great composers there, John Williams, Ennio Morricone and Howard Shore are all brilliant, and well worth the vote, but I'm afraid Danny Elfman has to get it.

He has some of the most memorably themes like Batman, which was just so grand and huge sounding.
And the stuff from Sleepy Hollow was brilliant, as was Edward Scissorhands... I can barely watch that film without nearly crying, and the score had a huge part in this. So emotional.

All in all, I have to say he's also one of the more original composers alive today.

Gordon

Exactly what Kali and Dustaz said.
John Williams without a shadow of a doubt.
How someone can create pure fear with two notes a semitone apart, pure emotion.
I've seen some newer creations of his and don't feel the same way unfortunately, but that doesn't lessen what he has done in any way.

Genius

Shinji

It's a bit poncey I know, but what about Vangelis? Blade Runner, Conquest of Paradise, Chariots of Fire... He's done some pretty unforgettable stuff. Anyone who likes movie soundtrack style music should pick up "So Long Ago, So Clear", which is an excellent compilation of his stuff.

That said, Williams gets my vote. Star Wars, Jaws, ET, Indiana Jones, Superman... Themes that shaped your childhood. And that still do - kids growing up today will remember the scores to films like Harry Potter just as fondly.

pauldeehan

Yeah, Vangelis has some pretty good stuff, the Blade Runner theme is class and Chariots of Fire is good too.

ObeyGiant

Like someone already said - Hans Zimmer. If only for "You're so cool" (True Romance)

Jim

toss up between nyman and williams, but inm afraid the ny-man must get my vote:)

Belisarius

My vote goes to Enio Morricone , Beautiful work
Also I might suggest Basil Poledouris . For Conan the barbarian if nothing else

shotamoose

Agree with the suggestions of Hermann and Barry, and I'd like to add in Randy Newman, who's done some great stuff. But I voted for Ennio Morricone, cos when he's really good he's tons of fun.

Karl Hungus

Originally posted by Belisarius
My vote goes to Enio Morricone , Beautiful work
Also I might suggest Basil Poledouris . For Conan the barbarian if nothing else

Yes! One of the best scores in existance.

_CreeD_

James Newton Howard
Carter Burwell (For Rob Roy and Mystery Alask particularly)
James Horner (in his pre Titanic days).


On a sidenote you might want to check out In The Nursery, they do soundtrack style albums (each has a theme, but only 2 were actually for real productions).

Kalina

I voted for Danny Elfman, his Batman and Spider-man soundtracks are fantastic. I also like John Barry for Dances with Wolves and John Williams for Saving Private Ryan and especially Schindlers list. His music with Spielbergs movies are spellbinding together.

Bucon

It's got to be Craig Armstrong for me. Moulin Rouge, Bone Collector etc, and also 2 fantastic solo albums of his own!

Bucon.

sceptre

Voted for James Horner, mostly for Aliens. Thomas Newman a close second, mostly for Shawshank

John Williams sure can knock out a catchy tune when he wants to though.

Belisarius

Poledouris did Robocop aswell , which I only remembered today

Hans Zimmer is a hardworking Hollywood composer worthy of a mention ,soundtracks all over the place , and generally quite good. Same goes for Micheal Nyman , pity they arent on the poll...

phobos

I voted for Thomas Newman

I think he has composed some of the best classical music for film in a long time. It was him that got me interested in Classical music in the first place. I was shocked to find out how many popular movies he did the soundtrack for, and after some thought, not surprised. One of my favourite pieces by him, would be "Brooks was here". It's possibly because it was played during a very emotional moment during Shawshank, that got my attention in the first place. Or then again, it could have been the events in association with the song, that made the scene emotional in the first place.

Music like that, does the soul good

;-phobos-)

JarJar blinks

Originally posted by AngelWhore


Ennio Morricone

It's missing an "N"


Also worth a mention

Hugo Montenago

Rodgers & Hammerstein

TetsuoHashimoto

So who are the best?

Jean Claude Laureux For Three Colous Red

Ennio Morricone for any of his stuff

Hans Zimmer for the Lion King

Paul McCollough for Night of the Living Dead

Mader for Eat drink man women

Giorgio Moroder for Superman

Tan Du for Bride with White Hair

Danny Elfman for Batman

Yo-Yo ma and Coco Lee for Croucing Tiger


The people voting here haven't a F*cking clue, voting for Star wars what a heap of Sh*t!

BJJ

Ahhh Choices Choices
Kaburagi Soo, Danny Elfman, Peter Chase, Michael Nyman, Jerry Goldsmith, Kawai Kenji, Alan Menken, Amano Masamichi, Vangelis, Coco Lee, Basil Poledouris, Hans Zimmer.

Tetsuo you're dead right!!!

Bloody Hell! I can't believe the way the votes went! Hello, Popularity does not mean Talent.
Anyone Recall the exploits of the Monkeys in the USA, a highly talented Band that never went on tour. Moneys!!.:rolleyes:


John Williams is a piece of Hollywood Sh1t that was never flushed and continues to stink the world with his rubbish musical scores.

BJJ

I mean what "D" hell are James Horner and Alan Silvestri doing in the poll? Those guys are useless.

BJJ

Originally posted by Dustaz
Williams shaped my childhood so he gets the vote.

It's odvious you didn't have much of a childhood.

IrishGuykokoJin

I voted "Elfman" but only 'cause there wasn't much else to vote for.

But I admit being surprised at the percentages.

Have we all forgotten the fantastic music in Blade Runner by Vangelis.
Did we fail to recollect the fantastic work by Hans Zimmer in a huge ammount of films.
Have we neglected Bernard Herman's the Day "The day the Earth stood still"- "
Forbidden Planet best of all is the terrific all-electronic score by electronic music pioneers, Louis and Bebe Barron.
Vertigo with its classic sound track
Things to Come was the first uk epic, costing £2 million .with Arthur Bliss' classic musical score.
Do you know Metropolis opened as a three-hour epic accompanied by a live symphony orchestra. Made by Fritz Lang in Germany the film dramatised a dehumanised technological future, introducing the megalopolis as a character in its own right; an idea developed in Blade Runner, Batman, and Dark City


Other mentions.
( Vangelis, Yo-Yo ma, Peter Chase, Carter Burwell, Tan Du, Ennio Morricone, Hans Zimmer, Kawai Kenji, Bernard Herman)

BJJ

Well I always knew the world's greatest Film- Music Composers came from a sh*t movie industry called Hollywood.


Fact:
Hollywood Porn Industry out sells and makes more MONEY than any other Film industry.
Now we've all seen a cheesy porn film or 2, if it be some trash made by Mick Jagger, Burt Renolds or actual Porn.
Remember those Oscar winning sound tracks that accompany the films.??

This is what Hollywood is, nothing but rubbish along with it's crappy musical composers.

sceptre

Originally posted by BJJ
I mean what "D" hell are James Horner and Alan Silvestri doing in the poll? Those guys are useless.

James Horner: gains points for Aliens, Braveheart, Field of Dreams and er, Krull (I liked the music), loses some for Titanic (not a fan of the movie, didn't like the score either)

Alan Silvestri: gains points for the Abyss, Mouse Hunt and Roger Rabbit, loses them all for the Bodyguard.

Pigman

RE:The poll. It appears a lot of peoples favorite movie composers are not listed but to clarify when I made the poll I decided to pick the 9 that I felt most people on this board would be familiar with. Sorry if your fav composer wasn't listed but for all that there was the option to pick 'other' was offered.

Mistakill

John Williams and Ennio maricone

I went for Maricone tho

pauldeehan

Sorry if your fav composer wasn't listed but for all that there was the option to pick 'other' was offered.

Y'know what? I forgive you. It took me a while to get over the hurt and the frustration but I forgive you Pigman.

ObeyGiant

Originally posted by BJJ
John Williams is a piece of Hollywood Sh1t that was never flushed and continues to stink the world with his rubbish musical scores.

Talking out your ass.

You mention "Popularity does not mean talent". I couldn't agree with you more - but then again, popularity does not mean someone instantly fails whatever credibility test you have concocted around your love of whatever french cinema is popular at any one time.

For the most part, every movie John Williams has been involved in has had a truly memorable score (Jaws, Superman, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, ET etc. etc.). As a matter of fact - I think that in most cases, the score helped make the movie even more enjoyable. Sure, for the most part, these films may have been overhyped, overbudgeted pieces of tacky crap, but this is not a bad thing. I cannot emphasise this enough. I really don't see how you can say that someone had a crappy childhood because they grew up watching Indiana Jones or Star Wars. This, to me, is a standard childhood. We don't all shoot out of our mother's womb singing the praises of Godard. Sorry, but we don't.

Pigman

Originally posted by pauldeehan


Y'know what? I forgive you. It took me a while to get over the hurt and the frustration but I forgive you Pigman.

Thanks, I can finally sleep well again.

MrPudding

I voted other. The other in question is Eric Serra. You may remember him from such movies as Leon, The Fifth Element, The Big Blue. In fact I think any Luc Besson movie and some others like Goldeneye.

Saruman

John Williams is my fave.. i would then go for Howard Shore, Hans Zimmer (Gladiator, MI2 etc etc..) and David Arnold (Independence day, Stargate etc) - both not listed???

Not in any particular order after Williams though...

Even new films like Minority report.. i saw that and though that has to be Williams doing the cool soundtrack..and it was... A good movie composer is one you recognise the style in any movie while not re-hashing the same old stuff...

Thanx 4 The Fish

James Horner for Braveheart and Apollo 13. Newer stuff IS a bit off.

EvilGeorge

Difficult to pick one above the rest , most of them have written some pretty amazing stuff, pitty you didn't include hanz zimmer - loved his Gladiator sound track.

bonkey

Originally posted by MrPudding
I voted other. The other in question is Eric Serra. You may remember him from such movies as Leon, The Fifth Element, The Big Blue. In fact I think any Luc Besson movie and some others like Goldeneye.

Far from "any Luc Besson Movie" (compare the two on imdb), but yeah - they had close ties. Bit like Elfman and Burton or Nyman and Greenaway really.

Serra would probably be my top choice, although mostly because of his work on one movie - The Big Blue.

As for comments like The people voting here haven't a F*cking clue, voting for Star wars what a heap of Sh*t! all I can say is this :

Taste is subjective. If you cant understand that concept, then you are the one without a fscking clue. If you can understand that concept, youd realise how utterly stupid your comment was.

jc

Saruman

Well said Bonkey.. my fave John Williams soundtracks are not even Star wars tracks! Like Jurassic Park or Indiana Jones etc... ET is classic...