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I think James Horner’s recent efforts are not as good as they should be, but I do beg you to stop this grudge against him. Please take into account that Horner has to put up with so much, e.g.
* winging directors
* performers who are not performing properly
* late and even sleepless nights due to his music
* stick from the critics
* going home to 2 kids and a wife
I would strongly recommend that if you do decide to knock Horner or some other composer, THINK TWICE!! You seriously don’t know how much work goes into producing a soundtrack.
Michael –
Hey, sounds like my job! Haha…j/k. I’m sure it’s more difficult than I’ve ever thought my job to be…like Danny said, “film composing is a lonely, neurotic job”…or something like that. Kudos to all those men and women who put up with so much, to bring the listeners a ray of sunshine every day
-E
Michael Lewis — “I think James Horner’s recent efforts are not as good as they should be, but I do beg you to stop this grudge against him.”
This is just the reason most have a “grudge against him”, because we know he can do superlative work, but have gotten “comfortable” in his ways. Composing for films is not the best place for unbridled artistic expression, but I think he lets all his fans down when he recycles time and again recently. I think he needs a real “fun” movie so he could get back into the spirit of why he wanted to score films in the first place (he almost broke out again with The Grinch — not a great movie). I want to hear a new score by him, and say “It sounds like he is having fun with this one”, but The Grinch is the only one in recent years that have come anywhere near that.
Sure, film scores as a job is inherently unoriginal when you are given “temp tracks” that you have to follow because the director has fallen in love with it, but you can use those temp tracks as inspiration rather than source material that I hear from Horner.
So what am I getting at. Well, Horner is a good composer, but he could be great. I have no doubt that he has it in him to start turning out wonderful scores, but right now he seems to see his work as… well, work. I have read interview where he basically says that it is just his job and nothing more. I do like his relationship with Ron Howard (even though there are a few duds) — a long teaming can only help him wanted do his best for the filmmaker.
James Horner, please use your talent, and give your fans (and past fans) a real reason to celebrate!
Interesting note: I was watching some of the deleted scenes on my sister’s “A Beautiful Mind” DVD, and they had the scene temped with Horner’s own music. I think I remember hearing/reading about Elfman and how he dislikes working on movies temped with his own score, or something, this makes me wonder how often Horner’s films are temped with his own scores… maybe it is the affecting influence causing some of the self-plagiaristic sound. *just a thought*
James Horner faces the same problems every other composer faces — only none of them churn out the same bland drivel every time at bat like he does.
Ryan
Whoa Ryan, you must not like Horner much, eh?
HEheheh….are you horner? You sound like him, or a relative..
Guys, “A beautiful mind” was pretty original…even though it was kind of droney…
Just call me his no. 1 fan! Why do you hate him Ryan? Oh yeah, when Horner resuses his work (only bits), I just think that’s his style. Take Elfman for example, he uses the same rhythm of strings over and over again. Get me? That’s just his style. No composer deserves stick, it’s a tough world! A little encouragement, which Horner isn’t getting, might give him a boost, that rejuvenation, that spark he lost.
Wow! Maybe we should make self-help tapes for all of our favorite composers, just to give them “a boost, that rejuvenation” that Michael Lewis talked about…um…maybe not. I certainly don’t have the time, nor the energy, nor am I *that* obsessed to be doing that…but for those of you who want to, go ahead!
-E
Why should someone need a boost to write a score for a film, I think that would be a dream job; a bit hectic and demanding it’s true, but your love of writing music (and sense of fun) should come through, even if you are following a “temp track”. I hear that sense of fun and love in Elfman’s work, I hear it in Horner’s early stuff, but somewhere after Searching for Bobby Fisher (a score I truly love), he started to put it on cruise control. There are some good score written since then by him, but they are fewer and far between, and there are many more consistent composers out there now; like James Newton Howard, Howard Shore, Elliot Goldenthal, John Williams, and of course Elfman. So until he starts to live up to his true potential I’ll spend my money elsewhere. Also there are a lot of older scores out there that need more attention (Horner scores included).
Incidentally some older Horner scores that I’ve recently purchased were wonderful. Take Jack the Bear, Battle Beyond the Stars, and Project X for examples.
Nat (a former Horner fan, hoping to return)
“HEheheh….are you horner? You sound like him, or a relative..”
Who? . . . ME?!
try aliens…it’s the only good horner score i’ve ever heard…infact it’s really amazing.
It’s your loss if you don’t like Horner.
Horner, that is?
Maybe those who get their feelings hurt here, could check it out.
Bearded or not, that is elfman in the banner, no?
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