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Just leaving this Post for the weekend.
I was looking at my relatively small collection of CD’s (Almost all film scores, and half of them Elfman’s) on Monday, and I asked myself: “What are the top five film scores of all time?” As a HUGE Elfman fan, I immediately threw Edward Scissorhands into the number one spot (it being my personal favorite film score), but quickly pulled it out. I realized that picking the top five original/mostly-original orchestral film scores (Wizard of Oz and Marry Poppins songs do not count), would take a grate deal on impartiality. Choosing only five film scores to represent ALL of hollywood’s history turned out to be quite difficult for me. Hard as it was, I determined that there was no way that Elfman could make this list. I excluded films with multiple scores (i.e. Metropolis, several Chaplin films, and many other silent movies) because to name the score is confusing to the average person. The scores I chose would have to be easily recognizable and still hold their power (i.e. be entertaining/listen-able) today. After much deliberation, I arrived with my top five. I then listed them in order of what I felt would be the most recognizable today. MY list is below.
1) The Godfather – N. Rota
2) The Good The Bad And The Ugly – E. Morricone
3) Psycho – B. Herrmann
4) Ben Hur – M. Rosza
5) Gone With The Wind – M. SteinerHow did I do? I’m not asking for lists put together by polls, other composers, or big record labels. Nor am I asking for your personal favorites. I am asking for your personal, unbiased, opinions, and/or your personal, unbiased, lists. Remember to choose wisely if you post a list, you are choosing the top five original motion picture Scores OF ALL TIME!!! (Okay, only up to the present, but you get the idea.)
1) King Kong – Max Steiner (1933)
2) Forbidden Planet – Bebe & Louis Barron (1956)
3) Psycho – Bernard Herrmann (1960)
4) The Graduate – Paul Simon (1967)
5) Star Wars – John Williams (1977)Your right Empire Strikes Back should be?
1.King Kong (Right on Nin it is the Alpha of all FIlm Scores)
2.The Adventrues of Robin Hood (Korngold)
3.The Empire Strikes Back
4.Psycho
5.tie The Bride Of Frankensein (Franz Waxman)
& To Kill A Mocking Bird (Elmer Bernstein)runnerups
Ben-Her
Spartacus (North)In no particular order:
King of Kings (61) Rozsa
Vertigo (58) Herrmann
The Adventures of Robin Hood (38) Korngold
Spartacus (60) North
The Empire Strikes Back (80) WilliamsRunners up:
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Jason and the Argonauts
El Cid
Bride of Frankenstein
The Godfather Part Two
Indiana Jones and the Temple of DoomEhm, Star Wars I mean.
What about Jaws?
WHAT ABOUT BATMAN RETURNS???????????!!!!!!!!!!!11
1. Titus – Elliot Goldenthal
2. Conspiracy Theory – Carter Burwell
3. Nightbreed – Danny Elfman
4. The Usual Suspects – John Ottman
5. Basic Instinct – Jerry GoldsmithYeah, they’re all modern. But that’s what I came up with.
BartNfink93, You like Conspiracy theory?! I Thought I was the only one that noticed Burwell’s score. I cant find it on CD anywhere! I was just checking in a little early, and I don’t have long, I will post some comments about the list on Monday. I may also be going by the name of Dorkman by then (unless one of you, or another new comer steels it first). Oh well, got to go. Great lists, don’t stop the self-inflicted torture of having to select only five film scores! You’re doing quite well so far.
Well, I must admit that I am sorry to see that no one else has submitted any other lists and that my topic has turned old as quickly as it has. To anyone still reading this thread, I submit the following comments.
You have all made some excellent choices, some of which I had expected, others that I never even considered and perhaps should have. I have to say that the biggest over sight on my behalf was “King Kong”. I selected “Gone With the Wind” because I thought it to be more recognizable/memorable, but “King Gong” is certainly more note worthy. As to “Star Wars”, I did take Willams’ work into consideration, but then decided that more people would recognize “Jaws”. The both of them are probably top ten material (definitely “Jaws” anyway) along with (unfortunately) “Chariots of Fire” and “Rocky” (Shutter. I hate those two!), but I felt that I could come up with other scores to better represented the industry. I did in fact take Elmer’s “To Kill a Mocking Bird” into consideration, but then decided that more people would recognize “The Magnificent Seven”. This got me thinking about western scores which got me thinking about Morriconne’s “Once Upon a Time in the West”, I almost listed that one but resolved that more people would be familiar with “The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly” (which is of the same style and, if you’ve never heard it all, I highly recommend it). As to Herrmann’s work, I considered “Citizen Cane”, “The Day the Earth Stood Still”, and “Taxi Driver” (which does not impress me, but other people love it) as contenders for the list, but every one knows the “Psycho” score, so that made Top 5. I also considered the epics (“Cleopatra”, “El Cid”, “The Ten Commandments”, etc.) but my sister recommended “Ben Hur”, and I remember that movie as having a rememberable score, so that’s how I came to throw ol’ Hur on my list (“El Cid” is certainly swappable though). As to “The God Father”, I simply couldn’t NOT put it on the list, who doesn’t know “The God Father”? Anyhow, that explains my list. I am glad to see that many of us agree on composers, even if our selections differ. I’m also glad to see that no one mentioned Horner’s “Titanic”. Had any one of you done so, it would be my personal duty find out where you live, break into your home, and cut you. Fantastic submissions by everybody. You have really helped me with my list.
By the way, if you didn’t submit a list/opinion because you’re not familiar with the older scores, or are only a fan of Elfman’s, that doesn’t matter to me. I only wanted you guys to have a little fun (and perhaps to harrow yourselves as I had myself while making my selection).
Signed:
Formerly “Anonymous Coward” and far too nerdy for the title of “Darkman”,
Dorkman555.
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