It fits here better... soundtrack...

Bard

Soundtrack... not songs... not lyrics... just the sounds- the melodies - the tunes that go along with the movie.

What's the best?

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Okay.- I know we've had a lot of "best of" themes and threads lately - but hey... such is the nature of the beast... such is why the fascination with programmes such as Channel 4's "Top 5" exists.

I'm talking here about pure soundtracks. Music only- not lyrics- ... just the melodies and harmonies... just the music itself which accompanies the triumphs and despairs, the heartaches, the agonies, the world-beating moments and superlative triumphs, the middling, the unknown, - the entire spectrum of emotions that takes place during the best of the movies.

What is your favourite -pure- soundtrack. We're not talking about any commercial band (or collection of commercial bands) screaming their way through 12 releasable singles - we're talking (most likely) a symphony orchestra, or one single band... a soundtrack- in the movie sense of the word

I realise that this may entail somewhat of a repeat of what's been said before, but so be it. This is pure "melodic, theatrical, orchestral" sounds I'm looking for. Maybe I'm looking to beef up the CD collection

ok - I've said my bit... now say yours...

PS... for me ... it's: "Gladiator" (both discs), "Last of the Mohicans" and "Star Trek: First Contact".

Next!

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Bard

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Ying-Tong-Iddle-I-Po!

Bob the Unlucky Octopus

My favorite choices would have to be:

First and foremost Star Wars- all three films' scores by John Williams- he may have pinched a lot of it from "The 9 Planets" but the emotions encapsulated in the music truly moves me. Then, in no particular order:

Platoon- Barber's Adagio for Strings forms the core of a very moving score indeed

Schindler's list- The music goes a long way to setting the tone of this film

The Piano- Some of the concertos draw the viewer in more than the superb plot ever could

Gladiator- I like this because it marks Hans Zimmer stepping out of his "Bruckenheimer cheesy score mode" and puts him firmly in with the classics. A score approaching greatness.

Chinatown- Jeremiah Goldsmith's score is so classic and evocatively noirish that it has to have a mention here.

The Great Escape- Love it or loathe it, Elmer Bernstein's classic score is the catchiest tune you'll ever see going around. It's almost evil in its insidious ability to suck you into whistling it.

Batman- Danny Elfman (who scores the Simpsons as well) surpassed all expectation with his dark, brooding score. Absolutely brilliant stuff.

And, saving the best til last...

El Cid/Ben Hur- I put these together, because only together can the genius of Dr. Miklos Roza be truly seen. My favorite of the two scores would be El Cid, but it doesn't really matter. All that does is the emotional rollercoaster of the strong toned music.

Those are my favorite scores without a doubt. A lot of these films owe the atmospheric setting their plots thrive on to the music.

Bob the Unlucky Octopus
=Alea Jacta Est=

PS- gr8 thread Bard, plyd

Karl Hungus

Without a doubt...

CONAN THE BARBARIAN!

Absolutely the greatest soundtrack I've heard in my life...

As for a more... Band orientated sound track. The Crow kicked ass...

Shinji

Gladiator is amazing - fantastic music to play games by, too.

The original Star Wars orchestral soundtrack is a work of art as well... And I'm quite a fan of the Stargate soundtrack, some nice themes the best of which has, of course, been recycled as the opening for Stargate: SG-1.

So shoot me, but with the exception of the terrible Celine Dion crooning, the Titanic soundtrack was very good - haunting melodies with a distinctly Irish feel.

In terms of non-orchestral work, the soundtrack done by Michael Kamen and Orbital for Event Horizon is discordant, scary and brilliant.

As per usual, the Japanese have some great stuff - orchestral music is still quite mainstream there, thanks to the common use of original orchestral scores in TV series and games - where we have Hans Zimmer and John Williams, they have Joe Hisashi and Yoko Kanno. The soundtrack to Laputa is particularly good, as is pretty much anything by Kanno - check out the Escaflowne soundtrack in particular, or the Brain Powerd OST.

Kali

already mentioned:

Platoon.
Gladiator.

not mentioned:

2001: A Space Odyssey.

Superfly: and yes it has lyrics but the film and soundtrack were made hand in hand and is imo one of the best scores available, listening to it just brings back the different parts and the whole message of the film so much, work of absolute genius by curtis. Film wouldn't be the same without it.

BNC

Has to be John Williams' "Empire of the Sun",

Or in fact anything John Williamsy!

Bard

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Bob the Unlucky Octopus:
gr8 thread Bard, plyd </font>

wow... and there was me worried it was crap! I must start threads more often with 8 pints inside me

Nice choices on the soundtracks there, y'all... keep em comin'

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Bard

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Ying-Tong-Iddle-I-Po!

TinCool

Well as far as all time greats there' Star Wars, Blade Runner, Batman I and Gladiator. But there's so many other movie scores that are class. Some that spring to mind in no particular order:

Back to the Future
Predator
Dirty Harry I

spag

the score to the virgin suicides is pretty damn great.. it was done by air...
and of course all the rest menioned here
oh..and the omen.....well, that one piece....y'know, the monks......gives me goosebumps.
and that christmas song that was used in...lots of things.....y'know...."ding, dong, ding, dong" ..really spooky.....i don't know the names of anything......does anyone know what i'm talking about?

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She's a waitress, and she's got style
Sunday bathtime will take a while

[This message has been edited by spag (edited 04-06-2001).]

Bard

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by spag:

oh..and the omen.....well, that one piece....y'know, the monks......gives me goosebumps.
</font>

Must be "Avé Satani" (...?)

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Bard

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Ying-Tong-Iddle-I-Po!

[This message has been edited by Bard (edited 04-06-2001).]