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#4583150 - 10/21/21 12:26 PM The death of cinematic music?  
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PanzerMeyer Online centaurian
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Someone at work today asked me a really excellent question. It went "Name a film soundtrack that came out WITHIN the past 20 years that you think is so brilliant that you can listen to it over and over".

I had to think really long about this and I came up with nothing. I started off thinking of scifi films since that is my favorite genre. The JJ Abrams Star Trek movies have a pretty good main theme song but the rest of the music is forgettable. Prometheus and Alien Convenant? I don't remember those scores at all and I've seen those movies multiple times. The Disney Star Wars movies? Absolutely nothing memorable except for the recycled music that was used from the original trilogy.


I'll be curious to read the contributions from other members and please stick to FILMS. No tv shows/series.


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#4583151 - 10/21/21 12:32 PM Re: The death of cinematic music? [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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Maybe not literally cinematic, but I think the GoT soundtrack has many decent themes in it. And it's quite extensive too.

As for movies, it's a thing. I used to collect film soundtracks (I was an odd teenager) but soundtracks now seem to be about ambience rather than thematic. I enjoyed Gravity & Blade Runner 2049 soundtracks, but they're not hummable themes, they're ambience. High quality ambience, but still.


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#4583152 - 10/21/21 12:38 PM Re: The death of cinematic music? [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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Don't know, how about "Bohemian Raphsody", "Rocketman", "Walk the Line", "Rae", "Mamma Mia!"
neaner

You were checking the wrong genre wink

Last edited by WhoCares; 10/21/21 12:39 PM.
#4583153 - 10/21/21 12:40 PM Re: The death of cinematic music? [Re: DM]  
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Originally Posted by DM
but soundtracks now seem to be about ambience rather than thematic. I enjoyed Gravity & Blade Runner 2049 soundtracks, but they're not hummable themes, they're ambience. High quality ambience, but still.



I think you nailed it right here. What happens is that while you are watching the film you do indeed notice the ambient music but soon after the film is over you usually have a hard time remembering it.


“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
#4583154 - 10/21/21 12:41 PM Re: The death of cinematic music? [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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Originally Posted by WhoCares
Don't know, how about "Bohemian Raphsody", "Rocketman", "Walk the Line", "Rae", "Mamma Mia!"
neaner

You were checking the wrong genre wink


Lol, I was going to mention movies like those, but I guess the point is that they're not original scores.

Last edited by DM; 10/21/21 12:41 PM.

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#4583155 - 10/21/21 12:42 PM Re: The death of cinematic music? [Re: WhoCares]  
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PanzerMeyer Online centaurian
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Originally Posted by WhoCares
Don't know, how about "Bohemian Raphsody", "Rocketman", "Walk the Line", "Rae", "Mamma Mia!"
neaner

You were checking the wrong genre wink


Eh, I get your meaning but I guess I should have said original music that was specifically written for film.

edit: DM gets it. smile

Last edited by PanzerMeyer; 10/21/21 12:44 PM.

“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
#4583156 - 10/21/21 12:56 PM Re: The death of cinematic music? [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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I was just browsing back through the history of Oscar winning soundtracks
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Original_Score#2010s
and I see that John Williams' The Empire Strikes Back (an excellent soundtrack) lost out to Fame. Dark, dark times wink biggrin


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#4583158 - 10/21/21 12:58 PM Re: The death of cinematic music? [Re: DM]  
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Originally Posted by DM

and I see that John Williams' The Empire Strikes Back (an excellent soundtrack) lost out to Fame. Dark, dark times wink biggrin


The science fiction genre has very rarely been taken seriously by the Oscars so I'm not surprised. Sure, the main theme for "Fame" is very memorable but that's about it in my opinion.


“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
#4583164 - 10/21/21 01:22 PM Re: The death of cinematic music? [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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I can't think of any and I have many CD soundtracks (both single movie and main theme compilations), but I figured this was more of a reflection of my music library timeline (1965 - 1995).

My earliest recognizable movie theme would be Doctor Zhivago (1965), I think... "Somewhere, My Love (Lara's Theme)".

EDIT: Oh Wait..."Dr. No" (1962). Wife shouts, "Gone With The Wind" (1939).

Last edited by MarkG; 10/21/21 01:28 PM.


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#4583196 - 10/21/21 05:14 PM Re: The death of cinematic music? [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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My 2 cents is that it goes with the changing pace of movies. Older films tend to be slower, so there is more time for music to be dominant. Also, with things moving faster now, the music has to be less dominant, more supportive of fast action.

#4583201 - 10/21/21 05:35 PM Re: The death of cinematic music? [Re: FlyingToaster]  
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Originally Posted by FlyingToaster
My 2 cents is that it goes with the changing pace of movies. Older films tend to be slower, so there is more time for music to be dominant. Also, with things moving faster now, the music has to be less dominant, more supportive of fast action.



Yes, this fits in perfectly with what DM said concerning the difference between thematic and ambient music.


“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
#4583206 - 10/21/21 06:40 PM Re: The death of cinematic music? [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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Originally Posted by PanzerMeyer
Someone at work today asked me a really excellent question. It went "Name a film soundtrack that came out WITHIN the past 20 years that you think is so brilliant that you can listen to it over and over".


"The Martian," but this film borrowed from a lot of already popular songs and did not have an original score for the most part.

Also, after lots of thought, I'd say this movie is also the closest in the last decade to a four out of four star movie that we have had. It just feels good to watch. The only thing keeping it from achieving the top score is being able to watch it over and over. That I'm not so sure on.

The second film with a more original score might be "Interstellar." A fantastic but very flawed at times film.


Generally speaking with regards to the thread, I don't like how modern films are so action heavy. I prefer dialogue and slow building up of setting and plot so a brief and intense action sequence has meaning.

Last edited by Mr_Blastman; 10/21/21 06:41 PM.
#4583207 - 10/21/21 06:43 PM Re: The death of cinematic music? [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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Master and Commander, excellent soundtrack that I own and listen to. Half of it was period music that may disqualify it from this list though.
The first Pirates of the Caribbean had a fun soundtrack.
Captain Amerrica: The First Avenger had an ok theme, but they barely used it and the few instances they did it was so quiet that it was easy to miss.

#4583208 - 10/21/21 06:45 PM Re: The death of cinematic music? [Re: wormfood]  
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Originally Posted by wormfood

The first Pirates of the Caribbean had a fun soundtrack.



Agreed. It's one of many great scores by Klaus Badelt who is one of the creative disciples of Hans Zimmer so hence why their styles sound so similar.

Last edited by PanzerMeyer; 10/21/21 06:48 PM.

“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
#4583209 - 10/21/21 06:53 PM Re: The death of cinematic music? [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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"How to train your dragom" has good soundtrack.

#4583210 - 10/21/21 06:56 PM Re: The death of cinematic music? [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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I can think of one or two movies that the music evokes a visual from the movie upon hearing it, The Blue Max for one.
I can tell you what is happening on the screen just from the score.
Just about any of the Bond Films that John Barry wrote. Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan and the first Pirates of the Caribbean have memorable scores.
I think these days only the cinematic blockbusters have purpose written scores while many are filled with incidental themes and Popular Music like Beverly Hills Cop's "Axel F"
which is played pretty much every time Eddie's character is on screen but the soundtrack is full of other 80's music and apart from that no orchestral stuff.


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#4583211 - 10/21/21 07:00 PM Re: The death of cinematic music? [Re: KRT_Bong]  
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Originally Posted by KRT_Bong

I can tell you what is happening on the screen just from the score.
.


Yup, I know exactly what you are talking about. The original SW trilogy, the first three Indiana Jones movies, the original cast Star Trek movies (TMP through 6), Dune, Blade Runner, Alien, Aliens and Predator are the ones that come to my mind.


“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
#4583214 - 10/21/21 07:30 PM Re: The death of cinematic music? [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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Tron Legacy.

& if we were allowing soundtracks collected from popular songs Guardians of the Galaxy :P


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#4583240 - 10/22/21 01:26 AM Re: The death of cinematic music? [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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I don't get into movie soundtracks like I used to, but I think part of it might be my age, as well as sort of a "been there, done that" mentality.

I think the Batman Begins/Dark Knight themes aren't too bad, but I also agree with the sentiment that movies have changed, and the soundtracks are serving a slightly different purpose.


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#4583242 - 10/22/21 02:42 AM Re: The death of cinematic music? [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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