main
side
curve
  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

*Official Thread* The Film Music Critics Society: Now Discussing: Braveheart

Discussion in 'Star Wars And Film Music' started by Darth-Lutgerous, Sep 2, 2005.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Darth-Lutgerous

    Darth-Lutgerous Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 24, 2005
    Welcome everyone to the Film Music Critics Society! The purpose of this official thread is to discuss soundtracks in an orderly manner and to rate them based on either their cd, sound in the movie, or both. If you haven't heard the soundtracks, you can still join in the conversation. This thread can also help recommend or not recommend certain soundtracks. Our mod General Kenobi can update the title of the thread to correspond to the film track in current discussion. When we finish with a soundtrack, it will posted under this with the average rating of all the responding usernames and a new soundtrack will be added. If you have any suggestions on soundtracks to discuss or anything else, please pm me.

    The current soundtrack in discussion is:

    Medicine Man - by Jerry Goldsmith (1992)
    * If you haven't heard it before, you might want to listen to clips on Amazon.

    Here is the link to a review: http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/medicine_man.html
     
  2. Darth-Lutgerous

    Darth-Lutgerous Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 24, 2005
    I think Medicine Man is a memorable score with great themes. "Trees" is a great main theme and track which provides much emotion in the movie. "Fire," another serious track is great because it goes fantastically with the burning of the rainforest. Medicine Man also has light-hearted tracks such as "Rae's Arrival" and "Mountain High" which use instruments that blend perfectly with the setting in the rainforest. Overall, it is a much too forgotten gem of Goldsmith's great career. I give it 4 1/2 stars out of 5.
     
  3. TheBoogieMan

    TheBoogieMan Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 14, 2001
    Sorry, although I'm quite keen for your thread to succeed I haven't seen/heard Medicine Man so I can't comment...
     
  4. Darth-Lutgerous

    Darth-Lutgerous Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 24, 2005
    The next soundtrack in discussion is: Jurassic Park, a great soundtrack by John Williams.

    Here's a link to a review:
    http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/jurassic_park.html
     
  5. TheBoogieMan

    TheBoogieMan Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 14, 2001
    Hmm. For me, Jurassic Park is one of those few Williams scores that doesn't sit well. Although the score itself isn't that bad, in fact it is downright great in many parts (the Raptor motif being a fav) but as a whole it seems indicative of that sort of blasé mid-90s Williams score - just sort of resting on his laurels a bit, don't you think. And the main theme really, really, really annoys me. I must admit though, it works wonders in the film and the score, along with the ground-breaking effects are iconic of this already iconic film.
     
  6. Cerrabore

    Cerrabore Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 17, 2004
    Not one of my favorites. Much of it sounds like Williams on autopilot. That said, the main themes are pretty good, though the piano motif seems somehow... wrong. Throughout the Jurassic Park series, the dinosaurs are rocked back and forth in the viewer's perspective, from good to evil. So, the piano theme represents the positive aspect of the dinosaurs, but not five minutes later, "DA-DA-DA-DUMMMMMM..." It creates a sense of confusion and lack of direction. I do like the brass theme. A classic heroic theme, especially in "T-Rex Rescue and Finale" and that unreleased cue where Tim is badgering Dr. Grant. Unfortunately, this theme represents exclusively John Hammond and Jurassic Park in The Lost World, but in the first one it's the good guys' theme.

    "Welcome to Jurassic Park" and "End Credits" crack me up. Really, what bright album editor's idea was that?
     
  7. Mastadge

    Mastadge Manager Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 4, 1999
    I've neither seen nor heard Medicine Man, though I feel like I've heard "Trees" somewhere.

    I agree with the sentiments above, mostly. I love the Jurassic Park themes, and they're always welcome on compilation albums. Whenever they pop up in the score -- "Journey to the Island," "Welcome to Jurassic Park," a few more times near the end -- I enjoy it, but the rest, while not bad, is mostly just musical wallpaper that I don't particularly care to listen to, so I rarely listen to the score.
     
  8. Darth-Lutgerous

    Darth-Lutgerous Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 24, 2005
    Can you guys give a rating for Jurassic Park out of 5?
     
  9. Cerrabore

    Cerrabore Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 17, 2004
  10. DarthQuellonis

    DarthQuellonis Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    May 22, 2005
    I have never listened to it.
     
  11. Darth-Lutgerous

    Darth-Lutgerous Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 24, 2005
    I have. It is a good soundtrack, but not close to Williams' best. The piano theme is my favorite in the whole movie, the main theme has some great musical moments including the helicopter ride to Jurassic Park. I rate this 4 stars.
     
  12. HL&S

    HL&S Magistrate Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 2001
    Medicine Man by Jerry Goldsmith

    I have a snippet from the soundtrack on a best of Jerry Goldsmith soundtrack and I must admit I hadn't really listened to it before now though I've had the cd for 5 years. It's really beautiful. I saw the film a few times but couldn't remember the score though. But the track I listened to called "the Trees" was quite good. I also thought it sounded slightly familiar. But maybe it's just a note or something.



    Jurassic Park by John Williams

    I believe this is one of John's most underrated works. I was truly sad not to see it on AFI's top 250 score nominations list yet A.I. could be found. It's got great themes constructed wonderfully throughout the cd which I own. I think it's just as a good as Jaws really for a monster flick. The main them for Jurassic Park is great, the Journey to the Island theme is great, and Remembering Petticoat Lane is beautiful. I do think they mislabled the "Welcome to Jurassic Park" track which should really be the end credits music as it is in the film.
     
  13. Darth-Lutgerous

    Darth-Lutgerous Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 24, 2005
    It is underrated, along with Medicine Man (that's why I chose them both). Do you have a rating for Jurassic Park and/or Medicine Man? Any suggestions for future pics would be good HookLineAndSinker.
     
  14. TheBoogieMan

    TheBoogieMan Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 14, 2001
    I'd rate JP 2½ stars out of 5. It's good - it would be great coming from any other composer - but it just a little too 'wallpaperish' as Mastadge said. I probably would have given it 3 if not for my personal hatred of the main horn theme.
     
  15. Mastadge

    Mastadge Manager Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 4, 1999
    I'd give JP a ***, maybe ***½ out of *****. I'll listen to it again sometime and let you know.
     
  16. Rogan_Agar

    Rogan_Agar Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 1, 2004
    Jurassic Park is IMO one of Williams best works. I love the JP theme and the hymnus. They are both among my favorite musical themes ever!

    I give it a 5 out of 5. IMO perfect music.
     
  17. MovieTrailerMusic

    MovieTrailerMusic Jedi Youngling star 5

    Registered:
    Feb 17, 2004
    Wow these discussions go by pretty quick
     
  18. HL&S

    HL&S Magistrate Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 2001
    Medicine Man I'd give *** out of *****

    Jurassic Park I'd give **** out of *****
     
  19. HL&S

    HL&S Magistrate Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 2001
    Any suggestions for future pics would be good HookLineAndSinker.

    Er... Bram Stoker's Dracula by Wojciech Kilar? I noticed it didn't even make the nomination list for AFI's best film scores. It certainly should have been on there. The themes are pretty good. I'd give it a ****1/2
     
  20. ROTS_Obi1

    ROTS_Obi1 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 16, 2005
    Ahh, I can't comment on Medicine Man, but Jerry Goldsmith was a fine composer.

    As for Jurassic park; that is a great score! ****1/2 for good 'ol Jurassic Park.
     
  21. han_solo_321

    han_solo_321 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 14, 2002
    I love the Jurassic Park soundtrack!

    5/5
     
  22. Darth-Lutgerous

    Darth-Lutgerous Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 24, 2005
    Here are the soundtracks we've discussed so far and their average ratings (Remember they are rated out of *****):

    Medicine Man (Goldsmith) ****

    Jurassic Park (Williams) ****


    The next soundtrack we will discuss is The Mask of Zorro, by James Horner.

    Here's a link to a review by Filmtracks: http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/mask_zorro.html



     
  23. TheBoogieMan

    TheBoogieMan Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 14, 2001
    Ah! Nice choice!

    This is was one of the first soundtracks that I liked, so my opinion of it may be slightly skewed.

    It's a fun score, with a great main theme that reflects wonderfully both the adventurousness of the film and the latino atmosphere. If only that damn Tina Arena song wasn't there... :mad:

    Particular favourites: The Ride, The Plaza of Execution (gotta love those flamenco guitars!)

    I'm too tired to go into great depth about this at the moment, but I will give it a rating: 4½ out of 5. I would give it 5 but at some level I am dimly aware that it *is* written by James Horner and I'm probably looking at it with very strong rose coloured glasses...
     
  24. redsabreanakin

    redsabreanakin Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Feb 16, 2005
    I second that..considering that it is a Horner score. (as I have said before Horner is just not one of my favorites), but having said that...it really is one of his most original scores in years...and it is a fun score to listen to.

    Favorite tracks are

    1)"the ride"
    2)"elena and esperanza"
    3)"the fencing lesson"

    but the best is...

    4)"stealing the map"

    A terrific score for a terrific movie, and one of Horner's best. (since he didn't rip himself off so much)

    4 out of 5 (and a high 4 at that)
     
  25. Mastadge

    Mastadge Manager Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 4, 1999
    I don't care for Mask of Zorro. It works well in the film, but on its own it bored me. It sounded too much like every other epic score Horner's written since 1991 or so, with a few ethnic flourishes for color, but nevertheless just Horner running on autopilot yet again. From Horner's latter canon, I'd much rather listen to Legends of the Fall, Braveheart, Apollo 13, even Titanic, The Missing or Troy than Mask of Zorro which sounds very similar to all of them but, to my ears, just misses the beauty that some of them have while never achieving the fun energy of early Horner.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.