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

Thanks for joining in Zarm_Rkeeg.

Here is our Master List of Soundtracks and their average ratings (out of *****):


Medicine Man (Goldsmith) ****

Jurassic Park (Williams) ****

The Mask of Zorro (Horner) ****

Shakespeare in Love (Warbeck) **** 1/2

Princess Mononoke (Hisaishi) **** 1/2

Dragonheart (Edelman) **** 1/2

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Williams) **** 1/2

Titanic (Horner) ***

The Rock (Glennie-Smith, Zimmer, Gregson-Williams) ***

Gladiator (Zimmer, Gerrard, Badelt) ****

Finding Neverland (Kaczmarek) **** 1/2

Entrapment (Young) *** 1/2

Far and Away (Williams) ****


The next soundtrack we will discuss is The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Weber. The classic play is one of the best theater has ever seen and has recently become the longest running show on Broadway. Its story, score, songs, and characters make the experience of The Phantom of the Opera one of the best in musical history. With great songs including the title song: "Phantom of the Opera," "All I Ask of You," "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again," "Masquerade," "Think of Me," and "The Point of No Return," the play and movie's score is always a pleasure to listen to. If you feel up to it, you may want to rate the Original 1986 Cast Recording (with Sarah Brightman as Christine and Michael Crawford as the Phantom) and the new movie version.


If you have never heard this soundtrack before, check out clips on amazon:

Here is the 1986 Original Cast Recording: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004YTY2/qid=1139175656/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/002-9128568-8026452?s=music&v=glance&n=5174

Here is the movie version: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00065L706/qid=1139175656/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-9128568-8026452?s=music&v=glance&n=5174


Review on Filmtracks: http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/phantom_opera.html (movie version - it is interesting to see them compare the leads in the play to Brightman and Crawford, and the overall greatness of the play the movie fails to capture)


* If this is your first time here or you missed the last discussions, please feel free to rate the previous scores as well. Just specify which scores you are rating.

 

1986 Original Cast Recording:
Awesome recording. I wasn't fortunate to see the original cast, but I've been listening to the soundtrack for years. As far as I'm concerned, there is but one Phantom and that is Crawford, but there have been other very good Phantoms over the years (none of whom I can name, however). From "Music of the Night" to "Masquerade" to "The Point of No Return," this is packed with great musical numbers. I've never liked "Think of Me" and don't really like Brightman's voice in general. The "Notes" number is always fun. Listening to the soundtrack is a wonderful experience.

2004 Film Recording
There were things I liked and didn't like about the movie. I liked the cast for the most part; I realized that the movie version required different casting than the stage version and found Butler's Phantom to work pretty well within that context. That being said, his singing isn't quite up to par for the character we have known for so long. I like Rossum's voice and actually enjoyed her version of "Think of Me," which suprised me. I like how they did "Prima Donna" and "Point of No Return." The movie is a great, lavish experience. Listening to the soundtrack, however, is not as entertaining as Butler's voice by itself as good as it seems in the movie with the visuals.

1986 Recording: 5 out of 5 wind-up monkeys
2004 Recording: 3 out of 5 wind-up monkeys

 

Original is amazing. The movie is totally ruined by Butler. Ellison was ok, but Butler was absolutely awful

 

The Original Recording: "Bravo, bravo, bravisimo..."

I grew up with the 1986 cast recording, and I loved it. To me, Crawford IS the Phantom. This is one of the best musicals ever written, IMHO, and I love every minute of it, especially sections with the Phantom himself. The rooftop scene (All I Ask Of You), the ending confrontation (Down Once More, etc.), recieving the Phantom's letters (Notes), "The Phantom of the Opera" song, Masquerade, Twisted Every Way, Point of No Return (my on-the-road theme song, whenever the traffic light turns yellow )... there are so many great moments, it's hard to pick a favorite. In fact, I think it's safe to say that "Don Juan Triumphant" was about the only piece of music in the entire recording that I didn't absolutely love. Truly, a recording deserving of: *****


The Movie version: "Can it be? Can it be Christine?"

I really enjoyed the movie version, however I did not care for the Phantom's voice in this recording nearly as much as the original. However, I do consider Rossum to be the ultimate Christine. Truly, an excellent voice. (Now, if only we could get/mix a Rossum/Crawford hybrid recording... oh, well.)

Changes in the lyrics irk me (A toast, to a proserous year, to our friends that are here...), and the opening line "with a little illumination" just isn't preformed as well (how's that for a picayune point?) but these flaws are, to me, laregly balanced out by the new music notably the sword fight, though I would have enjoyed just the score, there. All in all, an excellent score, but enough flaws to bump it down a bit. ****


And now, I'm going to be going around all day singing this again...

"Start a new life with me- Buy his freedom with your love! Refuse me, and you send your lover to his death! This is the choice - This is the point of no return!"

 

The Phantom of the Opera has some of the best themes, songs, and music ever recorded/performed on stage. It truly is a remarkable achievement on the part of Andrew Lloyd Weber, and the original leads Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford, have mastered their respective roles of Christine and the Phantom. I get chills every time I hear them sing together; it sounds so beautiful. I recommend this to anybody, and the seeing the play is well worth the money. *****

The movie, though it is not as good as the original recording in terms of balance and actors, and does not capture the overall feeling the play does, is still enjoyable. The Phantom, in particular, is nowhere close to Crawford's precedent, but Emmy Rossum gives a good performance as Christine. ***

 

i guess i am probably the only one who likes the movie phantom better then the original theater performance.....i think butler does better with the character then crawford did.......
still....he did overdo some parts it may seem

**** stars out of *****

 

Here is our Master List of Soundtracks and their average ratings (out of *****):


Dragonheart (Edelman) **** 1/2

Entrapment (Young) *** 1/2

Far and Away (Williams) ****

Finding Neverland (Kaczmarek) **** 1/2

Gladiator (Zimmer, Gerrard, Badelt) ****

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Williams) **** 1/2

Jurassic Park (Williams) ****

The Mask of Zorro (Horner) ****

Medicine Man (Goldsmith) ****

The Phantom of the Opera (Weber) Original Cast Recording: *****
Movie Soundtrack: *** 1/2

Princess Mononoke (Hisaishi) **** 1/2

The Rock (Glennie-Smith, Zimmer, Gregson-Williams) ***

Shakespeare in Love (Warbeck) **** 1/2

Titanic (Horner) ***


The next soundtrack we will discuss is The Mummy Returns by Alan Silvestri. The movie is set ten years after the original, and Evelyn and Rick O'Connell are now married and have a kid named Alex. They soon find themselves in a race against time when the corpse of Imhotep is resurrected again in the British Museum, determined to become immortal. Soon another force is realeased, the Scorpion King, and the O'Connell's find themselves in the middle of this "clash of titans" in Egypt and must destroy them both to save the world. The movie is fast paced and adventurous and Silvestri's score really accents the excitement, adventure, and romance in The Mummy Returns.


If you have never heard this soundtrack before, check out clips on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005BJK3/qid=1140381164/sr=11-1/ref=sr_11_1/102-9714890-8746512?n=5174

Review on Filmtracks: http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/mummy_returns.html


* If this is your first time here or you missed the last discussions, please feel free to rate the previous scores as well. Just specify which scores you are rating.

* Please list any future suggestions of scores to discuss if you have any.

 

I really enjoyed the music from the Mummy Movies, and I rushed out to get the soundtrack for Mummy Returns- but for some reason, most of the soundtrack seems totally forgetable. "The Legend of the Scorpion King" is fairly good, as is "Pygmy Attack," "The Mummy Returns" and, while the track title escapes my memory at the moment, the first time the group sees the oasis. By far and large, my favorite has to be "My First Bus Ride," which I could just set looping for the duration of the soundtrack's running time, and still be happy. A very brash, heroic-type theme intermingled with some good suspense/horror music. Other than that, it's largely uninspired to my ear... So, balancing out both the good and the bad, I'd give it ***1/2

 

I mainly know the score from watching the movie, but somehow I feel most of it is in the track "The Mommy Returns"
It's a fun score, good with the movie (if a bit repetitive at times), and ^said track is also a nice listen
but overall I don't got crazy about it. also 3.5/5

 

I have the complete bootleg of The Mummy Returns and it's still one of the better action scores I've heard in years. "My First Bus Ride" is endlessly listenable and "Sandcastles" and "End Credits" are awesome tracks with a great theme over cool ethnic percussion. This score just makes me smile and gets my blood pumping. Sometimes, that's all that's needed. Not terribly original or innovative but it does what it sets out to do flawlessly.

****1/2

EDIT:

And here are my ratings for the previously reviewed scores that I've heard:

Dragonheart (Edelman) ***

Far and Away (Williams) ****

Gladiator (Zimmer, Gerrard, Badelt) **

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Williams) ****

Jurassic Park (Williams) *****

The Mask of Zorro (Horner) ****

Titanic (Horner) **1/2

 

I very much like this score; in fact, there are ways in which I think it is better than Goldsmith's score for the first Mummy film. The action cues are rousing and exciting, as they should be, and the softer cues work well as counter-points. It's unfortunate that the CD release doesn't have a lot of the score on it. I've made a suite from the Mummy films that includes some of "My First Bus Ride," "Pygmy Attack," and "Rick's Tattoo" that I listen to quite a lot.

4 out of 5 disappearing pyramids

 

I liked Jerry Goldsmith's score a lot better than The Mummy Returns. However I did really enjoy the score Silversti did for Van Helsing

 

I didn't like The Mummy Returns score. It had a few fine moments, and a whole lot of filler. Then again, I generally don't care all that much for Alan Silvestri. Back to the Future is still his best adventure score, Predator's got a memorable theme, Judge Dredd is delightfully over the top, and he's got some decent "tender" and "magical" scores, as well as the occasional fantastic action track every so often, but generally he's not a-list material as far as I'm concerned.

 

Van Helsing is a cheap rip-off of Mummy Returns (as much as a composer can rip himself off, I mean ). It sounds awfully similar, only a lot more boring.

 

Van Helsing is a lot more similar to Silvestri's Tomb Raider II (a really good score, by the way) to my ears, what with the electronic influences. Although, I agree, VH is a loud, boring, annoying score.

The Mummy Returns has a lot more in common with CutTroat Island, I think.

 

Two words: James. Horner.

That's how much...

 

I own The Mummy Returns and pretty much only bought it for the one repeating that they use during most of the action scenes. The rest of the soundtrack is prtty bland. Not one of my favorite purchases.

 

There are two themes I really enjoy listening to in The Mummy Returns. The one in Sandcastles, which really memorable , and the theme in My First Bus Ride. I haven't listened to the rest of the score extensively and nothing else comes to my mind, so I'll wait until I see the movie again or get the CD to post my rating.

 

Thanks for joining in Well_Of_Souls! Your ratings have been added in.

Here is our Master List of Soundtracks and their average ratings (out of *****):


Dragonheart (Edelman) ****

Entrapment (Young) *** 1/2

Far and Away (Williams) ****

Finding Neverland (Kaczmarek) **** 1/2

Gladiator (Zimmer, Gerrard, Badelt) ****

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Williams) ****

Jurassic Park (Williams) ****

The Mask of Zorro (Horner) ****

Medicine Man (Goldsmith) ****

The Mummy Returns (Silvestri) ****

The Phantom of the Opera (Weber) Original Cast Recording: *****
Movie Soundtrack: *** 1/2

Princess Mononoke (Hisaishi) **** 1/2

The Rock (Glennie-Smith, Zimmer, Gregson-Williams) ***

Shakespeare in Love (Warbeck) **** 1/2

Titanic (Horner) ***


The next soundtrack we will discuss is Spirited Away by Joe Hisaishi. Spirited Away tells the story of a girl named Chihiro as she and her family plan to move into a new house. On the way, they stop at an abandoned bathhouse and find trays of food in one of the open, empty shops. Her parents begin to eat and eat, and soon they turn into pigs. Chihiro must now face a world filled with spirits, monsters, and witches, and must find out how to turn her parents back into humans before she is stuck in the bathhouse forever.


If you have never heard this soundtrack before, check out clips on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006HCT7/qid=1141594540/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-4670015-9782558?s=music&v=glance&n=5174

Review on Filmtracks: -


* If this is your first time here or you missed the last discussions, please feel free to rate the previous scores as well. Just specify which scores you are rating.

* Please list any future suggestions of scores to discuss if you have any.

 

Upping

 

I could've sworn I posted here


I have it, in parts I like it better than Mononoke, but then the song sucks in comparison and I'm not fond of one or two tracks. However, my favorite, The Dragon Boy, is better than everything on Mononoke. I love it.

Comparison to PM doesn't quite work, though, because Spirited Away is a lot more light-hearted.

Also a 4/5 because I won't rate one over the other

 

I remember that piece of music that plays whne Haku and Chihiro are floating in the sky. Absolutely beautiful.

 

I really enjoy watching Spirited Away and listening to the music, especially at such memorable moments as Chihiro riding on Haku. The piano cues and themes are extremely well done, but I'm not left with the same impression/feelings as I had with Princess Mononoke. I think Mononoke is the better of the two scores with its epic main theme and softer cues, but I enjoy the "spirituality" of Spirited Away and how Hisaishi's music captures the emotions of Chihiro and what she's going through. ****

 

[image=http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002OFI.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg]

The next soundtrack we will discuss is The Russia House by Jerry Goldsmith, which is arguably his best score along with The Wind and the Lion, The Omen, Star Trek, and Medicine Man. The Russia House begins with a British publisher named Barley Blair unexpectedly finding himself working for British Intelligence to investigate people in Russia. Three notebooks containing Russian military secrets are handed to one of Barley's sale representatives during a Russia book conference, and the British Intelligence are keen to find out if these notebooks are accurate. After Barley is enlisted to help the spys because of his involvement and his experience with Russians, he finds himself in a game more complex than he first thought when he digs into the origin of the notebooks, and eventually has to make a decision between true love and love for his country. The score is extremely well done on Goldsmith's part and has great jazz, orchestra, and electronic parts.

Tracks:
? 1. Katya (3:57)*
? 2. Introductions (3:12)
? 3. The Conversation (4:13)
? 4. Training (2:01)*
? 5. Katya and Barley (2:32)
? 6. First Name, Yakov (2:53)
? 7. Bon Voyage (2:11)*
? 8. The Meeting (3:59)
? 9. I'm With You (2:39)
? 10. Alone in the World (4:09) -- Patti Austin song
? 11. The Gift (2:34)
? 12. Full Marks (2:27)
? 13. Barley's Love (3:24)*
? 14. My Only Country (4:34)
? 15. Crossing Over (4:13)
? 16. The Deal (4:09)
? 17. The Family Arrives (7:38)*

* = standout track


If you have never heard this soundtrack before, check out clips on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002OFI/qid=1143306855/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/104-6968683-0622356?s=music&v=glance&n=5174

Review on Filmtracks: http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/russia_house.html

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Here is our Master List of Soundtracks and their average ratings (out of *****):


Dragonheart (Edelman) ****

Entrapment (Young) *** 1/2

Far and Away (Williams) ****

Finding Neverland (Kaczmarek) **** 1/2

Gladiator (Zimmer, Gerrard, Badelt) ****

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Williams) ****

Jurassic Park (Williams) ****

The Mask of Zorro (Horner) ****

Medicine Man (Goldsmith) ****

The Mummy Returns (Silvestri) ****

The Phantom of the Opera (Weber) Original Cast Recording: *****
Movie Soundtrack: *** 1/2

Princess Mononoke (Hisaishi) **** 1/2

The Rock (Glennie-Smith, Zimmer, Gregson-Williams) ***

Shakespeare in Love (Warbeck) **** 1/2

Spirited Away (Hisaishi) ****

Titanic (Horner) ***


* If this is your first time here or you missed the last discussions, please feel free to rate the previous scores as well. Just specify which scores you are rating.

* Please list any future suggestions of scores to discuss if you have any.

 

Upping