Scores that take you completely by surprise. . .

Ever pick up a score, not expecting much of it -- and find yourself absolutely blown away?

I do.

Most recently, I decided, since I respect the absolutely superb job they've done for Marco Polo (now Naxos) re-recording great classic film scores (Steiner's King Kong and Adventures of Mark Twain; Korngold's Robin Hood; etc), I decided to pick up some of the work conducted by William Stromberg. And HOLY CRAP but Trinity and Beyond sounds like Basil Poledouris at his best. Intense, energetic, savage, with choirs and whatnot -- wow! For an IMAX film, too, which usually have pretty unmemorable scores. . .

Highly recommended!

 

Edward Scissorhands. Never saw this movie before tonight, and the score took me quite pleasantly by suprise.

 

Can't think of any specifics, but I love that... You sit down to watch a movie, and BOOM, big, beautiful brass lines, or something that really catches your attention...

 

Boba, man, Edward Scissorhands has an amazing score! I'm glad you got to hear it, because it's really good.

You know, actually I really liked the score of The Aviator, and I wasn't expecting much of that.

As far as scores that have just unexpectedly blown me away, though.... well, one of my favourite scores is for The Usual Suspects, which I went into knowing pretty much nothing about the film the first time. I certainly didn't expect it to have such a great, unique score, though. Brilliant movie overall, as well.

The score for PotC is also very good. I *hoped* this movie would be good because I'm a big fan of the ride (probably have ridden it around 25 times). I never dreamed it would be as good as it is, though.The score is one of the best things about it.

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

The music for the Jackal actually surprised me a lot! I don't think it's one of the best ever, but a good one that surprised me! Haven't heard it for a long time now though!

 

The Phantom of the Opera has some great score that took me by surprise the first time I heard it. The very loud, booming notes of the Overture just really brought me into the story of the Phantom. And how Christine's voice just gets higher and higher at the end of the title song left me aghast. All that and more makes Phantom a great score that just totally took me by surprise.

 

Superman just did. I knew that it was Williams, and I knew that the main title(which I had heard before) was good, but I didn't know the rest of it was so fantastic! 'Leaving Home' and 'The Flying Sequence' are much better than the main theme(IMO), wow!

Whatever Margot Kidder is doing in 'Can You Read My Mind', I don't want to know, and I'm afraid to ask, that isn't in the movie, is it?



ttbk

 

Danny Elfman- a great composer. The Sleepy Hollow score is also really good, if you like his style. If he is doing the music for Willy Wonka, I'm sure it will be equally impressive. "Most impressive..."

 

One movie that had a score that, while it didn't "blow me away," I was pleasently suprised to find a nice soundtrack to was Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. I personally enjoyed as much as I did with Pirates.

Another that I very much enjoy are the Medal of Honor Soundtracks. I would never expect an original score for a video game to be so good. Medal of Honor: Frontline has my favorite score out of the MOH games, but Allied Assualt's theme is good too.

 

I'm a big Hans Zimmer fan, but when I went to see Mission Impossible 2 for the first time I was thouroughly unimpressed with his music for the first half of the film.

Then the scene where Nyah (Thandie Newton) injects herself with the virus and the music changes from this little girlie theme to this big booming action score using the same girlie theme I was totally taken by surprise and fell in love with the score from that point on. I still listen to the soundtrack on a regular basis.

 

Beyond Rangoon was a complete 180 from Zimmer's usual sound, and it took me by surprise.


And like that...he's gone.

 

I really loved Hans Zimmer's score for Terence Malik's version of "The Thin Red Line". I thought that apart from the cinematography by John Toll, this was certainly the most impressive aspect of the film. You could say that I was a little amazed at how much I liked it. I really had no idea.

 

There are threethat come to mind:

Heat by Elliot Goldenthal and Pirates of the Carribean

Also, Henry V - Patrick Doyle. All highly recommended.

 

John Barry, Dances With Wolves was excellent. I had no expectations going in when I watched it today. Of course, I am fond of a lot of his Bond work.

 

The most surprising score for me has been John Williams' Home Alone. You wouldn't expect a score for a juvenile slapstick movie to touch you deeply, but I never fail to cry when I listen to "Star of Bethlehem" around Christmastime. Quite possibly JW's most underrated work.

 

You may not have herad of this, but the movie "Luther" has some beautiful choral lines.

 

Other than Star Wars I would have to say the score to Pirates of the Carribean. Truly a great soundtrack and I'm able to capture each scene run through my mind as I hear the songs to it.

 

The Rock. Even though I plan on remaking the entire film when I'm older, I won't change the amazing soundtrack one bit.

But what actaully surprised me was Starship Troopers. Sorryass movie, then out of nowhere an awesome score, introduced during the drop onto the bug planet.

 

For me it would have to be Breakfast at Tiffany's. I had never seen the movie in it's entirity, but of course was familiar with "Moon River". I was hesitant to buy it, but found it for a cheap price. What a pleasant score this turned out to be. Great jazzy stuff from Mancini and well worth a listen.

As far as a score I was impressed with in a movie that I hadn't expected, I would have to go with The Beach. The Swim to the Island is fantastic and I was lucky enough to find a used copy on Amazon's Market Place for $15. Before I ordered it last night, the cheapest I could find was around $30. Can't wait to get it!

 

Beside Star Wars...

Starship Troopers (Full score of course)
The Matrix Trilogy Music
Air Force One Jerry Goldsmith and Joel McNeely (yes I love it)
Some of the Star Trek scores...well at least the ones Goldsmith wrote.
The Mummy Goldsmith

I think that's about it.

 

One that recently took me by surprise, and I'll keep pushing it until someone else checks it out, is Steve Jablonsky's Steamboy. Imagine if Michael Kamen and early, fun James Horner (Land Before Time and Rocketeer era) had collaborated on an epic anime with some gorgeous themes and lots of great action set pieces. Fantastically fun score. Definitely give it a listen.