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    •  
      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeJan 9th 2019 edited
    SCORE:

    I've heard somewhere between 3-400 scores this year, don't have the exact number. You can see my top 10 selections, or hear the 1-hour programme here: http://celluloidtunes.no/celluloid-tune … -edition/. I've "cheated" a bit this year, and included both TV scores and shared spots. But since most won't click the link, I can just list them here:

    1. VIDEOMAN (Waveshaper & Robert Parker)
    2. Nostalgia (Laurent Eyquem)
    3. Papillon (David Buckley)
    4. The Last Kingdom (John Lunn)
    5. Mandy (Jóhann Jóhannsson) & Stella Blómkvist (Helgi Sæmundur)
    6. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (James Newton Howard)
    7. Cargo (Thorsten Quaeschning)
    8. Michael Palin in North Korea (Miguel d'Oliveira)
    9. Ocean's 8 (Daniel Pemberton) & King of Thieves (Benjamin Wallfisch)
    10. Mary Queen of Scots (Max Richter) & Mary Shelley (Amelia Warner)

    Honourable mentions to: Future World (Toydrum), Nae Pasaran (Patrick Neil Doyle), Solo: A Star Wars Story (John Powell), Torn (Gary Schyman), Don't Worry He Won't Get Far On Foot (Danny Elfman), Mute (Clint Mansell), Yellowstone (Brian Tyler), Ready Player One (Alan Silvestri), Mary Poppins Returns (Marc Shaiman), Halvdan Viking (Gaute Storaas), Cobra Kai (Zack Robinson & Leo Birenberg)

    FILM:

    I've seen 248 films this year (not counting films I've seen again), out of which 168 are films from 2018. You can see the whole ranked list here: https://mubi.com/lists/2018-films-ranked . But again, for those who are too lazy to click links, I can list the top 20 here (be aware that these are Norwegian release dates, so some may qualify as 2017 films internationally):

    1. The Post
    2. Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda
    3. Mandy
    4. Solo: A Star Wars Story
    5. The Florida Project
    6. A Quiet Place
    7. Let the Corpses Tan
    8. The Lodgers
    9. Annihilation
    10. Per Fuggeli: Siste resept
    11. Quincy
    12. Summer 1993
    13. Upgrade
    14. Leave No Trace
    15. Shoplifters
    16. First Reformed
    17. The Shape of Water
    18. Lady Bird
    19. Call Me By Your Name
    20. Blackkklansman


    ARCHIVAL:

    I don’t know, really. Expanded releases basically don’t exist in my mind, so I would only count premiere releases of previously unreleased scores, or possibly straight reissues of LPs or OOP CDs. In that regard, I could maybe mention Hider in the House (Young), Love Thy Neighbour (Delerue), Sin of Innocence (Delerue), And Justice for All (Grusin), White of the Eye (Mason), A Show of Force (Delerue), Fletch (Faltermeyer/various)….but I’d like to see a list of this type of item to choose from first.


    DISAPPOINTMENTS:

    A lot of mainstream, traditional, symphonic Hollywood scores. They were really very disappointing this year, overall. Stuff like BLACK PANTHER, FIRST MAN etc., I didn't care for at all.
    I am extremely serious.
  1. Between the hip-hop and African influences, I don't know if it's fair to consider Black Panther as "merely" a mainstream, traditional, symphonic Hollywood score. In fact you have JNH's Nutcracker in your list, and Ready Player One and Solo in your honorable mentions, and all those fit that description far more.
    •  
      CommentAuthorErik Woods
    • CommentTimeJan 9th 2019
    Thor's thinks Black Panther is "merely" a traditional mainstream Hollywood score.

    lol

    -Erik-
    host and executive producer of THE CINEMATIC SOUND RADIO PODCAST | www.cinematicsound.net | www.facebook.com/cinematicsound | I HAVE TINNITUS!
    •  
      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeJan 9th 2019 edited
    Maybe not, but I didn't like it regardless -- nor most of the "hot potato" fan favourites this year.

    What is everyone else's selections of the year?
    I am extremely serious.
  2. Nice write-up Thor. I still need to listen to your best music show. I'm still trying to nail down my favorites for 2018, but from your list Nutcracker and Mary Shelley will probably make my top ten. Also Max and Me and Mary Poppins.

    I didn't hear nearly as many scores as you did this year. Last year I tried to listen to as many as I could. I heard about 300 scores from 2017 and the vast majority were scores that I will never listen to again, so for 2018 I decided to be more selective about what I listened to. I've heard less than 150 scores from 2018, but I've also listened to a lot less music that I dislike, so that's good smile

    I don't see a ton of films, and the ones I do see are usually the bigger blockbuster types. I really loved Mary Poppins Returns. That's my favorite film of the year. It was just right for me. The only films from your top 20 that I've seen are The Post, A Quiet Place, and Solo: A Star Wars Story. I enjoyed them all. I was sorry that they abandoned their planned trilogy of Solo films. The Post made me want to purchase a subscription to a major newspaper. That's not a desire I've ever had before, but I really feel like those papers are doing more investigative journalism than all the cable tv news channels, and deserve the support. I'm a fan of Marvel films and thought that Infinity War was good. I wasn't as over the moon about Black Panther as a lot of critics seemed to be, but I thought it was pretty good, too.
    •  
      CommentAuthorAidabaida
    • CommentTimeJan 9th 2019
    I didn't listen to as much film music this year as I usually do, I found myself interested more in more traditional music, bands like The Strokes, Radiohead, Bon Iver, Daft Punk....

    I already posted my favorite movies, but I realized I neglected to add one. Upstream Color. I forgot this one because it doesn't really come to mind when I'm thinking of movies... it doesn't necessarily feel like a movie... it felt more like a novel. It's completely beautiful though.
    Bach's music is heartless and robotic.
    •  
      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeJan 9th 2019
    Aidabaida wrote
    I already posted my favorite movies, but I realized I neglected to add one. Upstream Color. I forgot this one because it doesn't really come to mind when I'm thinking of movies... it doesn't necessarily feel like a movie... it felt more like a novel. It's completely beautiful though.


    UPSTREAM COLOR? That's from 2013.
    I am extremely serious.
    •  
      CommentAuthorAidabaida
    • CommentTimeJan 9th 2019
    Oh, I thought it was a best movies you watched “in 2018”, didn’t realize it was “of 2018” my bad.
    Bach's music is heartless and robotic.
  3. I haven't made any lists for a few years now. I have to say I feel much better that way.
    http://www.filmmusic.pl - Polish Film Music Review Website
    •  
      CommentAuthorAidabaida
    • CommentTimeJan 10th 2019
    PawelStroinski wrote
    I haven't made any lists for a few years now. I have to say I feel much better that way.


    nearly every reviewer I enjoy reading, whether for literature, film, or music, seems to express dissatisfaction with concrete ranking, starring, and listing.

    if anything, the main defense for lists I can think of is helping myself remember what I like... nothing makes me forget every song i've heard like being asked my favorite song.
    Bach's music is heartless and robotic.
    •  
      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeJan 10th 2019 edited
    I've come to embrace lists over the years; it's actually a welcome topic in an age where everyone talks about expanded releases (or wishes), shipping issues, CD vs. download and other superficial issues that don't interest me very much. In terms of starring and rating, however, it's more uneven. We rate at Celluloid Tunes (my film music website), but don't rate at Montages (the film site I work for). Both have their advantages and disadvantages.
    I am extremely serious.
  4. Aidabaida wrote
    PawelStroinski wrote
    I haven't made any lists for a few years now. I have to say I feel much better that way.


    nearly every reviewer I enjoy reading, whether for literature, film, or music, seems to express dissatisfaction with concrete ranking, starring, and listing.

    if anything, the main defense for lists I can think of is helping myself remember what I like... nothing makes me forget every song i've heard like being asked my favorite song.


    Making lists gives the impression that art can be in any way calculated. There is no set mathematical formula for aesthetic judgment.

    Structure may be perceived rationally. While my own views aren't particularly Romantic (it's funny to look at some of the discussions on originality and/or the lack thereof if your original academic field was the culture, namely literature and aesthetics, of Renaissance), I would be very wary of creating lists you may regret or not putting together at some time. In my case the problem was that I put down a list and then reminded I forgot to include something... two minutes after that post, not, say weeks or months.
    http://www.filmmusic.pl - Polish Film Music Review Website
  5. I like reading other people's lists because there's almost always something there I haven't heard/seen or that I might want to give a second chance to. I like making my own lists because I have a deep inherent desire to rank everything. I'm not sure why smile
    •  
      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeJan 10th 2019
    I'm the same. I think it's inherent in most of us.

    Now enough talk about what lists are, and present your own! smile
    I am extremely serious.
  6. Aidabaida wrote
    nearly every reviewer I enjoy reading, whether for literature, film, or music, seems to express dissatisfaction with concrete ranking, starring, and listing.

    I may be weird because I really enjoy that stuff. Honing my own personal system of "quantifying quality" over the years (it's very complicated at this point) has been a rewarding and satisfying process.
  7. I've quit taking part in polls for a few years, though in one case it's boycotting a website more than anything else.
    http://www.filmmusic.pl - Polish Film Music Review Website
    •  
      CommentAuthorBregt
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2019 edited
    Daniel Pemberton is one of my favourite composers over the past few years. Consistently fun and often catchy scores. 2018 he did Ocean's something, One Strange Rock and All The Money In The World, which were really good.

    I had a "meh" again regarding the Giacchino scores in 2018. not sure hat happened to him. or to me!

    Solo is indeed the best score, hands down. It is downright spectacular.

    I sort of ignored most super hero Marvel shizzle. Except for Black Panther, but that was indeed a miss.

    I also thought Isle of Dogs was very much a good score. Another favourite is First Man by Hurwitz. The Landing piece is one of the best tracks of the year. I loved the use of that theme throughout the score. Secret of the Nile (Amine Bouhafa) and Mary Shelly (Amelia Warner) are also very good. Some cool tracks in Philip Sheppards Detroit: Become Human (but also crap).
    Kazoo
    • CommentAuthorJoep
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2019
    Glad you like Bouhafa' score! You should really try Timbuktu, if you haven't already.

    http://www.maintitles.net/reviews/the-s … -the-nile/
    http://www.maintitles.net/reviews/timbuktu/
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2019
    Don't remember much score from TIMBUKTU, but the film promised more than it delivered, IMO. I actually live- Q&Ad the director Abderrahmane Sissako a couple of years ago, and had to restrain myself so as not to be overly critical. WAITING FOR HAPPINESS is a much better film.
    I am extremely serious.
  8. Bregt wrote
    Solo is indeed the best score, hands down. It is downright spectacular.


    I agree with you Bregt! Just pure joy and a reminder about why film music is such great art form because it can serve the film and the listener and have life beyond the movie theater - a score like Solo does all these things!
    •  
      CommentAuthorchristopher
    • CommentTimeFeb 1st 2019 edited
    I've finally nailed down my favorite 2018 scores, and here they are (with a bit of commentary):

    1. MARY POPPINS RETURNS – Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman

    This score has moved me profoundly, nearly every time I’ve listened to it or seen the wonderful film. “The Place Where Lost Things Go” is an instant classic in my book. It makes me cry almost every single time I hear it. In the theater I was a blubbering mess during that scene. I adore that song. And so much of the rest of the music is so incredibly fun! These songs are worthy successors to the ones in the original MARY POPPINS, which is the highest compliment I can give them. The lyrics are phenomenal, and Shaiman’s music is a perfect match. The way he sprinkled musical cameos throughout the film to melodies from the original was also wonderful. There’s just so much to love about this score. It’s some of the most happy, joyous, and soulful music I’ve heard in a long time. I love it. That is all.

    2. MAX AND ME – Mark McKenzie

    I love Mark McKenzie’s music. He is my favorite film music composer and has been for years. There’s something about the music he writes that resonates with me on a deeply personal level. When this score came out it had been seven long years since the last time McKenzie had written a score in this style (his excellent THE GREATEST MIRACLE), and this had been my most anticipated score for years. Just listening to the beauty of “Two Crowns Vision” (which introduces the main theme in a brief but powerful way) made my eyes well up with gratitude that McKenzie got the opportunity to write another score like this. I may be giving the impression so far in this write-up that music often makes me cry, but it’s not that common! For two scores to have moved me so deeply in the same year is very rare.

    While this score is immediately accessible thanks to the gorgeous melodies, it really rewards repeated listens as it is more thematically and orchestrationally complex than one might initially realize. McKenzie weaves multiple themes throughout this score. I need to sit down at the piano and figure all of them out. I’m guessing there are between 5-8 different themes here.

    Joshua Bell’s violin solos are gorgeous. They aren’t as showy or virtuosic as you might expect from him, but his absolute mastery over the violin is clear in the highest notes of “A Mother’s Prayer” (it’s VERY hard to play notes that high on a violin and make them sound so lovely) and in the flawless double-stop of “I Love You.”

    The finale track, “Heaven’s Welcome” is the cue of the year, for me. My jaw literally dropped the first time I listened to it. It starts out with some bold arpeggiating strings, adds the Libera Boys Choir, then we get a huge statement of the main theme on brass, then an organ is layered in, then more strings, and by the time the heralding brass fanfares kick in it becomes one of the grandest things McKenzie has ever composed.

    I suppose I understand some of the complaints I’ve heard about this score, but I want to address some of them directly. For those that think that it’s too happy/sweet for a film about the holocaust, I have several points for consideration. First, it's hard to know if that's the case, not having seen the film (and I think none of us have?). Maybe his score is perfect for the way the film treats the holocaust? Second, Maximillian Kolbe isn’t the main character of this film, and what happened to him in Auschwitz isn’t the plot. The film is actually set in the present day and is about a rebellious teenager named DJ who is mentored by a grumpy old man named Gunter. The story of Kolbe unfolds as the film goes along, with Gunter using it to teach DJ the lessons he needs to learn. If the entire film were the story of Kolbe in the camp, then I would agree that this music probably wouldn’t fit that story, but the scenes in Auschwitz are all flashbacks. And I would argue that the music for those flashback scenes is very appropriate. “Nazi Brutality” is a dark and oppressive cue. “Auschwitz Cries” is an incredibly portentous piece. To say that all of this music is too beautiful to depict scenes from the holocaust also ignores how sad and tragic some of this music is. Joshua Bell’s performances are not happy.

    This relates to a second criticism I’ve heard of the music – that it’s too one-note. While I understand where that criticism is coming from, I must again disagree. Yes, there is gorgeous thematic music on display here, some of which could be considered too “syrupy” for some, but the whole score is not that way. None of the tracks featuring Joshua Bell are overly saccharine. In fact, they’re laden with pathos. This score ranges from dark and heavy (the aforementioned holocaust cues), to playful (“Dapper Duds” and “When I’m Saying Me I Mean You”), to soft and sweet, to over-the-top magnificent and includes some of the richest choral writing I’ve ever heard from McKenzie (the beginning of “Prayer for Peace” and “Only Love Is Creative” sound like they could have been written by John Rutter). Of course everyone is entitled to like or dislike whatever they want. I just really like this score and felt like I needed to defend it a little after some of the things I’ve read here and elsewhere. smile
    •  
      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeFeb 1st 2019
    Only two? smile

    I agree on MARY POPPINS. It was one of my honourable mentions this year (didn't quite make my top 10). MAX & ME, we've already discussed elsewhere.
    I am extremely serious.
  9. Well it took all of my brain power just to come up with these two!

    I don't know what happened. The rest of the post was there when I hit the button, but it disappeared somehow.

    Thor wrote
    Only two? smile

    I agree on MARY POPPINS. It was one of my honourable mentions this year (didn't quite make my top 10). MAX & ME, we've already discussed elsewhere.


    But, but.... I replied to your concern with the score specifically! No thoughts about my points?

    Here's the rest of my post:

    3. 95 – Panu Aaltio

    While technically a 2017 score, since the album wasn’t released until 2018 I’m including it here. This marks the third time that Aaltio has made my top 10. I love his documentary scores, and apparently I love his inspirational sports drama-mode as well. His climactic music here is fantastically over-the-top, and I love it. If you like the music from inspirational sports films, this one is definitely for you. And I do, and so this is.

    4. THE EMPEROR OF PARIS – Marco Beltrami and Marcus Trumpp

    I believe this is the first time Beltrami has ever written a score that I’ve put in my top 10. This is my favorite score from him so far, and by some margin. It has a weighty classical sound to it that I really enjoy. It’s more oppressive than the kind of music I like best, but it’s so well written, and the violin and cello solos are really captivating. My favorite track is “Annette,” a heart-aching cue, full of beauty and sadness. “Promotion” is another highlight. It builds to a huge climax at the end. Beltrami had a very strong year. His score for the film MATHILDE was another highlight of the year. I also thought FREE SOLO was okay, and I know some enjoyed A QUIET PLACE.

    5. SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY – John Powell and John Williams

    I don’t need to say much about this score. Powell nailed it, blending his style and sound really wonderfully with Williams’s and creating a score worthy to stand in the same universe as Williams’s iconic Star Wars scores. That a score so full of action music could rank this highly on my list (I’m not an action-music guy at all) is a testament to just how well it’s composed. I will admit that this score has more themes that are more expertly utilized through the score than the two scores just above it in my rankings, and I would be unsurprised if I’m the only one who would like those scores better than this one. If not for all the raucousness of this score it would certainly have ranked higher for me, but how could it have served the film without those cues? It worked perfectly in the film. My favorite cue (probably uniquely) is "Lando's Closet." I just love how old-school it is. It sounds like it was written for a film that came out 60 years ago rather than a modern sci-fi score, but it fits perfectly in the film. Major props to Powell for pulling this score off. I really enjoyed it.

    6. QI--THE DOCUMENTARY – Jerome Leroy

    What, you didn’t hear about this one? It’s a short documentary aimed at demystifying the eastern concepts of chi (here spelled qi), yin and yang, fung shui, i ching, etc, and it is my favorite documentary score of the year. Leroy is a real talent. I first took note of him after his wonderful AFTER EVER AFTER (seriously a score that everyone should know). QI is a short score. It’s just over 20 minutes long, and only two of the tracks are longer than a couple minutes, but it’s all really lovely. It’s got a driving energy to it that keeps it engaging throughout. There are moments of swelling orchestral beauty and some nice instrumental solos for cello and flute. It has just a sprinkling of Asian instruments and percussion throughout. I would pick out a highlight cue from the album to talk about, but they’re all solid and none really distinguishes itself as better than the others. It all just fits really well as a cohesive whole. Leroy is one of the up-and-coming composers that I’m most hopeful about. I hope he gets the assignments he needs to be successful in this business. For further proof of his abilities, check out his concept album IMPRESSIONS, also released this year, or his score to the horror film THE HOUSEMAID. The latter isn’t really my thing, but he did a great job with it.

    7. THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS – James Newton Howard (and Tchaikovsky)

    James Newton Howard doesn’t miss when he’s in fantasy mode. That he got to adapt some of Tchaikovsky’s iconic ballet music for this big screen spectacle is just the icing on the cake. And Lang Lang’s piano performances are fantastic. His virtuosic piano is integrated perfectly with Tchiakovsky’s opening piece in the titular first track. And the main theme (first heard in “Clara’s New World” is classic James Newton Howard. I enjoyed Howard’s score to the second Fantastic Beasts film, but where that score didn’t quite live up what I had hoped it might be, this score exceeded my expectations. And although it didn’t factor into my ranking of the score, I really like the Bocelli song at the end.

    8. FRONTIER OF LOVE – Mark Chait

    Thanks to Jon Broxton and his annual under-the-radar articles for making me aware of this lovely score. I haven’t had a lot of time to let this one settle, but based on the few times I’ve heard it, I think it deserves a spot in my top 10. It’s really impressive. The scores top highlight (for me) is “Wen Yiqiu’s Theme,” which reaches some lofty heights. I don’t have much to add to what Jon recently wrote about it, except my additional encouragement that you should check it out if you haven’t yet.

    9. EDIE – Debbie Wiseman

    This score has a solid main theme--yet another in a long line of fantastic main themes composed by Debbie Wiseman. She has a real gift for that. This one first appears in “Training Day” performed on lilting acoustic guitar supported by choppy strings. The theme appears frequently throughout the score. My favorite presentation is probably the fully orchestral version in the final cue, “Edie.” The album has several lovely guitar solos. Solos are common, in fact, with woodwinds and piano also getting chances to take center stage. Some cues are more lively (“Night of Wonder” is fun) but a lot of it is softer, but still very nice. The flow of the album is helped by occasional bursts of orchestral grandeur. It’s a solid album overall. Everything Wiseman writes is a must-listen for me. She’s such a talent.

    10. MARY SHELLEY – Amelia Warner

    This is a lovely score for a historical drama (the genre that lends itself to the kinds of scores I usually like best). The highlights here for me are “Mary’s Decision” and “The Book,” both of which are just glorious. On a personal note, it’s fun that one of the tracks is called “Bloomsbury.” That’s the book’s publisher, and coincidentally also the publisher of my wife’s next book. It’s just fun to think that Mary Shelley once got good news from the same publisher that once gave my wife the good news that they would be publishing her novel. Frankenstein is also one of my wife’s favorite books, so there’s another personal connection to this film/score. Anyway, this score is good. It was one of the earlier 2018 scores that caught my attention and it lasted the whole year as one of my favorites.

    The rest of the top 20:
    11. Lost in Space – Christopher Lennertz
    12. Remi Sans Famille – Romeric Laurence
    13. Crazy Rich Asians – Brian Tyler
    14. La Otra Mirada – Fernando Velasquez
    15. Beyond the Clouds – A.R. Rahman
    16. Vice – Nicholas Britell
    17. Snow to Sand – Frederik Wiedmann
    18. Belle et Sebastien 3: Le Dernier Chapitre – Armand Amar
    19. Oma Maa – Pessi Levanto
    20. Mathilde – Marco Beltrami

    Albums to check out that aren’t exactly film/tv/vg scores (all of which would have made my top 20 if they had been written for tv/film/vg in 2018):

    CALL THE MIDWIFE – Maurizio Malagnini
    The album was released in 2018, but features music written for prior seasons, so I can’t really count it, can I? If I could it would be in my top 10. It’s just gorgeous.

    IMPRESSIONS – Jerome Leroy
    I mentioned this one in my remarks about QI above, but it’s worthy mentioning again. This concept album is really good. If it had been an actual score, it would have been in my top 10.

    TREE OF LIFE – Andrew Lockington
    There’s just four tracks of this music, composed for a show at Disney World (if memory serves). It’s also very good. The way he incorporates so many classic Disney tunes into that last track is really impressive.

    LE VISIONNAIRE – Andrew Pearce
    This is a really solid album from MSM that includes music written for a museum. It’s really very good, and you should check it out if you haven’t.

    THE FIRST TREE – Josh Kramer
    Because this ablum (released in 2018) was a compilation of music written by Kramer in previous years, it really doesn’t count for our purposes here, but I liked it.

    PUY DU FOU: LE SIGNE DU TRIOMPHE – Nathan Stornetta
    This music was written for a show about the Roman games that you can see at the Puy du Fou amusement park in France. The music is full of pomp and spectacle, and really just what you would expect to accompany Roman gladiatorial combat or other events that might have happened in the Coliseum. Do check it out if you haven’t.

    And here’s a playlist of my favorite cues from 2018:

    https://open.spotify.com/user/124967473 … 8xvipgnmJQ

    It’s not in any particular order—I’m still working on this playlist. Some of these won’t make the final cut.
    •  
      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeFeb 1st 2019
    christopher wrote
    But, but.... I replied to your concern with the score specifically! No thoughts about my points?


    I must admit that I skimmed your post only. Such a huge block of text. Could you perhaps add some paragraphs?

    Of your other selections, MARY SHELLEY and THE NUTCRACKER were also on my top 10. SOLO was among my honourable mentions.

    Not on my list, but still very good scores are your picks of OMA MAA and BEYOND THE CLOUDS.

    For the rest of your selections, I either haven't heard them (which is impressive, since I've heard 550 scores this year) or didn't particularly care for them. But thanks for your list! I like that you have some unusual choices!
    I am extremely serious.
    •  
      CommentAuthorchristopher
    • CommentTimeFeb 1st 2019 edited
    Thor wrote
    christopher wrote
    But, but.... I replied to your concern with the score specifically! No thoughts about my points?


    I must admit that I skimmed your post only. Such a huge block of text. Could you perhaps add some paragraphs?


    Fair point. Paragraphs added. The response to your problem with the score (and it's not just a problem I've heard from you, but 5-6 others as well) is in the second-to-last paragraph of my first post. You might also read the last sentence of the last paragraph.

    Thor wrote
    For the rest of your selections, I either haven't heard them (which is impressive, since I've heard 550 scores this year) or didn't particularly care for them. But thanks for your list! I like that you have some unusual choices!


    Thanks. I do go out of my way every year to seek out scores to lesser-known films, and every year I'm rewarded with music that I enjoy much more than what a lot of the bigger films had to offer.
    •  
      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeFeb 1st 2019 edited
    OK, thanks. Easier to read your posts now.

    I have to say that, even if we disregard the whole holocaust thing (which of course is a major reason for my critique), I have a problem with his whole vernacular in this case. If I can draw a link to Michael J. Lewis for a moment. A devout Christian, as far as I know (just like McKenzie), and in his music, there's' a lot of cymbal crashes to punctuate the 'FEELING' constantly. As if it were taken from one of those big prayer meetings you see on Christian channels. But what it results in for other people (or more liberal Christians like myself), it only undermines the effect it's supposed to have.

    I do not deny the 'beauty' of the music in MAX & ME, but there is a point at which the rhetoric becomes too insistent, so the opposite consequence occurs. This went overboard to me, and I'm left with an empty, or even annoyed, feeling instead. Not sure there's any way to objectively find the 'truth' in such circumstances; it's just a subjective thing based on the music itself, and -- in this case -- the themes it tries to convey.
    I am extremely serious.
  10. Thor wrote
    OK, thanks. Easier to read your posts now.

    I have to say that, even if we disregard the whole holocaust thing (which of course is a major reason for my critique), I have a problem with his whole vernacular in this case. If I can draw a link to Michael J. Lewis for a moment. A devout Christian, as far as I know (just like McKenzie), and in his music, there's' a lot of cymbal crashes to punctuate the 'FEELING' constantly. As if it were taken from one of those big prayer meetings you see on Christian channels. But what it results in for other people (or more liberal Christians like myself), it only undermines the effect it's supposed to have.

    I do not deny the 'beauty' of the music in MAX & ME, but there is a point at which the rhetoric becomes too insistent, so the opposite consequence occurs. This went overboard to me, and I'm left with an empty, or even annoyed, feeling instead. Not sure there's any way to objectively find the 'truth' in such circumstances; it's just a subjective thing based on the music itself, and -- in this case -- the themes it tries to convey.


    Ok. That's fair.
  11. I posted my choices for the best scores of 2018 over at my website:

    https://moviemusicuk.us/2019/02/01/movi … ards-2018/
    •  
      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeFeb 2nd 2019
    Jon Broxton wrote
    I posted my choices for the best scores of 2018 over at my website:

    https://moviemusicuk.us/2019/02/01/movi … ards-2018/


    Thanks, Jon. You and I are very different when it comes to preferences, but glad to see one or two overlaps, like MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS, for example.
    I am extremely serious.
    • CommentAuthorJules
    • CommentTimeFeb 6th 2019
    Not big on lists anymore, but surprised to see so many not keen on Black Panther. Personally one of the best of the year for me, so much fun and had some ripper emotional cues. Do the hip-hop elements ruin the score for anyone? If you haven't revisited it and want a few tracks to try again:

    "Killmonger's Dream"
    "Wakanda"
    "Phambili"
    "Ancestral Plane"
    "A King's Sunset"
    "Spaceship Bugatti"
    "Warrior Falls"

    Anyway, as far as 2018 scores go I loved BP, Solo, Beale Street, Eighth Grade, Christopher Robin, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote and all of Junkie XL's masterpieces.



    That last one was a joke, in case anyone was worried.