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Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Top Ten Science Fiction Film Scores

Top Ten Science Fiction film scores
by Steven Sharratt

Science fiction has always been a regular feature throughout the history of film. As early as the silent film era we’ve had memorable takes on the genre such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World (1920) and Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927). In the 1930s H.G. Wells brought us Things to Come (1936) and we also saw the birth of the Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers characters in several low budget film serials.

Sadly, due to the events of World War II, science fiction wouldn't become popular again until the 1950s when the world was looking for escapism and they found it in the guise of aliens. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), The Thing From Another World and Invasion of the Body Snatchers all excited viewers with alien invasions. Meanwhile, When Worlds Collide (1951), The War of the Worlds (1953) and The Time Machine (1960) showed us that there was a taste for turning science fiction novels to the big screen.

The space race of the 1960s saw the focus shift to space travel with 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Planet of the Apes (1968) both hugely successfully. But it wouldn't be until 1977 when George Lucas’ Star Wars arrived that the history of science fiction wouldn't be changed forever. The genre became a guaranteed money maker and all the major studios looked to cash in. We saw the Star Trek TV series become a film franchise in 1979 and other franchises started to grow throughout the 1980s and 90s such as Alien, Back to the Future, Terminator and Robocop.

Since the turn of the century, this trend has continued, most noticeably with The Matrix Trilogy. The recent focus has been on prequels and sequels (Star Wars, Planet of the Apes, Terminator), remakes (The War of the Worlds, Total Recall) and reboots (Star Trek, Robocop) but science fiction is still as popular as ever.

The genre has also often inspired composers to be at their most creative. Whether it is looking into the future, the past or into space, science fiction has produced some of the very best film scores. It’s also hard to pin down one particular style for the genre; composers have used various successful techniques over the years to help us to escape into an unknown world such as symphonic orchestras, synthesizers and unusual sound effects.

The purpose of this top ten is to discover which scores have been the most successful in portraying science fiction in film. But before you go straight to the list, there are a few things I’d like you to consider. Firstly, these are subjective views of just one person, so please don’t be too disappointed if your favourite score isn’t here. Secondly, to give a broader perspective, I've only included one score from a single franchise - it wouldn't be very entertaining to see a top ten littered with my bias towards Star Wars now, would it? Finally, I've tried to narrow science fiction down to its most true meaning – “fiction based on imagined future scientific or technological advances… frequently portraying space or time travel and life on other planets.” Therefore I’ve eliminated sub-genres. You won't find any super hero or fantasy movies in this list even though they often have sci-fi elements.

I hope this list generates some lively discussion; please do send us your own top ten, we'd love to know what you think and it might highlight some great scores that I may have omitted (“Blade Runner” anyone?).

Thank you and enjoy...

10. Tron Legacy (2010) Daft Punk

French Grammy award-winning electronic duo Daft Punk was given the rare chance to spread their wings into the world of film music with Tron Legacy. They took the option of using an 85 piece orchestra (something they’d never done before) and mixing it with their familiar synth sound. The results are excellent and provide a heroic and rhythmic soundtrack that really makes us believe the characters are trapped inside a digital world.

If you like this, you might also like:
Tron (1982) Wendy Carlos
Oblivion (2013) M83

09. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) Bernard Herrmann

Bernard Herrmann’s first taste of science fiction seems to be quite clichéd these days. This is because his brilliant and original score for The Day the Earth Stood Still has been so heavily influenced upon since. His unique use of two Theremin electrical instruments instantly makes people think of a UFO whenever they hear them. Another highlight is the bombastic brass theme for the robot, Gort, as well as some exciting action music. Don’t let the age of this one put you off!

If you like this, you might also like:
The Thing From Another World (1951) Dimitri Tiomkin
Mars Attacks (1996) Danny Elfman

08. Back to the Future III (1990) Alan Silvestri

Perhaps Silvestri’s original Back to the Future score would have been the obvious choice for a top ten, but this third instalment captures the iconic theme from the first two movies while bringing in fresh themes and melodies of its own. The love theme for Doc and Clara is simply beautiful and the over-the-top western overture blends in perfectly with the main heroic theme.

If you like this, you might like:
Back to the Future (1985) Alan Silvestri
The Abyss (1989) Alan Silvestri

07. Robocop (1987) Basil Poledouris

The cyber police officer Robocop, part-man, part-machine, is given a full dose of brass laden heroism by Basil Poledouris. The aggressive action music, a combination of orchestra and synths, is both bold and patriotic and is great fun to listen to. We can only hope that the score for the unnecessary 2014 remake will be anywhere near as good.

If you like this, you might like:
Robocop 3 (1993) Basil Poledouris
Starship Troopers (1997) Basil Poledouris

06. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) Brad Fiedel

There is no doubt that Fiedel's Terminator theme for the original film was very iconic. However, on CD that score is a difficult listen, relying too much on dissonant electronics and cheap sounding effects. Terminator 2 uses the same style but the themes are much more refined and mature giving the score a more cohesive feel. Fiedel’s synthesized performances also feel more technologically advanced which add to the drama on screen. It’s easily the best Terminator score written so far.

If you like this, you might like:
Terminator Salvation (2009) Danny Elfman
Blade Runner (1982) Vangelis

05. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982) John Williams

E.T. is full of wonderful themes and melodies and of those the infamous ‘flying theme’ is a real highlight. It generates such emotion in the listener as the strings soar making you really relate with E.T’s desperation to return to his home planet. Director Steven Speilberg sums up the score perfectly in the original album liner notes: “It is soothing and benign. It is scary and suspenseful and, toward the climax, downright operatic.” E.T. is a true classic.

If you like this, you might like:
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) John Williams
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) John Williams

04. Planet of the Apes (1968) Jerry Goldsmith

The score for the original Planet of the Apes is quite unique. Unlike other scores in this list, it doesn’t obtain its merits from melodies. Quite the contrary, it is impressive due to its lack of them! Jerry Goldsmith creates simple musical progressions and motifs using minimalist orchestral effects together with unusual instruments such as pots, pans and even a ram’s horn! This creates a brilliant sense of the unknown as the protagonists search the strange new world they’ve discovered. As the film develops, Goldsmith unleashes some truly violent action pieces featuring plenty of exciting percussion. It’s a stand out moment in the composer’s long career.

If you like this, you might like:
Escape From the Planet of the Apes (1973) Jerry Goldsmith
Logan’s Run (1976) Jerry Goldsmith

03. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) James Horner

Jerry Goldsmith’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture almost made the list, but as I’ve decided to only feature one score per franchise, I opted for one of James Horner’s earliest efforts instead. The music he wrote for the Wrath of Khan is full of excitement and adventure. His opposing themes for Kirk and Khan play off each other perfectly setting up the grand finale “Battle in the Mutara Nebula”. This is Horner at his very best, eight minutes of gloriously mixed desperation and heroism.

If you like this, you might like:
Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (1984) James Horner
Krull (1983) James Horner

02. Alien (1979) Jerry Goldsmith

Musically, the Alien franchise is full of highlights. With the original, Jerry Goldsmith perfectly creates the claustrophobic atmosphere of space. He expertly weaves his main theme to suit the situation; chillingly quiet and moody to start, then romantic and bold (“The Landing”) to a rousing finale during the end credits. Combine this with some terrifyingly dissonant percussive set pieces and we have one of the best science fiction scores ever written.

If you like this, you might like:
Alien 3 (1992) Elliot Goldenthal
Freud (1962) Jerry Goldsmith

01. The Empire Strikes Back (1980) John Williams

So much has been said and written about the Star Wars franchise, that it is difficult to know exactly how to portray how I feel about John Williams’ music. Simply put, “The Empire Strikes Back” is a masterpiece and is the epitome of grand orchestral writing. Highlights include the infamous “Imperial March”, the emotive “Han Solo and the Princess”, the awe inspiring “Yoda's Theme” and the action packed “The Asteroid Field”. However my personal favourite is the brilliant 15 minute 'Battle of Hoth' (split across several tracks on some album presentations) and is one of the best dramatic action pieces ever written. This score (along with Star Wars and The Return of the Jedi) is the reason why so many people (myself included) fell in love with film music. Roll on 2015, where I hope the music for Episode VII is even half as good as this.

If you like this, you might like:
Star Wars (1977) John Williams
The Return of the Jedi (1983) John Williams

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Ten Best Tracks from the Harry Potter Movies

It’s been over a year since the film series came to a conclusion, so now is a great time to look back over the extensive catalogue of top notch orchestral music from Harry Potter. Within the eight soundtracks there are a total of 181 fabulous pieces. Today I do the ~~stupid impossible~~ heroic, and choose what I believe are the ten most rich and inspiring tracks from the entire Harry Potter series.

Sadly none of Patrick Doyle’s score for The Goblet Of Fire made it into my Top 10. This is unfortunate, since I really do love Doyle’s unique take on the Potter franchise. My favourite cues, however, all come from Nicholas Hooper, Alexandre Desplat and of course John Williams. It should come of no surprise that my list is dominated by John Williams.

Before I dive into the list, I feel I should note once more that this really is an impossible task, and that many superb pieces of music will inevitably be left out. However if there are some in particular that you would include in your top ten, I’d be very interested to hear from you! Simply leave a comment at the bottom of this page.

Without further ado, let’s jump in to-

10. Obliviate

As the first track of The Deathly Hallows Part 1, this was an excellent introduction to Alexandre Desplat’s slice of the series. After a very slow and quiet opening the track builds into a wistful, rhythmic melody. The undercurrent impersonates the chugging sound a steam train (fitting for Potter) as the foreground is filled by seductively emotive strings. It’s an extremely effective piece I’ve been in love with since the very first time I heard it.

9. Dumbledore’s Farewell

Nicholas Hooper brought us many dark themes over his two-movie-long relationship with Potter, and this is certainly one of the best. It’s gentle and tender, with powerful strings accompanied by subtle, eerie chorals. This piece supplies a perfectly morose tone for several of the most tense and cheerless moments in the film series.

8. Statues

Rarely has fantasy action been so sentimental. Alexandre Desplat seems to rarely, if ever, compose action cues in the traditional way I expect. Instead, he creates beautiful, rhythmic pieces like this one, which don’t so much “score” the action of the film but instead toy with our emotions. The result in “Statues” is an beautiful piece of music which also works excellently in the film. I should note the similarity to another piece from The Deathly Hallows Part 2, “Courtyard Apocalypse”, which meddles with the same melody in a similar fashion. In the end I chose “Statues” for my list.

7. Dobby The House Elf

Playing to the lighter side of The Chamber Of Secrets, it’s impressive how well this track holds up by itself outside of the context of the film. In fact, I probably prefer this piece outside of the film, where you can really appreciate its musical prowess. Playful, mischievous and quirky, this piece is still totally grounded and controlled like all of John Williams’ greatest.

6. Flight Of The Order Of The Phoenix

This track from Nicholas Hooper’s first Harry Potter score may be tragically short, but it uses it’s one-and-a-half minute runtime to build into a spectacular cue. As with all of these great Harry Potter tracks, Hooper combines palpable senses of excitement and wonder to form a magical piece of music. It’s a tragedy that Hooper didn’t get to spend more time developing themes like this one.

5. Harry’s Wondrous World

As we head adventurously into the final five tracks, here’s John Williams doing what John Williams does best: non-stop magnificence. I think of this piece as the unofficial theme for Hogwarts, as it seems to describe musically the magical castle we know and love. It’s a remarkable combination of the themes of The Philosopher’s Stone, stirred together with copious doses of pure triumph, ending the film on a glorious note.

4. A Window To The Past

The perfect antithesis to “Harry’s Wondrous World”, this is John Williams taking Potter into dark and sombre territory in The Prisoner of Azkaban. The wistful melody never fails to conjure powerful images in my mind of darkness and snow and hooded Dementors from The Prisoner of Azkaban. Essentially a woodwind solo, this track contains the power to bring (manly) tears to my eyes. It really encapsulates an intense and childlike sense of longing.

3. The Chamber Of Secrets

Excitement and mystery are incarnate in this grandiose, almost vampirical piece. A spine tingling series of descending notes on organ lead into a waltz of strings and horns, building powerfully to an epic conclusion. The orchestra seems to come together so fluidly and graciously, changing drastically from moment to moment but never leaving the listener behind.

2. Hedwig’s Theme

This is the quintessential piece of Harry Potter music. From the delicate tinkling of the iconic theme we’ve all heard a thousand times to the cheeky pumping of brass, and then into the inevitable culmination of the united orchestra. Most of this track is used in film to score the action-packed wizarding sport, Quidditch. I’m glad Williams doesn’t hold back.

1. Fawkes The Phoenix

Fluttering out of the magic and mystery, this piece will forever be romantically entwined with the Harry Potter universe. Mixing an absolutely epic scale of majesty and grandeur with the delicate beauty and wonder of the enchanting melody, this track is another of the many reasons that John Williams is one of the greatest composers of all time.

There it is! My favourite magical music from Harry Potter. As I mentioned at the beginning, there are so many more incredible tracks and themes that I absolutely adore in the eight Potter soundtracks. In the end I whittled down to this list of ten, but maybe your list would be different? Let me know, what are your favourite pieces of music from the Harry Potter series?

Amazon.com Widgets

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Top Ten East Asian Scores - Live Action Edition

Top Ten East Asian Soundtracks by Richard Buxton

Watching films of the Far East and listening to their scores can often be a frustrating experience for someone in the West. The magnitude of the musical talent on offer in the likes of Japan, China and South Korea is astounding, yet it is a rare occurrence for their ability to grace the sounds of a Western film and thus depriving a significant portion of worldwide audiences of outstanding musical material.

In this Top 10 I have chosen my favourite East Asian scores for live-action film and television after the year 2000. Choosing 10 from over a decade of spectacular film scores was difficult to say the least. Having to leave out the many NHK Taiga drama scores, Tan Dun and Kousuke Yamashita among others was certainly a difficult decision, and the likes of Taro Iwashiro and Naoki Sato could quite easily fill this entire list by themselves. Such is the talent available in the Far East, a number of these score would be in contention for a worldwide top 10, and are therefore most certainly worth your attention.

10. Gō: Himetachi no Sengoku by Ryō Yoshimata

Ryō Yoshimata is TV’s first representative in the top 10 and paves the way with a superbly unpredictable score. Yoshimata’s compositions range from calming string passages, to unrelentingly dramatic action cues. Yoshimata curiously ventures into a Latin soundscape at times, making this score a refreshing change from the stringent routine so many follow today.

9. Year One in the North by Michiru Oshima

Listening to Oshima’s score for Year One In The North will likely leave you in a state of confused frustration. The undoubtedly beautiful themes on offer here convey a feeling of restraint and suspicion that Oshima could have produced even greater things. Nonetheless, Year One In The North is an often breathtakingly evocative score and well worth listening to.

8. Haru No Yuki (Spring Snow) by Taro Iwashiro

Perhaps the most unique score within this list; Haru No Yuki is a wonderfully restrained, but unequivocally beautiful experience. Truly appreciating Taro Iwashiro’s score might require more than a single play through, but the time spent is certainly worthwhile as the heartbreaking orchestral music on offer here is unequalled in emotion.

7. Umizaru 3: The Last Message by Naoki Sato

The Last Message is often uncharacteristically brooding affair by Naoki Sato that results in some wonderfully timed moments of orchestral catharsis. The Last Message is one of Sato’s more Western sounding scores, with more than a little Remote-Control present, but is still a fantastic musical offering.

6. Gaku (Peak: The Rescuers) by Naoki Sato

Peaks and Valleys would be an apt for description for Naoki Sato’s rollercoaster of a score. Moving from gorgeously delicate horn and woodwind melodies, to unyielding percussive action, to soaring orchestral themes, Gaku is a score that grabs the attention and never lets go. Written for Television, Gaku’s score would be equally at home on the big screen such is the depth of the sound on offer here.

5. Curse of the Golden Flower by Shigeru Umebayashi

Perhaps the most internationally known film in this list, Curse of the Golden Flower presents an unmissable opportunity to hear Shigeru Umebayashi at his very best. His combination of traditional orchestral might and ethnic instruments is at times achingly beautiful, particularly in the outstanding two closing tracks of the soundtrack. Not to be missed if you yearn for a more traditionally Eastern sounding score.

4. Legend of the Four Gods by Joe Hisaishi

The third TV series in the list, and the sole appearance of South Korea. Regardless of the country of origin, Hisaishi’s score is one that will hook listeners instantly with the beautiful opening rendition of the show’s main theme. Primarily known for his music heard in the films of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, Hisaishi shows he can shift between animation and live-action seamlessly. No doubt, this is among the very best of Hisaishi’s career.

3. Red Cliff by Taro Iwashiro

A Japanese composer for a Chinese historical epic and the most expensive Asian financed film to date. The formula certainly works, as Taro Iwashiro’s score is instantly gratifying with a tremendously catchy main theme that is reshaped beautifully throughout the score. Both Chinese soundtracks (Parts 1& 2), and the US soundtrack are rounded out by stunning vocal performances by Chinese vocalist Alan.

2. Space Battleship Yamato by Naoki Sato & Yasushi Miyagawa

Relentless. One word to describe Naoki Sato’s assault on the emotions during Space Battleship Yamato. The Japanese special effects extravaganza may have been a feast for the eyes, but the score does wonders for the ears. Naoki Sato’s outstanding talent for fleshing out onscreen emotion and excitement is in full-effect here and results in a consistently thrilling listen. His third appearance in this list, confirming that I am indeed a Naoki Sato obsessed.

1. The Promise by Klaus Badelt

The Promise is quite easily the highest point in Klaus Badelt’s career so far, and would compete for that honour in the back catalogue of numerous composers today had they composed it. The use of a German and Hollywood famed composer for a Chinese film may have seemed a curious decision, but has yielded unforgettable results. From the heart-wrenching love theme to the breathtakingly beautiful opening vocal piece, The Promise is a stunning score of the absolute highest calibre, and is among the best scores in recent years of not just Chinese and East Asian cinema but worldwide.

So what do you think? Tell us some of your favorites scores from this largely unexplored sub-genre of music!