This year gave us some really incredible scores so I thought this second Oscars post would give me a chance to share some of my recent favourites with you! There are really so many great scores to talk about. There exist not only great movies with great scores, but also mediocre or even bad movies with great scores (Dark Phoenix I'm looking at you). I don't think I will ever understand how the Academy goes about their business. But, if I have one high horse to ride on it's this:
THIS WHOLE BLOG POST COULD BE ABOUT HOW HANS ZIMMER GETS ROBBED YEAR AFTER YEAR OF INCREDIBLE MUSIC MAKING. FOR PETE'S SAKE.
Anyway. I'm a fan boy. Greatest composer ever. There. I said it. Get over it. Moving on. This year' s nominees all put forth great efforts. After listening to all of them I thought I would highlight a couple that I think could win (If only for you Oscar poolies out there).
Joker - Hildur Guonadottir
This Icelandic cellist is the first women to solo win the Golden Globe for Best Original Score, and would only be the third female to win the Oscar (first in over 20 years). She also just won a Grammy for scoring the hit series Chernobyl. The Joker score is amazing, it's fresh and different in all the right places. The driving sounds of marching drums and ticking clocks amplify the heightened inevitability of the Joker. "Call me Joker" and "Bathroom Dance" are captivating and the scenes of the movie they go along with wouldn't be the same without them. I not so secretly hope she wins.
1917 - Thomas Newman
Arguably revered as the best score of the year, and maybe the most well rounded movie of the year. With over a dozen nominations, I feel like it's time for Newman to finally win. Having scored some prolific and highly nominated films (Shawshank Redemption, Road to Perdition, and American Beauty to name a few) I believe this is his best work. Not only is this score brilliantly crafted on its own merits, but it plays so well with the movie. I would even go so far as to say it subverts what you would expect out of a war movie. It's still early on in its release so I will avoid spoilers, but listen to "The Night Window" and watch the scene it's accompanying. That scene is why it's going to win all the awards. You heard it here first.
Star Wars, Rise of Skywalker - John Williams
It hurts to admit this, but as far as Star Wars scores go I have to say I was a little disappointed. It lacked the brilliance of the Original Trilogy, the epicness of the Prequel Trilogy, or even the playfulness and creativity Williams displayed in The Force Awakens. As I've said before, the Academy process confuses me, scores have been disqualified for not having enough original composition, yet Williams used past Star Wars scores to build this one. Don't get me wrong though, it is a great score, and delivers when it needs to. I think Williams has an outside chance of winning for posterity sake. Bookending his Star Wars legacy with another win.
And now on to some of my selections from past years!
Oblivion - M83
Oblivion was not nominated in 2014, where the Oscar winner was Gravity, and runners up were The Book Thief, Her, Philomena, and Saving Mr. Banks. I'm a big fan of mainstream artists breaking into the genre, I could have included Jonsi with We Bought a Zoo, Daft Punk with Tron: Legacy or Linkin Park with Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. I chose Oblivion because maybe I believe less people saw it and as you can see by this list, I love Sci-Fi. And Tom Cruise. Again, it is what it is. This is one of those good movies with a great score. M83 is ultra talented and under appreciated, and the whole movie comes to a head with an original song of epic proportions in "Oblivion."
Sunshine - John Murphy
Sunshine was not nominated in 2008, where the Oscar winner was Atonement, and runners up were 3:10 to Yuma, The Kite Runner, Michael Clayton, and Ratatouille. You know a score is good when it gets used again by other directors and composers (Kick-Ass, Misfits). Highly underrated Sci-Fi, the score to this movie is one giant crescendo. A build-up of strings and emotions leads to the final scenes with "Sunshine" playing alongside them. I could listen to it over and over again on its own -- but it being an accompaniment to equally epic scenes is just a bonus. If you like Murphy, also check out his score to 28 Days Later and the track "In The House - In A Heartbeat".
Interstellar - Hans Zimmer
Insterstellar was nominated 2015, lost to The Grand Budapest Hotel. This score deserves its own blog, or book, like a weighty tome. I'm biased, I know. The story behind this score is that director Christopher Nolan wanted a score for his next movie from frequent collaborator Zimmer. Usually a score is written during the later process of a film, or even when it's finished and in post-production. Nolan asked when this film was just an idea, and prompted Zimmer to give him a score about the relationship between and father and a son. Zimmer emerged with this score from just his feelings about his own life and came out with his magnum opus. Coming in with his signature string swells was beautiful but what set this apart was the use of the organ (see part of the fascinating process here). From beginning to end, the tone of the movie is set entirely by the score. From "Mountians" to "Imperfect Lock" and "Stay", Zimmer comes hard with track after track of intricate, emotional, and absolutely amazing music.
The Village - James Newton Howard
The Village was nominated 2005, lost to Finding Neverland. James Newton Howard (JNH) is one of the more consistently strong composers in the game. It's really a travesty that he has yet to walk away with an Oscar for his 8 nominations. He has scored all of M. Night Shyamalans early work, but The Village is far and away his best. Dabbling in both period piece themes, to backing the suspense of the movie with modern strings, this score is very-well rounded being both gripping and subtle when it needs to be. The use of the violin throughout and particularly in "The Bad Color" is perfectly haunting. I love the movie in general and was disappointed that JNH didn't walk away with the win, but I guess the Academy preferred the playful and dreamlike Finding Neverland score to something a little darker and brooding.
Star Wars, Prequel Trilogy - John Williams
None of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy were nominated in 2000/2003/2006. The only Star Wars score to win an Oscar so far was A New Hope in 1978 (duh, a masterpiece). It was a travesty that the this Trilogy, and especially Revenge of the Sith wasn't even nominated. Feel how you will about the Prequel Trilogies overall, the score to this movie is almost as good as the originals, maybe better in certain regards, and that's saying something. "Duel of the Fates" and "Battle of Heroes" are as grandiose as movie scores come, and use of the choir makes you feel like life itself hangs in the balance of every swing of a lightsaber.
Bonus Entry - Watchmen TV Series 2018 - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross were winners of Best Original Score for The Social Network in 2011 (which is upsetting that it beat out Zimmer's Inception, but dang was it good). These former members of the band Nine Inch Nails (NIN) have made quite a name for themselves post NIN era. "Lincoln Tunnel" from part 3 of the soundtrack perfectly captures the emotions of the final two episodes. Whether you watch this show or just listen to the score first, just like the chicken or the egg, you'll come to the same conclusion.
I would love to hear what movie scores have stuck out to you! Let me know in the comments! If you're looking for more of this type of music, check out my playlist "Film & Fantasy" on Apple Music. It includes selections from Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, Game of Thrones, and others that weren't included in todays blog.
But seriously. Zimmer's Gladiator lost to Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon in 2001. Big oof.
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