Author Topic: Film scores and Theme Tunes  (Read 5228 times)

fuzzy

Film scores and Theme Tunes
« on: 27 June, 2019, 10:56:56 pm »
I had a lunchtime DVD watch today with my sandwiches and crisps and took in Book of Eli.

At the end of the film I was waiting for the cast credits to come up to check out a couple of actors whe I realised I was thoroughly enjoying the simple but effective music, basically a 4 note riff with a bit of piano accentuation.

I hadn't really thought much about film scores till then but there is a hell of a lot of work that goes into writing something that fits with the production.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHtNOTkbk9s

What film or TV music have you enjoyed in the past?

Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #1 on: 27 June, 2019, 11:10:07 pm »

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
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Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #2 on: 28 June, 2019, 08:36:51 am »
Much of Michael Nyman's film-related output, esp. the stuff he did for Peter Greenaway's fillums.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
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T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #3 on: 28 June, 2019, 09:30:16 am »
There is a brief choral snatch in To the Ends of the Earth that always leaves me wanting more.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #4 on: 28 June, 2019, 10:04:44 am »
William Walton's music for  the "The Battle of Britain" is great. It was a genius decision to show the climatic battle with no aero engine noise just his score. Shame the Yanks pulled the rest of his score from the film.
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #5 on: 20 August, 2019, 06:15:13 pm »
In recent years, the soundtrack work of former Pop Will Eat Itself frontman Clint Mansell has been notable. His soundtrack for Moon was especially good - really added to the film.

And Jonny Greenwood off of Radiohead's soundtrack for Phantom Thread was pretty marvellous too.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #6 on: 20 August, 2019, 06:20:32 pm »
Much of Michael Nyman's film-related output, esp. the stuff he did for Peter Greenaway's fillums.

 :thumbsup:

I got into Michael Nyman's film music via Joby Talbot and Neil Hannon*, who worked together on some of the early Divine Comedy recordings (Talbot was a member of the band for a while). Both were heavily influenced by Nyman (check out Tonight We Fly, the closing track on The Divine Comedy's Promenade). Talbot went on to write the theme for League of Gentlemen. And Neil Hannon wrote the theme tune for Father Ted (which also appears as a version with words called Songs Of Love on his Casanova LP).


*strictly speaking, it was via a friend who was a fellow Divine Comedy fan and massive Greenaway obsessive.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #7 on: 20 August, 2019, 06:25:17 pm »
Much of Michael Nyman's film-related output, esp. the stuff he did for Peter Greenaway's fillums.

 :thumbsup:

I got into Michael Nyman's film music via Joby Talbot and Neil Hannon*, who worked together on some of the early Divine Comedy recordings (Talbot was a member of the band for a while). Both were heavily influenced by Nyman (check out Tonight We Fly, the closing track on The Divine Comedy's Promenade). Talbot went on to write the theme for League of Gentlemen. And Neil Hannon wrote the theme tune for Father Ted (which also appears as a version with words called Songs Of Love on his Casanova LP).


*strictly speaking, it was via a friend who was a fellow Divine Comedy fan and massive Greenaway obsessive.
And another +1 for Michael Nyman's work for Peter Greenaway :thumbsup:

Little known fact:
My former home, during what have come to be known as The Peckham Years, was arranged courtesy of Peter Greenaway's PA and was located in the premises which were formerly the recording studios of The Mad Professor and the Ariwa Sounds label. We used to constantly get demo tapes in the post. :thumbsup:
A big plus if you are a fan of dub.

Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #8 on: 20 August, 2019, 06:44:52 pm »
Zbigniew Preisner's scores for Kieslowski are well worth a listen.  As is "Requiem For My Friend".


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bKSUlK-FgY   &    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v_Vtjo1kUg




Edit.  Oh bugger, that's done it.  Three Colours marathon at the weekend. 
Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark

Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #9 on: 20 August, 2019, 07:15:13 pm »
Zbigniew Preisner's scores for Kieslowski are well worth a listen.  As is "Requiem For My Friend".


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bKSUlK-FgY   &    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v_Vtjo1kUg





Edit.  Oh bugger, that's done it.  Three Colours marathon at the weekend.
Yup! +1  :thumbsup:
The private life of Veronique, also.

Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #10 on: 20 August, 2019, 07:23:16 pm »
Yup! +1  :thumbsup:
The private life of Veronique, also.


Is that the naughty version ??  :jurek:   
Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark

Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #11 on: 20 August, 2019, 07:44:37 pm »
Yup! +1  :thumbsup:
The private life of Veronique, also.


Is that the naughty version ??  :jurek:   
I'm unaware of a 'naughty' version of PL of V  ???

Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #12 on: 20 August, 2019, 07:48:38 pm »
It’s the Double Life.....  ;)
Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark

Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #13 on: 20 August, 2019, 07:53:32 pm »
It’s the Double Life.....  ;)
Ach!
You are correct, and have caught me out there  :facepalm:

Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #14 on: 21 August, 2019, 09:21:30 am »
Mr fimm is very into orchestral film music - John Williams obviously, but also Hans Zimmer and a man whose name I can't remember and lots of others
One track I always like when he plays it is from one of the "Transformers" films - it is very slow-moving and broad and doesn't sound like it is from that kind of film at all!

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #15 on: 21 August, 2019, 09:37:18 am »
The music to Sicario.

Sadly the composer will compose no more.
It is simpler than it looks.

fuaran

  • rothair gasta
Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #16 on: 21 August, 2019, 10:07:20 am »
+1 for Hans Zimmer. The Gladiator soundtrack is suitably epic.
https://youtu.be/kln605W1r3E
https://youtu.be/R9zxany7e10

nicknack

  • Hornblower
Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #17 on: 21 August, 2019, 10:14:12 am »
Bullitt.

Oh

and Mission Impossible.
There's no vibrations, but wait.

Riggers

  • Mine's a pipe, er… pint!
Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #18 on: 21 August, 2019, 10:46:28 am »
Much of Michael Nyman's film-related output, esp. the stuff he did for Peter Greenaway's fillums.

I concur. Got into Nyman's 'stuff' when at art college. His 'Decay Music' is very minimalist and best listened to, alone, in a darkened room. Perfect!
Certainly never seen cycling south of Sussex

Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #19 on: 21 August, 2019, 11:15:48 am »
I agree about Paris Texas.  Isn't there a dispute about how much is Ry Cooder and how much Arlen Roth?


But my favourite will probably always be Anton Karas's music for The Third Man.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #20 on: 21 August, 2019, 12:19:44 pm »
But my favourite will probably always be Anton Karas's music for The Third Man.

The mere mention of which will ensure that everyone who reads this thread will have the main theme as an earworm for the rest of the day!
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #21 on: 21 August, 2019, 01:18:22 pm »
Happy to oblige, D!

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #22 on: 21 August, 2019, 02:30:08 pm »
+1 for Hans Zimmer. The Gladiator soundtrack is suitably epic.
https://youtu.be/kln605W1r3E
https://youtu.be/R9zxany7e10

Pinches a chunk of Holst/Mars, but who among them doesn't?

It's still a good antidote to The Third Man.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Redlight

  • Enjoying life in the slow lane
Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #23 on: 22 August, 2019, 01:44:26 pm »
Echo the praise for Michael Nyman's music. But the man himself...  :-\  I went to a concert by him a few years ago. In the best part of two hours he did not address a single word to the audience or even acknowledge it apart from a bow at the beginning and another at the end.  :facepalm:
Why should anybody steal a watch when they can steal a bicycle?

caerau

  • SR x 3 - PBP fail but 1090 km - hey - not too bad
Re: Film scores and Theme Tunes
« Reply #24 on: 22 August, 2019, 01:58:30 pm »
My missus persuaded me to start watching that there distopian-horror show of a TV series-  A Handmaid's Tale the other day.


Amongst the continuous horrific scenes (don't get me wrong, it's excellent in a kind of way that would have depressed George Orwell) - was a scene where one of the handmaids was giving birth.  She was surrounded by others all giving a chorus of uniformly chanted advice....


"Breathe". "Breathe" "Breathe"


"Exhale". "Exhale". "Exhale"


Amongst the gloom it did occur to me that they missed a right trick in not giving this a Prodigy soundtrack during that scene  :-D
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_PAHbqq-o4)
It's a reverse Elvis thing.