By Brett Blake Those who know me well know that I am a gigantic film score fan. The times when a movie’s music can totally transport us are among the most magical moments cinema can offer. 2015 - in contrast to other recent years - was a fantastic one for movie music. As such, since there were so many scores I really enjoyed this year that I want to honor, I’m breaking things down into two parts: the first, which you are now reading, will chronicle individual outstanding cues/tracks from solid (if not great) scores that overall didn’t break into my top favorites of the year, while the second part (coming soon!) will count down my 10 absolute favorite scores of 2015. With that in mind, settle back, get comfortable, and enjoy some of the finest movie music of the year! CAROL (Carter Burwell) - “Opening” Burwell’s overall score is somewhat repetitive, but this cue - which underscores the main titles - gives you an idea of the moody and slightly off-kilter vibe of the score proper. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (Junkie XL) - “Brothers In Arms” Though the majority of the the FURY ROAD score is fairly derivative of recent bombastic, electronic/rock, Hans-Zimmer-inspired works, this centerpiece track is spectacular as it builds in intensity. CRIMSON PEAK (Fernando Velázquez) - “Finale” Velázquez contributed a haunted and lyrical score for the film, and this climactic track underlines the melancholic, mournful romanticism that infects the entirety of the movie’s music. It is lovely and evocative work. BRIDGE OF SPIES (Thomas Newman) - “Homecoming” “Homecoming” represents quintessential Thomas Newman, instantly bringing to mind some of his loveliest work as it underscores Tom Hanks’ character’s low key return to his family after completing his important task; it’s a cue that is simultaneously triumphant and calming. IT FOLLOWS (Disasterpeace) - “Detroit” The whole score for this film is incredibly effective (and is also a wonderful homage to the synthy horror scores of the late 1970s and early 1980s), but the highlight is “Detroit,” which is brief but ultra-atmospheric. JUPITER ASCENDING (Michael Giacchino) - “Commitment” Michael Giacchino had an absolutely stellar 2015 (he has no less than three scores in my personal top 10 of the year, which - again - is coming soon!), and while his JUPITER ASCENDING work is the least-compelling of his ‘15 efforts, “Commitment” is a superb track that ties together several of the movie’s major themes in pretty satisfying ways. SAN ANDREAS (Andrew Lockington) - “San Andreas End Credits” Lockington’s a guy who has flown relatively under the radar, but his work for SAN ANDREAS - basically just a schlocky disaster movie - is surprisingly engaging, with melodic progressions that are unpredictable, and offering an almost “medieval quest” sort of sound. GOOSEBUMPS (Danny Elfman) - “Goosebumps” The score for GOOSEBUMPS is the kind of music that Danny Elfman could write in his sleep: sinister and macabre overtones underlined by a sense of playful mischief. Truth be told, there’s nothing in his score here that we haven’t heard from Elfman before, but this title track is a satisfying and fun composition that perfectly captures the tone of the movie. CINDERELLA (Patrick Doyle) - “Courage and Kindness” Doyle’s musical interpretation of the classic tale is full of lush and lyrical passages, which go a long way towards heightening the magical and heartfelt elements of the film. Sweet but not overly saccharine, it’s very effective scoring. PAN (John Powell) - “Flying Ship Fight” While Powell’s overall effort for PAN is incredibly reminiscent of some of his earlier scores, “Flying Ship Fight” is one of the standout action cues of the entire year, boasting a massive orchestral sound and a pretty masterful integration of the score’s various themes. EVEREST (Dario Marianelli) - “Epilogue” Marianelli’s score for EVEREST does not emphasize the tension or suspense of the movie’s true story, but rather the incredibly tragic outcome of the situation. His cue for the end of the film, “Epilogue,” is incredibly haunting and beautifully melancholic. ANT-MAN (Christophe Beck) - “Theme from Ant-Man” Beck’s ANT-MAN score is a ton of fun, but it can basically be summed up by this concert arrangement of the main theme, which really sells the cool, neat-o vibe of the heist-y elements of the story with a vaguely jazzy flair. IN THE HEART OF THE SEA (Roque Baños) - “The White Whale Chant” Baños’ end credits composition is almost achingly sad and evocative, offering up a simple melody and lone female vocals which completely convey the desolate denouement of the movie’s true story. Baños is a real talent to watch. WOLF TOTEM (James Horner) - “Return to the Wild” The late James Horner (who was killed this past summer in a plane crash) managed to gift music fans with one last great piece of work in the form of WOLF TOTEM. All the usual “Hornerisms” are here, but the main theme is absolutely wonderful, a piece somehow both ethereal and sweeping, befitting the grand, natural setting of the story. AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (Brian Tyler and Danny Elfman) - “New Avengers/Avengers: Age of Ultron” Elfman adds to his pretty incredible catalogue of superhero scores with his work on AGE OF ULTRON, on which he collaborated with Tyler. This cue, which represents the end titles, is a fantastically rousing suite of the movie’s main theme. That does it for Part 1 of my year-end look at 2015's film scores. Part 2 will arrive in a few days, as will my "Favorite Movies of 2015" list!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
January 2023
Categories
All
|