By Brett Blake M. Night Shyamalan. The mere utterance of his name is enough to generate all kinds of complicated feelings. For a director who started his career with such promise, he had a rather pronounced fall from grace, kicking out a string of unequivocally bad movies for nearly a full 10 year stretch. With SPLIT, he’s back, and in more ways than one - good Shyamalan is back again, offering up a sharp and effective psychological thriller (with horror overtones) that is well directed, and which features a pair of knockout lead performances (and one quite excellent supporting turn, too). The premise is simple. Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy), Claire (Haley Lu Richardson), and Marcia (Jessica Sula) find themselves abducted and imprisoned by a mysterious man (James McAvoy) who harbors multiple personalities, any number of which are capable of “taking over” at any time. As the girls attempt to find ways to escape their confinement in an eerie underground maintenance facility, and through consultations with the man’s doctor (Betty Buckley), we watch as the various identities jostle for control and await the arrival of a malevolent and shadowy personality known only as “The Beast.” What ensues is a contained and suspenseful odyssey through one man’s troubled mind. The concept of multiple personalities is well-trod ground, especially in the horror and thriller genres. However, what Shyamalan does with it here feels fresh and unpredictable in ways that work really well. His choice to marry that concept with the skeleton of a “characters held captive” yarn feels totally organic, and allows him to stage a series of sequences which ramp up the tension in effective ways. His filmmaking here is confident, deliberate stuff which should absolutely remind viewers of his early work. Compelling camerawork (aided by some moody cinematography), intriguing staging, and effective intercutting combine to make SPLIT - even just from a technical perspective - Shyamalan’s best-directed film since SIGNS. His handling of the third act here is classic thriller stuff, complete with some wonderful moments and beats. But even more important than Shyamalan’s direction, his screenplay shows an acute attention to character that has (mostly) been missing from his more recent efforts; each of McAvoy’s identities feel fleshed out (as much as they need to, at any rate), and in Casey he has crafted one of his most interesting (and damaged) protagonists ever. Structurally, the story works really well; rather than building everything up to one of his vaunted and trademark “twists,” Shyamalan structures a series of reveals which gradually give us a better view of the overall picture. These reveals are not things I would have wanted to know walking into the movie, certainly, but they’re not “end all, be all” jaw-droppers like Shyamalan laid out early in his career. This is to SPLIT’s credit, however, as it avoids any and all accusations of being gimmicky. Sometimes big twists run the risk of overshadowing the movie as a whole, but that’s not something that applies in SPLIT’s case. There is a bit more that could be said on this front (and people who’ve seen the movie will know what I’m referring to), but I’m going to leave this subject alone. Where SPLIT truly excels is in the performances. As one might imagine, getting to play a character with multiple personalities seems like a dream job for an actor, and James McAvoy absolutely makes a meal out of his chance. It’s basically a tour de force for him, allowing him to show off tremendous range (from playful humor, to genuine, pitch-black menace); not only does he invest each of the identities with consistent mannerisms and body language, but the manner in which he shifts between them is unsettling in all the right ways. His character’s relationship with Buckley’s doctor is one of the most sneakily effective elements of the whole story, too, and McAvoy plays off Buckley in a really great way (and she gives it her all, as well, imbuing that character with profound decency and humanity). If anybody questions McAvoy’s abilities as an actor, SPLIT should immediately quiet those notions. It’s superb work. Opposite McAvoy is Anya Taylor-Joy’s Casey, and within her is where the real heart and emotion of the tale reside. At first she appears to be a tightly-wound coil of anxiety, but she eventually reveals an intellect and strength which make her a capable match for McAvoy’s antics. Taylor-Joy seems effortlessly real, intensely grounded. There’s an authentic quality to her moments on screen which make it incredibly easy to buy into her character. In the span of a single year, Anya Taylor-Joy has now brought us three flat-out excellent performances (in THE WITCH, MORGAN, and now SPLIT) and has made herself one of the most impressive actresses of her age group. Of course the movie as a whole isn’t perfect (there are a couple stabs at humor that fall flat, for example), but what is particularly satisfying about SPLIT is that it is basically proof that M. Night Shyamalan still has it within him to craft good movies. 2015’s surprise sleeper THE VISIT was a big step in the right direction, but SPLIT finds him back in total control of tone in a way that seemed to have eluded him for nearly a decade. From THE VILLAGE through THE LAST AIRBENDER, he appeared to be a director who had totally lost his way, who put absolute schlock up on the screen in ways that were ridiculously tone deaf. Gone were the delicate moments of THE SIXTH SENSE and UNBREAKABLE and SIGNS. Gone were the truly frightening moments. Early Shyamalan is back now, though, and if SPLIT had been the film he’d made right after SIGNS, I think he would unquestionably still be regarded as one of the strongest genre filmmakers working. SPLIT is a return to form, and it rewards longtime (and long-suffering!) Shyamalan fans for their patience with him. It’s a pleasure to have him back making good movies again.
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By Brett Blake January is not generally one of my favorite months, but it does afford me the opportunity to do one of my favorite things: break down the previous year in film and offer up my list of my favorites of that year. 2016 has the distinction of producing very few films I outright disliked, and the overall feel of the year was unquestionably a positive one. The bulk of the movies I saw would certainly qualify as good-to-very-good; the first half of the year, particularly, saw a clustering of unusually strong work, many of which I’ll be talking about shortly. However, in one sense I feel this is perhaps the most incomplete list I’ve yet had to compile, because there are many significant movies that I haven’t had a chance to see yet, including SILENCE, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA, LION, FENCES, MOANA, and HACKSAW RIDGE. Given that all of those are likely to be represented come Oscar season, my assessment of 2016 seems quite incomplete to me. But it is what it is. What will follow are my 15 favorite films of 2016. First, though, a couple of smaller lists to get us in the mood! The Five Worst Films of 2016 - JASON BOURNE - THE FOREST - 31 - THE VEIL - SATANIC Yes, four of these are horror movies. Despite what their appearance on my “Five Worst” list might imply, 2016 was an absolutely fabulous year for the horror genre. Honorable Mentions - THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE - THE ACCOUNTANT - THE JUNGLE BOOK - NOCTURNAL ANIMALS - FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM - THE CONJURING 2 - THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN - THE FINEST HOURS - THE BFG And now, the main event! My 15 Favorite Films of 2016 15. ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY (Gareth Edwards) - This first spinoff STAR WARS tale contains some of the best action of the entire franchise, and successfully applies almost a World War II movie sensibility to the STAR WARS universe. 14. CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR ( Anthony Russo & Joe Russo) - The third CAPTAIN AMERICA film miraculously juggles an almost absurd number of characters and manages to make them all feel relevant and important. It also has Robert Downey Jr.’s best performance yet as Tony Stark. 13. EYE IN THE SKY (Gavin Hood) - A complex examination of modern warfare that examines - from many different angles - a seemingly simple anti-terror operation which gradually threatens to spiral out of control. In his final onscreen role, Alan Rickman delivers one of his best performances. 12. HUSH (Mike Flanagan) - A smart, sharp fusion of home invasion thriller and slasher film, boasting terrific camerawork and an exceptional performance from co-writer Kate Siegel; she instantly becomes one of the stronger horror heroines in recent years. 11. GREEN ROOM (Jeremy Saulnier) - GREEN ROOM has a very simple premise executed with blistering ferocity. Easily the most tense film of 2016, this demonstrates Saulnier’s impeccable command of the tactics of suspense. 10. SULLY (Clint Eastwood) Eastwood’s best film in a decade, SULLY is an engrossing ode to the ability of men and women to make the best of extremely difficult circumstances. Tom Hanks is so good here, so believably grounded and real, that I think he deserves serious Oscar consideration, as should Eastwood’s non-showy - but extremely effective - direction. His staging of the fateful flight (which we see from several different perspectives) ranks up there with some of the best work he’s ever done behind the camera. 09. I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER (Billy O’Brien) This chilly, atmospheric horror yarn is one of the most singular of 2016, offering thoughtful character writing and one of the most fascinating protagonists I’ve seen in a horror film in a long time. As the lead, Max Records is revelatory, navigating a deeply complex character with ease and humanity; he really makes us care about his predicament, and it’s my favorite male performance of the year. And beyond that, the wintry, small town mood really helps make the movie standout from your usual horror fare. 08. STAR TREK BEYOND (Justin Lin) A total winner, STAR TREK BEYOND is the best TREK film in 25 years. The cast is absolutely on fire, and the script gives all of them material of substance; the plot is a wonderful riff on the sort of story The Original Series would often tell, and there’s a really nice balance of action spectacle and human interaction. Michael Giacchino’s score is also one of the year’s finest. 07. 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE (Dan Trachtenberg) What a terrific debut feature from Trachtenberg! This is a delicious science fiction thriller, one which contains one of John Goodman’s very best performances; he somehow manages to be avuncular, off-kilter, and deeply threatening, and it’s awards-quality work. The movie’s premise is also nicely TWILIGHT ZONEian and is an example of genre storytelling executed at a very high - and very entertaining - level. 06. HELL OR HIGH WATER (David Mackenzie) Although it’s ostensibly just a crime thriller, what we’re really dealing with here is a modern update of the classic western framework, with a pair of flawed outlaws being hunted by a dogged lawman. HELL OR HIGH WATER is old-fashioned in the very best way, a throwback to the crime dramas of the 1970s, and it treats all of its characters (on both sides of the law) with empathy. Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges are really, really good in this, but the performance of the film belongs to Ben Foster as the movie’s slightly-off-his-hinges-but-mostly-well-meaning wild card. 05. THE NICE GUYS (Shane Black) A wickedly humorous private eye yarn, THE NICE GUYS is a movie that won’t be for everyone’s taste, because it sort of requires you to hone in on its particular wavelength. Those who do, however, will be rewarded with the funniest film of the year, one which celebrates and deconstructs the pillars of classic detective stories through a pair of wonderful performances from Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling. Fans of mystery stories and phenomenal, razor-sharp dialogue will find a lot to love in here. 04. THE INVITATION (Karyn Kusama) Grief is not an unheard of subject for the horror/thriller genre, but THE INVITATION puts a powerful, profoundly personal spin on the idea of overcoming - or succumbing to - grief. From the jump, we can tell something is absolutely “off” about the setup, and as we follow Logan Marshall-Green’s growing realizations, we are treated to some of the best sequences of sustained tension I’ve seen in a long time. While some will no doubt be able to predict where the movie is going before it gets there, the way the movie arrives at this is extremely effective and - rare for a horror film - even emotionally moving. 03. DOCTOR STRANGE (Scott Derrickson) Just a blast, and one of the very best Marvel films. The level of creativity on display here from director Derrickson is exciting and thrilling, and the implementation of magic and mysticism gives DOCTOR STRANGE a truly fresh flavor and sets it apart from many of the other Marvel Studios films which - though extremely enjoyable - have mostly had a very similar feel. However, that freshness means nothing if not anchored by a solid cast, and Benedict Cumberbatch turns in a really fun central performance, one which could easily position him as one of the new lynchpins of the Marvel universe. 02. LA LA LAND (Damien Chazelle) The most affecting film (for me) of the year. Not only is LA LA LAND frequently infectiously optimistic and engaging, but it also has a bittersweet quality which pairs remarkably well with that. It’s a movie about pursuing our dreams, yes, but it also says to us that we might not achieve them in quite the ways we thought. It’s a delightful throwback to classic Hollywood cinema, yes, but it also tells a contemporary story that’s relevant to today. Emma Stone gives the performance of her career (and my favorite performance of the year), and director Chazelle flat-out dazzles with his command of cinematic technique; the musical sequences in here are absolutely splendid cinematic confections. I love this movie. 01. THE WITCH (Robert Eggers) Bone chilling. Eerie. Upsetting. Unsettling. Any number of words and phrases could be used to describe THE WITCH, and here’s another one I’ll throw out there: masterpiece. Eggers’ detail-oriented filmmaking style painstakingly puts us back in the age of the puritans, an age where unspeakable evil might dwell just a few paces inside a dark and foreboding forest. A portrait of a family on the verge of falling apart, the film is remarkably spooky, certainly, but is also emotionally honest and intellectually/thematically compelling. The film leaves the audience with much to chew on, and while some may find this frustrating, I think it is to the movie’s great credit. It’s also a phenomenal mood piece, drenching the viewer in nearly overwhelming atmosphere. To me, and at the risk of overhyping the movie beyond all rational proportions, there’s no doubt that THE WITCH will one day enter the pantheon of the all-time-great horror films.
By Brett Blake Let’s pick up right where I left off with Part 1 of my look at the best movie soundtracks of 2016 (which can be read right here!), I’m going to move directly into talking about the 15 scores I think represent the best of what the year had to offer in terms of film music. In most cases, I’ll be embedding one or two tracks for each score, as well as linking to some additional cues. All told, there will probably be well over an hour of music found in here, so feel free to listen at your own pace! 15. THE JUNGLE BOOK (John Debney) John Debney’s old-fashioned, symphonic score is a wonderful component of the film, underlining emotion at every turn and unafraid to go big. Debney wisely fashions his own primary melodic material, but also draws upon the songs from the classic animated version of the tale; the result is a very entertaining blend. “The Red Flower” “Elephant Waterfall” 14. NOCTURNAL ANIMALS (Abel Korzeniowski) If Bernard Herrmann were still alive and composing film scores, I think NOCTURNAL ANIMALS is not too far from what those would sound like. Korzeniowski, intentionally or not, has channeled one of the masters to create an incredibly lush and captivating musical landscape for one of the more unique thrillers of the 2016. “Wayward Sisters” “The Field” “Table for Two” 13. PETE’S DRAGON (Daniel Hart) Hart is somebody who was mostly unfamiliar to me prior to hearing this score, but he certainly has my attention now. There is an unabashed exuberance and optimism to his scoring here that recalls the joys of childhood discovery, and “Reverie” is a perfect example of this. Just an extraordinary, ultra-rousing track. “Reverie” 12. THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS (Alexandre Desplat) In a year packed with great themes, Alexandre Desplat’s central melody for THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS absolutely competes for the title of best theme of the year. Desplat’s arrangements of it in “Letters” and “The Light Between Oceans” are absolutely superb, while tracks like “In God’s Hands” and “Path of Light,” which feature more one-off-type thematic ideas build a feeling of bittersweet mood incredibly well. The piano writing and performance throughout are sublime. “Letters” 11. PASSENGERS (Thomas Newman) PASSENGERS is quintessential Thomas Newman. Fascinating textures, engaging little motifs, eclectic orchestration. This score is saturated in atmospheres, and I mean that in the very best way. There’s also a level of quirk here, a just-slightly-off-kilter feel, that I find very compelling, and the sonic landscapes Newman creates are incredibly evocative. This is a fabulous score to read or write to while listening. “The Starship Avalon (Main Title)” “Aurora” “The Sleeping Girl” “Passengers” “Accidental Happiness” 10. GHOSTBUSTERS (Theodore Shapiro) In one of 2016’s more unexpected developments, the (so-so) reboot of GHOSTBUSTERS brought along with it a massive and thrilling orchestral score from Shapiro. Rather than being a goofy modern comedy score (which are often unlistenable), Shapiro pitches things as (mostly) straight action/adventure, with nice dashes of mystery and horror and some variations of the classic theme song. “The Universe Shall Bend” “The Fourth Cataclysm” “Battle of Times Square” 09. GODS OF EGYPT (Marco Beltrami) Though it occasionally trades in cliche, Beltrami’s score is grand in scale, and full of sweeping melody. It’s a hugely entertaining listen, constantly compelling and fun, and it features moments that are among the very best of Beltrami’s career. In many ways, this feels like a throwback to the great Biblical epics of the 1950s and 1960s, as well as the giant adventure scores of the 1980s. “Gods of Egypt Prologue” “Coronation” 08. STAR TREK BEYOND (Michael Giacchino) Giacchino’s third score for the revamped STAR TREK franchise is his best yet. He contributes another of the great themes of the year with “Night on the Yorktown,” and offers up some absolutely dynamite action scoring as well. “Crash Decisions” is easily one of the year’s finest action cues. “Night on the Yorktown” 07. DOCTOR STRANGE (Michael Giacchino) Giacchino (him again?) gets mystical with DOCTOR STRANGE, and finally gives Marvel Studios an inarguably fantastic score. With a strong melody for Strange himself, plus a couple of smaller motifs, Giacchino weaves a tapestry of intrigue and adventure. When Giacchino lets his main Strange theme come into full bloom in “Strange Days Ahead” and “The Master of the Mystic End Credits,” the result is two of the very best tracks of the year. “The True Purpose of the Sorcerer” “Post Op Paracosm” “Smote and Mirrors” “Strange Days Ahead” “The Master of the Mystic End Credits” 06. LA LA LAND (Justin Hurwitz) A pure, delicate delight. Just as the film itself pays homage to the glory years of the Hollywood musical, so does Hurwitz’s wonderful score. At times jazzy and at other times nakedly emotional, the music is a huge part of the reason the movie is as great as it is. “Planetarium” and “Epilogue” are phenomenal standout tracks, while “City of Stars (Humming)” features an assist from lead actress Emma Stone in a moving arrangement of one of the film’s best songs. “Planetarium” 05. 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE (Bear McCreary) A dynamic action/suspense score, McCreary’s 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE is the best thing he’s ever written. A mysterious main theme leads the way, and McCreary puts it through consistently interesting and fresh interpretations throughout. The way he plays with harmonics is exceptionally strong, as well, and his writing for the more action-y moments during the climax is propulsive and exciting. “Two Stories” “The Burn” “10 Cloverfield Lane” 04. THE BFG (John Williams) There’s no denying that THE BFG is one of John Williams’ “lesser scores.” However, even a lesser Williams score is inevitably one of the best of its year, and that’s absolutely the case here. This is Williams in gentle whimsy mode, and the music is often wondrous. He employs several major themes and motifs, and while the main theme is arguably the least interesting of them, all have strong hooks. The ghostly piano theme that arrives at 2:49 in “The Witching Hour,” for example, is a one-off melody that any other score would kill to have as a main theme. “The Witching Hour” “To Giant Country” 03. FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM (James Newton Howard) FANTASTIC BEASTS finds James Newton Howard back in top form with soaring melody and dense orchestration. Packed with distinct and memorable themes, there was no better fantasy score in 2016. Howard’s action scoring here is top-notch, but it’s the more emotional material towards the end of the album that truly pushes this score over the top to be one of the very best of the year. The epic, 12-minute cue called “Relieve Him of His Wand / Newt Releases The Thunderbird / Jacob's Farewell” is a powerhouse of cathartic emotion, particularly from about 3:20 onward. “Tina Takes Newt In / Macusa Headquarters” “The Demiguise and the Occamy” “A Close Friend” "Relieve Him of His Wand / Newt Releases The Thunderbird / Jacob's Farewell" 02. THE WITCH (Mark Korven) Utterly bone chilling, THE WITCH is - full stop - one of the finest horror scores of the past several decades. It has no conventional themes, and is sometimes a challenging listen on the album, but Korven’s stark, terrifying atmosphere is exceptionally effective. Eerie, unsettling strings and dissonant chords combine with uber-dark chanting and choral work to create an incomparable mood. “What Went We” 01. ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY (Michael Giacchino) The first STAR WARS score not composed by John Williams was always going to be controversial, and Michael Giacchino’s attempt has certainly been that, with many claiming it’s an outright “bad” score. These people are, if you’ll allow me, insane. In following Williams’ blueprint for the STAR WARS saga (big themes, fun action), Giacchino has crafted one of his most intelligent and satisfying efforts. The level of care and thoughtfulness (in terms of utilizing both his new themes and Williams' older themes) cannot be understated, and it’s particularly noteworthy because Giacchino had only about four weeks to write this score! Under those circumstances, what he came up with is kind of a marvel, and has grown on me immeasurably since my first listen. No, it’s not as good as what Williams has done for this series, but nothing could be. As a Michael Giacchino STAR WARS score, ROGUE ONE is a triumph. Let me walk you through some of the highlights! “Jedha City Ambush” is the first major action cue of the score, and it’s very much in the Williams style, taking small motif ideas and building a feeling of propulsion around them. “Confrontation on Eadu” is probably the highlight of the entire score, an eight-minute setpiece that begins with mystery and suspense underscore, rockets into dynamic action, and then - in the last 70 seconds - finally unleashes the most grand and sweeping statement of Jyn’s theme in the whole movie. “Rogue One” and “Scrambling the Rebel Fleet” are engaging, “let’s get this show on the road”-style tracks that heighten the anticipation as the movie heads into its climax. “Project Stardust” and “The Master Switch” contain the best action material of the score, and the way Giacchino bounces around between themes is extraordinarily effective and exciting. “Your Father Would Be Proud” brings the story to its surprisingly emotional climax, with some of Giacchino’s patented touching string writing giving way to full orchestral swells of Jyn’s theme. “Hope” begins with an absolutely massive choral attack, coupled with swirling string and ferocious brass counterpoints, which culminates in Williams’ classic Imperial March. It’s a jaw-dropping opening 60 seconds, which then transition into Giacchino’s reworking of some of the opening material from Williams’ original STAR WARS score. The cue ends with a faithful, full-bodied statement of the classic Force theme as the movie cuts to the credits. “The Imperial Suite” is an arrangement of Giacchino’s two new villainous themes, both fabulously arch and catchy. Straight out of the John Williams playbook, and delightfully evil! “Guardians of the Whills Suite” is a presentation of one of the score’s more mystical and optimistic themes. It’s hard not to find yourself swayed by this theme, which may be my favorite of the score. So there you have it! What were some of your favorite scores of 2016? By Brett Blake 2016 has proven to be a rather remarkable year for film scores, surpassing even 2015’s level of quality (which I thought was quite high in itself). I’ve long been of the belief that a movie’s score is second only to the actors in terms of the ability to either elevate or absolutely destroy the material. Luckily, 2016 brought us much more of the former than the latter! As I’ve done in past years, I’m splitting up this examination of the year’s best scores into two distinct parts. The first, which you’re reading now, will showcase individual outstanding tracks from from good scores that couldn’t quite break into the list of my favorites of the year. The second part, coming very soon, will count down my top 15 favorite scores of 2016. Now that we’ve got that settled, sit back and enjoy some of the year’s best film music! NOW YOU SEE ME 2 (Brian Tyler) - “Now You See Me 2 Fanfare” While Tyler’s score as a whole leans heavily on material from the first film, this cue is just great, great stuff! Grand and mysterious, but tinged with optimism. THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (James Horner & Simon Franglen) - “The Darkest Hour” The late James Horner was able to posthumously bring us one final film score with an assist from Simon Franglen, and the result often feels (wonderfully) like vintage Horner, particularly this climactic cue. CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (Henry Jackman) - “Cap’s Promise” Jackman’s score overall is mostly just functional, but this end credits piece sends us out of the theater in a legitimately thrilling way with rousing renditions of the main theme. THE NEON DEMON (Cliff Martinez) - “Neon Demon” This cue shows off Martinez’s mastery of electronic textures in order to create propulsive and eerie synthetic soundscapes. MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN (Mike Higham & Matthew Margeson) - “Go To Her” A beautiful, delicate finale track that presents the score’s most memorable melodic material in excellent fashion. THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS (Alexandre Desplat) - “Meet the Pets” Desplat channels classic swing and jazz for his score to this animated hit. A little goes a long way on the full album, but this centerpiece track is awfully delightful! THE FINEST HOURS (Carter Burwell) - “Safe Harbor” For one of the year’s more under-appreciated movies, Carter Burwell provides a heartfelt and mature score, capped by this incredibly effective finale track. WARCRAFT (Ramin Djawadi) - “Warcraft” The bulk of Djawadi’s score is pretty standard contemporary action scoring, but this main theme - with its undulating repetition and vaguely sinister edge - is undeniably infectious. THE INVITATION (Theodore Shapiro) - "I Hope We" Shapiro’s music contains some truly unsettling passages, and this cue is perhaps a perfect encapsulation of the odd (but also beautiful) atmospheres the score creates. X-MEN: APOCALYPSE (John Ottman) - “Apocalypse” A suitably otherworldly and grand suite of material for the film’s villain, complete with striking choral elements. ZOOTOPIA (Michael Giacchino) - “Suite from Zootopia” Though it's easily the least exciting of Michael Giacchino’s four 2016 scores, ZOOTOPIA’s end credits piece is an absolute pleasure from start to finish, showcasing variations of all of the movie’s (quite catchy) themes. BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE (Hans Zimmer & Junkie XL) - “Is She With You?” I’m not fully sure if this pounding, over-the-top action track is “so bad, it’s good,” or actually really good. All I know is that I’ve listened to it a lot, and it’s the clear highlight of an otherwise disappointing score. THE NICE GUYS (John Ottman & David Buckley) - “Theme from ‘The Nice Guys’” Sounding like the most badass 1970s cop show theme song ever, this arrangement of the movie’s main theme is a blast, and a perfect musical distillation of the movie’s vibe. BONUS - GAME OF THRONES: SEASON 6 (Ramin Djawadi) - “Light of the Seven” Yes, this is music from a television show, not a movie, but this cue is too outstanding to go unrecognized. This is masterful scoring that any film would kill to have, to say nothing of an episode of television. |
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