Thanks for this thread, Reamus. Really interesting stuff. :D

One of the best soundtracks I've ever heard was by Mike Oldfield. He composed Tubular Bells and the rest of the music for The Exorcist. When you listen to Tubular Bells (the song...not the soundtrack) you can hear the entire story of the film. Not only did he capture the story, but he composed a melody and orchestration that was utterly compelling and ahead of its time.

I loved the music from The Matrix but don't know who was responsible. Can someone help me out here?

As far as Danny Elfman goes, he seems to have done so much. You see his name everywhere. But, for me, his work is a little bland...it doesn't have enough flavour or something. But, then, I admit I haven't heard most of his work. (Getting a DVD notebook next week, so I'm hoping to catch up on all things movie)

John Williams...hmmm...he certainly does do the big orchestrations. But they've got such style and drama and power that I love them.

The work of Vangelis....I listened to some of their soundtracks ages ago, but I can't remember much about them. Their work obviously didn't move me to any great degree.

I'm fond of music from Disney animated films...The Lion King was fabulous....that's what movie music is about, I think. Who would have thought Elton John had that extra dimension within him?

Don Davis wrote the music to The Matrix

Danny Elfman
Howard Shore
John Williams
Hans Zimmer is also really cool
and the list goes on and on...

I'm actually listening to the music from Nightmare before christmas right now ;)

@Stroggy: Those lines you mentioned, I love them. They're so.. powerful, somehow :sneaky: (Look at my sig :bleh: )

Morricone's score for "Once upon a time in the west" is simply superb! (Humming tunes right now). I also really like his score for 'The Legend of 1900", in which he did the non-Jelly Roll Morton songs. I'd have to say he's my number one!

Elfman I like best for the theme of the Simpsons and the Chicago score. As Wendymaree points out, he is very good, but sometimes he's just not surprising.

Can't believe no one mentioned Morricone's score for 'Good, The Bad, The Ugly'. Ironic that one of the greatest Western's ever, and made by not an American directory by an Italian, the great Sergio Leone. While other Morricone movie score's are arguably better works, its definitely his most well known with the mass public. I still love his 'Fistful of Dollars' score but he still is putting out quality work to this day. I'd say his Kill Bill work is some of his best, unless that was recommissioned work by Tarentino.

I'd like to add Bernard Hermann to the list. Best known for his work with Hitchcock on movies like 'Psycho', his powerful, often tension filled music is also remembered well in Scorsese's 'Taxi Driver'. His music is unmistakable.

heh, glad to see so many film fans here. I agree with most of the other posts. Yeah Vangelis and Hans Zimmer rocks.

Another person I like a lot is Georges Delerue, who became well known for his work in French New Wave cinema, like Jean-Luc Godard's 'Contempt (Le Mepris)' and Alain Resnais 'Hiroshima mon amour'

I'm going to have to browse through my tapes and DVD's to remember more directors. Been awhile since I've thought about music director's since attending film school.

Completely forgot about that one. Thanks for reminding us. That soundtrack was incredible...has everything I like to find in a soundtrack: contained the essential essence of the move, had a stirring and memorable melody, and the orchestration was original and spot on for the type of film - not just the usual boring line-up of strings, piano, guitar. I'd go as far as saying that the opening song, especially, seemed to make TGBATU a better film than it already was. Morricone (didn't realise it was done by him) must be close to genius class.

Come to think of it, though, I like nearly all the themes from Westerns.

What do you mean he's not suprising? His music is so diverse, and he can do so many different styles! What is not suprising about his compositions? Ice Dance is one of the prettiest songs ever written. Beatlejuice has such an awesome driving theme based around two diminished chords. The Finale to Batman is so grand and hearing it just makes me smile. I find him much more diverse than John Williams...his stuff all starts to sound the same (to test this, hum the theme to Starwars, then hum the theme for Superman, then go back to Starwars, and try Superman again...most people fail miserably and get stuck on Starwars.)

I'd definately say (though he does more than just films) that Harry Gregson-Williams would have to be my favorite composer. I believe his most recent movie work was the Shrek series. :P

Mr Williams has also composed probably some of the best video game music I've ever heard (he scored both Metal Gear Solid 2 and most of 3).

hm, well that would be more guys like Ennio Morricone, RZA aka Boby Digital, and Clint Mansell (requiem for a dream soundtrack)

A friend of mine is a huge fan of Mike Oldfield.

As for Elfman's work being bland, I disagree.
What exactly do yopu mean by 'bland'?

I found his fable theme amazing, it told the entire story, the dual paths of good and evil, the internal and external struggle throughout the game. He has changed styles numerous times and, whereas he used to make only dark and weird themes, he has now proven that he is also very good at heroic and uplifting themes.

My only comment on his work is that he has grown too fond of those drums (don't know what they're called but you hear them in nearly every new soundtrack of his) But except for that the man is a musical genious!

John Williams used to be my favourite but his work has deteriorated at a fast pace over the last few years. He is now getting better again but there was a very noticable decline in his work (he hit a low with the soundtrack of Episode 1, I think)