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.) [/b][/quote]
I don't doubt the mans versatility nor his talent, but his compositions are sometimes just what you would expect them to be, hence not surprising. That means, they're not bad or even unpleasent to listen, but just a bit... plain.

You already pointed out that you don't like Williams, and since I've not mentioned him at all I wonder why you drag him to the scene again, but compared to him, I'd have to say Elfman is an utter genious.

The John Williams comment was geared towards Wendymaree, sorry.

We all have different levels of experience and musical appreciation, but we can still express our opinions accordingly, without anyone taking offence :) All these composers are talented and have produced great music and we all agree about that...it's just that due to our individual tastes, we like some more than others.

@ Stroggy I've gone out of my depth here a bit with my Elfman comments as I can't even remember any of his music although I've seen his name in the credits many times. But as I don't remember any, I know this means I didn't find the music interesting or different enough to remember. But I do remember once being disappointed as I thought his music sounded unoriginal and ordinary. And the movies you mentioned I haven't seen. I'll do my best to catch up on them. However, this doesn't mean that he's not the greatest or the best. This is just my impression. And the impression of someone who rarely listens to music, too. But I do compose it, professionally, on occasions.

I'm gonna have to jump on the Danny Elfman and Angelo Badalamenti train :)

Gotta agree with just about everyone mentioned so far. As for my two cents: Jon Brion. He always manages to bring something interesting and quirky to films that are already interesting and quirky. I'm still trying to figure out where his Oscar nod is for his Eternal Sunshine score, but that's something else altogether..

Whoever composed the music for Aliens is my top number, lemme go see his name...

(Looks at fancy Quadrilogy Set)

James Horner, the music at the end right when the queen is getting sucked through the airlock, and Sigourney closes it, that music is being used in so many commericals and films these days that it's almost impossible not to notice.

:ok: :ok: :ok:

over 400 films! (but only about 30 western)

Unfortunately he is only popular with
A Fistful Of Dollars
For a Few Dollars More
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Once Upon A Time In America
Frantic
Kill Bill (not new composed).

But there are many more good ones - films and compositions.

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John Williams: five Academy Awards (35 nominations!)

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For TV series I prefer Mike Post and Pete Carpenter.

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<!--QuoteBegin-Sebatianos@Feb 15 2005, 10:41 PM
But what interests me more is this:

-Which soundtrack is on your top 10 list (not only music writen for the movie, but also music that was used in a movie, even if writen for a completely different purpose* - like: Also Sprach Zharatustra (by Richard Strauss), that was brilliantly used in Kubrick's 2001 (writen by Arthur C. Clarke). [/quote]

Mambo Jambo by Perez Prado (Mean Guns with Christopher Lambert)
Misirlou by Dick Dale and the Deltones (Pulp Fiction)

I recently saw The Fountainhead (an old movie with Gary Cooper) and saw Max Steiner as the music composer. I remembered that name from many other old movies, so I checked my archive. He made some of the best athmospheric movie music in the old dramas. He loved the violines.

And I have to mention Prokofiev - the Russian composer (who also wrote the music for some of the old Russian classical movies - like Eisenstein's Ivan the Terrible).

Also I'd like to mention Timothy Howard. He's the one who made the music for the new release of Nosferatu. Excelent movie and because it's a silent movie, the musical score really needs to be perfect in order for the movie to work. This was is simply horrific.

@ Reamus: I strongly have to disagree with you about John Williams. It's true that his work is not anymore what it used to be, but the Soundtrack of Star Wars IV-VI is one of THE masterpieces of film music. Everything has its right timing, pacing etc here. If you listen carefully, the "same chords" etc is no sign of missing inspiration, those are called "themes" and "variations", because that's one of the main points of those soudtracks- characters, locations, they all have their own corresponding themes, which get varied and reprised during all of those movies. It's a sad thing Williams kinda lost that approach for his newer soundtracks. :(

Other than that:

- Ennio Morricone: Needless to say any more (maybe that there are many great soundtracks for movies that I think are rather unknown in the US, like many Belmondo-movies - LOVE "The Professional")

- Basil Poledouris: For "Conan" alone he deserves a memorial

No one else really comes to mind.

:w00t: Here in Germany the Jean-Paul Belmondo season is just over (in Germany film series are shown at more or less specific times). I've watched them all for the sixth time. :D