The score to A Thousand and One is easily the best movie music of this year, full of texture and life and joy. You can close your eyes and imagine the whole block, the whole apartment; it is absolutely building a universe!
That's actually a great one - I feel bad to have left it off. There's also a wonderful sense of consistency with that score, the way it builds familiarity over time, never too overwrought or underplayed. Thanks for the addition!
The other one I like quite a bit is the central theme to AYTGIM Margaret, which is quite lovely, feels like it's sneaking around corners and quietly asserting itself Margaret-style. the rest of the score iirc is mostly needle drops and it doesn't even have a proper release! funny it's a Zimmer.
It has been a long ten months since I saw it... I mostly remember the needle drops unfortunately. I love when Zimmer pops up for a regular movie though, like the Nancy Meyers ones (are those regular...? kind of)
My favorite score of the year by far was Godzilla: Minus One. It was perfectly calibrated to a surprisingly excellent action film, and made use of the original Godzilla theme (a true banger if ever there was a classical music banger) in new and interesting ways. I listen to it often.
Seconding the Gary Gunn “A Thousand and One” score, nothing else like it for me last year. Also really adored the “attempting to be a Jacques Demy movie” work happening in Gabriel Yared’s “Scarlet” score, and also the perhaps-too-noticeable Alex Weston “The Adults” score.
I need to see The Adults still - the poster haunts me every time I log into LB. Not familiar with this Scarlet! Only know about Pietro Marcello Scarlet (which, if it had a score, I've completely forgotten).
Oh yes yes I see now I misread (January vibes). I watched it in fall of 2022 so it has been a MINUTE but I remember the whole thing being too sleepy... Martin Eden, on the other hand...
The score to The Boy and the Heron was the most impactful in years, I thought. And wholeheartedly agree with your thoughts on The Holdovers: Just nonsense.
The Turtles soundtrack was one of my most played albums last year. I love how loose and silly some of the drumming is, like a high school jazz drummer showing off.
I also really liked Richard Reed Perry’s score for The Iron Claw. Sounds like it’s pretty different from Eileen!
The funniest thing about Jerskin Fendrix‘s name is that it is not his real name. Does he think it’s cool? Funny?
fran you are 100% right about the saltburn score, i thought it was manipulative af and i loved it in spite of that. also in the tank for the oppenheimer score for the same reason -- i listen to it almost every day. don't remember if Showing Up has a"score", you know, but I remember loving whatever track played over the opening credits.
scores i listened to the most this year were spider-verse and asteroid city by far, since they both play incredibly well on a treadmill run (for opposite reasons). the hisaishi score is maybe my favorite of his career (an insane career), but it suffers from being unavailable to stream :( just want to add that i liked the andre3k flute work in showing up!! and will add too to the chorus heaping praise on gary gunn's work on a thousand and one :)
Agree! (I also kind of feel this way about Maestro as well... I'm curious to know if the rules that granted Scott Joplin a posthumous Oscar now no longer apply.)
now THAT would be a Maestro moment! looks like Legrand was actually the last person to win for an "adapted" score (in a category whimsically called "Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation Score") for writing the music for Alan and Marilyn Bergman's lyrics for Yentl (who won the "original" side of it). None of that is at all confusing, I don't understand why this category didn't survive!!
The score to A Thousand and One is easily the best movie music of this year, full of texture and life and joy. You can close your eyes and imagine the whole block, the whole apartment; it is absolutely building a universe!
That's actually a great one - I feel bad to have left it off. There's also a wonderful sense of consistency with that score, the way it builds familiarity over time, never too overwrought or underplayed. Thanks for the addition!
The other one I like quite a bit is the central theme to AYTGIM Margaret, which is quite lovely, feels like it's sneaking around corners and quietly asserting itself Margaret-style. the rest of the score iirc is mostly needle drops and it doesn't even have a proper release! funny it's a Zimmer.
It has been a long ten months since I saw it... I mostly remember the needle drops unfortunately. I love when Zimmer pops up for a regular movie though, like the Nancy Meyers ones (are those regular...? kind of)
I’m ride or die for Joe Hisaishi, and The Boy and the Heron might be my favorite score of his, ever.
His Princess Mononoke score plays in my DREAMS😭😭
I liked Bryce Dessner's score for She Came to Me...
oomfs can't get enough of She Came to Me
Classical and Soundtrack talk are my favorite from Fran Mag!
More of that this year, for sure!
My favorite score of the year by far was Godzilla: Minus One. It was perfectly calibrated to a surprisingly excellent action film, and made use of the original Godzilla theme (a true banger if ever there was a classical music banger) in new and interesting ways. I listen to it often.
I GOTTA buy this score, I’m telling ya.
I do love that original theme!
Seconding the Gary Gunn “A Thousand and One” score, nothing else like it for me last year. Also really adored the “attempting to be a Jacques Demy movie” work happening in Gabriel Yared’s “Scarlet” score, and also the perhaps-too-noticeable Alex Weston “The Adults” score.
I need to see The Adults still - the poster haunts me every time I log into LB. Not familiar with this Scarlet! Only know about Pietro Marcello Scarlet (which, if it had a score, I've completely forgotten).
no that’s the same Scarlet, which maybe doesn’t bode well for your enjoyment of the score 😬
Oh yes yes I see now I misread (January vibes). I watched it in fall of 2022 so it has been a MINUTE but I remember the whole thing being too sleepy... Martin Eden, on the other hand...
Hisaishi is coming to the CSO in June and resale tickets start at like $500 - not sure he's underrated (at least by Chicago orchestra aficionados)!
ok well are you buying me tickets or not
🚨fran score writing🚨
The score to The Boy and the Heron was the most impactful in years, I thought. And wholeheartedly agree with your thoughts on The Holdovers: Just nonsense.
i think the boy and the heron score is my fav of the year 💜
well yes!
The Turtles soundtrack was one of my most played albums last year. I love how loose and silly some of the drumming is, like a high school jazz drummer showing off.
I also really liked Richard Reed Perry’s score for The Iron Claw. Sounds like it’s pretty different from Eileen!
The funniest thing about Jerskin Fendrix‘s name is that it is not his real name. Does he think it’s cool? Funny?
not this guy being born in 1995!!!!!!!!!!!!!
fran you are 100% right about the saltburn score, i thought it was manipulative af and i loved it in spite of that. also in the tank for the oppenheimer score for the same reason -- i listen to it almost every day. don't remember if Showing Up has a"score", you know, but I remember loving whatever track played over the opening credits.
it had the andre 3000 flutes?
NO QUESTION MARK INTENDED!!!
wowww this is amazing news
am i gonna end up rewatching showing up tonight? maybe i should. that feels like a daytime movie tho
the landscape with invisible hand score is really nice, michael abels breaking out the theramin
Abels is a genius
MICHAEL ABELS?
landscape was on my 2023 still-to-watch list and it is now at the top, will be watching tonight.
scores i listened to the most this year were spider-verse and asteroid city by far, since they both play incredibly well on a treadmill run (for opposite reasons). the hisaishi score is maybe my favorite of his career (an insane career), but it suffers from being unavailable to stream :( just want to add that i liked the andre3k flute work in showing up!! and will add too to the chorus heaping praise on gary gunn's work on a thousand and one :)
wigwag are you not stateside? boy & heron on apple music and youtube at the very least! I like the andre 3000 flute stuff in showing up too!
yes but i use tidal 😩 but youtube good to know!! will be jamming pronto
Can we all just agree to make up an Adapted Score category so we can toss Michel Legrand an Oscar for May December? Wouldn't that be nice?
Agree! (I also kind of feel this way about Maestro as well... I'm curious to know if the rules that granted Scott Joplin a posthumous Oscar now no longer apply.)
now THAT would be a Maestro moment! looks like Legrand was actually the last person to win for an "adapted" score (in a category whimsically called "Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation Score") for writing the music for Alan and Marilyn Bergman's lyrics for Yentl (who won the "original" side of it). None of that is at all confusing, I don't understand why this category didn't survive!!
Fascinating!
“The Delinquents” score was quite striking. Highly recommend.
Really need to see that. Raves from all friends who have caught it!