Final Anticipated Scores

Compiled by Lukas Kendall

This continues our look at upcoming scores to which fans are looking forward. We'll probably call it wraps on these for now--heaven forbid this site bog down in monotony--but compiling these have made me think, oh yeah, I AM looking forward to that. In most cases, anyway.

From: "Robert Cooper" <r-cooper@ihug.co.nz>

1. Saving Private Ryan. 2. Godzilla, 3. Truman Show (the film's written by a New Zealander!). 4. X-Files. 5. Anything by Mychael Danna (don't know what he's doing this year). Just saw The Ice Storm and really liked his score.

From: Robyn French <PfanGirl@aol.com>

I look forward to basically everything Jerry Goldsmith and John Williams do. Both men have been going through a major phases in their careers lately; both are at the top of their game. Danny Elfman, slowly but surely, is reaching that same high pinnacle, as are (the woefully underrated) Alan Silvestri, Howard Shore and James Newton Howard.

The film score I'm most eagerly anticipating is THE LEGEND OF MULAN, however. What little I've seen from the movie (a basic plot synopis, a poster, a few on-line stills, and the name Jerry Goldsmith) leads me to some pretty high expectations. Well, here's hoping!

And, it's going to be interesting, one way or another, how James Horner tries to follow up his success with TITANIC. I remember when Micheal Jackson followed up the THRILLER album with an follow-up that "only" sold a few million copies, and a lot of the fans (and critics) said that Jackson was "all washed up now." I'm betting Horner's detractors will have a field day when his next score doesn't sell as well, and loudly proclaim that Horner's "all washed up," too. I'm not a huge fan of Horner (and I don't care for Micheal Jackson at all), but I'm have to admit, he's got my interest.

From: jdh@socialstudies.com (Jeffry Heise)

1) SAVING PRIVATE RYAN: Williams + Spielberg usually equals great, and I hope this one fills the bill. They say the third time is the charm, and since LOST WORLD was just OK, and AMISTAD was better but still... I think this one will do it. Advance word is that people will be leaving the theater emotionally wrung out, and not just from the images.

2) MASK OF ZORRO: the preview is great, Banderas looks incredible, and Horner seems to do better with something along these lines. Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing him do a pastiche/tribute to Korngold and Steiner here.

3) MULAN: the first score to a Disney animated feature I've looked forward to since Howard Ashman passed away, and since I loved Goldsmith's score to THE SECRET OF NIMH, I'm really looking forward to this!

4) STAR TREK-PRIME DIRECTIVE: Goldsmith scoring a STAR TREK film? Will I be there? Will I buy it? Can I stop asking questions?

5) GODZILLA: am really looking forward to what Arnold's main theme will be (shades of Elfman's main theme for BATMAN?), and I hope it is a fun movie.

Others: Elfman's SUPERMAN score, Goldsmith's SMALL SOLDIERS, and Newman's HORSE WHISPERER. Shall we all cross our fingers?

From: Dan Goldwasser <dsg@soundtrack.net>

My 5 anticipated scores of the year:

1. PRINCE OF EGYPT (Hans Zimmer) I know Zimmer sounds a lot like everything else he's done, but with the success of THE LION KING, and the epic scale to which this film is supposed to be, I'm really looking forward to this one.

2. TRUMAN SHOW (Philip Glass)

3. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (John Williams) Almost no explaination necessary. I just hope he's going to provide us with some great action cues....

4. SMALL SOLDIERS (Jerry Goldsmith) The fact that it is a Joe Dante/Jerry Goldsmith enture is more than enough of a reason to make me excited for this score. And the trailer rocked big time! 5. APT PUPIL (John Ottman) I had the good fortune to watch this movie a month ago, with the completed score intact. While similar to THE USUAL SUSPECTS, it contains some very powerful themes and moments. Definitely worth getting.

From: "Sean O'Neill" <e.design@sympatico.ca>

1. THE MASK OF ZORRO (Horner)

2. LES MISERABLES (Poledouris)

3. MULAN (Goldsmith)

4. SMALL SOLDIERS (Goldsmith): It's not TINNY SOLDIERS.

5. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (Williams)

Others I'm looking forward to, but not as much as those five are DEEP IMPACT, STAR TREK IX, GODZILLA, and THE THIN RED LINE.

From: "Nick Rheinwald" <nrheinwa@emerald.tufts.edu>

The scores I'm most looking forward to for this year and 1999 are...

1. Star Wars, Episode 1 by John Williams--whether or not he uses the original theme (I *really* hope he does), this will undoubtedly be THE soundtrack to cap off the 20th century.

2. Saving Private Ryan by John Williams--I heard "Hymn to the Fallen" performed by the Pops a week ago and it blew me away. There's nothing that man can't do.

3. The X-Files by Mark Snow--You really need to watch at least an entire season of "The X-Files" to appreciate Snow's incredible repertoire. I hope he can show off most of it in two hours.

4. (tie) Prince of Egypt by Hans Zimmer, and Mulan by Jerry Goldsmith--both look like memorable animated epics, and Zimmer and Goldsmith always seem to know what they're doing. The films and their music should be outstanding.

5. James Bond #19 by David Arnold--Now that Arnold has won himself a spot in the heart of every true Bond fan, I'm hoping that he'll diversify a little more and give us a wider range of instrumentals. But I hope he still uses the Bond theme a lot.

From: James L Perry <jlperry@U.Arizona.EDU>

First of all, I am also waiting in hyped up anticipation for this Saving Private Ryan score. And, of course, a Steven Spielberg film.

I saw Amistad last week. I have yet to see Titanic, but I'm having a hard time believing a movie could get better than that. I mean, no big special effects, no huge acting performances, and sure it seemed to drag a TINY bit. Doesn't anyone care about a good story? HELLOOOOO ENGLISH PATIENT!!!

Also ditto on the Star Wars I sentiment. I refuse to believe that any film score fan is anticipating any score besides that. No way. I don't care how much you people out there like James Horner. I hope he writes SOMETHING NEW THIS TIME!!!

From: CsinoSkunk <CsinoSkunk@aol.com>

1. Superman: Elfman 2. Les Mis: Poledouris 3.GODZILLA: Arnold 4. My March and April issues of Film Score Monthly (sorry guys...kind of a cheap shot.)

The March and April editions of FSM were combined into one--we're using a new printer (again) and it messed with our schedule. We certainly hope all subscribers have the Vol 3 No 3 issue by now! If not, well, write us: MailBag@filmscoremonthly.com. Our May issue is printing now and we WILL be on a real schedule from now on.