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1 - I Am Legend (possibly my favorite of his)
2 - Lady In The Water.
3 - Vertical Limit (this one make me discover JNH's music for first time)
4 - King Kong
5 - The Hunger Games
6 - The Happening
7 - Charlie Wilson's War
8 - Salt
9 - Signs
10 - Dante's Peak (though he wrote very few cues for that one)
Buy some more James Newton Howard, dude! You clearly have been missing out if the theme from Dante's Peak counts on your list.
1. Grand Canyon (won't be anyone else's favorite, but it's mine--shut up, Ryan)
2. Falling Down (there's a good 35-40 minute album to be made out of this, so where is it?)
3. The Fugitive (where's the 3.0 and 4.0 version of this one?)
4. Dave (the comedy score that gave John Debney a career in the 1990s)
5. Waterworld
6. Wyatt Earp
7. Unbreakable (it's too bad JNH already wrote the "noble" theme for Wyatt Earp, because I would have preferred it over the rewritten version used here)
8. The Village (the violin stuff is amazing, but I hate all the tribal shit)
9. Signs
10. Outbreak (it was actually kinda tough to pick 10)
I like bits of a lot of his scores, and was tempted to throw Michael Clayton on the Top 10, because I've come back to that one often, for whatever reason.
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Posted: |
Jul 13, 2012 - 12:20 PM
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By: |
Hurdy Gurdy
(Member)
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Like a few have already mentioned, I'm of the school who prefers his earlier works over his latter works, although I have grown to really like LAST AIRBENDER and his last two (HUNGER GAMES & SNOW WHITE) have some great moments that recall his 'wonder years'.
Anyway, I bought all his early CD's like Promised Land, 5 Corners and Off Limits, but it was THE PACKAGE that first made me sit up and really take notice. However, that was mainly for the Bill Conti-like brass blasts and percussion cues and less the droning synth cues.
Top 10...let's see...
1. MAN IN THE MOON (a lovely little homespun Americana score for a charming little film that I saw at the London Film Festival years ago. I was chuffed when the CD showed up).
2. GRAND CANYON (another hit-and-miss score, but that fanfare and a few other cues take some beating).
3. DAVE (like others mention above, THE template for what would be oft-emulated, but never bettered).
4. WYATT EARP (just when I thought only Bruce B could knock the modern western scores outta the park, up popped JNH with this whopper. Great main theme, Wagon Chase rules, nice Love Theme, although the CD does trickle out with a whimper instead of a bang).
5. WATERWORLD (There are a couple of action tracks in this one which rival John Williams for excitement and exhiliration. I can't think of a higher compliment).
6. DINOSAUR (Some great Goldsmith-like moments amongst the Lion King tributes and The Egg Travels is still one of the best film score cues I have ever heard...EVER!!)
7. SIGNS (just a stunning score to a film I don't really like, but still always think I do whenever I play the music. Those last few tracks defy belief...but I BELIEVE!!!).
8. THE VILLAGE (pure class, music-wise, from an M Night film I actually did enjoy (see also Sixth Sense).
9. LADY IN THE WATER (another fantastic score to possibly Shamalama's worst film, no wait, he followed this with The Happening and I've never seen Last Airbender. Wow, what a roll he went on).
10. ATLANTIS/TREASURE PLANET (I'm not sure which one's which with these two scores, but I know I like 'em both and I'll cue them up to see which one I prefer. I remember more great Goldsmith/Williams-like moments, which ain't a bad thing).
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How could no one have mentioned King Ralph! 
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Anyone whose list doesn't include anything from before 1999 is seriously going to have a whole new world opened up to them once they hear the rest of his 90's output (especially the 1991-1995 period).
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Postman
Dying Young
Promised Land
Grand Canyon
Lady in the Water
The Village
Man in the Moon
Snow Falling on Cedars
Signs
Alive
You can tell by my selection I tend to like the more dramatic and prettier stuff and not so much of the boom bastic, though don't get me wrong is all great and I own most of it, but the softer side is what gets me!
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Posted: |
Jul 13, 2012 - 10:45 PM
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By: |
Koray Savas
(Member)
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1. Signs
2. The Village
3. Snow Falling On Cedars
4. The Last Airbender
5. Lady In The Water
6. Michael Clayton
7. King Kong
8. I Am Legend
9. Unbreakable
10. Blood Diamond
Honorable mentions: The Sixth Sense, Big Trouble, Charlie Wilson's War
I recently posted this over on JWFan after listening to The Last Airbender, for those who are interested in such things:
M. Night Shyamalan and Howard share something special. They share the common bond between director and composer, yet on such a rare level. No matter which direction Shyamalan goes, he's able to bring out the best in his composer, and vice versa. This type of relationship is not seen often, and it should be praised and celebrated. It's akin to how Spielberg and Williams work, how Hitchcock and Herrmann worked, and how Leone and Morricone worked. Is Shyamalan in the same league as these directors? Absolutely not; but there's something in the fabric of his films that lends itself to Howard's beautiful writing. His best work is for Shyamalan, hands down. The beauty of The Village and Lady In The Water, or the intensity of Signs and Unbreakable. It all seems so simple and effortless, yet the music conveys such complex emotions.
The Last Airbender is one of Howard's crowing achievements, in my opinion. Time only makes me appreciate it all more. At first I found it to have great moments of inspiration, but lacking as a whole. If you can put the film's horrendous script and acting behind the atmosphere at work, it can be a surreal experience. The album definitely covers the highlights, but in rewatching the film, there's a lot more in there that helps flesh out all those great moments. This definitely needs to be listened to in its full glory; I just wish Shyamalan didn't muck it all up. The film had tremendous potential, but is ultimately a failure. If you can superimpose his interpretation with the show's plot and ideas, it elevates the music even higher. The action material, while more percussion and rhythmic based than Howard's usual flair, is absolutely fitting for Aang's journey and the film's universe. Then there's the gorgeous main theme which ends the film and score with a bang in "Flow Like Water." Film scoring at its finest. Howard's music makes that scene work, amidst all the problems Shyamalan brought with it. That's the sign of a great director/composer relationship, in my eyes. Whether one or the other is not on top of the their game, they make each other look good.
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1. Dinosaur
2. Atlantis: The Lost Empire
3. King Kong
4. Waterworld
5. Lady In The Water
6. Signs
7. Wyatt Earp
8. Hidalgo
9. Water Horse: Legend Of The Deep
10. The Last Airbender
Dinosaur is always gonna be special for me, for I can never forget marveling at "The Egg Travels" when I first heard it in the theatre 12 years ago. One of my early "film music awareness" moments, and it took some real hard work for me to track down the OST here in India. Atlantis, of course, contains brilliant themes and some fantastic orchestral/choral action music. King Kong's emotional moments are truly tear-jerking, and I adore all of his scores for Shyamalan's films.
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The Saint of Fort Washington is a pretty nice score; highly underrated. If only more people knew about it...the "Matthew's Casket" cue especially, which of course you can't find on YouTube.
Agreed. I almost put it on the list. It's recommended if you like his ER sound.
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