Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is Trevor Rabin. The South African composer was a guitarist and musician long before he started scoring films in the 1990s. His selected works below are mostly very fast-paced and high-octane. Most recently, Rabin composed the part action, part sentimental score for the war film “5 Days of War.” His good beat for “Get Smart” helped make the film’s less comic moments thrilling, while the cool, furious music for “Bad Boys II” amped up the already-present excitement. The inspirational end titles for “Remember the Titans” are extremely memorable, as is the loud, angry car heist music from “Gone in 60 Seconds.” The epic, monumental score for “Armageddon” was probably one of the only good things about that film, whereas the aggressive “Con Air” score made that move even more fantastically ridiculous.

5 Days of War (2011)



Get Smart (2008)



Bad Boys II (2003)



Remember the Titans (2000)



Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)



Armageddon (1998)



Con Air (1997)

Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is Gustavo Santaolalla. The Argentinean musician frequently collaborates with director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, and all of his compositions are devastating and moving. Since there are only a few, I’ve included two tracks from several selections. The score for “Biutiful” sets a tone of sadness for its powerful, dreary story. The instrumental, Oscar-winning rendition for “Babel” shapes and defines the many miscommunications that occur throughout the course of the film. The stirring soundtrack for “North Country” is melancholy but determined, symbolic of the state of the characters in the film. No matter if you loved “Brokeback Mountain” or hated it, it’s hard not to be moved by the sweet and sentimental score. For me, the deeply serious, sober theme to “21 Grams” made the experience of a terrific, heart-wrenching film.

Biutiful (2010)



Babel (2006)



North Country (2005)





Brokeback Mountain (2005)



21 Grams (2003)

Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is Danny Elfman. The Los Angeles native has written a slew of memorable themes over the past twenty-five years. A frequent collaborator with director Tim Burton, their most recent joint effort was “Alice in Wonderland,” for which Elfman composed the mesmerizing and magical theme for Alice. Previously, he wrote the frightening and moody anthem for “The Wolfman, and he provided a fresh introduction to a classic theme for “Terminator Salvation.” He composed sentimental, inspirational main titles for “Milk,” and an exciting musical success montage for “Wanted.” His stylized, action-packed opening titles for “The Kingdom” helped to establish an intense tone, while his music for “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” was a delightful and exciting introduction to the magic of Willy Wonka. He set the tone for “Big Fish” with a sentimental, sad musical concept of this fantasy universe. His scores for Marvel superhero films “Hulk” and “Spider-Man” were appropriately epic and enthralling. He gave “Chicago” great instrumentals to go with all the songs, and I love the superb, haunting, foreboding score for “Red Dragon.” Elfman wrote the serene, melodical theme for “The Family Man” and the quiet, rhythmic end credits for “A Civil Action.” He also composed the mood-establishing, mysterious theme for “A Simple Plan” and the inspirational and happy score for “Good Will Hunting.” His energetic action score for “Mission Impossible” enhanced an already existing and memorable tune, and he wrote two of the more memorable anthems from recent sci-fi fantasy history: “Men in Black” and “Batman.”

Alice in Wonderland (2010)



The Wolfman (2010)



Terminator Salvation (2009)



Milk (2008)



Wanted (2008)



The Kingdom (2007)



Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

Not embeddable – click here to listen

Big Fish (2003)


Hulk (2003)



Spider-Man (2002)



Chicago (2002)



Red Dragon (2002)



The Family Man (2000)



A Civil Action (1998)



A Simple Plan (1998)



Good Will Hunting (1997)



Men in Black (1997)



Mission: Impossible (1996)



Batman (1989)

Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is Alan Silvestri. The New York native has scored a few notable Tom Hanks movies and frequently works with director Robert Zemeckis. Most recently, he wrote the highly patriotic, adventurous anthem for “Captain America: The First Avenger.” His loud, barbaric composition for “Beowulf” was more than fitting for all its characters, and the magical theme that brings in familiar holiday music was just right for “The Polar Express.” The haunting end credits for the great thriller “Identity” are chilling, and his very distinctive and only semi-serious score for “The Mexican” is part of what makes that film so odd and enjoyable. The melancholy, lonely theme for “Cast Away” is a mood-setter, and the alternately dramatic and buoyant score for “The Parent Trap” establishes a fun-spirited tone for the film. “Forrest Gump” contains a wonderful theme and the classic inspirational running music embedded below. Silvestri provides a frantic introduction to the family world of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” but it’s one of his even earlier collaborations with Zemeckis that ranks as one of the best all-time compositions, and that’s the unparalleled, highly invigorating score to “Back to the Future.”

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)



Beowulf (2007)



The Polar Express (2004)



Identity (2003)



The Mexican (2001)



Cast Away (2000)



The Parent Trap (1998)



Forrest Gump (1994)



Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)



Back to the Future (1985)

Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is Howard Shore. The Canada native is a three-time Oscar winner, triumphing each time for his contributions to the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Most recently, he teamed as usual with filmmaker David Cronenberg to provide the haunting, foreboding score for “Eastern Promises.” I still find it hard to believe that no awards bodies took note of the music from “The Departed,” which was a perfectly calibrated introduction to the Boston mob world. His theme for “A History of Violence” was frightening and almost deafening, while the anthem for Howard Hughes from “The Aviator” was alternatively triumphant and tentative. His music for “Panic Room” was thrilling and foreboding, and he gave the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy a proper saga theme, filled with much emotion and feeling. The “Philadelphia” soundtrack delivers a message of importance, and one of my favorite scores ever is the music from “The Silence of the Lambs,” just right for the old-fashioned, dated feel of the movie.

Eastern Promises (2007)



The Departed (2006)



A History of Violence (2005)



The Aviator (2004)



Panic Room (2002)



The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)



Philadelphia (1993)



The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is Thomas Newman. The Los Angeles native is a ten-time Oscar nominee, but hasn’t yet won. I recognize him most as a frequent collaborator with Sam Mendes and Alan Ball. Most recently, he composed the pensive and contemplative anthem for “The Debt” and the multi-faceted, tone-setting soundtrack suite for “The Help.” His moody score for “The Adjustment Bureau” helped give it its signature feel, and the melancholy homecoming theme of “Brothers” was one of its strongest assets. The sad end title of “Revolutionary Road” is particularly somber, while the distinctive music for “Wall-E” is much bouncier. The mysterious, jazzy score for “Towelhead” is quite memorable, and the music “The Good German” is an obvious homage to film noir of old. “Little Children” has stylized, peculiar end titles, while “Jarhead” is aided by mood-establishing desert-crawling music. “Cinderella Man” possesses epic, inspirational main titles, while the theme for “Finding Nemo” is quiet and pleasant. “Road to Perdition” has a moving score that captures the film’s repentance themes, while “Erin Brockovich” has a bold, energetic score, much like its title character. My favorite is “American Beauty,” with its absolutely beautiful and haunting plastic bag theme, though it’s hard to argue that the triumphant “The Shawshank Redemption” score isn’t excellent as well.

The Debt (2011)



The Help (2011)



The Adjustment Bureau (2011)



Brothers (2009)



Revolutionary Road (2008)



Wall-E (2008)



Towelhead (2008)



The Good German (2008)



Little Children (2006)



Jarhead (2005)



Cinderella Man (2005)



Finding Nemo (2003)



Road to Perdition (2002)



Erin Brockovich (2000)



American Beauty (1999)



The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is James Horner. Perhaps best known for his collaborations with director James Cameron, Horner has an eclectic resume with many compositions, a good number of them epic in nature. His score for “Avatar” helped supplement the visually astounding experience of the film. His music for “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” was appropriately solemn and probably the strongest part of an otherwise lacking film. His stylized score for “Apocalypto” was just right for the messy Mel Gibson film, and I personally love the main title theme for “All the King’s Men” even though the film was inconsolably horrendous. His scores for action thrillers “Flightplan,” “Troy,” and “The Missing” were also strong, while a more somber theme for “House of Sand and Fog” proved effective. His suite for “Iris” is wonderful, and the music of “A Beautiful Mind” was one of its defining aspects for me when I first saw it in theatres in December 2001. There’s not a person in the world who doesn’t known the music of “Titanic,” and listen to it at your own risk of getting it stick in your head for weeks. His score to animated film “Balto” may not be as well-known, but it’s still powerful and moving. Prior to that, he composed the music to three majorly epic films: “Braveheart,” “Glory,” and “Aliens.”

Avatar (2009)



The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)



Apocalypto (2006)



All the King’s Men (2006)



Flightplan (2005)



Troy (2004)



House of Sand and Fog (2003)



The Missing (2003)



Iris (2001)



A Beautiful Mind (2001)



Titanic (1997)



Balto (1995)



Apollo 13 (1995)



Braveheart (1995)



Glory (1989)



Aliens (1986)

Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is Alexandre Desplat. The Paris native is a four-time Oscar nominee and has been scoring many notable American films for the past decade. Most recently, he wrote the rather epic music for Terrence Malick’s majestic “The Tree of Life.” His regal themes have been particularly memorable, for 2010’s “The King’s Speech” and 2006’s “The Queen.” His music for “The Ghost Writer” was rather distinctive and energetic, as were his anthems for French film “A Prophet” and animated feature “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” He wrote sweet melodies for lifespan pictures “Coco Before Chanel” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” and a magical tune for “The Golden Compass.” He also specializes in melancholy music for movies about doomed lovers like “Lust, Caution,” “The Painted Veil,” and “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” He’s competent in thriller scores as well, as evidenced by 2005’s “Syriana.”

The Tree of Life (2011)



The King’s Speech (2010)



The Ghost Writer (2010)



A Prophet (2010)



Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)



Coco Before Chanel (2009)



The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)



The Golden Compass (2007)



Lust, Caution (2007)



The Painted Veil (2006)



The Queen (2006)



Syriana (2005)



Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)

Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is James Newton Howard. The eight-time Oscar nominee is a California native and has been writing top-notch soundtracks for over two decades. Going chronologically backwards, his most notable contribution was the best part of the awful “The Last Airbender,” which boasts an epic prologue as its strongest bit. The fun, bouncy, cat-and-mouse score to “Duplicity” helped make that such an enjoyable ride, and the heartfelt, stirring soundtrack of “Defiance” made it an incredibly moving experience. I’ve always been a huge fan of the thrilling track “I’m Not The Guy You Kill” from “Michael Clayton,” and I also enjoyed the energetic score to the underseen, underappreciated Joseph Gordon-Levitt starrer “The Lookout.” The action drama “Blood Diamond” was terrific, and Howard’s soundtrack was a big part of what made it exciting and effective. The first track of Howard’s composition for “The Village” is gorgeous, and there’s little more triumphant than the “Flying” track from the 2003 remake of “Peter Pan.” Howard provided the scores for the two M. Night Shyamalan films that were actually really good, “Signs” and “The Sixth Sense,” and his creepy compositions were crucial to the terror and suspense in each film. Prior to that, he wrote the bubbly music for “My Best Friend’s Wedding” and composed the suite for the classic Harrison Ford thriller “The Fugitive.”

The Last Airbender (2010)



Duplicity (2009)



Defiance (2008)



Michael Clayton (2007)



The Lookout (2007)



Blood Diamond (2006)



The Village (2004)



Peter Pan (2003)



Signs (2002)



The Sixth Sense (1999)



My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)



The Fugitive (1993)

Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is Hans Zimmer. The West Germany native has been nominated for nine Oscars, winning once for the original score for the classic Disney film “The Lion King.” His resume is rather astounding, with plenty of memorable scores, at least four of which would rank as my favorites (I’ll put a number in parentheses to denote them, in no particular order). His most recent musical achievement is the tremendous score to “Inception” (#1), and I’ve selected the track “Dream Within a Dream” to best represent that film’s momentous music. In 2009, Zimmer tried something different with a very distinctive, eccentric score for “Sherlock Holmes.” His foreboding and mysterious music for “Frost/Nixon” worked centrally to enhance the plot of the film. The anthem for “The Dark Knight,” and its predecessor “Batman Begins,” was appropriately loud and stirring. Even if the film wasn’t wondrous, there’s no denying that the ending theme to “The Da Vinci Code” (#2), “Chevaliers de Sangreal,” is absolutely incredible, and there’s a reason it’s used so often in movie montages and trailers. His battle score for “King Arthur” was inarguably energetic and excitable. Two of his best works (#3 & #4) are over a decade old: “Gladiator” and “The Rock,” both of which evoke particularly moving emotions for the triumphant lead character of Maximus and the all-out action of the latter film. “The Lion King” might be better remembered for its bevy of original songs, but its score is equally powerful. His first Oscar-nominated soundtrack, “Rain Man,” is considerably different from his later work, but it’s a fun moody theme that works quite well for its quirky lead characters.

Inception (2010)



Sherlock Holmes (2009)



Frost/Nixon (2008)



The Dark Knight (2008)



The Da Vinci Code (2006)



King Arthur (2004)



Gladiator (2000)



The Rock (1996)



The Lion King (1994)



Rain Man (1988)

Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is Johan Söderqvist, the Swedish-born go-to composer for Oscar-winning Danish filmmaker Susanne Bier. Söderqvist has composed tremendous, powerful scores for Bier’s films that help to draw out the intensity of each of them, but you’ll notice a distinctive and creative energy to some of the tracks as well. Listen to two tracks from the best film I’ve seen so far this year, “In a Better World,” where the music really helps to make the film an awe-inspiring experience. Bier’s only American film, “Things We Lost in the Fire,” was an enormous disappointment, but fortunately the score wasn’t. Listen to three short selections from that soundtrack. The suite from “After the Wedding” shows a particularly diverse range of musical selections on Söderqvist’s part. These are excellent musical compositions, but more than anything, if you haven’t seen “In a Better World” or “After the Wedding,” watch them as soon as you can.

In a Better World (2011)





Things We Lost in the Fire (2007)







After the Wedding (2006)

Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is Marco Beltrami. The New York-born musician has earned two Oscar nominations in the past four years, most recently sharing a mention for Best Picture winner “The Hurt Locker” with Buck Sanders. “The Way I Am” is a melancholy meditation that underlines the depth of the characters’ lives, and that intensity is found in “Man of His Word,” a gorgeous track from 2007’s “3:10 to Yuma.” Previously, Beltrami has written the music for some fast-paced thrillers, including “Live Free or Die Hard.” The track “Lucy in the Elevator” is a pensive action score that’s both slow and exciting. His more distinctive score for the 2006 dud “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada” is more stylized and specific, mainly because it’s a different kind of movie that most of the films for which he composes the music. Previously, he worked on the subtle, eerie main titles of “I, Robot,” and succeeded in achieving the challenging task of creating a new anthem for the Terminator series that was both familiar enough and still new for “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.”

The Hurt Locker (2009)



3:10 to Yuma (2007)



Live Free or Die Hard (2007)



The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2006)



I Robot (2004)



Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is Mark Isham. The New York City native has created some sweeping, melancholy scores as well as some more action-oriented pieces, all equally impressive. One of his most recent works is the soundtrack for the Robert Redford film, “The Conspirator,” and his track “A Genuine War Hero” is a fitting tribute to the film’s characters. “Give Me Two Minutes” from the horrific flop “Next” is considerably more fast-paced and invigorating, even if the film was horrendous. “Eva’s Theme” from “Freedom Writers” is an appropriately inspiring anthem for that film, and “Nothing Stays Buried Forever” from “The Black Dahlia” is a proper schizophrenic composition for a film that just didn’t work at all. The track that initially attracted me to Isham is “Negligence” from “Crash,” which helped to make that movie so powerful. The end credits suite from “Spartan” is dark, moody, and decently thrilling. His theme from “October Sky” is wonderfully hopeful and endearing, as it should be.

The Conspirator (2011)



Next (2007)



Freedom Writers (2007)



The Black Dahlia (2006)



Crash (2005)



Spartan (2004)



October Sky (1999)

Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is Michael Giacchino, a New Jersey native whose most famous collaborations are with J.J. Abrams and Pixar directors. Giacchino replaces Randy Newman for tomorrow’s sequel to “Cars,” where he contributes an energetic, smooth score for the international adventures of these cars, well exemplified by “Towkyo Takeout.” His composition for “Up” won him the Oscar two years ago, and “Married Life” is the best representation of that. Probably the most exciting and invigorating of his Pixar themes is that to “Ratatouille,” and “End Creditouilles” is nothing short of a delight. His dramatic underscores for “Alias” and “Lost” are fantastic, and it’s fun to see him follow the shows’ creator to film. The scores sound entertainingly similar, but as with someone like Hans Zimmer, they’re diverse enough to work wonders in their respective projects. Two of our entries below are from Abrams-directed films. Check out a compilation of some of the best tracks from the 2009 “Star Trek” reboot, as well as “Bridge Battle” from “Mission Impossible III,” both equally thrilling action accompaniment.

Cars 2 (2011)



Up (2009)



Star Trek (2009)



Ratatouille (2007)



Mission Impossible III (2006)

Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is John Ottman, an American who has never been nominated for an Oscar but really should have for the first chronological piece featured in this post. Before we get to that, of course, it’s worth highlighting two of Ottman’s most recent accomplishments. First, we have the very playful, stylized credits theme for “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.” Next up, we have the thrilling suite for “X2: X-Men United,” one of the better superhero sequels out there. And then we have “The Usual Suspects,” which may well be the greatest mystery thriller out there. I’ve included two pieces of the soundtrack. The first is the main theme, a more pensive, eerie introduction to the five main characters and this peculiar situation that has arisen at the docks. The second is “Payback,” a more action-oriented score that takes my mind immediately back to the image of a stone-faced Stephen Baldwin brandishing a gun while standing in an elevator.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)



X2: X-Men United (2003)



The Usual Suspects (1995)

Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is Alberto Iglesias. The Spain native has quite a diverse resume, including a good number of Pedro Almodovar films, most of which have fun, inventive, and quirky scores. From newest to oldest Pedro collaborations, enjoy themes from “Broken Embraces,” “Volver,” and “Talk to Her.” Iglesias has also contributed to some other international productions, including Steven Soderbergh’s two-part epic “Che” and the two films that earned him Oscar nominations. “The Kite Runner” has a very memorable, somewhat odd and excitable opening, while “The Constant Gardener” is more stylized and somber.

Broken Embraces (2009)



Che (2009)



The Kite Runner (2007)



Volver (2006)



The Constant Gardener (2005)



Talk to Her (2002)

Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is Craig Armstrong, who hails from Scotland. I chose Armstrong because of one particular score, which is the last listed in this post, only to discover that he has written some terrific music, albeit not usually for top-notch films. The main theme to “The Incredible Hulk” is exciting and full of adrenaline, and the same is true of “Storm” from “Elizabeth: The Golden Age.” His soundtrack for “World Trade Center” is far more melancholy, and appropriately so, as evidenced by the piano theme. You (and I) may not recall the score to “Ray” since the other music was far more prominent, but “Della’s Theme” is still a great piece. The violin solo theme to the Robert Redford starrer “The Clearing,” which really was a disappointing film, is top-notch. And then we come to the Portuguese love theme from “Love Actually,” which captures the wondrous spirit of that film, perfectly subtle and solemn at times and then bursting with excitement and love at others.

The Incredible Hulk (2008)



Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)



World Trade Center (2006)



Ray (2004)



The Clearing (2004)



Love Actually (2003)

Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is Ilan Eshkeri, a British composer who I first noticed when I first noticed Daniel Craig in “Layer Cake,” but let’s save the best for last. Eshkeri has scored a diverse set of films, with no clear connections between them, but his work is always a highlight. That’s especially true for one of his most recent compositions, which helped to invigorate the first few moments of “Centurion.” Prior to that, he provided a regal melody for “The Young Victoria” and ventured into epic anthems with “Stardust.” The full end credits suite of “Hannibal Rising” is far superior to the film, and presents a number of different styles. What I love most, of course, and what is perfectly embodied by the image on the soundtrack case shown in that video, is “Drive to the Boatyard,” a track from the movie Daniel Craig made before becoming James Bond, “Layer Cake.” It’s a terrific film, and that music completely makes the movie in that scene and others.

Centurion (2010)



The Young Victoria (2009)



Stardust (2007)



Hannibal Rising (2007)



Layer Cake (2004)

Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a new weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is Gabriel Yared. The Lebanese musician is best known for his collaborations with the late director Anthony Minghella. Yared usually creates sweeping scores for the epic nature of the material, but he is also gifted at more frantic, thriller-like beats. “The English Patient” is the one that won him his Oscar, back in 1996, when that film swept the Academy Awards. It’s an appropriately dramatic piece that captures the feel of that film. His music for Minghella’s next film, “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” is considerably moodier and creepier but just as beautiful, lending just the right air and allure to its title character. Next up is Minghella’s penultimate film, “Cold Mountain,” for which Yared earned his third consecutive Minghella-supported Oscar nomination. The first track, “Dear Mr. Inman,” is good, but I prefer “Escape from the Chain Gang,” which represents one of the more energizing moments of the film. The two tracks from the Oscar-winning 2006 Best Foreign Film “The Lives of Others” capture the spirit of that film, part getaway adventure film and part serious, heartbreaking drama. The last track always gets me.

The English Patient (1996)



The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)



Cold Mountain (2003)





The Lives of Others (2006)

Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a new weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is Abel Korzeniowski, whose name I think I’ve finally learned to spell correctly! When last week I talked about one single cinematic soundtrack being enough to merit inclusion in this list, I was thinking both of Max Richter and Korzeniowski. The latter, a Polish composer whose first filmic work was a score to a re-release of the classic film “Metropolis,” blew me away with the music in “A Single Man,” the Oscar-nominated 2009 film starring Colin Firth. I’m not sure I can cite another movie where the soundtrack is as complete and necessary a player as it is in fashion designer Tom Ford’s feature film debut, perfectly fleshing out the colors and the dated setting to create a monumentally moving experience. Though this film does contain a narrative story, it might be easy to get lost were it not for Korzeniowski’s astounding, gorgeous music guiding the way. In lieu of a number of films, here are four tricks from the soundtrack of “A Single Man.” My personal favorite is “Clock Tick,” which serves as marvelous accompaniment to the wordless trailer for the film. For a bonus, listen to “Dandube,” a work not from the film by this terrific composer that can also be found on YouTube.

Stillness of the Mind



Daydreams



Going Somewhere



Clock Tick



Dandube