Despair rises up gradually, then suddenly, like the arms of a vice slowly closing in until, all at once, they crush everything in their grip. Lustmord’s score for First Reformed works in largely the same way. Much of the film […]
While Macbeth has undergone many iterations, Justin Kurzel’s 2015 film is the rare version that emphasizes the daunting nature of the Scottish landscape. Jed Kurzel’s score tries to bring this landscape to life and, in doing so, creates a particularly […]
By 1981, John Carpenter had already composed six film scores. Among these are his iconic scores for Halloween and The Fog. But, while both utilized synth in the periphery, they mostly relied on piano for their themes and melodies. Modern […]
300,000 soldiers trapped on the shores of Dunkirk. A rescue fleet comes from the north; Nazis from everywhere else. The soldiers know this. They also know that they have no say in whether they live or die. They can only […]
Sometimes things are not what they seem. Take Demolition Man. At first glance it’s the dumb, brutishishness you’d expect from a 1993 action movie starring Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes. But it’s also an oddball comedy and social critique and […]
Bone Tomahawk quickly rose to notoriety due to the overwhelmingly graphic, brutal nature of one particular scene. But, despite the fame of this scene, it’s not representative of the movie. Violence is rare and ends quickly. Instead, the majority of […]
In 2011, Cliff Martinez helped popularize the 80s synth and electropop revivalist subgenres through his work on Drive. While this remains his most popular work, Only God Forgives is perhaps his strongest score to date. It fuses elements from Drive, […]
Suspiria is madness. The mechanism largely driving this madness is Goblin’s score and, most importantly, their”Suspiria” theme. In the film’s opening moments doe-eyed ballet student Suzy Banyon arrives alone in a foreign land. Immediately Goblin begins pummeling her with bursts […]
2019’s Golden Globe and BAFTA winners for Best Music/Original Score failed to make the final cut for the 91st Academy Awards, giving five unproven scores the chance at glory. While I may not be an awards-season aficionado, the least I […]
BlacKkKlansman by Terence Blanchard If Beale Street Could Talk by Nicholas Britell Isle of Dogs by Alexandre Desplat Mary Poppins Returns by Marc Shaiman A Star is Born by Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, and Lukas Nelson ANALYSIS This year’s BAFTA […]
Black Panther by Ludwig Göransson First Man by Justin Hurwitz Isle of Dogs by Alexandre Desplat Mary Poppins Returns by Marc Shaiman A Quiet Place by Marco Beltrami ANALYSIS The 2019 Golden Globes air tonight. As with many larger awards […]
In 2018 I listened to around 80 film scores and ranked my favorites (as well as a few honorable mentions that straddled the top-10 but didn’t quite make the cut). Many of these have appeared on other year-end lists, but […]