Best Film Scores of December 2019
What is there to say about John Williams’ score for The Rise of Skywalker? It marks a true end of an era, not only the end of the Skywalker trilogy of trilogies but also, by all accounts, the conclusion of […]
The Most Underrated Film Scores of 2019
It’s that time of year, when everyone comes out with their ‘best of’ lists. After listening to nearly 700 film scores released in 2019, I’m ready. Up first are the most underrated scores of the year. These are ones that, […]
2020 Golden Globe Nominations – Best Score
This year’s Golden Globes showcase a more varied and intriguing field than 2019’s, leading to a less-clear frontrunner. While the nominations have some familiar faces and inevitably cater to the more mainstream of film and film music (the nominated composers […]
The King – Nicholas Britell (2019)
Despite the ever-present strife and squalor in The King, Nicholas Britell’s score brings a sense of majesty to Hal’s transition from prince into King Henry V. The clearest example of this is during Prince Hal’s coronation. As grandiose images of […]
The Nightmare Before Christmas – Danny Elfman (1993)
Scores for Christmas films tend to be filled with the same cliched, seasonal sounds. Danny Elfman creates an alternative Christmas classic in The Nightmare Before Christmas. Rather than jingling bells and children’s choirs, Elfman creates the soundtrack to a kooky […]
Best Film Scores of November 2019
Too often film music takes things a bit too seriously, making Nathan Johnson’s score to Knives Out all the more refreshing. Johnson manages to have some fun without it becoming completely irreverent. The clearest example is “The Thrombey Family Theme,” […]
Joker – Hildur Guðnadóttir (2019)
What creates a supervillain? Most commonly it’s something supernatural, otherworldly, or otherwise impossible to experience in our world. But Joker – and composer Hildur Guðnadóttir’s score – shows a different kind of origin, one in which the villain is molded […]
Interview with MMMD
Fresh off of their 2019 release Egoismo and their recent overwhelming and oppressive score for Hagazussa, Greek drone/ritual ambient band MMMD (pronounced Mohammad and stylized MMMΔ) agreed to answer a few of my questions. Among other things, we discuss their […]
The Lighthouse – Mark Korven (2019)
Borrowing from a concept he first explored in The Witch, Mark Korven‘s score for The Lighthouse gives a voice to the film’s monolithic “Lighthouse.” A monotonous, deafening wail roars out intermittently, overwhelming everything. This is the call of the Lighthouse, […]
Best Film Scores of October 2019
October has been far and away the strongest month this year for new film scores. The downside of this eruption is that there are simply too many, with quite a few otherwise worthy scores being left out of this writeup. Oppression […]
Hellraiser – Christopher Young (1987)
Unlike the scores of most horror films, composer Christopher Young’s approach to the music of Hellraiser largely avoids anything verging on “scary.” Instead, his synth-heavy score conjures a feeling of grandeur that is more akin to dark fantasy. The main […]
Hagazussa – MMMD (2019)
Drone and ambient have increasingly found their way into film music in recent years. However, most of these scores, like Annihilation or First Reformed, stay relatively approachable for those less comfortable with these genres. MMMD (pronounced Mohammad) take these genres […]