BOT's Top 100 Film Scores: The Countdown Thread (2015 Edition) (#1 Revealed Page 14, Full List Page 15)

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It's time for the countdown. First, the breakdown of how the rankings were done:

 

Films were sorted by their total points, from high to low. Ties were broken in the following ways:

 

First, by number of votes. If two films had 200 points, but Film A had 6 votes and Film B had 5, Film A would be ranked higher since it had support from more members.

 

If two films had the same point total and the same number of votes, I would look to their rankings in the Top 10, Top 5, or #1 placement. A Top 10 ranking would be worth 1 tiebreaker point, a Top 5 ranking 2, and a #1 ranking 3. Therefore, if Film A had two Top 10 Rankings and Film B had a single Top 5 ranking, they would have two tiebreaker points each and would remain tied. Whereas if Film A had two Top 10 rankings and Film had a single #1 ranking, Film B would be ahead 3 tiebreaker points to 2 and would be ranked higher.

 

With regards to how film scores will be posted in the countdown, I will post those Top 1/5/10 rankings as a cumulative placement. So if a film had one list in the Top 10, one in the Top 5, and one as #1, its post in the countdown would read as:

 

Top 10 Placements: 3

Top 5 Placements: 2

#1 Placements: 1

 

 

With those explanations out of the way, it's almost time to begin. I will shortly post a list of 10 Honorable Mentions, which fell just outside the cut.

Edited May 10, 2015 by Numbers of Westeros

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HONORABLE MENTIONS (in alphabetical order)

 

Citizen Kane (1941), by Bernard Herrmann

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The Last Samurai (2003), by Hans Zimmer

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We start off with a quick strike from one of this forum's biggest fandoms:

100. Batman Begins (2005)

Original Music by James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer
130 Points
Top 10 Placements: 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZst_2xJHAI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC-IF9GVuq0


In my opinion this is the best musical outing from the NolBat Trilogy, finding the right blend of thumping Zimmer drums and horns and synth and Newton Howard's more mellow and introspective tunes. This is certainly only the beginning of the Nolan/Zimmer onslaught.

[4815162342]

But like all Forum Wars, when one side gets its jab in, its opposite is compelled to strike back


99. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Original Music by Alan Silvestri
131 Points

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myJFOGId4_0


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrXwAeJ87Bk


Not wanting to let Nolan have all the glory, the MCU contingent draws blood of their own with what is easily one of the best film scores in the Marvel film universe. Alan Silvestri's music strives to find the balance between Marvel's love for the generic tech music and the old-school pomp and vigor. Luckily, the music in the film mostly falls on the latter side.

[MrPink]

I thought that said Winter Soldier at first and I was about to flip the fuck out.

[The Panda]

So we're going to be overloaded with comic book soundtracks...  And shame Finding Nemo missed out, its score is impeccably beautiful.

 

None of the Dark Knight batman scores are any good, they're a typical score that Zimmer farts out in his sleep.

 

Captain America's soundtrack is one of the better MCU scores, but that's really not saying much.

 

I feel like people let how much they liked the movie and what franchises they're fanboys of blind them on how they rank things.

Edited April 26, 2015 by The Panda

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I thought that said Winter Soldier at first and I was about to flip the fuck out.

 

Pink, now is not the time for rage. That comes later.

98. The Fountain (2006)

Original Music by Clint Mansell

132 Points

Top 10 Placements: 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FDAkpQSJVA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYhg5IOkar8

 

 

I'll be honest, I completely forgot about the music to this film and I regret not including it on my own list based on the samples I am listening to while including them in this post. In a hugely ambitious film that is hamstrung by substantial budget cuts, Clint Mansell's music does a lot of hefty lifting, especially in the climatic moments of realization.

[The Panda]

The Fountain has a pretty good score, definitely much more deserving than the former two.

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97. The Bridge on River Kwai (1957)

 

Original Music by Malcolm Arnold
133 Points

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpOIsUxfNQY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQarLVja6k8


Our first elder film score on the countdown comes from one of David Lean's best known epics. Incorporating a lot of the usual 1950s style for music, the score also features a lot of jaunty and vigorous martial music that relies a lot on woodwinds and snare drum beats. Is it the only David Lean film to feature on this countdown? We will have to wait and see.

Edited April 26, 2015 by Numbers of Westeros

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96. Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Original Music by Franz Waxman
134 Points

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2RHPQpSbYI


Those who like the old-fashioned music indicative of the Studio Era of Hollywood cinema won't be disappointed by the inclusion of this film's score. It follows many conventions of the time by being lush and vibrant, overly so at points with passionate flourishes.

[Kvikk Lunsj]

No movies on list made the official list yet. But I am glad some of them made it one the top 100. 

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95. 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)

Original Music by Vangelis
134 Points
Top 10 Placements: 1
Top 5 Placements: 1

Tiebreaker over Sunset Boulevard due to a Top 10 placement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kDbWye_Cj0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9_FArWYiDA

 

 

Coming from one of the lesser known Ridley Scott works is this work of music from the Greek composer Vangelis. Vangelis was somewhat of a pioneer in the film score field as he was the first major composer to consistently use electronic and synth music in his works, in an era where film music was predominatly instrumental and orchestral. This will not be the only time we see him appear on the countdown.

[Blankments]

WTF, Gravity didn't make the list, that's insa- *looks at own list*

 

Damn it.

[4815162342]

WTF, Gravity didn't make the list, that's insa- *looks at own list*

 

Damn it.

 

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94. RoboCop (1987)

Original Music by Basil Poledouris
135 Points

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v87jp9He9U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv3ANakrf6s


Basil Poledouris scores Paul Verhoeven's dark action satire with epic aplomb, mixing brash and triumphant horns and drums with some dark and sinister undertones reflecting the corrupt nature of crime and law enforcement infecting Verhoeven's bleak vision of the future.

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93. Her (2013)

Original Music by Will Butler and Owen Pallett
136 Points
Top 10 Placements: 1
Top 5 Placements: 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUbKuEiENvA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeiRAL50BRg


The music for Her can best be described as "technical melancholy," utilizing mellow, soft, and offbeat tones, both orchestral and electronic, to showcase the events of the film. It's definitely not your traditional film score, but it easily fits the tone of this romance between man and machine that sadly wisps along.

Edited April 26, 2015 by Numbers of Westeros

[The Panda]

Sunset Boulevard and Bridge on the River Kwai are some great inclusions.  I like Her, it's a strong score and I'm good with it making the list, I didn't put it on mine, but it's a good inclusion.  The rest are fairly meh.

Edited April 26, 2015 by The Panda

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92. Princess Mononoke (1997)

Original Music by Joe Hisaishi
136 Points
Top 10 Placements: 1

Wins Tiebreaker Over Her due to Number of Votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L3bkiwU5XQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ6slfP6B8Q


The only one of the Miyazaki/Hisaishi tag-teams to make the Top 100 is in my opinion the best of them all. Hisaishi's music evokes lots of traditional Japanese melodies and tones while utilizing a lush and powerful orchestral arrangement. Sadly this is a combo that is overlooked on this list due to many members of the forum simply not having much experience with Miyazaki's work.

[The Panda]

I completely forgot to put Monoke on my list, I'm glad it made it.

[4815162342]

Probably the last one for tonight:


91. North by Northwest (1959)

Original Music by Bernard Herrmann
137 Points

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2qZzRuIQuk


Our first Hitchcock outing is one of his great adventures, scored by legendary old-timer Bernard Herrmann. Herrmann's music has lots of thumping, rumbling, and shrieking tones to it to suit the madcap and whirlwind events of the film.