# Top 10 films and scores of 2014



## choc0thrax (Jan 3, 2015)

Now that 2014 has come to a close it's time to look back on our favorite films and scores of the year. I'll admit there's still about a dozen films I haven't had the chance to see yet and even more scores I haven't paid attention to so my lists aren't set in stone.

*TOP 10 FILMS:*

- Imitation Game

- Lego Movie

- Nightcrawler

- Edge of Tomorrow

- The Guest

- Big Hero 6

- Whiplash

- Birdman

- Snowpiercer

- How to Train Your Dragon 2


*TOP 10 SCORES:*

- The Guest 

- How To Train Your Dragon 2

- Imitation Game

And... that's it so far. I'll need some recommendations on scores to listen to. 

P.S. everyone should see The Guest. It doesn't get as much attention as other films and it's just as good. It has a great soundtrack too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gfMLu9EPWY


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## AC986 (Jan 3, 2015)

Chocs I haven't seen any of those but I am watching The Lego Movie tonight on HD. I hear it's quite good.


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## Guy Rowland (Jan 3, 2015)

Choco, our tastes are alarmingly similar. Not yet seen some on your list (*Birdman*'s only just opened here, very much looking forward to seeing it), but love all the ones I have seen on your list. For movies I'd also add *Her* (though that may have been 2013 in the US), *Hunger Games Mockingjay pt1 *(most intelligent blockbuster franchise entry I can remember seeing in forever) and *Paddington*. Good shouts all of them for scores too - Paddington was really excellent actually, a virtually perfect comedy score from Nick Urata in a virtually perfect family comedy movie. It'll be around forever. Also quite liked the docco *Merchants of Doubt* (until it loses its way in the last 15 minutes), *Boyhood* and *Guardians of the Galaxy* (both of which I know you didn't go for - hey we gotta disagree on something).

My heart is torn between Lego and Imitation Game for film of the year.

*Interstellar* has made it to near the top of many year end lists (and IMDB by a clear margin). I heard a bit of the score again recently and really liked it. As most people here probably know (!) I took against the film as a whole - and the notorious mix which was apparently designed to provoke controversy so hey - but the music itself was gorgeous when I heard it in isolation. So I'd probably put that into the score category but not the movie.

Mark Kermode raved about *Godzilla* though I can't fathom why - boring and unexpectedly idiotic for me, given the critical praise. Shame, I loved Monsters. *Gone Girl* also perplexed me - Basic Instinct with delusions of grandeur really. Final disappointment of the year (is this allowed? too OT?) was *Grand Budapest Hote*l, where I discovered that I have now definitely had my fill of Wes Anderson. But I do still like The Fantastic Mr Fox.


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## jmiliad (Jan 3, 2015)

You should really listen to:

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies - Howard Shore

Interstellar - Hans Zimmer

Grand Budapest Hotel - Alexandre Desplat


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## Dryden.Chambers (Jan 3, 2015)

John Powell recently said on a interview when asked if he listens to Film music...."F*** No" and everyone laughed at the roundtable.

I was hoping Gone Girl would be as good as Dragon and Network, but I have only managed to get through it once.


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## Living Fossil (Jan 3, 2015)

I haven't seen 10 films in the cinema this year.
And of those that i saw, i couldn't say that i really liked one.
The Hobbit was at least a good popcorn-movie, and it was the only one with a really good score.
The score of Hunger Games was ok.

And i really liked an independent film at Berlinale (dmd kiu lidt) which had no music in it.
Which can be really great in comparison to banal scores.


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## Lex (Jan 3, 2015)

choc0thrax @ Sat Jan 03 said:


> Now that 2014 has come to a close it's time to look back on our favorite films and scores of the year. I'll admit there's still about a dozen films I haven't had the chance to see yet and even more scores I haven't paid attention to so my lists aren't set in stone.
> 
> *TOP 10 FILMS:*
> 
> ...



Wondering if "Foxcatcher" is on your "to be seen" list, or you didn't care for it?

alex


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## AlexandreSafi (Jan 3, 2015)

I've had the rare opportunity this (past) year, thanks to a close dear friend of mine, to go see an amount of movies one could only dream of... 

As much as i thought this was a very good and rich year for movies and scores, i still think *Interstellar *is quite frankly the greatest (+ all its synonyms) and most relevant piece of work in 2014...

But i am more than happy that *Boyhood *gets the praise it deserves this year...
*Whiplash * is just about one of those greatest movie-jewels in years, it should become a classic, in my opinion...

I loved everything A. Desplat (Magical Budapest!) and James Newton Howard (Maleficent-truly underrated!) and Howard Shore and J.Johansson and J. Powell, and T.Reznor have done this year, they were amazing as always, but i'm sorry, if we are to judge the most close-to-perfect blend between film and musical score, i think Hans Zimmer is truly the standout this year (...and does that mixing controversy ever mean anything about the quality/intent/failure of the work itself?...), the score sounds like it's the one which had the most love and expertise put into from start to finish, it's a creative sonic gift to humanity, the notes are genuine, and i think some of the sounds on that score are some of the most beautiful sounds i've ever heard in my life since maybe Blade Runner or Titanic... Shame on me for being "so proud" to defend this movie...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca_Cv7seV4Y


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## choc0thrax (Jan 3, 2015)

adriancook @ Sat Jan 03 said:


> Chocs I haven't seen any of those but I am watching The Lego Movie tonight on HD. I hear it's quite good.



You're really missing out! Lego movie is great and you should at least check out Imitation Game.


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## choc0thrax (Jan 3, 2015)

Guy Rowland @ Sat Jan 03 said:


> Choco, our tastes are alarmingly similar. Not yet seen some on your list (*Birdman*'s only just opened here, very much looking forward to seeing it), but love all the ones I have seen on your list. For movies I'd also add *Her* (though that may have been 2013 in the US), *Hunger Games Mockingjay pt1 *(most intelligent blockbuster franchise entry I can remember seeing in forever) and *Paddington*. Good shouts all of them for scores too - Paddington was really excellent actually, a virtually perfect comedy score from Nick Urata in a virtually perfect family comedy movie. It'll be around forever. Also quite liked the docco *Merchants of Doubt* (until it loses its way in the last 15 minutes), *Boyhood* and *Guardians of the Galaxy* (both of which I know you didn't go for - hey we gotta disagree on something).
> 
> My heart is torn between Lego and Imitation Game for film of the year.
> 
> ...



I liked Her but to me that's 2013 so I couldn't really consider it. As for Paddington he kinda creeps the hell out of me but the film got good reviews and I'll probably give it a chance. I'll probably see Mockingjay at some point but didn't think enough of the previous films to bother seeing it in a theatre. 

I give film of the year to Imitation Game. I saw it twice in theatres and I kinda liked it even more the second time. On my second viewing I had to try and distract myself from crying in front of my friend's stepfather who is a gruff army vet.

I still haven't seen Interstellar. I would have seen it had it been closer to the 2 hour mark or less. No one needs to make a 3 hour movie. Some artists think their story is a special case and it's so fantastic that it needs that much time but nope. Nuh uh. I'd been burned by Boyhood earlier which felt like 6 hours of a director being self indulgent. Interstellar is on top 10 lists of the general public (IMDB ratings aren't based in any reality I'm familiar with and are worthless in determining if something is actually good or not). Interstellar and Guardians will top the list of your nephew Josh. The only two films Josh saw this year when not playing Minecraft or watching PewDiePie? Interstellar and Guardians. I still want to see Interstellar but I'm going to wait for it to hit bluray. 

Is Godzilla 2014? Feels like a 2013 movie somehow. I didn't like the film much but I also hated Monsters so... Gone Girl, Boyhood, and Guardians of the Galaxy were all disappointments for me. I know I'm supposed to like Wes Anderson because I'm white but I've never cared much for his stuff. I've had the Grand Budapest screener sitting on my desk for a while but haven't been able to bring myself to watch it.


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## choc0thrax (Jan 3, 2015)

jmiliad @ Sat Jan 03 said:


> You should really listen to:
> 
> The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies - Howard Shore
> 
> ...



Yeah I was planning on listening to the Interstellar and Five Armies' scores. I may check out Grand Budapest but I have a strict limit of only listening to the first 10 to 20 Desplat scores of the year.


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## choc0thrax (Jan 3, 2015)

Lex @ Sat Jan 03 said:


> Wondering if "Foxcatcher" is on your "to be seen" list, or you didn't care for it?
> 
> alex



It's kind of on my list... maybe. That's another film where I've had the screener sitting here and I still haven't put it on. I printed out the Foxcatcher script a while back and never got around to reading it and I have a sneaking suspicion that the script is better than the film so I may just read it instead. One of the main things stopping me from watching the film is actually Steve Carell's prosthetic nose.


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## Guy Rowland (Jan 3, 2015)

choc0thrax @ Sat Jan 03 said:


> I have a strict limit of only listening to the first 10 to 20 Desplat scores of the year.



Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


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## Neifion (Jan 3, 2015)

I've only watched a handful of films this year, but here are my tops in regards to score:

- Maleficent (beautifully whimsical score, and I'm very much into whimsy these days!)

- Big Hero 6 (the flying through San Fransokyo theme in particular was heart-stirring)

- Into The Woods (yeah, it's a musical, but when the instrumental score was there it was really good. Especially loved the orchestration, particularly the highlight on woodwinds)


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## AC986 (Jan 3, 2015)

choc0thrax @ Sat Jan 03 said:


> adriancook @ Sat Jan 03 said:
> 
> 
> > Chocs I haven't seen any of those but I am watching The Lego Movie tonight on HD. I hear it's quite good.
> ...



Definitely but I don't go to cinemas because I get into fights. I have to wait for them to come on TV.


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## JonFairhurst (Jan 3, 2015)

Personally, I really disliked the Lego movie. One more pop-cultural reference and empty-minded action scene and, well, who would notice? Aside from the nifty ending, that's about all there was.

My other against-the-tide dislike was Guardians of the Galaxy. The lead characters were morally corrupt, yet Hollywood is able to manipulate the audience into pulling for them. There was a particular scene where tree-thing shook a throng of anonymous people to death and it was all fun and games. It celebrated braun, no brains and no ethics tempered with the strategically placed touching scene. In short, it was fascist. (And it could have been decent, if it lampooned that kind of cinema garbage. Instead, it championed the lowest aspects of modern culture.)

That said, I loved Edge of Tomorrow, Interstellar, and The Imitation Game. I was especially surprised at how Edge of Tomorrow's do-over trick worked. It allowed us to put ourselves in the shoes of the protagonist and we could consider how to beat the game on the next try. When the hero succeeded, it wasn't just because he was Mr. Awesome or Mr. Lucky, it was because he knew the score. Imagine that! A properly motivated character!

I saw the trailer for the next Fast and Furious movie. The whole damn thing is about Mr. Awesome and Mr. Lucky. I'm done with films about those two guys. And that's a key reason that I disliked Lego and Guardians.


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## AC986 (Jan 4, 2015)

JonFairhurst @ Sat Jan 03 said:


> My other against-the-tide dislike was Guardians of the Galaxy. The lead characters were morally corrupt, yet Hollywood is able to manipulate the audience into pulling for them.



Yes but John what's the most morally corrupt character in recent times that you've seen but cannot help pull for. In fact, it's such clever writing that you actually pull against all the moral people in the serial? 

:lol:


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## JonFairhurst (Jan 4, 2015)

You're spot on, Adrian. 

Often in film noir, we pull for broken people. They're generally living in a broken system and are opposed by even less moral characters. Many protagonists are tragic characters, unable to change their nature, and we still feel for them.

But until recently, we didn't pull for sadists. Sure, there were characters like Willard who recognizes his failings and whom we want to see healed. The problem with recent sadist heroes is that they see their sadism as a strength, rather than a problem. The filmmakers lionize sadism. That's the fascist part. 

Fortunately, we now (since the release of The Interview) have a word for this. Hollywood "honeydicks" us. Just as in The Interview, all they have to do is bring us close to the character, have the character share some heartfelt stories, play some touching music, and voila, we have been honeydicked into liking them.

As an audience, we need to recognize when we are being honeydicked by Hollywood into liking sadists. Given enough practice, we might even recognize when political campaigns attempt to do the same thing.


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## AC986 (Jan 5, 2015)

Yes the really big one of course is Walter White.

Walter White is not immoral. He's amoral. 

This is also a classic case of the times it was originally set in namely 2007/8 when the economy had crashed.


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## JonFairhurst (Jan 5, 2015)

I had to look up "Walter White". I have to admit that I've never seen Breaking Bad. 

But I have watched both versions of House of Cards. Frank Underwood is also amoral and, yes, we pull for him. But he's not sadistic. He'd just as soon give an opponent pleasure as pain so long as it helps Frank gain power.

And, yes, there's no question that films are of our times. The 1930s showed the glamour that people wanted during the depression. Mobster films reflected distrust of corrupt organizations. Film noir (starting around 1942) looked at the darkness of the individual as we pondered Hitler as well as personal trauma. Fast forward to 2001 and 9-11 still resonates in our films (see American Sniper.)

Funny thing about that economic crash. We watched Back to the Future II last week in which the "future" was 2015. They got it totally wrong. There are no flying cars, hoverboards or holographic shark marquees - and the double-tie look never caught on. Biff then delivers the sports almanac to his younger self and 1985 is transformed into a dystopian mess with the middle class gutted, people on their porches with shotguns, and a rich guy in a rigged game hording the cash. That looked much more like 2015 than the Mr. Fusion version!


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## AC986 (Jan 5, 2015)

JonFairhurst @ Mon Jan 05 said:


> I had to look up "Walter White". I have to admit that I've never seen Breaking Bad.



You should. It's something special and very cleverly and well written. I don't get that interested in anything much these days, but I have to give the writer all his dues on this one. 

It's a fantastic study of how far you can push someone the other way. I'm at Season 3 so far and it's all good. The music is very good and suits the whole deal.

A+


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## Daryl (Jan 5, 2015)

adriancook @ Mon Jan 05 said:


> JonFairhurst @ Mon Jan 05 said:
> 
> 
> > I had to look up "Walter White". I have to admit that I've never seen Breaking Bad.
> ...


I'm watching the last season now. Best thing about the music is that there is hardly any of it. :wink: 

D


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## AC986 (Jan 5, 2015)

Daryl @ Mon Jan 05 said:


> adriancook @ Mon Jan 05 said:
> 
> 
> > JonFairhurst @ Mon Jan 05 said:
> ...



Naughty Daryl! Very naughty.  

It suits the the way that the program is almost split up into a series of parables.

Have you enjoyed it so far?


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## Daryl (Jan 5, 2015)

adriancook @ Mon Jan 05 said:


> Daryl @ Mon Jan 05 said:
> 
> 
> > adriancook @ Mon Jan 05 said:
> ...


Yes, I think it's really good. I can't remember the last time I looked forward to watching a TV programme so much, and being on Netflix I have to ration myself to no more than a couple of episodes a day. :lol: 

D


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## AC986 (Jan 5, 2015)

I try to keep to 2 episodes a night but then something happens at the end of the second one and I realize addiction has taken over.

I want to see them all before the next election and then sell the box set on EBay........or will I watch them all over again. Tough one. :mrgreen:


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## Vin (Jan 5, 2015)

Films:

1. _Interstellar_
2. _Boyhood_
3. _Whiplash_ 
4. _Nightcrawler_
5. _The Grand Budapest Hotel_

Haven't seen _Birdman_ or _Foxcatcher_ yet.

Scores:

1. _Interstellar_ (Hans Zimmer)
2. _Under The Skin_ (Mica Levi)
3. _The Grand Budapest Hotel_ (Alexandre Desplat)
4. _The Double_ (Andrew Hewitt)
5. _Cold in July_ (Jeff Grace)


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## Guy Rowland (Jan 5, 2015)

Daryl @ Mon Jan 05 said:


> I'm watching the last season now. Best thing about the music is that there is hardly any of it. :wink:
> 
> D



I'm not sure how facetious that comment is, but I partly agree - the lack of music in the show is supremely important - as Vince Gilligan said, they made sure every surprise / emotional moment in the show was without any music. Hugely effective. But I do think the music when it is there is absolutely excellent - never cliched, always adding never detracting.

I agree with you Adrian on the quality of the writing too. Best TV drama I ever saw.

Sorry, tangent. Carry on.


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## Daryl (Jan 5, 2015)

Guy Rowland @ Mon Jan 05 said:


> Daryl @ Mon Jan 05 said:
> 
> 
> > I'm watching the last season now. Best thing about the music is that there is hardly any of it. :wink:
> ...


Yes, it was a little bit facetious, but the lack of music is one of the reasons the show works so well, and in fact what music there is, isn't really music, and that also works well.

D


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## Nick Batzdorf (Jan 5, 2015)

Mr. Turner (the one that sticks with me the most)

Keep On Keepin' On (documentary mainly about Clark Terry)

Whiplash

And then in any order: The Imitation Game, Boyhood, Theory of Everything, Happy Valley (documentary that was unwittingly a fantastic morality play), Birdman, Grand Budapest Hotel, Into the Woods.

Films, not scores. The best scoring is still Jeff Beal's music for House of Cards - which is also my favorite show on television.


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## JonFairhurst (Jan 5, 2015)

Nick Batzdorf @ Mon Jan 05 said:


> The best scoring is still Jeff Beal's music for House of Cards...



Agreed. It's powerful and dark, yet reserved and coy. It fits the picture/story perfectly. Best of all, I can listed to the theme song over and over and it never gets old.

Ironically, the theme song for the British House of Cards drives me nuts. I don't mind the regal style, but the melody is so simple and repetitive that it's hard to take episode after episode.

Then again, if there were a TV Series called "Oklahoma" that started every episode with somebody belting out the famous Rodgers and Hammerstein melody, that would be as bad, if not worse. It's a fantastic song for Broadway that that audience would take with them after each performance. Its easy accessibility is exactly why it would fail as an every-episode intro to binge TV. Context matters!

So maybe I should be easier on the British HOC theme. That show was never intended to be streamed with back to back to back episodes.


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## NYC Composer (Jan 7, 2015)

I watched tv most of the year- there was practically nothing compelling for me to see in the movie theaters.Now that my child is 24, I'm not interested in movies made for children or "young adults" (whoever they may be.) Hunger Games, Hobbit, Legos, really? Well, it's all up to the viewer.

I enjoyed Interstellar as a popcorn movie. Was vastly disappointed in Grand Budapest- I LOVED Moonrise Kingdom, so doubly disappointing. It just felt like Hollywood took a break this year. I saw The Judge (yawn). I saw St Vincent- I love Bill Murray in anything, but for all his vaunted choosiness about roles, this one was gossamer thin. Take a curmudgeonly bachelor. Add a needy kid- now guess what happens? Yep! Saved you a few bucks there. Oh, and I hated Birdman. I wish they'd make European movies in European locales- it's so confusing when they're set in New York (which isn't even America, actually). Hey, I WANTED to like it. Comeback movie for Keaton and all, but jeez.

Meanwhile, I watched all of Breaking Bad and The Killing, all of House of Cards, new seasons of Ray Donovan, Homeland, Shameless, The Newsroom, even the fairly horrible Sons of Anarchy is better than a lot of movie offerings. Tectonic shift- Hollywood will survive on blockbusters and sequels - "Crocodile Dundee meets the Hobbit" "Die Harder, Goddamnit", "Transformers, Aliens and Predators meet Godzilla- The Final Battle for Middle Earth" and suchlike.


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## AC986 (Jan 7, 2015)

I watched the Lego Movie last night and uhhhhhh ..yeah!  

It wasn't great but I enjoy the amount of work that must go into it.

Larry you need to go and watch Mr Turner. I was very naughty once, and touched the paint on one of his paintings in a country house when no one was looking. Hahaaaa! 

Only very lightly of course.

Edit: You hated Birdman. Now someone in the USA has told me to go and see it. There you are you see. :?


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## NYC Composer (Jan 7, 2015)

adriancook @ Wed Jan 07 said:


> I watched the Lego Movie last night and uhhhhhh ..yeah!
> 
> It wasn't great but I enjoy the amount of work that must go into it.
> 
> ...



Well, you're European, you see :wink: 

Was the Turner film Mike Leigh's last work?


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## Jetzer (Jan 7, 2015)

I tried watching Breaking Bad but couldn't get passed the 5th episode (o) 

Everyone tells me I am crazy and all the good stuff happens after the first few episodes. Yeah...ok cool but I already wasted five hours of my life. But I also don't want to be one of those people who thinks it is cool to not like something because everyone likes it, so maybe I should give it another chance. 

More interested in House of Cards.

About scores, I like Maleficient, Interstellar & The Imitation Game & HTTYD2. 
JNH is responsible for my favourite film cue of the year though with the Hunger Games air raid scene. Sadly nobody was able to hear it because someone decided splashing water sounds were more important in the mix...


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## AC986 (Jan 7, 2015)

Yes Larry that is Mike Leigh's latest work. I believe Timothy Spall has won his first individual USA award for it.

But what's more interesting is how I find Americans having trouble with Breaking Bad. Perhaps because it's American and maybe less interesting if you live there and it's more interesting to see something from another geographical area.

I watched a few last night and one of them got very slow. But that's acceptable over 62 episodes. But if you don't like something, never allow anyone to persuade you otherwise.


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## Daryl (Jan 7, 2015)

adriancook @ Wed Jan 07 said:


> But what's more interesting is how I find Americans having trouble with Breaking Bad. Perhaps because it's American and maybe less interesting if you live there and it's more interesting to see something from another geographical area.


I think that it's also down to personal taste.

Having said that, I know two people who couldn't get beyond the first episode, but then I've never seen them watch anything without playing Candy Crush on their phones at the same time, so maybe it's a concentration thing. :lol: 

I have two more eps to watch. Desperately trying to leave it until after work this evening, but struggling...

D


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## AC986 (Jan 7, 2015)

Leave it until tonight for maximum winter ambience.


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## Felipe Opazo (Jan 7, 2015)

My favourite films were The Grand Budapest Hotel (1st) and Gone Girl, but i haven't seen Whiplash, Birdman, Inherent Vice. But i will. 
For me the best scores were:

1. A Million Ways To Die In The West - Joel McNeely
2. Godzilla - Alexandre Desplat.


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## Guy Rowland (Jan 7, 2015)

adriancook @ Wed Jan 07 said:


> Leave it until tonight for maximum winter ambience.



+1 - those final few eps are remarkable.

Well, some folks have to not like Breaking Bad. I remember starting a thread somewhere once which asked the question "is there any film or TV show that everyone thinks is good?" Answer - no. Not one. I defy anyone to name one here and not get at least one person who thinks it's no good.

Seeing Birdman tonight - will I be with Larry or Choco? Oh, and Larry - you're doing yourself a disservice by not seeing the best non-adult films. I find in general their quality threshold is higher, for one thing. I can't think of another comedy of any kind I laughed at more than the Lego Movie in a decade, at least - probably more. A perfect blend of very smart and incredibly stupid humour. There's more depth in the How To Train Your Dragon and more intelligence in the Hunger Games series than the vast majority of supposedly adult blockbusters (from someone who finds The Dark Knight et al unbearably empty, not to say joyless). Forgoing all kids or young adult films is effectively cutting off your supply of at least half the decent movies out there.

And that includes many of the celebrated the quirky / indie films. Grand Budapest was dull, tired and indulgent for me. Don't get me wrong - Kings Of Summer, Good Vibrations, Blue Is The Warmest Colour and Griff The Invisible are all superb non-Hollywood fare I've seen in the past 6 months. But I wouldn't like to choose between them and Paddington.


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## NYC Composer (Jan 7, 2015)

adriancook @ Wed Jan 07 said:


> Yes Larry that is Mike Leigh's latest work. I believe Timothy Spall has won his first individual USA award for it.
> 
> But what's more interesting is how I find Americans having trouble with Breaking Bad. Perhaps because it's American and maybe less interesting if you live there and it's more interesting to see something from another geographical area.
> 
> I watched a few last night and one of them got very slow. But that's acceptable over 62 episodes. But if you don't like something, never allow anyone to persuade you otherwise.



Jeez, I dunno Adrian- Americans seem to like Breaking Bad at a 50 to 1 clip as far as I've seen.


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## NYC Composer (Jan 7, 2015)

Guy Rowland @ Wed Jan 07 said:


> adriancook @ Wed Jan 07 said:
> 
> 
> > Leave it until tonight for maximum winter ambience.
> ...



As is often the case, Guy, we'll probably have to disagree here. I very much enjoyed seeing 1000 kids' movies to have shared experiences with my kid- especially the gems like Toy Story- but I was also quite relieved to leave childish things behind. Some years ago I saw Finding Nemo with my nephews, and though I admire the good work, I'd never go see it for myself.

There Will Be Blood was absolutely riveting for me. 95% of Scorcese's work, Tarantino's work (the latter usually being somewhat clownish in a mostly adult way). Much of Ridley Scott's work (Oh Ridley- Prometheus...why???). Tony Scott's Man on Fire blew me away. The aforementioned Mike Leigh has done films I admire. I think I'm pretty demanding about my entertainment- it's not a matter of who's more discerning, I really see it as so very subjective. Our Gravity/Interstellar divide is a great case in point- I found Gravity ludicrous (though great visually) and I grudgingly bought Interstellar. Opposite for you- so subjective! If you think I'm hard on film btw, I see a fair amount of theater as well- I like 25% of it and love 5%!

I liked American Hustle in a mild way, but I thought was a better film than most of this year's crop that I saw. I'll be interested in your take on Birdman- I went into it with high expectations and kept waiting for the chill, that frisson you experience in the movie theater in the presence of great film making. Still waiting.

(Btw, I really liked Inception, but the Dark Knight stuff- not for me, so we agree on something)


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## Guy Rowland (Jan 7, 2015)

Doggone it, car flaked out on the way to the cinema. Birdman will have to wait.

Incidentally, Mr Turner has had very mixed response. Seems to strongly divide people. I've enjoyed some of Leigh's films very much, but I think he walks a fine line between being brilliant and tiresome.

I'm with you on American Hustle. Mild like at best - felt a bit like an actors' indulgence. Silver Lingings Playbook was pure joy though.

My brother is like you with "kid" films. I do think it's a terrible shame. While we won't see as many as our kids grow older (already into teens), seeing a great Pixar et al is every bit as rewarding for me as for the little tykes. I just love great writing, performances, filmmaking regardless of what market its aimed it - kids, foreign language, Hollywood, indie - all I care about is whether or not it's any good.


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## NYC Composer (Jan 7, 2015)

Guy Rowland @ Wed Jan 07 said:


> My brother is like you with "kid" films. I do think it's a terrible shame. While we won't see as many as our kids grow older (already into teens), seeing a great Pixar et al is every bit as rewarding for me as for the little tykes. I just love great writing, performances, filmmaking regardless of what market its aimed it - kids, foreign language, Hollywood, indie - all I care about is whether or not it's any good.



Part of it is my feeling about animation- I admire it but don't really like it, and I know it's a generational thing because my kid and his friends still watch a good bit of it. I like well integrated scifi CGI, but that's a horse of a different feather.

I do agree that excellent work is being done in "kid" films. The genre just doesn't float my boat. I worked on the music for about 250 commercials for Hasbro, Playskool, Tiger Toys, Milton Bradley, etc etc, and cast 1000s of children singers and VO's. I produced and arranged the music for a gasoline company's Christmas toy truck for over 20 years. Maybe I got grumpy :wink:


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## AC986 (Jan 7, 2015)

CGI is great when you don't notice it.


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## guitarman1960 (Jan 7, 2015)

adriancook @ Wed Jan 07 said:


> CGI is great when you don't notice it.



Yes exactly. On the whole I think the old ILM special effects done with models, matt paintings and 'go-motion' are a zillion times better than most CGI, but probably far too expensive to do that these days.

I even prefer some of the effects in Gerry Andersons original Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet to some of the awful CGI we get now! :D


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## Nick Batzdorf (Jan 7, 2015)

> Incidentally, Mr Turner has had very mixed response. Seems to strongly divide people.



Pearls before swine. 

And American Hustle was last year.


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## dcoscina (Jan 7, 2015)

choc0thrax @ Sat Jan 03 said:


> Now that 2014 has come to a close . I'll need some recommendations on scores to listen to.



I think Ottman's XMen Days of Future Past is actually quite good and I'm not really a fan. 

I also like Tyler Bates' Guardians of the Galaxy though more in the context of the film. 

NP- John Adams' City Noir (very cool concerto for sax and orchestra and very filmic)


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## NYC Composer (Jan 7, 2015)

Nick Batzdorf @ Wed Jan 07 said:


> [quoote]Incidentally, Mr Turner has had very mixed response. Seems to strongly divide people.



Pearls before swine. 

And American Hustle was last year.[/quote]

My point was that a middling film from last year was better than most of this year's movies.


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## choc0thrax (Jan 7, 2015)

dcoscina @ Wed Jan 07 said:


> choc0thrax @ Sat Jan 03 said:
> 
> 
> > Now that 2014 has come to a close . I'll need some recommendations on scores to listen to.
> ...



Hmm I'll check out Days of Future Past. Not sure I could bring myself to listen to a Tyler Bates score though. I'm a bit skeptical on the John Adams concerto as I find the sax to be nothing more than a sort of wind viola. Two instruments that, in a world run by me, wouldn't necessarily be seen on stage so much as at the bottom of a mass grave.


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## NYC Composer (Jan 7, 2015)

choc0thrax @ Wed Jan 07 said:


> dcoscina @ Wed Jan 07 said:
> 
> 
> > choc0thrax @ Sat Jan 03 said:
> ...



You will never be appointed Emperor as long as there is one recording of Charlie Parker left on earth. Consider yourself warned, apostate.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Jan 7, 2015)

> My point was that a middling film from last year was better than most of this year's movies.



Well, I might have agreed with you until the last couple of months. The exceptions were Boyhood and Whiplash, plus a couple of the documentaries I mentioned were earlier in the year.


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## NYC Composer (Jan 7, 2015)

Nick Batzdorf @ Wed Jan 07 said:


> > My point was that a middling film from last year was better than most of this year's movies.
> 
> 
> 
> Well, I might have agreed with you until the last couple of months. The exceptions were Boyhood and Whiplash, plus a couple of the documentaries I mentioned were earlier in the year.



I plan to look into both, also The Imitation Game. I wouldn't mind having my mind changed.


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## choc0thrax (Jan 7, 2015)

NYC Composer @ Wed Jan 07 said:


> You will never be appointed Emperor as long as there is one recording of Charlie Parker left on earth. Consider yourself warned, apostate.



Who speaks of appointment? I shall take what is rightfully mine. Flanked by a million-strong army and astride a mighty oliphant I shall march to the ends of the earth and seek out every last recording of this Charlie Parker. His work, and that of many others, will be nothing more than kindling for the great 2024 jazz bonfires. A conflagration so bright that night will be as day, and day will be as... well day I guess but probably a bit brighter than usual give or take. Depends on how much jazz we find.


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## NYC Composer (Jan 7, 2015)

choc0thrax @ Wed Jan 07 said:


> NYC Composer @ Wed Jan 07 said:
> 
> 
> > You will never be appointed Emperor as long as there is one recording of Charlie Parker left on earth. Consider yourself warned, apostate.
> ...



If only it was as simple as all of that, grasshopper. Jazz lives in the soul, and you, obviously having none, shall not breach the Wall of Great Art with your puny army of mortal men and inefficient Oliphantry. Go back to your earbuds filled with various nonsense and dare ye not approach the Immortals, for a force deadlier than the world has ever known, from a planet far, far away shall descend upon thee with all of its alien might and fury. That's right- the SUN RA ARKESTRA will be thy final, jagged doom.


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## choc0thrax (Jan 7, 2015)

NYC Composer @ Wed Jan 07 said:


> choc0thrax @ Wed Jan 07 said:
> 
> 
> > NYC Composer @ Wed Jan 07 said:
> ...



You foolishly place too much faith in your great wall and savior from Saturn. Your false prophet's cosmic jazz philosophies will be no match for...uh... ah fuck it I have a deadline on Friday. You may have won this battle but not the war.


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## dcoscina (Jan 7, 2015)

choc0thrax @ Wed Jan 07 said:


> dcoscina @ Wed Jan 07 said:
> 
> 
> > choc0thrax @ Sat Jan 03 said:
> ...



I'm not a huge Tyler Bates fan but I did really like his thematic approach to GotG. Even if his main motive sounds a little like Tai Leung's theme from Zimmer/Powell Kung Fu Panda.

Ottman's effort is very assured and mature. I love his use of '70s analog synth patches like the Arp Odyssey and Solina. Great colouring effect but more importantly his treatment of thematic material is really deft. I was surprised by how good Singers film was. Parallel action abounds because of the narrative and it's done fucking great. It's been ages since I've seen this film technique done well. Recommended.


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## Mike Connelly (Jan 8, 2015)

The score for DOFP didn't make as much of an impression on me as the movie itself did, I'll have to give it another listen. One of the best action/FX sequences I've seen in a long time, too.

But as far as a well executed blockbuster goes, I thought Winter Soldier was even better. And a solid score from Henry Jackman as well (also good work from him on Big Hero 6).


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## Daryl (Jan 8, 2015)

adriancook @ Wed Jan 07 said:


> Leave it until tonight for maximum winter ambience.


OK, so now I've seen it all. Fantastic. Much better than any movie I saw last year. Music slightly annoying at times, but didn't detract from my enjoyment. Now onto Prison Break...

D


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## AC986 (Jan 8, 2015)

Daryl @ Thu Jan 08 said:


> adriancook @ Wed Jan 07 said:
> 
> 
> > Leave it until tonight for maximum winter ambience.
> ...



I don't know how many episodes of the serial I've seen so far. Maybe halfway through and it's become a little slow at this point. No Spoilers so I can't say where I am, but hoping it picks up a bit tonight.


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## Ian Dorsch (Jan 8, 2015)

JNH's Maleficent score is really outstanding, easily comparable to Powell's HTTYD2 score (which I also loved).


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## Guy Rowland (Jan 8, 2015)

adriancook @ Thu Jan 08 said:


> I don't know how many episodes of the serial I've seen so far. Maybe halfway through and it's become a little slow at this point. No Spoilers so I can't say where I am,



SPOILER FREE, PROMISE

I seem to remember you're in series 3 - famously there's one bottle ep in series 3 where the plot doesn't advance. AFAIK, its the only one in the entire 62 eps. There's only very occasional dips really, looking back. But one of the great joys of the show is that it does take its time with its characters - I may really love stuff that other people don't for that reason. Even that bottle ep I think about a lot with affection, had some great character stuff in it. But because the pace is often not breakneck, when stuff does happen it hits you like a freight train. I went into tachycardia in some of the latter stages of season 5.

FWIW, my two favourite series are 2 and 5, least favourite would be 1.

note - all good threads tend towards Breaking Bad.


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## Vin (Jan 8, 2015)

dcoscina @ 8/1/2015 said:


> Ottman's effort is very assured and mature. I love his use of '70s analog synth patches like the Arp Odyssey and Solina. Great colouring effect but more importantly his treatment of thematic material is really deft. I was surprised by how good Singers film was. Parallel action abounds because of the narrative and it's done fucking great. It's been ages since I've seen this film technique done well. Recommended.



I thought it was working well in the movie, but it was pretty generic. Also, I thought I heard lots of Omnisphere while I was watching the movie :D


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## AC986 (Jan 8, 2015)

Guy Rowland @ Thu Jan 08 said:


> adriancook @ Thu Jan 08 said:
> 
> 
> > I don't know how many episodes of the serial I've seen so far. Maybe halfway through and it's become a little slow at this point. No Spoilers so I can't say where I am,
> ...



Great to know. Favourite episode so far is the ATM machine one.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Jan 10, 2015)

I left out one of my absolute favorites: Dear White People.

It won't win any awards, but it's just brilliant.


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## Guy Rowland (Jan 14, 2015)

Car repaired, new car ordered and Birdman watched. I'm closer to Chocco than Larry on this. The tricksy filmmaking is almost too clever for its own good - I never really stopped thinking about how it was all done, which isn't a compliment. But it is an original and has some intelligence, so for that alone I'm supremely grateful. Drum score worked nicely. It wasn't a truly great film for me as it didn't really engage me emotionally, but it was an entertaining distraction. And far preferred it to Grand Budapest which somehow grabbed 11 BAFTA noms. Grrr.


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## NYC Composer (Jan 16, 2015)

Finally saw Snowpiercer- i liked it. It was a little 1984 Apple ad, but still, good stuff.


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