How could I forget “Superman”? That is a fabulous score!
Whoo… quite a list.
Here’re my additions. (I’m not going to repeat ones already mentioned even though I agree)
-Wild Orchid (Wonderful South American Collection)
-9 1/2 Weeks
-Lethal Weapon 3 (Mostly David Sanborn & Eric Clapton)
-Out Of Sight
-The Big Easy (Zydecko!)
-Romeo+Juliet
-To Live and Die in L.A. (Wang Chung)
-The Crow
-The Doors
-Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
-The 5th Element & Goldeneye (Some of Eric Serra’s best work)
-From Dusk 'til Dawn (great collection of southern-style Blues Rock)
Terrible movies (avoid avoid avoid) but great soundtracks:
-Mortal Kombat
-Hackers
-Tomb Raider (Okay, I LIKE Trance/Techno stuff, alright?)
and one thing I’d like to add:
I HATE “Soundtracks” that contain music “inspired by the film”… a cop-out if there ever was one!
Ditto the praise for Tangerine Dream! I addition to the above, their work in “Risky Business” and “Thief” was particularly good.
Elmer Bernstein’s score from “The Magnificient Seven” never fails to get my blood pumping!
I can’t believe no one’s mentioned the Mel Brooks movies! I love the scores to them – and some of the songs are killer, too. “Hope for the Best, Expect the Worst” from THE TWELVE CHAIRS is great! Also “If You Love Me, Baby, Tell Me Loud” from High Anxiety. Wish I could remember the composer’s name!!
I’m kind of surprised that no one has mentioned Moulin Rouge. Yeah, the stupid “Lady Marmalade” song really sucks, but there are some greats tracks on there by Beck, Rufus Wainwright, and David Bowie. Plus, the musical numbers from the movie are great to just listen to, even if stunning visuals were what made the film so great.
Another wonderful soundtrack is Labyrinth (color me a David Bowie fan). I love every song on there! Plus, I have much nostalgia toward that movie… I think I might be able to say that seeing that was the first time I saw a man’s penis… Jareth’s pants don’t leave much to the imagination. But what a wonderful movie! And what great songs!
I have yet to buy it, but I know that the Fight Club soundtrack would be wonderful. I love the music during the part where their homework assignment is to start a fight with a stranger and lose.
Superman: The Movie
Star Trek II especially the Genesis Count down scene
Immortal Beloved
Amadeus
Clockwork Orange
Blade Runner
Glory
Das Boat (I liked the way they used the “Tipporari Song” and the moment where the Uboat escapes from Gibralter
And for pure Cheeze Whiz… I vote Omega Man… Dig that creepy organ Man
Without a doubt, the best marriage of soundtrack to movie has to be “Oh Lucky Man” by Alan Price, formerly of the Animals. The film follows the travails of Malcom McDowell in a bizarre world out of his control. As a song comes up in the soundtrack the movie oddly cuts in mid-song to the band playing the song in a rehearsel. This continues until later in the movie when Malcolm’s character gets picked up hitchhiking by the band’s van on their way to London. The soundtrack then becomes part of the story. Besides this unique innovation, the songs themselves are excellent. I wore out my vinyl lp of this album years ago. I should try to track it down on cd or dvd.
2nd best soundtrack would have to be The Rutles!
Pretty much anything by John Williams (Star Wars, Superman, ET, Indiana Jones, Always, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Empire of the Sun…).
Georgio Maurader 1980’s soundtrack for Fritz Lang’s 1926 film Metropolis. Especially the track called “Blood From A Stone.” Excellent!
Dang it! Most of my favorites have been taken. I think a great score is one that stands on its own seperate from the movie it is in. Among those that have been mentioned:
Superman
The Magnificent Seven
Field of Dreams
The Shawshank Redemption
The Big Country
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Some great scores that haven’t been mentioned:
Searching for Bobby Fischer
Hoosiers
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Lawrence of Arabia
Moulin Rouge
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
Run Lola Run
Magnolia
we’re on page 2 and nobody has mentioned Dazed and Confused.
tragic.
And also Mallrats and Empire records for sheer pop punk happiness!
I haven’t heard it properly yet, but the Shrek soundtrack looks quite good as well. (It contains a great cove of “I’m a believer” by Smashmouth)
Forrest Gump
O Brother Where Art Thou
American Graffiti
Dazed & Confused
Pulp Fiction
Blow
Honeymoon in Vegas
The Truman Show
Soul-stirring music by Philip Glass and others…
The Thomas Crown Affair
Has a cool Sting song on it and other great stuff by Bill Conti…
I don’t think anyone has mentioned–
ROCKY!!!
Also by Bill Conti. All of the music on that is absolutely awesome and certainly makes the movie that much more powerful.