# Movies where you notice the music...in a good way **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 1, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998 "2011-08-01T02:32:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998/1 "2011-08-01T02:32:22Z")
So as I am watching Inception for the millionth time I am really reminded that one of the things I love about the movie more than anything else is how much the music really compliments the movie. The loud horns and the sense of urgency that the strings provide in the background really makes the movie a million times better than it would be without. What other movies would you guys say is made much better because of the music? ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998/2 "2011-08-01T02:33:17Z")
[Check this out](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVkQ0C4qDvM) if you want to blow your mind. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998/3 "2011-08-01T02:35:24Z")
_A Clockwork Orange_. Everything is better with the old Ludwig Van. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998/4 "2011-08-01T02:36:10Z")
Also, the classic example of music really making a scene is this one from Jaws, [demonstrated here both with and without the score](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2K-YedETiI). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998/5 "2011-08-01T02:42:34Z")
Patrick Doyle’s music for the [St. Crispin’s Day](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-yZNMWFqvM) speech in Kenneth Branagh’s **Henry V** ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998/6 "2011-08-01T02:56:44Z")
The soundtrack music in the theatrical version of Michael Mann’s [The Last of the Mohicans](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMWvr5dhwxw) was incredibly moving and exciting. I have heard that it was altered for the DVD releases. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998/7 "2011-08-01T03:13:17Z")
Dario Marianelli’s Oscar-nominated score for 2005’s _Pride & Prejudice_ really is fantastic, and captures the quiet charm and romance of the film perfectly. Here’s the opening song, “Dawn”: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-vYY0aRH46I/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGGUgXChKMA8=&rs=AOn4CLBDZfIWmzG_EGYNDLS0AUTVvI4HoA "Soundtrack - Pride and Prejudice - Dawn") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vYY0aRH46I) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998/8 "2011-08-01T03:19:06Z")
Whenever I think of movie soundtracks, the first two movies that always jump into my mind are Blow and Goodfellas. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998/9 "2011-08-01T03:22:53Z")
Star Trek II’s score makes a good movie a great one. And enough can’t be said about Vangelis’ work for Blade Runner. In fact, I always notice the music. If a movie scene can make me cry, it’s because of the music. The series finale of Babylon 5 works that way. ---
**Author:** ![Noel\_Prosequi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Noel\_Prosequi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noel_Prosequi)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998/10 "2011-08-01T09:28:47Z")
For mine, it’s hard to go past [The Mission](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nye62rh7aaQ&feature=related), scored by Morricone. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998/11 "2011-08-01T10:02:22Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Patrick Doyle’s music for the [St. Crispin’s Day](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-yZNMWFqvM) speech in Kenneth Branagh’s **Henry V** To me, the music in the [Non nobis, Domine](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L38pCPka5LQ&feature=related) scene is even more powerful. (To those who haven’t seen the movie - see if you can spot Christian Bale). ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998/12 "2011-08-01T10:45:33Z")
The Lord of the Rings trilogy. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998/13 "2011-08-01T10:51:43Z")
The score for _The Right Stuff_ is terrific. All of the _LOTR_ movies benefit greatly from the music. ---
**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998/14 "2011-08-01T12:11:04Z")
_The Social Network_. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998/15 "2011-08-01T12:33:04Z")
The [main title](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwkMsPZO0ZE) for **The Stunt Man**. So good that for years it was used for movie trailers whenever the score wasn’t complete. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998/16 "2011-08-01T12:40:15Z")
I recently watched ‘Die Hard’ for the first time, and when the bad guys were getting into the vault, I immediately noticed a very familiar musical theme. At first I was thinking it might be a well-known Christmas tune, given the holiday setting of the film, and then I recognized it as being from Beethoven’s ninth symphony. (The ‘Ode to Joy.’) It does work surprisingly well once you recover from the surprise of recognizing it. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998/17 "2011-08-01T13:11:51Z")
There are also soundtracks that are too good for their movies, like the [“Duel of the Fates”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt0UuNpUqK4) from _the Phantom Menace_, or the entire \*Conan the Barbarian \*soundtrack (not that it’s a bad film; it’s just that few movies in history have ever been good enough for Basil Poulidaris’s score). ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998/18 "2011-08-01T13:19:18Z")
Anton Karas’s zither score from _The Third Man_ has rightly become iconic: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/te9fqm6rUPY/hqdefault.jpg ""The Third Man Theme"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te9fqm6rUPY) As with _The Stunt Man_, James Horner’s score for the Civil War drama _Glory_ has also been used in trailers for a lot of other movies: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi_M2S0Tn78) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998/19 "2011-08-01T13:22:29Z")
Cliff Martinez’s score for _Solaris_ complemented the movie perfectly. Here’s [First Sleep](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2S698Cs3aM). Like most of the sound track it’s somehow hypnotic and mellow yet dissonant and filled with tension all at the same time. The work The Dust Brothers did for [\*Fight](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgNF7_EWEZo) [Club\*](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSpqObhK4Rw) was also excellent. [This Is Your Life](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSpqObhK4Rw),with it’s utterly compelling and propelling bass line, is one of my all-time favorite songs, in fact. Not sure you can beat the original “electronic” score for _Blade Runner_ by Vangelis… But probably the first thing that popped into my head when I read the OP was the terrific music for [\*Team](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZdJRDpLHbw) [America](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVY7qDjrPZk): [World](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh_9QhRzJEs) [Police\*](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQvNu8LoTo0) that Trey Parker wrote. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998/20 "2011-08-01T13:46:55Z")
That “Team America” soundtrack is great. The vocal songs are hilarious and the orchestral stuff is better than what you get in most non-puppet movies. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-you-notice-the-music-in-a-good-way/590998.md?page=2)