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FANTASTILICIOUS FUN FOR FILM FANS 089: your top 10's of 2020 and most anticipated films of 2021?

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  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    edited November 2014 Posts: 4,399
    (deleted)
  • 00130013
    Posts: 1,817
    I don't understand why Kingdom of Heaven is so unappreciated. I know Bloom is a let down but other than that I don't see it. The battles are great and the seige of Jerusalem is one of the few in movies that actually feels long, I mean is not a 1 hour battle but one that takes many days.
    Overall it is not perfect, not even historically (for example, Richard Plantagent didn't travel by land but by sea, so Balian couldn't encountered him on his path.) But in comparison with many other "medieval" movies, it is very well made, for example how they focused not only on the economic factors that lead to the crusades but also on the religious ones (for example, the idea of salvation.) And the performances - again, leaving Bloom aside - are great: Green, Neeson, Irons, Csokas, Gleeson, Massoud...

    One bit of trivia: did you know that Ridley's companion appears in all his recent movies? She is Maximus' wife, Saladin's sister, a nurse in Hannibal, a waitress in A Good Year. One more trivia: she is from Costa Rica and daughter of a famous politician and former secretary of state (and when she appeared on Playboy magazine, rumour has it that his father brought and retain all the copies of that issue).
  • daltondalton
    Posts: 1,631
    HASEROT wrote: »
    @Dalton

    in terms of Zombie and 'The Lords Of Salem' - it's a bit on the bizarre side at times, but i do really enjoy it... i often quote the film as either being the one big psychological mind-F, or it's beautiful art house trash... and i think the answer lies somewhere in between... Rob doesn't get enough credit as a director - and TLOS is by far and away his best looking film to date... but in typical Zombie fashion, a few things are thrown in there that will leave you scratching your head a bit.... the man gets slighted a lot for his films, but in a generation of remakes, reboots and overall crap - i'll take his films over all the rest, just because they feel fresh and different... yes, even his 2 Halloween films - while one was a remake, i think it was miles better than the crap remakes that Platinum Dunes churned out.

    Zombie's Halloween was absolutely better than the Platinum Dunes remakes that flooded the theaters a few years ago. Even with some rather obvious constraints that he was working under, I thought Zombie did a tremendous job.

    His Halloween II, however, was on a completely different level. I know it gets trashed by pretty much everyone, but I thought it (speaking of the Director's Cut) was one of the best horror films to come around in a while, and easily the best sequel the franchise had had in quite some time.

  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    edited November 2014 Posts: 4,399
    (deleted)
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,582
    Scott's sci-fi films without a doubt. I can't speak highly enough of Alien and Blade Runner.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    Ah, for me:

    #1 is Blade Runner
    #2 Alien
    #3 A Space Odyssey

    I enjoyed Gladiator okay, but I think Russell deserved the Oscar even more for his other 2 films in that era: The Insider and a Beautiful Mind. Glad he won one, though.

  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    <center><font color=#E9AB17 size=6><b>003</b>
    Rank the three J's: John Barry, Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams.</font></center>
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,718
    1. Barry
    2. Williams
    3. Goldsmith

    But all 3 are very close :)
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    1. Barry
    2. Williams
    3. Goldsmith

    oh look, we match, DaltonCraig007.
  • StirredNotShakenStirredNotShaken Toronto
    Posts: 2,402
    Ditto to DC007, and I think that's the only way to do it really.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    I'm in full agreement but I will say that Barry versus Williams is a tough one for me.

    Naturally, as a Bond fan, I'm inclined to give Barry first place. And why not indeed? The man was nothing less than a genius. BUT, each time I listen to Close Encounters, E.T., Jurassic Park, Temple Of Doom, Superman, Memoirs Of A Geisha, ... I almost want to cry over the heavenly sounds that Williams produces. So I will put Barry on the top but I won't take any credit away from the other genius, John Williams. Not only has his six decade (!) career spawned dozens of movie scores, he has maintained an overall quality which I can only call amazing.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,718


    This track alone puts Barry above any soundtrack composers, and I dare say it puts him same level to Bethoven, Brahms, Bach.
  • andmcitandmcit
    Posts: 1,068
    surely this is a non question as far as John Barry goes? I agree with @DarthDimi that Williams has created his own masterpieces yet I only ever find myself relistening to Barry soundtracks over and over...
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,800
    I've thought about this before, and have come to the conclusion some time ago that they are the holy trinity of modern classical composers, neither above the other.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    1. John Williams
    2. John Barry
    3. Jerry Goldsmith

    Williams is just on an entirely separate level all to himself. Even calling him a musical genius is an insult to his craft. He has an iconic career to be supremely proud of, and endless numbers of the best main film themes ever composed bear his handiwork.
  • 00130013
    Posts: 1,817
    1. John Williams
    2. John Barry
    3. Jerry Goldsmith

    They are three masters and I believe, as I said in another thread, they are among the greatest composers of the 20th century (not just in the score circle but in general.) For me John Williams wins because of The Empire Strikes Back, the best soundtrack ever (in my opinion.)
  • SuzanneStoneSuzanneStone
    Posts: 372
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    I'm in full agreement but I will say that Barry versus Williams is a tough one for me.

    Naturally, as a Bond fan, I'm inclined to give Barry first place. And why not indeed? The man was nothing less than a genius. BUT, each time I listen to Close Encounters, E.T., Jurassic Park, Temple Of Doom, Superman, Memoirs Of A Geisha, ... I almost want to cry over the heavenly sounds that Williams produces. So I will put Barry on the top but I won't take any credit away from the other genius, John Williams. Not only has his six decade (!) career spawned dozens of movie scores, he has maintained an overall quality which I can only call amazing.

    I agree with all of this.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    1. John Barry
    2. Jerry Goldsmith
    3. John Williams.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    edited November 2014 Posts: 4,399
    (deleted)
  • boldfingerboldfinger
    Posts: 5,767
    No way am I going to rank those three. Their action scores are all equally phenomenal, and their other scores are equally not my cup of tea.

    Did anyone mention John Carpenter in the must-see-all discussion?
    Michael Mann
    Steven Spielberg
    Ridley Scott
    John Carpenter

    I got wary over the years.
    With Michael Mann I detect a certain pattern in that I don´t enjoy his period pieces not so much, while I can watch his contemporary gangster stories endlessly.
    Spielberg knows all the chops and even more, but sometimes he forgets to make a thrilling movie, e.g. War Horse.
    Thinking about it, I´m not sure if I even saw all of Ridley Scott´s films, but I did enjoy smaller films like A good Year or Matchstick Men, while I literally almost fell asleep during The Counselor.

    I love both Blade Runner and Prometheus (more than Alien actually), so I might be in favor of sci fi there, but the trailer for Exodus looked mighty fine to me, plus, just today I read a funny quote from Scott, that he might as well do big ones, since small ones also take the same amount of time to make. So at the moment I´ll enjoy the next one.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    @boldfinger, you don't like Barry's romantic scores? :-)
  • OtisFairplayOtisFairplay
    Posts: 47
    Think I'll dodge this one. But while I personally may prefer the music of John Barry, the case for Williams does seem terribly strong.
  • boldfingerboldfinger
    edited August 2014 Posts: 5,767
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    @boldfinger, you don't like Barry's romantic scores? :-)
    Oh I love OHMSS ;-)!
    Now that you mention it, I´m slowly getting there. My evolution from heavy metal purist to film score connoisseur is not yet completed. Can you recommend any Barry soundtrack for my next dates :-)?

  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    Two favorites of mine: YOLT and AVTAK
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    boldfinger wrote: »
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    @boldfinger, you don't like Barry's romantic scores? :-)
    Oh I love OHMSS ;-)!
    Now that you mention it, I´m slowly getting there. My evolution from heavy metal purist to film score connoisseur is not yet completed. Can you recommend any Barry soundtrack for my next dates :-)?

    Somewhere In Time and Body Heat are two very romantic Barry scores. Body Heat in particular has some erotic flavours in it. ;-)
  • WalecsWalecs On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    Posts: 3,157
    1. Williams
    2. Barry
    3. Goldsmith
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Some of my favorite Williams scores are for the first three Harry Potter films, which don't get talked about nearly as much as his other work. His compositions in those early movies are part of what makes them feel so special, and dare I say it, magical. From the fourth film onwards a lot of that magic is missing, not only due to the absence of director of Christopher Columbus, who was for my money the best at adapting the feeling of the books, but also because Williams was out of the picture. Hearing his composition entitled "Hedwig's Theme" instantly transports you back to Hogwarts with Harry, Ron and Hermione, and none of the films feel complete without it:

  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    Good point, 0Brady! I love the Harry Potter films. Columbus and Williams did wonderful work on those earlier films.
  • boldfingerboldfinger
    Posts: 5,767
    Williams did. Columbus is the reason I always had trouble watching through the whole film.

    DarthDimi wrote: »
    boldfinger wrote: »
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    @boldfinger, you don't like Barry's romantic scores? :-)
    Oh I love OHMSS ;-)!
    Now that you mention it, I´m slowly getting there. My evolution from heavy metal purist to film score connoisseur is not yet completed. Can you recommend any Barry soundtrack for my next dates :-)?

    Somewhere In Time and Body Heat are two very romantic Barry scores. Body Heat in particular has some erotic flavours in it. ;-)
    Sounds good! Thanks mate ;-).

  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    boldfinger wrote: »
    Williams did. Columbus is the reason I always had trouble watching through the whole film.

    What didn't you like about Columbus?
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