100 Greatest Film Scores (eBook)

Matt Lawson is a film music scholar, academic, and lecturer in music. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). Laurence E. MacDonald has been a college professor at Mott Community College, where he still teaches a course on the history of film music. He is the author of The Invisible Art of Film Music, 2nd Edition (Scarecrow Press, 2013)

Matt Lawson is a film music scholar, academic, and lecturer in music. He is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Laurence E. MacDonald was a college professor at Mott Community College, where he still teaches a course on the history of film music. He is the author of The Invisible Art of Film Music, 2nd Edition (Scarecrow Press, 2013).

IntroductionThe Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)Alexander Nevsky (1938)Around the World in 80 Days (1956)Avalon (1990)Back to the Future (1985)Batman (1989)A Beautiful Mind (2001)Becket (1964)Ben-Hur (1959)The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)The Big Country (1958)Blade Runner (1982)Born Free (1966)Braveheart (1995)Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)Casablanca (1943)Chariots of Fire (1981)Chinatown (1974)Cinema Paradiso (1989)Citizen Kane (1941)City Lights (1931)Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)Conan the Barbarian (1982)Dances with Wolves (1990)The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)Doctor Zhivago (1965)East of Eden (1955)Edward Scissorhands (1990)Empire of the Sun (1987)E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)Fargo (1996)Forrest Gump (1994)The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)Giant (1956)Gladiator (12000)The Godfather I and II (1972-74)Gone with the Wind (1939)The Great Escape (1963)The Green Mile (1999)Henry V (1944)High Noon (1952)How the West Was Won (1963)Interstellar (2014)Jaws (1975)Jurassic Park (1993)King Kong (1933)King of Kings (1961)Kings Row (1942) The Last of the Mohicans (1992)Laura (1944)Lawrence of Arabia (1962)The Lion in Winter (1968)The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)Lost Horizon (1937)The Magnificent Seven (1960)The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)The Mission (1986)The Natural (1984)North by Northwest (1959)Now, Voyager (1942)The Omen (1976)On Golden Pond (1981)On the Waterfront (1954)Once Upon a Time in the West (1969)Out of Africa (1985)The Piano (1993)The Pink Panther (1964)Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)Planet of the Apes (1968)The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)Psycho (1960) Quo Vadis (1951)Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)The Red Pony (1949)The Red Violin (1999)The Robe (1953)Schindler's List (1993)Scott of the Antarctic (1948)The Sea Hawk (1940)The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)The Shawshank Redemption (1994)Somewhere in Time (1980)The Song of Bernadette (1943)Spartacus (1960)Spellbound (1945)The Spirit of St. Louis (1957)Star Trek - The Motion Picture (1979)Star Wars (1977)A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)Sunset Blvd. (1950)Superman (1978)The Third Man (1950)Titanic (1997)To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)Tom Jones (1963)Unbreakable (2000)Up (2009)Vertigo (1958)Appendix A: The Next 100 Film ScoresAppendix B: Profiles of ComposersGlossaryBibliography IndexAbout the Authors

This new volume recognizes 100 important film scores based on musical quality, impact on the moviegoing experience, and importance to the history of film. Diverse eras are nicely covered with such classics as Casablanca and Psycho, as well as more contemporary films like Interstellar and Gladiator. Each entry features the film’s release year, historical details, listing of cast members, and a brief plot summary. From there, the authors go into great detail about the score’s themes, moods, and how the music enhances the film, offering musical descriptions from specific scenes to illustrate their points. Also included is information about award nominations or wins, a listing of notable recordings, and a short bibliography for more information. The writing is authoritative and shows extensive knowledge of each film score. Lists of “top” anything—whether films, albums, or restaurants—are subjective, so personal satisfaction may vary, but the authors present an admirable mix of styles and film eras that should please most readers. For good measure, they include a glossary, brief composer biographies, and a list of the “next” 100 for readers to explore on their own.