Superman The Movie: When Superman saves Lois from the helicopter. This was the first movie I'd ever seen and it's still my favorite of all time, and I had waited for the soundtrack to be expanded because my favorite moment in the movie was THIS part, and finally, when the expanded soundtrack came out, I put the CD in my player, laid in my bed and closed my eyes. For almost 20 years, I had waited to hear the Superman theme kick in when he flies up and that guy in the crowd goes, "What the hell is that?" And when I first heard it, on the CD, I had goosebumps all over my body and tears in my eye. Nothing will ever, EVER top this moment for me.

Return of the Jedi - I grew up with the really lame and short casette soundtrack of Jedi, which has like 40 minutes of music, most of which wasn't even in the movie. So when I got the 4 CD set Anthology, and listened to this, I was blown away...but then I finally got to the moment in which I had wanted to hear outside of the film for ages...Luke defeats Vader. When the male chorus comes on and sings so powerfully, I remember the first time hearing it, 1995 I believe, my jaw just dropped and I was like, "Oh my God..."

Phantom Menace - While the movie nor the music is nowhere near as classic as the original trilogy, they're still very good. I was one of the folks who heard the soundtrack before the movie, and for someone who's second favorite piece of music is the Force theme (first is Superman), hearing the Force theme in a new way for the first time since 1983 put tears in my eye faster than you could say "Pansy". Especially the Kids at Play track, when it's played in it's full regards, rather than just a tease...that blew me away. But the BEST damn moment was not on the soundtrack, but in the movie when ObiWan is hanging onto that outcropping and the Force theme builds in the background as he builds up the Force within...I remember being in the theater with my entire body covered in goosebumps and said, pardon my language, "Holy ****."

I get chills watching that droid ship blow up with Williams aggressive action music blasting in the background. It's so cool.

There's not much music that makes me well up, but an Arvo Pärt contemporary classical piece really makes me do that: It's called Passio. The Passion of Saint John. I guess, basically the story of the crucifixion. The last few bars resonate with an intimacy that can only be described as heartbreaking. The vocal quartet intones a slow prayer at the very end, spread over 4 perfectly in tune octaves, and ending with glorious major chord. You'd think the heaven's opened up. To me it's one of those perfect moments that only music can describe; one of those moments where I listen and say to myself: "everything'll be okay."

I, too, suppose I'm passionate about the music I listen to. It's also probably why I keep almost everything I buy and don't sell it to someone who won't appreciate it as much as I (at least in my screwed up mind, anyway)

Np -- Second Jungle Book, John Scott

I always enjoy those moments in films when something longly awaited is revealed to the audience for the first time. If scored well, these scenes always send shivers down my spine, such as these two which come directly to my mind:

THE ABYSS, when Bud first sees the vastness of the underwater city. Probably the first time I understood the power of choral music.

THE MATRIX, when Neo wakes up.

...Also, I thought these movies had some great scenes too:

The end of THE MISSION, as Morricone's soft music builds into a massive choral masterpiece (wells).

The last, painful, yet somehow triumphant slow-motion ending shot of GLORY, set to the greatest cue Horner ever wrote (Epitaph to War). That scene made my eyes well up and gave me chills at the same time.

The end to THE SIXTH SENSE, (chills/wells).

The final cue from BRAVEHEART (chills/wells).

Anyway, I'm with Ted on the Sixth Sense... also, Last of the Dogmen, Track 12 - gets me every time.

-Hunchback of Notre Dame; track 11(the choral climax)... this piece is awesome! I get the chills everytime!

-Cutthroat Island; track 17(this score has everything! John Debney at his best!)

-To Kill a Mockingbird; The Main Title(One of the best themes composed for film. This melody touches me everytime I play it.)

Thanks,
Aaron

NP: Dark City

When I got into film scores and bought the Jurassic Park CD, I suddenly realized why I had tears in my eyes when watching that lake (where they see some of the first dinosaurs) in the movie.

Or what about Hook. I recently got the DVD, and had tears in my eyes during several sequences.

The finale from E.T., of course. And to mention a non-Williams score, "To The Stars" from Dragonheart.

Interestingly, as much as I love Goldsmith's music, I can't recall anything by him that brought tears to my eyes.

Here are those my goosebump selections:

• "Striking the Shores of Dover" from The Sea Hawk (Korngold)
  
• Nearly anything from Captain Blood (Korngold)
  
• "The Planet Krypton" from Superman (Williams)
  
• Anything from The Fury (Williams)
  
• The rowing sequence music from Ben Hur (Rozsa)
  

And many more of course.

NP-The Challenge ***/*****

NP: Indy 3 - Williams 3.5/5

Just Finished: Fargo - Burwell 3.5/5

Just after the death plague in Prince of Egypt, where a solo cello plays a mournful tune. It's not very long, but it is very effective, to me anyways.