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DIE HARD is the Best Score ever written
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Topic: DIE HARD is the Best Score ever written

Castor Troy
Oscar® Winner

Hi there!My personal favourite is Kamen's DIE HARD! So wonderfull! How he combinates action with comedy and some scary tracks(remember the scene where Bruce and Rickman(Hans) smoking cigarrets and have a talk? Wasn't that wonderfull music!? I just love the Score! Sad that the promo only contain 45 minutes of this wonderfull score!
What do you think?Regards,
Castor
posted 05-24-1999 05:14 AM PT (US) 
SFT

Oscar® Winner

Although (in my opinion) certainly not the best score ever, Die Hard does have it´s moments...a terrefic action score.SFT
posted 05-24-1999 06:56 AM PT (US) 
James

Oscar® Winner

I certainly don't think it's the best score ever *written*, but it is a great action score. Kamen is very talented.
posted 05-24-1999 05:03 PM PT (US) 
Castor Troy
Oscar® Winner

Hi!That's just my opinion! I just love that score!
Cheers,
Castor
posted 05-25-1999 10:00 AM PT (US) 
PeterK

FishChip

But why do you love it? I always like to know why someone loves something so much. You mentioned a few reasons why you liked it so much, but there have to be more. Are there any specific scenes in the movie that are the absolute best thing you've ever seen/heard between image and music? I want to know more...PeterK
NP - "Noah's Ark" by Paul Grabowsky
posted 05-25-1999 10:32 AM PT (US) 
RBbehemoth
unregistered
In one of the final scenes of the movie, when one of the villans stands up (who was thought to be dead) and gets shot by the cop, isn't that music from Aliens, by james horner? It is EXACT. Maybe cause Fox made both movies?? Does anyone know what I am talking about?
posted 05-25-1999 04:29 PM PT (US) 
James

Oscar® Winner

It IS the music from Aliens. It IS exact, because its the original recording. I don't know why they would do this though. I doubt it was Michael Kamen's idea, and I'm sure he could have come up with something original that was just as good. Does anyone know why they did this? Did Kamen run out of time or something?
posted 05-25-1999 05:21 PM PT (US) 
Steve Hughes

Oscar® Winner

I agree with Castor, DIE HARD is my favourite score (and film) of all time, too. To me, it is the pinaccle of action scores. There is a theme that runs throughout but I love the pumping action music that makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. Kamen has a wicked sense of humour.I paid £100 for this promo and it was worth every penny.
posted 05-28-1999 09:42 AM PT (US) 
Gae

Oscar® Winner

As far as I'm aware Kamen had completed the score, packed his bags and gone home, and then somebody decided the final scene needed some music and so bunged in the "Resolution and finale" music from "Aliens" which Fox had copyright over. After all, whose going to know? Only the millions of Horner and film music fans all over the world thats all!!
Gae NP The 3 Musketeers (Kamen)[This message has been edited by Gae (edited 05-30-99).]
posted 05-30-1999 05:19 PM PT (US) 
Wolfie
unregistered
Hi, not only did they use Horner at the end, but right after that there is also John Scott played....to me those two seem like portions "from the cutting room floor" or, in other words, parts of the temp-track the movie makers used during the making. Since Kamen always uses zillions of orchestrators for time matters of deadlines it is hard to understand for me, that they could not use any Kamen-"rerun" as that other music totally comes from a different planet, virtually speaking.
As to movie and music!A terrific movie that is: the quintessence of a stylish, well-directed and photographed action piece. Love Alan Rickman as the German villain( in German release though: the made him a British terrorist, which is so stupid, as the name Hans, Willis writes on his arm and the often-repeated Freude-Schöner-Götterfunken does not make sense that way in the German release, does it???).
Mc Tiernan did a great job directing but to me, Kamen's exhilerating score is the best thing. Just listen to that long, brassy and rhythmic SWAT sequence and those interesting sound effects he did with the strings and you know what I am taling about!
Not the BEST score in the world, but , to me, the BEST KAMEN ever!
Too bad there is no legitimate recording of it available.
posted 05-31-1999 11:23 AM PT (US) 
BOND
unregistered
I'd have to agree with everybody else, Die Hard is certainly not the best score ever written, but it is pretty damn good! Just got my copy today (got a hold of it from a friend in Japan for $20) and think that it is definately Kamen's best work by far. I think the best track is 7 ("Lets Kick Some ass"/S.W.A.T./"send in the car"/ big boom). Great action music!!regards,
BONDposted 06-01-1999 12:12 PM PT (US) 
Vorlon

Oscar® Nominee

Die Hard the best action score....Whilst its certainly one of Kamens most prolific scores, there are better IMHO. As I've said in another list Total Recall, the full score that is, knocks this one into the hat straight away.
One of Kamens most recent releases that also provides plenty of action was Event Horizon. I'd personally put that one up against Die Hard any day of the week.
Its scary, and loud :-)
posted 06-05-1999 01:23 PM PT (US) 
Matthew

Oscar® Winner

While I think DIE HARD is a great action score,one of the best ever written,I don't think it is the best.It does come close though.I would put it in my top 10 favorite action scores.Tracks like "Searching for John/Neck Snap" and 'Bathroom Stories" show how good this score is.How it can go from tension building suspense to heart-pounding action and then to a quiet emotional piece.Is what makes this score wonderful,although it is not the best score ever written.[This message has been edited by Matthew (edited 07-28-99).]
posted 07-28-1999 01:47 AM PT (US) 
UCFKevin

Oscar® Winner

Yeah, it's already been said, but this isn't my alltime favorite score but it's definitely up there. I regularly get one of the themes from the movie in my head as I walk through Target (my job). Never heard the score outside of the movie though, sadly...wish I could. But the reason I love the score is because of the fun Kamen has with it. How he puts Beethovens 9th into a whole lot of it (when they finally get in the vault...brilliant) and also the Christmas bells...also it's just really uncommon for a composer to score the movie as we see it, mainly the part when the camera pans over and a light floods the screen and the music jumps at that exact moment. I love it! Anyway, anyone think they could help me out with hearing the score? Be it through RealAudio or even Mp3?
posted 07-28-1999 12:06 PM PT (US) Old Infopop Software by UBB
