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Mighty Joe Young - Horner's most underrated score?
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Topic: Mighty Joe Young - Horner's most underrated score?
Hasta
Oscar® Winner
Welp, I just rented Mighty Joe Young (DVD), simply because I passed it up when it came out and never got to check out the effects. Honestly the film brought tears to my eyes at times (granted i'm an animal lover), but I think it was because of Horner's score. It is truly fantastic, and after watching the film twice, I might even say it's better than any of his other scores that year.. (And I loved Deep Impact and Zorro)... No doubt the score is unoriginal (except for that lovely african choir), bringing together bits of his past work (especially Legends and Apollo 13), but I still can't help but cherish it. Thankfully I downloaded the end credits on Napster... I would buy the album right now, but Amazon nor CDNow seem to have it... Is it out of print? Somebody tell me please, and also tell me what you think.
posted 12-18-2000 01:12 PM PT (US) H Rocco
Oscar® Winner
I LOVED this movie ... a rare remake with just as much heart and imagination as the original. Horner's score is just fine, I found a cheap used copy of it and it's nice and long as all his recent albums tend to be. I have to admit that I don't like all of it, but the "Windsong," particularly as heard over the end credits, is just wonderful.NP: TOTAL RECALL DELUXE EDITION
posted 12-18-2000 01:32 PM PT (US) Quill
Oscar® Winner
I agree 100% Hasta...a fantastic score. I even fall victim to fogetting that I own it. I'll have to spin the CD changer to it tonight when I get home from work!
posted 12-18-2000 01:40 PM PT (US) HAL 2000
Oscar® Winner
I really consider Patriot Games his most underrated score. More accurately it's probably his most misunderstood score. Most people I know hate it but I consider it one of his rare "thinking" scores. A gem in the same league as his equally intriguing Sneakers score.
posted 12-18-2000 02:02 PM PT (US) John Dunham
Oscar® Winner
And don't forget "The Pelican Brief," another entry into what I find to be a truly intriging minimalistic Horner. I hope he does more scores in the same vein in the future, because those three (Pelican Brief, Sneakers, Patriot Games) were very good.
Another interesting work is A Far Off Place. It doesn't have most of the earmarks of a Horner score (reused motifs, sensitive theme on swelling strings, etc.) but it is really quite good.NP: Dark City, Trevor Jones
posted 12-18-2000 02:20 PM PT (US) AaronR1074
Oscar® Winner
Hall 2000,
I couldn't agree more. I absolutely loved Patriot Games. Especialy the boat chase music and the Celtic singing. The only thing I hate about it is the music that sounds almost identical to the main titles from Aliens (When you see the Ripley's escape vessle floating aimlessly in space.)
posted 12-18-2000 03:01 PM PT (US) Quill
Oscar® Winner
Aaron...yeah, exact same piece. Amazing how well it works in two completely different movies. It shows Horner's worst and best sides side by side.
posted 12-18-2000 03:17 PM PT (US) Hasta
Oscar® Winner
Welp the replies started off good enough, glad to hear H Rocco and Quill like it as much as I do... but lets not get off track and talk about the only "fresh" scores from Horner are... I wanna know what you all think about Horner's score for Mighty Joe Young!!!
posted 12-18-2000 03:27 PM PT (US) John Zimmer
Oscar® Winner
I agree this is one of the best scores by Horner in a long time and is very underated.
posted 12-18-2000 03:49 PM PT (US) Al
Oscar® Winner
It complements the film nicely. I can't get over how the first of the main theme sounds like a sensitive, emotional take on Goldsmith's U.S. Marshals theme. Do they sound very much alike? I'm not saying THAT. I couldn't tell you if it's intended or not, but the main theme does seem to be a variation on Goldsmith's idea.
posted 12-18-2000 03:54 PM PT (US) H Rocco
Oscar® Winner
I'd imagine such a similarity is entirely a coincidence ... the two films were scored roughly at the same time (MIGHTY JOE YOUNG didn't come out until Christmas '98 because Disney didn't want to compete with GODZILLA, but it was ready well before its final release.)NP: THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (Bernard Herrmann)
posted 12-18-2000 04:03 PM PT (US) Quill
Oscar® Winner
I enjoy the rich and varied sounds...and the cues at the end...Horner has a great method of combining emotion-filled melodies with high-paced "action" music...a great score...can't really say much more.NP: you know...I can't play music at work...maybe I do a WWNP (wish was now playing!)
Good night all.
posted 12-18-2000 04:54 PM PT (US) PeterD
Oscar® Winner
Hasta,Intrada -- www.intrada.com -- is still listing "Mighty Joe Young" for $16.99 (plus shipping, of course). And Screen Archives -- www.screenarchives.com -- is still listing it for $16.
[Message edited by PeterD on 12-18-2000]
posted 12-18-2000 06:47 PM PT (US) Racerprose
Oscar® Winner
Yes. Mighty Joe Young is way underrated. Is it Horner's most underrated score? Hmmm, perhaps but there is also Casper or Jumanji.-Racerprose
posted 12-18-2000 07:32 PM PT (US) Scott
Oscar® Winner
All I will say is that my little nep loves the score and can tell when it is playing. That's enough for me.
Hasta,you getting tears in your eye? Animal lover? And you call me emotional?
ScottNP: The Deer Hunter (Cavatina: what a beautiful, beautiful, piece)
posted 12-18-2000 10:03 PM PT (US) Old Infopop Software by UBB