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Author	Topic: The words Horner and Underrated in the same thread

Tim_P Oscar® Winner	As long as I'm bored and want to help steer this board back into the realm of film music, I thought I'd ask you all what you think is the single most underrated Horner film score you've heard. Now, I know I'm opening myself up for a plethora of jokes and sarcasm, but I think there's lots of Horner scores that are quite good that go un-noticed by the masses- those that demonstrate that he actually IS a composer who knows more than just ctrl+c and ctrl+v commands on his PC. My pick would be "Where the River Runs Black" It's a synth-dominated score too- a type of score that I usually can't stand. I've just recently heard that the majority of it was improvised by Horner while watching the film. In particular "The Orphanage" is a definite highlight- a very nice, quaint melody. Is anyone else a fan of this score? Does anyone have any pick of their own for a most underrated Horner score? Tim NP: Apollo 13 Promo (NOT an underrated Horner score, but I still like it)
posted 01-22-2001 09:09 AM PT (US)

Quill Oscar® Winner	Tim, Unfortunately, as I am an avid Horner supporter and fan, I usually stay away from most topics related to him, since they are or will become negative. So, I am not sure what is considered a underrated or not. My pick would have to be The Devil's Own...perhaps the best part of a forgotten movie. I also enjoy The Spitfire Grill. It is nice to see someone as successful as Horner writing scores for films such as Spitfire, To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday, Bopha and others. I've never heard "Where the River Runs Black" or even heard of the film...might you enlighten me?
posted 01-22-2001 09:16 AM PT (US)

dgoldwas Oscar® Winner	Commando. fun score, fun film! Dan
posted 01-22-2001 09:25 AM PT (US)

John Dunham Oscar® Winner	Pelican Brief. Love it myself. Sneakers, too, and A Far Off Place. NP: London Sessions Vol. 3, Delerue ****
posted 01-22-2001 09:32 AM PT (US)

Jeron Oscar® Winner	Definitely "A Far Off Place" and "The Spitfire Grill." I haven't heard "Gorky Park," but I hear that's a keeper, too. Jeron
posted 01-22-2001 09:45 AM PT (US)

Rang Oscar® Winner	I'm not sure if FIELD OF DREAMS is truly underrated; I generally read comments more in praise of it than those of the "what an EVIL creation of unspeakable WICKEDNESS! type, but I'll always sings its praises. It certainly remains one of my favorite Horner scores in the film and on its own. THE MAN WITHOUT A FACE is another wonderful, lyrical jewel.
posted 01-22-2001 11:12 AM PT (US)

ZapBrannigan Oscar® Winner	Surely his best is THE WRATH OF KHAN, but it gets rated pretty well. A lot of people trash TITANIC, and I like it, so I can say it's underrated. I like DEEP IMPACT too.
posted 01-22-2001 12:15 PM PT (US)

H Rocco Oscar® Winner	I kind of like parts of WHERE THE RIVER RUNS BLACK. Similar, sometimes even more interesting, writing in the subsequent VIBES. I adore THE LAND BEFORE TIME, particularly the opening (even if it IS Bartok's "Wooden Prince" -- I like Horner's version BETTER, okay?!) "Airport Goodbye" from THE PELICAN BRIEF is one of the most beautiful things he's ever written; so also the "Hymn" from the otherwise uninteresting COURAGE UNDER FIRE. And CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER is sort of neurotic and all over the map, but somewhat more intriguing than the previous PATRIOT GAMES (as a score, not a movie; it's a damned tedious movie by comparison, to me.)
posted 01-22-2001 12:30 PM PT (US)

Nicolai P. Zwar Oscar® Winner	THUNDERHEART
posted 01-22-2001 01:06 PM PT (US)

Crono/Kyp Oscar® Winner	I just got "Legends of the Fall" (from MM.com baby!) and I can't stop listening to it. I think it's one of his best scores. I still need to pick up "A Far Off Place." I have the End Titles/Credits cue and it rocks. --Bri Writer & Film/Video Editor NP: Legends of the Fall: James Horner (*****)
posted 01-22-2001 01:39 PM PT (US)

webjedi Oscar® Winner	Thunderheart (barring some true sense of originality) - but it's almost unlistenable outside the film. and Heaven Help Us - Horner's first attempt at the Irish/Scottish thing... a proto-Braveheart if I may say ...and of course, this all comes from an overrated composer to begin with, so underrated score from an overrated composer makes them almost listenable. Sneakers was nice, but appeared too short on the album... worked perfectly in the film, however, I'm sure Mr. Pollack kind of drove the direction there...rather than letting Horner screw too much with the film... especially when you have folks like Dan Ackroyd and Robert Redford that know a thing or two about good music (yeah, yeah... doubtful they had influence, but they still could help edge the director one way or another).
posted 01-22-2001 02:20 PM PT (US)

H Rocco Oscar® Winner	Not sure what you're getting at, webjedi. Where's Sydney Pollack fit into it? SNEAKERS was rewritten and directed by Phil Alden Robinson, who previously hired Horner for FIELD OF DREAMS. The alto sax stuff in SNEAKERS was probably Robinson's idea, since his favorite soundtrack album, he has said, is Goldsmith's THE RUSSIA HOUSE, which also featured the alto sax of Branford Marsalis. (Why he doesn't just hire Goldsmith, I don't know. I think Horner was referred to him on FIELD OF DREAMS and they just hit it off -- although that was a movie that Goldsmith was DYING to do. It's a conundrum.) SNEAKERS is one of my very favorite Horner scores, maybe his best of the nineties. God knows HE must have liked it, he's been quoting it relentlessly ever since.
posted 01-22-2001 04:32 PM PT (US)

webjedi Oscar® Winner	Sorry about that Rocco... got my directors screwed up.. but yeah, I remember the director being the one with taste in this case. Especially citing FIELD OF DREAMS, you could also see some direction given to Horner for that one as well. Kind of set his direction for emulating the New Age/Enya-esque sound found later in TITANIC. (Hehe, looked up the credits again... I must have seen costume designer "BERNIE POLLACK" and assumed the opposite... doh!)
posted 01-22-2001 04:39 PM PT (US)

dgoldwas Oscar® Winner	Maybe he means Bernie Pollack, who was the constume designer on the film? Dan
posted 01-22-2001 04:39 PM PT (US)

webjedi Oscar® Winner	Of course, Sydney had his chance with SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISHER. ;-) As a producer I mean... don't these guys arrange everything?! (as well as the $$$) [Message edited by webjedi on 01-22-2001]
posted 01-22-2001 04:40 PM PT (US)

Tim_P Oscar® Winner	quote: Originally posted by Quill: I've never heard "Where the River Runs Black" or even heard of the film...might you enlighten me? Sure. I haven't had a chance to see the film myself, but I do enjoy the score. It's quite atypical from Horner's normal sound. It perhaps comes closest to The Name of the Rose and, like H Rocco mentioned, Vibes. It's largely electronic with sampled voice, lots of ethnic pipes and shakuhachi, and drumming. It never really becomes overbearing or unlistenable (maybe a few tracks come close). For the most part the score is very easy to listen to and there's some really nice simple melodies. There's no theme to tie everything together and although the score shares a certain instrumentation, each track has its own personality. The score's not for everyone, but it's definitely not uninspiring or boring- I think Horner fans and Horner-haters alike should give it a listen. Tim PS- I agree with everyone who chose A Far Off Place- that's second on my underrated list. Sneakers too and possibly Uncommon Valor (although I haven't listened to that one in a while)
posted 01-22-2001 04:47 PM PT (US)

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