The "Music Trilogy" Chapter 3: Top 10 Film Scores

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The unexpected "trilogy" of podcast topics comes to its logical conclusion with our original score picks.

So, put your headphones on, crank up the bass, and let the heavily-compressed youtube incantations of these classic selections whisk you away to monochrome Vienna, suspiciously Kiwi-reminiscent "Middle Earth", anamorphic Egypt, sun-baked Sicily, the 19th century American West by way of Southern Spain, and galaxies far far away (but, more often than not, just large warehouses outside of Marin County).

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WLM Podcast #46: Score 1 For The Top 10 Film Scores

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Well it was inevitable that it would come to this.
We never officially discussed our intention to talk about our favorite film scores in a podcast scenario. But when we started down our "music in the movies" rabbit hole about a month ago, I sort of began to presume, in the back of my mind, that eventually we would find our way to this subject. I'm so very glad we did. I love me a good score.

This list's only rule:
-Thou shalt not pick more than one film PER composer! (John Williams, you will not be allowed to monopolize this list!)

Score!

Top 10 Greatest Songs Written for the Movies.

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In an ongoing effort to try and supplement podcast topics with word and video-heavy corresponding blog posts, we've been trying to compile lists like this one for your reading and viewing pleasure.

As usual, youtube couldn't be counted on to cover 100% of our visual aid needs. But I feel like, for the most part, I put together a pretty decent cross-section of scene clips and song samples.

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Academy Award Nominees Announced (with credibility-straining results)

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Well they did it. It happened. It certainly wasn’t pretty, but it happened.

I don’t want to go into my reaction about the assembled nominees here. I feel like I’ve been doing nothing but kvetching with fellow Oscar nerds all day so I’ll save my thoughts for the inevitable podcast discussion.

But if I could use a visual aid to perhaps illustrate my incredulity at some of the decisions made this morning, perhaps you will indulge me and see if you can tell what's wrong with this [best] picture:

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Matt & Oscar submit their OSCAR predictions (and their MATT predictions)

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While typing this up I began to realize how borderline obnoxious it is that my partner in blog, Oscar Dahl shares his name with the ubiquitous, coveted golden statue. But, once a year we must grit our teeth, embrace the madness and attempt to set a record for just how many times we can use the "O" word in one post.

What follows are the predictions in the "major categories" (sorry sound effects editing) from myself and the aforementioned "O" man. As you will see we rarely deviate too far from one another and, for once in far too long, seem to think that the Academy may be on the right track to handing out awards to the proper recipients for a change. As such you may also notice that there are almost no discrepancies between the "should" and "will" brackets. This is very rare to say the least.

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Matt’s Top 10 Films of 2010

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The past year has been an emotional rollercoaster for us cinephiles. We battened down the hatches, braced for the worst and were happily surprised when the four horsemen of the cinematic apocalypse never arrived. We were struck, not only by how many gems emerged from this year’s slate. But, more importantly, by how GOOD the best films were. I honestly had a tougher time than usual shaving my favorites down to just ten. I was also surprised by just how many “mainstream” studio films ended up on my list. I’m not some sort of chest-pounding indie snob who doesn’t believe there’s anything to be gained from setting foot outside the art house from May to September. But, that being said, I look back at the films topping my lists in the last few years (A SINGLE MAN, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, LITTLE CHILDREN, etc.) and I can see a definitive trend in terms of financing and distribution structure. So, with all this in mind, I submit for your approval my ten favorite films of 2010- the year the studios closed down their “independent” boutiques and kept all the good films for themselves.

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