SunnyHello Nice effects though.

Ogosmith Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

Celia A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Gareth Crook Okay so a documentary about film scores sounds a bit dry and boring right? Well you'd be very wrong, it's fantastic! A real insight into a world that moves us, toys with us, helps us experience films in a way that we simply couldn't do without music. Hans Zimmer is a revelation. Talking about the excitement of creating and the fear of getting started, what am I doing? Can I do this? It's fun too though, The Pink Panther, James Bond, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, music that makes you smile, that transports you. Bernard Herrmann's work with Hitchcock, moving away from tunes into something so much more. The way music can enhance and even be a character in itself or simply provide a skeleton for the visuals to flesh out. There are some downsides, James Cameron proving once again what an uncultured moron he is, but really it's a celebration of musicians, of composers, of studios, the technicians, of film and emotion. There's a wonderful feel of play to the whole thing. That music needs wiggle room and shouldn't, can't be perfect, it needs space. "If everyone in the orchestra hit the same note on the page, it would sound terrible. It would be like putting auto-tune on Etta James. It would take all the soul out of it". Yes there's a lot of the expected Williams, Zimmer, Elfman, Newman, but most of this is narrated by the non superstar composers working today and there's definitely the suggestion that things are once again changing with people like Reznor, Greenwood, Mansell working today. Making the whole thing very positive, not just a golden age nostalgia fest, the future is just as exciting. Oh and needless to say, watch this with the volume way up... it sounds incredible!

rzajac I figured this'd be a study of film music with breadth and depth, but it was largely a silly parade of people spouting film music frippery, interwoven with clips and so forth. Subjective takes on the effect this or that bit of film music had on a cavalcade of talking heads is NOT worth sitting through.Yes, every now and then there's something of objective value, so I give the flick a few stars.If you have some musical knowledge or are interesting in backstories of film-scorers experiences, look elsewhere.

josekroppmusic From opening on an altered piano used to score The Hurt Locker to hearing the live acoustics of Abbey Road Studios, Score: A Film Music Documentary takes us on an intriguing journey through the history, process, and personalities of film music. This vast ground is covered without feeling like a chaptered class lecture, and the composers, along with their scores, are presented with full freedom to shine on their own. Given that documentaries have recently seen a rise in popularity, it is always exciting to find those that break from the crowd; especially those which focus on a particular niche of an industry. It is easy for a niche documentary to become inaccessible to many audiences because of its disparity in common knowledge. Score, however, removes itself from this danger in two ways: first, by attaching composers' interviews to clips from numerous films that are very much in the public eye. For example, nearly everyone can relate to the "less is more" principle that is touched upon when put into the example of Jaws and it's unmistakable theme. Secondly, Score allows us to connect with the personable, quirky side of these composers rather than harping on their craft and process alone. Every composer becomes relatable. The authenticity of these composers grants us raw insight into their personal methods along with their insecurities. We see Hans Zimmer, the master of the modern film score (Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Dark Knight), confess that he does not know where the inspiration for music comes from and that there is "always the fear that someone is going to switch off the tap" in his creative process. Meanwhile, on the lighter side, it is charming to follow Brian Tyler into the theater as he gets a kick out of observing audience members' reactions to his music. We get to be a fly on the wall to witness the genius of Steven Spielberg and John Williams as they create E.T.'s legendary score. We are ultimately given a wider, renewed appreciation for the musical aspects of the films we know and love.What the film boils down to, however, is what gave me the greatest spark of inspiration as a student composer: the recognition of film scoring as its own art form that requires its own special set of instincts for emotional translation through music. This notion was best revealed to me when Score examined President Barack Obama's victory speech in 2008 and the decision to play music from Remember the Titans in the background. The emotional impact of the score in its original film was so strong and memorable that it was deemed the best fit for a real-world event as significant as this presidential victory speech. Score convinces its audience that while we are not always aware of it, film music plays an essential role in the films we love and the feelings we walk away with afterwards.As a film score enthusiast and budding composer, Score was a complete thrill that seemed almost tailor-made to my dreams. It encompassed nearly every question I had wondered and supported my seemingly lonely doubts with a resounding "Me too!" from the world's greatest film composers. I have no doubt that this documentary will inform and inspire the industry's next generation. Prepare for the itch afterwards to rewatch your favorite films with a renewed ear for the score!

David Ferguson Greetings again from the darkness. Some people remember movies by recalling the story … others by picturing the actors … still others by crediting the writer and director. Surprisingly, it's the film's music that we subconsciously carry with us. Even years later a theme song can trigger an emotional tie to our favorite movies. The magic of movies and their scores are so inter-connected that you often can't think of one without the other: Jaws, Star Wars, The Magnificent Seven, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Psycho, Gone with the Wind, James Bond, Batman, Titanic, Chariots of Fire, and Jurassic Park (to name a few). Chances are, just reading that list caused you to hear the themes!Director Matt Schrader, in his directorial debut, takes us back to the beginning by explaining that silent films were never really silent. There was invariably live or recorded musical accompaniment to help muffle the sound of the projector. But it was Max Steiner's score for King Kong in 1933 that really changed the game. His music transformed that film from a schlocky special effects B-movie into a tense, thrilling cinematic experience.This is so much more than a history of important and beautifully written scores. Director Schrader interviews most of the well-known film composers working today. He gains insight into their writing process, commentary on the ground-breakers who came before them, and uncovers how technology, new instruments, new styles, and a different approach are always in the works.Some of those interviewed include Rachel Portman (the only female composer included here), Randy Newman, Danny Elfman, Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor, and Thomas Newman (son of Alfred). There is also a well-deserved segment reserved entirely for the great John Williams, and we get reminded of the revolutionary composers like Jerry Goldsmith (Planet of the Apes, Chinatown) and Bernard Hermann (Psycho), as well as Henry Mancini (The Pink Panther), Monty Norman (James Bond), and Ennio Morricone (classic westerns). A quick segment that proves quite entertaining focuses on Mark Mothersbaugh (formerly of Devo) telling the story of how he used a toy piano for the score of Rugrats, but regrettably no longer has possession of the little piano anymore.Oscar winning composer Hans Zimmer is a recurring voice throughout and provides some structure to the numerous interviews and segments. It's quite humorous to see this highly accomplished, world-renowned composer in his early days as a keyboardist for The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star" (the first video played on MTV). More importantly, Mr. Zimmer discusses the insecurities and pressures that go along with the job, and how change (such as his aggressive sounds) isn't always welcomed openly.The technical aspects of creating the score are certainly not ignored. We get a glimpse inside Abbey Road Studios, and how thrilling it is for a composer to hear the live orchestra bring his or her music to life that first time. It also serves as a reminder that film composing employs a significant number of the live orchestral musicians working today, and that we all hope technology doesn't replace that imperfect beauty of the real thing.Adding a scientific perspective was a nice touch. Learning that our brains respond to movie music in a similar manner to chocolate and sex made a great deal of sense, as I've often wondered if film scores are more manipulative or complementary in nature. If there is a disappointment in the film, it's that the recently deceased James Horner seems woefully short-changed, with only a brief post-credits segment featuring director James Cameron who, as usual, spends the time talking more about himself than the impact of Horner. This documentary is a must for movie lovers and music lovers, and on a personal note, made me miss my friend Adam very much. He would have certainly enjoyed this one and had a great deal to say about it.