film score ratings

This page was created to give an average score of four film score review sites (usually between 2-4 depending upon if enough can be found). I use Film Tracks, Soundtrack Express, Movie Music UK, Music from the Movies, Movie Wave, SoundtrackNet, Score Reviews, Film Music on the Web (UK), Film Score Magic, Music On Film, Tracksounds, and if all else fails, Amazon. The system isn't meant to be perfect, nor possible for obvious reasons, but if something of a consensus is what you need then hopefully this will help.


(Out of 5)


Anne Dudley
American History X (1998) - 4.125
A Different Light (2001) - 4.75
Black Book (2007) - 3.83
The Full Monty (1997) - 3
Gentlemen Don't Eat Poets (1997) - 3
Hollow Reed (1997) - 2.5 (one review)
Kavanaugh QC: Original Music From The ITV Series (1997) - N/A
Knight Moves (1993) - 2.5
Monkeybone (2001) - 3.5
Pushing Tin (1999) - 3
The 10th Kingdom (2000) - 3.5
Tristan & Isolde (2006) - 3.375

(Albums of hers like Ancient And Modern and Songs From The Victorious City are considered two of her best but are not really "film scores.")



Lisa Gerrard
Ali (2001) - 3.16
Ali [Original Soundtrack II] (2002) - 3.16
Best Of Lisa Gerrard (2007) - 4.5
Gladiator (2000) - 4
Gladiator: More Music From The Motion Picture (2001) - 3.25
The Insider (1999) - 3.375
Salem's Lot (2004) - 4.5
A Thousand Roads (2005) - 3.5
Whale Rider (2003) - 3.375



Jerry Goldsmith
Ace Eli And Rodger Of The Skies/Room 222 - 4.5
Alien - 5
Alien Nation - 2.66
Along Came A Spider - 2.5
Amazing Stories, Vol. 2--Boo! - N/A
Angie - 3.375
Air Force One - 3.5
Baby: Secret Of The Lost Legend - 3 (one review)
Bad Girls - 3.125
The Ballad Of Cable Hogue - 3
Bandolero! - 3.75
Basic Instinct - 4.25
The Blue Max - 4.25
Boys from Brazil - 5 (one review)
Breakout - 3
Breakheart Pass - 3.33
The Burbs - 4.125
Cabo Blanco - 3
Capricorn One - 4.75
The Cassandra Crossing - 3.5
Chain Reaction - 2.875
The Challenge - 3.625
The Chairman - 3.5
Chinatown - 4.625
Christus Apollo (concert work) - 4
City Hall - 3.625
City Of Fear/General With The Cockeyed ID - N/A
Coma - 4.33
Congo - 2.625
Criminal Law - 1.25
Dennis The Mennace - 3
Contract On Cherry Street - 3.625
Damien: Omen II - 4
Deep Rising - 2.625
Disney's California Adventure--Soarin - N/A
The Edge - 3.75
Escape From The Planet Of The Apes - 4.5 (one review)
Escape From The Planet Of The Apes/The Mephisto Waltz - N/A
Executive Decision - 2.375
Explorers - 4
Extreme Prejudice - 3.875
Fierce Creatures - 2.75
Film Music By Jerry Goldsmith - 4.5 (one review)
The Film Music Of Jerry Goldsmith - 4.125
The Final Conflict - 4.75
First Blood - 4
First Knight - 4.25
The Flim Flam Man/A Girl Name Sooner - 4.125
Forever Young - 3.375
Freud - N/A
Frontiers (compilation) - 4.25
The Ghose And The Darkness - 3.875
The Great Train Robbery - 4.375
Gremlins - 4
Gremlins 2: The New Batch - 3.375
Goldsmith Conducts Goldsmith - 4.25
The Haunting - 4
Hawkins On Murder/Winter Kill/Babe - 2.75
Hollow Man - 2.75
Hoosiers (aka Best Shot) - 4.5
Hour of the Gun - 4.5
The Illustrated Man - 4.375
Inchon - 3.5
In Harm's Way - 3.5 (one review)
In Like Flint/Our Man Flint - 3
Innerspace - 3.125
Island In The Stream - 4.5
Jericho/The Ghostbreaker - 3.5
Jerry's Recall - N/A
Jerry Goldsmith: The Early Years, Volume One - N/A
Jerry Goldsmith Suites - N/A
The Jerry Goldsmith SPFM Tribute - 5 (one review)
Jerry Goldsmith: Suites And Themes - 5 (one review)
Jerry Goldsmith At 20th Century Fox - 4 (one review)
Jerry Goldsmith: 40 Years Of Film Music - 4.166
Justine - 4 (one review)
King Solomon's Mines - 3.875
LA Confidential - 3.5
The Last Castle - 2.5
The Last Run/Cross Current (aka The Cable Car Murders) - N/A
The Last Run/The Wild Rovers - 4.5 (one review)
Legend - 4.75
Leviathan - 3
Lilies Of The Field - 4.5
Link - 2.75
Lionheart - N/A
List Of Adrian Messenger/The Challenge - 4 (one review)
Logan's Run - 4.375
Logan's Run/Coma - 4.166
Lonely Are The Brave - 4 (one review)
Lonely Guy - N/A
Looney Tunes: Back In Action - 3.875
Love Field - 3.375
MacArthur - 3.5
Magic - 3.75
Malice - 2.5
The Man From UNCLE, Vol. 1 - 4.5
The Man From UNCLE, Vol. 2 - 3.5
Masada - 4.75
Matinee - 3.125
Medicine Man - 4
Mephisto Waltz And The Other - 3.5
Mom And Dad Save The World - 3.125
Morituri - 2.5 (one review)
Morituri/Raid On Entebbe - 3.25
Mr. Baseball - 3.25
Mulan - 3.75
The Mummy - 3.75
The Music Of Jerry Goldsmith - N/A
Night Crossing - 4.5
Not Without My Daughter - 2
The Omen - 4.875
The Omen: The Essential Jerry Goldsmith Collection - 4.125
100 Rifles - 4
Outland - 3 (one review)
Outland/Capricorn One - 4
Papillon - 4.625
A Patch Of Blue - 4.5
Patton - 4.25
Patton/Flight Of The Phoenix - 4.166
Patton/Tora! Tora! Tora! - 4.125
The Prize - 3.5
Planet Of The Apes - 4.75
Planet Of The Apes (Expanded)/Escape From Planet Of The Apes - 3.75
Police Story - 3
Police Story/Medical Story - N/A
Poltergeist - 4.5
Poltergeist II: The Other Side - 3.75
Powder - 4
Psycho II - 3.375
QBVII - 4.25
The Red Pony - 4.5 (one review)
Raggedy Man (Limited) - 3
Rambo First Blood Part II - 4
Rambo III - 4
Ransom/The Chairman - 4.25
The Reincarnation Of Peter Proud - 2 (one review)
Rent-A-Cop - 3 (one review)
Rio Conchos - 3.75
Rio Conchos/The Agony And The Ecstasy Prologue - N/A
Rio Lobo - 4.25
The River Wild - 3
Rudy - 4.125
Runaway - 3
The Russia House - 3.875
The Sand Pebbles - 4.125
The Satan Bug - 4 (one review)
Sebastian - N/A
The Secret of Nimh - 4.125
The Shadow - 2.875
Six Degrees Of Seperation - 2.5
Sleeping With The Enemy - 2
Small Soldiers - 3.5
The Spiral Road - N/A
Stagecoach And The Loner - 4.166
Star Trek The Motion Picture - 5
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier - 4
Star Trek First Contact - 2.875
Star Trek Insurrection - 3.75
Star Trek Nemesis - 2.875
Star Trek Voyager - 3 (one review)
The Stripper/Nick Quarry - 3.5
The Sum Of All Fears - 3.75
Supergirl - 4.25
Studs Lonigan - 4
The Swarm - 4
Take A Hard Ride - 4
13th Warrior - 3.75
Timeline (Rejected) - 3.875
A Tribute To Jerry Goldsmith - N/A
Tora! Tora! Tora! - 4.125
Total Recall - 4.5
The Traveling Executioner - 3.25
The Trouble With Anges/Stagecoach - N/A
Twilight's Last Gleaming - 2.5
Twilight Zone: 40th Anniversary Collection - 4 (one review)
Twilight Zone The Movie - 4.625
Twilight Zone TV Series (Box Set) - N/A
Two Days In The Valley - N/A
Under Fire - 5
U.S. Marshals - 2.875
The Vanishing - 3.625
Von Ryan's Express/Our Man Flint/In Like Flint - N/A
Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea - Jonah And The Whale - 2.5 (one review)
Warlock - 2.125
The Wild Rovers - 4.125
The Wild Rovers/The Last Run - 4.5
The Wind And The Lion - 4.75



James Horner
Aliens (Deluxe) - 4.125
All the King's Men - 4
An American Tail - 4
An American Tail Part 2: Fievel Goes West - 3.125
Apollo 13 - 4.75
Balto - 4.25
*batteries not included - 3.375
Battle Beyond the Stars - 4
A Beautiful Mind - 3.75
Bicentennial Man - 3.25
Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius - 3
Brainstorm - 4
Braveheart - 4.75
Casper - 3.625
Clear and Present Danger - 2.75
Cocoon - 4.375
Cocoon: The Return - 3.375
Commando (Limited) - 2.75
Courage Under Fire - 2.875
Deep Impact - 3.125
Enemy at the Gates - 3
The Devil's Own - 3.375
Field of Dreams - 3.75
The Forgotten - 1.625
The Four Feathers - 3.5
Glory - 4.5
The Grinch - 3.166
House of Sand and Fog - 3.125
Humanoids from the Deep - 3
Jumanji - 2
Krull - 4.75
The Land Before Time - 4.375
The Legend of Zorro - 4.25
Legends of the Fall - 4.875
The Mask of Zorro - 4.75
Mighty Joe Young - 3.25
The Missing - 4.25
The New World - 4
Once Upon a Forest - 2.75
The Pagemaster - 4
Patriot Games - 2
The Perfect Storm - 3.75
Red Heat - 2.25
The Rocketeer - 4.25
Searching for Bobby Fischer - 3.875
Sneakers - 3.75
The Spitfire Grill - 4.75
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn - 4.75
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock - 3.75
Titanic - 4.25
Titanic-The Essential James Horner - 3.25
Troy - 3.75
We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story - 3.5
Willow - 4.125
Windtalkers - 2.5



Laura Karpman
The Living Edens (2001) - 4.5
A Promise To Carolyn (1996) - 3 (one review)
Taken (TV, 2002) - 4.25
A Woman Of Independent Means (1995) - 4 (one review)



Rachel Portman
Addicted To Love (1997) - 4
The Adventures Of Pinocchio (1996) - 3.75
Beloved (1998) - 2.625
Benny And Joon (1993) - 2.875
Chocolat (2000) - 3.375
The Cider House Rules (1999) - 4.125
The Closer You Get (2000) - 3
Emma (1996) - 3.375
Hart's War (2002) - 3.375
The Human Stain (2003) - 3.625
Infamous (2006) - 3.66
The Joy Luck Club (1993) - 3.625
The Lake House (2006) - 3.625
The Legend Of Baggar Vance (2000) - 4.25
The Manchurian Candidate (2004) - 2.75
Marvin's Room (1996) - 3.5
Miss Potter (2007) - 3.5 (one review)
Mona Lisa Smile (2003) - 3 (one review)
Nicholas Nickelby (2003) - 3.125
Oliver Twist (2005) - 3.75
Only You (1994) - 3.75
A Pyromaniac's Love Story (1995) - 3.5
The Road To Wellville (1994) - 2.875
Sirens (1994) - 3.5
The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants (2008) - 3
Soundtracks: Rachel Portman (2001) - 4.75
Used People (1992) - 3.125
War Of The Buttons (1994) - 3.75
Where Angels Fear To Tread (1991) - 3.5

defining period

The Beatles
Past Masters, Vol. 2
(Capitol, 1988)
Styles: Pop/Rock, Experimental, Psychedelic, Traditional Rock
Themes: moving forward, studied, organic, cultured, mystical
A-

What seperates this from the previous compilation is that the songs are closer to the originals (and are generally superior). The one exception is Across the Universe, which is known as the 'Wildlife' version and is still one of the most affecting songs with its charmingly youthful backing vocals. The indieish Paperback Writer with those soothing three-part harmonies, and the urgency of We Can Work It Out make up the best from 1965-66. The slowed-down Rain with Ringo's prominent drumming (he was considered one of the best drummers of his time) keeps the compilation from feeling like a complete exercise in commerce. Harrison's worldy, Indian-influenced The Inner Light is also present. And You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) is one of the more interesting oddballs that became a B-side. It's as if it were the soundtrack to Monty Python. (Stones' Brian Jones play sax on it.)

In the end I'm not really sure this is a necessary compilation. If you already have the singles -- than you don't. If you don't -- than maybe you do.


Album title re-working: Blue Album II

1. Day Tripper (Lennon, McCartney) 2:49
2. We Can Work It Out (Lennon, McCartney) 2:15
3. Paperback Writer (Lennon, McCartney) 2:18
4. Rain (Lennon, McCartney) 3:02
5. Lady Madonna (Lennon, McCartney) 2:17
6. The Inner Light (Harrison) 2:36
7. Hey Jude (Lennon, McCartney) 7:08
8. Revolution (Lennon, McCartney) 3:24
9. Get Back (Lennon, McCartney) 3:14
10. Don't Let Me Down (Lennon, McCartney) 3:34
11. The Ballad of John and Yoko (Lennon, McCartney) 3:00
12. Old Brown Shoe (Harrison) 3:18
13. Across the Universe [Wildlife version] (Lennon, McCartney) 3:49
14. Let It Be (Lennon, McCartney) 3:50
15. You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) (Lennon, McCartney) 4:19

second offering

The Beatles
Past Masters, Vol. 1
(Capitol, 1988)
Styles: Pop/Rock, Rockabilly
Themes: energetic, contemplative, youthful innocence
B

Like the title suggests, this collection gathers the Beatles' recording from 1963-65. Several of the songs are different recordings from the originals, and I Want to Hold Your Hand and She Loves You are German cuts as well. Some of the covers the band attempts are not that gripping, but McCartney's rollicking version of Long Tall Sally was an indication of what he maybe could've ventured to do more of compared to his melodic ballads. (His I'm Down is another up-tempo stunner.) After the mainstays, Lennon's best contributions are the endearing sway of I'll Get You and the sentimental pondering of Yes It Is. Ringo even leads on Matchbox, a Carl Perkins song which is something of an oddity with a Jerry Lee Lewis-like influence.

Overall the recordings are a little more organic as opposed to some of the more polished originals. It gives a slight hint to the essentialness of George Martin as The Fifth Beatle, which is highlighted ever greater on the Anthology releases.

In the end I have to admit some of the Fab Four's early material sounds a little trite around the edges. Some of them have a churned-out, conveyor beltish feel to its productions. However, the compilation is a consistent enough of a listen.

(Only the B-sides and less obvious highlighted.)

1. Love Me Do (Lennon, McCartney) 2:23
2. From Me to You (Lennon, McCartney) 1:57
3. Thank You Girl (Lennon, McCartney) 2:04
4. She Loves You (Lennon, McCartney) 2:21
5. I'll Get You (Lennon, McCartney) 2:05
6. I Want to Hold Your Hand (Lennon, McCartney) 2:26
7. This Boy (Lennon, McCartney) 2:16
8. Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand (Lennon, McCartney) 2:26
9. Sie Liebt Dich (Lennon, McCartney) 2:19
10. Long Tall Sally (Blackwell, Johnson, Little Richard) 2:03
11. I Call Your Name (Lennon, McCartney) 2:09 Woof!
12. Slow Down (Williams) 2:56
13. Matchbox (Perkins) 1:58
14. I Feel Fine (Lennon, McCartney) 2:19
15. She's a Woman (Lennon, McCartney) 3:03
16. Bad Boy (Williams) 2:20
17. Yes It Is (Lennon, McCartney) 2:42
18. I'm Down (Lennon, McCartney) 2:31

Music reviews

The Beatles
Past Masters, Vol. 1 B
Past Masters, Vol. 2 A-

INXS
Greatest Hits B+

The Moody Blues
The Present C-

Oasis
Be Here Now D+

half-awake

The Moody Blues
The Present
(Polydor, 1983)
Styles: Pop/Rock, Art Rock
Themes: awakenings, poetic, atmospheric
C-

A rather uninvolved collection including the dated, radio-ready Sitting at the Wheel. What saves this album from total immolation is the fragile sentiments behind the songs. But it's too insular, and only for the hardcore fan.

Album title re-working: Am I Awake or Dreaming?

1. Blue World 5:19 ugh!
2. Meet Me Halfway 4:08 ugh!
3. Sitting at the Wheel 5:40 ugh!
4. Going Nowhere 5:33
5. Hole in the World 1:54
6. Under My Feet 4:51
7. It's Cold Outside of Your Heart 4:27
8. Running Water 3:23
9. I Am 1:40
10. Sorry 5:02