What I love about film music.

Part three of three parts. Sure, I could go into what I believe makes film music so appealing to me and others, but I'm just gonna list specific things that I love about it:

"...those Barry strings.": I mentioned this before and I think that Barry's string writing is some of the most impressive I've ever heard, whether in the lower registers, like in the theme from The Deep or a little higher, lending a romantic sound to The Tamarind Seed and Game of Death.

the cimbalom: the exotic clanging of this instrument has enlived several scores, from Daniel Licht's Thinner to John Barry's theme to "The Persuaders" to Mark Mothersbaugh's Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle. Personally, the use of it in Debbie Wiseman's Arsene Lupin is unparalleled.

choirs: Loud and fast or quiet and slow, there really is nothing like a choir in a score to send shivers up the spine.

accordions: Not heard very often, but quite effective, as in Shirley Walker's Willard.

"Dies Irae": Jerry Goldsmith utilized this classic piece and put it through a number of moods: quirky (Gremlins 2), brooding (The Final Conflict) and even awe-inspiring (Looney Tunes: Back in Action).

bells: Another seldom heard (these days) instrument, but very beautiful in Poledouris's Cherry 2000 and Elfman's Batman.

the ondes martenot: It started with Taarna's theme from Bernstein's Heavy Metal (as far as I know), but this electronic instrument was capable of all manner of otherworldly beeps, bloops and wailing...even when not utilized for a Ghostbusters or a Black Cauldron. Howard Shore's use of it for Bethany's theme in Dogma was an inspired and welcome choice. I hope that, someday, more film music fans come around to my way of thinking about this wonderfully peculiar instrument.

Presuming you just looked around, thanks for taking the time to visit.