REELVIEWS 2 (2005 Nov 22)

And now for a word from our sponsor...Since I don't accept advertising, that would be me. Pardon this shameless column of self-promotion, but I want to let those who care know that my second book, ReelViews 2 is available for purchase. It's the ...

Born Yesterday (2005 Nov 19)

Apparently, Universal Studios doesn't have a high opinion of its customer base. Or, to put it another way, they must think we were all born yesterday. Even if you believe that Universal is jumping on the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" bandwagon...

So in which Order Do You Watch Them? (2005 Nov 16)

As of a couple of weeks ago, every Star Wars fan had the opportunity to add the final chapter to his or her six-volume DVD set. And, judging by the crowds at Best Buy, that's what everyone was doing. Shopping that day was an odd experience. ...

The Mind of the "Enemy" (2005 Nov 11)

I recently had an e-mail dialogue with someone whom I'm tempted to call "close-minded," although that may be an unfair label. The topic of discussion was the recent film Paradise Now, which tells the story of two potential suicide bombers. The film...

SAW II Unseen (2005 Nov 09)

My decision not to review Saw II has generated a surprising volume of e-mail. Keep in mind that a decision on my part not to see and/or review a movie is not an attempt to make a statement about the film's quality. After all, until I have seen ...

Last Gasps, or the Format War that Wasn't (2005 Nov 07)

The theater industry had better figure out quickly what to put in all those multiplexes. Rather than aiming nasty comments at Robert Iger and Steven Soderbergh for "turning coat," they should examine reality. The numbers, both at the box office and...

Disappointments All Around (2005 Nov 03)

My enthusiasm for various aspects of pop culture is wearing thin. I don't think it's that I have grown too picky. Instead, it's that the people producing it have gotten lazy, lost their inspiration, succumbed to greed, or some combination of the ...

#1: GETTYSBURG (Randy Edelman) (2005 Oct 30)

Not what you expected? Gettysburg has been a favorite of mine since I picked up the soundtrack shortly after seeing the movie in 1993. Over the years, it has grown on me. I took several plane trips during the mid-1990s with it as my only CD ...

#2: KING KONG (John Barry) (2005 Oct 27)

I am one of the few people who will admit to liking the 1976 version of King Kong. There are three reasons for this. It was the first movie I saw in an indoor movie theater and, as such, it left an imprint on the impressionable mind of a nine-year ...

#3: PATTON (Jerry Goldsmith) (2005 Oct 25)

It should come as no surprise that Patton has placed high on this list, although many will doubtless have expected the score to mirror the movie and take the #1 position. One thing I have wondered is whether I would have appreciated the film as much...

#4: STAR WARS - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (John Williams) (2005 Oct 23)

John Williams has scored all six of the Star Wars movies, and each of the soundtracks had its strengths and weaknesses. In my opinion, not only is The Empire Strikes Back the most mature and complete of Williams' Star Wars efforts, but it's among ...

#5: SUPERMAN (John Williams) (2005 Oct 21)

Can you read my mind? Do you know what it that you do to me? I don't know who you are - just a friend from another star.Most people who heard those lyrics on the radio during 1979 associated them solely with the pop hit by Maureen McGovern. In ...

#6: THE UNTOUCHABLES (Ennio Morricone) (2005 Oct 20)

In the pantheon of film composers, few are more respected than Ennio Morricone. Over a career that spans (thus far) 45 years, Morricone has composed about 540 movie scores, which puts him ahead of the great, prolific Max Steiner. It's a nearly ...

#7: STAR WARS (John Williams) (2005 Oct 18)

For people of my generation, the score for Star Wars is iconic. It's impossible for me even to pretend objectivity where this music is concerned, because it's the first album I bought with my own money, and I listened to it constantly. There ...

#8: STAR TREK III (James Horner) (2005 Oct 13)

As a former Star Trek fan, it was likely that a Star Trek score would show up on this list. From a musical perspective, one of the problems with the 10-film Star Trek series (especially early, before Jerry Goldsmith took over on a "regular" basis ...

#9: DANCES WITH WOLVES (John Barry) (2005 Oct 08)

If I had to name a favorite contemporary composer of movie scores, it would likely be John Barry (although Jerry Goldsmith would make the decision difficult). Barry has composed some lasting and familiar music over the course of his long career. In...

#10: CONAN THE BARBARIAN (Basil Poledouris) (2005 Oct 05)

Although Basil Poledouris has composed more than 80 film scores, none is more impressive than 1982's Conan the Barbarian. For those who like epic, militaristic soundtracks, this makes for compulsive listening. It's the score that elevated the ...