Quick question:

[gridlore]

Better John Williams film score:

Raiders of the Lost Ark

or

Jurassic Park?

Comments

[bunyip.livejournal.com]

Raiders of The Lost Ark

[rickvs.livejournal.com]

Hrm. I'd say the _Jurassic Park_ score was less intrusive, but given the type of popcorn appeal _Raiders_ was intended to have, I think its soundtrack served it better.

Having just seen _The Terminal_ today, I'm pleased to note that John Williams' scores no longer stand out to me as obviously done by him. He used to have a more distinctive sound, I think, that is now being intentionally put in the backseat so the movie can take center stage. Hope that makes sense.

[cmdr-zoom.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Raiders, I'd say. More varied and all good, IMO.

(Though in JP's defense, I did give myself the giggles earlier this month imagining the anthem "Journey to the Island" replacing the similar part of Williams' score in HP and the Sorceror's Stone, as Harry and the others first arrive at Hogwarts...)

[deathbytamarind.livejournal.com]

Jurassic Park. We did a concert one year in high school where we played selections from the score. I loved playing the bassoon parts.

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

Hands down, Raiders of the Lost Ark. Not only do I believe that it's the better of the two, I honestly think that Raiders of the Lost Ark is John Williams' greatest composition, period. There's not a wasted note in the entire movie.

[firestrike.livejournal.com]

Raiders. Not only is it a kick-ass score, it saved Indy's life.*

-M

*According to the back of the LP sleeve, he took the orchestra along on his adventures, which is how he knew when to dodge, duck, kiss the girl, etc. Hearing the theme music is an incredibly handy ability.

[jarlsberg71.livejournal.com]

JP. It's the first cd I bought that didn't have lyrics

Raiders...

[seawasp]

...JP is in his declining period. It has one interesting new theme (the main one) and the rest become blurred with others. It's especially bad nowadays; I keep confusing Hook, parts of JP, and Harry Potter.

Time was when Williams was the greatest soundtrack composer alive. He gave us Star Wars, Superman, Close Encounters, and Jaws. Eventually, however, he seems to have just run out of steam.

Poledouris is the best of the past 10, 20 years, I think.

Sea Wasp
/^\
;;;