There are some pieces of music in movies that make your spine tingle. When you've been waiting for a year and a half for the next Harry Potter film, sitting in the cinema and hearing the theme music start gives me shivers. I love it, and it saddens me that it will never happen again. Equally, films like Lord of the Rings (all) and Gladiator have STONKINGLY good soundtracks (yes, that's a word) and it makes what would have been an alright film be great. But a whole score, a whole soundtrack, sometimes isn't necessary. I love the soundtrack to Donnie Darko, as its the angst of the 80s in one CD, but I often wonder if it's overdone. Like, Donnie didn't have, necessarily, to be set in 1988, so why was it? Probably just because Richard 'Dickface' Kelly wanted to make it symbolic of his own youth, and just LOVES Joy Division. Or something. So I really appreciate a good piece of music that fits in perfectly with a film. The Graduate, however, overdid it. Great film, great music - just, why so many times? Again, unnecessary.
I just watched Halloween H20 for the first time. I've seen Halloween, saw it once as a kid and once in second year. Loved it, classic piece of movie history which will never cease to be watched. Watching H20, all remarks about the mother-daughter performance and the introduction to one of my first hollywood loves aside, it managed to re-kindle that amazing sense of empathy. Knowing what Laurie's character has been through, seeing all the shit that happened in her life still haunting her, and then watching her save her son and trap herself in a massive school, armed with an axe, screaming "michael" as that John Carpenter eerie music kicks in really makes your heart beat faster. No matter what people say about how terrible or brilliant or whatever it is to re-hash the classics and to try to get the same screams over and over, when you get that feeling in your chest, and you really are gunning for her, hoping that she gets to go mad-ass on him - that feeling tells you that the film has worked. Its a brilliant feeling; unfortunately, quite rare.
Another of those moments is in Saw. The Saw music never fails to get me fucking nervous. You know that an hour in, when the plot has calmed down, starting to make sense and the poor guy stuck in the middle is finally figuring it all out - the music kicks in. It gets faster and faster because the quicker he realises what Jigsaw has done, and why, and how easy it was to play with life and death, that poor guy also finds his last obstacle is right around the corner and its the worst won, because Jigsaw pre-emptied this moment of clarity and now wants him to make a moral decision. Do you save the person you love, who leads an immoral life, or help those in need who have done nothing wrong? That fear, knowing that if you were in the same shoes you'd literally pee your pants then run screaming, is what makes me keep watching Saw films, despite a few being questionable.
Other big music moments in films... I hate to say it, but Titanic. I got the shivers first time I watched it, must admit. Great song... Uplifting ones are great, like at the end of the live-action Peter Pan film, when the happy music comes on, you feel like you're a kid again, hoping one day Peter will come for you. James Newton Howard did the score for that... great guy. Psycho, can't ignore that... Jaws, as well...
Looking up the oscar-winning scores is interesting. Lots of randoms - very famous films, or hardly heard of - The Social Network, most recently, didn't even strike me as having much of a score, but it won, so obviously it did! The one thing I'll always think of, however, is Disney. Some of the best scores, the music basically tells the story, which is really amazing when you haven't seen a film in years and listen to the score and it all comes flooding back. The Hunchback of Notre Dame, best by far, with The Lion King, Aladdin, Lion King 2: Simba's Pride, Hercules, High School Musical has to be mentioned, of course, and Aristocats, The Little Mermaid, Jungle Book, and many more that I cannot think of right now...
Music, whether its a piece of instrumental music, a pop song or just two notes getting faster and faster, is vital in film and television. Red State, something I wouldn't consider a horror film, had no score. Maybe this is why it didn't feel like a horror film. An animated comedy is lacking slightly if the characters don't spontaneously break out into song and dance. A whole separate blog is needed for me to express my adoration for musicals. For now, I think you should really feel the music used in film and TV. The Buffy soundtrack is one to make note of, as well as the way that the few times that Friends ever used contemporary music, something felt very odd.
Listen. Use all your sense when taking in the visual medium that surrounds us. Put a horror film on and close your eyes: you're still just as scared. Think of your favourite song from a film and dance around your room like a loon. Uplifting, yes. Weird, oh yes. But oh so worth it!