Films with fantastic themes often have an element of magic, myth, and wonder. They allow us to escape to imaginary lands, whimsical worlds, and extraordinary alternate realities.
“And the secret of steel has always carried with it a mystery. You must learn its riddle, Conan, you must learn its discipline, for no one, no one in this world can you trust, not men, not women, not beasts… This you can trust” (Conan the Barbarian, 1982)
Basil Poleudoris musically painted a richly colored mythical landscape full of magic and power, hope and sorrow, beauty and danger, metal and fire. This great musical triumph was accomplished with haunting chorals, thunderous percussion, lavish melodies, and great orchestral sound. He created in the process one of the greatest music masterpieces in fantasy-adventure film history.
“Eddie. The guys and I were talking, we’d like want to invite you to our card game on Friday night. Would you like that? Only thing is, you can’t cut!” (Edward Scissorhands, 1990)
A young, innocent, shy, eccentric and weird-looking man named Edward (Johnny Depp), whose hands are made of scissors, is adopted by the kind hearted Peg Boggs. Danny Elfman’s music, like Edward’s scissor-handy works (garden sculptures, hairstyles), is highly imaginative, truly beautiful, and breathtaking. A haunting and inspiring musical journey that is melancholic but fun, tragic but hopeful, wintery but heart-warming, and dark but not evil. Tim Burton’s tender, dreamy, heartbreaking, and inspiring movie has, as it deserves, one of the best fantasy film scores ever written.
“Long ago, when man was young and the dragon already old, the wisest of our race took pity on man. He gathered together all the dragons, making them vow to watch over man, always” (Dragonheart, 1996)
The majestic and uplifting Randy Edelman’s score really breathe fire into my heart. “To The Stars” theme is magical, awe inspiring, commanding, stunning, and truly unforgettable. This majestic score is able to transcend tears, sadness, and sorrow. It lifts our spirits to a triumphant state of remembrance, commemoration, and glory.
“Once upon a time there was a boy named Peter Pan, who decided not to grow up”
(Peter Pan, 2003)
Inspiring, exciting and delightful, this score is one of James Newton Howard finest accomplishments. The sweet and poignant composition “Flying” is an amazing and uplifting magical adventure. Sweet harps, graceful bells, lovely choral works and soaring melody fill our imagination with mystery, hope and tender feelings. He is able to capture for our enjoyment the wonderful dreamy world of Neverland.
“You’re getting older, and you’ll see that life isn’t like your fairy tales. The world is a cruel place. And you’ll learn that, even if it hurts (Pan’s Labyrinth, 2006)
It was hard not to fall in love with Guillermo del Toro’s fantasy film masterpiece. The beautiful but tenebrous universe blends a haunted fairy tale with the ugliness of reality. Javier Navarrete’s fantastic lullaby magically captures the mystery of the movie. The score can be at times relaxing and soothing, but the composer’s sweeping imagination combined with violin, brass and strings can conjure dark, majestic and sweeping melodies. The music induces a feeling of incantation, placing us under a comforting spell that helps us go through fear inducing imagery that would otherwise lead to a heightened state of dread and anxiety. It is without doubt one of the best film scores composed in the past decade.
I did not dare to overlook the epic fantasy films based on the works of J. R. R Tolkien and J.K. Rolling. I plan to review their beautiful music in a future blog about great fantasy film sagas.
Notable Fantasy Film Scores
The Wizard of Oz (1933) – Herbert Stothart
Beauty and the Beast (1946) – Georges Auric
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) – Bernard Herrmann
Alice in Wonderland (1951) – Oliver G. Wallace
A Christmas Carol (1951) – Richard Addinsell
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) – Bernard Herrmann
Scrooge (1970) – Leslie Bricusse
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) – Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) – John Williams
Excalibur (1981) – Trevor Jones (featuring mainly music by Richard Wagner and Carl Orff)
Dragonslayer (1981) – Alex North
Legend (1985) – Jerry Goldsmith (European release) / Tangerine Dream (American release)
Clash of the Titans (1981) – Laurence Rosenthal
Time Bandits (1981) – Trevor Jones
Conan the Barbarian (1982) – Basil Poleudoris
The Dark Crystal (1982) – Trevor Jones
Krull (1983) – James Horner
Fire and Ice (1983) – William Kraft
Brazil (1985) – Michael Kamen
Lady Hawke (1985) – Andrew Powell and Alan Parsons
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1986) – Michel Kamen
The Pricess Bride (1987) – Mark Knopfler
Willow (1988) – James Horner
Scrooged (1988) – Danny Elfman
Highlander (1986) – Michael Kamen and Queen
Labyrinth (1986) – Trevor Jones and David Bowie
Edward Scissorhands (1990) – Danny Elfman
The Green Mile (1999) – Thomas Newman
Groundhog Day (1993) – Thomas Newman
Hook (1991) – John Williams
Dragonheart (1996) – Randy Edelman
Meet Joe Black (1998) – Thomas Newman
Peter Pan (2003) – James Newton Howard
Big Fish (2003) – Danny Elfman
Corpse Bride (2005) – Danny Elfman
Brothers Grimm (2005) – Dario Marianelli
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) –Javier Navarrete
Lady in the Water (2006) – James Newton Howard
Eragon (2006) – Patrick Doyle
The Golden Compass (2007) – Alexandre Desplat
Bridge to Terabithia (2007) – Aaron Zigman
Stardust (2007) – Ilan Eshkeri
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) – Alexandre Desplat
The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008) – James Horner
Avatar (2009) – James Horner
Alice in Wonderland (2010) – Danny Elfman
Clash of the Titans (2010) – Ramin Djawadi
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (2010) – Harry Gregson-Williams
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010) – Trevor Rabin
Hugo (2011) – Howard Shore
Conan the Barbarian (2011) – Tyler Bates
Your Highness (2011) – Steve Jablonsky
Wrath of the Titans (2012) – Javier Navarrete
John Carter (2012) – Michael Giacchino
Dark Shadows (2012) – Danny Elfman
Life of Pi (2012) – Michael Danna
Snowman and the Huntsman (2012) – James Newton Howard
