Alright, I'm not sure how many other film score fanatics there are out there, but I'm interested to know who your favorite film composer is. You can choose two.
NOMINEES
John Williams is who I expect to come out on top, because he's the most iconic. He really understands how to make music work for a film as well as WITH it. The Star Wars, Jaws, Jurassic Park, and Harry Potter franchises (among MANY MANY more) would not be the same without this brilliant man.
Danny Elfman is an obvious nominee, with his quirky, often achingly beautiful, and occasionally even badass themes. Check out "Edward Scissorhands," "Big Fish," and maybe even "Men in Black" to get a feel for his wonderful scores.
Hans Zimmer manages to remain as one of the most popular because....well, I'm not totally sure why, to be honest. He has great themes for Pirates of the Caribbean, and won an Oscar for his score to the Lion King. His earth-shattering score for Inception is instantly recognizable, and the murky, dank score for the Dark Knight as well as the lopsided, quirky theme for Sherlock Holmes are also iconic. Not much of it stands as OMG AMAZING music, but he has quite a following. I'm a fan of most of Zimmer's work, but he isn't a genius by my standards. I'm including him anyway, though, because I think he's noteworthy.
Howard Shore, while not as fantastic a musician as other composers, has quite a large following due largely to his phenomenal Lord of the Rings music, which won him two oscars. He is an interesting fellow and his recent score for Hugo also shows that he is capable of centering around several main themes in equal parts.
Joe Hisaishi is my personal favorite simply due to his amazing consistency for greatness. If you haven't heard any of his wonderful music for Hayao Miyazaki films yet, I suggest you slap yourself and then go listen to one of them. Whether he opts for a tone that is brooding and breathtaking (Spirited Away), simplistically beautiful (Castle in the Sky), grand and extravagant (Howl's Moving Castle), or overwhelmingly heartwarming (Kiki's Delivery Service), rest assured it will work out brilliantly.
Michael Giacchino is a rising-to-fame composer, two time oscar nominee (Rataouille, Up) and one time winner (Up). You may have heard his music for Lost (a television show), Star Trek, or the recent John Carter.
Alexandre Desplat is known for subtle, moody, and breathtaking melodies woven throughout his scores. Known for the final two Harry Potter scores, and several oscar-nominated scores such as "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "The King's Speech." He's an acquired taste but I think once you get to know his music you'll find yourself immersed in it.
I know I left out a lot, but I don't expect many to vote and I can't include everyone! Vote for your top two. My votes are for Joe Hisaishi and Danny Elfman.
Poll
