freudguy

I watched Wolfen last night and my wife and I both noticed the remarkable similarity between the musical scores of this flick and Aliens. James Horner composed both scores so that explains a lot (much like you can almost always tell a John Williams score). However, both of these scores shared many of the same music cues, melodies and crescendos. It is almost the exact same music, I dare say it IS exact in places.

It makes you wonder if James Horner did this on purpose or if it was accidental.

Can you think of any other film scores that are remarkably similar?

Groucho

The main theme of Re-Animator is a blatant rip-off of Psycho's main theme.

FinkPish

You'll find that Horner is probably the worst about ripping himself off. A lot of times directors and editors will temp in a composer's socre, knowing that he will be scoring the movie later. And usually they fall in love with temp and want the composer to rip themselves.

One score from two different composers that I found remarkably similar was Enemy at the Gates (James Horner), which sounded like a blatant rip-off of Schindler's List (John Williams).

Mondo Kane

Anyone know why Scream 2 used Broken Arrow's music?

FinkPish

I don't know for sure, but my guess is that they had that as a temp score, and Marco Beltrami didn't have time to write all the music, so they licensed the bits of Broken Arrow from Hans Zimmer instead. Or whatever Marco Beltrami ended up writing, they didn't like so used what they had already.

Michael Corvin

James Horner - The brilliant Braveheart score... to Titanic, the blatent rip off score.

Toad

I know that some music from the Indiana Jones trilogy is the same as the Star Wars trilogy, both by John Williams.

Eplicon

I don't remember if Beltrami had tried writing a cue like the Zimmer piece, but Wes Craven liked the temp music so much that he insisted it be used.

Titanic has always sounded like a cross between Goldsmith's Capricorn One and Enya's "Book of Days." Horner is always saying how he never listens to any of his old scores because he wants to new films with a fresh approach. But he was also known to say that he was never influenced by any film composer because he was never a film music fan. That begs to ask why so many of his scores sound like someone else's work?

Green Jello

Toad

I don't know what your smiley means - is that a questioning guy, a curious guy, or a farting guy???

If either of the first two -- yes, it's true. Some of the parts of the songs are the same.

Green Jello

That's the "you've lost your fucking mind" face.

I realize that Williams' scores can be similar (as is the case with all composers), but are you suggestiong that certain parts are identical, or just sound the same to you?

Eplicon

Williams uses leitmotifs.

Toad

Eye-dentical.

FinkPish

Proof please. I have a ton of Williams' scores, and none of them sound identical. I also work with music every day, so I'll need some proof.

GoldenJCJ

Enemy at the Gates sounded a lot like Schindler's List to me.

Cygnet74

wolfen and aliens are very similiar. they also share a lot of similarities to star trek II.

Michael Corvin

I see your and raise you a on this one.

jaeufraser

Actually your example is excellent. The theme in alien (the slow one that appears in the beginning credits), well, that exact theme can be heard in both Project X and Patriot Games.

And...I have to say Titanic and Braveheart aren't really that similar I, save for the occasional bagpipe.

Corleone316

L.A. Confidential and On the Waterfront scores sound alike.

Eplicon

If it's not bagpipes, Horner also uses Shakuhachi flutes in a lot of his scores. Most times they're quite out of place. His recent score to Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius was him going back to his Braveheart/Titanic phase.

Bernard Herrmann was once asked why his concert piece, Wuthering Heights, sounded very similar, if not note-by-note to his score to The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. His response in his usual fiery sort of way was: "That's because it happens to be me! I was the composer of both! I sound like myself! ... I have certain earmarks as a composer! ... Copland sounds like Copland no matter what he's writing!"

Epilady

Most composers tend to play off various themes, altering them slightly for different movies. And, many movie composers often use classical music as inspiration. I really don't see anything wrong with it.

Toad

For proof, watch the movies yourself.

shill66

"...they're by James Horner."

(Finished the thread title for ya.)

shizawn

Krull and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan have some very similar themes, and yes, they were both done by Horner.

darqleo

According to the ALIENS doc. in the Alien Quadrilogy (sp?) DVD set, James Horner was only given 4 days to write and record the score to ALIENS and he admits that he had to rehash some old scores in order to make it in time.