I'm less a fan of Silvestri's action music, generally, though his work on Predator/Predator II is pretty excellent.
Kamen had the occasional excellent action cue, but I wouldn't say it was remotely his forte. I think his real strength was in writing warm emotion. (Again, I could also say that about Jerry Goldsmith though.)
So yeah, I also think James Horner's action music could get pretty raw and brutal at times.
Lillian's Heart Attack: back when I first watched Brainstorm in 1984, that scene hit me like a bolt out of the blue. Magnificent scoring. I still don't think anything since has matched it's raw intensity. Pure cinema: a great performance from Louise Fletcher, great editing and incredible music. It's a shame it's stuck in a film so few have probably seen.
Lillian's Heart Attack: back when I first watched Brainstorm in 1984, that scene hit me like a bolt out of the blue. Magnificent scoring. I still don't think anything since has matched it's raw intensity. Pure cinema: a great performance from Louise Fletcher, great editing and incredible music. It's a shame it's stuck in a film so few have probably seen.
that cue still gives me goose bumps. The eerie strings that reflect the emanating final tape and the ghostly choir just nails it.
Lillian's Heart Attack: back when I first watched Brainstorm in 1984, that scene hit me like a bolt out of the blue. Magnificent scoring. I still don't think anything since has matched it's raw intensity. Pure cinema: a great performance from Louise Fletcher, great editing and incredible music. It's a shame it's stuck in a film so few have probably seen.
that cue still gives me goose bumps. The eerie strings that reflect the emanating final tape and the ghostly choir just nails it.
Lillian's Heart Attack: back when I first watched Brainstorm in 1984, that scene hit me like a bolt out of the blue. Magnificent scoring. I still don't think anything since has matched it's raw intensity. Pure cinema: a great performance from Louise Fletcher, great editing and incredible music. It's a shame it's stuck in a film so few have probably seen.
I saw Brainstorm on TV. And while I remember the scene and years later I know the music, I don't really remember the impact it had when I watched it.
But I know what you're talking about because Horner did a similar "trick" in Wrath of Khan. In The Eels Of Ceti Alpha V (at around 2:10 on the La-La Land disc) he's got the percussion going and just banging around and ratcheting the tension up to 11 and then just... tapers off. It leaves the viewer / listener just waiting. For something that Horner is just not going to give. I remember in the theater that this had more of an impact than any of what was shown on screen.
Around 2 minutes into Lilian's Heart Attack Horner kind of does the same thing. Although he goes into different colors in Brainstorm as he builds up from tension and fear and rises into an epic transcendence. But then again just tapers off and leaves the audience with those squeaky little strings and no real resolution.
Wow, what a track. And it's just over three minutes long!
I always thought Horner excelled at action scoring... listening to STAR TREK III right now, "Klingons", and love the raw, savage feeling of the composition.
