MI:Ghost Protocol by Michael Giacchino

Michael Giacchino returns for the latest Mission Impossible film Ghost Protocol. Both film and soundtrack are the best in the series to date, the music swinging between moments of nail-biting tension and all-out action, cleverly integrating Schifrin's much-loved television theme. More...

The Rum Diary by Christopher Young

Christopher Young is known mainly for his horror scores, but he is a versatile composer. The Rum Diary is a jazz-based soundtrack which is full of fun-loving music, often led by saxophone with a live sound and feel-good warmth. More...

John Williams' The Adventures of Tintin

The beginning of John Williams' The Adventures of Tintin (his first animation score) is character-driven with some whimsical orchestration and a Gallic flavour. Yet before long its rich thematic material and boundless energy will carry you headlong into mystery and adventure. More...

Ennio Morricone: The Thing

For John Carpenter's The Thing, composer Ennio Morricone's music paints a bleak picture of isolation and "alienation". As we approach Halloween, we review this classic horror score. More...

Patrick Doyle: Rise / Planet of the Apes

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the latest score in a busy year for Patrick Doyle. His music is often dark and brooding with good use of electronic sounds and African rhythms, yet lending the apes a sympathetic warm nobility. More...

James N Howard: Water for Elephants

The music for Water for Elephants is a beguiling and hugely attractive effort by James Newton Howard, blending soothing melodies and darker sections in one smoothly melodious package. One of this year's great scores. More...

The Tree of Life by Alexandre Desplat

The Tree of Life is a challenging film by director Terence Malick. The music by Alexandre Desplat follows the drama all the way, and though elusive and confounding, repeated listening rewards with one of the standout scores of 2011. More...

The Wicker Man by Paul Giovanni

1973's The Wicker Man has achieved cult status, with its juxtaposition of christian morals and pagan rituals. The film owes part of its eerie impact to the wonderful soundtrack by Paul Giovanni adapting celtic folk songs with ancient pagan texts. More...

Forbidden Planet by Louis & Bebe Barron

Forbidden Planet in 1956 was the first film to have an all electronic soundtrack, thanks to electronic composers Louis & Bebe Barron, who pioneered many techniques still used in electronic music. The album has been re-released in vinyl format, and CD and download versions are also available. More...

True Grit by Carter Burwell

For the Coen Brothers re-imaging of True Grit, composer Carter Burwell has produced his most conventional score yet. Like the film, Burwell's music is faithful to the original novel and uses a number of 19th century hymn tunes. More...

War Horse by John Williams

In War Horse composer John Williams bridges from the idyllic countryside of Devon to the ravages of war-torn France. His multi-faceted score balances sentimentality with a genuine yet understated sympathy for the many characters caught up in this "war to end all wars". More...

Best Film Scores of 2011

Let's kick off 2012 with a look at film music released last year. 2011 was a strong and varied year for film scores. Check our Best Film Scores of 2011. Will "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" win a place in the top 10? More...

Alex North: A Streetcar Named Desire

With his moody soundtrack to A Streetcar Named Desire composer Alex North completely rewrote the rulebook, making an important turning point in the history of film music. His ground-breaking score was the first to use jazz, and was a major influence on later composers. More...

Elliot Goldenthal: Titus

The Shakepearean adaptation Titus is one of Elliot Goldenthal's best collaborations with partner Julie Taymor. His music mimics the production's anachronistic mixing of cultures. Goldenthal is an expert at this, and the classical, bombastic and jazzy mix is one of his best film scores to date. More...

Bernard Herrmann: Psycho

Continuing our Horror Theme for Halloween, we look at that most iconic horror film score Psycho by Bernard Herrmann. Herrmann's strings-only approach mirrors Hitchock's black and white palette, proving that less can be more. More...

The Great Miracle by Mark McKenzie

An animated religious movie seems an unlikely film for beautiful music, but composer Mark McKenzie has clearly poured his heart and soul into The Great Miracle and created a lush, sweeping, spiritual masterpiece. More...

Haunted by Debbie Wiseman

Based on a James Herbert novel, Haunted is a ghost story with strong emotional threads of romance and regret. Composer Debbie Wiseman focusses her music on these elements with gorgeous melodies tinged with sadness. More...

Captain America by Alan Silvestri

Captain America the latest Marvel superhero has a gloriously old fashioned score by Alan Silvestri. The film has a nostalgic retro feel as it explores the character's origins and Silvestri's music grows the heroic theme as the story unfolds. More...

Giallo by Marco Werba

Director Dario Argento's films are often known for their synth-rock soundtracks. But for Giallo composer Marco Werba has created an orchestral score with haunting themes, which ably delivers the film's suspense and horror. More...

Predator by Alan Silvestri

Predator was a new kind of action-suspense movie, and Alan Silvestri's score delivers a gripping blend of thrills and scares, with an eerie alien menace and jungle drums depicting the elevated heart-beats of the predator's terrified prey. More...

Rambo First Blood 2 by Jerry Goldsmith

No-one can match Jerry Goldsmith for action music, and his score for Rambo First Blood Part II is the utmost in thrilling macho action. Though the plot is ridiculous, Jerry's score turns the film into a guilty pleasure. More...

Ni No Kuni by Joe Hisaishi

A popular composer for Studio Ghibli's Anime films, Joe Hisaishi's game score Ni No Kuni is a delight. From a hollywood perspective the music is old-fashioned, but many will treasure this entertaining and powerful score. More...