@William said:
You know what the exact opposite film score conceivable to these is? Something by Roy Webb for the Val Lewton films. It is delicate even exquisite music in I Walked with a Zombie, Cat People (original one), Isle of the Dead and most of all the masterpiece Seventh Victim. The sound effects are quiet but vivid and the music is like Debussy without being imitated, performed by a small chamber ensemble of strings, woodwinds and only a small, sparing use of brass/percussion. Those along with several Herrmann are my favorite of all film scores.
I too find the loud wahm! bam!, in your face orchestrations of today's film scores to be quite tiresome. Having to sit through this summer's blockbuster offerings (I have kids) I've come to the realization that films today are just overscored. Less is more, so much more. However, I thought Alan Silvestri's score for Captain America was refreshing because it sounded like he tried to recreate a score from a 1940's serial when most of the film was set during the war.
It's interesting to me that the selections suggested by William here are of the Horror/Supernatural/Thriller genre. It seems that that is pretty much the only genre today where minimalism supports the visuals instead of competing with them. Did anybody see Insidious? If I remember right the score was comprised of chamber or solo strings. It wasn't very memorable in the sense of themes and melodies, in fact it was rather atonal but it worked so well. Creepy stuff. It kind of reminded me of the score to The Evil Dead .