@dagmarpiano said:
I wonder why Hans Bleeding Zimmer looms so large in all these discussions. Maybe because he's had more success and influence than many think he deserves? And that makes him a prime example of everything you hate about the state of affairs?
I feel like I'm getting lumped in as a Zimmerian. I don't even particularly like his music. I mean, I thought he was effective in Inception for certain reasons to do with some of the chords and sound combinations, but it wasn't high art. I mean, for example certain guitars sound great but it doesn't make them great artists.
For what it's worth, my favourite film scores are things like Morricone's Cinema Paradiso and a few John Williams films. And, James Horner's Krull which he did in his 20s was very good I thought.
Two reasons: a) He has gotten some pretty big blockbusters to score, and most importantly b) He has become the torchbearer for every inept charlatan who - until Hans' success - had no business thinking he could write for film. Now, and especially with all the execrable software of ready-made cliches lavishly prostituted (System Requirements: Half a Chromosome, Index Finger), one still cannot do Williams or Morricone, but one can do Zimmer!
P.S.: How you can love the soundtrack to Cinema Paradiso (simply the best there is) and get any sort of satisfaction from the Inception one is a total mystery to me, but each to their own of course.