My ten all-time favorite Hollywood soundtracks

Any list of this nature is bound to be non-exhaustive, as there are far too many original soundtracks that are my eternal favorites. However, I have dared to come up with an all-time favorites list, limiting the number to just ten.
My favorite composers are James Horner, Hans Zimmer, Randy Newman, Alan Menken, John Williams, Elmer Bernstein, John Barry, Philip Glass and Jerry Goldsmith, and several other musical giants of Hollywood who have, time & again, proved that a great original score can lift a movie by several notches, and, in case of of a promising movie material, the score simply translates the scenes into pure magic.
Alas, I couldn't include all the great compositions of the masters in this very listing. But, this I can assure that the ones I've named are close to my heart. Each album generates a deep personal association, with the movie, and the tracks.
The names in the list aren't in any order, chronological or preferential.

3 Wonderful Animation Films from Hollywood

This year I am delighted as an animation film lover that 3 really beautiful Hollywood animation features were released at the Kolkata multiplexes. 'Wall - E' surely tops the list with being the most 'out of the box' kind of Hollywood film. Though I am a great fan of the previous Pixar hits, 'Ratatouille' and 'Finding Nemo', this is surely a film that is a must-see for all film-buffs. Director Andrew Stanton has created a sublime, captivating animation adventure that is surely going to feature in the textbooks of cinema.


'Horton Hears a Who!' is the other film that charmed me early this year. The simple delight of Dr Seuss fantasy is unmistakably imprinted in this adaptation. It is touching and utterly entertaining for all ages. Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Isla Fisher, Seth Rogen, Jesse McCartney, Carol Burnett are among the voice-cast members.


'Kung Fu Panda' is the third noteworthy animation offering from Hollywood. It has the Dreamworks magic working in its favour. The film is noteworthy, especially for its exquisite animation and the splendid ensemle voice-cast, which includes the likes of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Michael Clarke Duncan and Lucy Liu.

Moonstruck!

The moon has always been an object of fascination for me. Like all kids, I used to stare at the distant moon and imagine all kinds of fantastic tales with extra-terrestrial beings, fairies and fictional celestial entities. I used to think about the umpteen possibilities of romancing the moon, as in the lunar myths and legends that have been enthralling kids and adults alike, worldwide, for centuries.

Writing seems the perfect medium to translate and describe the various tales, phenomenons and transitions of life under the Moon, either from legend or truth.
Ancient & quasi-modern history, folk-lores, fables, religion and science-fantasies are replete with man's obsession with the moon. The phases of the moon have given birth to many a traditional belief or superstition in almost all the continents of the world. Obviously, for the child in me, the associations were not all comforting and romantic. Some were too scary for me too; the legend of the werewolves is definitely found to be the scariest of all, there have been many legends of werewolves throughout the centuries depicting human beings changing into werewolves by the light of the full moon. In my childhood, I could have almost sworn to have seen them in my room bathed in the light of the full moon, when left alone, in the company of my fertile imagination!


From ghosts to goblins, werewolves and phantoms to the present day hauntings in films and stories, from poems and songs to Loony tunes and just plain lunacy, the Moon's allure is an inescapable nightly drama for me. Despite the primordial, archetypal images, moon unleashes love and longing. The blend of wonderment and the nostalgia sets free a profound enchantment, an ecstatic joyous spirit of conquering the darkness, an overbearing confidence far more fulfilling than even the scientific knowledge or the celebration of man's glory in setting foot on the moon!

pics courtesy: yahoo