That’s right folks, the Oscars still suck! While they managed to bring back all of the categories they disrespected last year and will present them live again on this year’s broadcast, the Academy’s Music Branch, on the other hand, I think has clearly lost its mind. Not only are the nominees for best original score this year incredibly lacklustre, but they also took it one step further by nominating one of the most excruciating, annoying, utterly distracting film scores I’ve ever heard, ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT by Volker Bertelmann. Not since Hans Zimmer’s DUNKIRK have I experienced a score so repulsive that I nearly walked out of the theatre because of the music.
One of Bertelmann’s first instructions from director Edward Berger was to “please do something that is destroying the pictures that is not, you know, underlining what we already see.” And then there was further instruction to literally make the score sound as bad as possible by “want(ing) to have a snare drum that is played by somebody who can’t play the snare drum” Seriously?! And that ladies and gentlemen is something that seemed to really tickle the music branch in all the right places. Remember folks, different = good! Forget about the story, or complementing the picture, elevating the drama… Nah, just make some noise that sounds like a three-year-old played it!
So, with that, I once again am boycotting the Academy Awards this time because of the Music Branches’ tin ears. By the way, not all of the music branch members feel this way, and some of them have really good taste in good film music, but the majority of them are, in my opinion, always out to lunch!
So since we are spending another year trying hard to ignore the Oscars (I guess I’m failing to do so by doing this show), I thought I’d highlight the people who I feel genuinely, and honestly do some of the best work celebrating film music, THE INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS ASSOCIATION (IFMCA). Just to be as transparent as possible, I am a proud member of the IFMCA and I genuinely do think we at the IFMCA do the best in curating the best scores of the year in our annual awards. That might be an arrogant, egotistical statement, but that’s what I believe.
In an effort to prove that the IFMCA, more than any other awards organisation, presents the most accurate depiction of the year’s top film scores, I will be comparing it to the Oscars and their historical list of nominees and winners from 1998-2022 to the IFMCA’s nominees and winners over that same time.
The show is a long one, almost as long as an Oscar telecast. I hope you enjoy and please let me know if you agree or disagree with my assessment of the Oscars and the IFMCA in the comments below.
Enjoy!
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I completely agree that the Oscars (aka Academy Awards) still suck! I have watched recordings (there are many on youtube, etc.) of old Academy Awards broadcasts and it was a pleasure watching the polite acceptance speeches and entertaining hosts. I wish you had included a link to the INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS ASSOCIATION (IFMCA). I’ll include here for those who are interested: http://filmmusiccritics.org/ Thank you, Erik for sharing your excellent work with us.
A spectacular episode of “The Flagship Show.” From the insight and information within, the cosmic tumblers have ‘clicked into place’ here. The retrospect and commentary of scores given is impressive, not to mention bringing attention to works most are not familiar with.
And “yes Virginia”….the Oscars still suck. Here’s to the International Film Music Critics Association. Keep up the exceptional and much needed work.