FSM # 16: Good heist movies & scores?
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From Wictionary:
heist (plural heists)
1. a robbery or burglary, especially from an institution such as a bank or museum
2. (slang) A heist film: a film whose plot centers around an attempted robberySo, got any good ones?
I do apologize for the posting spree yesterday, but it’s what I gotta do to keep the board alive. The result, however, was that this thread was pushed down a few places.
But it’s an interesting genre that has always spawned interesting scores — usually loungey, funky affairs, but not exclusively.
I can start off. I think THE MONUMENT’S MEN qualifies as a ‘heist film’ in the scheme of things. Now, I’m not a big fan of Alexandre Desplat, but once in a while, he churns out a good one. And this is one of them. Defined THEMES, which is rare for him, and not only ostinato-driven ‘cloppety-clop’ structures.
I guess Horner’s Sneakers qualifies?
That’s then probably my favourite.
I was at the time a little disappointed by Chris Young’s score for Entrapment. This had really potential and I had expected more.Oh, and I’ve got a crush on Powell’s score for Solo – A Star Wars Story.
When it comes to heist movies, I am a big fan of the German film Victoria from 2015. The whole movie is filmed in just one take. At first I wanted to watch just the first half hour and continue later because it was quite late. But couldn’t stop.
A few that come to mind:
– David Holmes’ OCEAN groovy movie scores although the albums suffer a bit from dialogue here and there (don’t remember RIddle’s score from the original
– Terence Blanchard INSIDE MAN. I haven’t listened to for a while but was partly suspense and partly grovvy, too
– THE ITALIAN JOB: Both the Quincy Jones original and John Powell’s score to the remake (although I find this his lesser scores)
– Simon Rogers (Theme) & Magnus Fiennes (Score) HUSTLE: THe BBC heist TV series was a lot of fun. Sadly the groovy score is unreleased but inofficially available on Youtube
– John Williams’ early score HOW TO STEAL A MILLION?
– THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR: The origina Legrand scores is of course most famous for the song. But the Conti score to the remake is nice, too
– Goldsmith THE FIRST GREAT TRAIN ROBBERYI am a big fan of the German film Victoria from 2015.
Sounds interesting and escaped me completely!
I’ve just thought of one I enjoy immensely – Henry Mancini’s cool, elegant, and at times groovy THE THIEF WHO CAME TO DINNER.
Talking about Mancini. Is the Pink Panther a heißt movie?
Mission Impossible for sure is. And a great one.
Talking about Mancini. Is the Pink Panther a heißt movie?
Definitely the first one, yes. Although that’s also the weakest film in the series.
Some good suggestions here!
Another recommendation is Benjamin Wallfisch’s groovy score for KING OF THIEVES (2018), one of the last ones he did before he went all horror and sound design and stuff.
If anyone is interested in some groovy jazzy music with a OCEANS 11 vibe, I dug up the playlist to the tv series HUSTLE:
The two theme versions are placed in the middle for some reason.If you like that kind of stuff the series is really recommended. They only rob people who deserve it and it all takes itself not too serious often breaking the fourth wall (it even ended with a spefical gag related to that). Apparently there is an official(?) Youtube channell with all episodes excect the 8th and last season: https://www.youtube.com/@hustle809
I really enjoy Chris Young’s HARD RAIN and Horner’s SNEAKERS. I consider them four and four-and-a-half star scores, as you can see. 😉
I haven’t seen THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE (1974) – does it count as a heist film? It’s about the hijacking of a subway train, so I guess it’s a borderline case. But I want to mention it anyway, because David Shire’s score is uber-cool. Twelve-tone jazz-funk. Yay!
Some great ones not yet mentioned:
Kelly’s Heroes – Lalo’s note-perfect score is probably my favourite FSM CD
The Hot Rock – Quincy at, or certainly near, his coolest
The Sicilian Clan – Two great Ennio themes with lots of variations
Danger: Diabolik – deep, deep down I really love Ennio’s score
The Wild Bunch – just about qualifies, with a great Jerry score
A Fistful of Dynamite/Duck You Sucker – back to Ennio with an iconic range of themes, amongst them “After the Explosion”, a track I always forget when asked for my favourites, but I literally adore it.We have a Tangerine Dream thread going, and no one’s mentioned THIEF yet? The scandal! (oh, and keeping to Michael Mann, you could also add Goldenthal’s glorious HEAT).
Oh yes, THIEF and HEAT for sure!
I don’t think PELHAM is really a heist movie. A heist movie for me is a sophisticated plan to break into something to steal something.
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