Intrada Soundtrack Forum

I have been listening to my iPod the last few days, and my soundtracks are on shuffle. It just occurred to me how much the suspense scores inspire me and my writing, regardless of genre or style. It also occurs to me that these specific types of scores are my personal favorite, as I am sure the have a renowned place in all our hearts. So I wanted to, just for fun and even more inspiration, get what everybody else's preferred thriller scores are? Mine below:

Klute - Michael Small
The Conversation - David Shire
When a Stranger Calls - Dana Kaproff
Psycho - Bernard Herrmann
Psycho II - Jerry Goldsmith
Vertigo - Bernard Herrmann
Coma - Jerry Goldsmith
From Hell Trevor Jones
Blow Out - Pino Donaggio
Family Plot - John Williams
Double Indemnity - Miklos Rozsa
Dressed to Kill - Pino Donaggio
Cujo - Charles Bernstein
Images - John Williams

These are just to name a few, and I realize they are almost limited to a specific time frame. As such, I welcome other's personal recommendation.

One of my most favorite genres of film scores. To add to your great list, there are of course perennial classics such as The Parallax View, The French Connection, Dirty Harry, Straw Dogs, The Killer Elite, Three Days of the Condor, Black Sunday (1977) and The Eiger Sanction.

Intrada currently has four top-notch thriller scores for sale: See No Evil, Duel, The Car and Capricorn One. Any fan of the genre's music should consider immediately buying those if they haven't already.

Some less appreciated favorites of mine: Gloria (Bill Conti); The Brotherhood of the Bell (Jerry Goldsmith); Eyes of Laura Mars (Artie Kane); Dead of Winter (Richard Einhorn); Deceived (Thomas Newman).

Agree with a lot of the choices here, especially many of the Goldsmiths and Dead of Winter. One of my very favorites is Marathon Man. And a couple more from Broughton - Narrow Margin and Shadow Conspiracy.

Suspect (Michael Kamen)
Jagged Edge (John Barry)
The Presidio (Bruce Broughton)
Basic Instinct (Jerry Goldsmith)
Copycat (Christopher Young)
Just Cause (James Newton Howard)
Presumed Innocent (John Williams)
The Hitcher (Mark Isham)
What Lies Beneath (Alan Silvestri)
Red Dragon (Danny Elfman)
Pacific Heights (Hans Zimmer)
Breakdown (Basil Poledouris)
I Know What You Did Last Summer (John Debney)

There are so many to chose from. I mention this one only because most people would overlook it and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it: Final Analysis by George Fenton. Another one I wish Varese would expand!

A terrific list so far. I was always a big fan of the score for Bunny Lake Is Missing by Paul Glass, which I think qualifies as a thriller even if not in the Capricorn One and Black Sunday sort of way.
--Doug