RIP: James Horner: 10 unforgettable film scores

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RamBill

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James Horner: 10 unforgettable film scores
Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY 1:53 a.m. EDT June 23, 2015
635706195267115864-EPA-FILE-AUSTRIA-USA-HORNER-OBIT-74016484.JPG

(Photo: Georg Hochmuth, EPA)

Oscar-winning composer James Horner tragically died in a plane crash Monday at age 61, according to multiple reports. While it's impossible to whittle down three decades of more than 150 film scores into a mere "10 best" list, we spotlight a few of his most memorably heart-tugging compositions:


USA TODAY

Report: Composer's plane crashes; one dead

Titanic (1997)

Horner won the only two Academy Awards of his career for James Cameron's blockbuster period romance, picking up best score and original song (My Heart Will Go On, with co-writer Will Jennings and performed by Celine Dion).


Braveheart (1995)

The medieval Scottish epic was the second of three films Horner scored for director Mel Gibson, preceded by 1993's The Man Without a Face and followed a decade later by Apocalypto in 2006.

Avatar (2009)

Horner was due to return to James Cameron's billion-dollar franchise for its upcoming sequels, recently discussing plans for the sci-fi saga in an interview with film site HeyUGuys this spring.


A Beautiful Mind (2001)

Tragically, Horner is not the only one connected to the best-picture winner to pass away this year: Beautiful Mind inspiration, mathematician John Nash, and his wife, Alicia, died in a car accident last month at ages 86 and 82, respectively.


Field of Dreams (1989)

Despite knowing nothing about baseball, Horner jumped at the chance to score the Kevin Costner sports drama. "I think I may have lied to get the movie," he joked in an undated video interview with director Phil Alden Robinson. " 'Oh yeah, yeah, love (baseball). Fifty-yard line.' "


Apollo 13 (1995)

Scottish singer Annie Lennox lent her ethereal vocals to two tracks of Horner's score: Dark Side of the Moon and the end titles of Ron Howard's astronaut drama.


Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Horner was only 28 when he was hand-picked by director Nicholas Meyer to score the now-beloved sci-fi classic, and went on to compose the music two years later for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, directed by the late Leonard Nimoy.


An American Tail (1986)

Thanks in part to Horner, an animated mouse has brought us all to tears. He picked up a song of the year Grammy Award for Feivel's wistful Somewhere Out There, which he shared with co-writers Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.


Legends of the Fall (1994)

Many will remember this Western drama as the first time they fell in love with Brad Pitt, but for others of us, Horner's sweeping, romantic score is what's stuck more than two decades later.


Aliens (1986)

Horner earned his first of 10 Oscar nominations for his thrilling, sinister work on the Alien sequel, receiving nods later in his career for Apollo 13, House of Sand and Fog, and Avatar, among others.
 

RamBill

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Some Tweets Reacting to the News of His Death


Ron Howard ‏@RealRonHoward

Brilliant Composer James Horner, friend & collaborator on 7 movies has tragically died in a plane crash. My heart aches for his loved ones.


Frank Marshall ‏@LeDoctor

Brilliant composer JAMES HORNER, friend and collaborator on many movies, has tragically died in a plane crash. My heart is with his family.

Kirstie Alley ‏@kirstiealley


I"m so sad to hear about James Horner..He scored the first movie I did..Star Trek 2...great composer..great person...huge loss

Rob Lowe ‏@RobLowe

There is nothing that shaped my movie-going experience more than the musical genius of James Horner. He will live on through the ages.


Russell Crowe ‏@russellcrowe


My sincere condolences to the family, loved ones and friends of James Horner. #abeautifulmind

josh groban ‏@joshgroban

I am hoping with all my heart that James Horner was not in his plane this morning. RIP to the pilot that died. Just awful.

Seth MacFarlane ‏@SethMacFarlane

Incredibly saddened to hear about the loss of James Horner. I grew up loving his work. He leaves behind a spectacular musical legacy.


CREDITS for James Horner


2015 The 33
2015 Southpaw
2015 Living in the Age of Airplanes (Documentary)
2015 Wolf Totem
2015 One Day in Auschwitz (Documentary)
2014 Starship Valiant: Legacy (Video short)
2012 First in Flight (Short)
2012 The Lost Berserker (Short)
2012 Reflections on Titanic (Documentary) (score music: from Titanic)
2012 The Amazing Spider-Man
2012 For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada
2011/II Day of the Falcon
2010 The Karate Kid
2009 Avatar (music composed by)
2008 The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
2008 The Spiderwick Chronicles
2007 The Life Before Her Eyes
2006 Apocalypto
2006 All the King's Men
2006 CBS Evening News with Katie Couric (TV Series)
2005 The New World
2005 The Legend of Zorro
2005 Flightplan
2005 The Chumscrubber
2004 Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II (TV Series) (1 episode)
- In Harms Way (2004)
2004 The Forgotten
2004 Field of Dreams: A Diamond in the Husks (Video documentary short)
2004 Troy
2004 Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius
2003 House of Sand and Fog
2003/I The Missing
2003 Beyond Borders
2003 Radio
2003 The Making of 'Sneakers' (Video documentary short)
2002 The Four Feathers
2002 Windtalkers
2001/I Iris
2001 A Beautiful Mind
2001 From Morf to Morphing: The Dawn of Digital Filmmaking (Video documentary short)
2001 Unmasking Zorro (Video documentary) (from "The Mask of Zorro")
2001 Enemy at the Gates
2000 Krull: Marvel Comics Video Adaptation (Video)
2000 How the Grinch Stole Christmas
2000 The Perfect Storm
2000 Freedom Song (TV Movie)
1999 Bringing Down the House (Video documentary short)
1999 Lions and Monkeys and Pods... Oh My!: The Special Effects of 'Jumanji' (Video documentary short)
1999 Bicentennial Man
1999 Michelle Kwan Skates to Disney's Greatest Hits (TV Movie)
1998 Mighty Joe Young
1998 The Mask of Zorro
1998 Deep Impact
1997 Titanic
1997 The Devil's Own
1996 Ransom
1996 To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday
1996 Courage Under Fire
1996 The Spitfire Grill
1995 Balto
1995 Jumanji
1995 Jade
1995 Apollo 13
1995 Casper
1995 Braveheart (music composed by)
1994 Legends of the Fall
1994 The Pagemaster
1994 Clear and Present Danger
1993 The Pelican Brief
1993 We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story
1993 Bopha!
1993 The Man Without a Face
1993 Searching for Bobby Fischer
1993 House of Cards
1993 Once Upon a Forest
1993 Jack the Bear
1993 A Far Off Place
1993 Swing Kids
1992 Sneakers
1992 Unlawful Entry
1992 Patriot Games
1992 Thunderheart
1992 Fish Police (TV Series) (1 episode)
- The Shell Game (1992)
1991 Norman and the Killer (Short)
1991 An American Tail: Fievel Goes West
1991 The Rocketeer
1991 Class Action
1991 My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
1991 Once Around
1990 Extreme Close-Up (TV Movie)
1990 Another 48 Hrs.
1990 Tales from the Crypt (TV Series) (1 episode)
- Cutting Cards (1990)
1990 I Love You to Death
1989 Glory
1989 Dad
1989 In Country
1989 Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
1989 Tummy Trouble (Short)
1989 Field of Dreams
1988 Andy Colby's Incredible Adventure
1988 Cocoon: The Return
1988 The Land Before Time
1988 Vibes
1988 Red Heat
1988 Willow
1987 *batteries not included
1987 Project X
1987 P.K. and the Kid
1986 An American Tail
1986 The Name of the Rose
1986 Captain EO (Short)
1986 Where the River Runs Black
1986 Aliens
1986 Off Beat
1985 Let's Go (Short)
1985 In Her Own Time (Documentary)
1985 Amazing Stories (TV Series) (1 episode)
1985 Commando
1985 Wizards of the Lost Kingdom (from "Battle Beyond the Stars")
1985 The Journey of Natty Gann
1985 Volunteers
1985 Cocoon
1985 Barbarian Queen (from "Battle Beyond the Stars")
1985 Faerie Tale Theatre (TV Series) (1 episode)
1985 Surviving (TV Movie)
1985 Heaven Help Us
1984 Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
1984 The Stone Boy
1983 Uncommon Valor
1983 Gorky Park
1983 The Dresser
1983 Testament (music composed by)
1983 Brainstorm
1983 Between Friends (TV Movie)
1983 Krull
1983 Space Raiders (from "Battle Beyond the Stars")
1983 Something Wicked This Way Comes
1983 Journey to Krull (Video documentary short) (uncredited)
1982 48 Hrs.
1982 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
1982 Rascals and Robbers: The Secret Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn (TV Movie)
1982 A Piano for Mrs. Cimino (TV Movie)
1981 The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper
1981 A Few Days in Weasel Creek (TV Movie)
1981 Deadly Blessing
1981 Wolfen
1981 The Hand
1981 Angel Dusted (TV Movie)
1980 Battle Beyond the Stars
1980 Humanoids from the Deep (music composed by)
1979 The Lady in Red
1979 Up from the Depths (uncredited)
1978 The Watcher