What's My Line?: Kim Novak

Hello, classic Hollywood fans!

As soon as you get me talking about movies, I'm sure to mention old movies, even if it is only briefly as the conversation usually gravitates towards newer movies. Here at Movies Meet Their Match I really enjoy exploring the careers of actors and actresses from this period, and my special way to do that is talking about episodes of What's My Line?!

First, I should introduce our guest. This is my entry (at the last second) to The Classic Movie Muse's Kim Novak Blogathon: An 89th Birthday Celebration! This amazing lady just turned 89 and though she is retired from acting, her legacy is far from over as she is a painter.

What will shock my readers is that I have never actually seen Kim Novak in anything. (Crazy especially considering the movies she was in with Jimmy Stewart! I hope to see Vertigo (1958) and Bell, Book, and Candle (1958) as soon as I can!) Though I did not have time to watch a full length movie for this blogathon, I wanted to be introduced to her work finally! For that, I decided what better way than through the panel of What's My Line?? Though it is in the form of one of my shorter posts, I do not like birthdays going by uncelebrated!

(Fun story: even though I hadn't seen Miss Novak in anything, I was still able to introduce her to someone else. That's what happens when I have a million windows open on my laptop and was shuffling through them to find my math homework. A classmate inquired who Kim Novak is when her Wikipedia page showed up on my screen).

What in the world is What's My Line?? The next few paragraphs will explain the show, so if you've heard about it or if you've been here before you can skip. 

The basic rundown that I give you every time:

First of all, what is this game show? What's My Line? was a 30 minute game show that ran from 1950-1975.

How it worked:

A panel of four judges try to guess contestants' "lines" (jobs) by asking yes or no questions. The host/panel moderator, John Charles Daly, guided them and helped rework questions to fit the correct format. Each member of the panel would guess until they received a solid "no", then a card is flipped as the contestant earns five dollars, and the next person on the panel begins to guess. When all ten cards are flipped the contestant wins! If the panel guess what their line is, then they still get however much money that they won in "nos".

L to R: The three regular panelists, Arlene Francis, Bennett Cerf, and Dorothy Kilgallen, & the panel moderator, John Daly.

Does this sound boring? It's far from it! The occupations are so unique, the panel has a hard time. Sometimes their guesses are so off, that it's a hoot! Plus, the highlight is that after two contestants there is the mystery guest! This guest is a celebrity and would be recognizable, so the judges wear blindfolds and get to ask one yes or no question before moving onto the next panel member and they have to guess who it is.

Blindfolds ready, panel?

For ages I would always just skip to the mystery person, but once I started watching full episodes I realized how much I was missing. However, the celebrity is how I'm connecting it back to my blog. The plan for this series is to talk about all of certain celebrity's appearances. To me, I think that you can tell a lot about a person based on the way they acted here. Some where shy, some were funny, some were bold, you get the idea!

This shows you a piece of history in a small way. It shows separation from those times to now in different was, for example in this episode that I will talk about there was an inside joke or something about the modern times that I did not get. Maybe after I watch some more episodes I'll understand it more!

If I were to review it like I do movies, I would say:

Length: approx. 30 minutes. 25 without advertisements (which are hardly ever there on YouTube, which is where you can watch it).

Script: 10, Iʼve never heard a bad word.

Content: 9, sometimes there are one or two suggestive comments, but itʼs rare.

Age Range: Iʼve been watching this for a long time, but as I said, I didnʼt used to be interested in the first 2/3. I would say that little kids would like to just watch the mystery guest if they knew who it was, just because they wouldnʼt get how funny the rest of it was (especially if they canʼt read the occupations).

It is time to start! Will you come in mystery challenger, and sign in please...

Source

This will be especially short compared to my other What's My Line? posts because Kim Novak was only a contestant on the show once, but this is not an episode to be missed!

February 5th, 1956: PANEL: Arlene Francis, Desi Arnaz (his only time as a guest panelist), Dorothy Kilgallen, & Fred Allen. (This episode is the closest to their sixth anniversary from starting on February 2nd, 1950! It has another special guest for the times in the guessing the occupation part...)

This is a special opportunity for me. Usually I only watch the show when there are contestants that I have seen in other things so I can get a look at their ordinary life, but here I'm seeing Kim for the first time! 

The first word that comes to mind to describe my impression of her is ethereal. She was quite young when she went on this show (22 years old) and she comes in both sprightly and out of this world in some way. Arlene called her a young lady, and they all seemed pleased to have someone from the newer generation (not that any of them were old at the time...) around. She said she would like to think of herself as being in more dramatic roles than comedic, which is something I'm going to look for. Overall, I really enjoyed watching her! Her attempted cockney accent for hiding her voice seemed to fit her personality.

Some highlights from the episode:

One of Arlene's favorite questions is if someone is a leading lady. The contestants I've seen are not sure how to answer this, and here Arlene is starting to take things into her own hands.

Arlene Francis: "Would you be considered a leading lady?"

Kim Novak *BA*: "I don't know"

Arlene Francis: John!

John Charles Daly: "Yes, I would think, is the answer to that..."

Desi Arnaz: "You get somebody over here today that I can understand."

Kim Novak *British accent*: I can't understand you, sir.

*audience laughs*

Desi Arnaz: "Oh, I like her!"

They mentioned a movie called Picnic (1955), so that gives you reference to the cinema at the time.

That's all I'm going to tell you, so you'll have to watch the episode to see if the panel guessed who she was...

It was lovely to make your acquaintance, Miss Novak. I look forward to seeing more of you in the future!

Thanks to the Muse for hosting this! Readers, make sure to go read the other submissions for this blog party HERE!

Thank you for reading! Are there any famous old movie stars that you haven't actually seen in anything? What are some recommendations for movies that Kim Novak is in?

Chloe the MovieCritic

The We Love Detectives Week Tag!

Who's ready to party?

What's this party about? I'm not telling you. Because it's a mystery. Which, in fact, just revealed what it is. Today is the last day of Hamlette's We Love Detectives Week! Each year around Valentine's Day she hosts a week long celebration talking about why we love a certain part of stories. Whether it is an author, genre, or type of character!

This year's focus is detectives, which makes me happy beyond reason. Mystery books were the first genre that I was able to tell apart from others. I LOVED them and told everyone that fact. I wanted to be a detective when I grew up. In fact, my 8th birthday was themed "spy" (because I couldn't tell the difference between spies and detectives, but I was going for detective and my mom knew that). I received two magnifying glasses. One that was pocket sized and I carried it around with me all that summer in a little bag (I lost it once and my mom got me a replacement which was the sweetest thing ever!).

Stories were what influenced me about this. One of the first books I bought for myself was a mystery (it was a rip off of the Nancy Drew series that is set in the modern times, but I loved it all the same. Though I was betrayed when I learned it wasn't the "real" Nancy Drew. But what really is "real" when it comes to Nancy?). I scoured my library for mysteries, and after I was done reading the approx. 15 Nancy Drew books they owned (it's a small library, okay?) I went on to read some REALLY obscure mysteries. Good times. Also, one of my first books I started writing was a mystery. I made it four chapters in (my first time writing on a computer!), drew a picture of my detective (which is rare for me to do! If I start drawing that means I'm really into something), and planned out at least seven books in the series. Maybe one day I will return to it... Even to this date, I've only finished writing two books (I have...drafts for others), and one of them is a mystery (a poor one at that! It needs revisions). When life doesn't make sense I need someone to solve a slice of it for me, then I can plunge back into my own adventures.

That is my ode to mysteries. But that is not all that I'm here for. Hamlette created a tag for the occasion, so I am filling it out here!

For this tag I said I could only use a book or movie once, but I couldn't help myself when it came to one book or movie per question. There are too many to only talk about ten!

Questions: What's your favorite mystery with...

1. ...a historical setting?

I don't know if it is my favorite because of it's setting, but I want to talk about it all the same, because it doesn't fit anywhere else (because, yes, I am answering the first question last.). The Great Mouse Detective (1986)! This movie t e r r i f i e d me when I was little (Fidget. *shudders* Ratigan. *full on chills*) but at the same time my sisters and I loved it and would watch it a lot. Yes, it is an animated movie with animals as the main characters, but it is fully in a historical setting. Just look at what Basil of Baker Street is wearing! And it involves a historical figure, kind of.

2. ...a modern setting?

Knives Out (2019). It is brilliant in more ways than I can count. Most of the mysteries I know of are set in older settings, so this was so fun to see something set in modern times. And on top of all of that, the aesthetic is *chef's kiss*. (Did you guys here that they're working on a sequel??)

3. ...a lone detective?

Hercule Poirot. Technically he usually has a friend to help him out and explain things too, but it is not dependent on a certain person and changes it up every few books. So, we can call him "lone". I love him in the books (though I have sadly only read 5 or 6) as well as David Suchet's and Kenneth Branagh's portrayals (Death on the Nile came out! Ack! I'm waiting to watch it with my sisters, but I am PUMPED.)

4. ...a pair of sleuths?

Ah, this version! I love it too much. So much that I have watched it two days in a row and enjoyed every second both times.

It is cliche to say this, but Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Some people forget that they are a duo, but they are both so important. I have only found one version where I like Sherlock Holmes without a Watson to accompany him (because there is a different detective there, too...named Enola. But you guys are probably getting tired of me talking about that movie...).

And then you have these two. Who I started out annoyed with but love them so much by the fourth season.

5. ...a professional/police detective?

TinTin! That's all there needs to be said.

6. ...an amateur detective?

I already mentioned Nancy Drew a lot in my ode to mysteries, but those were the books. Not the 2007 movie. In this movie Nancy is actually prohibited by her dad to solve mysteries. And she really wants to do what he says, but they come to her despite her best attempts. She never wants payment, she just wants to help people.

Or the Scooby Doo gang! I could watch these cartoons for hours (and have...). Those meddling kids always solve everything and I love them.

7. ...a young sleuth?

Though I've only read 3 of the books (out of 21. I'm a 7th of the way through!), my current favorite is Sammy Keyes from the Sammy Keyes books by Wendelin Van Draanen. Yes, I have deep nostalgia for Nancy Drew, but lately anytime I read one of those books I'm just cringing and making fun of it the whole time. It was perfect for me at a certain age! Whereas with Sammy Keyes, I still enjoy them at this age because there is more depth to the characters. I mean, Sammy is getting in trouble all the time and has so many mysteries up her sleeve. I think if I had read Sammy Keyes when I was younger I would have made more of an effort to read them all. Don't get me wrong, I am enjoying these books SO much, but more as a treat from time to time than I need to breathe in these books. You know what I mean?

I have a hilarious story about another young sleuth. Flavia de Luce is a 12 year old British detective-chemist genius from the 50s in books by Alan Bradley. While I didn't adore the only book I've read as it fell into a mystery trope that I LOATHE (and have only seen done correctly ONCE. Which, actually, is on this list somewhere...any guesses?), I saw a lot of potential and have been meaning to get back to the series. (I tried a few months ago by checking out an audiobook, but I hated it because the narrator said every single name differently than I had). 

ANYWAY. Back to the story. I first heard about these books when my librarian read the first one. She recommended it to me because she said there were three sisters and they reminded her of my sisters and I. That intrigued me enough to read it. As soon as I met 'Philia, Daph', and Flav' I started cracking up with laughter. I guess our librarian thinks of my older sister as stuck up and obsessed with her appearance, she thinks of me as rude and obsessed with books and the piano (only partly true), and she thinks of my younger sister as the genius of our century (the one correct element). And that we are all trying to kill each other all the time? I have never seen sisters more far apart than my sisters and I, but I guess that is a mystery to everyone else...

8. ...an aging detective?

I feel like I've seen a brilliant aging detective, but my mind is blanking. I cannot think of one! Man, I guess all I read about is young whippersnappers.

9. ...a cozy feel?

My grandma has a few mystery books and when I got old enough to read them I was so excited, and just thinking about them gives me the coziest feeling. Both The Secret of the Old Post Box - by Dorothy Sterling and The Pink Motel - by Carol Ryrie Brink. Though not complex (in fact, the mystery is quite obvious), The Pink Motel is so cute that I've read it more than once (which is rare for me).

And if I just want to feel cozy in the Old West, I love reading Jedidiah Jones solve what is going on in  Dancing and Doughnuts - by Rachel Kovaciny. Our own dear host of this blogathon!

10. ...a shocking reveal?

...is it a spoiler to tell someone that a book or movie was surprising? I don't know. Well, it isn't for my sister because she goes into every book and movie expecting 100% what is going to happen so when it doesn't she's surprised. As for me, I go in without a thought so everything is surprising...

The Illusionist (2006) keeps me on my toes. The pace of this movie is INSANE as things are always happening or are deathly still. There is no in between. This is one of my favorite movies because (some content aside) it is one of the most ingenious things I've ever seen and my mind is blown every time I watch it. Which is quite a few times.

Enough about me. Check out the other entries HERE! This week had been a blast and has made me what to seek out some mysteries (fictional, not in my life. I don't need more of those). I have my eye on either Sammy Keyes or Flavia de Luce now...

A huge thank you to Hamlette for hosting this! Thank you also to all of you for reading! What do you think of my answers? Have any of you seen or read any of these? I'm especially wondering about Nancy Drew (2007) and The Illusionist (2006)...

Until next time, friends! 

Chloe the MovieCritic

10 of My Favorite Couples From Classic Movies From the 30s - 50s

Hello, dear readers!

This month has so many wonderful events going for it, and one of them is focused on all the things we love about couples. (Which, speaking of, happy late Valentine's Day. I spent my day coding on Python while listening to a musical (and maybe crying because it is so beautiful and sad. I hadn't listened to it in years but was reminded of it again thanks to Olivia). I don't know if those things go together, but it describes me in an uncanny way). This event is Cordy's annual Lovely Blog Party, which runs all of February!

I wanted to write a movie review, but decided why should I talk about one couple when I could talk about many? This afternoon I looked at my gigantic list of favorite fictional couples and tried to find a way to narrow it down. I realized that I've missed talking about old movies (which are some of my favorites!), so I would do a list centered around couples found in those movies. When I say "old" here, I'm talking about any movie made between the 30s and 50s (I would talk about 1920s and 1910s, too, but I haven't seen enough of them. Yet!). I originally was including the 60s, but all those movies were in the late 60s so they didn't seem that "classic". I also just wanted to talk about more black and white movies, so I narrowed it down to the 50s.

This is not a ranking, just 10 couples from old movies that are adorable. My goal with this post is that you all will want to watch some old movies then talk about them with me. Because I love these couples a lot, you will see more posts on them in the future. You can't escape it!

I don't know what to say in the way of spoilers. Sometimes I think of knowing a couple as being a spoiler, but I won't tell you if these characters end up together or not. I'll be talking about their meetings and interactions, but not what happens. Some of these characters might start out together, or the story is about them coming together, or it is all made up in my head. I guess you won't know which is which until you watch the movies. These will be listed chronologically of when the movies were made and the titles of the movie will be first, so you can skim past movies you don't know if you want.

Let's get into it! First up:

From The Thin Man (1934) 

(we're using the first one because I haven't seen all of the others yet):

Nick and Nora

These two. are. hilarious. Is there ever a time that they are not making fun of each other? I guess that is when Nora is serious about Nicky's work. She is so supportive. She knows he's absolutely brilliant and wants him to help people and he...just doesn't. And when she wants to help he comes up with ways to trick her, which isn't nice, but Nora always finds her way back. I don't really know what to say, as they love each other, but are also super frivolous? As I say, I just laugh when I see them.

For those of you who know them, don't you think this gif describes them perfectly?

From Seventh Heaven (1937): 

Chico and Diane

MY HEART. I CAN'T HANDLE IT. These two are some of the most darling characters that I've ever come across in the universe. Diane came from a horrible background and is scared and hurt, and Chico resents a priest for tricking him into helping her. These two seem like polar opposites when we first meet them. Chico is ambitious, a people person, and not afraid to say what he thinks to anyone. Diane is tired of the burden of life. As I said in my review of this movie, something I love is how as Chico finds there are things to fear in the world, Diane blossoms into being the most courageous soul.

'"One day you'll be yourself."

"Myself? What would that be? Myself?"'

They learn so much from each other and grow so much. One of my all time favorite movies and they are the reason why.

From Bringing Up Baby (1938):

Susan and David

These two are such silly ducks. I love them to pieces. And Susan loves David, but David can't seem to get rid of Susan and still can't figure out how he got tangled up in her messes. They are such opposites of each other. David is very focused on his work and Susan makes everything exciting. Terrifying. Whichever word fits better. David needs a plan while Susan will improvise on the spot. I don't know what to say about them besides that they crack me up. This is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen.

From The Son of Monte Cristo (1940): 

Edmond and Zona

I'm sorry that this is such a horrible picture.

Guys, this movie is one of my weaknesses (to the chagrin of my dad, mom, and younger sister. They just don't get it. But, I'm not alone as my older sister loves it, too! Do any of you know it??). I often say I don't like romances, but plop me down in front of this movie and I won't stop smiling. I wouldn't object to watching it on repeat. The reason? Mainly Edmond and Zona. I don't even mind the fact that Edmond falls in love with Zona basically from the minute he sees her. He's such a flirt but deep down he cares. He has to maintain a very particular outward appearance, and that is his disguise for fighting injustice. As for Zona, she is mostly annoyed with him. She cares about her people and wants to help and this fop is just a bother. (Guys, I can't even type this up without stopping and laughing maniacally because I love it so much). Both of them are so brave in their different ways. Do I really know why I love them so much? No, no I don't. I just do, and that's all there is to say about it.

From Holiday Inn (1942):

Jim and Linda 

Never had my sisters and I watched a movie where we didn't like Fred Astaire. His character here was so annoying! But, it was okay because Bing Crosby was great as Jim. Jim goes through a lot. He's scared of trusting people, which is why it's funny that when Jim and Linda initially meet they tell each other a lot of lies. Jim is sweet and quiet as he does not want to cause trouble, but gets tired of his friend Ted messing everything up all the time. Linda is charmed by Jim. She has a strong balance between being ambitious and dependable. She doesn't like it when people try to make decisions for her, as she is perfectly capable and makes great choices on her own. Together, they are sugary sweet. I've only seen this movie once, and though there are problematic aspects, this couple has stuck with me.

From It’s a Wonderful Life (1946): 

George and Mary

I debated taking this one off because it's a Christmas movie, but it's also the best movie ever made so I left it on. George wants nothing more than to up and explore the world, and Mary is something to tie him to home. Yet there's something about her... She's hardworking, caring, creative, and fun. She is such a role model for me. George does not know how to process his feelings, and we can't really blame him. He's a jokester and charismatic, willing to do anyone for the people he cares about. Even lasso the moon.

From Royal Wedding (1951): 

Ellen and John

My family went through a phase of watching this movie basically every day for about a month. It was an old movie that we would watch with our grandma and she seemed to like it. It got old really quickly, but do you know what never got old? Watching Ellen and John. They are so similar: carefree, warm, and welcoming, and can't get people to stop falling in love with them. They think of them as good chums, but can't figure out what the big deal is. Put the two of them together? Adorable! I mean, it's Peter Lawford. You can't go wrong. I love the song "Too Late Now" and only wish that Peter Lawford would sing, because I know he can...

From Singin’ in the Rain (1952): 

Don and Kathy

I don't know how many of you know this, but this movie holds the place for my favorite movie of all time. It is a movie about making movies. You can't get much better than that (but, MC, didn't you say It's A Wonderful Life is "the best movie ever made"? Yes, I did say that, and I stand by it. This is just my personal favorite. Not everyone needs to see it, but everyone should see It's a Wonderful Life). Anyway. I love Don and Kathy so much. I once wrote a whole post about their meet-cute because I love their banter. (I mean, Cosmo Brown is the best thing about this movie, but they are a close second). They both work in the same profession so I love their similarities and differences, and how they can support each other. They are just one of my tippy top favorites, okay? It's hilarious to me that Don falls into the category of, "Whoa, this girl doesn't like me. I love that." Then there's Lina, causing all kinds of problems. I love it.

From Roman Holiday (1953): 

Joe and Ann

Feat. Joe thinking this out carefully.

The first time I saw this movie, I was just annoyed. I'd heard so much hype about how relatable it was then...I didn't feel any of that. For years afterwards I just thought of it as disappointing. That is, until I rewatched it in Oct. 2020. I had so many happy feelings because I loved every single interaction between Joe and Ann. If I would use one word to describe Joe's feelings for most of this movie, it would be, "Huh." Not quite a word, but you get what I'm going for. He's trying to earn some money and has the prime opportunity for a reporter thrown at him. Ann is ready to try anything and everything. She does not follow the standards which puzzles Joe to no end. It takes her a while to appreciate how much Joe is helping her.

Ah, I love these two.

From Sabrina (1954): 

Sabrina and Linus

Vote time: how many of you like this version compared to the 1995 remake? I LOVED this movie, then watched the remake and was not impressed, but for my sister it was the opposite. She did not like this one at all, but really enjoyed the remake. For the first part of this movie it is easy to get annoyed with Sabrina and tell her to "Get a life". Then she does. Linus is the typical, all business and no play who apparently needs to learn to live. He and Sabrina are such opposites, that Linus's plan seems terrible from the start. This movie shows that personalities are more important that looks and don't manipulate people because it will backfire. I love Linus's growth through this movie and I can tell what he is thinking every second that he is on screen. Sabrina is reluctant to grow because she wants to hold on to the dream she's had for years, so her growth can be really fast or really slow. They balance each other out, though.

(Then I nearly put a picture of Sabrina and David. Whoops.)

Hey, Jimmy Stewart and Audrey Hepburn are in two different couples. It tells you that I love watching them. But, guys, I just realized that they never made a movie together. Now I am sad about that! Ah! Where's my time machine?

There you have it! Some of my favorite couples from older movies. What about you? Tell me all of your favorites! Have you seen any of these? Check out all the other fun happening at Cordy's Lovely Blog Party HERE!

Happy weekend, everyone! Thanks for reading!

Chloe the MovieCritic

Pirate Hunter Legends - by Sarah Rodecker and Helena George: COVER REVEAL!!!

Look sharp, readers!

Do you know what is a sad feeling? When a series ends. That is depths of despair material right there. It makes one greedily eat up anything the authors give you. Which happens to be the case today.

I am elated to present you all today with yet another fantabulous book by Sarah Rodecker and Helena George! Their Pirate Hunter Chronicles series is not over (as I had been lead to believe!), as it is getting a book of short stories added to the collection! I haven't read any of these yet, but this cover is pumping me full of so much excitement I can barely get my fingers to type these words.

It's beautiful.

Oh, did you want to see it?

Start scrolling.

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If you don't have any clue of what I'm talking about, then be patient and keep scrolling, but know this: Sarah and Helena are a dynamic duo who wrote this series about a fine crew fighting against pirates and it is marvelous. Read the other books in the series: #1: Ships, Secrets, and Survivors, #2: Sins, Sons, and Siren Songs, #3: Rumors, Reunions, and Revenge, & #4: Rogues, Royals, and Raiding Roc.

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This is all of you. Ah, my favorite part of cover reveals.

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Are you ready to see some treasure for sore eyes?

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*Swords clang as the fighting of an epic duel commences*

A princess’s coming-of-age party is ruined.

An assassin chooses to save a life.

A duath searches for the perfect cup of tea.

And more!

Join your favorite pirate hunter crew in these tales of longing, searching, and ultimately finding a place where they can call their own in this collection of short stories.

Release date: 

March 8, 2022.

Where to get it:

Purchase signed copies (hardback) 

(GUYS. THERE IS A HARDCOVER OPTION. I AM OBSESSED)

Purchase signed copies (paperback)

Purchase ebooks

Add it on:

Goodreads

Follow the authors:

Helena's blog

Instagram:

@sarahrodecker 

@julian.daventry 

@theorderofthepenpress

*Sigh of contentment*. I love how golden it is, as I'm sure it reflects the skills of these writers. This was such a wonderful surprise to me. I had no idea this was coming and now I can't wait for March 8th. That's less than a month! You should all read the previous books so you are ready to be blown away by feelings.

Thanks for reading! Congratulate Sarah and Helena for yet another book coming, with such a drool-worthy cover.

Chloe the MovieCritic

My Top 10 Movie Scores Composed by John Williams

Hello, everyone!

Do any of you love movies? In addition to that, do any of you love to be utterly swept away by these movies through the assistance of a dynamic score? I do, that's for sure. Here at Movies Meet Their Match I love to celebrate movies, music, and a birthday whenever I can.

What does a birthday have to do with all of this?

Well, the stupendous composer John Williams turned 90 today. And in honor of him, Rebecca at Taking Up Room is hosting a blogathon for him!

I haven't participated in a blogathon since September, but I couldn't stay in the shadows for this one! Ages ago I did a list of my top 10 movie scores, and since,  John Williams composed several, including (spoiler alert) my favorite of all time, it is only right that I give him a post all to his own!

I decided (thanks to inspiration from Hamlette, who also did a post like this. You should check that out and every entry into this blogathon!) to talk about my 10 scores he has composed. In preparation for this post, over the last few days I have listened to about 19 albums for scores. That's staggaring. And it made it so much harder to just chose 10 because every one I listened to deserves a spot on this list. But, I tried! I will probably wish to put in completely different ones as soon as I publish this post.

Also, because the Olympics are going on right now (One of my FAVORITE things in the world!), I should mention another fact. How many of you know that our own John Williams composed the EPIC anthem we all hear when we watch it? The Olympics theme makes me cry and I was astonished that I hadn't made the connection when I learned it was all because of him. I should have known better, as so many of his scores make me weep.

 

10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) & Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

I tried so hard to just pick one of these, but I couldn't. Chamber of Secrets has the utterly magic music surrounding Fawkes (above) (I LOVE that bird and we don't get enough of him but when we do I cry), so I couldn't leave that out. But the way Prisoner of Azkaban incorporates a clock is seamless, giving me chills. Also, the double touble choir sequence (above)? I once thought it was overly dramatic, but I dig it now. You see my conundrum. Which is why I am picking both in my number 10 spot. I have quite the soft spot for the first few Harry Potter movies and might love them more than the books. This changes at #4 for many reasons, but one of them might be that the music doesn't grip me in the same way it does when John composed it.

9. Home Alone (1990)

First, let me tell you that I felt guilty listening to Christmas music in February because it was putting me in the holiday mood. Maybe even more so than a few months ago. This is the only movie on this list that is set in our modern world without magic or adventure. There is a lot of action, but no exploration of new places. Only protecting what we love. Just listening to this music gives you questions of how you can be a kinder person. When you find music that does that, hold on to it. (Also, when you've listened to this then you go through a lot of Harry Potter you start to figure out John's tricks for making you feel it is Christmas immediately. This is one of the coolest things I've ever heard.)

8. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Story time: One year (maybe it was around when Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls came out? I don't remember) my dad received one of those musical cards for his birthday, where you open it and it blares a song. It had Indiana Jones on it and probably said "Have an adventurous year" or something like that. It wasn't important. What WAS important was that it blasted out Indy's iconic theme. My sisters and I loved it so much that we would open and close the card non-stop, then proceed to dance around and come up with stories to fit the score to. I hadn't even seen the movie at that time. Finally, we drove my mom so crazy that she had to take it away. All the same, I am filled with adrenaline any time I hear those notes.

7. Hook (1991)

Another movie that I had sadly forgotten about. My sisters and I watched this a lot (though I still remember the first time!) so hearing the score again for the first time in years was straight nostalgia to my bloodstream. It is very gentle, yet has elements of playfulness and fairy dust sprinkled in. It is a balm of adventure to any tired soul. I sound overly sentimental, but it's true for me!

6. Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

Why do I always forget that John Williams wrote the score for this movie? AND he won an Oscar for it? I guess I usually just think about the songs with lyrics, but this is just as important. The soundtrack is only about an hour long, yet the movie is about three, so John helped carry it along. The Fiddler is such an important element to weave in, and he does that along with elements from the songs and so much more. This is one of those scores and soundtracks that together I could listen to on repeat. Without stopping. I'm serious.

5. War Horse (2011)

I should probably do a top 10 scores to do homework to because this would be on there. I have only seen the movie once, but I have listened to this score a lot since then. It has everything: jaunty tunes that lift my spirit, steady ones that build hope within me, and the soft plucking of a piano that rips my heart out. Sorry, my sentences are starting to not make sense anymore. What I love about this one is how subtle it is. It is a war movie, but listening to the soundtrack that wouldn't be your first thought. There are occasional bugle calls, horns, and the like which clue you in, but it is so soft for a war movie soundtrack. I LOVE soundtracks are knock you away with power (as you will see later), but this one tiptoes into my heart and destroys me every time I hear it. I don't mind.

4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Does anything scream magic as much the music to Harry Potter? It is a pure dose of wistfulness that never fails to give me shivers. It is a score that explores a new life and shows how even that can be mystical. This is rich in friendships and hard decisions, bravery and fear. This is a score that I can't attempt to describe because it does it so well itself.

3. The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

I can't think of another animated movie that showcases John Williams's skills. I couldn't be happier. When I need motivation with a splice of fun, I listen to Tintin. This soundtrack describes the movie so well: it is fun, mysterious, clever, and has twists all over the place. If you want a boost of adventure, watch this movie. Or enjoy the soundtrack. Whichever is easier to access for you. I have lost count how many times I have listened to this soundtrack over the last few months. This movie plays with tropes and the music does in a way, too. It can get dark in one moment, but turn you around and is empower you in the next. My brain is so giddy from listening to this soundtrack that I can't think straight to write about it. That tells you a lot!

2. Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)

The original Star Wars soundtrack isn't my favorite? The ultimate plot twist! But it was on the other list, so why is it not now? This is still my go-to movie score. The swelling of the instruments is one of my favorite sounds, and makes me so happy. I am putting this second because I listen to it so much, and when I listened to the 18 others this time around, one caught my attention just a bit more, that I had to stop doing my homework and just listen to it because I was reliving the movie. This one helps me power through homework, feeling like the Force was within me, while the one after this has me in awe.

And number 1 is:

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1. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

Gotcha, didn't I? I know that a lot of people don't like this movie (which is still painful to think about for me, but I'm learning to let it go), but hear me out. Most times if I don't have anything good to say about a movie, I often still find I can say, "The score was nice!". This might be the case for you.

Listening to this I am transported to a galaxy far, far, away. I have lost count how many times I have seen this movie, but it is dozens. I nearly have the script memorized. But what I'm here to talk about today is the score. There is NOTHING I don't like about it. I love how Kylo Ren's score shadows Darth Vader's. I love the clarity we get with Rey's score, which is unlike anything I've heard. I love the hope. I love the bravery. I love the rebellion. I love the peace and purpose. It creeps upon you without you even knowing what these feelings are doing to you. I love the spark this music gives me. It lights me up. This music changes me every time I hear it. It brings me to deeper levels, and I feel refreshed and at home.

This music is home.

Happy Birthday, John Williams! You have made a huge impact in my life, and I know you will continue to do so as I watch more movies that you worked on.

Thank you so much to Rebecca for hosting this! Make sure to read all the good posts, HERE!

Can't forget about these guys.

What do you think, my readers? Did anything on this list surprise you? Have I convinced you to watch any of these movies? Do you have any recommendations for me for movies based on their scores? 

Thanks for reading!

Chloe the MovieCritic