There have been several stages in film music to date. As the Digital Age unfolds, controversy over the orchestra vs synthesizer continues to fascinate. To be clear, I employ the same star rating to early Golden Age efforts as I do Silver, Bronze and Digital. Apart from my Score of the moment, these reviews are listed alphabetically.

2001: A Space Odyssey (Alex North, 1968) ***

Alex North's score to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey went unused for a reason: it doesn't fit such iconic space imagery. It's good, solid scoring from North open for debate in terms of placement elsewhere. Even a tremendous re-recording conducted by Jerry Goldsmith reveals one potential genre: the historical epic. Overall, I believe that Kubrick was wise to utilize classical music, especially Johann Strauss' The Blue Danube, on this occasion.

3:10 to Yuma (Marco Beltrami, 2007)

In my opinion, James Mangold's remake of 3:10 to Yuma contains the worst contemporary Western score. Already I can sense the impending hate mail from Marco Beltrami fans. Yet what has this Oscar-nominated composer achieved here? His ideas seem to stem mostly from sound design. Even the much lauded “Bible Study” sacrifices creativity for the sake of easy rhythm. Occasionally, I do stumble across a soundtrack which requires a period of adjustment. Perhaps I might not like the music on the second or even third listen. Sadly, no matter how many times I revisit Beltrami's effort, there's very little to get excited about.

Avalanche (William Kraft, 1978) *

Avalanche sounds like a poor man's Leonard Rosenman compilation. The horns and percussion rarely play to this score's strengths. As a welcome break, the string work in “Kathy's Sequence (Skating)” allows us to forget hideous tracks such as “Tina's Hysteria” and “The Avalanche.” The latter proves so offensive to the ears I had to remove my headphones.

Moby Dick (Philip Sainton, 1956) **

Philip Sainton's Moby Dick plays for sixty minutes, yet numerous long lined themes simply defy recollection. Unlike Miklos Rozsa, Dimitri Tiomkin and Bernard Herrmann who could touch a scene boldly, Sainton merely staggers. Moby Dick represents a tragedy of perplexing proportions because Sainton rarely reflects Ahab’s self-destructive obsession with finding the white whale. In particular, “Ahab's Introduction” carries far less pomp or ceremony than a funeral dirge.Although I respect John Morgan and William T. Stromberg for going to such trouble on this restoration, the content feels lightweight. According to the Internet Movie Database, Sainton only composed this one film score. Otherwise, his true vocation resided in the concert hall.

The Old Man and the Sea (Dimitri Tiomkin, 1958) ****

Two mammoth scores debuted in 1958: Jerome Moross' The Big Country and Bernard Herrmann's Vertigo. Sublime achievements on every level, they attest to the power, richness and subtlety of film music. However, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences elected to reward Dimitri Tiomkin with an Oscar for The Old Man and the Sea. [Herrmann wasn't even nominated.] While some may wish to dispute the final choice, there's no denying Tiomkin's heart-warming approach. Between “The Old Man and the Sea” and “Cojimar Harbour and the Old Man,” he establishes a sensitive ballroom atmosphere. Also, there's a real love for the ocean expressed during “Cubana,” “The Boy” and “Finale.” Striking a different feeling, “The Duel with the Fish” sets an uneasy tempo. It's closely followed by “The Shark Fight,” a vicious flurry of chords signifying desperation and loss.

The Punisher (Dennis Dreith, 1989) ****

Sometimes the right composer comes along for a project, and Dennis Dreith certainly makes a bold, kinetic statement with The Punisher. On CD, Dreith's work transcends the action genre, easily surpassing the best moments from Michael Kamen's Die Hard and Brad Fiedel's The Terminator. Although Dreith's The Punisher plays across 30 tracks, one could easily make a fine playlist from the following: Main Titles, Harbour Shoot-Em-Up, Party Pooping Punisher, The Funhouse, Funhouse Shootout, Harbour Aftermath, The Mission, Choose Your Weapon, Bulletproof Bus, Class Dismissed, Wake Up and End Title. These highlights guarantee a four-star rating.

Rising Sun (Toru Takemitsu, 1993) **

Composer Toru Takemitsu contributed scores for a number of Japanese pictures, notably Ran. However, he only created a single Hollywood effort. Based on Michael Crichton's bestseller, Rising Sun explores a clash of cultures when an American woman is murdered at a prestigious Japanese corporation. To be fair, Rising Sun would operate better as a shorter listening experience. Such well-crafted ideas -- the Ondes Martenot springing to mind -- rarely venture beyond basic seductive timbres. For example, “Board Meeting” establishes film noir inclinations that feel rather anonymous by journey's end. The liner notes describe Takemitsu's style as conjuring “wisps of smoke.” Perhaps a little flame of creativity would help too.

The Sea Wolf (Erich Wolfgang Korngold, 1941) ****

The “Main Title” from Erich Wolfgang Korngold's The Sea Wolf conveys extreme urgency. It's a lively endeavour awash with cascading harmonies. For example, “The Fog” lures us into an uncertain spot where danger lurks under every wave. It's a powerfully intoxicating melody. A re-recording with the BBC Philharmonic as conducted by Rumon Gamba pays tribute to this illustrious score. At 0:40 into “The Ghost – Collision,” Korngold brings back the action material that has become his trademark. Remembering such enthusiastic accompaniments from Captain Blood and The Sea Hawk provides momentary nostalgia. Above all, his control over pacing and tonality constitutes a film scoring masterclass. Because The Sea Wolf dares to explore other sides of Korngold's arsenal, it might seem a little off-putting at first. Trust me when I say the time to revel in such thematic power… is now.

Total Recall (Jerry Goldsmith, 1990)

This might seem controversial but I have no time for Jerry Goldsmith's Total Recall. The trouble starts early, so don’t get me started on “The Dream.” This lazy cut and paste of Basil Poledouris' Conan the Barbarian omits everything unique about the 1982 effort. Some obnoxious synthesizers, cringe worthy action music and a general lack of enthusiasm makes me want to revisit Executive Decision as soon as possible.

SCORE OF THE MOMENT:

Split Second (Stephen Parsons and Francis Haines, 1992) *****

A crime narrative based on a foundation of horror yet relieved by consistent comedy, Tony Maylam's Split Second proves very entertaining. Such excitement extends to the synthesizer soundtrack composed by Stephen Parsons and Francis Haines. The use of sampled choir for “Chasing Stone” and “Necropolis” might alienate orchestral purists. I, on the other hand, loved it. This music drips with atmosphere, radiance and originality. Amusingly, Parsons and Haines turn things up a notch by employing an outrageous danger motif during “Police Morgue.” Although they get a little carried away, it always brings a smile to my face. “Tube Station” might wake up the neighbours. The synths receive a workout here as the Killer finally emerges at 1:06. The remainder constitutes chase/suspense music of the highest order. At 2:03, the Killer's Theme is heard and it's a spectacular touch. Rarely overplayed yet primal enough to be haunting, I felt chills going down my spine. On a similar note, “I'm Back” demonstrates outright horror as a prelude to Stone's sympathetic theme. While some might complain about the sound design elements -- a heart beat in “Police Morgue” or the police siren which bookends “We Need Bigger Guns!” -- these are brief measures from a mesmerising soundtrack. Finally, I must congratulate record label Milan for making Split Second available on CD.