> The World of Hans Zimmer: A Symphonic Celebration (2018) - ****˝

Heh, I saw this on Spotify and thought it was a City of Prague tribute or something! Might need to check it out then.

> Widows (2018) - *˝

Accomplishes what it needed for the picture and absolutely nothing more. I don't remember a note of it, and it epitomizes the idea that some films are better off without music, if that's what the director wanted score-wise!

> Tomb Raider (2018) - ***˝

This one deserves a revisit from me, because I've heard it twice and can't remember it (and it literally put me to sleep the second time!)

> Mortal Engines (2018) - ***˝

I'd quibble and put this at four stars, but the album is slightly overlong and includes some less engaging passages, so ehh. This was probably the moment a lot of us listeners really started taking Holk seriously (or at least the start of potentially doing so). It really was a leap forward -- I draw less of a line to Dark Tower from this one, given how little I like it, but I can see the threads.

> Alita: Battle Angel (2019) - ****

I don't think I've heard this, and given how much you liked it, I should remember if I had! Film's supposed to be pretty good too.

> Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) - ***

Fascinated with the statement that Fiedel blocked more use of his themes. Wonder why that could be? Ego? (surely not) In any case, this is one of the stronger of Holk's simple percussive efforts, and likely the best outside of Mad Max Fury Road. It's also the best of the Terminator scores (possibly excepting for Genisys, which I need to revisit), though that's sadly not a high bar to clear (Elfman and Beltrami turned in good scores that completely missed the mark in delivering what was good about Fiedel's work).

> Tom’s “adventures with orchestra” would continue in 2020.

I don't know if you set out with this intent, but your writings on Holk's work comes off like a thesis on how he should be taken more seriously as a composer. I know the Scoreboard tends to dismiss him as an electronic artist who only got where he is because of Zimmer and not because of merit (and there is some truth to that), but you've laid out analyses that pretty undeniably shows how he has stuff to set him apart. Over time he's grown his chops and come out with some music that's legitimately quality, not just "turn off your brain." Anyone can cook, huh?

(Then again, Kong v. Godzilla is coming, and well... woof.)

> -----------------------

> Next time: “It was tricky. He wanted to go one way and I wanted to go
> the other.”

Lines that can come from film scoring or road trip misadventures