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Jack Nitzsche

Jack Nitzsche

Composer · Died August 25, 2000, aged 63 · Chicago, Illinois, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ​Bernard Alfred "Jack" Nitzsche (22 April 1937 – 25 August 2000) was an arranger, producer, songwriter, and film score composer. He first came to prominence in the late 1950s as the right-hand-man of producer Phil Spector, and went on to work with the Rolling Stones, Neil Young and others. He also worked extensively in film scores, winning a song of the year Oscar in 1983 for co-writing "Up Where We Belong" (from An Officer and a Gentleman.)

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 22, 1937
Died
August 25, 2000 (aged 63)
From
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Works as
Composer
Titles
32 on MovieCove · 37 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 23% in 30 days

What are Jack Nitzsche's films like?

Across their 31 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Drama13 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 43rd percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
27%
Self
24%
Power
19%
Morality
18%
Society
5%
Survival
5%
Ideas
2%
Romantic love8 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice6 titles, browse their movies with this themePower5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom4 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 31 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 8 · Serious 7 · Dark 16

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 20 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 3

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 15 · Intense 14

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 10 · Shifting 17 · Whiplash 4

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 19 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 4

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 17 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 8 · Engaged 20 · Full focus 3

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 5 · Affecting 9 · Heavy 17

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 18 · Open-ended 8 · Ambiguous 5

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
20
Melancholic
16
Dread
9
Contemplative
6
Absurd
4
Other
30

How their films linger

Bittersweet17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet13
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous7

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Jack Nitzsche's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 32 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (12).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jack Nitzsche's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

37 credits, 32 with a MovieCove page; 4 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Crossing Guard(1995)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Blue Sky(1994)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Indian Runner(1991)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Mermaids(1990)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Hot Spot(1990)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Last of the Finest(1990)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Revenge(1990)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Next of Kin(1989)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • The Seventh Sign(1988)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Streets of Gold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Composer

  • The Whoopee Boys(1986)

    Composer · as Motel Manager

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Stand by Me(1986)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • 9½ Weeks(1986)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Stripper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Composer

  • The Jewel of the Nile(1985)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Starman(1984)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Razor's Edge(1984)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Windy City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Composer

  • Breathless(1983)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Without a Trace(1983)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • An Officer and a Gentleman(1982)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Cannery Row(1982)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Personal Best(1982)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Cutter's Way(1981)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Heart Beat(1980)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Cruising(1980)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Hardcore(1979)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?(1979)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Blue Collar(1978)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Heroes(1977)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest(1975)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Two Tons of Turquoise to Taos Tonight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Composer

  • The Exorcist(1973)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Sticks and Bones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Composer

  • Greaser's Palace(1972)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Performance(1970)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Village of the Giants(1965)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 37 titles from 1965 to 1995.

Biggest box office

An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)

$130M worldwide

Highest rated

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Midcredits 99th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 37: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleMusic37 of 37: 36 only music, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score58th

By decade

1960s1 · crew1970s10 · crew1980s19 · 1 acting · 19 crew1990s7 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Jack Nitzsche's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 32; across their 31 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 55th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 31

Approval · how many liked their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 31

Reach · how many have seen their films

86thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 31

Midcredits score across 32 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th12
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 32 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor, composer

The Whoopee Boys (1986)

78th percentile spread · 24% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Midcredits 99th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the sound and music 67/100 in their films, across 27 reviewed titles; fans 74, detractors 51. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Jack Nitzsche's work okay for kids?

Across up to 23 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore16 titles32–85 · median 49 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity23 titles30–74 · median 56 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity17 titles39–84 · median 62 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs15 titles35–65 · median 43 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense14 titles29–79 · median 53 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Jack Nitzsche work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jack Nitzsche's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; John Byrum shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Editors

Producers

Mixed roles