Greatest Composer of a Batman Film!?

[American_Hobo]

Danny Elfman. End of discussion.

 

[Mace Dolex]

This is a tough one, Danny Elfman's Batman theme was the apex of inspirational heroism, is was the signature theme whenever someone mentioned Batman either on TV or movies throughout the 90's and used in theme park such as Six Flags.

While Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard's music is more modern and contemporary at the same time bieng grandiose and epic.

I can't choose, I like them both.

As for Elliot Goldenthal, his music in Alien 3 was good but for Batman instead of continuing the dark and somber moods he opted for over the top circus style music.

 

[Elevator Man]

As for Elliot Goldenthal, his music in Alien 3 was good but for Batman instead of continuing the dark and somber moods he opted for over the top circus style music.

And yet it was still more enjoyable than the scores to TDK trilogy combined, imo.

I still have yet to purchase TDKR score, but my cup could sure use a coaster.

 

[Fudgie]

Zimmer > Shirley Walker > Elfman > Goldenthal

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

I love Elfmans Batman scores with such a passion, but I feel very similar about Zimmer and Newton Howards work. As far as Goldenthal or Walker, im the minority, im just not a huge fan of their batman stuff.

 

[Kane52630]

Shirley Walker on the Music of Batman

[YT]Ge5HZuKd9Bc[/YT]

 

[Kane52630]

Also there's a fanmade theme song for Batman that captures the style of Elfman, Shirley Walker, and Hans Zimmer.

[YT]uKAwrjehzRw[/YT]

 

[kewlmatto]

Also there's a fanmade theme song for Batman that captures the style of Elfman, Shirley Walker, and Hans Zimmer.

A well-made track! Great listen.

I love the first thirty seconds or so especailly. Zimmer's themes just don't gel all that well in the track, but it's still a great piece of music.

 

[Elevator Man]

I love Elfmans Batman scores with such a passion, but I feel very similar about Zimmer and Newton Howards work. As far as Goldenthal or Walker, im the minority, im just not a huge fan of their batman stuff.

You really need to check out B:TAS Vol.1 and Vol. 2 from LLLR. If you haven't already.

http://lalalandrecords.com/BTASV1.html

http://lalalandrecords.com/BTASV2.html

I know Walker didn't score every ep. ,but she and her team wrote tons of great music for the show. The scores feel timeless and really captures the essence of the characters and stories, imho. It never feels "generic" or like a synth mockup unlike TDK trilogy scores. She and her team were able to come up with scores that feel "cinematic" in scope and performance but is really only performed by a small orchestra (a 40 piece orchestra I believe). Now that's talent right there. It really puts Zimmer's trilogy of batscores to shame. The B:TAS scores are pretty much what is lacking in the Zimmer batscores, imho.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

Man... the B:TAS music is pure gold.

 

[Elevator Man]

@ DaRkVeNgeanCe

I also forgot to respond to you about Goldenthal. I find his Batman scores to be underrated and underappreciated. The scores aren't nearly as bad as people claim. The scores serve the film well. The scores can be a little "hyper" and "hokey" at times and I can see how that could put people off, but I find the scores (especially BF) to be exciting and a lot of fun.

 

[Baramos]

Oh, Danny Elfman. No question in my mind.

EDIT: And yeah I too want to give a shout out to Shirley Walker--they should have let her work on some of the movies.

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

@ DaRkVeNgeanCe

I also forgot to respond to you about Goldenthal. I find his Batman scores to be underrated and underappreciated. The scores aren't nearly as bad as people claim. The scores serve the film well. The scores can be a little "hyper" and "hokey" at times and I can see how that could put people off, but I find the scores (especially BF) to be exciting and a lot of fun.

By no means do I find his BF score bad or terrible, it is a good score but it dosent give me goosebumps or make my heart race like Elfmans.

 

[Elevator Man]

These past few days I've been listening to the Batman scores I own. Everything from Nelson Riddle's Batman:The Movie to even Prince's Batman 89 album (I know it's a song album and not a score album, but some of the songs played an integral part in the film) to Elfman's Batman 89 and Batman Returns scores to Walker's and her teams B:TAS Vol.1 & 2 to Walker's B:MOTP to Goldenthal's Batman Forever. Yesterday and today I was listening to B:MOTP and BF. Elfman, Walker, and even Zimmer get a ton a praise from many. I can't praise Elfman's two Batman scores (or his scores in general) and Walker and her teams score B:TAS scores enough, but Goldenthal never seems to get enough praise so I'll go ahead and give it to him.

Goldenthal's BF score is at times hokey and cartoon-y (as the film itself), but I find it very underrated. A lot of people tend to bash it b/c of the film (which isn't that bad either, imo) it associates with. It has a great heroic superhero theme. Sure the theme isn't as dark or iconic as Elfman's and Walker's but it's not as "stale" and "generic" as Zimmer's "Black Rain" theme for Batman in TDK trilogy. I remember when I first heard the theme for BF on an HBO first look promo and thinking to myself that theme fits Kilmer's and Schumacher's version of Batman to perfectly. The theme and score for that matter are better than the majority of the current superhero themes/scores. The action music is very exciting and over-the-top fun. The dark and dramatic music dealing with Bruce's repressed memories also are great and captures the burden of being Batman quite well. Goldenthal had some very creative ideas. I can understand why some could be turned off by it b/c ( I heard someone use this term to describe this score and it's perfect) it includes everything but the kitchen sink. But that's what I love about it. It's exciting which is more than I can say for Zimmer's lackluster batscores. Goldenthal really captured the core of BF, while at the same time adding some weight that was missing in the film itself. It's easily the best thing about BF, imo.

Next up Zimmer and Howard's Batman Begins, Drake, Kral, & Manthei's Batman:Gotham Knight, and Zimmer and Howard's TDK. Then that'll be a wrap. I still need to purchase Zimmer's TDKR but I'll take my time with that. I didn't hear anything special in the film. In fact I hardly noticed the music unless it was distracting in scenes where it didn't need to be. I'm sure it'll be an excitng day to finally hear all the hoopla behind it.

 

[Elevator Man]

Got done listening to Zimmer and JNH's Batman Begins score. Yeah it's definitely one of those scores I got to be in the mood to listen to, which is never. I only listen to it whenever I decide to do a Batman score marathon or whatever. This score definitely doesn't have the magic Batman 89, Batman Returns, B:TAS, B:MOTP, or even BF had. It lacks a lot of what I love about the previous batman scores I mentioned above. It's not nearly as enjoyable as those either.

Batman Gotham Knight is pretty good, but my favorite score of the album is Christopher Drake's "In Darkness Dwells". Batman's theme/score for that segment is better than anything Zimmer wrote for TDK trilogy, imo. Track "Scarecrow Interrupted" at the 2:10 is just amazing you can really feel Batman's presence in that track, imo. I can see that theme working in the TDK trilogy (especially BB).

[YT]qkM_sw8pPtQ[/YT]

 

[VenomShock]

Good GOD this is tough... Okay, here's the thing for me:

Danny Elfman... is probably one of the greatest composers alive. And he did wonders for Batman, just like he did for Spider-Man. In many ways, he did make the Batman theme and the music is astounding in those films. "Finale" and "Descent into Mystery" are breathtaking, some of the best music composed in film.

Hans Zimmer/James Newton-Howard - They might just be my favourite. I wasn't really old enough to ever see the Burton films when they came out (I was barely alive for Returns, actually) so I very-much view the Nolanverse as MY Batman series, and the music I strongly remember and even hum to myself a lot. Molossus? "Dun, dun, dun, dundun". It's great, I especially like the music that plays in the first and third films http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V94K2eJnuCA (right after he leaps into the swarm of bats to the end is what I'm talking about). That to me is the Batman theme of this series.

Shirley Walker - To me, that little piece that plays throughout Mask of the Phantasm and the animated series is THE definitive Batman theme. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOSS-ZFDMo4 But I'll acknowledge that it's very Elfman inspired and it's very small.

EDIT: I also REALLY loved the Clayface theme and the music from the "Captain Clown" episode.

Tough call, but I'm going to go with Zimmer/Howard. Which at some level makes me feel dirty. Maybe it's because I kinda grew up with the Raimi Spider-Man movies, but when I see people talking about how they prefer the Horner score from TASM over Elfman's masterpiece, I just feel vitrol, because it's such an inferior score. Maybe that's also because I hate how everybody leaped onto TASM's dick as soon as it started coming out because it was easy enough to buy people with a Spider-Man that used mechanical webshooters and dated a blonde-chick first. I don't know, I'm just going with Howard and Zimmer.

 

[relentless1]

i love, LOVE the hans zimmer theme for batman, especially the beginning of agressive expansion and when batman is introduced in tdk at the parking garage and tdkr when he grabs the guy off the bike, awesome themes, but elfman wins this one because he was the batman theme of my childhood and his batman march captures the fun and mystery of batman perfectly, on a side not, i love how nobody picked elliot goldenthals soundtrack and rightly so it SUUUCKED lol

 

[Elevator Man]

Good GOD this is tough... Okay, here's the thing for me:

Danny Elfman... is probably one of the greatest composers alive. And he did wonders for Batman, just like he did for Spider-Man. In many ways, he did make the Batman theme and the music is astounding in those films. "Finale" and "Descent into Mystery" are breathtaking, some of the best music composed in film.

I agree. Elfman's Batman scores set the bar for Batman scores and superhero scores in general. It's something I can't say the same about Zimmer's Batman scores, which is it was "GROUNDBREAKING". And Elfman's Spiderman scores are very underrated, imo. I enjoy those scores as much his Batman scores. Yeah that's how good I think those two scores are.

Hans Zimmer/James Newton-Howard - They might just be my favourite. I wasn't really old enough to ever see the Burton films when they came out (I was barely alive for Returns, actually) so I very-much view the Nolanverse as MY Batman series, and the music I strongly remember and even hum to myself a lot. Molossus? "Dun, dun, dun, dundun". It's great, I especially like the music that plays in the first and third films http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V94K2eJnuCA (right after he leaps into the swarm of bats to the end is what I'm talking about). That to me is the Batman theme of this series.

The Dark Knight trilogy of scores were average, stale, generic, and nothing special, imo. Mostly sound design than music. Those films deserved better. It's a shame b/c Zimmer and Howard are both great composers most of the time. I felt their talents were wasted (especially Howard's).There's a few cues here and there that were good, but none have the same impact as Elfman's, Walker's, or even Goldenthal's had on me. I just feel they could've given Batman a better theme instead of rehashing Zimmer's Black Rain theme. At the end of the day the scores sound like most of the current action movie scores. I really don't think of Batman when I hear these scores. When I hear a Batman score I want to think of some version or trait of Batman. I don't mind thinking about the film it associates with, but i don't want to be thinking about other movies when listening to a Batman score. And Zimmer failed to do that for me. I do tend to think of the actual film, but it doesn't do anything for me after it's over. Again it doesn't stay with me like Elfman's, Walker's and even Goldenthal's bat scores do.

Shirley Walker - To me, that little piece that plays throughout Mask of the Phantasm and the animated series is THE definitive Batman theme. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOSS-ZFDMo4 But I'll acknowledge that it's very Elfman inspired and it's very small.

EDIT: I also REALLY loved the Clayface theme and the music from the "Captain Clown" episode.

Walker was a musical genius and a real talent, may her soul R.I.P. I was listening to the B:TAS Vol 1 and 2 cds from La La Land Records for the past few weeks. I've been enjoying every bit of the scores. The scores to this series really stays with me long after I'm done listening to it. It's amazing how cinematic and large it sounds b/c it was performed by a 40 piece orchestra. Now that's magic and talent right there to be able to make an orchestra for a 22 minute animated tv show sound like a big budget hollywood action-adventure film made for the silver screen. She and her team really captured the essence of the characters, comics, and the show itself, imho.

I agree with you about Clayface's theme. It's so tragic but it can turn sinister and nasty in a heartbeat like the character itself. Walker and her team came up with a variety of musical identities for the villains and shows itself. Most of the time her scores for the show really tells me a strong story where I don't have to look at the show to know what's going on.

Her B:MOTP score is a true masterpiece as most of the scores to B:TAS are, imo. She as well as her talent is definitely missed. Her music will continue to live through her as it did Batman and his many adventures. A lot of the music for B:TAS and B:MOTP is better than most scores today (on TV and the big screen) well at least in the superhero genre anyway. I cannot praise the B:TAS scores enough.

Tough call, but I'm going to go with Zimmer/Howard. Which at some level makes me feel dirty. Maybe it's because I kinda grew up with the Raimi Spider-Man movies, but when I see people talking about how they prefer the Horner score from TASM over Elfman's masterpiece, I just feel vitrol, because it's such an inferior score. Maybe that's also because I hate how everybody leaped onto TASM's dick as soon as it started coming out because it was easy enough to buy people with a Spider-Man that used mechanical webshooters and dated a blonde-chick first. I don't know, I'm just going with Howard and Zimmer.

I haven't heard Horner's TAS-M yet, but I purchased it recently and it should be arriving soon. No matter how good Horner's score may be my opinion won't change on how much I enjoy and appreciate Elfman's two Spidey scores.

i love, LOVE the hans zimmer theme for batman, especially the beginning of agressive expansion and when batman is introduced in tdk at the parking garage and tdkr when he grabs the guy off the bike, awesome themes, but elfman wins this one because he was the batman theme of my childhood and his batman march captures the fun and mystery of batman perfectly, on a side not, i love how nobody picked elliot goldenthals soundtrack and rightly so it SUUUCKED lol

Well that's your opinion it sucked, but why do you think it sucks? You really didn't give a reason for why you believe that. Let me guess b/c the movies the scores are associated with. This is why I say Goldenthal's Batman scores are underrated and underappreciated. To me Goldenthal's score for BF is easily the best thing about it. Eventhough I do like BF in a dumb popcorn action movie kind of way. I actually enjoy the BF score more than any of the scores to TDK Trilogy. It did stuff that was lacking in TDK trilogy scores. One of 'em is enhancing the film. Plus again like Elfman and Walker the themes/scores are better than most superhero themes/scores today, imho.

 

[BlueLightning]

While I think Danny Elfman scores were great, my favorite is Zimmer and Newton Howard's scores. I absolutely love Batman Returns score, it has some sort of somber fantasy quality, and I like the original Batman '89 score too, it is iconic and heroic. But the scores in TDKT blend so well with the emotions displayed onscreen. They have a distinctive quality, not one that takes you out of the film, but inmerses you in it deeply. I can't argue which one is better because I know nothing of music. But my favorite is TDKT score.

 

[Fudgie]

Hans Zimmer/James Newton-Howard - They might just be my favourite. I wasn't really old enough to ever see the Burton films when they came out (I was barely alive for Returns, actually) so I very-much view the Nolanverse as MY Batman series, and the music I strongly remember and even hum to myself a lot. Molossus? "Dun, dun, dun, dundun". It's great, I especially like the music that plays in the first and third films http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V94K2eJnuCA (right after he leaps into the swarm of bats to the end is what I'm talking about). That to me is the Batman theme of this series.

Same as me, though I was around for Burton's ones and Elfman's music is the best thing about them but it doesn't top Zimmer's work for me.

 

[Elevator Man]

It's been a little while but I listened to TDK score today, which wrapped up my marathon of Batman scores that I own. I'll be positive today. "Harvey Two-Face" and "Like A Dog Chasing Cars" are still easily the highlights for me. What's so great about "Harvey Two-Face" is that it captures Gotham's hope and belief in Harvey Dent. Eventhough the theme is more of an extension of Batman's theme/motif. I like the return of the theme (from Batman Begins) during the monorail scene with little Bruce and his parents making a triumphant appearance here. I can tell Howard wrote this track.

"Like A Dog Chasing Cars" is a very well written action cue that introduces a more victorious and heroic variation on Zimmer's Batman motif. That particular variation definitely fits this Batman the most, imo. The build up to the theme is very well executed. Probably the best action cue from this trilogy, imo.

 

[theman]

oh, danny elfman, no question about it. absolutly perfect. i dont think i can add to anything that hasnt already been said, hes one of the best alltime film composers alive, right up there with john williams and jerry goldsmith. his scores are so unqique and darkly twisted, and beautiful at the same time. im obsessed with his score for Batman Returns. its so damn perfect.

2nd place is elliot goldenthal cuz he brought great fun and zany quality to batman. defiently underrated on here. i own the Forever score and its just awsome. not deep and dark like elfman, but it has its moments of pure comic book movie magic that i appreciate. batdammerung is AWSOME. i liked his robin theme for B&R as well, and some of the powerful choral tracks for mr freeze for surprisingly powerful.

hans zimmer.....i really dont think he should even be on the poll. he didnt even make a proper "score." it was just a bunch hum drum sound effects and the same repetitve noises and sounds over and over. just sucks. alot of movie scores do this today. so boring. and james newton howard....again, nothing special. blandass score. i guess its alright since nolans batman iswqhat i consider "the boring bat". so i guess a drab score seems fitting.

 

[Elevator Man]

I decided to respond to two users' comments from TDKR score thread here b/c the Zimmer fanboys will call me a troll if I post something negative or if I disagree with their opinion on Zimmer's batscores.

I prefer Zimmer's work over Elfman's. Elfman's Main Theme is Iconic, but the rest (besides Descent Into Mystery and Childhood Remembered) always fell flat to me.

I prefer the simplicity of the main theme in these films (the rising two notes), as well as the big hero motif that plays when Batman shows up (like when Batman returns in Rises). The general power, beauty and emotion of his and JNH's work has had such a huge impact on me.

That's fine you believe TDK trilogy scores are better than Elfman's two bat scores, but to call his scores "flat". Come on. I recommend you check out this book:

It delves into Elfman's Batman 89 score and proves that it really adds depth to the film and narrative. It should prove too you that the score is far from "flat". It's an execellent book and I recommend it to anyone who's an Elfman fan, Batman fan, score fan, or a fan of the film (or actual score) itself. Hopefully you'll appreciate the score more after reading this book if you decide to do so.

I've always felt that Zimmer's work far surpasses Elfman's. Elfman's theme is great, don't get me wrong, and it is indeed iconic as others have mentioned, but I think on a dramatic level it isn't as deep or complex. Zimmer's Batman theme takes me onto a psychological journey into the character of Bruce. It more clearly defines who he is as a person and what he means as a symbol. It's much more personal.

Again I'm gonna recommend to you like I did CapedCrusader14 the book Danny Elfman's Batman A Film Score Guide. It'll prove that the score is more deep and complex than you think. The track "Descent Into Mystery" as well as the scene itself is about getting inside Batman's head. The scene is basically Vicki getting inside Batman's head. The music reflects that. That's why later in the film when Vicki returns to the batcave and asks bruce "why wont he let her in" Bruce responds to her "you got in".The book goes into great detail into every scene that features the Elfman's score. And how it reflects and enhances the scene. If only they made a book that got in to the score of Batman Returns. Which is even more "complex", "deep", and "personal" than the B89 score, imo.

Btw, I doubt in the future they'll ever publish a book that gives an in depth look into the scores of TDK trilogy. If so I highly doubt it'll be as interesting as the book I mentioned above, imo.

 

[BatmanGoesToRio]

Danny Elfman, hands down.

I like Zimmer's work in Begins and TDK (Joker's theme especially) as well but in TDKR (and sometimes in TDK) there was just too much score. I guess Zimmer is not the one to blame for that.

And the next Batman soundtrack should be composed by ENNIO MORRICONE, the greatest film composer of all times. This guy is so great that his film tracks are used frequently by different directors over the decades (i.e. Quentin Tarantino or the Kick-Ass scene when Hit-Girl dressed up as a little school girl).

 

[Elevator Man]

^^^
With Zimmer's batman scores especially with TDKR it's too much of the same. A lot of TDKR music is rehashed from BB and TDK, which is typical MV/RC droning anyway. Plus the score's sound mix was too loud in certain scenes (just like the sound mix of Zimmer's Inception score) where it didn't need to be.

Funny you should say that Morricone should score the next Batman franchise, b/c I always believed he'd do wonders for the Nolan trilogy. Especially after being unimpressed with what Zimmer and Howard had to offer with BB. Morricone knows how to score crime drama's like The Untouchables, Once Upon A Time In America, Bugsy, etc. Though I haven't seen the majority of his 500+ films Morricone's a living legend who can score any genre, imo. It's a shame that he's never won an oscar except an honorary one back in '07'. At least they honored his contribution to film music as a whole.

Another thing we have to face reality the man is 84 years old and mostly writes concert pieces and scores foreign films. He has as much of chance to score a Batman movie as Williams does scoring MOS. I do hope whenever the reboot happens that TPTB get a more capable composer and not another MV/RC type of score.