John Murphy/The Score & Composer Thread

[Lily Adler]

I know he carried it over to pretty much everything but I hope he doesn't go wild with the needle drops.

 

[Scarlet Spider]

At this point I'm more excited about the needle drops. With all due respect to John Murphy, he's not going to touch John Williams and that's okay.

 

[Silvermoth]

He’s a wonderful choice. His music with days of future past was emotional and exciting.

honestly, the composer is almost as important as casting the star. You can’t have a great superman movie with inspiring and exciting music

 

[Elayis]

He’s a wonderful choice. His music with days of future past was emotional and exciting.

honestly, the composer is almost as important as casting the star. You can’t have a great superman movie with inspiring and exciting music

Murphy didn't score Days of Future Past, John Ottman did. The cue from Sunshine was only used in the trailer.

 

[GreenKToo]

I'm kinda ho hum on him. Maybe he'll win me over. Never say never.

 

[mclay18]

At this point I'm more excited about the needle drops. With all due respect to John Murphy, he's not going to touch John Williams and that's okay.

I’ve mentioned this before: Murphy has incorporated other composers’ themes into his previous scores. If he and Gunn use any of Williams’ material it will be in new arrangements.

I honestly don’t see the arguments for a new Superman theme when John Williams wrote it quite brilliantly the first go round. No one is arguing that the Monty Norman 007 theme be ditched because Bond has been played by multiple actors. Ditto for Indiana Jones, Star Wars and Harry Potter.

 

[Rijowhi]

I’ve mentioned this before: Murphy has incorporated other composers’ themes into his previous scores. If he and Gunn use any of Williams’ material it will be in new arrangements.

I honestly don’t see the arguments for a new Superman theme when John Williams wrote it quite brilliantly the first go round. No one is arguing that the Monty Norman 007 theme be ditched because Bond has been played by multiple actors. Ditto for Indiana Jones, Star Wars and Harry Potter.

I’d love to hear snippets of Williams and Zimmer’s (literally a few notes to celebrate Superman’s Legacy…see what I did there?) themes in this new soundtrack but the majority needs to be brand new.

 

[Lily Adler]

Skrillex is right there.

 

[Sawyer]

Lois and Clark romance song IMHO

 

[AndrewGilkison]

I’ve mentioned this before: Murphy has incorporated other composers’ themes into his previous scores. If he and Gunn use any of Williams’ material it will be in new arrangements.

I honestly don’t see the arguments for a new Superman theme when John Williams wrote it quite brilliantly the first go round. No one is arguing that the Monty Norman 007 theme be ditched because Bond has been played by multiple actors. Ditto for Indiana Jones, Star Wars and Harry Potter.

The problem with this argument is that there has never really been another Bond theme, or another Indiana Jones theme, or another Star Wars theme, or another Harry Potter theme.

Superman, on the other hand, has had multiple interpretations, each with their own main theme. The different movies, the different TV shows, the different animated shows, etc. Which is why people wanting to insert the Williams theme into every Superman movie, regardless of whether it takes place in that universe or not, just feels weird.

 

[mclay18]

True but the non Williams Superman themes that people remember are ones written in his style— like the wonderful Shirley Walker theme for the animated series.

 

[Stringer]

I thought Zimmer's "Flight" was a quality Superman theme.🤷‍♂️

 

[GreenKToo]

Making a memorable theme for any character is like catching lightning in a bottle.
I get it, some don't won't any part of the Williams theme in this, and that's cool, but the majority of the movie going public associate the Williams theme with Superman.
I've said it before, but there is a reason that theme has been borrowed before for other films, sporting events, air shows, etc, it's because it's heroic and screams Superman.

 

[TheScarecrow]

Lets please leave the Williams score in the past. It's like when the B89 theme was revived in the theatrical Justice League.

It's weird.

Supes fans have a hard time moving on.

 

[Elayis]

Williams' theme was tailored to that specific take on the character. It's fantastic, probably still my favorite superhero theme ever, but that doesn't mean it should be the only one Superman ever has. It's why Elfman using it and his own Batman theme in Justice League felt so weird. We would've been robbed of Zimmer's superb score if this kind of fundamentalism was applied to everything.

I'm all for Murphy creating his own identity for the character. Why else would any artist want to be involved with a legacy character like Superman but to put their own stamp on it in their unique voice? Otherwise it's just pastiche. As remarkable as Gordy Haab's imitation of 1980s Williams is in Star Wars: Battlefront and the Jedi games, there's nothing going on there artistically that can match Williams' own original contributions. The best fusion of this kind of legacy sound with something new was Solo by John Powell, and the original composer (Williams) still created the new theme that the whole score was built around.

With something like Superman: Legacy it's probably better to move on and do something fresh and unexpected. Given that it's Murphy and Gunn, I'm expecting something involving a guitar. The movie will probably feature a lot of needle drops, too, so who knows how important the score will be in the spotting and mix. Aside from a few moments here and there, the scores in Gunn's films don't exactly stand out.

 

[flickchick85]

There have been too many good Superman themes for me to ever believe the "Williams' theme is the only true theme" nonsense. That's no more true than the "Chris Reeve is the only true Superman" mantra. They're simply the most successful ones the big screen has seen thus far. That's it. This Supes deserves his own sound, as they all (minus Routh, who was playing the Reeve version) have had.

 

[AndrewGilkison]

Danny Elfman didn't even reuse his 89 score when he did the opening for BTAS. He came up with a new theme for the show. But then for some reason he scores Justice League in 2017, he's like "there is only one Batman theme!".

Williams didn't even invent the idea of a heroic march for Superman. The George Reeves TV show and the The Fleischer Superman cartoons predated Superman: The Movie, and Williams likely was influenced by their opening themes.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

Danny Elfman didn't even reuse his 89 score when he did the opening for BTAS. He came up with a new theme for the show. But then for some reason he scores Justice League in 2017, he's like "there is only one Batman theme!".

Williams didn't even invent the idea of a heroic march for Superman. The George Reeves TV show and the The Fleischer Superman cartoons predated Superman: The Movie, and Williams likely was influenced by their opening themes.

I have very, very little sympathy for the whining about what was done to the theatrical cut of JL (creatively, Whedon being a **** on set is another matter) but Elfman's comments were so arrogantly prickish that it made me want to drink a whole jug of Snyder Cult brand kool aid and enlist with the legions of rabid, mouth frothing freakazoids baying for blood. What an asshat.

Is the BTAS opening Elfman at all though? It's clearly designed to evoke him but I don't recall ever hearing it was literally composed by him?

 

[GreenKToo]

I get the feeling, what with the \S/ logo being a blend of classic, KC, and fleischer, that Gunn will want a theme to reflect that.
I could see the animated series theme also having some recognition in the new theme.

It's hard to say what it will sound like, but it will be special.

 

[TheScarecrow]

Not to be nasty, but I have like zero faith in John Murphy to do this.

Easily the worst decision made in relation to this movie, IMO. Hope to be surprised, but feel like we're going to get a "nothing" score where the needle drops are the star.

 

[Elayis]

Not to be nasty, but I have like zero faith in John Murphy to do this.

Easily the worst decision made in relation to this movie, IMO. Hope to be surprised, but feel like we're going to get a "nothing" score where the needle drops are the star.

I have similar fears. Gunn's never made a movie that's features a memorable score front and center, but he's also never made anything even close to resembling Superman, either. Maybe he's stretching his muscles here in more ways than one. Time will tell, it's far too earlier to get worked up about it now. Maybe he'll tease the score like Reeves did with some footage.

 

[Alien Anal]

I can't even think of many films from the last 10 years with iconic scores.

Marvel, because they have such a huge catalogue of films that its just always there but I couldn't hum it if I was asked.

Maybe Nolan with the "Bwwwwwaaas" that many films took on.

I think wanting the best most triumphant score for Supes is a bit much, as long as it gives us that "Bup Bada Baaa! Superman!" Feeling then I'll be happy.

 

[Babillygunn]

I’m hoping that Murphy can create something for the Superman theme in the vein of his Adagio in D that was recycled in WW84. That is a beautiful piece, even if it is somewhat overused and over saturated now.

That said, I just want a good score that compliments the story-telling. This was what I thought was amazing about Black Panther. Everything and everyone had a theme in that film that was intentional. I’m still amazed that Kilmomger’s theme is a sampling of an African themed piece layered with hip hop and Beethoven. It really informs the character even if at the end, I’m not humming it like I might the Krypton fanfare or the Imperial March.

 

[GreenKToo]

The score is just as important as the actors and action Scenes.
It can turn just an OK scene into one that's remembered for years.
It can make or break a film.

 

[Babillygunn]

The score in Fury Road was an enormous element to its success. So I definitely agree.