Michael Giacchino WILL score The Batman

[Chip Chipperson]

The man has been scoring things I love since before I understood the importance of effective film/television scores. What a legend.

I remember being a kid watching Lost every week thinking “I didn’t know music could make me feel this way”

 

[chintai80]

i know i told myself i wouldn't spoil myself and listen to any more of the soundtrack but i gave in and listened to the riddler theme, because i have poor impulse control.

cest la vie!

but i am only half ashamed of myself, for i do like what i heard.
there's sort of this 50s bernard herrmann sci-fi/ horror vibe to it (the day the earth stood still comes to mind).

it feels like a traditional score - and that's refreshing in a way.

 

[Art Vandelay]

I'm honestly having a hard time imagining how the more bombastic parts of that score will fit with any of the imagery we've seen.

Just going by the title "Water tower", I have a pretty good idea of where that would fit.

 

[Gothamsknight]

The more bombastic and dramatic part of Riddlers theme caught me by surprise. It reminded me a lot of Elfman and Shirley Walkers work.

 

[BatLobster]

Just going by the title "Water tower", I have a pretty good idea of where that would fit.

Wait, wha? WaterTower is the name of WB's record label.

 

[JackWhite]

Yeah, I'm really not feeling that Riddler theme. But I'm not going to get too down on it. It might "pop" for me while watching the film. Still psyched to hear more from the score.

 

[Art Vandelay]

Wait, wha? WaterTower is the name of WB's record label.

Oh, okay, I was thinking it was a track listing.

 

[Blade Hoarder]

Nah. There’s something sinister about the piece. That’s villain score.

It would fit rather well with bat fleck. I’m picturing the warehouse scene with this score. Fits pretty well.

 

[marvelboy10]

Don't worry, guys. it seems that Battinson will listen a lot of shoegaze band (hopefully slowdive, would be perfect for this dark bruce) and dark 80's songs during the movie. so at least, the soundtrack should be good.

yeah, i'm not optimist for the michael giacchino work for this movie. i like the batman theme, even if it's repetitive. it suits perfectly with what we know of.this bats. but the riddler theme seems off, goofy. it's not what i imagined with this zodiac inspired version of the character. it doesnt work with this universe (would work with a burton movies or tas for example)

i was hoping for something closer to.the.crow soundtrack or some guitar.

 

[chintai80]

Don't worry, guys. it seems that Battinson will listen a lot of shoegaze band (hopefully slowdive, would be perfect for this dark bruce) and dark 80's songs during the movie. so at least, the soundtrack should be good.

yeah, i'm not optimist for the michael giacchino work for this movie. i like the batman theme, even if it's repetitive. it suits perfectly with what we know of.this bats. but the riddler theme seems off, goofy. it's not what i imagined with this zodiac inspired version of the character. it doesnt work with this universe (would work with a burton movies or tas for example)

i was hoping for something closer to.the.crow soundtrack or some guitar.

let's listen to some slowdive and beat the **** out of some criminals yo

 

[Captain Tired]

Perhaps Reeves wants to also pay some small measure of tribute to the more overtly cartoonish, flamboyant and whimsical aspects of Batman as a mythology, and is thus mainly banking on Giacchino's score carrying the spirit of that. That's at least how I'm reconciling this Riddler's unexpectedly theatrical motif at the present time.

 

[Invader Joker]

Don't worry, guys. it seems that Battinson will listen a lot of shoegaze band (hopefully slowdive, would be perfect for this dark bruce) and dark 80's songs during the movie. so at least, the soundtrack should be good.

where did you get that from?

 

[SwordOfMorning]

I feel like people are missing that Riddler is Paul Dano in a full on costume doing a faintly silly voice (in a good way! Like Heath and Hardy!) committing elaborate, over the top crimes that going off the trailers escalate to relatively large scale terrorism. Even the serial killer aspect isn’t exactly… subtle or restrained. Again, he’s like John Doe - but John Doe is not a realistic or lowkey character!

As grounded as this movie is, it still has a lot of obvious style and melodrama to it. I don’t think it’s trying to be this ultra lowkey Aronofsky Year One thing.

 

[BatLobster]

I guess when it comes down to it, my primary issue with it is that it just sounds a little too pastiche to me. I'm not opposed to getting a bit comic booky with it in theory, but it just sounds like something I've heard a thousand times before. It's not creepy or menacing enough to be truly scary (the beginning is alright), it's not over the top enough to be enjoyable for that...it's just kinda there.

I'm not saying it needs to sound like Zimmer. Elfman was clearly drawing on classic influences like Bernard Hermann, but he had a way of also putting his unique spin on it, through his quirky pop sensibilities. Nothing about this feels too distinct to me. Couple that with the fact that I don't think it actually lines up with the tone that's been marketed heavily and presented thus far in the imagery, and that's where I'm really questioning if this is the best route to go.

Hope it will grow on me when I see it in context, but so far I'm just not really feeling it.

 

[Eddie Dean]

Elfman was more than drawing. Try stealing lol.

 

[Chip Chipperson]

It’s true

At least he stole some dope ass stuff

 

[Eddie Dean]

Zimmer also reused music from Black Rain for his theme lol

 

[BarryLyndon]

It’s true

At least he stole some dope ass stuff

Dear god, you only hear 15 seconds of Danny Elfman's theme and you transcend in another universe. It still is and will always be a remarkable piece of art.

 

[marvelboy10]

where did you get that from?

from here

 

[marvelboy10]

let's listen to some slowdive and beat the **** out of some criminals yo

this would be perfect. i can see Battinson
listening to this while thinking about his sadness.

 

[Invader Joker]

from here

That's a parody account.

 

[marvelboy10]

That's a parody account.

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

[jamesb]

I like The Riddler theme more than The Batman theme. However that could change after watching the movie. I think they will both work in the film . The Batman theme is good but not in the same league of some of the past in my view

 

[BatLobster]

All composers steal. Even our best living composer:



That wasn't really my point though. Look at what Elfman did with Batman Returns. That is such a unique sound and distinctly Elfman. All the best steal from the best, but they find a way to make it their own.

Also, it should be noted that when he scored the fist Batman, he was still very early in his career, in his 30s, and it was the first major blockbuster he'd done. That's bonkers.

 

[cryptic name]

I feel like people are missing that Riddler is Paul Dano in a full on costume doing a faintly silly voice (in a good way! Like Heath and Hardy!) committing elaborate, over the top crimes that going off the trailers escalate to relatively large scale terrorism. Even the serial killer aspect isn’t exactly… subtle or restrained. Again, he’s like John Doe - but John Doe is not a realistic or lowkey character!

As grounded as this movie is, it still has a lot of obvious style and melodrama to it. I don’t think it’s trying to be this ultra lowkey Aronofsky Year One thing.

I agree 100%. Reeves is embracing the pulpier elements inherent to the material in a really great way. The music is a real window into this and it makes me even more excited for the movie.