Batman '89 The Danny Elfman Appreciation Thread

[Elevator Man]

14 years ago on Christmas day I received two of some of the greatest soundtracks ever composed for cinema imho, which were both Elfman’s Batman (1989) and Batman Returns, as gifts. Listening to both scores for the first time away from their respective films was a special experience. I was able to recollect moments from both movies. I’ve always felt Elfman’s music played a crucial role into the films narrative, tone, visuals, and subtext. It never felt like background music but a character unto itself in the movies. Both scores hold a special place in my heart b/c both were the first film scores I’ve ever owned. Which jump started my hobby into owning, collecting, and listening to film scores. Something that I’ve continue to do today. Despite some missing, edited, and micro edited cues I very much relish these scores. I was glad that La La Land Records rectified this by reissuing limited expanded editions of both scores, which have been out of print about two years now, in its full glory.

Elfman’s groundbreaking and iconic score for Batman (1989) paved the way for him in Hollywood. It even led to many more superhero/comic book movies as well e.g. Dick Tracy, Darkman, Spider-Man 1 and 2, Hulk, and Hellboy II: The Golden Army. It also placed Elfman in the big leagues with John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, and James Horner, whose scores were plaguing the 80s blockbusters at the time. Just as John Williams was able to come up with a score that characterizes Superman (for Richard Donner’s Superman The Movie) Elfman was able to do the same for Batman. Other than being exceptional orchestral and symphonic scores with vivid, heroic, iconic main themes the music, movies, and characters couldn’t be anymore dissimilar from each other. Williams STM is more idyllic, patriotic, lighthearted, romantic, upbeat, and adventurous with a hint of camp, while Elfman’s B89 is more grim, gothic, mysterious, operatic, tragic, and haunting. As far as film music is concerned both are still considered the benchmarks for superhero themes and scores to this day.

Just as Williams competently composed a suitable theme/march for Donner/Reeve’s interpretation of the man of steel Elfman proved capable of doing the same for Burton’s take on the dark knight. With Elfman having a background in rock n’ roll music the producers doubted he’d be proficient enough for a movie of B89’s scale. And instead wanted a John Williams type to write the score until Burton had Elfman play a demo of the Batman march, which then renewed the producers faith in Elfman. He originally came up with his Batman theme on a flight to/from London, England. The theme would come to Elfman in small doses, which resulted in hectic trips to the bathroom. In order for him to record himself humming what he heard in his head to a tape recorder before he’d forget it completely. Elfman’s Batman theme is not only one of the most remarkable themes ever written in the genre but in pop culture cinema, in general. The main titles music of B89 displays the mood of the film impeccably, while at the same time adhering to what’s on screen showing a tour of a dark tunnel, which by the end is revealed to be inside the Batman insignia. This moment could also be seen as the filmmakers taking the audience for a ride into Bruce Wayne’s dark side as well as his fall into the abyss of becoming Batman. “Main Titles’ is a gloomy, esoteric, heroic, somber, and thrilling track that quintessentially portrays the Batman character and Burton/Keaton’s rendition of the caped crusader as well, imo.

The Batman theme is very adaptable in any particular moment dealing with the dark knight. Some excellent examples of the main theme being able to mimic various different emotions and feelings. The theme becomes eerie and grim (“First Batman” - the overhead shot of Gotham as an animated image of Batman departs when hearing the mother/wife scream after being mugged; as well as when Batman slowly lands behind the two muggers on a rooftop as they happen to be chatting about him) infernal and gothic (end of “Roof Fight”- after batman introduces himself to the mugger and leaps off the roof top; “Descent Into Mystery”- as the batmobile drives through the forest and into the bat cave) inquisitive ( “Bat Zone” - as Bruce over sees footage of his guests at his Wayne Manor Charity Ball as well as a recording of a conversation between Gordon and a police officer dealing with Napier) romantic (“Beddy Bye” - when Vicki wakes up and sees Bruce upside down like a bat on some kind of exercising equipment; “Showdown II” - after Joker falls to his death Batman and Vicki effortlessly try to reach for safety before falling and as Batman and Vicki are hanging from his grappling hook that’s attached to the roof of the cathedral) sympathetic (“Vicki Spies” - as Bruce puts flowers in the middle of an alley by an abandoned theater) triumphant (“Batmobile Charge” - when the bat mobile is introduced and throughout the car chase which took place after Batman rescued Vicki in the museum; “Charge Of The Batmobile” - when Bruce suits up and the Batmobile charges Axis Chemicals before dropping some sort of bomb; the unused “Joker Flies To Gotham” - the moment Batman finds out the Joker survived the bomb and the helicopter carrying Joker heads off to Gotham; Batwing I, II, and III - whenever the Batwing appears, and gets rid of the Joker’s smilex balloons, as well as the moment of the silhouette of the batwing and the moon, and as the batwing attacks the Joker and his goons; and the very triumphant “Finale” - the last shot of the movie as Batman watches over Gotham by the bat signal ) heroic and mighty ( “Shootout” - when Batman lands and takes out one of the goons with his grappling hook, when Batman sneaks behind Napier through smoke; “Batman To The Rescue” - when Batman jumps through the skylight and saves Vicki from the Joker as they escape from the museum; “Paper Throw‘ - when the newspaper, which mentions how to avoid the poisonous products (thanks to Batman’s assistance), hit’s the ground; in the middle of “Showdown II” - while hanging for dear life over the humungous cathedral along with Vicki, Batman pulls out his grappling hook/gun and aims for the Joker’s ankle as he‘s about to escape by helicopter) eerie and mysterious ( “Shootout” - when Batman disappears, after Napier compliments his wardrobe, as Jack turns around to pick up his gun) menacing and aggressive (“Showdown I” - when Batman gives Joker a beat down at the cathedral) suspenseful ( “Batmobile Charge” - when Batman and Vicki are hanging like a worm and fish on a hook in the air with the aid of his grappling hook as well as when Batman falls to the ground surrounded by the Joker’s goons after letting Vicki take the grappling gun to keep her out of danger; the end of “Showdown I” - as Batman is about to give Joker, while teasing Batman with a pair of glasses, the final blow and punches him off the cathedral) and haunting (towards the end of “Shootout” - when Batman looks for Napier’s body in the chemical waste before abandoning Axis Chemicals).

Elfman gave Joker a minor theme that made three appearances in the score. It first appears in “Face Off”, which is the moment where the Joker confronts and kills Grissom for setting him up, the theme is sort of a waltz. It comprehends Joker’s wild and crazy side as he hysterically and repeatedly shoots Grissom until his gun’s empty of bullets. A music box approach is taken during the conclusion of “Beddy Bye”, which takes place during the aftermath of Grissom’s murder and as Joker is sitting in his chair planning his reign of terror for Gotham otherwise known as the “Wait’ll they get a load of me” moment. The approach of the music box imitates Joker’s cuckoo sense of humor, which would normally come off elegant and innocent. The Joker theme goes full waltz once the melody kicks in during “Waltz To The Death”, which embodies the confrontation between Batman and the Joker’s goons in the cathedral as sort of a dance between the opponents. The melody also exquisitely impersonates the dance between Joker and Vicki. It’s not the typical action music you’d expect to hear during a fight sequence with Batman in it, but it blends in perfectly with the chaotic moments on the screen.

There are two other moments in the score that personifies Joker’s twisted chaotic side, without succumbing to the Joker waltz. The unsettling sounds of percussion and contrabass bassoon in “Roasted Dude” enhances the demented and creepy sense of humor as Joker is having a conversation with a burnt corpse caused by his own doing. This is a skillful example of how you can score a psychopath like the Joker without constantly playing two notes on an electric violin every time he’s lurking as in Zimmer & Newton Howard’s TDK. The menacing foreboding strings and low end piano brings an odd peculiar type of tension that the Joker is lurking in “Clown Attack”, which takes place as Vicki follows and observes Bruce during a press conference at city hall as mimes (and eventually the Joker) show up and terrorize citizens before fleeing the scene.

There’s also a sort of love theme that Elfman adapted from one of Prince’s songs (“Scandalous”) that was used for a separate soundtrack, which is a stellar album itself, imo. It can be heard in the brief “Dinner Transition”, which takes place as the scene fades when Bruce and Vicki exit the dining room and into the kitchen to have dinner instead. As well as during the end of “Kitchen Dinner”, which occurs after a friendly conversation between Vicki and Bruce as both laugh and agree about the dining room being unlike him at all. Also is used at the beginning of “Face Off” as Bruce and Vicki kiss. It even occurs somewhat blended with the Batman theme at the beginning of “Beddy Bye”, when it shows Vicki and Bruce in bed together wearing night clothes. The LLLR expanded album doesn't credit “Beddy Bye” adapting the “Scandalous” melody, but I believe I hear it in that track. It also carries the whole “Tender Bat Cave” cue, which covers the controversial moment of Vicki and Bruce’s conversation in the bat cave after discovering he’s Batman. And during the middle of “Finale” as Vicki admires the bat signal in the sky and approaches Alfred who’s ready to take her to a late rendezvous with Bruce, who’s occupied as Batman at the moment. It’s a tender and bittersweet theme that really hints at Vicki and Bruce’s relationship being short term with his priorities as Batman no matter how hard they try to work it out. The dispirited “Tender Bat Cave” really emphasizes this as Bruce succumbs to his dark side instead of companionship with Vicki. Elfman easily makes Prince’s “Scandalous” melody his own.

It’s pretty obvious that I’m a big admirer of this score. This is another Elfman score that was robbed of an Oscar nomination, imho. I consider it a masterpiece. It still holds up today and is timeless with it’s approach. Not only is it one of Elfman’s finest. It’s one of the best film scores in the genre and of cinema, in general. With the Batman theme being up there with the most memorable themes of all time. It’s arguably the definitive Batman score with only Elfman’s BR, Walker’s B:MOTP and Walker and co. B:TAS scores rivaling it. Even though I think B89 is a great film itself, but Elfman’s score probably contributes a lot to my enjoyment of it. So Happy 25th Anniversary to Batman (1989).

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

I've had the La La Land CD blasting all day whilst doing my work.

It really is a masterpiece.

 

[Elevator Man]

For a more thorough and in depth analysis of the score I highly recommend the excellent paperback of "Danny Elfman's Batman: A Film Score Guide".

http://www.amazon.com/Danny-Elfmans-Batman-Scarecrow-Guides/dp/0810851261

Fans of Elfman, B89 film/score, and Batman in general should check it out.

 

[Elevator Man]

So Elfman's Oz The Great And Powerful lost the Saturn award for best music. The winner was Frank Ilfman - Big Bad Wolves. I'm baffled how this obscure score won over an Elfman fantasy score, a Williams oscar bait score, two popular Brian Tyler scores, and a Shore Hobbit score?

http://www.saturnawards.org/

 

[ddddeeee]

That's pretty cool, the score is good and he needs the attention more than the other guys do.

Tim Burton's 'Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children' is now in casting so that's another Elfman score to look forward to next year.

 

[Elevator Man]

About 10 years ago in August I remember going into a Best Buy store and walking over at the soundtrack section. Where my eyes caught the score album to Danny Elfman’s Spider-Man 2, which I’ve been longing to buy at the time. It was the only copy of that particular album in the store. So I rushed at the opportunity to get it. And later that night had the chance to listen to it. My first impression of the album was a near immaculate experience that exceeded my expectations even if the album was still missing quite a few cues that were used/unused in the film.

Spider-Man 2 is another favorite of mines from Elfman in the last decade. I also consider it (along with Elfman’s score for the original film) one of the better superhero scores of the last decade. The already established themes/motifs are explored, developed, and matured even further as Peter, MJ, Harry, and May are in S-M2. And unlike most of the temp music tracked in the film the score album doesn’t feel like more of the same, imo. Just as the film it’s an excellent continuation of the previous installment.

Elfman further dissects the protagonist’s inner turmoil and guilt with his Peter Parker theme. Tracks like the moving “A Phone Call” (after the service of a pay phone abruptly ends a conversation between Peter & MJ, Peter somewhat confesses, while pretending MJ’s still on the phone line, that he‘s Spider-Man and why they can never be together ), the somber “The Mugging” (where a powerless Peter abandons a helpless victim of a mugging which then segues into a cemetery, where Peter and May mourn the anniversary of Ben’s death), and the comforting unused “Peter’s Turmoil” (after Peter was unable to save some victim from a burning building it then fades away into his apartment as a depressed and conflicted Peter gazing through his window just before Ditkovich’s daughter invites him over for a piece of cake) are worthy examples of this. Elfman‘s “Peter’s Turmoil” was easily more compelling than what John Debney replaced it with in the film, imo. Peter’s theme is also emotionally redemptive in “Armageddon” (during the moment where Ock decides to drown his machine down the river in order to prevent it from destroying; and especially when both Octavius and Parker take one last look at each other knowing Ock won’t survive) as Ock takes responsibility for his actions. Peter’s theme, which in some way is also his responsibility theme, in that moment concedes the feeling of Ock sacrificing himself and his work for the greater good, which is the lesson Peter learns throughout this movie. The conclusion of “The Wrong Kiss” (when MJ attempts the upside down kiss with her fiance) is another example of Elfman effectively interweaving Peter’s theme into the cue. The theme reflects MJ’s realization that she’s actually in love with Peter and therefore puts her in a predicament.

The Spider-Man motif is effectively used throughout the album. Here’s some moments (not all) of the motif that stand out on the album; “MJ’s New Life”, where Peter changes into Spider-Man and swings toward the directions of the police sirens but abruptly loses his spider abilities, the motif really soars and becomes somewhat whimsical when the choir kicks in, which depicts Peter taking on his responsibilities as Spider-Man even though he‘s somewhat heartbroken about his situation with MJ. The unused “Spidus Interruptus”, which was suppose to take place as Peter tries to focus on getting his powers back as he attempts to jump off one rooftop to the next but ends up failing (or falling) miserably once he discovers his abilities haven’t kicked back in yet, the Spidey motif is very encouraging and enthusiastic as Peter begins running until he realizes his powers aren‘t back. Elfman makes great use of the motif in “The Bank/Saving May”, which takes place during Doc Ock’s and Spidey’s first confrontation at the bank and on the side of a building (with May being used as Ock’s hostage). However, there were two moments (from “Saving May&#8221 that gave me chills in a good a way it was when Spidey caught May from falling after Ock dropped her again. The motif with added chorus really made Spidey’s heroics much more stirring. I still think it’s one of the best rescues in the genre right up their S:TM as Superman saved Lois from the helicopter and is introduced to the public for the first time. As well as B89 when Batman saves Vicki from the Joker at the museum. I believe Elfman’s music in that moment (from “Saving May) has a lot to do with that. The 2nd moment comes during the conclusion of “Saving May” after Spidey makes sure May’s safe and takes off. The motif is very triumphant and victorious depicting not only Spidey saving the day as well as his aunt but of him somewhat earning May’s approval of fighting for the people. The chorus in that piece adds a larger than life feel as Spidey soars. “He’s Back”, which is obviously the scene where Spidey returns with his powers restored and swings towards the clock tower for a showdown with Doc Ock. The motif in the beginning is sorrowful, where Jameson regrets driving Spider-Man away, but then becomes more exciting, when Spidey gets back his costume, and then is celebratory honoring the hero’s return, as Spidey swings through a newspaper image and through NYC with choir backing up the motif. There’s plenty of moments in the unused “Train” where the motif is used to great effect throughout, but won’t point ‘em out b/c there’s too many to name. One other piece the motif shined in was towards the end of “Armageddon” when Spidey threw and pushed away the roof and debris (from Ock’s crumbling lair) as everything’s sinking in the river and proceeds to save MJ. The Spidey motif highlights Peter’s strength and might as he triumphs. It even makes me want to cheer during that moment.

The love theme/MJ’s theme/ Peter & MJ’s theme returns and is even more bittersweet this time. The unused “M.J.’s New Life”, the scene where Peter finds out MJ has a boyfriend before taking off into an alley to become Spider-Man, MJ‘s theme always identifies both characters admiration for one another. The way the theme is used here emphasizes how much Peter adores her. The cue begins to swell once Peter disappears to take on his responsibility as Spider-Man and as MJ turns behind her to see if Peter or someone was watching her. The swell in th music before the suit up depicts Peter’s heartbreak. The theme in this track opens in a charming way but quickly becomes sort of depressing and lonely, which represents Peter’s mood perfectly in this scene. For the majority of “The Wrong Kiss” the theme sort of re-imagines the moment where MJ kissed an upside down Spidey , but this time she tries the technique on her fiance to see if they have that same spark. The cue overall delineates MJ’s curiosity and the result of it. MJ’s theme in the unused “Peter’s Birthday”, which of course takes place at Aunt May’s house as she, Harry, and MJ throw a surprise party for Peter, identifies the return of an old friend. Most of the brief cue focuses on Peter’s fondness of MJ. The theme takes a bittersweet and a bit melancholic turn in “A Really Big Web!”, which obviously takes place on a really big web as an unmasked Peter tells MJ why they can never be together as long as he’s Spider-Man b/c he‘d be putting her life in danger. This piece perfectly portrays their relationship in this movie. The theme is tender, touching, and even heartbreaking especially in the context of this scene, which I don’t think would’ve been as effective without the music, when Peter denies a romantic relationship with MJ b/c of his loyalty to Spider-Man again. As well as when MJ having to go back to a man she no longer loves. The love theme takes a more pleasant and comforting turn for most of “At Long Last Love”, as MJ comes to Peter’s doorstep ready and wanting to take the risk of being his girlfriend even though Peter objects but then obliges. This cue and scene is sort of a cheerful and uplifting throwback to the ending (at the funeral) in the original, when Peter rejects MJ b/c of his duties as Spider-Man, but this time MJ’s in control of the situation and won’t accept Peter’s refusal again. The theme and moment is a lot more soothing, optimistic, passionate and satisfying.

Aunt May’s theme in the middle of ‘The Mugging”, where May and Peter are mourning the anniversary of Ben’s death and she mentions how she’d face the man who got him killed, exhibits Peter’s (and to a certain extent May‘s) guilt over Ben’s murder. As well as identifies with Peter being able to confess to May that he was somewhat responsible of getting Ben killed . The unused “Aunt May Packs”, which is the scene with May preaching to Peter about there being “a hero in all of us“, the acoustic guitars gives May’s normally sorrowful theme an inspiring, idyllic, pastoral feel. It expertly analyzes and mimics the meaning of May’s speech without coming off corny, imo. “Aunt May Packs” displays how much May’s speech strengthens Peter’s confidence in why the city needs Spidey.

The impending Green Goblin theme briefly lurks in one track “The Goblin Returns”, which takes place when Harry discovers the hidden Goblin lair in the Osborne Mansion. Just as hearing MJ’s theme reintroduced in this score (“Peter’s Birthday&#8221 was like a return of an old friend. The Goblin theme gave the impression of the return of an old enemy. It highlights the dangerous path Harry will take if he takes his Dad’s formula and upholds the goblin mantle. The theme in that moment gave me chills in a creepy way as Harry stares at the goblin legacy his father left behind. It’s a spine tingling moment during the conclusion of the cue/scene leaving it ambiguous whether Harry will don the goblin gear or not.

Doc Ock’s theme is one of my favorite villain themes from Elfman and the genre in general. It makes a lot of stunning appearances (too many to mention) on the album, but here’s a few worth mentioning. In the beginning of “The Bank”, where Ock reveals his tentacles from behind his cape, the eight note tentacle theme is introduced, which is sinisterly over the top, as he lifts up and throws the safe door and it nearly lands on Peter and May. It’s clever how the eight notes captures the aggressive movements and actions of the tentacles. “Saving May”, the moment where Doc Ock is walking on the side of a building (with May as hostage) causing mayhem and terror to the people inside ‘em, Ock’s main theme in that moment gives me a king kong /50s B-movie vibe, which I think Raimi was somewhat going for in that scene. It also makes Ock seem more larger than life. Another highlight during “Saving May” was when May foiled Ock’s plan to kill Spidey with his tentacle blade/spike, which is a wicked rendition of the Ock’s main theme proving how devious he’s become. Towards the conclusion of “Saving May” (as Ock escapes) Ock’s ominous main theme in this section makes it certain that we haven’t seen the last of him and will strike again. The first half of the largely unused “Doc Ock’s Machine” is featured as Ock nearly completes his hazardous machine and plots to find Harry, who has the tritium he needs to power it. As the mischievous main theme and bombastic eight note theme play counterpoint to one another. It’s able to recognize how dangerously close Ock is at achieving his evil scheme. This track is easily my favorite use of both themes b/c Elfman goes all out with it. The 2nd half of “He’s Back” makes good use of Ock’s main theme throughout . However the standout Ock moment of this cue is during the iconic shot of Ock (when it reveals a reflection of Spidey swinging through his shades) climbing the tower. The bold statement of the Ock’s main theme always has me anticipating this showdown between two comic book icons. This cue enhances this already exciting sequence even more, imo.

I really appreciate what Elfman came up with for Spider-Man 2. He brings the right balance of humanity, warmth, heart, emotion, thrills, scares, romance, and pretty much anything I could ask for in a compelling score of this scale. It effectively captures the essence and journey of Spidey/ Peter Parker. His absence in S-M3 proved (to me) how dearly he was missed. Christopher Young’s S-M3 lacked what made both of Elfman’s scores special, imo. I believe Elfman’s S-M2 still holds up after 10 years. And is able to hold it’s own with Elfman’s first outing, Horner’s TAS-M, as well as Zimmer and the Magnificent Six’s TAS-M2, which just as Elfman’s two efforts are great in their own right, imo. I’d ranked this (along with the first score) with the greats in the genre., which I know is high praise but I’m a big fan of this effort by Elfman. And with that said happy 10th anniversary Spider-Man 2. Hard to believe that this film is 10 years old already.

 

[Elevator Man]

I just finished listening to Elfman’s enigmatically bleak “The Unknown Known” score, which utilizes the piano, acoustic guitars, marimbas, organ, synthesizers, strings as well as a boys choir . The choir is used to eerily critical effect than what we’d normally expect whenever Elfman employed ‘em in previous scores. He also sparingly uses a recurring hypnotically haunting main theme, which instead of characterizes (or even sympathizes with) Rumsfeld it questions his past actions and decisions he made in the White House and in congress. In some ways the main theme somewhat depicts “the unknown known“. I like that the score (as well as the film itself) doesn’t honor or applaud the former Secretary of Defense as some kind of saint, as well as doesn’t loathe or condemn him as some kind of fiend , but let’s the audience comprehend whether or not Rumsfeld’s explanations and ambiguous answers are true/false, which the music also analyzes, during the interview/documentary. Tracks that grabbed my attention “Theme From Unknown”, “Two Sides”, “Marimba Foghorn”, ”Rummy’s Theme”, “Drones”, “Snowflakes”, “Smokers”, “The Haynes Memo”, “What You Know”, “Absence of Evidence” (only ethereal cue on the album), “Limits”, “Dora Farms”, “Detainees”, “Joyce”, “Main Titles”, and “Unknown-Piano Solo”. A few cues as with Elfman’s “Standard Operating Procedure”(also directed by Errol Morris) echoes somewhat Phillip Glass’ style, who previously worked with Morris in the past. The Unknown Known” is an ambient score that is at times somber, urgent, mysterious, and compelling. If you enjoyed Elfman’s SOP. The Unknown Known would make a stellar companion piece.

 

[Elevator Man]

This was posted on the top of LLLR homepage.

GOING APE SALE! As DAWN hits the big screen, we're celebrating by offering the LAST 40 COPIES of Danny Elfman's PLANET OF THE APES ('01) 3-CD SET at a sales price of only $24.98! Once these last 40 units are gone, this title is gone for good!

I didn't think Elfman's POTA was selling well tbh but I'm glad it is. This is a great offer and highly recommended to fans of this particular Elfman score.

 

[Elevator Man]

Update on the status of Elfman's POTA.

LOW QUANTITY ALERT

Down to the last 20 units on PLANET OF THE APES (on sale now for $24.98)

Get them before they go extinct!

 

[ddddeeee]

Great news, I never would have expected it to sell so well, especially after the Burton/Elfman box set and that Mars Attacks! didn't sell too good.

Encouraging for more Elfman releases in the future.

 

[Elevator Man]

Indeed. I wonder how well Scrooged is doing?

For those unable to get Elfman's POTA 3-CD set (b/c of it selling out today) on the LLL site. It's still available (at the moment) if you click either links (to Screen Archives and Amazon) at the bottom. Sadly the second link has 4 new copies with only one out of the four charging for a reasonable amount.

http://www1.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm/ID/17323/PLANET-OF-THE-APES-3-CD/

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00795EMBW/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new

 

[ddddeeee]

I think Scrooged might sell out eventually, but it's been said numerous times that comedy scores don't sell.

 

[SuperheroMethod]

Elfman is a perfect fit for Batman. Gothic and haunting.
p.s.
Scrooged = all time favorite christmas movie. Watch it every year.

 

[Elevator Man]

Here's why Elfman's POTA 3-CD set went OOP on LLL's site. This comment (by LLLR) was posted on a thread in the Film Score Monthly forums.

As for POTA, we did our inventory in June, noticed we had a handful left. The contract was set to expire so there was no need for us to press up another 500 or 1000 units. We sold the first 1500 units after being on the market for more than 2 years and left it at that.

MV

So it only sold 1500 copies out of 3500. Guess that was a smart move that they pressed less than half of the units instead of pressing all of 'em at once. Tbh it doesn't surprise me that POTA wasn't a big seller after all it is an ambient score, which wasn't really in demand for an expansion with film music enthusiasts (well excluding myself), to a highly reviled remake. It's still somewhat disheartening b/c it's one of my faves from Elfman in the last decade.

Also some Elfman/Batman related news...

The Modern School Of Film’s FILM: MASTERS Series
25th Anniversary! Composer Danny Elfman In Person!

BATMAN

The Modern School of Film’s FILM: MASTERS series screens movies hand-picked by renown cultural figures, followed by in-depth discussions with them.
Discussion following with composer Danny Elfman, moderated by Modern School of Film founder Robert Milazzo.

25th Anniversary!

BATMAN

1989, Warner Bros., 126 min, USA, Dir: Tim Burton

Tim Burton and Michael Keaton reinvent the classic superhero - with some help from Jack Nicholson as The Joker - in this smart and beautifully designed action film. Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl and Jack Palance costar.

Screening format: DCP | Special Ticket Prices: $10 Member, $12 Student/Senior, $15 General. No vouchers accepted for this or any other specially priced program.

Egyptian Theatre
6712 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90028
Mon, Aug 18, 2014
7:30pm

http://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/batman-0

 

[ddddeeee]

Danny's confirmed for the Alice in Wonderland sequel.

http://www.movieweb.com/news/disney...-the-looking-glass-begins-shooting-in-england

 

[Elevator Man]

Yeah! I just found out on film music reporter. I hope he'll be able to tackle AIW2 and Burton's Miss Peregrine movie, which both are slated to come out March 2016.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

Through the Looking Glass is due out on 27th May 2016.

He should be able to squeeze in both.

 

[marvelrobbins]

Intresting he's scoring Alice 2 even though Burton Is only producing.

 

[Elevator Man]

Through the Looking Glass is due out on 27th May 2016.

He should be able to squeeze in both.

Film music reporter must've made a mistake on the release date. That's where I found out about Elfman's involvement and the (incorrect) release date. Yeah, but hopefully he'll be able to squeeze in both like you said.

 

[ddddeeee]

Intresting he's scoring Alice 2 even though Burton Is only producing.

He said in an interview with Empire that Alice is one of his personal favorite scores plus he's a big fan of Flight of the Conchords which James Bobin (director of Alice 2) created.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

I haven't listened to his Alice score in so long. I should pop it in soon and give it another listen.

Although, to be fair, I've been on an early Elfman kick lately. Batman/Returns, Scissorhands, Darkman, etc.

 

[lime]

Elfman's score in Returns was just brilliant. An Oscar worthy piece.

 

[Elevator Man]

Elfman has two new projects (a period drama "Tulip Fever" and a bio pic on author David Foster Wallace called "The End of the Tour", which he just finished scoring) coming out next year (along with "50 Shades" and "Somnia").

http://filmmusicreporter.com/2014/09/27/danny-elfman-to-score-justin-chadwicks-tulip-fever/

 

[Elevator Man]

[YT]3N_YktGk1gM[/YT]

[YT]yQFgmUgKq2w[/YT]

[YT]eRGkSyKQwu4 [/YT]

 

[ddddeeee]

They best release a Blu-Ray of the concert at some point.