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Just a question: am I the only sap on here, or is there more than one person whose current, favorite Elfman score is “Black Beauty?”
Take me to task, if you must, but I try not to watch “Batman” more than twice a year, otherwise I find myself REALLY nitpicking the score – fantastic as it is – because it’s rather thematically repetitive.
I”ve changed a lot in terms of my taste in scores. I used to be a die-hard “Sleepy Hollow” & “POTA” fan. I was all about the intensity of the music taking me and figuratively slapping me upside the head. Lately, I’ve gotten much more into the mellow, wistful side of scores. Let me rephrase that: as I’ve matured (mentally and physically), I’ve needed a lot more melancholy in scores than “SH” and “POTA,” (and even “Batman”) gave me. Thus, I turned to “Black Beauty…”
“Black Beauty” is something that I’ve been listening to a lot in the past year, because of a number of rather not-so-fun things going on in my life right now (really, just products of intellectual maturation). I just can’t do anything with a score that has even a ghost of a “heroic” theme…they don’t entrance me like they used to. 3 years ago, I can honestly say that although I would have thought “BB” to be exquisitely beautiful, I wouldn’t have “needed” it the way I do now.
So, I guess my “real” question is: does anybody else find themselves listening to more melancholic scores – or to put it another way, less “intense, thematic” scores – as they grow older?
It’s “just another day, where people run from dreams…”
ErikaHow tragic…
I understand how “less thematic” music can be welcomed to accompany a certain mood as can heavily thematic music. Thats what makes music so great, you can taylor your mood to it or listen to something that reflects your mood.
Sleepy Hollow and Planet of the Apes are fantastic scores, in quality yes but I mean fantastic in a fantasy/romantic sense, they are “out of this world” music. When you think about it, all music is “out of this world”. It like other creative mediums like literature and visual/performing arts create a longing in us for another place, somewhere not here.
That’s why we read books and go to movies right? We want to go somewhere
and leave this world where we are bound by intellect and reason. We collect the scores and soundtracks to these movies as they are like photo albums for us to go back and relive our journey into that story.To give up on retreats into these worlds in my opinion is catastrophic. Erika, I hope that you don’t give up on your retreats, don’t be content with this mundane mature world, there is something out there better. Don’t conclude that the “heavily thematic over the top material” is a place you need not visit any longer, you’ll find you’ll need it eventually.
Black Beauty is masterful and if it fits your mood right now, great! But don’t assume you won’t be visiting far off planets and batcaves in the near future. I find that when things get too serious for me, I need to escape. Hopefully you take the time to escape too!
sorry to preach, hope things pick up for you
Well, i’d say it’s more along the lines of using that music to background your life and make it more colorful, instead of just keeping it rigidly themed with the movie it came from…but that’s just me. I’ll stick with Darkman as far as seriously depressing music by the man…even though the theme gets repetitive and the action cues are weathered.
I love a dark score too. Of Elfman’s, perhaps the darkest is DOLORES CLAIBORNE, one of my three or four favorites of his.
I’m listening to David Julyan’s INSOMNIA now and if you are into the dark and melancholy, this is a prime example.
Ryan
Okay, clarification: yes, I love really weird stuff when I’m seriously depressed. In that case, I either crank up “Pee Wee,” “Beetlejuice” or “Boingo”…usually all 3, in rapid succession at that! Also, I’m not usually depressed; I just have a wickedly morbid sense of humor, which usually gives people the impression that I”m depressed…but really, I’m not some person who goes moping about all the time. Yes, we all need time and places to escape to…my “escape” score is “Sleepy Hollow.” It’s my all-time favorite, although it hasn’t had the same edge for me lately. I still turn it on, hoping the magic will come back…
Yes, I listen to a lot of “goofy” music along with “BB.” “They might be giants,” for starters
(Saw those guys in concert last year…small club setting…it was fantastic!) LIke Dobbs said, it helps add color to my otherwise insanely boring life. Well, I do find fun things to do, and a few nifty people to hang out with, so it’s not ALL bad…“Insomnia,” eh? I haven’t even seen the movie, let alone listened to the score…too poor, I guess…i’ll have to check that one out, once I can scrape up some extra cash…
Thanks for the input, everybody…
Sleep is overrated,
ErikaBlack Beauty, it is a rather snazzy soundtrack. I found myself listening to it all of the time, back when I was up typing term papers at four in the morning and such. (Somehow, I associated dark music with melancholy tasks–silly me, I know)!
But I don’t really think my age has effected my taste in music–whether it be songs or scores. And, if you want to know the truth, I find myself listening to stuff like Edward Scissorhands and BeetleJuice (the same kinds of stuff I was listening to 10 years ago), because I associate those scores not only with great movies, but better times, in general.
I mean, I’m pretty much mildly depressed all the time–I actually think most people are; some are just better at hiding it than others, you know? So I guess what I’m trying to say is that music links memories for me.
That, and it also reflects the overall emotional state I’m feeling at the time. (Sorry if none of this is making sense)!
But primarily I feel that music guides you when it seems like everything else is lost. I mean, music does that. It saves you.
Sometimes, when you think everything is going wrong, and that nothing will ever be the same again–sometimes, you can hear a score. You can listen to someone like Danny, and you can think that for some brief moment in time that you’re not alone.
And that’s what it comes down to. So, I suppose if you’re grasping to Black Beauty–for hope, compassion, security–whatever, then I’d say the motive is to feel not alone. And it doesn’t really matter how old you are, then. Because I’m thinkin’ no one wants to really be completely alone.
(And, when in complete doubt and despiration, I recommend getting a super-cute pup–Sadie always makes me smile)!
Ohhh, you had to mention a puppy
*sniffle* My puppy dog died last month, and I’ve been in mourning ever since. But that’s not really on the topic, now, is it?Yes, I can see the point that nobody wants to be alone. I don’t have a significant other anymore, nor a dog, but I do have…hermit crabs. (Okay, so they’re not cute and cuddly, but they’re kind of entertaining to watch…no, not even that, I was just trying to convince myself that they were, because all of my other pets were actually Eric’s, and well, they’re gone now, too). But yes, I do, on occasion, watch the “Edward” commentary by DE and usually end up sobbing by the end. (My professor occasionally comes over to watch it as well..and he just laughs, which it IS kind of funny to see someone sobbing over a movie…) I think the fact that he ends up alone in the end, although having loved and been loved in return – albeit briefly, is absolutely heartrendingly beautiful. (I don’t know why, maybe my strong sense of morbidity, but I cannot stand traditional romance flicks). And in “BB” the horse ends up alone, too. I know he’s with Joe and all, but all of his friends are either gone or dead…and in the end, he remembers them, and that’s when I go all to pieces.
So, inadvertently I guess, the fact that I don’t have any *cuddly* pets makes me want to listen to “BB” all the more. (I had a horse when I was a kid, not for long, though, because it died a year after I got it).
I don’t know why, but I can only watch “traditionally thematic” material when I’m content – never happy, just content. “Batman” comes on during those rare times when I feel like I’ve done something right. I guess it’s because during the “Batman” theme, I think something along the lines of “Yeah, I’m doing alright. This music rocks, and so do I!” (well, maybe not THAT cheesy, but close enough!) With “BB” and “Edward,” I’m usually wanting to wallow in self-pity, and watching a melancholic movie usually does that to me. (Pitiful, but true!)
I don’t even know why I’m writing this…I guess just to psychoanalyze myself, so the shrink can save a little more time, and I can save some money
(Haha…had to amuse myself iwth that comment).Movies and scores make me fall in love with life all over again (how’s that for extra sappiness?),
ErikaPS: Yes, I really am going to stop spilling the horrendous details of my life all over this website because you need interesting stuff to read about…
Romance is dead and it’s a damn shame.
Thank god for this kind of music to inspire us..even if Life prevents us from actually putting any of it to good use; now that society is rigid in consumer reality. People just figure they don’t have the time for this kind of stuff (romantic thinking, etc) …I MAKE time for it, spare no expense. Once i lose my humanity, i’m done. At least Elfman fills my cup, because no one else on this planet seems to be giving me much hope for our race. I’d put a new car or even a freaking first date behind Elfman…It’s kinda sick, but he comes first to lots of things…The sun rises and set with him, almost.
Don’t feel too bad, Erika, we’re all friends here, i gather…and i’m sure you’re not the only one.Later guys
You want “hope for the human race,” Dobbs? (Well, maybe you don’t…some people, I have to force myself to even give a cordial smile to…) I”d suggest the “Ishmael” series of novels by Daniel Quinn. My personal favorite is “The story of B,” as I”m an excommunicated Catholic, and it makes me feel quite vindicated – yes, the feeling of power! But really, they are amazingly fascinating.
THe only way I can explain the “plots” goes something like this: We all know this (meaning rampant consumerism taking over the world) ain’t “as good as it gets.” Nope; this is in no way, shape or form how life is supposed to be. Why do you think traditionally tribal peoples (think the Native Americans before the settlers got to them) have practically a zero percentage rate of suicide, alcoholism, drug abuse, etc? It’s becuase they’re living life how it’s supposed to be — not that one particular tribe’s way of life is a blueprint for everybody else’s — but that’s part of our problem, too: we assume “our” – meaning the traditional, European way of life, consumerism, that is – way of life is a blueprint for “how it’s all supposed to be.” Like Homo Sapiens are the very pinnacle of life on this planet — how absurd and haugty is that?! But that’s what we’re teaching our kids: that we humans were made to conquer and rule this planet…how horrifying! What Quinn says isn’t by any means new, but just like it took Newton to explain the “obvious” phenomenon of “gravity,” he summarizes and packages this “theory” quite well.
Sorry to get all philosophical…thanks for the encouragement, everyone…
EMan, you guys are WIERD!
LOL, Nigel, this thread is starting to scare me too…
Ha ha ha ha ha….
Hey, i guess at the end of the day what it all boils down to is wether or not you wanna play the game. You could probobly avoiding playing it to some degree…but entirely is to just pretty much join one of those tribes. I’d rather prefer joining in with some Mohave indians, myself, if indians didn’t already have a natural instinct of distrust towards the white man. But hey you’re right — it’s probobly NOT supposed to be like this at all. And the irony of it all is, you see, we’re digging our own graves. All this consumerism/political BS is going to come back and bite us on the ass sooner or later..and it’s quite apparent now in our sorry state of affairs. You know i just thought of something — We have a serious issue of our military getting killed from war, so we play it safe and keep the numbers low, and on the other hand, we’re killing ourselves with hamburgers and drugs and road rage here at home. It doesn’t add up. All this so we can continue shopping in the mall. Its about property. Id rather it be for something more alive and visceral, like revenge, but this country has a pc moral standard to uphold, so we can’t just step back and kick ass like we used to. What does all of this have to do with Elfman? Well, if i resigned myself to live in the woods with the bears and make a teepee, i’d pretty much have to give up Elfman, along with the nifty shopping trips.I play the game so i can AT least have THAT. If you can’t be happy with one thing, might as well be happy with something else.
Hey this topic is interesting…not to be a critical bastard, but how much longer can you really hold out praising Elfman again and again and again…?”Without the sour, the sweet ain’t as sweet”, and i think that’s something all of us Elfman fans can relate to.Weird? Me??? No, really?! Ahem, yeah, sorry, I do go off on tangents like that…I feel sorry for the people I invite over for dinner who have to listen to some of the stuff I come up with! (I suppose they come for the free food…heck, I know I would!)
Yeah, I’ll admit that I think ‘Oh, i’m against consumerism, blah, blah, blah” but that’s really not the case, because *like so many of us here* I get all the DE/Boingo stuff I can. If faced with the decision to forego a DE score, or any other music that I really enjoy, I think I’d go even nuttier than I already am! So yeah, I do feel guilty about buying it though. My thinking usually runs along the lines of: “And you’re a socialist?! You should be ashamed of yourself, playing into the game like that. Bad, bad person. You could do much better things with this money…like buy groceries and donate them to the food bank, or go down and volunteer at the homeless shelter more often, etc.” Why do I think like this? Because at Christmas and on birthdays, my parents would give my siblings and I several gifts, but we could only pick one, and then give the rest to charity. I guess I’ve been taught that excess consumerism is an unpardonable sin, so it’s stuck throughout the years, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing… So, as much as I *think* I”m not playing into the game, I am as much as the next person…
I really have tried to go into DE-scored movies and not like the score. Case in point: I went into “Spidey” thinking “I need to be objective about this. What if it sucks? Just because it’s Elfman doesn’t mean that it’s primo stuff…” Oh boy, was I ever wrong! After the opening credits, I literally wanted to cry from sheer joy. I can honestly say that “To Die For” was very funny, and the music fit it well – it was scored well to the film – but it’s not one that I think I could get used to listening to apart from the film. As much as it pains me to do so, I’m trying to be much more objective about Elfman’s scores…
-E
hey lots of elfman’s stuff i hear a few times and that’s it..i stick it in the library because it doesn’t hit a chord…but i gues it all depends on what you relate to most.
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