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In an INTERVIEW with ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY Elfman talked briefly about the score that he’s writing to this summer’s RED DRAGON. I cut the MIB II discussion for you guys and skipped to the RED DRAGON news, for you to see. Enjoy.
Go HERE (http://www.ew.com) for the rest of the interview.
Q: So, You did music for Spider-man and Men In Black II, but you’re not done yet, are you?DE: (laughs) No. Not by a long shot.
Q: You are currently writing music to Brett Ratner’s HANNIBAL prequel [Red Dragon], am I correct?
DE: Yes. That’s prime agenda now.
Q: When did you first hear about this film?
DE: When Brett [Ratner] approached me about it a little after he finished RUSH HOUR 2. I told him that if it’s anything like the book, which I consider one of my favorites and a classic, then I’ll take a swing at it; so here I am now. I’m actually 3/4th of the way through the writing and next month we’re gong to begin recording.
Q: Is fun for you?
DE: Absolutely. This is something I’ve been waiting to do for quite some time now. The TONE is so odd and reminiscent of earlier horror films that I’m beginning to turn the clock on my composition style.
Q: Turn the Clock?
DE: I’ve dropped a few of the elements established in my more “liberal” works–synthesizers and so what. Doing so is almost like reliving my youth. Around the early 90’s, even though I was in my thirties (not the prime of my youth), I did films like Black Beauty and Dolores Claiborne, which had little or no synthesizers at all. Those to scores in particular had none. When I did DEAD PRESIDENTS I got hooked onto them, mostly because they were a hell of a lot more versatile than traditional orchestra. By that I mean that there was actually a point in my career when I had to drop whole themes just because an orchestra, even with die-hard orchestrating, couldn’t preform them.
Q: You used to have a hard time orchestrating?
DE: Well…. Actually I hired people to do that. (laughs) Steve Bartek, who I’ve worked with since my early days, had to pull long hours reworking some arrangements with me and cutting others. With the orchestrations, most times I’d help. But it got to the point where we were trying to figure ways to kill ourselves. It was REALLY hard. So what did we do? Synthesizers.
Q: So You don’t like ORCHESTRAS?
DE: Are you fucking joking, I love them! I think they’re fantastic; It’s just hard to find certain ways to play particular pieces in some situations. So… I just “MIX” in the Synth to get them out in the open.
Q: So why are you traveling back to your earlier approach to films with Red Dragon?
DE: Brett asked me to, first and foremost. When He had me write The Family Man score in 99 it was because he was a fan of my 80’s/early 90’s compositions: Dick Tracy, Batman Returns and Darkman. I didn’t write those scores in a short period of time, unlike some of the new movies that are coming out. Now the composer’s time is shortened for some reason. This started about six or seven years ago. The schedule that I established in the eighties to get me through the post-production process is now cut to about half of the original amount of time, making the composing a living hell. You don’t have enough time to dwell and figure if some portions of a cue don’t add up. You just have to learn to not analyze and deconstruct. That builds time. You just plug in the pieces of the puzzle and make it appear as good as you possibly can.
DE: Is Red Dragon like that? A Short amount of time.
DE: (smiles) RED DRAGON had a large chunk of time. As I said before, I started composing during pre-production to the novel it’s self for Brett. It was like Edward Scissorhands all over again. I thought it would be fun to IMPRESS him before hand. I wrote themes to the pages of the book, which Brett Encouraged. This is a very thematic piece of work. I haven’t written something like this since NIGHTMARE in ‘93.
Q: How’s it feel?
DE: It’s hard but I’m enjoying it. When orchestrating starts then it’ll REALLY be hard. I promised STEVE that I’d give him a hand this time around, but it’s best not to think about that. So far it’s been fun.
Q: Before we go can you draw any comparisons to any previous soundtracks that sound similar to how you imagine this to turn out? Just to give us a vibe.
DE: Well… Wojchiech Kilar’s Dracula meets… well… (laughs) Dolores Claiborne. Also I’m working with very classical motifs, much like Hanz Zimmer did on Hannibal.
Q: Will we be hearing any of Hanz Zimmer’s Hannibal themes?
DE: No.
I’m sorry. This was copied, by hand, from the magazine, not the oficial site. I know not if It’s up on the webpage now (I believe).
grrruuuulpppp (choking on my own saliva) my god!!!!!!!!….
our dolores, black beauty, edward, orchestra, no synth, danny will be bcak soon… and danny and me also have the same taste on books… this is the happiest day of my life…. the happiest
-Alonso (damn them, damn them all to hell!!!!) Vences
I also read that article a few days ago!!! You adapted it in the computer pretty good though. Although, Sorry, there are a few grammerical mistakes.
BUT GOOD!!!
PS: The official site still hasn’t posted the article
Just what I wanted!!! Expectations are high after reading this, needless to say.
I know this is an Elfman discussion board and not an English discussion board, but Robert, I’m sorry, I gotta point out . . . grammerical is not even a word! It’s just friendly ribbing, but I’d have a hard time taking criticisms about my language use from somebody using nonexistant words . . .
Anyway . . . I got shivers up and down my spine reading this. If Elfman is steering away from the synths and is comparing Red Dragon to Delores Claiborne, Edward Scissorhands, and The Nightmare Before Christmas, I know I’ll be camping outside the music store the day the score is released, ready to buy my first 20 copies (y’know, in case something happens to one of them).
This is fan-frickin’-tastic news, Michael. Thanks for taking the time to type up what will take others miliseconds to copy and past elsewhere!
Ryan
Which issue of Entertainment Weekly is this? I get it every week, but haven’t read this….
who’s on the cover?
Will Smith and TL Jones.
Ryan
“Well… Wojchiech Kilar’s Dracula meets… well… (laughs) Dolores Claiborne.”
. . . COOOOLL!!!!!
Wojciech’s Dracula has always been one of my all time favorites, although no one here seems to know alot about it!
i know a bout it, it is actually one of my favorite non elfman scores. i particularly love the excellent choral parts of “dracula the beginning”, “mina’s photo” and “the storm”, i also find intersting the wird sounds and chanting in “the ring of fire”… really creepy but fun stuff
-Alonso (“i knew i would have fun with the low stuff”*) Vences
*taken from an interview made to Danny Elfman on “the making of sleepy hollow” feauterette
“i knew i would have fun with the low stuff”
Hey, that’s one of my fav. Elfman quotes!
If you listen carefully to some of Elfman’s scores, you can hear some Dracula inspiration in it (particularly the low strings)! Parts of Sleepy Hollow comes to mind.
Now this can be the Elfman score we’re all waiting for, after the mild disappointment of “MIB 2”!
I didn’t see MIB2 as a disappointment, just a different flavor of ice cream!
“Variety adds spice to life.”
Have anybody hear ever heard Wojciech Kilar’s “Exodus” piece. It’s like a Jewish Bolero (lasting over 20 minutes), and is very good. — just thought of that because I just listened to it a few days ago.
Nat (like the bug without the G)
MIB2 a mild disapointment? ::shakes his head::
I should probably mention that WILL & TOMMY weren’t on the cover, RYAN. It was a Pic of Frank The Pug. Or AT least that was my copy.
this sonds too good to be true. I haven’t heard him speak like this in a long time, and I have grown to enjoy the new danny elfman with synthesizers and all, even if it’s just this one time, his return to his roots, I imagine something beautiful but particulary elfman, Kilar meets Herrmann meets Claiborne. SALIVATION
Whoops – I saw the cover at EW of Will and Tommy. It might be one of those special “covers 1 of 2” deals perhaps.
Ryan
Very cool! And I also like Danny’s new stuff – with synths, massive percussion and all
But “Edward + Dolores” = massive anticipation, on my part anyway. Hm…another “Sleepy Hollow” or something like it? I certainly hope so!Happy days are here again!
-E
Okay, I got the issue with Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith on the cover, and read every word of it. I could not find the interview anywhere at all. After I couldn’t find it, I went by page by page keeping track of page numbers to make sure a page wasn’t ripped out accidentally… Still, nothing. Just to be safe I did the same thing for the It issue from last week in case it was there… Still, nothing!!
I hate to be a pain, but would someone please tell me what page it’s on? I know it’s foolish, but I cannot find it for the life of me… And it’s really driving me mad.
Thanks.
it is not the tommy and will issue. it has frank the pug on the cover and a small story on Will Smith inside. On page 16 is the Elfman interview (top left).
Okay, that really pisses me off, that I subscribe to the bloody thing and then they have articles in an issue of the magazine that they don’t give to me. I’m gonna have to buy the stupid thing now, that’s really annoying.
Ack.
Thanks, though.
Well, I suspect that Michael is from the SAME place as I, Great Britain [or perhaps EUROPE]. I got the FRANK The PUG mag here at the local market and I guess that maybe it’s a special issue. I don’t know. BUT It has ELFMAN in it. There is a pic of him too [the one where he’s got his head resting on the two fingers–you know which one i mean].
Sorry, Man.
Ryan, I’m sure you’ve seen it.
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