Danny Elfman superhero scores !

[lonzoe]

I was just curious how you guys would rank Elfman’s superhero scores (Batman , Batman Returns, Dick Tracy, Darkman, The Flash, Men in Black I, and II, Spider-man I and 2, and Hulk.) from greatest to least.

[gaba]

I’d be on the fence as to which of the Batman scores to put on the very top, but I guess it’d have to be the sequel – I think it’s hard to beat the ‘thematic content’ of it, absolutely gorgeous. “Selina Transforms” (the second part) is one of my favourite Elfman cues, ever.
Yet another doubt – I ‘m not sure, personally, if Men In Black is a superhero flick. Is it?

What else… I think the Hulk score is wonderful, in how different it is – the otherworldly sound of it, and the energy.
I haven’t gotten into the Spiderman scores as of yet, but then again I was never a humongous fan of the movies. (wrong time, I guess)

So for me the list looks thusly:
1. Batman Returns
2. Batman
3. Hulk
4. Darkman (I only JUST got the CD! It’s really growing on me . My first impressions weren’t ecstatic – something along the lines of: “oh… ‘early’ Elfman with lots of Batman quotes. eh…” but *wrong!* Sure, lots of signature phrases are there, but I’m getting a whole new feel from it – it’s much more raw and powerful. I just love the main motiv/theme, those four repeated notes and the answer to them in the lower register (I might be wrong, but they are *kinda* lifted from “Alecander Nevsky”, ‘battle on ice’ in particular. Incidentally, I always thought James Horner borrowed this Prokofiev theme in about every SECOND film he ever scored. Remember his Klingon theme in Starterk III? These are the four notes I’m talking about. )
I doth ramble. Sorry.

[Edward Bloom]

The Prokofiev motif is a very popular one in film music, many composers borrowed it through the decades…

[gaba]

I bet they did – it’s one hell of a motif: concise and memorable. :-] I just have the earliet recollection of it in multiple Horner works.

[Mr. Dantz]

I think Batman Returns is the best superhero score from any composer, mainly because it doesn’t SOUND much like a superhero score – it’s a lot more emotional than the standard bombastic music you hear in these kinds of movies.

[Author]

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