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I guess most people would prefer to reflect after Christmas and before the New Year, but the media has gotten ahead of itself and everyday there’s a new piece on the decade. So, we might as well do the same.
Elfman began the `00s with “Proof of Life” in 2000 and ended it with “Taking Woodstock” in 2009. His highest profile scores were the “Spider-Man” movies. He scored the original in 2002, the sequel in 2004, and his themes were used in the third installment; released in 2007. Elfman got two Oscar nominations. One for “Big Fish” in 2004 and another for “Milk” in 2009. He won an Emmy for his theme to the TV series, “Desperate Housewives” , in 2005. He also scored concert hall music and a play.As well as the theme to some video games. On the negative side of things, he had compositions rejected for “Spider-Man 2”, “Nacho Libre”, and 2010’s “The Wolf Man”. And, his 14-year friendship with director Sam Raimi ended.
Any thoughts?
You forgot the Rabbit & Rogue Ballet, and also the fact that we finally got to hear his singing voice again in “Corpse Bride”, “Charlie & The Chocolate Factory”, and of course the boingo-reminiscent “Little Things” for wanted !
Pretty good decade if you ask me
it was okay. some good scores. some bad ones. some happy memories. some drama. it was a mixed bag. The `90s were a better decade for him. And it’s a toss up between this decade and the `80s for second place.
I feel like I’m dogging on DECENT INTO MYSTERY now but I totally disagree. There was a big argument about which decade or era in Elfman’s career was his high point and a lot of people kept saying that he fell off the map in the late 90s which is kinda true. I think the 00s were a more balanced decade throughout. I would go 00s, 90s, 80s. Therefor, he keeps getting better. At least that’s my opinion!
Sorry Decent, don’t mean to be picking on you.
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it was okay. some good scores. some bad ones.
Some bad ones?
Now obviously Elfman doesn’t score a masterpiece every time he does something, but saying that he’s written bad music is a little harsh.
“Proof of Life” was forgettable. “Charlotte’s Web” was a poor man’s “Black Beauty”. “Meet the Robinsons” was forgettable, which, if I recall correctly, we all agreed on back in 2007. “The Kingdom” had a good track or two, but ultimately it sucked.
As for the `90s, Elfman’s “Good Will Hunting” Oscar nomination messed with his head and resulted in some snooze-fest scores at the end of the decade but everything, or almost everything, before that was so great that it made up for it.
So, I’m sticking with `90s > `00s > `80s. Although the `80s and `00s are neck and neck. “Pee-Wee”, “Beetlejuice”, and “Batman” are better than anything he’s done this decade but when talking about the `80s we also have to acknowledge scores like “Summer School” and his band Oingo Boingo which was very hit or miss.
The Elfman scores I love most these days are all from this decade…
THE FAMILY MAN
HULK
SPIDER-MAN 2
CORPSE BRIDE
CHARLOTTE’S WEB
HELLBOY 2Starting around 03-04, I think his music has been better than its ever been (not to discount his earlier output).
“Meet the Robinsons” was forgettable, which, if I recall correctly, we all agreed on back in 2007.
I don’t recall people saying Meet the Robinson was bad. In that, the score was so inept that it actually works against the imagery. That’s what a bad film score is, right?
As for the `90s, Elfman’s “Good Will Hunting” Oscar nomination messed with his head…
Ha. Yeah, Elfman is really influenced by the academy. Men in Black was also nominated. That certainly wasn’t a snooze fest.
Men in Black was nominated, true, but Good Will Hunting was the focus of the evening since the movie itself got other Oscar nominations and even won some awards. And his scores from then till Spider-Man in 2002 reflected more the style of his Good Will Hunting score than Men in Black. Sleepy Hollow and Planet of the Apes being exceptions.
True.. also you should take into account that MIB was nominated under the Best Score Musical or Comedy and GWH was nominated under Best Original Score, in the same year. The Best Score Musical or Comedy was only around for about 2 years prior and only lasted for a year after that. It never seemed like a good enough nomination, I guess, to keep around. Though, maybe if they would have, Elfman could’ve won for CHICAGO.
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…Good Will Hunting was the focus of the evening since the movie itself got other Oscar nominations and even won some awards.
Well, Goodwill Hunting only won one more oscar than Men in Black. And on top of that, Elfman doesn’t even care about the oscars.
And his scores from then till Spider-Man in 2002 reflected more the style of his Good Will Hunting score than Men in Black.
Those scores were quieter because the movies dictated them to be. Once Danny got to Hollow, Apes, and Spidey, the scores got bigger because the movies themselves were bigger.
The Best Score Musical or Comedy was only around for about 2 years prior and only lasted for a year after that.
I miss that category. It brought a lot more diversity to the oscars.
Descent Into Mystery prefers his 1985-1994 output but has the habit of expressing this as if it’s some kind of universal truth rather than personal taste.
Personally, I find myself listening to his more recent composition far more frequently than his earlier works because the compositional techniques on display are more complex. I don’t require a long-lined theme to enjoy a score though, that’s just me. I like his short motif work, very reminiciant of the way Bernard Herrmann went about constructing film scores.
When I saw A Simple Plan in theater I was blown away by Elfman’s score – reminded me of watching Batman as a kid, not because of the aesthetic style of the music per se, but in how effective it was in supporting the visual / emotional tone of the film. And this is one of the scores that immediately followed his Good Will Hunting nomination…
2000’s has Standard Op, Wanted, Hellboy II, Serenada, Hulk, Red Dragon (remember that amazing opening credits cue?) … it’s been a pretty darn good decade by any standards.
To each his own, obviously, but “A Simple Plan” is another of his forgettable scores. I rather listen to Carter Burwell’s score for “Fargo”.
Well, Descent, from what I understand from your posts, it seemq like you’re giving a lot of importance to melody (to use a very generic word) while some of us here are more interested in orchestration techniques and musical textures. And if you’re into that, A Simple Plan, is a (the ?) highlight of his career.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Burwell’s work for Fargo (a rather overlooked composer if you ask me) but except the fact that both scores are written for movies where people kill each other in the snow, they don’t play in the same category.
I do like melody, but overall I like stuff that doesn’t bore me. “Planet of the Apes” for example isn’t as melodic as other Elfman scores but I still love it. “Spider-Man” isn’t an old-school fanfare like “Batman” or John Williams “Superman” but I still love it.
…but overall I like stuff that doesn’t bore me.
I actually find A Simple Plan to be tense and often creepy — antonyms of boring. I think over time, when your musical pallet expands, you’ll learn to like scores that aren’t big, or packed with action.
You’re right. “Black Beauty” was big and packed with action. And let’s not get started on “Sommersby”. When that brass section kicks in, the speakers break the window.
All joking aside…
Danny Biker is correct. I’m a lover of melody. But I enjoy non-melodic scores as long as they aren’t “Good Will Hunting” snooze-fests.
You’re right. “Black Beauty” was big and packed with action. And let’s not get started on “Sommersby”.
Ha, ha. Those movies are certainly bigger tonally than A Simple Plan and A Civil Action! But, you know, maybe if there was a talking horse in Civil Action (like in Black Beauty), it would have been scored differently. More over, if talking-horse movies where popular with the academy, I’m sure all of Elfman’s future scores would have sounded like Black Beauty, because, as we know, Elfman is tremendously influenced by the academy.
I enjoyed this decade of Elfman a lot. In fact I was just doing a marathon of Elfman scores I have. In order of when the movies came out. Yesterday I finished Spiderman 2. I think POTA was and still is amazing. I think 2002 was one of his best years. Spiderman, MIIB, Red Dragon were amazing and different from eachother. 2003 was great as well Hulk and Big Fish , which doesn’t get enough love,were both some of the best stuff that year eventhough I believe Matrix Revolutions to be the best score that year, IMO. 2004 was a rough year for Elfman and us Elfmanites, but the original material Elfman wrote for Spidey 2 was still brilliant. It’s one of my favorites of this decade from Elfman or any composer for that matter. 2005 was a great year for Danny and us but I think Elfman was robbed of a nomination for either score and a best song nomination for TBCB ” Remains of the Day”. I’ll talk more later. I’m running out of time on the library computer.
2002 was indeed his best year this decade. You had “Spider-Man” which was a superhero movie, a genre that Elfman has become an expert in. Then you had “Men in Black II” which was a comedy more than anything else. Elfman did a good job turning the MIB theme into a comedic punchline as opposed to something heroic. And, finally, “Red Dragon”. That’s possibly the best score he’s done this decade. It was amazing. He really channeled Bernard Herrmann better than anyone else. Which is interesting considering that 2002 was when John Williams scored “Minority Report” which was very Herrmann influenced.
I Still can’t stop playing Serenada Schizophrana – I really consider that to be his best work he’s EVER done! And the one-two-three punch of S.O.P., WANTED, and HELLBOY II kept all of us busy that year (Wanted, song and all, was a blast and is only second to Serenada as the most played Elfman CD since it was released). The movie also treated the score beautifully – the best music to movie mix of Elfman music since Big Fish (or even Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). I have nothing but great anticipation at what the 10’s will bring!
I thought 2006 was a good year for Danny especially in evolving music wise. Eventhough there were some problems with Nacho Libre and no score release. BTW, I still haven’t seen the movie. Until there’s a score release I’ll check it out. I heard it’s really silly and not that good. Charlotte’s Web was pretty good I don’t listen to it that much though. Serenada Schizophrana was and still is a brilliant piece of work by Danny.
2007 was probably his weakest year. In fact, I believe 2007 to be the weakest year in film music period in this decade. Williams, Horner, and Thomas Newman didn’t score anything. There were MV/RC scores that year which weren’t good with “The Simpsons Movie” barely being the exception. Back to Elfman this pains me to say it , but MTR was a disappointment ,IMO. That’s his weakest score of this decade, IMO. It reminded me too much of TBCB. It felt like a mish mash of scores he ‘d done previously. Plus it wasn’t represented good on album, IMO. Now brace yourself ,but I enjoyed The Kingdom more than MTR. That’s right I play The Kingdom more than MTR. I really enjoyed The Kingdom it showed Elfman expanding his palette and proving that he’ll get out of his comfort zone when needed. I enjoyed “Main Titles”,” Friendship” , “Waiting”, “The Chase” and “Finale” a lot. I believe he really captured the tone of the movie and what Berg was looking for a lot. He even complimented Elfman on the commentary track where the “Waiting” cue takes place. I believe The Kingdom to be very underrated around here and other music score forums.
Now to 2008 that was an excellent year for Danny right up there with “02”. SOP was another score
that should’ve been nominated screw the two adapted serenada cues. That was a great score. I still don’t know how it works with the movie b/c I still haven’t seen it. Wanted was probably one of the best scores that summer along with HBII and Speed Racer. Speaking of HBII I believe that to be underrated as well b/c a lot of people were shocked at how dense the score was . I mean it’s Danny Elfman. He’s been writing dense scores since Dolores Claiborne. People should’ve expected that. Every track is amazing ,eventhough some are edited down. Also “Hallway Cruise” is dialed out of the picture. As well as 1/2 of “Training”. Then there’s Milk which I think deserved the nomination as much as I think SOP did.
2009 was a good year for Danny . Ain’t no 2008 ,but it ain’t no 2007 either. I haven’t heard tthe only cue release that was Elfman on the CD or seen Notorious. Terminator Salvation was a good score I think it’s unfair how Elfman gets blamed for not using the Fiedel theme since IMO the movie didn’t feel like a Terminator movie,more like a mish mash of Aliens/Mad Max/ Road Warrior/Transformers movie. Also,SPOILER
Arnold was only in it for 30seconds and he was digitally there . So why use it.
Danny did do a variation on the terminator theme. There was nothing to work with . The movie was a piece of crap anyways . I only looked at it cause of Danny,. I mean If you got McG directing a $200 million terminator sequel nine times out of ten it’s gonna suck you know what. Anyways I thought Elfman did his best with what he had. Taking Woodstock was a nice pleasant score. Nothing groundbreaking but proves once again that Danny is verastile and can score anything.
I hope 2010 – will give us more movies and scores where Elfman is evolving his palette and craft.
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