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Forums Forums General Discussion Elfman on ‘The Girl on the Train’?

Viewing 23 posts - 26 through 48 (of 48 total)
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  • #58413
    ddddeeee
    Participant

    22:45

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1419&v=G2Pe_gGY-6k

    Doesn’t sound like it’ll be a Hermann-esque score anyway.

    #58410
    bookbinder3
    Participant

    “I assembled a temp…as one does…” Eh. Directors always think they’re making Elfman do something he’s never done before. Like he’s never done electronics. Like he was going to write something like The Simpsons theme for Fifty Shades.

    #58457
    lonzoe
    Participant

    I agree. Elfman is a lot more versatile than Hollywood and his detractors give him credit for. Didn’t expect Elfman to take a synth approach with this score. I was expecting something between “Fifty Shades Of Grey” and “The Next Three Days”.

    #58447
    ddddeeee
    Participant

    The lone creative element to command coercive interest here is Elfman’s score, which employs sonic currents of tonal irregularities, pulsations and mood instigators rather than melodies, typical tension tropes or any of his trademark gambits from the Tim Burton collaborations. He almost makes the film seem good from time to time.

    http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/girl-train-review-934350

    #58445
    boingomusic
    Participant

    SAMPLES are here!!!

    The Swiss online cd shop Cede.ch has samples here :

    https://www.cede.ch/fr/music/?branch_sub=3&id=1360678&view=detail

    Eric

    #58407
    ddddeeee
    Participant

    The Reznor comparisons had me worried but this is the ‘dreamy synth’ Elfman I love.

    I imagine the ‘film music community’ will shun this but it sounds right up my street.

    #58408
    DannyBiker
    Participant

    Wow, ambient/electronic Elfman generally bores me but this one does sound really interesting indeed.

    Just preordered it on Amazon UK !

    #58428
    Thor
    Participant

    I come from a slightly different angle than most of you.

    My favourite Elfman sound these days is the textural stuff for smaller films (I can’t take 90% of his big, symphonic blockbuster scores), so in theory this should be right up my alley. However, I was not particularly impressed by the samples. They seemed to meander needlessly. But I’ll await final judgement untill I’ve heard the whole thing.

    #58429
    ddddeeee
    Participant

    This and The Circle seem like solo Elfman gigs. No additional composers listed.

    #58430
    DannyBiker
    Participant

    Wait…the release is a CD-R ?

    #58431
    ddddeeee
    Participant

    This was a very silly movie.

    Fun… but very daft.

    #58433
    ddddeeee
    Participant

    It’s definitely a CD in the UK, not a CD-R.

    #58434
    DannyBiker
    Participant

    That’s the impression I got but thank you for clearing that up.

    #58436
    ddddeeee
    Participant

    No problem!

    There’s a lot going on in this score. Everyone’s been talking about the lack of melody but there are around half a dozen recurring ideas here. It’s mixed prominantly in the movie too.

    #58440
    DannyBiker
    Participant

    Yeah, I’ve been listening to it on Spotify and I can confirm that it is by far my favorite electronic/moody Elfman score. It’s minimal but not to the point of being bland or unpleasent to listen to without the images. And it definitely has thematic elements.

    It almost makes up for the Miss Peregrine skip…

    #58377
    sajrocks
    Participant

    Great profile on Elfman in the Los Angeles Times, discussing his approach to GIRL ON THE TRAIN:

    Quote:
    Elfman likes to present directors with three different approaches to a score, one being decidedly more unorthodox. “The pleasureful moments for me are when I play something which I think is more off-center,” he said, “and the director’s eyes light up and go, ‘Yeah!’ Then I go, ‘All right — we’re in business.’”

    In this case, the angle was a bass-heavy, rhythmic motor using (among other things) de-tuned mandolins and screaming electric guitars. In some scenes, musical phrases are run in reverse for a disorienting effect. Most of the score was made with synthesizers and sampled instruments, and Elfman said he had fun taking a break from orchestras, spending half of his time programming sounds late at night. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-girl-on-the-train-danny-elfman-20160930-snap-story.html

    Elfman also comments on the viral YouTube video “The Marvel Symphonic Universe”, taking exception to how his comments about temp tracks were used. The article reconfirms the violin concerto and Ponsoldt thriller THE CIRCLE as upcoming projects.

    In other news, though the film was near universally panned, several critics spotlighted Elfman’s score as a highlight (in addition to the Hollywood Reporter rave mentioned above):

    “It helps loads to bask in the dark shadows of Charlotte Bruus Christensen’s cinematography and the haunting cadences of Danny Elfman’s score.” http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/peter-travers-the-girl-on-the-train-movie-review-w443189

    “The casting is topnotch (including Lisa Kudrow in what amounts to a fleeting cameo), and the tension-building assets include Danny Elfman’s score.” http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/06/entertainment/the-girl-on-the-train-review/

    “while critics largely criticized Taylor’s direction and Erin Cressida Wilson’s screenplay, the film’s aesthetic elements, including Danny Elfman’s score and Charlotte Bruus Christensen’s cinematography, are being noted as highlights.” http://www.ew.com/article/2016/10/03/girl-on-the-train-reviews

    “there’s plenty to keep this cinematic train a-rollin’, from Charlotte Bruus Christensen’s adventurous cinematography to Danny Elfman’s expressive score and Erin Cressida Wilson’s oddly sympathetic script.” https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/oct/09/the-girl-on-the-train-review-emily-blunt-paula-hawkins

    “thanks to some crafty editing from Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland, fine cinematography including lots of very cool train shots from Charlotte Bruus Christensen, and an eerie Hitchcock-like score from Danny Elfman (one of his best and most surprising), the movie works on its own terms.” http://deadline.com/2016/10/the-girl-on-the-train-review-emily-blunt-tate-taylor-video-1201830759/

    “Credit ‘The Girl on the Train’ for making tracks with Danny Elfman’s surprisingly (for him) untraditional music, a moody, anti-melodic score radiating with atonal tension and pulsating suspense lacking in every other compartment on this unexciting ride.” http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20161006/entlife/161009357/

    #59826
    ddddeeee
    Participant

    Mark Kermode was praising the score on Twitter too. It’s nice to see.

    Glad to hear The Circle was a good experience. Excited to hear what a ‘techno thriller’ score from Elfman sounds like.

    #68413
    ddddeeee
    Participant

    #68405
    johnmullin
    Participant

    Can anyone tell me where THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN was recorded? And what the album credits are? I bought the 24 bit version from 7Digital, and it doesn’t contain any of that info. I assume there was a small string section that was recorded at some point? Those can’t be all synths.

    #68414
    DannyBiker
    Participant
    #68427
    johnmullin
    Participant

    Thanks! I was mostly curious about where the score was recording. It’s interesting (to me) that he did it all in NYC. I remember the tweet from a few months ago that indicated that he was recording there, but I sort of assumed that it was a few soloists, not the whole thing!

    #98190
    ddddeeee
    Participant

    I can’t stop coming back to this one. The way Elfman deconstructs his themes to subtly follow the narrative is so intelligent and only really reveals itself on repeat listens. That ‘Megan’ cue is just lovely; it’s sad but driven and perfectly captures the essence of that character. Things get nasty, of course, but purposefully so – and Elfman, unlike a lot of his contemporaries, can make dissonance entertaining. Just terrific stuff.

    #98980
    ddddeeee
    Participant

    This is a brilliant score.

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