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Danny Elfman was recently (Apr. 2) a brief guest on the CNN Headline News talkshow GLENN BECK. I didn’t catch this, but here’s the transcript:
BECK: Oh, I`m going to get so much mail about this next segment because everybody is going to say, “Oh, he just fell all over himself for this guy.” I am a huge fan of our next guest, one of the most original, sought after film composers working today. I`ve actually gone to some movies because I knew he scored it.
He is perhaps known best for his work with Tim Burton on movies like “Beetlejuice”, “Edward Scissorhands”, “Nightmare Before Christmas”. He has also scored movies like “Spiderman”, “Spy Kids”, wrote the theme song to “The Simpsons”. He`s been nominated for three Academy Awards. His latest project takes him into the world of 3-D animation with “Meet the Robinsons”. He is composer Danny Elfman.
Hello, sir. How are you?
DANNY ELFMAN, COMPOSER: Hello.
BECK: I am — I am such a huge fan, and I found out today, I have — my wife and I have — we try to play a game. If we watch a movie, we hear the first few notes, is it Elfman or not? And you can tell your music immediately.
I believe there are only two really great music composers, you and Bernard Hermann, who wrote all of the scores for Hitchcock.
ELFMAN: Really?
BECK: I found out today you`re a fan of his, as well.
ELFMAN: Bernard Hermann was my inspiration. He`s the reason I became a film composer.
BECK: I said — you know, I said that yesterday when I found out you were going to be on the show. And everybody looked at me and said, “What about John Williams?”
I said, “John Williams? It`s these two.” Movies…
ELFMAN: No, no, no. John Williams is a legend. He`s — you know, he almost single-handedly is responsible for bringing back orchestral film music, really, to be what it is.
BECK: Come on.
ELFMAN: Bernard Hermann is the one who inspired me when I was about 12 years old to be aware of film music, because he was the first composer whose name I looked for on the movies, when I went to the movies. When I saw Hermann as a kid, that meant I was going to have a little extra enjoyment out of the movie.
BECK: Yes. He really — he just wrapped them up, and you do the same thing. Especially, “Edward Scissorhands”, great movie. Unbelievable score. It makes that movie.
ELFMAN: Thank you very much.
BECK: So the — where do you get your — I don`t know. Because it`s almost fantasy. It is such a cool sound that you create. Where do you get that?
ELFMAN: Well, I don`t know. As you know, I actually do compose in the Los Angeles CNN NEWSROOM. And this is where I have my studio. So…
BECK: It would sound a little like…
(hums Darth Vader theme).
BECK: That`s what the newsroom sounds like.
ELFMAN: No but sometimes the sound of the newsroom, things that — the copy machine, the different sounds, other machines influence me and kind of works its way later into the rhythm of a piece.
You know, I didn`t realize until later that a rhythm that kind of got in my head when I was working the “Spider-Man” theme actually came from my co-worker`s word processor. They were working on a story, and that was just the sound of them typing.
BECK: Now, the latest that you`ve done is for “Meet the Robinsons”. And is it — is it easier, difficult, more difficult or the same to write for animation?
ELFMAN: It`s the same. I mean, actually, whether the characters are animated or real, I kind of get into it the same way. I know that sounds ridiculous. But I don`t think I would have dealt with it any differently had it been a live action fantasy called “Meet the Robinsons” with actors.
BECK: Have you ever — have you ever turned anything down that you regretted? Have you ever went, “That`s not me”?
ELFMAN: Oh, my God, yes.
BECK: Really? What did you turn down that you thought…?
ELFMAN: I ain`t telling you out of respect for the directors who I didn`t work with and the composers who ended up doing the scores that I turned down that I regret. I can`t tell you who that is. But I have some, like, real thorns in my side that I still carry around with me.
BECK: Danny Elfman, thank you very much.
Full transcript (no more with Elfman though) http://archives.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0704/02/gb.01.html
Ryan
Thank you! That was fantastic.
Execpt I’ll hear a typing sound now everytime I hear the Spiderman theme.
Somehow I feel like I heard somewhere about Danny passing or being unable to do LOTR despite an offer, but maybe it was a rumor or speculation or something. Also I’ve heard stories about him meeting with Kevin Smith to discuss “Dogma,” but I think scheduling was what caused him not to do it. That’s another project that Howard Shore did instead of him!
Also I’ve heard stories about him meeting with Kevin Smith to discuss “Dogma,” but I think scheduling was what caused him not to do it.
In the Dogma commentary, Smith said that Elfman passed on it after he and his producer viewed it at Danny’s home. Smith seemed, from my gathering, a little bitter about the whole affair.
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