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Oh, Batman by a mile.
Good Will Hunting, Men in Black, A Simple Plan, Planet of the Apes and Big Fish are also honorable mentions.
Ha — like Danny will be nominated. Still… you never know.
Anyhow, hearing that Corpse Bride will have four songs — one sung by Danny himself — makes me so happy.
I’m guessing that this will be one of Danny’s best years in quite some time.
On a side note, what are Elfman’s best years? I say:
’90
’94
’96
’02>>Okay, here’s the story in brief.
Sam Raimi did not attend the scoring sessions for SPIDER-MAN 2. Despite being invited, he was busy editing (and re-editing) the film. Despite the composer imploring the director to hear the cues on the stage, during the recording session, when changes could be made, the director declined. Instead, the director, upon hearing certain cues on the mixing stage, asked for changes. When it was too late.
Sam wanted Danny to ape the temp track for the E-train sequence in SPIDER-MAN 2. Elfman made several passes. Always keeping away from the temp, but attempting to give Sam what he wanted from the piece. Each time, Elfman was asked to go back and try it again. After several more attempts, it just wasn’t working. Elfman’s integrity would not allow him to rip another composer off — particularly music from a score only two years old!
The filmmakers then decided they would LICENSE the temp track from this two-year old film (not music by Elfman, Debney or Young). But the director of this film (who has veto power over everything pertaining to his films) declined Sony’s offer. (Integrity is not exclusive to Danny Elfman, it seems). So, without the licensed track for the E-train sequence, and without Danny Elfman, Sam Raimi asked Chris Young to score the sequence. At this point, Danny had rightfully walked away from the project and had moved on to CHARLIE and CORPSE BRIDE.
This whole situation could have been avoided had Sam attended the sessions and provided his feedback before the music was already recorded. It was the very least he could do to show respect for Danny, who had improved so many of Sam’s movies with his music.
Ryan<<
Wow, even though that isn’t in perfect synchronisation, Ryan, that is so much better than what’s in the final product.
Christopher Young is going to have his hands full.
True, true…
What has happened to Sam theses days? He and Danny had such a great Burton/Elfman working relationship, where Sam would just let Danny do whatever he wants.
Producer of the Animated Series, Bruce Timm:
When we got around to needing a Main Title theme, Shirley did a piece based on the character theme she’d created for the show. We storyboarded the animation to her track, and then it turned out at the 11th hour that Danny Elfman was interested in doing the Main Titles. So that was a tricky situation because we’d had Shirley do this piece. There was a lot of discussion about how Danny’s name would be a marquee draw. We’d already had the animation timed to Shirley’s piece, but we didn’t use it as a temp track for him.
We told him for money reasons it couldn’t be the actual theme from the movie. So it was tough for him to come up with something that recalled the flavour of the movie without using exactly the same notes. He had to sort of clone himself.
I can’t believe no one has mentioned Dolores Claiborne!
Remember those great commercials? — “Marvel as Kathy Bates runs clumsily though a corn field!”
“[Female chorus] Dolores Claiborne!”
When I bought The Forbidden Zone VHS at Richard Elfman.com back in ’98 — man, has it been that long? — I got a small promotional poster for The Forbidden Zone II, singed by both Danny and Richard Elfman. I guess the film never got made.
Actually, that poster was me under my old username.
I thought I’d revamp the old “news story” just for fun. I didn’t think anyone would have remembered the older one.
Who needs whole CDs when you have the party shuffle!!
[Legal disclaimer: Mr. Keaveney does on condone the practice of score/song album burning.]
I just went from “Le Dieu Ennemi Et La Danse Des Esprits Noirs” from Sergei Prokofiev’s Scythian Suite…
Neat. Can that be found on Amazon?
Also… what’s some of your favorite Stravinsky, Ryan?
But unless Ryan has it confirmed (you love that song, don’t you?) this isn’t a very stable report.
If the mood catches me right, I’ll sing that song — loudly — at work. It gets either big laughs or odd, befuddled stares.
Elfman hasn’t written anything like that.
I’m not sure how Elfman would treat a string quartet, although, Bernard Herrmann wrote a string piece called Souvenir de Voyage.
You can buy it on Amazon for nothing.
Sam wanted Danny to ape the temp track for the E-train sequence in SPIDER-MAN 2.
Hmm, and when that happens — when a temp track becomes more important than the composer’s score — Danny knows it’s time to leave.
I’m not even sure if Raimi is aware of how much tracking there is.
There’s a part in the DVD commentary when he says “I really love the touching music that Danny did, here,” or something to that effect, and the music is from the first film.
Danny has given a lot to Spider-Man, but how many Spider-Man sequels do you think he’s going to score before it kills him?
Elfman will have so much more freedom with Wilbur Robinson and Charlotte’s Web. It will be better for Elfman, and it will be better for us, as well.
Imagine the Sony and Marvel logos without the high strings! It would be like the Matrix trilogy without their signature brass opening over the WB logo! What are we to do about this?
I imagine the Main Titles will be very similar to the pervious films. Hell, there might even be some tracking involved.
I am seriously contemplating whether or not I should go out and see this movie if Danny’s not involved.
Yeah, if all the Elfman fans would just band together and boycott Spider-Man 3, it might go down in ticket sales 0.00028%.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Raimi’s work, but he’s gotta knock me out if he’s gonna go and ditch Danny.
Well, we don’t know the whole story yet. (Well, do we?) It might have been Elfman’s decision not to score the picture.
On to different and much better things, I guess. It’s actually semi-good news for me.
Oh, I agree, and with few reservations. Let Young’s music go under the digital knife, so to speak.
Sam can have him re-orchestrate Hellriser music ’til the cows come home, for all I care.
By the way, it’s common knowledge that the theme was actually written by John Williams…
Yes, but John Williams the classical guitarist, not the film composer…
Alf Clausen wrote The Simpsons Theme.
Anyhow — the liner-notes on The Simpsons: Songs In The Key Of Springfield, Matt Groening says that a “flavors” tape consisted of “The Jetsons theme, selections from Nino Rota’s Juliet of the Spirts, a Remington electric shaver jingle by Frank Zappa, some easy-listening music by Esquivel, and a teach-your-parrot-to-talk record.”
“Elfman gave it a listen and said ‘I know exactly what you’re talking looking for.'”
That’s all I got.
And in The Nightmare Before Christmas, I can just barely make out a chorus singing, “Making Christmas.”
Okay, that’s enough.
With that said, I think his X2 and The Usual Suspects scores are brilliant.
X-Men 2, for me, is just a passable super-hero score; Elfman spoils us. The Usual Suspects, however, is a lovely score. That’s the only Ottman score that really stands out for me.
Good ol’ NPR…
Now we know it was at least recorded.
Yes, and it was, I’d imagine, a very raw, live recording from the premiere, unless the excerpts were taken from the rehearsal.
Anyway, what was the Stravinsky piece that Elfman mentioned?
why is that, Ryan?