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As I said over on FSM:
I saw the movie earlier today, and while there were a couple of really good, classically burtonesque scenes, it was overall very disappointing. So LOUD and NOISY all the time (not helped by the fact that the projectionist turned the volume all the way up)! And — as with most “big” Hollywood scores from Elfman in the last decade and a half — just a couple of highlights (like the opening train cue, the waltz for the acrobat woman and the ‘pink elephant’ circus number), but the rest was all over the place; noisy, whimsical and grating, really.
As a massive Elfman fan, I really want to be the bearer of better news, but I can’t. I’ll continue to look forward to his next indie project instead, where he’s really at his best right now.
Intriguing. I’m assuming it has nothing to do with Taymour’s TITUS (stage or film), but rather the story itself. Would have been cool if it were, though. Goldenthal followed Elfman for BATMAN, and now the scenario would be reversed.
Sounds great, wish I could be there.
Elfman actually broached the news about the piano quartet to me, personally, in my brief interview two years ago. Took some time to finalize, but glad to see it’s finally being released. The other ‘chamber piece’ sounds intriguing. He’s building up quite the catalogue of concert works now.
After one listen, I’m not too thrilled. Lots of mickey-mousing and brass “screams” (reminiscent of FLUBBER, which is not a compliment). As previously mentioned, this is NOT the type of Elfman I gravitate towards these days.
I’ll sit impatiently and tap my fingers while I wait for his next indie project (or concert work) to be released.
I had a harddisk crash a few months ago, and lost all my data (including my entire Elfman collection). I’ve slowly managed to rebuild it, but among the casualties I’ve been unable to find are the files from this. So Dr. Giggles — any chance you could send me those raw audio files?
While watching the film, I noticed that Lorne Balfe prominently reuses a variation of a sub-theme from Elfman’s MI soundtrack. You really hear it during the climactic helicopter chase. Has anyone else noticed this?
Are you sure you’re not thinking of “The Plot” — which is a secondary Schifrin theme for the original series that Elfman also alluded to in his score now and then? Balfe used that on several occasions.
Yes, loving the score too despite the bits and pieces from his other things. This is exactly the Elfman I listen to these days. The JUSTICE LEAGUEs of this world can go take a hike!
Thanks for sharing, dddeee!
I had no idea it was a documentary portrait of Clare. I thought it was a horror-type story. A very nice “snapshot” portrait of a person, and lovely Danny music to boot (my kind of Elfman score these days). I’m doubting it will ever see the light of day on an album, though.
I have those too. Most of them were realaudio. 🙂
As for unreleased Elfman, here’s a list:
FILMS:
AMERICAN HUSTLE
SUMMER SCHOOL
HOT TO TROT
FACE LIKE A FROG
MY FAVOURITE MARTIAN (not counting promo)
DEEP SEA 3D (the music not featured in Serenada Schizophrana)
NOTORIOUS (there’s more than just the theme)
ANYWHERE BUT HERE (not counting suite)
THE FAMILY MAN (not counting promo)
DO NOT DISTURB
CONDO PAINTING
MODERN VAMPIRES
KICK-ASS (“Walk to Raisulis”….not counting promo)
NACHO LIBRE (not counting promo)
DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?TV:
AMAZING STORIES – FAMILY DOG
PERVERSIONS OF SCIENCE
POINT PLEASANT
DILBERT (different version than FORBIDDEN ZONE theme)
HONDA
FORD LINCOLN MERCURY
NISSANNON-FILM MUSIC:
PIANO CONCERTO 1 1/2
THE FORTUNE TELLER
OVEREAGER OVERTURE
PUPPET MASTERPIECE THEATER: THE CIRCUS
MYSTIC MANOR
HOUDINI (rejected)
JIMMY CALLICUT
LITTLE DEMONS*sigh*
Still waiting for someone to do a completely unreleased Elfman score instead of all these [insert expletive] expansions.
Actually, I’ve been a JXL fan since the “A Little Less Conversation” remix in the early 2000s. Love his electronica stuff, first and foremost (like the superb score to DISTANCE BETWEEN DREAMS), but I also like his more orchestral affairs. BRIMSTONE is one of the year’s best scores (for one of the year’s worst films), I obviously dig MAD MAX and I’ve liked quite a bit of his blockbuster stuff — at least more than the big Elfman stuff in the last decade.
On the other hand, Elfman’s smaller scores in recent years have been on the same level, or better than many of JXL’s scores.
Quite the contrary; JXL’s work on those movies is far more interesting than anything in JUSTICE LEAGUE.
I can’t even get through the original album (I only have a digital copy; I’m missing a bunch of recent Elfmans in physical format), but I’ve made a pretty OK 33-minute playlist that I can work with. I’m flabbergasted by the popularity of this noisefest.
Also, does anyone know where I can download JUST the Elfman tracks? It’s not on iTunes (which is understandable, since it’s a limited edition).
Are we sure Elfman only did those three tracks on the soundtrack (“Sean”, “Christmas” and “Defeated”)?
Been trying to get into this — again! — but I really can’t. I’m not a fan of 75% of Danny’s scores between the mid 90s and the mid 2000s, and this is one of the toughest nuts to crack. Mostly just an endless attack of sturm und drang!
Does anyone really like this score?
I sorta agree on CORPSE BRIDE (that WAS 2005, as was CHARLIE) but I think ALICE very much bears the “Serenada Schizophrana” influence more than old-style Elfman. It’s the last of the “big” genre blockbuster thingies of Elfman’s that I’ve liked, though. OZ sounds like another of those generic “big” genre things he’s done in the last few years, IMO.
I’ve NOT cared particularly for CHARLOTTE’S WEB, HELLBOY 2, TERMINATOR: SALVATION, WANTED, THE WOLFMAN, REAL STEEL, DARK SHADOWS, FRANKENWEENIE, IRIS, HITCHCOCK, MIB3, MR PEABODY & SHERMAN, EPIC, OZ, AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, GOOSEBUMPS, ALICE 2 and JUSTICE LEAGUE (although several of them have had great, individual tracks).
On the other hand, I’ve REALLY cared for THE KINGDOM, MILK, STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE, TAKING WOODSTOCK, THE NEXT THREE DAYS, RESTLESS, PROMISED LAND, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, THE UNKONWN KNOWN, THE END OF THE TOUR, THE CIRCLE and TULIP FEVER.
That’s why I won’t allow myself to have any expectations for stuff like THE GRINCH and DUMBO, even though the “thematic palette” might seem right up Elfman’s alley — on paper.
FAMILY MAN…NOW we’re talking!
I was never a big fan of Horner’s GRINCH score, to be honest. I also don’t think Elfman has “returned to his roots” at any point since 2005, at the very least (although there have been individual moments). I just don’t think he’s able to do that anymore. There have been MANY projects in the last few years where we thought this would be the ideal platform for this, but it hasn’t happened yet. That’s why I’m hesitant to apply it to the new GRINCH score, even if — on the surface — it looks like another ideal platform.
Sorry for being all “grinchy” about this myself, but outside the wonderful indie scores in the last few years, my Elfman enthusiasm has been considerably reduced due to the ‘blockbuster’ things he’s done.
I watched an interview with Alan Silvestri recently where he was asked why he was working less these days, and he said that it’s because he’s getting less phone calls.
Well, yes, but right now he’s working on Spielberg’s READY PLAYER ONE, and it doesn’t get more high profile than that. Hopefully, that will result in more high profile projects for him.
All that being said, I’m less and less enthused by “high profile” projects these days, especially for Elfman. I’ve said this before, but it’s been several years since I was impressed and actually liked a high profile/blockbuster/action score by him. If it were up to me, he would ONLY do indie films from now on, where he truly shines. But that’s not going to happen. At least the GRINCH thing sounds potentially more interesting than JUSTICE LEAGUE.
