lonzoe

Except Jonathan Sheffer conducted the Batman Returns score. Shirley Walker didn't have any involvement in the Batman Returns score.  In fact, Article 99, which was released before Batman Returns, was basically the last Elfman score she conducted or had any involvement in.
 
Just had to come out of a near decade long hibernation from this forum to correct that bit false info on the Batman Returns score.

I'll do my best to give my thoughts on all three scores. Okay here we go...
I can’t decide which is my favorite. All hit a different spot for me. I'll just say I enjoyed each score in it's own way.
Speed and Bad Boys hold some sentimental value b/c I used to watch both movies many times as a teen. The scores were some of the highlights in both movies. I’ve always thought Mancina’s score elevated the suspense, action, and thrills in Speed. I know some think it’s a little too synthetic at times (for example during the evil Payne moments) but I think it adds a bit of edginess and paranoia to the score and film. It also highlights the cat & mouse game between Jack and Payne. The 6 note main theme is very catchy and captures the heroics and bravery of Jack Traven. As well as the anxiety of the situations he’s put in throughout the movie. I also enjoy the secondary theme that’s more dramatic. That theme brings heart to the movie, imo. I feel it represents the survival and innocence of the frightened passengers. It also portrays the relationship between Jack and Anne. It’s very touching and wraps up the score nicely. The motif for Payne is very textural but unnerving and menacing. The action moments are the highlights of the album for me (“Rush Hour” (this track does a stellar job of capturing the chaos of competing against rush hour traffic, imho), “Jack Jumps On The Bus”, “City Streets”, “The Gap” (has the right amount of anticipation and tension needed for the scene) “The Dolly”, “Jack Under Bus”, “The Rescue” (the music during the moment Jack and Anne exit the bus was breathtaking, imo), “Getting On The Train”, “Fight On Train”. I enjoy the score overall very much. This is a score I can listen to repeatedly.
I know Mancina’s Bad Boys is an MV/RCP type of score, which is frowned upon up here and many film score sites, but it works b/c it’s composed for a Bruckheimer/Bay movie. I actually prefer the MV/RCP scores of the 90s. The hip hop-esque main theme is very fitting for the two leads. It’s at times cool, hip, and even comical echoing the attitude and bromance between Martin and Smith. I also like the affectionate theme for Julie with the Spanish guitar, I believe. Which like Mancina did for Speed added sympathy to the score and film. It sort of reminds me of Kamen’s little bromance theme for Riggs and Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapons. I love the use of it with electric guitars in the middle of “Hanger Shootout”. It‘s dramatically effective in “Pouchet’s Death” as well. The villain theme for Pouchet (with the electric guitar) was perfect for this kind of score and film. And even brings some level of menace to some moments in the score. You can hear shades of this particular theme for Cyrus the Virus in Con Air, which hopefully someday will get an expanded release. The action material is great, imo, especially during “Heist“, “Escape From Club Hell/Ether Chase” “Foot chase”, “Hanger Shootout”. Mancina does a good job of imitating the essence of a Bay/Bruckheimer 90s action movie. I know a lot of people might think it’s garbage. To me it’s a just a fun 90s action buddy cop score that compliments the film nicely.
I’ve only listen to Speed 2 three times now. I’ve enjoyed each listen. Mancina’s score doesn’t feel like a rehash of the original,which is a good thing. Even though his main theme from Speed makes a few appearances letting the listeners know this is a Speed movie, but it doesn‘t hog the score from the new themes/motif. His main theme for Alex is very fitting. It comes off as if Alex is even more of a thrillseeker than Jack was from the original. I like how the original main theme plays off of Alex’s theme in the adventurous “Motorcycle Chase”. It sort of plays as a variation of the original main theme. Jack Sparrow’s theme sort of reminds me of Alex’s theme from that particular track anyway. This theme gets a workout on the album. The Caribbean Cruise theme for the Seabourn Legend sounds like cruise muzak that I’d expect to hear on a cruise ship. It has this Jamaican feel to it. Mancina seamlessly made that piece into a romantic theme for Anne and Alex (in “Alex and Anne”) but then segues into Caribbean cruise muzak as they step aboard the Seabourn Legend. He plays the theme more alarming in “The Harbor”. Geiger’s catchy villain theme is more comic book-y, compared to Payne’s more textural theme in the original. Mancina also makes great use of this theme through out even using it to highlight some of the predicaments of the cruise. At the beginning of the “Engine Room”, where Geiger’s theme is introduced, It sounds like it might’ve been temp tracked with Williams’ JFK. The same piece Under Siege and The Usual Suspects used for temp. That’s not a complaint just something I noticed. There’s an emotional theme for Alex and Anne that’s introduced in the middle of “Last Lifeboat” that’s used efficiently throughout the score. I also like his variation of “The Gap” (from the first score) during “Tanker Turn”. It made me actually care about what was going on in that scene during the movie. The score is very well paced for a 70 minute album and never drags, imo. The score gets more exciting as it reaches it's conclusion, imho. Mancina's score unlike the movie is a great follow up to Speed. It's also a better score than what the film deserved,imo.

I’m not as good at giving reviews as others up here, but here goes…. I’m a casual viewer of the show. And Source Code got me into Bacon’s music. Bates Motel is an ambient score that not only explores (as does the show itself) the psychology of a young Norman Bates and his unorthodox relationship with his mother but also the mystery behind certain characters and events of White Pine Bay that crosses Norma and Norman’s path. Bacon came up with plenty of motifs that either depicts Norma, Norman , the mother and son bond between Norma and Norman, the romance between Norman and Bradley, the brotherly bond between Dylan and Norman, the mysterious town of White Pine Bay, etc. It has it share of bleak, macabre, and even tender moments. Fans of the show and Bacon should check it out.

I'm not a fan of Jackman by any means, but I'm hoping he comes up with a good score at least. B/c I'm very much looking forward to the film itself. It sucks that he wont use the Silvestri theme for crucial scenes. I doubt he'll come up with anything that can rival Silvestri's either. IMO Silvestri's CA March was one of the better superhero themes of this decade and the last. It was far from generic and predictable unlike some of the current superhero themes & scores.

Sorry for the late response. Bottom line: I thought the EFLA score was great and a lot of fun. It isn't as bleak or grim as the EFNY score was (which I also enjoyed) b/c it's a score to a hokey movie. It also has a nice blend of synthetic and orchestral music. The synth driven tracks by Walker skillfully merges with Carpenter's overall soundscape. The heroic theme/motif she gave Snake(which can be heard in "Submarine Launch", "Hang Glider Attack", "Helicopter Arrival", "Fire Fight") is a highlight as well. IMO this is up there with some of the best sci-fi action scores in the 90s. Recommended to both Walker and Carpenter fans.

Since it's October. I started my ShocktoberFest (for lack of a better word) of scores in chronological order of US release date.
Wednesday Oct. 2nd...
Planet Of The Apes (1968) - Jerry Goldsmith
Halloween (1978) 20th Anniversary - John Carpenter
Alien (Intrada) 2-CD - Jerry Goldsmith
Thursday Oct. 3rd...
John Carpenter's The Fog (1980) 2-CD Silva Screen - John Carpenter
Friday The 13th (1980) (LLLR) - Harry Manfredini
Friday The 13th Part 2 (LLLR) - Harry Manfredini
Halloween II (1981) 30th Anniversary - John Carpenter In Association with Alan Howarth
Friday Oct. 4th...
Poltergeist (FSM) - Jerry Goldsmith
Friday The 13th Part 3 (LLLR) - Harry Manfredini
Halloween III: Season Of The Witch (25th Anniversary) - John Carpenter In Association With Alan Howarth
Twilight Zone: The Movie (FSM) - Jerry Goldsmith
Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter (LLLR) - Harry Manfredini
Monday Oct. 7th...

Strange coincidence I was listening to Speed 2 this morning for the first time. I enjoyed it very much. It's a very propulsive and fun adventure score and the themes resonate with me. I enjoyed the first score as well.

Looking forward to Reloaded. Autographs shmautographs. I just care about the excellent music.

I really enjoyed what Goldsmith came up with for this. A shame it got rejected. His music underscores the raw and urban setting of the movie quite well, imo. Eventhough some found it cheesy, I found the motif for the protagonist very catchy. That motif really sums up the protagonist as this up and coming boxer with the heart of a champion, imo.The melancholic love theme was also well done. Though it's very somber for a love theme, but it's still very moving, imo. Some of the electronics remind me of his underrated Extreme Prejudice and Hoosiers score (as well as the upbeat moments from that particular score). The unused score really helps me picture the movie in a different perspective. I've seen the film many years ago and can't recall much of Brad Fiedel's score. So I can't really compare 'em, but I really enjoyed Goldsmith's unused score. It might be a little synth heavy, funky, and upbeat for some. And the electronics are very mid-late 80s to early 90s Goldsmith, but again it works (or could've worked) for the story and tone of the movie, imo anyway.

Happy 60th Birthday Mr. Elfman.