Best Elfman/Burton Collaboration (scorewise)

[indy4 155]

Here's my ranking:

1. Nightmare Before Christmas

2. Edward Scissorhands

3. Big Fish

4. Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

5. Corpse Bride

6. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

7. Sleepy Hollow

8. Mars Attacks!

9. Alice in Wonderland

10. Planet of the Apes

11. Batman Returns

12. Beetlejuice

13. Batman

It pains me to put Edward in #2, as the Ice Dance theme is one of the greatest pieces of music I think has ever been written, but there are less awesome parts of Edward , whereas Nightmare is more consistent.

I didn't include non-film collaborations, as a) not a lot of people have access to those as a lot of them were only recently released in the Elfman/Burton set and b) they can be difficult to compare to film scores.

[Ollie 1,069]

Batman.

[mrbellamy 6,351]

After all these years, it's still Pee-Wee, for me. Such sublime musical lunacy.

[Jay 37,548]

I'll probably be the only one to vote for Mars Attacks!

[indy4 155]

Mars Attacks! is one of two scores that I hadn't heard before getting the Elfman boxset, and I'm glad I finally got to hear it. It's a great score.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Beetlejuice

Edward Scissorhands

Big Fish

Corpse Bride

Mars Attacks!

Sleepy Hollow

Batman

Alice In Wonderland

Planet Of The Apes

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

Pee Wee's Big Adventure

Batman Returns

[Jay 37,548]

How in the world can Batman Returns be at the bottom of your list?

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Well I'm not a huge fan of Batman in the first place. I couldn't finish LLL's complete release of Returns, hated it. I was surprised by just how much Christmas themed music Elfman crammed in there.

[Jay 37,548]

I'm at a loss for words

[Incanus 5,736]

Sleepy Hollow for me, followed by Edward Scissorhands and the two Batman scores.

[crocodile 8,093]

Batman Returns is one of these few scores that started it all for me. Even the first one can't beat that.

Karol

[Thor 7,679]

The "Holy Three" are, of course, BATMAN, NIGHTMARE and EDWARD. I've never been that hot on BATMAN, for some reason. NIGHTMARE is a personal favourite and probably the one that made me a Danny completist. But then you have EDWARD, which is arguably his magnum opus (even in his own words), and one of the main score analyses in my master thesis.

I voted for NIGHTMARE in the end.

My list would look something like this:

1. NIGHTMARE

2. EDWARD

3. ALICE

4. PEE-WEE

5. BEETLEJUICE

6. CHARLIE

7. BIG FISH

8. PLANET

9. BATMAN RETURNS

10. CORPSE

11. BATMAN

12. SLEEPY

13. MARS

[Josh500 1,615]

Batman.

[gkgyver 1,646]

NO vote for Edward?

I voted Batman

[Thor 7,679]

NO vote for Edward?

I voted Batman

As I said, it was a tough call between NIGHTMARE and EDWARD. If I knew that that the latter would have no votes, I would probably have changed mine to that.

[Quintus 5,399]

Batman Returns.

Elfman's finest hour.

[Ollie 1,069]

Edward S. is right behind Batman.

[Quintus 5,399]

Yeah, Scissorhands is probably the quintessential Elfman score.

[LongTallJodie 59]

Nightmare, which shouldn't come as a galloping shock considering how much of a Disney nerd I've appeared as lately.

[crocodile 8,093]

Edward S. is right behind Batman.

Yeah, Scissorhands is probably the quintessential Elfman score.

I think nobody will argue the fact Edward is exceptional and already a true classic.

Not bad for a rockman, eh?

Karol

[indy4 155]

The Ice Dance theme is probably the best thing Elfman has ever written.

[Quintus 5,399]

Edward S. is right behind Batman.

Yeah, Scissorhands is probably the quintessential Elfman score.

I think nobody will argue the fact Edward is exceptional and already a true classic.

Not bad for a rockman, eh?

Karol

Actually, I think the influence is right there in the score

[Matt C 456]

1. Batman

2. Sleepy Hollow

3. Alice in Wonderland

I really don't see the love for Edward Scissorhands (some gorgeous music but not constantly "wow!") and Batman Returns is just off-putting.

[Salacius 7]

Edward Scissorhands and for me it ends there, the others are OK for me but ES is just incredible

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,495]

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

1. MARS ATTACKS!

2. BATMAN RETURNS

3. SLEEPY HOLLOW

Can't stand Elfman's NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. One of the most distracting, trite, and downright infuriating scores ever composed.

[Richard Penna 3,782]

Sleepy Hollow

Edward Scissorhands

Big Fish

Alice in Wonderland

I'm not really a fan of this collaboration. I have 15 Elfman scores, and 10 of them are dramas for other directors.

[Jay 37,548]

What's the 5th Burton one you have?

[Richard Penna 3,782]

Miscounted - only the 4 I listed are Burton.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Can't stand Elfman's NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. One of the most distracting, trite, and downright infuriating scores ever composed.

Okkkaay.

[Brónach 1,303]

I have difficulty going through Nightmare, too.

[Jay 37,548]

Says the man who doesn't like Batman Returns

Honestly they are both tremendous achievements, not sure what it is you guys aren't hearing in them

[gkgyver 1,646]

Batman Returns is an amazing score from start to finish.

It's just difficult to keep the attention up because of the percussive outbursts. But Birth Of A Penguin is still the definitive Elfman main title scene for me.

The seguing into the Batman theme is mindblowing.

And I love, adore that contrasting between weeping high strings and low winds singing that simple but genius Batman fanfare.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I'll listen to it again soon. See if I hear something that didn't register earlier.

But The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my favorite scores. I don't know how anyone cannot get through it. Is it the songs that don't appeal to you? As much as I love them, the orchestra-only score is a superb listen.

[Jay 37,548]

Yea, the orchestra-only disc was a freaking godsend. NEVER thought we'd get anything like that EVER. If I ever meet Bob Kraft, I'd personally thank him for making that happen

[Brónach 1,303]

I don't dislike it, it just doesn't grab me like other Elfman scores. I'm not sure why.

I didn't know there was a orchestra only disc Is it unreleased material, or ochestral only versions of the songs?

[Jay 37,548]

Orchestral only versions of all the songs

It's on Disc 16 of this:

http://www.elfmanburton.com/

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049ZQZAQ/

[indy4 155]

The orchestral versions are cool, but I definitely prefer the vocal versions.

[Jay 37,548]

I'm definitely happy to have the option to listen to either

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Yep, it can go either way depending on my mood.

[indy4 155]

Oh yeah, me too. But I still prefer the song versions.

[fommes 154]

1. Nightmare before Christmas

2. Batman Returns

3. Corpse Bride

4. Planet of the Apes

5. Edward Scissorhands

6. Big Fish

7. Sleepy Hollow

8. Batman

9. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

10. Mars Attacks!

11. Alice in Wonderland

12. Beetlejuice

13. Pee-Wee

[Elmo Lewis 6]

To me, Edward Scissorhands is the undisputed musical and atmospheric triumph here. I see I'm in a minority.

[crocodile 8,093]

We definitely need a complete score release.

Karol

[Wojo 2,453]

1. Pee-Wee

2. Batman

3. Edward Scissorhands

4. Batman Returns

5. Beetlejuice

Never listened to outside of movie:

Nightmare before Christmas

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Alice in Wonderland

Mars Attacks!

Planet of the Apes

Corpse Bride

Big Fish

Sleepy Hollow