Composer Threads Official Danny Elfman Thread

[Thor 7,508]

Might be a mess in terms of all the composers attached, but a very entertaining score nonetheless! I dig Elfman's "Walk to Rasul's".

[Richard Penna 3,694]

One of my favourites was always The Corridor for some reason. Famous is also a good one, but the whole score has lots of nice little highlights.

 

But yes, really entertaining score. Must listen to it again - it dropped out of my active playlist years ago.

[HunterTech 994]

That album is frustrating, since the gapless transitions are broken, so you would essentially have to seek out the bootleg if you don't want the flow to be ruined by a sudden brief stop when going from one track to another.

[Thor 7,508]

With the score release of SUMMER SCHOOL, I'm hoping there's still some possibility for my no. 1 desired unreleased Elfman score, HOT TO TROT, as well (obviously not counting the brief track on MFADT). Meanwhile, however, I look forward to this.

[ddddeeee 257]

A proper release of A Family Man would be very much appreciated.

[mstrox 6,651]

That might be my last remaining grail.

[Jay 37,369]

Posted by MV Gerhard of LLLRecords:

 

Don't get this cd. Trust me

 

https://filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=151008&forumID=1&archive=0&pageID=1

[Thor 7,508]

Disconcerting.

[mstrox 6,651]

Well, sounds like there will be a better (and legit??) release coming down the pike.

[Bayesian 1,363]

26 minutes ago, Thor said:

Disconcerting.

No kidding. If this was coming from any other person, I'd be super skeptical. But for MV to write that? What are we completists supposed to infer from this?? 

 

I hope we learn more about this situation before Tuesday.

[Thor 7,508]

If it's a legit warning about a bad product (like, say, the Perseverance release of RAIN MAN with its abysmal sound quality shortly before the superior NoteforNote release), then I'm with him. If, however, it's just to protect a future release of the same score on LLL, it's a different story (even if that release contains more music -- not that important to me, and the score is super short anyway -- or more lavish liner notes or whatever). He doesn't need to be specific, but a more general reasoning for his comment would be useful.

[Jay 37,369]

Update from MV:

 

This Is a real release but it's only 19 minutes long and from what I have been told the sound quality is meh.

 

 MV

[mstrox 6,651]

Are there any people who did their doctorate in the score from Summer School?  Is the score that short, or is this a weird super-truncated release?

[Thor 7,508]

3 hours ago, mstrox said:

Are there any people who did their doctorate in the score from Summer School?  Is the score that short, or is this a weird super-truncated release?

 

Yes, it's very short. I think I counted it to 8 minutes once; but it's probably a few minutes more. The blurb also talks about including a couple of cues that were not in the film, hence the 19 minutes. In an ideal world, it could have been coupled with something else, like -- say -- HOT TO TROT, but if that's not possible, I'll take whatever I can get. Here are some 2009 comments of mine about the film and score, from FSM:

 

Quote

I just watched the movie.

It's great, breezy 80's high school fun about a class of brats that have to stay for summer school with unqualified ex-"brat" Mark Harmon and the stuff they go through in order to pass the English test. Not "serious" explorations a la FAST TIMES or SIXTEEN CANDLES or BREAKFAST CLUB, but with likeable characters and simple situations. And a couple of genuine laughs.

It also happens to star my two big 80's film crushes, Kirstie Alley and Courtney Thorne Smith, so it's worth watching just for them.

Elfman's music is very short (appr. 8 minutes, as previously mentioned), but great fun in the spirit of BACK TO SCHOOL. It's very "classical", pure Rota pastiche. The highlights are probably the mock-Herrmann dissonance for the "fake blood and gore" scene and the uplifting quasi-baroque music for the "studying to the test"-montage.

The Oingo Boingo song "Happy" (best described as happy-go-lucky blues with accordions) sets the mood wonderfully in the opening and is also repeated over the end titles. There are also several great 80's pop tunes here, mostly in the Huey Lewis/boogiewoogie mode, by the likes of Paul Engemann of SCARFACE/"Push it to the Limit" fame.

Even though the soundtrack contains most of these songs ("Happy" is not available elsewhere, btw), there are no score tracks, unfortunately. And since it's so brief, it would be perfect on a future compilation or something. Or as a bonus track on a release of another (previously unreleased?) Elfman score.

 

[Edmilson 7,466]

So that means the bigger problem is not necessarily the "only 19 minutes" but rather the meh sound quality, right?

[Bespin 8,483]

Like if it will be the first "meh" sound quality release on CD...

 

Oh, sorry I don't even care about this release, I don't even know this movie and score!

[Thor 7,508]

1 hour ago, Edmilson said:

So that means the bigger problem is not necessarily the "only 19 minutes" but rather the meh sound quality, right?

 

Problem is we don't know what 'meh' constitutes. It could be perfectly fine (albeit not perfect), or it could be abysmal like the Perseverance RAIN MAN release. I think the safe bet, given MV's vague warning, is to just acquire this and deal with the consequences later on, if there are any.

[Richard Penna 3,694]

Question in my mind (academically, I'm not interested in this score) is that if MV is warning against purchasers due to sound quality, it would make more sense if he knew the sound quality sucked but that better elements were available, i.e. wait until someone else does it properly.

 

If the only elements available sound crap then it's a bit more complicated, as it's rubbish or nothing, in which case saying 'don't purchase' is a bit presumptuous.

[mstrox 6,651]

It’s a cost I’m willing to eat for the only ever release of the score.  If LLL were hinting about a better release to come (like they did with a Home Alone OST remaster that came out a few months before their expansion), I’d wait.

 

I’m also probably deranged enough to buy an improved version from LLL should they release one paired with something else.

[TolkienSS 407]

Why would someone not buy music he wants to hear and own, just because someone on the internet says don't?

If it's unreleased music I want to hear, it doesn't matter if it's shorter or not in perfect quality. 

 

If MV produces Soundtrack albums, he obviously also wants to retain customers for an eventual release.

Shady practics.

[HunterTech 994]

Is there actually much precedence in producers from labels advising people to not buy a release from a different company? I can only think of one instance where it's the composer himself (Hans Zimmer on one of the Notefornote releases of his work), and that more likely has to do with his dissatisfaction with the material itself than the work done. In any case, it's hard for me to judge yet over if this is a cynical move, given the label behind this particular release isn't a regular as far as I am aware, so there might be more to it that we won't know until people get their hands on it.

[Bespin 8,483]

If they are aware of the sound quality of cheap releases, it's because they listened to a better source, but they are currently unable to release it... 

 

This happens sometimes.

[mstrox 6,651]

14 minutes ago, HunterTech said:

Is there actually much precedence in producers from labels advising people to not buy a release from a different company?

The only one I can think of is the one I mentioned upthread with LLL and Home Alone.  The OST was being reissued for the 25th anniversary and MV replied:

 

[Edmilson 7,466]

The China Girl motif from Oz: The Great and Powerful is one of Elfman's most JNH-like themes. If it weren't for the typically Elfman orchestrations one could say that this theme belonged to Maleficent or Peter Pan:

 

 

 

Which is funny because on the next year JNH also had a Elfman-like moment:

 

 

Anyway, Oz is a very underrated score on Elfman's canon. I used to have a negative opinion about it but I heard it again after a decade and it's still a lot of fun!

[Faleel 5,353]

On 21/04/2023 at 10:26 AM, Richard Penna said:

Question in my mind (academically, I'm not interested in this score) is that if MV is warning against purchasers due to sound quality, it would make more sense if he knew the sound quality sucked but that better elements were available, i.e. wait until someone else does it properly.

 

If the only elements available sound crap then it's a bit more complicated, as it's rubbish or nothing, in which case saying 'don't purchase' is a bit presumptuous.

Or there was something that could have been done that wasn't (i.e. Plugins or some sort of processing)

[ddddeeee 257]

I've always liked the Oz score. It's lacking a theme as brilliant as Alice's Theme, but it's all narratively very tight. It's mixed really well in the film, too.

 

I think of it and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as sibling scores in my head.

 

• The (long!) albums are bookended by suites of the main themes.
• The Main Titles from Oz and main on end from Doctor Strange are very similarly structured.
• Strange's stuttering theme feels like it's searching for something; Oz's theme also feels like its struggling to find itself.
• Elfman's Strange theme doubles as a love theme. Like the love theme in Oz, it feels broken.
• Even though the main character themes get the most play time, the scores are dominated by the villain themes, both of which are very redundant of other Elfman themes. Having said that, the use of the themes is narratively very satisfying. Wanda's theme is even like a waltz.
• The heart of both scores lie the themes for the supporting characters who help the main character become a better version of themselves - the America Chavez theme and the China Girl theme.
• The line between source music and score becoming blurred - Lethal Symphonies and Fireside Dance.

[Edmilson 7,466]

5 hours ago, ddddeeee said:

I've always liked the Oz score. It's lacking a theme as brilliant as Alice's Theme, but it's all narratively very tight. It's mixed really well in the film, too.

 

I think of it and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as sibling scores in my head.

 

• The (long!) albums are bookended by suites of the main themes.
• The Main Titles from Oz and main on end from Doctor Strange are very similarly structured.
• Strange's stuttering theme feels like it's searching for something; Oz's theme also feels like its struggling to find itself.
• Elfman's Strange theme doubles as a love theme. Like the love theme in Oz, it feels broken.
• Even though the main character themes get the most play time, the scores are dominated by the villain themes, both of which are very redundant of other Elfman themes. Having said that, the use of the themes is narratively very satisfying. Wanda's theme is even like a waltz.
• The heart of both scores lie the themes for the supporting characters who help the main character become a better version of themselves - the America Chavez theme and the China Girl theme.
• The line between source music and score becoming blurred - Lethal Symphonies and Fireside Dance.

That is a pretty cool analysis! I listened to Oz yersterday for the first time in a decade and I really enjoyed it, now I'll have to listen to MoM again with an open ear for the similarities.

[JNHFan2000 2,966]

I love Oz!! The main theme is so cool.

 

The Montage near the end of the film is some of my favorite scoring from Elfman.

I actually always quite liked the film as well.

Mostly the 3 witches. 3 great actresses having a blast

[Jay 37,369]

Summer School order page is up with no tracklist provided nor total length mentioned

 

https://www.rustedwave.com/product/summer-school-cd-motion-from-the-motion-picture-by-danny-elfman

 

But it does say:

 

The complete Elfman score is newly remastered from the original audio tapes, and contains two recently-unearthed Elfman compositions that were not used in the film

[ddddeeee 257]

Interview ahead of next week's premiere.

 

A Conversation with Composer Danny Elfman | WETA

[JNHFan2000 2,966]

 

[DangerMotif 1,038]

https://deadline.com/2023/05/beetlejuice-2-danny-elfman-on-sequel-wednesday-score-in-concert-1235355363/

[Edmilson 7,466]

Quote

Deadline is reporting that Danny Elfman is contributing the theme (song) to an upcoming, currently untitled, documentary series about director Tim Burton. The show is directed by Tara Wood (Quentin Tarantino QT8: The First Eight, 21 Years: Richard Linklater) and centers on the filmmaker who has collaborated with Elfman on most of his features, including Batman, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Sleepy Hollow, Planet of the Apes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland and Dumbo. The 4-parter will feature interviews with Burton collaborators such as Johnny Depp, Michael Keaton, Helena Bonham Carter, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega, Danny DeVito, Christopher Walken, as well as Elfman himself. Wood is also producing the project with Joe Clarke and Jake Zortman. Allen Gilmer and Riki Rushing are executive producing for Thunderbird Pictures. No release date has been announced yet for the docuseries

http://filmmusicreporter.com/2023/05/16/tara-woods-tim-burton-docuseries-to-feature-theme-by-danny-elfman/

[ddddeeee 257]

Happy 70th birthday to Danny Elfman. Celebrating with some of my favourite scores of his.

 

I - briefly - met him a few years ago after a performance of his violin concerto, and the words that came out were 'I love Dolores Claiborne.' And I do! It's so achingly sad and a perfect marriage to the (very underrated) movie.

 

 

 

[crocodile 8,017]

70? When did that happen? 😲

 

Happy birthday to mad Danny! Some of the pieces I absolutely adore:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Karol

[Thor 7,508]

70 is insane to think about. But he keeps up appearances well, and I'm impressed by how he still rocks the stage, often with shirt off -- kinda like Iggy Pop. Happy birthday to one of the most important film composers in my life!

[Tom Guernsey 2,286]

When he was a mere 62 he had the misfortune to meet some weird fanboy outside the Royal Albert Hall. Happy birthday!

[Jay 37,369]

Woah you look nothing like your profile pic there

[mstrox 6,651]

He’s the one on the left, Jay

[Tom Guernsey 2,286]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

Woah you look nothing like your profile pic there

It’s amazing what a pair of glasses can do 😜

 

49 minutes ago, mstrox said:

He’s the one on the left, Jay

Actually I wasn’t sure so good to know 😆.

[Jurassic Shark 12,079]

1 minute ago, Tom Guernsey said:

It’s amazing what a pair of glasses can do 😜

 

Now that I've put on my glasses I see it's you.

[crocodile 8,017]

1 minute ago, Tom Guernsey said:

It’s amazing what a pair of glasses can do 😜

Indeed.

 

 

Karol

[Jurassic Shark 12,079]

2 minutes ago, crocodile said:

Indeed.

 

 

Karol

 

Are you implying Tom is...?

[Tom Guernsey 2,286]

1 hour ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

Are you implying Tom is...?

Nah. In my head I’m…

 

[ddddeeee 257]

Intrada releasing an expanded Nightbreed 'in a few weeks'.

 

Bear McCreary will be thrilled. He loves this score.

 

Intrada Soundtrack Forum • View topic - Coming in a few weeks...

[Tom Guernsey 2,286]

Just now, ddddeeee said:

Intrada releasing an expanded Nightbreed 'in a few weeks'.

 

Bear McCreary will be thrilled. He loves this score.

 

Intrada Soundtrack Forum • View topic - Coming in a few weeks...

Beat me to it by about 8 seconds lol. Really looking forward to this one. 

[ddddeeee 257]

When Batman was breaking all sorts of box office records, Elfman was asked by his agent if he could score any movie, what would he want to do? He said he'd want to work with Clive Barker and Sam Raimi. Elfman's next two projects would be for Barker (Nightbreed) and Raimi (Darkman) before he was hired to do a replacement score for Dick Tracy in between.

 

Even though it's very clearly post-Batman Elfman, it's still quite a distinct moment in Elfman's discography. The brutal tribal music has never really been touched on elsewhere in his career. It also features Elfman's only real stab at straight horror scoring - child murder and decapitations! (I know I could be describing Sleepy Hollow there, but it's all very tongue-in-cheek.)

 

Nightbreed had a deeply troubled production and post-production. The movie was ultimately taken away from Barker and re-edited to hell and back. Barker has said that Elfman's score is the only part of the theatrical cut of the movie that wasn't compromised at all. I guess coming off Batman came in handy.

[ddddeeee 257]

Elfman revealed he's scoring The Actor in an interview with Marci Wiser this morning.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Actor_(upcoming_film)

 

Sounds interesting.

[Tom Guernsey 2,286]

8 hours ago, ddddeeee said:

Elfman revealed he's scoring The Actor in an interview with Marci Wiser this morning.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Actor_(upcoming_film)

 

Sounds interesting.

Indeed, will be a nice change of pace hopefully. I assume that Perfume Genius (noted on the Wiki page) will be contributing a/some song/s. Having read the description of his music, it sounds interesting (chamber pop is right up my street).

[Thor 7,508]

Yes, interesting. This is the kind of Elfman project I prefer, over the big and loud blockbusters.