Danny Elfman's JUSTICE LEAGUE (2017)

[Matt C 455]

I wonder if this film will get a 2-CD release, or whether Elfman will resist that. WaterTower seems to be doing that with a lot of their bigger titles, like Man of Steel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Batman v. Superman and IT.

 

BTW, Joss Whedon received a writing credit on Justice League, like Tony Gilroy did for Rogue One, but Zack Snyder will get sole director credit.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Matt C 455]

Totally forgot about those films! 

 

A 2-CD Justice League seems inevitable, then. Especially if the film's length is similar.

[mstrox 6,651]

20 hours ago, Matt C said:

I wonder if this film will get a 2-CD release, or whether Elfman will resist that. WaterTower seems to be doing that with a lot of their bigger titles, like Man of Steel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Batman v. Superman and IT.

 

I hope they don't treat it like The Dark Knight and Deathly Hallows Pt 1 and do it in some elaborate, expensive box set.  The other releases are done right - extra music for the cost of the CDs they're printed on.

[Matt C 455]

I hope so too.

 

And depending on whether Elfman records the score in Los Angeles or London, that might also play a role too.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

So we should be hearing this in like a month right?  Can't wait to hear if Elfman's got another great superhero score in him.

[RICHARDSTRAUSS68 107]

2 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

So we should be hearing this in like a month right?  Can't wait to hear if Elfman's got another great superhero score in him.

For sure! From what I heard I love it!

[Matt C 455]

3 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

So we should be hearing this in like a month right?  Can't wait to hear if Elfman's got another great superhero score in him.

 

He seemed to really enjoy working with Whedon on Avengers: Age of Ultron. And it seems like he puts out his best work when directors don't micromanage the spotting sessions.

 

I'm most curious whether he'll reference his Batman and Flash themes, I would geek out big time.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

7 minutes ago, Matt C said:

I'm most curious whether he'll reference his Batman and Flash themes, I would geek out big time.

 

That was a long time ago. I'm sure he's forgotten about that.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Yeah, what we're wondering most is how he'll handle Batman. Does he have it in him to compose a new theme? Will he even have a theme? Will it be a Justice League theme with some ominous underscore for the various Batman scenes?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

That would be for the best.

[Matt C 455]

21 hours ago, Sally Spectra said:

 

That was a long time ago. I'm sure he's forgotten about that.

 

Nah.

 

He worked in a reference to his "Hulk" score in Ultron, I'm sure he'll do something similar in JL.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Hulk (2003) was a risky move on Marvel's part. As I recall it was a weird psychological thriller with serious performances. So nothing like anything they've done since.

[Matt C 455]

Whedon is still supervising the final film, and he likes themes. 

 

The problem is whether Elfman will actually do something with Zimmer and Holkenborg's material (probably) or just scrap them entirely (more preferable). It just depends on Whedon's whims.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I seem to be one of the few (on this board, I mean) who thinks Zimmer's Wonder Woman theme is really fun in a daft sort of way.  It was disappointing how Rupert just used it exactly as Zimmer had.  I'd love to hear Elfman play with it in interesting ways.

[mrbellamy 6,288]

WW's theme is Holkenborg, isn't it?

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I thought it was Zimmer's but I certainly never became familiar enough with that score or film to say for sure.

[James 119]

Zimmer and Mazzaro. With Mazzaro dealing with the cuts where Superman rescues Lois. I imagine this way because he is also credited as composer/arranger for This Is My World, remake of If You Love These* People of Man of Steel. But are subjective credits. They're just on their website.

 

[Koray Savas 2,251]

It's Zimmer's.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

I thought that was David Arnold's Quantom of Solace theme?

[Arpy 4,145]

8 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

I seem to be one of the few (on this board, I mean) who thinks Zimmer's Wonder Woman theme is really fun in a daft sort of way.  It was disappointing how Rupert just used it exactly as Zimmer had.  I'd love to hear Elfman play with it in interesting ways.

Outside of the film it's poop, but whenever it appeared in the film, suddenly much needed life was breathed into the score and the film! Shame the rest of the score is quite tame...

 

[mstrox 6,651]

I think Zimmer's WW riff is fun, especially in comparison to the stuff around it.

 

It seemed a little out of place in the 1910s for me, at least with that instrumentation. Honestly, I'm not sure what kind of variations you can milk out of that, but I sure am glad there was a coexisting orchestral theme in WW.  Haven't heard that score outside the movie yet, but I found it good at the time.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

I had no issue with the underscore for the Bruce Wayne/Batman scenes in BvS. I thought it was effective in the film, but nothing I would ever want to listen to outside of it. I remember there was a kind of despondent trumpet motif while Alfred was bitching that Bruce was turning to the dark side that seemed to be the best way to score those particular scenes.

[Romão 2,274]

Yeah, I liked that trumpet theme. And seems to me Zimmer re-used somewhat in Dunkirk

[Matt C 455]

17 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

I seem to be one of the few (on this board, I mean) who thinks Zimmer's Wonder Woman theme is really fun in a daft sort of way.  It was disappointing how Rupert just used it exactly as Zimmer had.  I'd love to hear Elfman play with it in interesting ways.

 

 

Rupert did play with the theme a bit, playing with the rhythmic underbelly (like when she's fighting Ludendorff) but I think the wholesale pasting of the theme was Patty Jenkins's idea. I would've liked to see RGW really develop the theme into something, which threatens to pop up in the Wonder Woman film but never in full.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

1 minute ago, Matt C said:

 

Rupert did play with the theme a bit, playing with the rhythmic underbelly (like when she's fighting Ludendorff) but I think the wholesale pasting of the theme was Patty Jenkins's idea. I would've liked to see RGW really develop the theme into something, which threatens to pop up in the Wonder Woman film but never in full.

 

Do you mean like the beginning of the track "Wonder Woman's Wrath"?  Yeah that's definitely the ostinato that plays underneath the theme there.  Sounds a little anonymous, I mostly would've liked to have heard an attempt at varying or developing the melody.  Even just letting other instruments take it would've been nice.  I guess they decided the electric cello was too "iconic" to mess with.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

It must be effective. The entire audience burst into cheer and applause when Zimmer played it in concert. 

[Fancyarcher 350]

Apparently neither Holkenborg or Zimmer actually created the Wonder Woman rift. That was Tina Guo, who also performed it, at least if an interview I read anything to go by. 

On 9/3/2017 at 10:42 AM, Matt C said:

 

Rupert did play with the theme a bit, playing with the rhythmic underbelly (like when she's fighting Ludendorff) but I think the wholesale pasting of the theme was Patty Jenkins's idea. I would've liked to see RGW really develop the theme into something, which threatens to pop up in the Wonder Woman film but never in full.

I very much doubt Jenkins had much to do with the choice of the music for the film.

[James 119]

2 hours ago, Fancyarcher said:

Apparently neither Holkenborg or Zimmer actually created the Wonder Woman rift. That was Tina Guo, who also performed it, at least if an interview I read anything to go by. 

Quote

How did you get into the Wonder Woman mindset?

I tried to channel a feeling of aggression and power but in a way that's a little more refined. For me when I hear it, it's just very powerful and strong. I wanted to emulate my favorite band in the world, Rammstein, the German industrial metal band. I love their music because it’s balls to the wall, raw, carnal energy.

http://www.instyle.com/reviews-coverage/music/tina-guo-wonder-woman-theme-song

I found this quote.

[Bilbo 3,709]

Industrial is a good word.

I'm pretty sure the instrument used is an angle grinder covering the vocal line of Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin. 

[Fancyarcher 350]

19 minutes ago, James said:

I found this quote.

Yup, that's the interview. 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

You know, I'm actually very excited to hear this score.

[Cerebral Cortex 3,357]

You and me both, buddy. 

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

4 hours ago, Fancyarcher said:

I very much doubt Jenkins had much to do with the choice of the music for the film.

 

They don't trust a woman's judgement?

[Fancyarcher 350]

16 minutes ago, Sally Spectra said:

 

They don't trust a woman's judgement?

Nope, in the case of Wonder Woman, those pesky executives likely had final say on the matter of the production team.

[Matt C 455]

Karen Elliott is the music supervisor for this film. So looks like Elfman will record Justice League in London.

[Brónach 1,302]

On 5/9/2017 at 1:52 AM, Fancyarcher said:

Nope, in the case of Wonder Woman, those pesky executives likely had final say on the matter of the production team.

 

She's now producer and co-writer too. The musical direction might change.

[Fancyarcher 350]

5 hours ago, Brónach said:

 

She's now producer and co-writer too. The musical direction might change.

 

It may, or she may not care at all (she's co-producer after all). Some directors really don't seem to care about the music in their films as much anyway. 

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

4 minutes ago, Fancyarcher said:

 

It may, or she may not care at all (she's co-producer after all). Some directors really don't seem to care about the music in their films as much anyway. 

 

Movie music is just an annoyance thst distracts from the great directing of the fine acting and the story.

[Fancyarcher 350]

Just now, Baby Jane Hudson said:

 

Movie music is just an annoyance thst distracts from the great directing of the fine acting and the story.

 

To most modern directors, film music may as well not as exist anyway. It's just there to be a "sound effect", most of the time. Some directors can use music very skillfully though. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It costs a lot of money, and its not very realistic!

[Brónach 1,302]

I like the thing Shyamalan does of cutting the entire film without music. And then observing where the music should go.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

1 minute ago, Stefancos said:

It costs a lot of money, and its not very realistic!

 

I'm not sure why it was created in the first place. It doesn't add anything to the experience.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Just now, Brónach said:

I like the thing Shyamalan does of cutting the entire film without music. And then observing where the music should go.

 

A film composer's dream.

 

 

[Fancyarcher 350]

3 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

It costs a lot of money, and its not very realistic!

 

It's too distracting for audiences as well, anyway. 

[Cerebral Cortex 3,357]

On 9/2/2017 at 4:07 PM, Matt C said:

He worked in a reference to his "Hulk" score in Ultron, I'm sure he'll do something similar in JL.

 

Woah, he did? If it's not too much trouble, could somebody link to this reference? 

[Matt C 455]

1 hour ago, Cerebral Cortex said:

 

Woah, he did? If it's not too much trouble, could somebody link to this reference? 

 

Jonathan Broxton says that the reference appears in "The Farmhouse."

 

 

I relistened to Elfman's "Hulk Main Theme" but I can't find the ref myself.

[Matt C 455]

Elfman wishes everyone "Happy Batman Day." He mentions how happy he is "returning to the DC universe".

 

 

[TheUlyssesian 2,478]

On 9/15/2017 at 1:10 PM, Baby Jane Hudson said:

 

Movie music is just an annoyance thst distracts from the great directing of the fine acting and the story.

 

Or it can make up for sloppy film-making and acting and provide the emotion in a scene that the actor couldn't provide or create tension in a scene that the director couldn't create or give momentum and pace to the story that the script didn't have or give the impact to an important scene that all of them combined couldn't give it. Film scoring at its best can truly transform a film for the better - that if it is even given that chance.