Restored Isolated Score: Spider-Man

[Holko 9,529]

This was an obvious step to get to know the score even better.

 

The themes are mostly interrelated, there's a Spiderman A and B comprised of mostly ascending phrases (mostly on brass and strings), a Spiderman ostinato (strings), a Family/Uncle Ben theme on woodwinds which grows into Responsibility which is more of a specific brass setting of it, a woodwind/strings love theme that's related to B, and of course the long-lined snarly percussive Goblin theme. There are also recurring action elements etc. but I'm not listing those.

 

 

1m1 Main Titles - The opening cue basically gives us a mini-rundown of the story. As a quiet but promising start, strings play a single Spiderman A phrase before the Ostinato starts, then A builds on brass to the title card, the hero coming to the fore. A continues under an action setting, then a soaring A + Ostinato, then we get another action setting with A on strings, less sure of itself, then finally a grand B, all representing his journey and growth. But B falls away into relative darkness, until a solo horn A leads to the Responsibility theme to finish the piece, showing how his heart and motivation is what ties everything together.

 

 

1m3 On The Bus - A short but sweet cue suggesting chords of the Love Theme.

 

 

1m4R Spider Bite - After an ominous start for the spider, we get a love theme when Peter's looking at MJ, but since there's no real connection yet, it fades away into playful material for their interaction, before going back to dark Elfmany material for the spider and the bite, and a suggestion of A, the start of the transformation. The film splits the cue at the ominous opening, tracks Love theme material from elsewhere until the spider actually lands on Peter's hand, removing the unique playful material and the idea of this not yet being the proper romantic connection, and only emphasises the spider cutaways with sound design.

 

 

1m5 Deadlines - Basically a short stinger for Norman's worries.

 

 

1m6 Transformations - The weird scoring for Peter's transformation finally plays a full A. The scoring for Norman's preparations definitely means for us to empathise with his desperateness, and contains seeds of the Goblin theme, but interestingly it's not suggested or played during his actual transformation.

2m1 A New Man - The A theme plays in gentle guises between woodwind phrases. The first appearance of the family theme closes the cue.

 

 

2m2 Something's Different - Another A plays over Peter getting his first hint of powers. Norman gets sympathetic scoring again, but Goblin hints enter on brass then very low strings when he gets the news about last night. The film extends the opening for Peter chasing the bus with tracked music utilising separate stems.

 

 

2m3 First Web - Classic strange Elfmanny Mickey Mousing.

 

 

2m4B New Powers (+ new opening) - A starts off in a slightly off setting (since Peter abused his power) but fades away when he's anything but celebrated for his feat. It's suggested again when he looks at his scar and makes the spider connection. For his joyous running, B is finally introduced. The final film dials the ending down very quickly and jarringly, likely intentionally so for added comic effect.

2m5 Web Slinger - A is suggested on woodwinds again when he shoots his first voluntary web, when he gets ready to swing, and when he arrives home. The film almost dials out the start of the swinging (can't really tell under his Tarzan yell), and removes the entire quiet ending with another jarring cut when he hits the billboard.

 

 

2m6 Backyard Connection - As Peter and MJ make their first real connection, we get a full Love theme, coming to an end as Flash takes MJ away.

2m7R Costume Montage - A classic poppy montage cue, featuring A and B for the actual costume design part.

2m8 Web Practice - An energetic continuation with a hint of Family. The transition from the previous cue is not as nicely continuous in the film, this cue is started a bit later.

 

 

2m11 Harsh Words - The Family theme plays in a sad and unfinished way - note the change to brass from woodwind when Peter's alone in the shot then back to flute when we cut back to Uncle Ben's car.

 

 

3m2 Peter Wins - A brass A with a unique continuation. The film uses a longer rock source instead that starts when the crowd jumps up, so this is just a guess.

 

 

3m2A/B Revenge (+ insert) - Peter's smugness about letting the robber get away is scored quite darkly, which then turns into a differently appropriate dark scoring as he approaches the accident site. A plays on solo horn, then Family/Uncle Ben starts playing on flute but can't get to its main phrase before he dies, so the solo horn has to pick it up. The dark scoring starts building again and the action starts. It's quite aggressively energetic in general, doesn't want to take the side of Peter's vengeful actions, A is dark when he starts running, but B can't help but be exhilarated when he starts swinging. A returns in off renditions through the car chase, and it's suggested when he hangs in his signature pose inside the building. When he corners the shooter, Family starts on brass, and it also plays in a broken form as he looks down on the shooter's body. A follows the cops through the buildings, but as we cut away to Peter's shame and return home, we get the first time Family really starts morphing into the Responsibility setting. I had to switch two shots around Ben's death and very slightly shorten the first shot where Peter jumps on the wall and starts climbing. The film also dials out the section between the end of the flashback and Peter disarming the shooter.

 

 

3m3C Enter The Goblin - A short action stinger, featuring a bit of the Goblin theme.

 

 

3m4 Alone - As Jeff Bond says in the booklet, this cue doesn't say what it wants to with themes but with the lack of one - it skirts around some of Family/Uncle Ben but it never quotes it.

3m5A City Montage - But this cue immediately picks up his legacy, with the most classic setting of Responsibility leading into a montage featuring A and B in various variations between action pieces.

3m5B City Stinger - A quick A for the capper of the montage, featuring shots finished for the teaser and thus also a rare appearance of the Twin Towers, in the reflection in Spidey's eye.

 

 

4m1 Moondance - A short reappearance of the Love theme for Peter and MJ running into each other.

 

 

4m2 Photography - An action piece that doesn't really feature A or B.

 

 

4m3 City Stinger 2 - Short athematic transition piece.

 

 

4m4 Norman Gets The Boot - A low Goblin motif moving from tremolo strings to a low woodwind.

 

 

4m6 Spider Sensation - A short stinger for Peter starting to sense trouble coming. Unused in the film, replaced with sound design.

4m7 Parade Attack (+ insert) - The Goblin motif announces the villain's arrival, but the cue doesn't really kick into gear until Peter starts undressing to reveal his suit, scored by A. Goblin scores him blowing up the board and scaring MJ, but B comes in to properly herald Spider-Man's arrival and score him saving the dumb kid. In the ensuing brawl and chase the Goblin gets the upper hand, and an A/B mix only returns in a not very triumphant way when Spider-Man disables his glider. Once MJ is saved, though, a variant of B with elements of the Love theme and Family can play in full beautiful glory. Romantic A settings close the cue. For the edit I had to stretch a few shots here and there, I added in a deleted bit and a line of the script for the two gaps where they fit.

 

 

4m9R Specter Of The Goblin (+ new opening) - An insane exploration of the Goblin theme.

 

 

5m1 Rooftop Chat - More lowkey and threatening Goblin, with an A when Spidey initially enters, and a Family when the papers turn against him. Since the cue was not insignificantly longer, I found a place to split it where the editing didn't quite seem to match perfectly, then discovered that there are cut lines from the script exactly there so I resubtitled a shot with them to fill it in.

 

 

5m2 Hint - Another Love theme for the next stage, their relationship growing flirty.

5m3 Trouble - Another mostly athematic action piece, with the ostinato and A signalling Spidey's arrival.

5m4 Kiss - A suggestions give way to the most fulfilled Love theme rendition of the score.

 

 

5m5R The Fire - To spice things up, this time B signals Spidey's arrival and plays when he saves the baby in the nick of time. The ostinato and B play as he has to go into the building again, but the music is athematically ominous until the Goblin is revealed. The film dials out the part between him reentering the building and the Goblin's reveal.

 

 

5m6 Drop of Blood - A in tense renditions, then some dramatic stingers. The film moves the part for the drop landing ahead to when it's starting to drop, and dials out what comes after until Norman looks down at it.

 

 

5m7 The Clues - A full Goblin scores Norman becoming Gobliny himself, and of course the revelation of Peter's identity to him.

 

 

5m8R Norman's Troubles - After the most dramatic Goblin buildup yet, we get a Family for Aunt May's prayer, but it's cut short by the ending of Goblin. More Family closes the cue.

5m9 Revelation - Quietly dramatic material gives way to some gentle Family and Love theme-related scoring.

 

 

5m10-11 Hard Nipples - A full gentle love theme and a stinger for the transition. No idea why this is the cue title, it'd be much more fitting for 5m4 Kiss.

 

 

5m12 Father and Son - A short unused cue, the film tracks Goblin material over a longer stretch.

 

 

6m1-2 On the Bridge - Love theme-esque material scores Peter leaving the voicemail, but the Goblin disrupts it violently. Then comes more Goblin for him scaring MJ and flying towards the cabin, then of course Elfman can't not support Itsy Bitsy Spider with his own rendition. The film removes the loud buildup when MJ's waking up.

6m3 To the Rescue (+ insert) - The big action showdown of course features Spiderman A and B, the Goblin and something like the Family theme for moments of triumph and the citizens coming in to help, but just as important are the way tension is created and resolved, how movement is emphasised, which I won't go through in detail. The film dials out the part between the Goblin punching Spidey and him losing the cable, and MJ grabbing onto the cabin, with pretty bad hard edits, the ending is also dialed out starting from Spidey being swung into the building. Extension and reordering was needed in one spot (Spidey telling MJ to go climb down) and shortening in another (the cabin landing and everyone cheering).

 

 

6m4 The Final Confrontation (+ new opening) - Goblin scores his monologue, A and B come in for Spidey stopping his weapon and fighting back, but when Norman takes the mask off, the action dies down and Family is suggested. As he secretly activates his glider, Goblin comes back. Family/Uncle Ben starts nobly when Peter declares him his real father, then I swear Itsy Bitsy Spider is kind of reprised as the glider attacks. A scores Norman's pain, then Responsibility plays off the finale. The film dials out the Itsy Bitsy action between "Godspeed Spiderman" and Peter's reaction to Norman's impalement.

 

 

6m5 Farewell - A starts the cue in a similar way to the Main Title, then Responsibility takes over as Peter goes over to Ben's grave. The Love theme enters when MJ touches Peter's face and continues through, with some darker chords souring it when Peter rejects her. The music picks up as she starts putting things together, Responsibility plays in its classic setting over Peter's speech, then B accompanies him soaring through NY as a finale.

6m6 End Credits - The piece starts quite heavy and dark, the Ostinato entering slowly with A suggestions, then finally a proper A. Goblin takes over for a bit, then A comes back only to fade down with the Family theme. The film edits the cue down to a pitiful third of its length, then plays stupid songs and the 60s Spiderman theme.

And here's where I was naughty - it really really feels like 6m6 was just meant to be an intro to the full credits, not intended to resolve properly, it's not unusual. But to hell with the songs and there's no other resolution, so I just assembled something roughly the length of the credits that feels right - I added 2m6 Backyard Connection and 2m7 Costume Montage.

 

 

 

 

2m4B? New Powers - This original take just dies down, the revised version starts building up to a crash to comedically stop. To me, this almost feels like an aborted take which would later be picked up with the proper ending.

 

 

2m6? Backyard Connection - This take is generally more intimately instrumented and also scores the end of the scene. My favourite little bit in here is a dark chord when MJ's unsure of Peter's reaction to her wanting to act.

2m7 Costume Montage - The newspaper evidently wasn't originally thought of as part of the "montage" as such, so wasn't scored like that either. This version is much slower, more reserved, take whereas the revision is fast and energetic.

 

 

3m2A/B Revenge - The original opening has more bits for flute, the revision compresses it. I had to extend some shots but also add in some black screen.

 

 

4m7? Parade Attack - The insert is a brass rendition of B, the original reprises a section of the main title sped up. The effect is that while here Spidey's entrance is just part of the action, in the film version it's much more heroic.

 

 

4m9 Specter of the Goblin - This original take is much more lowkey, the revised opening adds a string+brass intro, mutes the original's brass and adds low strings to the flute Goblin motif.

 

 

5m5 The Fire - In the original take it's a brassy buildup to a small B, the insert reprises the Ostinato and plays a fuller B.

 

 

5m8 Norman's Troubles - This earlier take features a longer, confident brass intro to the Goblin material for a longer version of the scene which I "recreated" using the script and existing shots.

 

 

5m10 Hard Nipples - This alternate features oboe and glockenspiel with the strings as opposed to the revised version that features solo piano and flute with the strings.

 

 

6m3 To The Rescue - This original portion is a small silent bit of relief, as opposed to the insert which is a big triumphant B fanfare. I had to shorten the clip for the revised version at this point, but I had to extend it for this original version.

 

 

6m4 The Final Confrontation - This original take is basically just more action with a bit of A, much less impactful than the triumphant revision.

[Edmilson 7,466]

I always loved the intro and opening credits to this movie. It's the first time Spider-Man is appearing in a movie and, instead of an epic, grandiose fanfare, we get a sad, understated performance of the A theme for strings over the Columbia logo. It's kinda like Elfman and Raimi were saying that Spidey's journey is one filled with tragedy and the weight of his responsibility. Of course, as the credits start the music gets more vigorous but still retain that sense of unimaginable responsibility over the lives of many people looming. 

[Jay 37,369]

Wow awesome, can't wait to check this out!

 

Did I miss that the original reel/part numbers and cue names are available somewhere?  I had no idea!

[Holko 9,529]

1 minute ago, Jay said:

Wow awesome, can't wait to check this out!

 

Did I miss that the original reel/part numbers and cue names are available somewhere?  I had no idea!

 

[Jay 37,369]

Wow thanks, completely forgot about that!