John Williams or Danny Elfman?

[norml]

Who do you consider to be the best well known contemporary composer of orchestral music?

[Sannum]

1. It used to be Williams

but everything he composes sounds the same these days.

[ofrfxsk]

2. Given those two - Danny Elfman most definitely

[norml]

4. You don't just have to consider those two,but who else compares to them?

And I agree about Danny Elfman. I've liked his work ever since Oingo Boingo. John Williams has done a lot of great work,but I find Elfman's compositions to be more interesting,and individual.

[RevCheesehead]

6. James Horner is excellent, as was Jerry Goldsmith (r.i.p.)

I remember buying the original Star Wars soundtrack album (yes, it was on a 33-1/3 r.p.m.!).

Elfman is good, but still fairly new on the scene. I loved the work he did on "Mars Attacks!"

Horner will be best remembered for "Titanic," but he's done so many other wonderful scores!

And Jerry Goldsmith: Think Star Trek: The Next Generation theme - that's him!

[RevCheesehead]

8. I forgot John Barry...

he did the soundtrack for "Dances With Wolves." Very Coplin-esque.

[norml]

10. Thank you,James Horner,Jerry Goldsmith,and John Barry for your music.

And thank you Rev for reminding us of them.

[maveric]

3. Williams by far.

Elfman's OK for TV themes but his horrid Oingo Boingo experience has always made me cringe with horror from whatever has his name on it.

[Khephra]

5. Elfman

Hands down.

[kariatari]

7. Williams

[RevCheesehead]

9. Best well known?

Definately Williams. Not only blockbusters like Star Wars, E.T., and Harry Potter, but also his stint with Boston Pops, probably has given him more name recognition than any other living American composer.

[norml]

11. Williams has done much,but look at what Elfman has done.

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Who is Danny Elfman?
What films has Danny Elfman scored?
What television series has Danny Elfman scored?
Is there a compilation CD of Danny Elfman's scores?
How did Danny Elfman get involved with Boingo?
Is there sheet music available of Danny Elfman's scores?
Didn't Danny Elfman release a solo album?
Are Danny Elfman & Tim Burton still working together?
What other types of projects is Danny Elfman working on?
Who are all these other Elfman's?
How can I contact Danny Elfman?
Where can I get more information about Danny Elfman?
Credits & Disclaimers

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Who is Danny Elfman?
Best known in the pop music industry as the front-man for the pop group Oingo Boingo. Best known in the film music industry for his scores to such blockbuster movies as Batman, Batman Returns, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
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What films has Danny Elfman scored?
Forbidden Zone 1980
Pee-wee's Big Adventure 1985
Wisdom 1986
Back To School 1986
Summer School 1987 O
Face Like a Frog 1987? O
Scrooged 1988 O
Midnight Run 1988 X
Big Top Pee-Wee 1988
Hot to Trot 1988 O
Beetlejuice 1988
Batman 1989
Darkman 1990
Dick Tracy 1990 X
Edward Scissorhands 1990
Nightbreed 1990
Article 99 1991 X
Pure Luck 1991
Batman Returns 1992
The Nightmare Before Christmas 1993
Sommersby 1993
Army of Darkness 1993
Shrunken Heads 1994 O
Black Beauty 1994 X
Dolores Claiborne 1994 X
To Die For 1995 X
Dead Presidents 1995
Freeway 1996 O
Mission: Impossible 1996
Frighteners 1996
Extreme Measures 1996
Mars Attacks! 1996
Men In Black 1997
Flubber 1997
Good Will Hunting 1997
Scream 2 1997 O
Psycho 1998
Civil Action 1998
A Simple Plan 1999
Modern Vampires (Revenant) 1999 O
My favorite Martian 1999 O
Anywhere But Here 1999
Sleepy Hollow 1999
Family Man 2000
Proof of Life 2000
Planet of the Apes 2001
Spy Kids 2002
Spiderman 2002
Red Dragon 2002
Chicago 2002

= AVAILABLE (ONLINE) | X = OUT OF PRINT/RARE | O = NO ELFMAN SCORE/TRACKS


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What television series has Danny Elfman scored?
Amazing Stories: Mummy Daddy 1985 O
Amazing Stories: Family Dog 1985 O
Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Jar 1985 O
Sledgehammer 1986 O
The Simpsons 1989 O
Tales From The Crypt 1989
Pee-Wee's Playhouse 19?? O
Oh No, Not Them 19?? O
The Flash 1990 O
Beetlejuice 199? O
Batman 1992 O
Perversions of Science 1997 O
Dilbert 1999 O

= AVAILABLE (ONLINE) | X = OUT OF PRINT/RARE | O = NO ELFMAN SCORE/TRACKS


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Is there a compilation CD of Danny Elfman's scores?
Yes, infact Danny has released two compilation CDs in his Music For A Darkened Theatre series so far. Music For A Darkened Theatre - Music From Television and Movies, Volume One 1990 in list(s) above indicates that sample of score appears on first compilation
Music For A Darkened Theatre - Film & Television Music Volume Two" (2-CD set) 1996 in list(s) above indicates that sample of score appears on second compilation

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How did Danny Elfman get involved with Boingo?
Back in the early 1970's first time movie director Richard Elfman, approached his brother, Danny to help add a musical element to his no-budget flick The Forbidden Zone. Together they 'organized' "The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo" to provide the music. During the six years of film production "The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo" could be found in dark taverns, and makeshift stages around L.A. performing musical/theatrical gigs. In the beginning there was actually a lot of emphasis on the theatrical aspects (and a female vocalist). After completion of The Forbidden Zone (1979), the group was trimmed as was the name.
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Is there sheet music available of Danny Elfman's scores?
Sheet music for Batman and The Simpsons is available atSunhawk.com.
A piano/song book was available for The Nightmare Before Christmas (now out of print), which includes all the compositions from the movie .
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Didn't Danny Elfman release a solo album?
Actually So-Lo is not a solo album. In addition to Danny appearing on the album, the entire band (Boingo) also performs. The songs on So-Lo are songs that the band had been playing for years in rehearsals, but never felt belonged on a Boingo album. Danny promised that he would not perform with another band as long as Boingo was together. "Gratitude" had been a popular request at concerts so it was often performed live at concerts - and was rerecorded on the "Alive" album as a Boingo song. In addition So-Lo was their first album to be recorded on the MCA label, allowing for the transition for the entire band from A&M. Now that Boingo has broken up, Danny has expressed interest in releasing a non- Boingo related album.
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Are Danny Elfman & Tim Burton still working together?
Ed Wood (music by Howard Shore) was Tim Burton's first major motion picture (as director) that did not involve the assistance of Danny Elfman (as composer). After the completion of Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas, Tim said "We're taking a little vacation from each other" . Regarding the break-up, Danny said, "In a non-specific way, I would call what happened between the two of us a family feud. We had worked for 10 years and on six films together, and we finally had a creative blow-up. We used to joke that we'd always end like Bernard Herrmann and Alfred Hitchcock, who had a major falling out over Torn Curtain and never spoke again, and that prophecy kind of self-fulfilled itself. Then we realized that we both missed each other and did good work together. And sometimes in a family you have a fight and you're mad at them, but as time goes by, you recognize that this can't last forever and make amends" . Whether you call it a "vacation" or a "family feud," the good news is that it is over, as the two colaborated yet again on Mars Attacks! and next on Sleepy Hollow. If all goes well, this may mean that other joint projects will follow (including, possibly Elfman's directorial debut with Burton as producer).
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What other types of projects is Danny Elfman working on?
With the demise of (Oingo) Boingo Danny will have much more time to devote towards other projects. Ready to try new things, Danny has hinted of new musical directions and a possible solo album in the future. In addition to scoring 3-4 new films a year, Danny has a few films of his own that he would like to see through production. Based on a story/plot-line of his own, Little Demons is going through script revisions and is hoped to go into production in in 1998. Danny has said that he would like to make Little Demons his directorial debut, as things get closer we will see if this remains true. He also has two other stories that he is trying to get to the big screen, The World of Jimmy Callicut and Julian. An avid collector of art, Danny has joined the ranks of the 'digital artists' - a sample of his photo- manipulations appeared in issues of Axcess (Vol.2 No.2) and Hypno (Vol.3 No.5/6) magazines.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

12. Williams.

No question.
Duckie

[norml]

13. Here are the scores Williams has done.

Chronological filmography

Compositions: Films

Chronological filmography
Alphabetical filmography
Television films
Miscellanea
Daddy-O (December 18, 1958)

Because They're Young (April 1, 1960)

I Passed for White (August 17, 1960)

The Secret Ways (May 24, 1961)

Bachelor Flat (January 12, 1962)

Diamond Head (February 20, 1963)

Gidget Goes to Rome (September 11, 1963)

The Killers (July 17, 1964)

None But the Brave (February 24, 1965)

John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! (March 24, 1965)

The Rare Breed (April 13, 1966)

How to Steal a Million (July 14, 1966)

Not With My Wife, You Don't! (November 2, 1966)

Penelope (November 10, 1966)

The Plainsman (November 18, 1966)

A Guide for the Married Man (May 26, 1967)

Valley of the Dolls (Adaptation: December 15, 1967)

Fitzwilly (December 20, 1967)

Heidi (TV: November 17, 1968)

Daddy's Gone A-Hunting (July 16, 1969)

Goodbye, Mr. Chips (Adaptation: November 5, 1969)

The Reivers (December 25, 1969)

Story of a Woman (1969)

Jane Eyre (TV: March 24, 1971)

Fiddler on the Roof (Adaptation: November 3, 1971)

The Cowboys (January 13, 1972)

The Screaming Woman (TV: January 29, 1972)

The Poseidon Adventure (December 12, 1972)

Pete 'n' Tillie (December 17, 1972)

Images (December 1972)

Tom Sawyer (Adaptation: March 1973)

The Long Goodbye (March, 1973)

The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (June 27, 1973)

The Paper Chase (October 16, 1973)

Cinderella Liberty (December 18, 1973)

Conrack (March 27, 1974)

The Sugarland Express (March 31, 1974)

Earthquake (November 17, 1974)

The Towering Inferno (December 17, 1974)

The Eiger Sanction (May 21, 1975)

Jaws (June 20, 1975)

Family Plot (April 9, 1976)

The Missouri Breaks (May 19, 1976)

Midway (June 18, 1976)

Black Sunday (April 1, 1977)

Star Wars (May 25, 1977)

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (November 16, 1977)

The Fury (March 15, 1978)

Jaws 2 (June 16, 1978)

Superman (December 15, 1978)

Dracula (1979)

1941 (December 14, 1979)

The Empire Strikes Back (May 21, 1980)

Raiders of the Lost Ark (June 12, 1981)

Heartbeeps (December 18, 1981)

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (June 11, 1982)

Monsignor (October 1982)

Return of the Jedi (May 25, 1983)

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (May 23, 1984)

The River (December 19, 1984)

SpaceCamp (June 6, 1986)

The Witches of Eastwick (June 12, 1987)

Empire of the Sun (December 9, 1987)

The Accidental Tourist (December 23, 1988)

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (May 24, 1989)

Born on the Fourth of July (December 20, 1989)

Always (December 22, 1989)

Stanley & Iris (February 9, 1990)

Presumed Innocent (July 27, 1990)

Home Alone (November 16, 1990)

Hook (December 11, 1991)

JFK (December 20, 1991)

Far and Away (May 22, 1992)

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (November 20, 1992)

Jurassic Park (June 11, 1993)

Schindler's List (December 15, 1993)

Sabrina (December 15, 1995)

Nixon (December 20, 1995)

Sleepers (October 18, 1996)

Rosewood (February 19, 1997)

The Lost World (May 23, 1997)

Seven Years in Tibet (October 8, 1997)

Amistad (December 10, 1997)

Saving Private Ryan (July 24, 1998)

Stepmom (December 25, 1998)

The Phantom Menace (May 19, 1999)

Angela's Ashes (December 25, 1999)

The Unfinished Journey (TV: December 31, 1999)

The Patriot (June 28, 2000)

A.I. (June 29, 2001)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (November 16, 2001)

Attack of the Clones (May 16, 2002)

Minority Report (June 21, 2002)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (November 15, 2002)

Catch Me If You Can (December 25, 2002)





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October 25, 2003
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[YellowRubberDuckie]

14. Some? Are you sure not all?