Christopher Young vs. Danny Elfman

[itsleroy]

Which is your favorite composer? First off, Spider-Man has some of the best music I've ever listened to, bar none. The title theme is absolutely fantastic, It's so fun to listen to (Elfman's creation).

So apparently Elfman left Spider-Man 3 due to "creative differences" between Raimi and himself. I don't mind that much, Chris Young did an excellent job. The Black Spider-Man theme when he jumps from his apartment is bone chilling.

 

[SuperFerret]

I didn't even notice a difference.

 

[Wesley Dodds]

Elfman without a doubt. His Spider-Man soundtracks were almost like characters in those first two films and were seriously missed in the third.
In fact, i think the first indication that something was amiss with Spider-Man 3 was in the opening credits when things just felt sort of... off. Then it struck me! I wasnt listening to Elfman, I was listening to someone imitating Elfman...

I like Young, though. His DMTH score was ace.

 

[itsleroy]

Elfman without a doubt. His Spider-Man soundtracks were almost like characters in those first two films and were seriously missed in the third.
In fact, i think the first indication that something was amiss with Spider-Man 3 was in the opening credits when things just felt sort of... off. Then it struck me! I wasnt listening to Elfman, I was listening to someone imitating Elfman...

I like Young, though. His DMTH score was ace.

Weird. I loved the title sequence. Beautiful music. I never noticed a difference.

 

[Wesley Dodds]

Weird. I loved the title sequence. Beautiful music. I never noticed a difference.

Seriously? Even whenever the symbiote appears and all of a sudden the timeless, classic Elfman theme transforms into the Batman Forever score?

 

[itsleroy]

Seriously? Even whenever the symbiote appears and all of a sudden the timeless, classic Elfman theme transforms into the Batman Forever score?

Nope, nothing. I actually liked it more than the original.

 

[VenomVsSpidey]

whilst elfman's SM1 & SM2 scores really got me into more of his work (I'd heard batman returns but was too lazy to own it till I heard what he did for Spidey) young's score stands out as the best of all three films. and it's a shame they refuse to release it, because there are so many rich and beautiful themes from SM3, such as Venom's theme,the Sandman theme, and the black suit theme (which sounds alot like elfman's batman theme...) i would love to officially own on a CD. also, it's another shame that the only way to enjoy it is from a bootleg score / the dvd. that's what my petition for in my sig is though, so sign if you want..I pray for an official release from sony, and I know that whomever is doing SM4, if I don't see that score CD within two weeks, I'm demanding to know where it's at..might even tell them to make a 2-cd release with the scores from SM3 and SM4...

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

I love them both, but if I had to absoluotely choice, I think I'd go with Elfman. Stilll, CHris Young is just about as good.

 

[VenomVsSpidey]

I was listening to someone imitating Elfman...

originally, in an interview with AICN, young said he wrote all new music for three, including at least ten new themes, including ones for the love story, MJ, the goblin (which we semi-heard in SM3), and May.

in the end, sony decided it would be better to use the original themes instead, so they dropped the new themes (excluding Venom, Sandman & black suit) then hired deb. lurie / john debney to co-compose the score with young, and elfman did a bit of orchestration in SM3 with the three others. most of what we heard reused in the film was part of the additional score.

 

[webhead731]

Elfman.

He came up with the themes. I really liked Young though, because he really expanded on them in my opinion. It sounded new but like Elfman's. He is the next best choice I'd say.

The Spider-Man scores are like my favorite scores. I really enjoyed all three and really hope they keep it for the fourth.

 

[itsleroy]

Young is composing the 4th film, so I'm content.

 

[webhead731]

Seriously? Even whenever the symbiote appears and all of a sudden the timeless, classic Elfman theme transforms into the Batman Forever score?

You have got to be kidding.

The Symbiote Spider-Man theme had choir and alot of energy put into it.

Batman Forever had a good score but other than possibly using some the same instruments or same sounding instruments it sounds nothing like Spidey 3's.
If anything, the Spider-Man 3 Symbiote theme sounds like Ghost Rider's a bit, which Young also scored.
But hey, if you really hear that, I'm sorry you do. But I don't.

 

[VenomVsSpidey]

You have got to be kidding.

The Symbiote Spider-Man theme had choir and alot of energy put into it.

Batman Forever had a good score but other than possibly using some the same instruments or same sounding instruments it sounds nothing like Spidey 3's.
If anything, the Spider-Man 3 Symbiote theme sounds like Ghost Rider's a bit, which Young also scored.
But hey, if you really hear that, I'm sorry you do. But I don't.

I heard some ghost rider for the sandman's theme and others.

 

[mothy]

Elfman.

He came up with the themes.

it really is as simple as that for me. i do think young is a suitable replacement, though.

 

[david icke]

In fact, i think the first indication that something was amiss with Spider-Man 3 was in the opening credits when things just felt sort of... off. Then it struck me! I wasnt listening to Elfman, I was listening to someone imitating Elfman...

I like Young, though. His DMTH score was ace.

Chris Young also composed the music for the train fight between Spider-man and Doc Ock because Raimi was not happy with Elfman's effort. I think it was this kind of thing that led to the fall out between them.
But, Raimi made the right call, someone posted up a video on youtube of the train fight with Elfman's original music for it, and it's not good, very lacklustre. I would try to find that vid and post it up, but my computer can't get onto youtube.

Elfman has brought more great tunes to the series, so my vote would have to go with him, but i thought Young did great with SM3 and the train fight. Perhaps if Young had done as much work as Elfman he would be getting my vote.

 

[VenomVsSpidey]

Chris Young also composed the music for the train fight between Spider-man and Doc Ock because Raimi was not happy with Elfman's effort. I think it was this kind of thing that led to the fall out between them.
But, Raimi made the right call, someone posted up a video on youtube of the train fight with Elfman's original music for it, and it's not good, very lacklustre. I would try to find that vid and post it up, but my computer can't get onto youtube.

Elfman has brought more great tunes to the series, so my vote would have to go with him, but i thought Young did great with SM3 and the train fight. Perhaps if Young had done as much work as Elfman he would be getting my vote.

We'll get to hear young spin his musical web again in SM4. can't wait!! hope we get the score cd this time...although thats the 1,000,000,000th time i said that

I like what elfman composed, but they made a better choice with young. here's the video :

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[david icke]

We'll get to hear young spin his musical web again in SM4. can't wait!! hope we get the score cd this time...although thats the 1,000,000,000th time i said that

Yeah, it's a shame that s/track isn't out, I own quite a few s/tracks, but no superhero ones, I kind of like to save their particular tunes for when I'm watching the movie. But, if I were to buy a couple, I'd buy the SM3 one.

Thanks for taking the trouble of posting up the alt train score video , haven't seen it in quite a while, will watch it later on, cheers.

 

[VenomVsSpidey]

Yeah, it's a shame that s/track isn't out, I own quite a few s/tracks, but no superhero ones, I kind of like to save their particular tunes for when I'm watching the movie. But, if I were to buy a couple, I'd buy the SM3 one.

Thanks for taking the trouble of posting up the alt train score video , haven't seen it in quite a while, will watch it later on, cheers.

agreed. and no problem man there was another one - that one is slightly chopped up in the beginning, but it's the same thing for the train confrontation (elfman style).

 

[Milu]

Elfman >>>>>>>> Young. I'm pissed that Elfman's not returning .

Furthermore, Elfman's train scene score was 10x superior to Young's generic cues.

 

[VenomVsSpidey]

Elfman >>>>>>>> Young. I'm pissed that Elfman's not returning .

Furthermore, Elfman's train scene score was 10x superior to Young's generic cues.

look, I love elfman, he created the musical world behind spider-man. but SM2's train composition would have SUCKED if used in the film. revenge should not have, and was thankfully not used. Giving young the chance to do the additional score was an overall better choice.

 

[The Chris]

I think if Christopher Young is allowed to do his own thing and is given freedom Spider-Man 4 can have a great score. His Drag Me to Hell Score is one of my favorite horror film scores

 

[Gunga Diner]

Danny Elfman's score for the first Spider-Man is one of my favorites of all time. My favorite thing about that film is how completely we're emotionally with Peter Parker throughout everything, and Elfman's score brought that to life. It was intimate, honest, exciting, thrilling, and distinctly Spider-Man-ish.

...which is why the score to the second one was a dissapointment. Hearing a score made up almost entirely of Raimi recycling cues from the first film despite an entire original score by Elfman (which, having heard Elfman's original score for some scenes, is fair. Not all of his cues were fantastic, but some of them were) was really deflating. That said, Christopher Young's music for the Laboratory accident scene and the elevated train fight wre phenomenal.

The third one is a really mixed bag. Young's themes for the black suit, Venom, Sandman/Flint Marko, as well as his scoring of some of the major action sequences were really strong. But any of the music for Peter Parker, Spider-Man, Mary Jane, or even the New Goblin/Harry were recycled from the first film, so we never get to hear their themes grow or develop to match the emotional journies.

I never had a problem with Topher Grace as Venom, Flint Marko killing Uncle Ben, or even the Saturday Night Fever sequences. What I did have a problem with was that Spider-Man 3 was emotionally uninvolving, and Christopher Young's restrictions to recycling cues from the main title track from the first movie had a lot to do with that.

 

[Doc Ock]

Danny Elfman to the MAX! He did amazing music for Spidey 1 and 2 that I still listen to today. Batman and Batman Returns also had an amazing score.

 

[VenomVsSpidey]

Christopher Young's restrictions to recycling cues from the main title track from the first movie had a lot to do with that.

ahemm.....http://forums.superherohype.com/showpost.php?p=17778872&postcount=9

 

[Oscorp]

Danny Elfman's themes are very iconic and feels heroic and great.
Christopher Young's themes totally suck and lacks imagination, except for the Sandman one.