Danny Elfman is a talented and famous composer, songwriter, record producer, and singer. He was born in Los Angeles, California, on May 29, 1953. He showed musical talent from a young age and spent much of his youth in the local movie theatre. The first film Elfman scored was for the 1980 film ‘Forbidden Zone’ which was created by his brother, Richard Elfman. He went on to become one of the best musical talents in the movie industry and is particularly well-known for his collaborations with director Tim Burton. Here are five of the best themes created by Danny Elfman.
1. Batman
This was the only one of Danny Elfman’ scores and soundtracks to win an award. He won the 32nd Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television, or Other Visual Media. This 1989 superhero film was directed by Tim Burton and was based on the DC Comics character of the same name. It starred Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, and Pat Hingle. It was both a critical and commercial success. From a budget of $35 million, ‘Batman’ grossed $411.3 million at the worldwide box office. Elfman also created the soundtrack for the 1992 movie ‘Batman Returns’ which was also directed by Tim Burton.
2. Dick Tracy
The soundtrack for this movie was created by Danny Elfman and it was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or Television. Warren Beatty starred in this 1990 action comedy film and he was also the creator, the director, and the producer. It is based on a comic strip character called Dick Tracy. On a budget of $46 million, this movie made $162.7 million at the box office.
3. Mars Attacks!
The score for ‘Mars Attacks!’ was the first of Elfman’s to get an expanded release. This Tim Burton directed science-fiction comedy movie was released in 1996. It was based on a trading card game. The ensemble cast included Glenn Close, Jack Nicholson, Michael J. Fox, Pierce Brosnan, Annette Bening, Martin Short, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Danny DeVito.
4. Men in Black
The score for this movie was nominated for two awards; a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture and an Academy Award for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score. ‘Men in Black’ is a 1997 science-fiction action comedy film. It is a loose adaptation of a comic book series and was directed by Barry Sonnenfield. Some of the main cast of this movie included Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones Linda Fiorentino, and Vincent D’Onofrio. The movie was a huge success and took $589.4 million at the worldwide box office.
5. Big Fish
Elfman was nominated for several awards for this soundtrack, including a Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television, or Other Visual Media, an Academy Award for Best Original Score, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score. Big Fish is a fantasy comedy-drama movie directed by Tim Burton that was released in 2003. It starred Ewan McGregor, Billy Crudup, Albert Finney, Marion Cotillard, and Jessica Lange.
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