Blake Wrote:Danny Elfman did do the score to the two Batman movies that were directed by Tim Burton, but I didn't care as much for those.
Well, you know, it's weird. I had been given the
Batman Returns soundtrack as a gift sometime before 1997, and only marginally listened to it here or there. Then, during the period where I first started to really get into horror (starting with both book and movie of
The Relic, and the life-changer itself, Mr. Koontz'
Phantoms), I suddenly turned to that soundtrack...and was blown away. If you take it completely out of the context of the film (even going as far as ignoring the track titles so as to avoid having preconceptions of what they'll sound like), it's actually a very dark and moody collection. Parts of "The Lair" and "Selina Transforms" especially illustrate this, with some exceptionally moody and atmospheric movements and build-ups. It's one of the oldest CDs I've constantly listened to, and still one of my favorites.
I've tried getting into Danny Elfman's other soundtracks in this manner, and except for
Sleepy Hollow (sort of), none of them really get to me like this. Maybe it was just good timing during a key point in my life; who knows? Ultimately, however, there's something really unique to the
Batman Returns soundtrack that I think deserves more attention.
And no, this isn't a copy of a review of mine from Amazon.com, although now that I think about it, maybe I should MAKE it into one!