I dont think Elfman did a good job as Hans Zimmer did for Hannibal. Zimmer & his soldiers at Media Ventures did a wonderful job on scoring Hannibal and that has not been achieved by Elfman. Nobody can fight Zimmers originality. Well, maybe John Williams but not Elfman. This is his worst score yet.

If you really look at it though, I do not see how Elfman is trying to fight against Zimmer's originality. I will agree in saying that Hannibal was a good listen, but at the same time, Zimmer has his qualities as much as what Elfman does. Elfman in so many cases if you look at it has brought us more eerie and dark music. I haven't heard the full score yet but every time I listen to some of them I am reminded of the music he did for Dolores Claiborne which was his best score in the sense of being dark. I think that we all need to give it one more chance. I am not saying that you are wrong but what I am saying is that maybe listen to it a few more times, you have to understand though that composers cannot afford to be "copycats" of each other. They need their own ideas as well.

> If you really look at it though, I do not see how Elfman is trying to
> fight against Zimmer's originality. I will agree in saying that Hannibal
> was a good listen, but at the same time, Zimmer has his qualities as much
> as what Elfman does. Elfman in so many cases if you look at it has brought
> us more eerie and dark music. I haven't heard the full score yet but every
> time I listen to some of them I am reminded of the music he did for
> Dolores Claiborne which was his best score in the sense of being dark. I
> think that we all need to give it one more chance. I am not saying that
> you are wrong but what I am saying is that maybe listen to it a few more
> times, you have to understand though that composers cannot afford to be
> "copycats" of each other. They need their own ideas as well.

Hi Jerry!

Yeah, you are right tough. All composers should have their own sound.
And maybe i should listen the Red Dragon score one more time. But i still think Zimmer should have scored the movie. I guess they are both good. Hey, i liked the score for "Edward Scissorhands" so Elfman is not that bad anyway. But his
style/sound has change quite a lot after that score & over the years. What do you think?

Cheers!
//Mike

Hey Mike,
I don't know if you have or not but if you watch the interview with Elfman on the enhanced part, he was really trying to aim at the qualities that Howard Shore had on his score to Silence of the Lambs, yet at the same time wanted to stay distant enough that it didn't wind up sounding the same. Elfman has indeed gone through quite a bit of change over the years, like you I have been a real avid fan of his score for Edward Scissorhands and such. The one quality that I really enjoy about him now is that a lot of his sound has modernized, yet at the same time still has that vague touch of the strings and the clarinets. Another thing that I like about Elfman is his quality to give a dark and eerie touch to music, while not sounding quite classical his music has a sort of feeling that makes it easy to read or whatever. Zimmer on the other hand, his qualities range into all aspects which make him one of my favorite composers out there. Just being able to bring every sort of instrument to fit is excellent. Both composers are great along with the many others that are out there as well, I just have never really found myself dissapointed with a score yet.

> I dont think Elfman did a good job as Hans Zimmer did for Hannibal. Zimmer
> & his soldiers at Media Ventures did a wonderful job on scoring
> Hannibal and that has not been achieved by Elfman. Nobody can fight
> Zimmers originality. Well, maybe John Williams but not Elfman. This is his
> worst score yet.

Howard Shore's score to Silence of the Lambs is still my personal favorite, but Zimmer's score definitely ranks at the bottom of the three. Zimmer did an adequate job, but not especially wonderful. Elfman's score contains ferocity, tenderness, and terrifyingly real motifs that add up for an extremely stirring and wonderful album. I'm quite impressed with this score and am ashamed in not only Clem, but in you dissing one of Elfman's most wonderful dramatic achievements ever in scoring.

Sayonara!
Jockolantern