Danny Elfman

Made films the shows talk about.

Wikidata Q193338: matched by corpus:resolve, told apart by the only person by that name on Wikidata.

Counted as composer, the making department they hold the most credits in. The films the hosts said they scored, which the two lists below run through too: Weird Science (1985); Beetlejuice (1988); Midnight Run (1988); Batman (1989); The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993); Planet of the Apes (2001); Justice League (2017); Send Help (2026). Count them as actor (1 film) instead.

Draws on

What the speakers say they, or a film of theirs, drew on. Each is a speaker's account: “the maker said so” when they report the maker's own words, “the host's read” when the read is theirs.

Mad Max 2 (1981): 2 lines

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Weird Science (1985), which they scored: Mad Max 2 ⇒ Weird Science (the host's read). The climactic biker-gang sequence is an homage to The Road Warrior with the same actor and makeup.
    “it's pulled right from this movie that had just come out, same actor, same makeup, same everything, they're like doing an homage to it”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Weird Science’ With Bill Simmons and Kyle Brandt · 1:08:03 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
  2. craft (craft) · through Weird Science (1985), which they scored: Mad Max 2 ⇒ Weird Science (the host's read). The Road Warrior homage is a nine-minute sequence, about 10% of the movie.
    “It comprises 10% of the whole movie.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Weird Science’ With Bill Simmons and Kyle Brandt · 1:08:58 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)

Planet of the Apes (1968): 2 lines

  1. contrast (inversion) · through Planet of the Apes (2001), which they scored: Planet of the Apes ⇒ Planet of the Apes (the host's read). The remake opens on a loud, leafy backlot set while the original opens in an empty desert with no apes for a long stretch.
    “They totally invert the original movie where the original movie starts in the middle of nowhere.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Planet of the Apes with Matt Singer · 0:53:06 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. lineage (lineage) · through Planet of the Apes (2001), which they scored: Planet of the Apes ⇒ Planet of the Apes (the host's read). Burton's ending tries to outdo the Statue of Liberty reveal of the original.
    “Because they're trying to outdo the reveal of like the Statue of Liberty at the end.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Incredible Hulk · 0:39:14 · Griffin or David (0.30 sure it was them)

Al Feldstein: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Weird Science (1985), which they scored: Al Feldstein ⇒ Weird Science (the host's read). The movie is based on a 1951 pre-Code comic by Al Feldstein.
    “this was based on the 1951 pre-comics code comic made of the future by Al Feldstein.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Weird Science’ With Bill Simmons and Kyle Brandt · 0:30:25 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)

Dogville shorts (1930s-40s live-action dog shorts): 1 line

  1. industry (studio instinct) · through Planet of the Apes (2001), which they scored: Dogville shorts (1930s-40s live-action dog shorts) ⇒ Planet of the Apes (the host's read). Fox just wanted apes doing human things, like the old Dogville shorts with dogs at restaurant tables.
    “And it feels like Fox just wanted to make that.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Planet of the Apes with Matt Singer · 1:12:43 · unknown (0.45 sure it was them)

John Williams: 1 line

  1. craft (craft) · them, directly: John Williams ⇒ Danny Elfman (the host's read). Elfman's score for the theatrical cut of Justice League reuses his own Batman theme and Williams's Superman theme; the speaker can't tell if it's clever or fan service.
    “I'm going to use my Batman theme. I'm going to use the Williams Superman theme.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:19:39 · unidentified host (0.30 sure it was them)

Superbad (2007): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Weird Science (1985), which they scored: Superbad ⇒ Weird Science (the host's read). Weird Science may be the biggest influence on Superbad.
    “Like, I feel like, I don't know which was the biggest influence on Superbad.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Weird Science’ With Bill Simmons and Kyle Brandt · 0:07:45 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)

The Breakfast Club (1985): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Weird Science (1985), which they scored: The Breakfast Club ⇒ Weird Science (the host's read). Gary's girlfriend in Canada is a gag taken from Breakfast Club.
    “Like, that's the thing directly from Breakfast Club.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Weird Science’ With Bill Simmons and Kyle Brandt · 0:17:25 · Kyle Brandt (0.55 sure it was them)

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988): 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), which they scored: Who Framed Roger Rabbit ⇒ The Nightmare Before Christmas (the host's read). Katzenberg was looking at Roger Rabbit's success as a reason to try different styles and techniques.
    “looking at the success they had with Roger Rabbit and saying, like, we should try different styles”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Nightmare Before Christmas with Michael Rianda (Ad-Free) · 0:29:00 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)

Drawn on by

What the speakers say drew on them or a film of theirs, marked the same way.

Bear City (SNL digital short): 1 line

  1. unmapped (parody) · through Planet of the Apes (2001), which they scored: Planet of the Apes ⇒ Bear City (SNL digital short) (the host's read). An SNL short riffs on Apes with bears who just wear human clothes and mimic humans, like the apes keeping the Lincoln Memorial.
    “they were riff on Plan of the Apes, where the bears got smart and they decided to kill all the humans.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Planet of the Apes with Matt Singer · 1:24:42 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

James and the Giant Peach (1996): 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), which they scored: The Nightmare Before Christmas ⇒ James and the Giant Peach (the host's read). The film's long tail made Disney try stop motion again, back to back with Peach, before Laika and others.
    “James and the Giant Peach is almost made like right back to back with this movie”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Nightmare Before Christmas with Michael Rianda (Ad-Free) · 1:40:45 · Michael Rianda (0.50 sure it was them)

Oingo Boingo: 1 line

  1. craft (craft) · through Weird Science (1985), which they scored: Weird Science ⇒ Oingo Boingo (the host's read). The speaker imagines the title song was written after the band was told the plot and shown the film, Frankenstein vibe included.
    “I'm making this movie. It's about these 15 year old kids that create basically like the perfect woman and she comes out of the computer and has sex with them.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Weird Science’ With Bill Simmons and Kyle Brandt · 1:13:46 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)

Superbad (2007): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Weird Science (1985), which they scored: Weird Science ⇒ Superbad (the host's read). Weird Science's ending was 'completely ripped off by super bad'.
    “Uh, really satisfying ending, then just completely ripped off by super bad.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Weird Science’ With Bill Simmons and Kyle Brandt · 0:42:03 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)

What the speakers said they did

Music (12) everyone in music

Acting (1) everyone in acting

Other (1) everyone in other

What was said about them, by kind

career (4)

  1. career (career): Danny Elfman → Henry Selick. Elfman singing Jack while Sarandon speaks caused a long rift between Selick and Elfman.
    “this like caused a rift between Selleck and Elfman that like lasted for forever.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Nightmare Before Christmas with Michael Rianda (Ad-Free) · 1:03:06 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. career (career): Danny Elfman → Tim Burton. Elfman and Burton's working relationship is called very up and down.
    “I feel like Elfman and Burton have had a very up and down relationship in general, right?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Nightmare Before Christmas with Michael Rianda (Ad-Free) · 1:03:39 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  3. career (career): Danny Elfman → Forbidden Zone. Elfman had been the on-camera lead of Forbidden Zone, playing a jazzy demon like Oogie Boogie.
    “he did like Forbidden Zone, where he's, you know, the main on camera performance”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Nightmare Before Christmas with Michael Rianda (Ad-Free) · 1:05:42 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  4. career (career): Danny Elfman → The Nightmare Before Christmas. Elfman, said to have been bored at the height of Oingo Boingo, found film composing exciting again through this film.
    “it was like him at the height of Oingo, Boingo, like he became a rock star.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Nightmare Before Christmas with Michael Rianda (Ad-Free) · 1:57:01 · Michael Rianda (0.45 sure it was them)

craft (4)

  1. craft (score): Danny Elfman → Planet of the Apes. Elfman's opening theme is exciting but the rest of the score is boring.
    “The Elfman score.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Planet of the Apes with Matt Singer · 1:51:44 · unknown (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. craft (craft): Danny Elfman → The Nightmare Before Christmas. Elfman wrote songs off Burton's story beats with no script, and the script came after.
    “Burton is basically describing the story beats, and Elfman is writing songs off of the story beats”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Nightmare Before Christmas with Michael Rianda (Ad-Free) · 0:31:42 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  3. craft (craft): Danny Elfman → The Nightmare Before Christmas. Elfman was the main driving force in writing the film during development.
    “Elfman is basically the main driving force and writing this film for a bulk of the development.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Nightmare Before Christmas with Michael Rianda (Ad-Free) · 1:04:24 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  4. craft (craft): Danny Elfman → John Williams. Elfman's score for the theatrical cut of Justice League reuses his own Batman theme and Williams's Superman theme; the speaker can't tell if it's clever or fan service.
    “I'm going to use my Batman theme. I'm going to use the Williams Superman theme.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Marvel Nerdfest · 0:19:39 · unidentified host (0.30 sure it was them)

people (3)

  1. people (people): Send Help → Danny Elfman. Elfman scores Send Help as one of Raimi's longtime collaborators.
    “Danny Elfman, the composer, and it does star Rachel McAdams, and Dylan O'Brien”
    The Big Picture · The 10 Most Misused Stars in Hollywood and the Gnarly Magic of ‘Send Help’ · 0:47:00 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
  2. people (composer comparison): Elliot Goldenthal → Danny Elfman. In the 90s Goldenthal was becoming an unconventional blockbuster composer, Elfman style.
    “becoming sort of Alfman style, an unconventional blockbuster composer”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Alien³ with Matt Singer (Ad-Free) · 2:00:17 · David Sims (0.30 sure it was them)
  3. people (people): Danny Elfman → Ed Wood. The speaking-voice dispute is why Elfman did not score Ed Wood.
    “It's why Elfman didn't do Ed Wood.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Nightmare Before Christmas with Michael Rianda (Ad-Free) · 1:03:21 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)

verdict (2)

  1. verdict (verdict): Danny Elfman → Weird Science. Elfman is not a fan of the title song and is dismissive of it in interviews, though the speaker likes it.
    “So Elfman, like not a fan. He's kind of dis about it, which is really annoying.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Weird Science’ With Bill Simmons and Kyle Brandt · 0:45:35 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
  2. verdict (apex pick): Danny Elfman → Batman. Elfman's apex is Beetlejuice or Batman, though Sean prefers Midnight Run's score.
    “I also really like the Midnight Run soundtrack, but nobody asked me.”
    The Rewatchables · 'Mission: Impossible' With Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, and Jason Concepcion · 1:02:15 · Sean Fennessey (0.40 sure it was them)

Fun items about them

  1. fun, about Danny Elfman: The opening theme and credit sequence are great; he seems to have run out of energy afterward.
    “I think he just worked so hard on that.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Planet of the Apes with Matt Singer · 1:52:02 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)