Movie Scores

My friend Zok and I were having a friendly discussion about who should have scored the upcoming Chronicles of Narnia movie, after we both agreed that Harry Gregson-Williams and Co. was a horrible choice. So we debated who would be the best choice to score the film instead.

Zok's choice was with Danny Elfman, a formidable composer with almost 200 films to his credit. I still enjoy his orchestrations in movies like Batman, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the instrumental parts in Corpse Bride (especially the piano bits, which are beautiful). Even so, there's something easily identifiable with Elfman's songs; they're beautiful, sometimes dissonant, but always Elfman. The thing is, I'm not sure he has a diverse enough palette to colour a movie like Narnia, epic as it is.

My choice was somewhat less mainstream. I'd like to see Jon Brion score a movie like Narnia. Now I know Jon Brion is highly choosy in his film scripts and a movie like Narnia would probably not even enter into his consideration. But hypothetically speaking, I think Brion could bring something interesting to a movie like that. Zok thinks that Jon Brion's scores are too "quirky" and "poppy" and he may be right, but I merely argue that he would be capable of meeting the challenge. Whether or not he would actually do it or not is another issue. Jon has a talent for melody and harmony; his arrangements are fresh. How could he not do a good job?

All I'm saying is that it would be interesting to try someone different like Yann Tiersen or even Danny Elfman, as opposed to a Howard Shore-type composer, or worse--a John Williams. Maybe that's why I don't work in Hollywood.