History Music / DannyElfman

Former leader of Music/OingoBoingo, Danny Elfman first broke into film scoring with ''Pee Wee's Big Adventure''. Since then, he has worked steadily in Hollywood (most notably for Creator/TimBurton), composing scores and themes for movies, TV, and even video games and a Creator/CirqueDuSoleil show (''IRIS'', a 2011 show inspired by the history of cinema).

* Pretty much all of Tim Burton's films (exceptions are ''Film/EdWood'' and ''Film/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet''):

Elfman also has [[TheCameo a cameo]] in a film he didn't score, Creator/SamRaimi's ''Film/TheGift2000'' (done by Christopher Young).

* ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'' (with Creator/BrianTyler)

* ''Film/{{Epic}}'' (formerly ''Leafmen'')

** ''[[Film/AliceInWonderland Alice in Wonderland]]''

Like JohnWilliams, Elfman tends to compose classical, Romantically-themed music reminiscent of Bernard Hermann, although Elfman makes more limited use of {{Leitmotif}} and his music tends to have darker overtones -- which seem to mesh well with Tim Burton's films, although he also has a penchant for Duke Ellington-style Jazz. Again like John Williams, Elfman is one of the few major Hollywood film composers who has never had a score thrown-out (although that doesn't mean they've been untampered with - see ''Spider-Man 2'').

[[redirect:Creator/DannyElfman]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Danny07.JPG]]

->''When I'm writing music, so much of the time I feel like I'm being pulled around by a big dog. I've got the dog on a leash and sometimes I'm leading this dog along just where I want it to go. And then sometimes the dog gets real big and starts yanking me. I think when I'm reacting the way I should be, I let the thing yank me around. Because it yanks me into places where I wouldn't go. And I look at it and go, "Oh! Thanks, boy! It's a strange place, but there had to be a reason why I went here, so I'm just going to leave it."''

Former leader of OingoBoingo, Danny Elfman first broke into film scoring with ''Pee Wee's Big Adventure''. Since then, he has worked steadily in Hollywood (most notably for TimBurton), composing scores and themes for movies, TV, and even video games and a CirqueDuSoleil show (namely ''IRIS'', a show inspired by the history of cinema).

Like JohnWilliams, Elfman tends to compose classical, Romantically-themed music reminiscent of Bernard Hermann, although Elfman makes more limited use of {{Leitmotif}} and his music tends to have darker overtones -- which seem to mesh well with Tim Burton's films.

His scores are [[RecycledTrailerMusic frequently used in trailers]].

He's married to BridgetFonda, and they have a son together named Oliver, [[RuleOfCool which in old English means "Elf Army"]]. He also has two daughters, Lola and Mali, from previous relationships.

[[hardline]]
Films scored by Elfman include (but are certainly not limited to):
* ''Film/ForbiddenZone'' (1980)
* Pretty much all of Tim Burton's films (exceptions are ''Film/EdWood'' and ''Film/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet''):
** ''PeeWeesBigAdventure''
** ''Film/{{Beetlejuice}}''
** ''Film/{{Batman}}'' (1989) and ''[[Film/{{Batman}} Batman Returns]]''
** ''EdwardScissorhands''
** ''TheNightmareBeforeChristmas''
*** Also provides the singing voice for Jack Skellington and both speaking and singing voices of Barrel.
** ''MarsAttacks!''
** ''SleepyHollow''
** ''PlanetOfTheApes'' (2001)
** ''BigFish''
** ''CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory''
** ''WesternAnimation/CorpseBride''
*** Also provides the speaking and singing voice for Bonejangles.
** ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Nine}} 9]]'' (Burton produced but did not direct; Elfman did the themes for this one, but not the whole soundtrack.)
** ''[[Film/AliceInWonderland Alice in Wonderland]]''
** ''Film/DarkShadows''
** ''Film/{{Frankenweenie}}'' (2012 remake)
* ''WeirdScience'' (1985) (theme song only; but Elfman ''did'' score a film for JohnHughes, ''Flubber'')
* ''Big Top Pee-wee'' (1988 - without Burton, and with different themes)
* ''{{Nightbreed}}'' (1990)
* ''{{Darkman}}''
* ''MissionImpossible'' (1996)
* ''{{Film/Spider-Man}}'' and ''Spider-Man 2'' (the third film had much of his score thrown out and replaced by Christopher Young.)
** And before that, he contributed a track to ''[[EvilDead Army of Darkness]]'', the "March of the Dead".
* ''SpyKids'' (with John Debney, Robert Rodriguez and loads of others)
* ''Film/{{Hulk}}'' (2003)
* the ''Film/MenInBlack'' films
* ''{{Chicago}}''
* ''VideoGame/{{Fable}}'' (a video game)
* ''MeetTheRobinsons''
* ''CharlottesWeb'' (2006)
* ''{{Wanted}}'' ([[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leJAPiaCx2c where he even sings rock again]])
* ''[[{{Terminator}} Terminator Salvation]]''
* ''KickAss'' (one track!)
* The 2010 remake of ''TheWolfman''
* ''RealSteel''
* ''Oz: The Great and Powerful'' (reuniting with SamRaimi after a brief falling out over ''Spider-Man 2'')
* ''[[DisneyThemeParks Mystic Manor]]'' (A Hong Kong Disneyland variation of TheHauntedMansion)
* ''Leafmen''

''NOTE'': Although Elfman was originally signed to score ''TheHungerGames'', a scheduling conflict led to him being replaced by James Newton Howard; Elfman never wrote any music for the project.

Elfman also composed the theme music for:
* ''DesperateHousewives'' (Emmy winner)
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' (adapted from his music for the 1989 film)
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}}'' (animated version; also adapting his own work)
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' (Emmy nominee - but amazingly not a winner)
* ''SledgeHammer''
* ''TalesFromTheCrypt''
* ''Series/TheFlash'''s short-lived live action TV series
** Faster tempo, but otherwise a near carbon-copy of "Batman" (the same could be said of the series
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Dilbert}}'' (adapted from his music for ''ForbiddenZone'')
** According to a radio interview, this was done without his knowledge or input.
* ''PointPleasant''
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* ''{{Film/Spider-Man}}'' and ''Spider-Man 2'' (the latter had much of his score thrown out and replaced by Christopher Young though)

* ''{{Hulk}}'' (2003)

** ''Film/{{Batman}}'' (1989) and ''[[Film/{{Batman}} Batman Returns]]''

** ''MarsAttacks!''
** ''WesternAnimation/CorpseBride''

** ''BigFish''

** ''Film/CorpseBride''

** ''[[Film/{{Nine}} 9]]'' (Burton produced but did not direct; Elfman did the themes for this one, but not the whole soundtrack.)

* ''[=~Sledge Hammer!~=]''

Former leader of OingoBoingo, Danny Elfman first broke into film scoring with ''Pee Wee's Big Adventure''. Since then, he has worked steadily in Hollywood (most notably for TimBurton), composing scores and themes for movies, TV, and even video games.

Like JohnWilliams, Elfman tends to compose classical, Romantically-themed music reminiscent of Bernard Hermann, although Elfman makes more limited use of {{Leitmotif}} and his music tends to have darker overtones which seem to mesh well with Tim Burton's films.

''NOTE'': Although Elfman was originally signed to score ''TheHungerGames'', a scheduling conflict led to him being replaced by James Newton Howard; Elfman never wrote any music for the project.

And if that list isn't enough to convince you of his scoring skills, he's been tapped to write the score for ''IRIS'', a CirqueDuSoleil show set to debut in 2011 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood (to occupy the theater when it isn't busy with the AcademyAwards)...a show that will tackle nothing less than the history of cinema itself.

----

* ''{{Fable}}'' (a video game)

* ''Film/TheHungerGames'' (rejected and replaced by James Newton Howard)

* ''BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' (adapted from his music for the 1989 film)

* ''TheSimpsons'' (Emmy nominee - but amazingly not a winner)

* ''Series/{{Dilbert}}'' (adapted from his music for ''ForbiddenZone'')

->''Great, now we gotta do the rest of [[ANewHope this thing]] with Danny Elfman!''
-->-- '''Chris Griffin as Luke Skywalker''', on discovering that JohnWilliams has been burned to death, ''[[WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy Family Guy: Blue Harvest]]''

* ''TheFlash'''s short-lived live action TV series

* ''Film/TheHungerGames''

* the ''MenInBlack'' films

** ''CorpseBride''