[inksb]

Maybe this has been brought up elsewhere, but I’m guessing that rondo of blood/Dracula x was a late addition to the castlevania lineup, it’s catalogue number is 120something, putting my OCD on the fritz since the others are 71-75.

What is Symphony of the Nights catalog number? They were both announced on the back of the Castlevania 3 or 4 wrap (are these obi strips? what are they actually called if not?). So they have been in the works for at least a year and half. Do they generally just assign these numbers as they are released? Maybe that's why the catalog number difference is so large. It's been almost 2 years since they started this, maybe even longer, I've lost track

[Hatter313]

Maybe this has been brought up elsewhere, but I’m guessing that rondo of blood/Dracula x was a late addition to the castlevania lineup, it’s catalogue number is 120something, putting my OCD on the fritz since the others are 71-75.

What is Symphony of the Nights catalog number? They were both announced on the back of the Castlevania 3 or 4 wrap (are these obi strips? what are they actually called if not?). So they have been in the works for at least a year and half. Do they generally just assign these numbers as they are released? Maybe that's why the catalog number difference is so large. It's been almost 2 years since they started this, maybe even longer, I've lost track

I think the original deal may not have included Rondo/X, as I seem to remember it not being part of the original announcement. I shelve Mondo by catalogue number and I,II,III,IV and SOTN are all in a row Mondo 71-75. Rondo/X is later in the 120's. not a huge deal, it just makes my OCD twitch.

[Mateo Sanboval]

Apologies if this has already been said and done, but does anybody have a black/retail version of Big Trouble? How's the sound? Anyone with both that could compare?

[inksb]

I think @ScoJo does. It would be nice if it didn't have the surface noise of the red version

[ScoJo]

Yep, can confirm that my black Big Trouble is fine, I sold on my noisy red splatter to some sucker erm I mean 'fellow enthusiast'.

[Mateo Sanboval]

Yep, can confirm that my black Big Trouble is fine, I sold on my noisy red splatter to some sucker erm I mean 'fellow enthusiast'.

Gracias, amigos.

[skeletonbutt]

I have the red but don't remember it being very noisy. Is it something that affects all copies of the red or just a handful? I need to give it a closer listen.

[inksb]

I have the red but don't remember it being very noisy. Is it something that affects all copies of the red or just a handful? I need to give it a closer listen.

Honestly I'm not overly susceptible to this type of thing but I found it very distracting while listening to it, so much that I won't even bother if I'm limited to just my headphones for the evening. I have no clue how wide spread it is but a lot of us around here have it on their copies

[skeletonbutt]

I will bust it out tomorrow and give it a proper listen.

[DigitalHiss]

Batman '89 expanded.

BATMAN 1989 EXPANDED.

[Hatter313]

YAY

[havershaw]

Batman '89 expanded.

BATMAN 1989 EXPANDED.

I am very very very excited about this!

Am I crazy, or have they not mentioned a pre-order date?

[Mateo Sanboval]

Batman '89 expanded.

BATMAN 1989 EXPANDED.

I am very very very excited about this!

Am I crazy, or have they not mentioned a pre-order date?

Not crazy. they've said by the end of the month.

[Hatter313]

Probably the Wednesday before thanksgiving or the next week I imagine. Last year they debuted Batman Returns at mondocon which was a year ago last week, and I think the online sale was just about two weeks later. I’m putting my money on them getting as close to a year exactly as possible for some unknown reason haha.

[deafmetal]

Interesting news about the expanded Batman score. Do most of you consider that to be Elfman's greatest work?

For anybody interested, retail black vinyl copies of the last two Castlevania releases are up for preorder at the usual distros. Shipping around the end of November.

[Hatter313]

Interesting news about the expanded Batman score. Do most of you consider that to be Elfman's greatest work?

For anybody interested, retail black vinyl copies of the last two Castlevania releases are up for preorder at the usual distros. Shipping around the end of November.

Actually my favorite Elfman scores are Nightbreed and Beetlejuice. I think they best represent the two big stylistic things he does, whimsy for beetlejuice and the tribal intensity of nightbreed. And while I hold Batman in extraordinarily high regard I think the evolution of those themes in Batman Returns are even better. Elfman was the first soundtrack guy I got into when I was a kid, before I was even into other music at all I was listening to Tim Burton scores in isolation, and the first band I really dove deep into was Oingo Boingo if such a thing could be believed. (I was 14) Darkman and Edward Sissorhands are way up high on that list as well.

But I’m also the guy who maintains that Hook might be John Williams masterwork in a sea of masterworks so there’s that. :)

[deafmetal]

@Hatter - I appreciate your insights on this topic, and they make me want to listen to Nightbreed again. For the last couple decades, Edward Scissorhands has been at the top of my list. I was into '89 Batman like most kids my age, and I bought the OST back then, but my memory is more related to the Prince songs than Elfman's score. I'm listening to the main theme right now, and it is quite the memory booster. I have not re-watched the film in well over twenty years.

[havershaw]

It’s Batman and Beetlejuice for me, in terms of Burton scores. And then probably Darkman and also Pee Wee.

I don’t think I’ve heard Scissorhands or Nightbreed in decades. Sounds like I need to revisit those.

I’m sure Elfman has lots of others great scores, but these are the only ones that did anything for me. His scores after that felt more like alternate versions of these scores (though I’m sure that’s not really the case).

I don’t think I’ve ever spent time with Batman Returns, but it sounds like I need to. I had a cassette of 89 Batman in high school and I wore that thing out, so that one is really sentimental to me.

[Hatter313]

@Hatter - I appreciate your insights on this topic, and they make me want to listen to Nightbreed again. For the last couple decades, Edward Scissorhands has been at the top of my list. I was into '89 Batman like most kids my age, and I bought the OST back then, but my memory is more related to the Prince songs than Elfman's score. I'm listening to the main theme right now, and it is quite the memory booster. I have not re-watched the film in well over twenty years.

It'll be interesting when you re-watch it, its astounding how simple it is when we are so used to the modern super hero film structure. Everything about that movie works in a way hat a lot of superhero movies don't always get. There's real chemistry between characters, especially when Nicholson and Keaton get to play off each other.

COMIC BOOK NERD RANT FOR A MOMENT:
The only minor qualm i have with it is that as a big Batman fan in general, Keaton is a terrible "Bruce Wayne." He is an EXCELLENT Batman, but, and this may also be the script that doesn't' give him too many opportunities to do this, You never see the disguise of "affable but kind of useless playboy" that he puts on as "Bruce." He's pretty much Batman in and out of the cowl. Again, the script really doesn't heighten that dichotomy the way later adaptations do, so i don't really blame Keaton for not pulling that through. Its like this, Bruce Wayne is a really obvious answer for "Who is Batman" since his personal tragedy, disappearance, and resources are a matter of public record, plus he's clearly in remarkable shape. but Bruce goes out of his way to make people believe that he is kind a useless trust fund kid ( ala Percy Blakney in the Scarlet Pimpernel and Diego de la Vega in Zorro), whereas anyone paying attention to Keaton's Bruce Wayne can clearly see this guy is broody lunatic.

END

[deafmetal]

The Nightmare Before Christmas is another Elfman gem. I usually take a pass on musicals, but the stars really aligned on that one.

@Hatter - Even from my old memories, your take on Keaton seems spot-on.

[Mateo Sanboval]

Batman (and the theme to Sledgehammer) is definitely my favorite. Even I'm not much of an Elfman devotée I really loved those scores. And of course his stellar work on The Burbs (*wink* @Nathan). I, like Deaf, loved Batman '89 as a kid and bought both those scores, but connected much stronger with the Prince music initially. After a while, I began to really enjoy Elfman's music and it became one of a small handful of orchestral scores that I listened to regularly. Every time I've revisited the film, especially in the theater recently, I've been struck by how well the score works within the and without it. I just think it's great.

@Hatter - Now I want to revisit Nightbreed as well. And I like your interesting take on Keaton's Wayne. It's almost as if we're expected to glean that he's put on those trust fund kid aires before because everyone treats him dismissively within the film but we never quite get to see it for ourselves.

[Hatter313]

Batman (and the theme to Sledgehammer) is definitely my favorite. Even I'm not much of an Elfman devotée I really loved those scores. And of course his stellar work on The Burbs (*wink* @Nathan). I, like Deaf, loved Batman '89 as a kid and bought both those scores, but connected much stronger with the Prince music initially. After a while, I began to really enjoy Elfman's music and it became one of a small handful of orchestral scores that I listened to regularly. Every time I've revisited the film, especially in the theater recently, I've been struck by how well the score works within the and without it. I just think it's great.

@Hatter - Now I want to revisit Nightbreed as well. And I like your interesting take on Keaton's Wayne. It's almost as if we're expected to glean that he's put on those trust fund kid aires before because everyone treats him dismissively within the film but we never quite get to see it for ourselves.

I love Nightbreed, as a film it was a major event for em when I saw it and watched it obsessively for a long time through high school and early college. I've cooled on it considerably as a film in the ensuing years, largely because i've just become overly familiar with it, but the score is still a top one for me.

[ScoJo]

Elfman Top 5s (in no particular order):

BURTON
Mars Attacks
Pee Wee's Big Adventure
Sleepy Hollow
Beetlejuice
Edward Scissorhands

NON-BURTON
To Die For
Scrooged
Midnight Run
Darkman
Summer School

OUT THERE ON IT'S OWN
Forbidden Zone

[Hatter313]

Elfman Top 5s (in no particular order):

BURTON
Mars Attacks
Pee Wee's Big Adventure
Sleepy Hollow
Beetlejuice
Edward Scissorhands

NON-BURTON
To Die For
Scrooged
Midnight Run
Darkman
Summer School

OUT THERE ON IT'S OWN
Forbidden Zone

Oh, we doing this...ok

Burton:

Beetlejuice
Edward Sissorhands
Pee Wee
Sleepy Hollow
Batman Returns

Honorable Mentions: Batman

Non Burton:

Nightbreed
Scrooged
Darkman
Back to School
Midnight Run

Honorable Mention: Dick Tracy

[Mateo Sanboval]

Scrooged is a good pick. I could listen to that at Christmastime.

Can't believe no one's picking Sledgehammer.