— by CHAS BLANKENSHIP — While not as bombastic and sweeping as the score for “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” (1993), composer Mike McCuistion (a member of Shirley Walker’s team from the animated series) delivers a finely tuned and tragically poetic score for “Batman & Mr. Fre[...]
Archive for the ‘Superheroes’ Category
‘X-Men: First Class’ Has Director and Release Date
— by CAM SMITH — While “Captain America” may have been, for a while at least, the most tumultuous superhero movie currently in active development, 20th Century Fox seems desperate to swipe that dubious honor away with the ongoing behind-the-scenes drama that is “X-Men: First Class.[...]
‘Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub Zero’ (1998)
— by CHAS BLANKENSHIP — When Mr. Freeze kidnaps Barbara Gordon for a mysterious medical procedure to save his cryogenically frozen wife Nora, Batman and Robin embark on a blazing rescue mission to save her.[...]
‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1993)
— by CHAS BLANKENSHIP — If I had to make note of where the absolute zenith for superhero symphonic exercise occurred…I’d honestly have to hand it over to the period from 1989 to 1993/1994. The reigns of Danny Elfman and Shirley Walker.[...]
‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’ (1993)
— by CHAS BLANKENSHIP — When a mysterious cloaked figure murders Gotham gangsters, Batman is labeled the prime suspect. Now, not only must Wayne fight to clear his name…but the return of a lost love links the murderer to Bruce’s past…and the revelation of why he truly became a vigi[...]
‘Batman: The Animated Series’ (1992 to 1995)
— by CHAS BLANKENSHIP — The Dark Knight battles crime in Gotham City with occasional help from Robin and Batgirl.[...]
‘Batman & Robin’: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1997)
— by CHAS BLANKENSHIP — With the smash arrival…and quick fizzle…of “Batman & Robin” (1997), it seemed as if the caped crusader’s cinematic escapades would never possibly recover. However, in the thick of 1997, Joel Schumacher’s lavish portrayal of Gotham City lived it up[...]
‘Batman & Robin’: Original Motion Picture Score (1997)
— by CHAS BLANKENSHIP — In the years following its release, “Batman & Robin” (1997) never received an official release for Elliot Goldenthal’s score by Warner Brothers Records or Atlantic…the label that released the soundtrack. However, a comprehensive bootleg release has su[...]
‘Batman & Robin’ (1997)
— by CHAS BLANKENSHIP — Batman & Robin struggle to keep their alliance together as they attempt to stop Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy from freezing Gotham City and enslaving it with animal plant hybrids.[...]
‘Iron Man 2’ Featurette: Villains
— by CAM SMITH — As I’ve surely stated in the past, I’m seriously pleased with Marvel’s approach to promoting “Iron Man 2” so far. They’ve veered refreshingly away from the uber-spoilery stuff (remember when they included the Tony Stark cameo in[...]
‘Batman Forever’: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1995)
— by CHAS BLANKENSHIP — For all the flack it tends to generate, Joel Schumacher’s “Batman” films are quite the progenitor of how comic book adaptations were perceived for the longest time. Films like Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” movies, Tim Story’s “Fantastic Four” pictures[...]
‘Batman Forever’: Original Motion Picture Score (1995)
— by CHAS BLANKENSHIP — By the mid ‘90s, studios and filmmakers alike felt that…at least to an extent…the symphonic score once resurrected by composers such as John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith had run its course. Audiences were getting larger. But, more importantly, they were gett[...]
‘Batman Forever’ (1995)
— by CHAS BLANKENSHIP — Conflicted by his thirst for justice and desire for happiness, Bruce Wayne finds redemption in orphaned acrobat Dick Grayson. Taking the boy in, the caped crusader forms an alliance with Robin the Boy Wonder…just in time to tackle the dual threat[...]
‘Batman Returns’: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1992)
— by CHAS BLANKENSHIP — Sequels are always a daunting task…both in the director’s chair and the recording studio. For Danny Elfman, “Batman Returns” (1992) was the equivalent of being asked to catch lightning in a bottle a second time.[...]