Danny Elfman’s a master composer, and there’s no doubt the man has range. FromThe SimpsonstoThe Nightmare Before Christmas,his scores have become iconic all over popular culture. Recently, Elfman decided to play his theme for Sam Raimi’sSpider-Manbefore a live audience at the Hollywood Bowl.BeforeSpider-Man, Elfman came to prominence with his work as a singer/songwriter in the classic ‘80s band Oingo Boingo. Forty years on, he’s still practicing music and doing an amazing job at it. At this year’s Coachella Festival, Elfman even shreddedThe Simpsonstheme song and evensome numbers fromThe Nightmare Before Christmas.The man’s got range.RELATED:The Brilliance Of Sam Raimi’s Marvel New York CityFan-captured footage was posted on Twitter (viaDiscussing Film) and showed a glimpse of Elfman performing the theme song to 2002’sSpider-Man.The theme, iconic in its own right, was accompanied by footage of the film that features Spidey swinging from the New York skyline. The theme’s powerful, orchestral quality seems to be hypnotizing the audience.For many,the Sam RaimiSpider-Mantrilogyset the bar for fans. In terms of music, performances, and adaptational faithfulness, many have made the argument that the movie simply cannot be outdone, and that Raimi (and Elfman) crafted something truly special when they created the 2002 adaptation.
Twenty years on from Sam Raimi’sSpider-Man,the performance illustrates how the film changed cinema and pop culture. Elfman’s score is still present in the minds of audiences everywhere, and it’s big enough to perform in concert and immediately draw fans’ attention. It also illustrates Elfman’s talent. Spider-Man has gone through multiple iterations since the theme first appeared on screen, and yet Elfman’s score is probably one of the more iconic and beloved versions of Spider-Man’s themes. Even as the character has joined the MCU, fans still argue that Raimi’s adaptation had it all, and it still reigns on many fans' lists of bestSpider-Manadaptations.
Even 14 years after its cancellation, fans wonderwhySpider-Man 4never happened with Tobey Maguire. Though the third film in the saga turned out to be a critical bust, many still have fond memories of the trilogy. Elfman’s recent performance of the theme must bring back a perfect hit of nostalgia for this subset of fans.
Spider-Man(2002) is now available on Disney Plus.
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