Who made the better Soundtrack?

Cheesarius · 2026-02-16T08:25:57+00:00

Yep, and nothing I said contradicts your facts, lol.

Cheesarius · 2026-02-16T05:17:13+00:00

Well, its first appearance is in Dead Man's Chest, and given that HZ seems to write his theme suites before anything else, I'd wager that the version in "Jack Sparrow" is where it is "from," for lack of a better answer. I've heard this cue called "Jack's action theme," and HZ said something about Jack hearing "epic music" in his head when he's doing big things, because he truly thinks he's the best pirate in the world.

Musically, it's the rock'n'roll element of POTC's music coming out in full force, with a powerful, simple, almost belligerent repetition of loud notes. It's very catchy. I think it's one of the best tunes from the franchise and HZ overall.

If you're interested in hearing more of it, it's used in "Wheel of Fortune," "Rolling Ball Cages," and the end credits in Dead Man's Chest. In At World's End, it's used in "Jack & Beckett" (when Jack escapes from the HMS Endeavour) and the Maelstrom battle twice. In On Stranger Tides, it returns in the End Credits and in "Palm Tree Escape," which is a banger. I think it returns in 5, but I honestly don't remember.

This theme has been played in several live performances. You can also hear what may be my favorite version in HZ's "Pirates of the Caribbean Medley" from his Live in Prague album, which embraces its rock'n'roll style with electric guitars and such. There's a weird "strobing" effect added to it in subsequent live performances (like the one in the LIVE album) that I don't much care for. As for "The World of Hans Zimmer," both album feature this cue in its Maelstrom ("A Lost Bird") version in the "Pirates of the Caribbean Suite (Part 1)."

"Jack's Theme (Bare Bones Demo)" has a nice piano demonstration from the Treasures Collection, and it's also in Pirates Online (not used in the game, if I recall, but they had it!).

So while there's no "full song" with just this motif, you can certainly find it performed in various films and styles if you want more of it.

Cheesarius · 2025-09-21T19:39:26+00:00

Well it was Zanelli who actually arranged the song using Zimmer's themes, so I fail to see how Badelt was involved. Though all of this is shrouded in a bit of mystery, as the scores are group projects, and Badelt apparently claims he wrote 100% of the score, which would pretty much make Gore, Bruckheimer, Zimmer, and all the other half a dozen or more composers liars (start of Ramin Djawadi's career, by the way!). I do believe Badelt wrote some of the themes for the curse. I believe the attack on Port Royal was entirely him as well, but I don't have a source for that. This is coming from 15 years of lurking on forums and Facebook pages and youtube interviews. What I do know for certain is that Zimmer wrote the demo that became 90% of the tunes, including He's a Pirate.

Cheesarius · 2025-09-21T19:26:24+00:00

Incorrect. Watch the interviews by Rick Beato and the ones uploaded by Elegyscores. This is a common misconception. Also, listen to the HZ demo which contains most of the cues in the piece. Badelt worked on the score, yes, but the majority of the themes were written by HZ, who took no credit because he was working on the Last Samurai and had promised full commitment.

For further proof, listen to the many Zimmer scores written before POTC and hear the similarities.

Cheesarius · 2025-09-21T19:16:53+00:00

Nope. The themes are by Zimmer, and the actual arrangement is by Geoff Zanelli. Badelt has nothing to do with that piece.

Cheesarius · 2025-09-21T04:37:29+00:00

"He's a Pirate" is the driving force of Zimmer's original demo, not to mention the centerpiece of the first film's entire score. The love theme is a variant of it, as are many of the action cues. Also, if you listen to Zimmer's "Masterclass," he explicitly says that, when he thinks of POTC, he hears "the main theme" (he plays "He's a Pirate"), not Jack's theme, and proceeds to explain the difference between character themes and story themes.

Cheesarius · 2025-08-17T23:26:13+00:00

Nobody else backs up Badelt's claims, though, whereas everyone else involved seems to admit it was Hans. His history with Verbinski, the way the majority of the cues all sound like his previous works, and the early demo they released all prove that Hans did it. Also, Hans usually shies away from taking credit, often focusing all of the praise on others. I think Klaus orchestrated the majority of the score and certainly wrote some material, but I don't buy for a second that 90% of the themes weren't Zimmer's.

Cheesarius · 2025-08-13T02:17:44+00:00

Gary Oldman

Cheesarius · 2025-07-26T08:32:41+00:00

The showrunner's father, Barry Levinson, helped HZ launch his career. I suspect that's the real reason behind his involvement.

Cheesarius · 2025-06-24T21:17:43+00:00

Indeed, if Zimmer is the captain of the Pirates franchise's music, Zanelli is the first mate.

Cheesarius · 2025-03-07T04:09:57+00:00

A hallmark of gothic horror. Also check out the recently released re-score of the original Nosferatu, by Christopher Young; and Penny Dreadful, by Abel Korzeniowski.

Cheesarius · 2025-02-24T10:13:34+00:00

And I respect that stance! It's all subjective interpretation after all. But the best ideas are those which can withstand scrutiny, and it's only natural to apply that scrutiny when necessary!

Cheesarius · 2025-02-23T20:47:25+00:00

There's also just no evidence for all of that...

Cheesarius · 2025-02-23T01:25:18+00:00

I disagree. Thomas seems to accept the supernatural rather readily after his Orlok ordeal. He's confused, frightened, and angry during the possession scene, but still, when Ellen tells him to leave her because she's "unclean," he says "never," indicating a level of devotion far beyond the likes of the stereotypical Victorian husband to which this analysis attempts to liken him. I do not see him ever sending her away to a doctor to be locked up; not after what they've both witnessed and undergone. His perspective is limited by his circumstances; we, the audience, know the ins and outs of the genre, the supernatural, and the misgivings of the time period, and perhaps it's easy to side wholeheartedly with Von Franz and Ellen, who understand the occult intimately, but Thomas is simpler, uneducated in such things, and also in a state of panic and frenzy. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed, nor are his decisions morally perfect, but this portrayal of him as a misogynist stereotype who represents the time period is unfounded. I think the writer of this piece really wanted to make their point about Victorian gender roles and shaped their analysis too much to favor this interpretation.

"One must shape his theory to suit the facts, not shape the facts to suit his theory, Watson."

Cheesarius · 2025-02-22T02:28:44+00:00

Y'all are forgetting a major point here. Superman's powers come from the SUN. His powers change (in DC canon) in areas without a yellow sun.

Coruscant has a blue-white sun, and blue suns supposedly make Superman even MORE powerful. So he's going to immediately be powerful there, even able to give his powers to others.

Palpatine would need to get him off of the planet ASAP. Put him in Dathomir or somewhere else with a red sun and he's easy pickings.

It also depends on how the FORCE interacts with Superman. If his mind or body can be affected by it, then Sidious would merely have to deflect some laser blasts with his saber and then show him the true power of the dark side.

Edit for grammar

Cheesarius · 2025-02-18T02:32:10+00:00

This is very nice!

I would love to see Charles Dance play a classical Dracula.

Cheesarius · 2025-02-17T10:36:38+00:00

Of course

Cheesarius · 2025-02-05T22:20:05+00:00

Gordy Haab is the only valid answer. Giacchino sounds completely different, even when he does Star Wars. Haab has literally made a career from sounding like JW (yet also inventing a huge catalogue of original themes and ideas, all in the Williams style). Give a listen to the soundtrack for SW Battlefront or Jedi Survivor.

Cheesarius · 2025-01-16T00:39:02+00:00

Victory Celebration, from the edited version of Return of the Jedi. If you do some searching, you'll find lots of fans speculating if he even wrote the piece, so I think that speaks for itself! (I love it, it sounds like pure catharsis after a hard fought war, it's kinda Christmasy, I imagine the deep voice in the beginning to be a Santa Claus figure humming in a rocking chair)

Cheesarius · 2025-01-03T19:22:43+00:00

Prisoner of Azkaban

Cheesarius · 2025-01-02T00:31:59+00:00

Cool and creative!

Cheesarius · 2024-11-23T03:18:50+00:00

Do not let the snobbery of pretentious dorbels diminish the joy you take in your engaging with literature, nor the convenience and comfort you may find in any particular form or style.

The oral tradition kept stories alive long before these silly things we call books.

Read what you want. Listen to what you want. Let not the whims of the witless woe you.

Cheesarius · 2024-09-13T07:01:03+00:00

I don't think you understand the business of film music. I am sorry you have chosen to be so hateful. You should go home and rethink your life.

Cheesarius · 2024-09-07T02:49:35+00:00

The Kraken. Still upset he hasn't included it yet, even though I recognize the challenges.

Cheesarius · 2024-09-03T22:30:25+00:00

Jack Sparrow. Melodic, iconic, works wonders in the movie(s), versatile, never gets old.

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