III.
May 2000
 In
a brief essay in Esquire about the graphic novel-influenced Wachowski
brothers of The Matrix fame, Elvis Mitchell says, "Those of
us who love comics have given ourselves TMJ disorder from grinding our
teeth over the shabby treatment comics have received from a medium that’s
far more compatible than it lets on." I’m crossing my fingers
hoping that in July, I won’t be grinding my choppers over director
Bryan Singer’s eagerly anticipated big-screen version of the most
popular comic book of the late '70s, '80s and early '90s, X-Men.
But I doubt Singer will commit a major cinematic snafu because he’s
no Joel "Batman shouldn’t be narcissistic and self-consumed"
Schumacher. Singer has a terrific track record with pulp fiction: he made
a crafty adaptation of the Stephen King novella Apt Pupil and was
the mastermind behind The Usual Suspects, one of the best crime
movies of the ’90s. If he can pay more attention to the drama and
angst of these tortured mutant superheroes than to their costumes, then
we probably won't have another Batman & Robin on our hands.
I’m
so X-cited about X-Men that I’m declaring May 2000 "X-May"
on A Fistful of Soundtracks. During May, we’ll be hearing
scores from such comic-book flicks as Akira (Shoji Yamashiro and
Geinoh Yamashirogumi), Superman: The Movie (John Williams), Tim
Burton’s Batman (Danny Elfman), Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
(Shirley Walker), The Crow (Graeme Revell), The Mask (Randy
Edelman), The Rocketeer (James Horner), Men in Black (Elfman)
and Conan the Barbarian (Basil Poledouris). So get that adamantium
claw outta your nose and set your dial to A Fistful of Soundtracks
all this month for X-May.
May
7, 2000: The Superman:
The Movie special. (Originally aired:
March 18, 2000)
May
14, 2000: "X-May: Comic-Book Movie Soundtracks." Comic-book
movie soundtracks, including Superman: The Movie, Batman,
Akira, The Crow, The Mask, The Rocketeer,
Men in Black and Conan the Barbarian. Featuring an interview
with syndicated columnist "Captain Comics."
May
21, 2000: "X-May: Anime." Anime soundtracks. Music from Princess
Mononoke, Akira and Rhino's The Best of Anime.
May
28, 2000: "X-May: A Tribute to Danny Elfman." Fistful's
annual birthday tribute to Danny Elfman.
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