The Spirit Scoring Post.

The news on who's scoring the film version of The Spirit definitely kindled my interest in seeing it. Yes, Samuel L. Jackson is always watchable (even in Virgin Media ads); and yes, Scarlett Johansson, Eva Mendes, Jaime King and Paz Vega does not equal the stars of Sex and the City as far as men in general are concerned... but with David Newman signed, the deal's been sealed. He's always been the most underrated of the composing Newmans, thanks mainly to the projects he's gotten in his two decades of scoring - Thomas started out with the likes of Revenge of the Nerds, but by the beginning of the 90s he'd moved further up the food chain and was well on the way to becoming the Oscar-bait (and Emmy-bait - he did Angels In America and the theme for Six Feet Under) composer he is today - as well as soon to be in cinemas with WALL-E - while Randy's one of the world's greatest singer-songwriters when he's not scoring Pixar movies (and slumming it occasionally... well, he did do Meet the Fockers after all).

Whereas David... well, I'll let his list of movie projects on IMDb speak for itself. (I'm not including shorts or his TV episodic work on Tales from the Crypt and Amazing Stories.) Italic titles are movies I've seen, those with asterisks indicate the score got some kind of release, whether score CD, promo (if I know about one) or a cut or two on the song album.

Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins (2008)
Norbit (2007)*
Serenity (2005)*
Monster-in-Law (2005)
Man of the House (2005)
Are We There Yet? (2005)
Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)
Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat (2003)*
Duplex (2003)
Daddy Day Care (2003)
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)
Scooby-Doo (2002)*
Life or Something Like It (2002)
Ice Age (2002)*
Death to Smoochy (2002)
The Affair of the Necklace (2001)*
Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001)
The Flamingo Rising (2001) (TV)
102 Dalmatians (2000)
Bedazzled (2000)
Duets (2000)*
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000)
The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000)*
Galaxy Quest (1999)*
Brokedown Palace (1999)*
Bowfinger (1999)*
Never Been Kissed (1999)
Anastasia (1997)*
Out to Sea (1997)*
Jingle All the Way (1996)*
Matilda (1996)*
The Nutty Professor (1996)
The Phantom (1996)*
Big Bully (1996)
Operation Dumbo Drop (1995)*
Tommy Boy (1995)
Boys on the Side (1995)
I Love Trouble (1994)*
The Cowboy Way (1994)
The Flintstones (1994)*
My Father the Hero (1994)
The Air Up There (1994)*
Undercover Blues (1993)
Coneheads (1993)
The Sandlot (1993)*
Hoffa (1992)*
That Night (1992)
The Mighty Ducks (1992)
Honeymoon in Vegas (1992)
Other People's Money (1991)
Paradise (1991)
Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)*
Rover Dangerfield (1991)*
Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991)
Talent for the Game (1991)
The Marrying Man (1991)*
Meet the Applegates (1991)
Mr. Destiny (1990)*
DuckTales: The Movie - Treasure of the Lost Lamp (1990)
The Freshman (1990)
Fire Birds (1990)
Madhouse (1990)
The Runestone (1990)
The War of the Roses (1989)*
Gross Anatomy (1989)
Little Monsters (1989)
Disorganized Crime (1989)
Heathers (1989)*
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
R.O.T.O.R. (1989)
Throw Momma from the Train (1987)*
The Brave Little Toaster (1987)*
Malone (1987)*
My Demon Lover (1987)*
The Kindred (1987)*
Vendetta (1986)
Critters (1986)*

On the one hand, it's nice to see he's done movies featuring Jessica Alba, Drew Barrymore (three times!), Gwyneth Paltrow and Hayden Panettiere (she played the young Hilary Swank in The Affair Of The Necklace, even though she now looks nothing like HS did at 18), and there's some gems in there... but on the other hand, I can't believe he did R.O.T.O.R. I mean, for goodness' sake, R.O.T.O.R.? If nothing else at least we have a winner for the title of the worst movie David Newman's scored (and there's some stiff competition).

I hope The Spirit gives him the big success he's deserved... and that Lionsgate gives him a physical CD release. Not all of us do iTunes, you know.