The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has decided that the “The Dark Knight” score is ineligible for Oscar consideration because its music cue sheet listed five names as composers, not exactly uncommon practice because it ensures all personal involved in a film’s music composition and design get the royalties they deserve (the same happened on “Batman Begins”)
Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard did the bulkf of the work, but the names also included, Alex Gibson (music editor), Mel Wesson (music designer) and Lorne Balfe (composer), the latter three all signed an affidavit that would ensure that Zimmer and Howard’s work formed the basis of the score. However, apparently somewhere between 30% and 40% of the score was not written by Zimmer and Howard. We had heard around town that the score would probably be disqualified anyway, so it isn’t a surprise, but seeing it in black and white and seeing it disqualified for such reasons is rather annoying. Say what you will about “The Dark Knight, but the cacophonous and atonal droning, plus intensely urgent score is one of the years best and most thrilling. [Fataculture]
If you thought there was outrage and umbrage over Jonny Greenwood’s “There Will Be Blood,” scores disqualification last year, you haven’t seen nothing. This is ‘TDK’ we’re talking about and expect that fans to start a mob and get up in arms on the Internet with griping, death threats and serious namecalling.
