Not content with ripping off himself,
James Horner borrows wholesale from
Danny Elfman for 1995's
Casper, a goofy comedic fantasy score that eschews thrills and chills in favor of the composer's usual diabetes-inducing schmaltz. Granted, Casper is supposed to be cute and cuddly -- he's the Friendly Ghost, after all -- but
Horner never musters even a hint of action or suspense, instead favoring a calculated whimsy that evokes
Elfman's scores for Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands, albeit with none of the otherworldly beauty and serious weirdness that make
Elfman's efforts so compelling. MCA's soundtrack also includes
Little Richard's "Casper the Friendly Ghost" -- or, as it should be titled, "How the Mighty Have Fallen." ~ Jason Ankeny