The most famous movie score temp track swipe of all time

Films (especially Marvel superhero ones) have unremarkable musical scores for many reasons, but the most remarkable is because scenes tend to be emotionally (and technically) fitted to “temp tracks”—themes taken from other movies as placeholders while the official score is composed. The result: derivative music that imposes another film’s emotional landscape onto a newer work, resulting in that characteristic low-risk Hollywood mix of blandness and spectacle.

Scores often seem lawyered to be as close as possible to the temp track without generating legal risk, but sometimes mistakes are made. @SoundsLikeTemp is collecting the best examples. The one above is perhaps the most famous, actually resulting in a copyright imbroglio and a gritted-teeth apology. On the left stereo channel is temp music from Fox Searchlight’s Titus (1999). On the right, the “original” score for Warner Bros’ 300 (2007).

Below, the two scores played asynchronously.