He really does know the score

COMPOSER Danny Elfman has slipped his way into our collective subconscious by creating the scores to numerous films, including the blockbusters “Spider-Man,” “Mission: Impossible” and “Men in Black,” as well as the themes to “The Simpsons” and “Desperate Housewives.”

The L.A. native made his name as the frontman for ‘80s new wave band Oingo Boingo. This year he composed the scores for the films “Wanted,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” and “Standard Operating Procedure.”

His first ballet “Rabbit and Rouge,” choreographed by Twyla Tharp, premiered at the Orange County Performing Arts Center this summer, and he recently began work on his first Broadway musical, “Houdini.” He shared his pop culture interests with Liesl Bradner.

HEAVY ROTATION ON YOUR IPOD

I listen to constantly changing messy playlists. If I had to pick I’d have to say a playlist that heavily features the work of Gavin Bryars, “Farewell to Philosophy”; Steve Reich (Kronos Quartet), “Different Trains”; Erik Satie, “The Irreverent Inspirations of Erik Satie,” which is a rare use of him writing for solo voices. It would also be mixed with doses of Radiohead and Sparklehorse, Cat Power, Aimee Mann and the incredible Mauritanian singer Dimi Mint Abba.

SOUNDTRACK FOR YOUR COMMUTE

Mock-ups of whatever music I’m composing at any particular moment get a whole lot of play when I’m driving because it gives me fresh ears to what I’ve been obsessing on in the studio.

IN YOUR NETFLIX QUEUE

I decided to watch the entire first season of “Mad Men” on the flight back from London. Unfortunately I got them all in Blu-ray and my computer wouldn’t play any of them.

TV PICKS

I can’t make it through the week without “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report.” I also have the guilty pleasure of “Weeds” going this season and the usual constant late-night addiction to Turner Classic Movies.

ON THE BED-STAND LIBRARY

I’m ashamed to say at this moment, no Tolstoy nor Hemingway by my bed does sit. But much like half the country, I’m reading David Sedaris’ new one, “When You Are Engulfed in Flames.” I’m also reading “Elephant and Other Stories,” the last short story collection of Raymond Carver. When Sedaris gets me too light-hearted, I use Carver to tug me back down again.

TOP INTERNET DESTINATION

Rotten Tomatoes to compare all the movie reviews, and IMDB (Internet Movie Database) for trivia.

YOUTUBE PICKS

“Unnecessary Censorship: Come and Play Edition” from Jimmy Kimmel and the amazing footage of Bill O’Reilly flipping out on camera.

HUH? OR I JUST DON’T GET IT

The world of Facebook and MySpace, as it’s the absolute antithesis of how I lived my entire life. I’m most fascinated by the obsession with “sharing” one’s experiences with strangers and/or the world in general. As long as I can remember, I was the kind of person who shared with and trusted very few. Not to mention that for years now I’ve received fairly regular alerts about various people on these sites reporting to be me . . . saying God knows what . . . to who knows how many people? But, alas, I’ve never been on either site.