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Angelo Badalamenti

Angelo Badalamenti

Composer, also actor, producer and writer · Died December 11, 2022, aged 85 · New York City, New York, USA

Angelo Daniel Badalamenti (March 22, 1937 – December 11, 2022) was an American composer, best known for his work scoring films for director David Lynch, notably Blue Velvet, the Twin Peaks saga (1990–1992, 2017), The Straight Story and Mulholland Drive. Badalamenti received the 1990 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for his "Twin Peaks Theme", and had received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Soundtrack Awards and the Henry Mancini Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 23, 1937
Died
December 11, 2022 (aged 85)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Composer, also actor, producer and writer
Titles
46 on MovieCove · 80 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 20% in 30 days

What are Angelo Badalamenti's films like?

Across their 41 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Drama13 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 34th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 94th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 17th percentile
: browse their Horror movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
26%
Morality
21%
Bonds
20%
Survival
13%
Society
9%
Power
7%
Ideas
5%
Identity10 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love7 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception8 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal5 titles, browse their movies with this themeMemory3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 41 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 10 · Serious 7 · Dark 24

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 14 · Stylized 18 · Heightened 9

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 5 · Charged 17 · Intense 19

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 13 · Shifting 16 · Whiplash 12

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 21 · Some laughs 18 · Funny 2

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 23 · Even-paced 17 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 10 · Engaged 26 · Full focus 5

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 8 · Affecting 10 · Heavy 23

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 19 · Open-ended 11 · Ambiguous 11

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
27
Melancholic
23
Dread
14
Contemplative
11
Absurd
8
Other
37

How their films linger

Bittersweet18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 11 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet23
  • Tragic6
  • Ambiguous7
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Angelo Badalamenti's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 30 of their 46 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (14).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Angelo Badalamenti's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

80 credits, 46 with a MovieCove page; 6 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Scratching the Surface: A Look Back (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Composer

  • Jack Paints It Red (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Composer

  • My Weston is My Hero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Composer

  • Here After(2020)

    Composer · Thanks · Theme Song Performance

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Koi(2019)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Ant Head (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Composer · Sound

  • The Wait (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Composer

  • Gold Coast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Composer

  • Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Composer

  • Stalingrad(2013)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • A Late Quartet(2012)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • A Dream in the Making (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Composer

  • A Butterfly Kiss (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Composer

  • A Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Composer

  • 44 Inch Chest(2009)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Edge of Love(2008)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Sound of Lynch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Actor

  • A Slice of Lynch(2007)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Return to 'Twin Peaks' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Composer

  • Secrets from Another Place: Creating Twin Peaks(2007)

    Composer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Wicker Man(2006)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Dark Water(2005)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist(2005)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Une année au front : dans les coulisses de "Un long dimanche de fiançailles" (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Composer · as Self

  • Love, Death, Elvis & Oz: The Making of Wild at Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Composer

  • A Very Long Engagement(2004)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Before the Fall(2004)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Evilenko(2003)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Indoor Fireworks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Composer

  • Cabin Fever(2002)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Resistance(2003)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Murder in Scottsdale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Composer

  • Dangerous Liaisons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 3 episodes · Composer

  • Auto Focus(2002)

    Composer · Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Secretary(2002)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Lathe of Heaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Composer

  • The Adversary(2002)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Rabbits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Composer

  • Rabbits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 8 episodes · Composer · Compositor

  • Darkened Room (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Composer

  • Mysteries of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Composer · as Self

  • Cet amour-là (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Composer

  • Story of a Bad Boy(1999)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Mulholland Drive(2001)

    Composer · as Luigi Castigliane

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Julie Johnson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Composer

  • Suspended Animation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Composer

  • A Piece of Eden(2000)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Beach(2000)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Straight Story(1999)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Forever Mine(1999)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Holy Smoke(1999)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Arlington Road(1999)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch(1997)

    Composer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Blood Oranges(1997)

    Composer · Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Lost Highway(1997)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The City of Lost Children(1995)

    Composer · Music Producer · Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Premonitions Following an Evil Deed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Composer

  • Witch Hunt(1994)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Naked in New York(1993)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Hotel Room (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 3 episodes · Composer

  • Twin Peaks: Visual Soundtrack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Composer · Music Producer

  • On the Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 3 episodes · Composer · Conductor · Orchestrator · as Piano Player

  • Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me(1992)

    Composer · Musician · Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Comfort of Strangers(1990)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Brokenhearted(1990)

    Composer · Music Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Wild at Heart(1990)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Twin Peaks(1990)

    Show 48 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Twin Peaks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Composer

  • National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation(1989)

    Composer · Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Wait Until Spring, Bandini(1989)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Cinéma, de notre temps (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Angelo Badalamenti

  • Cousins(1989)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Parents(1988)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Weeds(1987)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Tough Guys Don't Dance(1987)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors(1987)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Blue Velvet(1986)

    Composer · as Piano Player

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Law and Disorder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Composer

  • Gordon's War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Composer

  • Love is Strange (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Sound

Career shape

A full career of 80 titles, 79 of them dated from 1973 to 2026.

Biggest box office

The Beach (2000)

$144M worldwide

Highest rated

The Straight Story (1999)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Mulholland Drive (2001)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting5 of 80: 2 only acting, 3 with another roleProducing1 of 80: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleMusic77 of 80: 65 only music, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score60thOther crew11 of 80: 1 only other crew, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score77th

80 titles, 12 with more than one role — music and other crew overlap on 10 of them.

By decade

1970s2 · crew1980s10 · 2 acting · 9 crew1990s19 · 1 acting · 19 crew2000s34 · 2 acting · 33 crew2010s10 · crew2020s4 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Angelo Badalamenti's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 56th percentile, the median of all 45; across their 41 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 57th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Approval · how many liked their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Reach · how many have seen their films

87thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Midcredits score across 46 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up19
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th12
  • Below 25th8

Shape of the crowd

18 of their 46 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved10
  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser14
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed18

Most divisive · composer

Stalingrad (2013)

73rd percentile spread · 28% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

The Straight Story (1999)

Midcredits 98th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the sound and music 68/100 in their films, across 31 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Angelo Badalamenti's work okay for kids?

Across up to 28 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore18 titles36–90 · median 80 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity28 titles12–78 · median 57 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity19 titles30–90 · median 61 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs17 titles30–69 · median 41 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense18 titles41–89 · median 82 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Angelo Badalamenti work with?

People who share at least 2 of Angelo Badalamenti's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; David Lynch shares the most, 8.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles