SCORES FOR THIS WEEKEND.

A young woman decides to rent a house in a town in America Jerome, Arizona, which is said to be the largest ghost town in the country. She rents the property for a business trip, but soon discovers that the house is cursed and traps any female who enters it.

The house transforms itself into a complicated maze, making it impossible for the woman to escape. The film follows her attempt to escape the perplexing and soul-destroying maze and the clutches of the evil abode. Does she succeed or will she be yet another female that falls foul of the malevolent house. Woman in the Maze is jumpy and scary stuff, plenty of jolts and surprises along the way, which are all aided and punctuated superbly by the musical score which is the work of talented and versatile Maestro George Kallis.

The composer mixes symphonic with synthetic elements to create a virulent and foreboding soundtrack, but also provides the film with some more poignant and delicate moments. The music underlining and accentuating the many moments of horror and making them even more terrifying.

The composer creates wonderfully effective sounds and fashions driving and relentless compositions that make the movie’s unfolding plot even more urgent and affecting. Kallis has written a score that enhances and gives weight to the already frenzied and somewhat chaotic narrative. Released via Movie Score Media, it is available now on digital platforms.

Also, on digital platforms and from MSM, is Something in the Water, which is a tense thriller, where a group of five girls must fight for their lives in open water after a dream wedding turns into a terrifying nightmare. The score is by Harry Peat and Nainita Desai, and it is a soundtrack I enjoyed immensely, I think because it is so varied, yes because there is a shark involved there are numerous dark and threatening sounding pieces, but the score is not all dark and foreboding, there are also lighter moments which are enjoyable, however, the tense and more action led pieces are also enjoyable and thrilling.

Its obvious that many will draw comparisons between this and Jaws, which I don’t think is far, it’s a totally different movie, and the score too is more contemporary sounding although the composers do utilise both synthetic and symphonic mediums to create the score.  Well worth listening. 

Dominic Lewis has scored The Fall Guy which is out on digital platforms, the score is just non-stop, with some great action cues and plenty of high octane upbeat moments that are tinged with a comedic air, it’s a score that I really took too from the off, it also includes a handful of songs by Yungblud and a new version of The Unknown Stuntman by Blake Shelton.

I enjoyed it and I think you will also. The movie however, I am still thinking about, it’s a bit of nonsense and fun, but it wont be one that I will be returning to. 

Have you been watching ITV or ITV X on Sunday nights if so, you will be like I am enjoying Red Eye.

London police officer DC Hana Li is escorting Dr Matthew Nolan back to Beijing where he has been accused of a crime. However, on board flight 357, she finds herself embroiled in an escalating conspiracy and a growing number of murders. Spread over six episodes this is a violent, and tense thriller, the music is by composer Ian Arber who ramps up the ante wonderfully, adding an even more tense and edgy atmosphere to the already addictive storyline.

Available now on digital platforms the score is mainly electronic but has to it an affecting persona, that is scattered with upbeat interludes that make it a compelling listen. The music being mysterious, inventive, and wonderfully atmospheric. It’s out now. 

Furiosa A Mad Max Saga is released in cinemas soon, and one track from the soundtrack Dementus is Gaining has been made available on digital platforms, music is by Junkie XL who in my opinion has recently created some very atmospheric works. However, on listening to this single cue from Furiosa I am rather disappointed as it it a rather chaotic and distorted piece, hopefully when the full score is released it will be better, but we will have to wait and see.

A new six-episode series is on Hulu, The Veil, follows the relationship between two women playing a deadly game of truth and lies. One woman has a secret, and the other has a mission to reveal it before thousands of lives are lost.

Music is by Jon Opstad and Max Richter, and it is a marvellous score, it’s a work that fuses symphonic and electronic seamlessly, the composers fashioning affecting themes and highly atmospheric soundscapes throughout. Imogen’s Theme is a beautiful solo piano theme, that is haunting and mesmerising.

This is one for your collection, recommended.

The master of the macabre Joseph Bishara is back with his innovative score for Tarot, as always, this composer takes us to new levels of terror, mystery, and darkness, with a soundtrack that is not only inventive as in the way it is written but also has to it some ingenious and truly imaginative orchestrations. Totally affecting and highly effective this is a supreme example of music for a horror tale, its on digital platforms now. Go take a listen I dare you.  

Also out on digital platforms is John Paesano’s score for The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the much-hyped movie is now in cinemas, and the score in my opinion is probably one of the best in the series of the re-boots. I found it to be emotive, compassionate, and touching, but also filled with action cues and epic sounding pieces which are truly grandiose and affecting.

Its not Goldsmith, although there are definite nods to the original Goldsmith score most noticeable in Human Hunt. It is a tremendous and amazingly thematic work, which at times can make the hairs on one’s arms stand up and give you a goosebump shudder.  This for me is a delight a score that is innovative but also has to it elements that pay homage to past Ape scores. That’s all I am going to say, just listen. 

TERROR AT RED WOLF INN.

Terror at Red Wolf Inn, The Folks at Red Wolf Inn, or Terror House is a 1972 horror mystery that takes us on a sometimes uncomfortable and nauseous trip to a holiday resort which holds some secrets. College student Regina (Linda Gillin) comes back to her room from class one day to discover she’s won a getaway vacation at the quiet Red Wolf Inn. Before she can even call her parents to let them know where she’ll be, the lodge owners arrange her transport, and she soon finds herself with two other young women as guests of a kindly old couple Henry and Evelyn Smith (Arthur Space and Mary Jackson).

The location is beautiful, and the food is fantastic, but something just doesn’t seem right. One of the guests suddenly vanishes after which the kindly old hosts seem more than reluctant to have anyone looking around the kitchen or the walk-in freezer. The movie has to it a somewhat unhinged charm and when watching it is better that you do not take it too seriously or you might end up as unbalanced as some of the characters. The film is a darkly irreverent horror/comedy, but the comedy element is under the surface and does not surface that much. The plot is predictable, and anyone watching would I think soon deduct just in what direction we are going here. 

But this is not a film that needs much cerebral power to work out, just plain old home cooked horror. Or is it?  Because as soon as the audience settles into what they are being led to believe is a straightforward horror tale, it alters and jumps out at you from all sides.  And begins to confuse and confound so we do not know where we are going anymore. The film suggests scenarios and sub plots repetitively, but these suggestions never come to full fruition, which is a masterful touch as it leaves the audience on the edge of their seat literally.

The standard of the acting although a little cliched in places is admirable, the narrative flows with the cast all turning in good performances that are natural and believable. Linda Gillin is particularly good and makes the role her own portraying a lonesome college girl who is painfully eager to make friends, please everyone, and maybe find romance with the old couples rather odd Grandson Baby John Smith (John Neilson). There are a handful of standout scenes with some of these being for all the wrong reasons, the Shark scene for example, where the grandson batters a shark to death on the beach, is a little over the top as straight afterwards he vows his undying love for Regina, the battering of the shark kind of takes the tenderness out of that statement, his “I think I Love you” being lost in the violent outburst we have just witnessed literally seconds before.  

For a relatively low budget production the film oozed suspense, and had to it a tense, and chilling persona. The most foreboding mood of the film is created via the performances of the aforementioned actors, Mary Jackson and Arthur Space. They convey an outer personality that comes over as being so very nice and are seen as the epitome of normality in many ways. However, there is always an underlying feeling that these are not ‘normal people’. This first manifests in a scene which must be one of the most bacchanalian and bizarre eating scenes ever committed to celluloid as all the guests and their hosts devour a crowned rib roast on Regina’s first night at the inn and in celebration of another female guest Pamela departing. The way in which all literally carry out an assault the food and are lost in the moment as if they are in a frenzy is disgusting, sensual, horrifying, and sickening all at the same time.

The sequence where we see Edwina (Margaret Avery) on her last night is also impressive, the three members of the Smith family dressed in butcher’s coats going upstairs to Edwina’s room accompanied by the soothing sound of a lullaby being played on a Harpsichord/music box, is real chilling stuff, the camerawork and the music going hand in hand to create an darkly unsettling atmosphere.

And the final visual comment of the movie, which although farfetched, we think yes, I somehow had already figured that one out. The film is a chilling and to a degree disturbing affair, which explores psychosis and trust.  

It’s unusual that not many horror fans discuss this movie. I suppose there are some that don’t want to own up to seeing it, but I am not sure why, because numerous films have since taken its central plot and re-configured it, as in Motel Hell. I won’t say that it’s become a cult movie in recent years because sometimes the word cult is applied to films that are not that good, because Terror at Wolf Inn is essentially a good and effective horror movie.

Bill Marx

Music for the film was the work of William (Bill) Marx, (son of Harpo Marx) who had previously scored horrors such as Count Yorga Vampire and The Return of Count Yorga. The composer once again placing his own individual musical fingerprint upon the production. The score for the movie has never been released, maybe because it is sparse, brief, and subdued, but one day we live in hope that this will also make its way to a CD so we may listen to the music away from the images.

THRILLING OR DISAPPOINTING?

There is a new release on its way that has caused a stir with Morricone fans all over the world. The soundtrack to Thrilling, by the Maestro is due for release on May 15^th, but wait before you reach for your credit card and put in your order, its not the original score, nope it’s a cover version, umm sorry no a re-recording.

A RE-RECORDING.!

But at no time did the label or the people responsible for this recording make it clear or go to any length whatsoever to tell collectors it was not the ORIGINAL. The film which was released in 1965 is an anthology, all sections being scored by Morricone and the music conducted by Bruno Nicolai, I suppose that was for me the giveaway, Nicolai was not credited anywhere on the release.

If you look very carefully you will see there are credits in the small print, for the arranger and the performers, I am told by reliable sources that the performance of the music is realised mainly by synthetics, and not live players, although there are some live performances, by the look of it. It is I think quite sneaky to advertise this in the way it has been, the cover boasts scenes from the movie, and it also says World Premiere, which it is theoretically.

But it is still not the original score is it. It is Morricone so its a score that we all want, but we want Il Maestro not a version of the music he created. I have always found that any cover version of Ennio Morricone is lacking, he was a genius and one cannot imitate this innovative and highly talented composer in any way or form, Many collectors have already pre ordered the cd, which I would think is going to be disappointing for them when they realise its not Morricone after all but a cover version. I suppose a re recording is ok if you are desperate to hear the music from the movie, or at least a rendition of it. But I still think this is a rather underhanded way of selling an album to fans. Yes it maybe a good cover, but they should have stressed it was a re-recording. It was advertised on a number of good sites, and that too was disappointing, because maybe they should have been more vigilant and be more protective of their subscribers.

The people responsible for the re-recording, commented that I must have been fooled by the sound achieved because I had to enquire if it was the original or a cover, well no not really, I doubted its legitimacy from the off, all I was doing was saying if its not the original tell us…. But they chose not too. Says it all really. Lets hope that someone will find the original score and restore it and release it at some point.

THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE.

I know that I do sometimes go on about the influence of the Italian western score, and how it is now a style that has become synonymous with more than just westerns, but it is true that this quirky and innovative style and the sounds encompassed within it have been far reaching.

Once again, the Spaghetti style has reared its head in a recent film score. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is the latest film to contain the sounds of this unforgettable and impacting genres music. Composer Chris Benstead has fashioned a score that although contains noticeable nods to the likes of Morricone, Nicolai, De Masi, Baclov, and their like, has to it as well a musical voice of its own. 

Directed by Guy Ritchie the movie is I think a homage to films of the past that include, The Five Man Army, The Professionals, Devils Brigade, Inglorious Basterds, and The Dirty Dozen. Billed as a true story about a secret British World War II organization; the Special Operations Executive. Founded by Winston Churchill, who’s irregular warfare against the Germans helped to change the course of the war, and gave birth to modern black operations.

The score is a fusion of styles with the predominant style being that of a spaghetti western, there are striking resemblances to such scores as Death Rides a Horse, and A Professional Gun, with an Alessandroni like whistle opening the proceedings on the initial cue, A Team of Misfits. Plus, we are treated to pacey strumming guitars, and male choir, on cue four Fernado Po.

The style shifts a little on track number five Apple Rescue and although there are still spaghetti influences, it is a more dramatic sound that is realised here with dark sounding brass, strident bass guitar, strings, and upbeat percussion. The composer creates original compositions as in they are fresh and inventive, but they are performed at times in the established style of the Italian western score. The soundtrack also contains some nice percussive only moments, these being dramatic and rhythmic and are highly evocative of the style of both Morricone and Nicolai. Its a release I whole-heartily recommend because it is just so entertaining. Available now on digital platforms, take a listen.   

HOPE AND GLORY. (2024).

Mad Max hits the road again in the new short movie Hope and Glory, a film directed by Adrian Martin and Erik van Schoor, starring Daniel Grave, Alex Rosenthal and Charlotte Eckle, produced by Brightstone Pictures . Music is by Dimitris Dodoras, who is a German-born composer who has been involved in many different international projects including films, commercials, music videos and radio plays.

Dimitris Dodoras

He received the Skoda Soundtrack Award at the Soundtrack Cologne 2.0. In 2014, he wrote the music for the award-winning short film, Alter Egon, supported by the film commission NRW. In addition, he contributed music for the Discovery Channel and orchestrated the song “I Wish I Could Be A Disney Princess” for Buzzfeed which has received over 25 million views on YouTube. He participated in the BMI Composing for Screen Mentorship Program in 2013 and the SCL Mentorship Program in NY in 2016. In 2020, he received a nomination for the Hollywood Music in Media Award in the category Contemporary Classical/Instrumental for his piece “Journey Around the World” and won the award in 2021 in the category Score – Short Film (Live Action) for his score for the short film, Fellini Forward, produced by Campari, which had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

His music for Hope and Glory is exhilarating and full throttle action led, and is available now on digital platforms, via the unstoppable Movie Score Media. The music reminds me slightly of the work that Basil Poledouris did on Robocop as in it is powerful and driving with an electronic foundation, but it also contains thematic qualities and at times is symphonic. It’s a relentless musical ride that does not fail to impress, percussive elements underlined by dark sounding strings keep up the momentum and the composer mixes in brass stabs, ominous sounding strings and even more underlying synthetic sounds to create a score that is vibrant and entertaining, well worth a listen….