There is no denying that Camp Crystal Lake has a dark history, one that Sean Orton is intent on ignoring. Despite being warned against returning to his childhood Camp, Sean’s desire to save his family name proves to be even stronger. Sean rechristens the grounds as Camp Trinity Pointe, and with a group of friends, he attempts to rebuild it into a haven of safety with no traces of the tragedy and occurrences from the past left behind. But the evil that still lingers within the camp is a stark reminder that history always seems to have a habit of repeating itself and reminds us that revenge is a dish best served cold. Right on cue for the Halloween season comes My Special Boy which is a tense, sinister, and gruesome horror. Music is by a talented young composer Frank Dormani, who fuses and mix sounds of mayhem and chaos with slightly less chilling compositions to create a score that is filled with inventive pieces.
He has created an effective score that draws from the rich heritage of horror film scores created by the likes of Marco Beltrami, and Christopher Young, with hints of the styles as created by Joseph Bishara, and Mark Korven in more recent horrific excursions. Dark and foreboding, atonal yet alluring this a brilliantly written score that entices and unsettles at the same time.
Whilst in the movie Feed, a group of social media experts are hired to help an old family business to thrive, by creating compelling stories about an old witch myth. But they soon find themselves stuck on a tiny island in a lake in which the ancient Swedish witch is said to live. Music is by Oscar Fogelstrom, who has produced a pulsating and edgy score, via electronic elements, the suitably unsettling, harrowing, and foreboding sounds are perfect for the films storyline and add much to its overall impact. The music takes us to the precipice at times abruptly halting leaving us teetering over the edge, but mostly pushing us over it. Superb horror score.
In season one of Amazon’s The Devils Hour, a woman who wakes up every night at exactly 3.33am, in the middle of the so-called devil’s hour which is said to be between 3am and 4am. This is a series that will get you hooked, but please do not think it is something that is easy to digest as it is a series that you must focus upon or you will miss sections or even a line of dialogue and it will confuse you totally, This is a well crafted story that has transferred well to the small screen, Peter Capaldi is excellent and it is him I think that makes the story stand out so much. Mention must also be made of child performer Benjamin Chivers who plays Isaac, I also think the reason that this sometimes hard to follow is because in the first handful of episodes they move around in different time frames, so it can as I say become a little discombobulating.
But hang in there it is so worth it, this is an intelligent and mesmerizing viewing experience. The musical score too is wonderfully attractive, and yes it has a lot of dark moments but there are also some interludes that have to them an otherworldly atmosphere and a emotive and near melancholy persona to them. Music is by the composing duo The Newton Brothers, who are not really brothers, but you know that, Right?
These inventive composers blend and combine layers of sound and music to achieve effective pieces that support and add depth to the proceedings, underlining and creating a malevolent and darkly ominous soundtrack. They have also fashioned a great opening theme, which sets the scene for each episode, and draws the audience into the darkness. Well worth a listen.
The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself has arrived on Netflix beginning is airing on October 28th. The series is based on the Half Bad series of books by Sally Green and contains a varied and effective soundtrack by British female pop duo Lets Eat Grandma formed in 2013 by musicians Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth. Their score was released simultaneously on digital platforms. “Working on the OST for The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself has certainly been a very informative process and a wonderful new experience which has shaped and broadened the way we write and think about music. We’re always looking for ways to move forward musically, and we think being part of a bigger project with lots of other people all working creatively in different ways has been so valuable and inspiring.” Said the duo. And I have to say that it is a good score, both within the series and away from it, I would not say that this is traditional horror score material as we might know it, but its inventive and original which is all one can really ask for. It creates tension, underlines moments of shock and elevates these perfectly. At times I was reminded of the works of Simonetti, Frizzi, and Morricone, as they utilize instrumentation that is very similar and experiment with voices, giving the score a kind of off kilter style that adds even more of a chill to the work. Interesting and I would say yes, I recommend you take a listen.
Jane and Mike visit her family’s cabin in the mountains. Mike envisions a vibrant future in this idyllic place, but the surroundings bring forth remnants of Jane’s mysterious past, culminating in a transformative experience for them both. That is the outline of the plot for the horror short Pony, the soundtrack of which is released on digital platforms, it is being a score for a short very brief and contains just five cues with a running time of nearly eleven minutes. It is in my opinion a nice work, and I hope to hear more from its composer Lefteris Loannou very soon, it is engaging, melodic, affecting and haunting. The composer utilizing piano, cello and a small string ensemble to fashion his subtle but tantalizing soundtrack.
Something Behind the Walls contains a synth score realised by Andrew Joslyn, that is reminiscent of many of the 1980’s soundtracks that were produced for horror flicks from back then, dark drone like sounds and crashing chords are the order of the day, with half heard sounds and synth voices creating eerie and dark atmospheres. Which are effective in the movie, but not that appealing when listened to away from images. Again, its film music, so that is its job after all. So, a good score, but one that probably will not make many playlists.
Well, I hope you enjoy your Halloween, I am the one indoors with the lights out and the curtains closed, in the hope that those pesky kids will think I am not in. In the UK its Guy Fawkes next, then Christmas, so get ready for magic, sparkle, and those melancholy sounding Christmas soundtracks oh yes and the occasional ghost story.
MOVIE MUSIC INTERNATIONAL. (MMI) . 