My Favorite Themes - Part VIII

Score: Gremlins by Jerry Goldsmith

About the film: Don't get them wet. Don't expose them to sunlight. Never feed them after midnight. The breaking of these three rules turns an adorable creature known as a Mogwai into a league of ugly, destructive creatures. Perhaps Joe Dante's most well-known film, an entertaining (if sometimes gruesome) comic thriller.

Title: "To the Rescue". Billy (Zach Galligan) must find a way to save his hometown. He does so, to the accompaniment of this exciting fanfare. It appears throughout the department store climax, but I really love the tentative string version as Billy manages to start his beat-up car, enabling him to rescue Kate (Phoebe Cates).

Other themes of interest: Of course, there's the (in)famous 'Gremlin Rag', which gets a number of treatments, as well as the beautiful theme for Gizmo (the mogwai), which he can be heard humming in this film and the sequel. Another element that must be mentioned: the truly odd use of electronics, like in the comic march for Mrs. Deagle and what seems to be a yowling cat noise throughout, perhaps to represent the titular meanies.

Availability: Unlike the other scores in this series, this never received a satisfactory release (four tracks on a hard-to-find 'mini-album' is not good enough). However, if you want a taste of this score, seek out the Silva compilation "Goldsmith Conducts Goldsmith". The seven and a half minute suite features the bustling opening music, a jazzy reading of the 'Rag' and other surprises (the aftermath of Mrs. Deagle's death has never sounded quite so threatening).