The thing in October (part I).

I've decided to post my horror score reviews on the weekends. Having a fixed date for the scores ought to inspire (read: force) me to get them done.

When you're a kid, you get very curious about the world around you. When you're a kid with a television, the same rules apply. In flipping through the channels, you might end up watching something that may leave a lasting impression on you. Usually, it's a bad one. In my childhood, I ran across a number of movies that frightened me and, to some degree, still do: Poltergeist II, The Gate, Child's Play and Class of Nuke 'em High. However, nothing has scarred me (or is likely to ever scar me) quite as deeply as Critters.

It's a quiet night for the Brown family at their Kansas farm. Unfortunately for them, some really nasty intruders want to turn them into a midnight snack. A lot of people look at this as a horror-comedy...but to this day, the second part escapes me. It's a long-held belief of mine that something before your eyes is much scarier and more effective than something created by a computer. I present the titular nasties (designed by the Chiodo brothers) as exhibit A. I'd really hate to meet these creatures in a dark alley...or a movie theater. The cast does well, but Don Opper steals the film as an eccentric farmhand.

Critters is notable as the first major scoring assignment for a scrappy up-and-comer named David Newman. Even in this early work, one can hear the sound that would become Newman's trademark. (Fact: it was this score that inspired Danny DeVito to hire the composer for Throw Momma from the Train.)

The score features a handful of thematic ideas: electronic warbling for the Critters, a warm seven-note theme for the Browns and a descending three-note melody for the destructive bounty hunters.

The first two-thirds of the "Main Title" are completely electronic, setting up the story on the prison space ship and the subsequent escape of the Critters. Upon the film's shift to Earth, we are treated to a lovely bit of Americana, with strings and winds laying out the Browns' melody.

"Jay and Brad Look for the Critters" makes for a fine bit of suspense as the creatures lurk in the shadows, emphasizing low strings and winds. "Looking in the Cellar" is characterized by skittering string work and electronics before bursting out towards the end with frantic strings, percussion and horns. As "The Bounty Hunters" search for their quarry, their theme pulses, backed by strings, leading into "Critters Get Steve". Horns play nervous triplets as April's boyfriend (Billy Zane!) is mauled.

One thing I admire is how Newman twists around the Browns' melody, putting through the wringer for the action scenes (such as in "They're Growing" and "Meanwhile Back at the House") and providing dramatic readings for the quieter moments.

"Critters Hunt for Lunch" and "Brad Burns a Critter" both begin with soft, dramatic strings almost reminiscient of the softer parts of The Kindred, before returning to the orchestral heaviness of the attack music.

"Brad Goes After April" and "The Critters Are Destroyed" make up the climax. The former is a quiet cue made up of everything from the bounty hunters' theme and solo trumpet to chimes (reprised in the following track) and searching strings, while the latter bursts with exploding horns and frantic percussion as the Critters' ship is blown up, but not before taking the Browns' home with them.

With piano backing and reflective strings, "The House Returns" (in, I must admit, a nice bit of pre-CGI effects work), leading back to the peaceful warmth of the "Main Title"...before the last few notes signalling that the horror isn't over (seriously, am I the only one who hates that shit?).

The end credits track, also featured in a scene of the Critters wreaking havoc on a fish tank and an E.T. doll, is "Critter Skitter", a bit of synth-pop nonsense. It's cheesy, yet amazingly catchy.

Even in the shorter tracks, Newman makes an impression. "Charlie's Accident" is a busy and somewhat comic cue, while "Jeff is Dinner" leads to a conclusion of queasy, growling horns as the deputy (a pre-"Star Trek: Voyager" Ethan Phillips) meets an unfortunate end.

Like a lot of the CD's I've written about, this one is prohibitively expensive nowadays. Still, if one knows where to look, one can experience it...in the film.