Don't make me call it Shocktober: vol. II

A family has just moved into a San Francisco brownstone. Unfortunately, a troll (No! Really?) kidnaps the clan's daughter and takes her place, spurring her brother, Harry Potter (no jokes, please), into action. With its DIY effects and eclectic supporting cast (including Sonny of 'Sonny and Cher', Elaine Benes, her real-life husband and the mom from "Lost in Space"), this drips of cheese, but it's actually an okay fantasy-thriller, one of the most benign of Empire Pictures releases.

As with a number of Empire features, the music was composed by the ever-underrated Richard Band. The score is earmarked by two themes: a mischievious yet malevolent motif of strings and winds for the titular troll and a warm, wafting melody that wouldn't be out of place in a fairy tale. Both melodies figure into the main titles.

(As the album was assembled in suites instead of individual cues, I'm going to talk about the music by tracks.)

Following the main titles, "Cantos I" introduces an unsettling contrabassoon solo that leads to twinkly statements of the fairy tale motif. The cue also features a galloping woodwind melody (at 5:41) and a brief, worried-sounding choral tune (6:11). Toward the end of the cue, Band whips up a hypnotic string run playing like a musical tornado, tossing about many little musical statements, before strings and chimes wind down in a decelerando (I don't care if it's not a word; I'm using it) reminiscient of, of all things, Herrmann's Sisters.

"Cantos II" begins with hypnotic synths and voices leading to a return of the last track's galloping melody and an Alchemist-like melody (3:12) of chimes and strings. The trumpet rendition of the fairy tale theme (4:15) is a particular highlight.

The showstopper of the score (and the film, I suppose) is "Cantos Profanae", where a boy soprano (ostensibly representing good) butts up against the troll theme with lyrics chanted by a group of male voices. Good tries, but in the end, evil overwhelms it in an impressive composition.

Taking up the mantle of the previous track, "Cantos IV" starts with a harsh string reading of the troll theme. The descending chimes and choir from "I" returns, as well (0:56). Band introduces a mystical harp and synth melody (2:37), which leads to a sweeping passage for strings and horns before stopping on an abbreviated string take on the troll theme (3:44).

As galloping string statements and trotting horns unite, "Cantos V" signals the big finale. A tympani backbeat develops halfway through as Harry finds himself in the land of trolls (listen for the quote from Mutant at 5:23-5:29!). Improvised piano and a falling choir build to an orchestral tutti, ultimately leading back to the real world and a sweeping, conclusive statement of the fairy tale theme (which, curiously, almost sounds like the House on Sorority Row finale).

The CD was released by Intrada in 2006 and is now hard to find, but it is well worth the search.