Oooh, scary! music - Part IV

As I mentioned last year, John Williams scored but a handful of horror films (and given his work in the genre, it's a genuine shame that he was never afforded the opportunity to revisit the genre): Dracula, Images, the first two Jaws films and The Fury.

A young man (Andrew Stevens) watches his father (Kirk Douglas) get gunned down. As it turns out, the father survived. The young man was spirited away to a facility to harness his gifts; he has the power of telekinesis and the father enlists a similarly-gifted girl (Amy Irving) to help track his son. Director Brian De Palma embues this story with a lot of style, but, really, it's all about the 'telekinesis as a weapon' set-pieces, even more so than Carrie. (To hell with The Devil's Rain; this film has the most incredible ending of, if not any motion picture, then certainly any 70s horror film. Suffice it to say that Williams, editor Paul Hirsch and the effects team earned their paychecks.)

The main theme, as introduced in the "Main Titles", is a beautiful dirge, wafting about with clairnet leading to strings and hair-raising horn work. The theme proves quite durable, becoming an action cue in "Through the Alley" and getting a creepy electronic reading in "The Train Wreck".

"For Gillian" introduces a motif for Irving's telepath, a peppy melody for strings and chimes that gets a drawn-out reading in the operatic (and undeniably Vertigo-esque, at times) "Gillian's Escape", which, itself, is capped off by a wonderfully melancholic variation on the main theme.

"Vision on the Stairs" is one of several beautifully hypnotic cues (others including "Gillian's Vision" and "Descent") that draw the listener in with dreamy winds, icy strings snd foreboding organ.

Amidst the sturm und drang, there are some moving pieces of music, like the oboe and string-laden "Remembering Robin" and "Hester's Theme", with its woodwinds and creepy string work that belies the theme's romantic intentions.

"Gillian's Power" (which I, seriously, would re-name "Childress Goes to Hell") is a hell of a finale, strings leading to horns and theremin and clattering horns and bells...honestly, I just can't explain it that well.

I should note that a great many of the cues I've mentioned come from the now-sold-out Varese CD Club release. However, the re-recording of the score is still available for reasonable prices. This release includes the source music from the "Death on the Carousel" scene, a carnival-esque version of the main theme that may not be for all tastes, "Gillian's Power" with synthesizer substituted for theremin and a concert rendition of the theme in "Epilogue". In any event, this is a score worth having.

13 Scores of Halloween - Day 9

Continuing what I said earlier about composers having horror films on their resumes, another person to fall into this category is John Williams. However, the features he worked on were a bit more...upmarket; no masked slashers for him. It was a little hard choosing which of his late 70s efforts to focus on, The Fury or Dracula. I decided to go with the latter.

Count Dracula (Frank Langella) arrives in Carfax Abbey and, not long after, the death of a young woman, Mina. Her father, Dr. Van Helsing (Laurence Olivier) learns of this and figures out that the Count may be more than anyone knows. This version (directed by John Badham, of all people) plays fast and loose with the classic story, but it's still quite good, bolstered by fine acting all around.

Given how good the music is here, it's surprising that Williams had never seen a vampire film prior to working on this. There is only one theme to speak of, but what is done with it is incredible. It's an exciting and lush piece of music, ably setting the mood in the "Main Title and Storm Sequence".

"The Abduction of Lucy" is noteworthy for its string work; heart-racing at some points, eerily sliding at others. "The Love Scene" turns the haunting main theme into a soaring romantic melody for the entanglement of Lucy (Kate Nelligan) and the Count. "Night Journeys" ups the gothic ante, adding female voices and tinkling piano to the mix.

Even when not directly working with the theme, Williams weaves magic, such as the string and wind scherzo of "To Scarborough", the soulful trumpet solo of "For Mina" and the creepy strings of "The Night Visitor". "Meeting in the Cave" is quite creepy for its continually rising strings, as is "The Bat Attack" with its low end piano and skittering strings representing a flying bat.

The last two tracks are particularly fantastic. "Dracula's Death" plays the main theme as melancholy, as if the hero were being killed, and the orchestra thrashing about is wholly appropriate (if you've seen the film). The beginning of the "End Credits" showcases a fluttering flute (an interesting match for the film's unintentionally amusing final shot) before moving into a beautifully solemn rendition of the main theme.

Unfortunately, the Varese Sarabande soundtrack is out of print and goes for ludicrous prices on the collector's market. Unless a re-issue is in the immediate offing, one must go to the film for this superb score.

Tomorrow: The Devil, you say...