Friday, February 01, 2008

Music for the Spooky Classics



In keeping with this week's music theme. I started thinking about spooky movies and the soundtracks used for them.






Think about Jaws and the music played right before the shark attacks. Those few bars of music have become a humming icon just like the screeching score for the shower scene in "Psycho".

This scene would not have been the same with that haunting build up of music. And another classic favorite, The Exorcist. Any other music for these movies just wouldn't have left the same kind of impression on our entire culture.

Then there is the creepy music that fills the world whenever danger lurks nearby. The breathtaking strings when you know the woman should run, but instead goes down into the basement to see what made the growling sound. We're all yelling, "Don't go down there, stupid!" But of course she must or there's no movie.

The music helps carry the emotion and fear factor that stays with us long after it's over. It embeds itself into our minds so we forever associate the emotion of the story with the melody. Everyone knows Close Encounters of the Third Kind theme song just as most of us know the theme song to X-files.

And wading out of the oldies into the modern, I love the theme music for 28 Days Later throughout the movie and was also used in 28 Weeks Later. My all time favorite zombie movies. The soundtrack is as brilliant as the movies. It builds and builds until the end and carries the urgency and emotion of the movies.




Vampire movies well, there so many like best. Blade is always a winner. My favorite is Blade Trinty.

Underworld kicks vamp and were arse! The music throughout is sexy and tough. Bram Stoker's Dracula is a beautiful movie that has such life with a great storyline, film, acting, and music and the underlying theme of reincarnation.


The love song from the movie is haunting as well.






Talk about love redeeming! Okay stop me. I could go on forever!

3 comments:

Ciana / Syneca said...

Oh do NOT play the Jaws themesong. I live in Florida! Seriously I can't get in the ocean without hearing that in my head. Oh eewuuuuuuu!!

Music plays such an important role in our lives, doesn't it? Like right now. I'm sitting on the patio. The sun is shining and it's raining and on my computer is playing the old song "I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain. Coming down on a sunny day."

Happy Friday!!

Nicole Austin said...

I'm with you, Ci! I don't go in the ocean without hearing that damn song. Music is so important to setting the mood in movies.

I contasntly have music playing, either in the car while driving, at work, etc. Have all my CD's on my laptop so I have music with me for any mood I'm in or want to be in.

N.J.Walters said...

Love Song for a Vampire by Annie Lennox is on my MP3 player. Love it! Music does make the scary movie even better!