When Horror Held Back
Review by Richard Buxton
Musical offerings in the horror genre are often a mixed experience of glorious highs and mind numbing lows. Beyond the pedestrian scores heard in the various celebrations of mindless violence in recent years, horror has often been an exercise in patience that is occasionally rewarded with quite simply stunning music. JAMES NEWTON HOWARD could be seen as one of the catalysts for the evolution of the horror score beyond atmosphere and scares, as his music for the SHYAMALAN films SIGNS and THE VILLAGE both transcended the genre, and combined unremitting tension with emotionally stunning scores. Both of these scores provided a master class in guiding the listener through the horror with timely suggestions of a beauty beyond the terror that culminated in rousing catharsis at the climax of each movie. Taking a similar approach, FERNANDO VELAZQUEZ wowed the ears with his show-stopping music finale for THE ORPHANAGE/EL ORFANATO, reducing listeners and viewers to emotional wrecks. It’s clear that composer DANIEL PEMBERTON has taken note of previous successes and has admirably attempted to craft a score beyond the bare minimum.
READ THE FULL REVIEW
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for posting your comment! As soon as we verify that it is suitable for publishing, it will be published.