Horror movies and
TV shows are usually filled with creepy imagery, gory deaths and other visually
shocking scenes to be burned into our minds. Sometimes though, shutting
your eyes and simply listening to the horrors can be enough to unsettle your audience.
I firmly believe that having an
appropriate score and sound design are an essential part of the experience.
Below are some of my favourite horror film scores.
The Babadook
Ba-Ba-ba
Dook-Dook-DOOK! Last October, directer Jennifer Kent gave us one of the strongest horror films in
years. The babadook is an incredibly tense and unsettling film, helped by it's
beautifully creepy soundtrack. What makes "Mister Babadook" so damn
scary is the fact we never get much of a glimpse of him. We do however hear the
monster knocking, creaking and screaming as he terrorises Amelia and her young
son. This allows the audiences imagination to run wild and conjure up their own
ideas of what exactly the creature is. The stand out, scariest scene for me is
when Amelia finds the book on her doorstep. What she finds inside is made twice
as horrifying thanks to the creepy, twisted melody playing along in the
foreground, truly chilling stuff!
Saw Franchise
Saw, not exactly
the first film you would think of when it comes to memorable soundtracks.
Especially considering most of what you hear is people screaming in pain as
there brutally tortured! I'm not talking about the slightly cheesy "death
metal" tracks over the credits, rather the awesome score written by Charlie
Clouser. The most iconic piece "Hello zepp" from the first film is
really intense, almost mechanical sounding and contributes the on screen action
perfectly. The music builds as the timer on the trap ticks down, making you
feel the panic of the victim as they quickly run out of time. Another of my
favourites is "The Rack" a fast paced piece from Saw 3, only ever
interrupted by the occasional sound of crushing bones! Lets not get started on the many
disgusting sounds of Saw!
Halloween
Perhaps one of the
most iconic and instantly recognisable horror film themes. Like many of John
Carpenters scores, the Halloween theme is simple yet very effective at getting
under your skin. The theme is used repeatedly throughout the film, yet every
time you hear it you feel unnerved as Myers watches and stalks his next victim.
I'll be honest, I never find slasher films particularly scary, though Halloween
is defiantly an exception. As if Michael Myers emotionless expression isn't
enough, the disturbing, breathing sounds he makes as he kills his victims are
incredibly creepy and unsettling. The simple fact you never hear him speak is
enough to disturb, a trick many slasher films since have used.
The Shining
Stanley Kubricks
adaption of The Shining is hands down the creepiest film I have ever seen. You
get a good idea of the horrors to come just from the opening scene, thanks to
Wendy Carlos's sinister opening score. The whole mood of the film is incredibly
dark and twisted, with a soundtrack to match. Some of the most disturbing
scenes, such as the twins in the corridor, use a series of distorted,
high-pitched violins to build the tension before the shocking reveal. Another
particularly memorable moment is the "shining" scene between Danny
and Dick Hallorann. The ear splitting high note played whilst Hallorann
realises the danger Danny is in is truly unsettling.
The Walking Dead
I was quite late to
discover just how awesome the Walking dead is. I have literally only just
started watching season 5 at the time of writing this! The hit TV show boasts a
fantastic mix
of superb character development, strong cast, intense action scenes and plenty
of gore filled horror. Amongst all this is a brilliant soundtrack consisting of
a memorable score as well as a selection of both old and new songs that always
fit perfectly with each episodes narrative. Bear McCreary's epic opening theme
never fails to excite me for each episode and I often reach for the remote to
turn up the volume! Combine this with songs from likes of Ben Howard and
Motorhead and you have one hell of a soundtrack!
As
always thanks for reading! Please feel free to let me know your favourite
horror film/TV soundtracks in the comments below!
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