The Best of Horror Movie Music


Phantasm

A fairly budget movie like "Phantasm" was taken from run-of-the-mill homegrown horror to timeless icon and a large part of that was due to the haunting music. It felt like a continuous dream state.



The Omen

"The Omen" took the mix of religion and children and made it uber scary by having what sounds like repetitive religious chanting going on in the background, putting a sinister twist on something sacred and that made spine-tingling evil.





The Fog

The constantly repetitive beats from "The Fog" gave the movie the creeping cadence of something moving through the living glowing fog. It's like you hear it coming, but you can't quite see it. It was very nicely executed for maximum tension.




Sleepy Hollow

"Sleepy Hollow" was a fantastically magical soundtrack with soft witch-like chanting, deep horn sounds and stringed instruments, leaving a gothic terror down your spine. It kept a nice cadence for the action and oozed haunting atmosphere.



Halloween

What could have ended up in other movies being a tedious repetitive few-key piano practice piece ended up becoming one of the most iconic songs from a movie ever. Just the sound of the music (like the music from "Jaws") can unsettle a listener. It had a time unfolding live feeling that made you realize you were on a path and you would continue on it, the song would guide you to the end.



The Exorcist

A tinkling piano tune couldn't be scary, could it? But it has the sinister march of something evil, coming your way, embedding itself in your very soul. 



Jaws

"Jaws" was perhaps the most recognizable soundtrack ever. It sounded like it came from deep booming water and stalked with a speedy pace toward you. You feel the need to pull your feet up as the horns come faster and faster. 

There are some real talents in the field of making music soundtracks. I was lucky this past fall at an event to meet one such talent, Bruce Bray

His talent seems to have no bounds as far as feeling the film's rhythms and the audience's quickening heartbeats, to take full advantage of the mood, atmosphere and tension! 

Give his music a check - it's pretty inspiring!

Comments