Discuss: Creepiest Movie Soundtracks
"Listen to this!" A friend pressed the ringer on his BlackBerry, and it played the theme to The Omen, "Ave Satani" by Jerry Goldsmith, which he'd assigned to a particularly heinous client of his. Another friend had, for a time, assigned a relative the unforgettable score from Halloween as composed by writer/director John Carpenter himself. And I'm sure somewhere there is someone with the theme from The Exorcist, which was written by Mike Oldfield.Ringtones aside, there's no denying that a deft soundtrack or score can ratchet up the tension in any movie, especially one that uses droning noises and other disturbing, almost subliminal effects that can slip past the viewer and straight into our brain. Some of my favorite spooky soundtracks sure to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end include the above, naturally, but there are a few that need some love as well.
Read the rest at Horror Squad!
Black Friday Movie Deals: Best Buy
Sex and Nudity Don't Draw You to the Movies?
What Makes a Real Vampire?
Robert Downey Jr. Wants to Retire?
Jaycee Dugard's Horrific Story to Get a Sleazy Adaptation
_thumbnail.jpg)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-07-2009 @ 6:47PM
Isaiah said...
The Thing
Dark City
The Shining
Eyes Wide Shut
A Clockwork Orange
Se7en
Reply
10-07-2009 @ 6:54PM
emersondartagnan said...
Lost Highway
Reply
10-07-2009 @ 7:34PM
Robert said...
I think you got it right with The Omen. Jerry Goldsmith at his almost finest (Chinatown is still tops).
And anyone who names a Marco Beltrami score gets a slap in the face.
Reply
10-07-2009 @ 7:32PM
Frantic Monkey said...
The original Halloween theme. That things sends shivers up my spine every time I hear it.
Reply
10-07-2009 @ 9:24PM
Mike F. said...
Listen to the track during the opening credits of 'Signs' and tell me it doesn't deserve an honorable mention.
Reply
10-07-2009 @ 9:52PM
Meh said...
Zodiac(2007)
Reply
10-07-2009 @ 10:54PM
Exidor said...
Um, it's JOHN Carpenter. Not James.
Reply
10-08-2009 @ 12:18AM
jack said...
what scares me the most is how pubic enemies totally stole a cue (i believe the 'daniel plainview' theme) from the TWBBlood score. Very eerie. Very, very eerie.
Reply
10-08-2009 @ 7:50AM
juwan808 said...
I'll add Silence of the Lambs, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Seven. But Halloween is my favorite.
Reply
10-08-2009 @ 8:43AM
justin said...
9 posts in and nothing from Danny Elfman ... i thought this was a fanboy site.
Nightbreed anyone?
Reply
10-08-2009 @ 9:30AM
Sigfried said...
Dario argento's SUSPERIA wins hands..it has odd grunting for fucks sake, with the sound of a haunted music box... Creepiest soundtrack ever.
I used to play this at my front door for trick or treaters....people would walk up...then walk away...just because of the music....fuckin creepy.
Creepy scores are also.
Hellraiser
omen
exorcist
Reply
10-08-2009 @ 11:49AM
Alvin said...
"Diner" from Mulholland Drive...
It's the music that played in the scene with the man behind Winkies. The last few seconds is very creepy.
Reply
10-08-2009 @ 1:00PM
filmsuki said...
Okay you didn't narrow down the definition of creepy, so I'm assuming "bizarre and disturbing" as one of the definitions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHDw1dteigA
Open 24 Hours, from Cowboy Bebop, by Yoko Kanno.
Is it a carnival with fireworks? A mass murder spree? Are they screams of delight? of horror? Oh God, the reloading, the crying, the horror!
Reply
10-21-2009 @ 1:41AM
Don Normann said...
Oh, C'MON! I see that some of the "Usual Suspects" are mentioned here, but WTF's going on? Have people stopped paying attention to soundtracks now?
Some of the best of the creepiest are in my own collection. Besides the obvious choices (Halloween, ANOES, Friday The 13th), there's some pretty terrific - and terrifying - stuff out there.
THE FURY - John Williams
PHANTASM - Fred Myrow and Malcolm Seagrave
GHOST STORY - Philippe Sarde
THE ENTITY - Charles Bernstein
RAVENOUS - Michael Nyman and Damon Albarn
TOURIST TRAP and CARRIE - Pino Donaggio
SUSPIRIA, TENEBRAE and DEEP RED - Goblin
PHENOMENA - Claudio Simonetti (of Goblin)
THE THING and CAT O' NINE TAILS - Ennio Morricone
THE FLY - Howard Shore
WHEN A STRANGER CALLS - Dana Kaproff
CREEPSHOW - John Harrison
You don't have to dig that far to find some pants-wetting music from horror films.
Reply