Universal has released a brand new featurette for the upcomingHalloweenwhich focuses on John Carpenter’s score for the movie’s soundtrack. Carpenter composed the music for the originalHalloween, as he’s done for many of his movies in the past and it’s gone on to become one of the more iconic scores in all of horror. Luckily, the creative team managed to convince Carpenter returned for the new movie and, as we see in this featurette, it just wouldn’t be the same without him.
The featurette opens up with that very familiar theme that has defined the franchise for four decades now. We seeJohn Carpenteractually playing the theme as director David Gordon Green, who helmed the upcoming sequel, talking about the legacy of that music and how important it was to get Carpenter on board in a significant, creative way for this movie. Here’s what Green had to say about it.
“Thesound of Halloweenis so iconic. We had to have his blessing. We had to have a John Carpenter score. I think the original theme sits so comfortably with the film in its simplicity. It’s almost like Jaws. You don’t need the symphony to tell you how to feel.”
Indeed, much like John Williams' famedJaws theme instantly calls to mind the image of a man-eating shark, John Carpenter’sHalloweentheme conjures up the image ofMichael Myers in his white mask, jumpsuit, with a knife in hand. While the new score will certainly recall elements of the original, this featurette makes it clear that Carpenter didn’t just want to repeat himself. Here’s what the horror master had to say about the sequel and his work on the soundtrack.
“I got to play with the original themes ofHalloween. Take the original score and modernize it with new sounds and new approaches. I got to work with my kids which is a big joy in my life. What we wanted to do is a make ascary movieand that’s all we cared about. It is going to scare the s*** out of you. I guarantee it.”
That’s high praise coming from the man who created the franchise. Easily one of the coolest things, as it relates to the new score, is seeing musician Daniel Davies drag a violin bow across some guitar strings creating one of the most heavy metal things you’re likely to hear in a movie soundtrack this year. Safe to say, if nothing else, this looks like it’s going to be another excellent Carpenter score.
Critics, so far, seem to think there is a lot more to enjoy than just some new music. As of this writing,Halloweenholds an 86 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is second to only to the original.Halloweenis set to arrive in theaters next week on October 19. Be sure to check out the new featurette from the Universal Pictures YouTube channel for yourself below.
