Soundtrack Information

Monstrous Movie Music

Monstrous Movie Music

Monstrous Movie Music (MMM-1950)

Release Date: 1996

Conducted by Masatoshi Misumoto

Performed by
The Radio Symphony Orchestra Of Cracow

Format: CD

Track Listing

1. Trademark
[previewing track]
 0:25
2. Prologue
[previewing track]
 0:52
3. Main Title (from "The Mole People")
[previewing track]
 1:26
4. Main Title (from "Them!")
[previewing track]
 1:00
5. Lost Girl
[previewing track]
 1:59
6. Wreck / Intercommunication
[previewing track]
 3:14
7. Little Girl Wakens
[previewing track]
 0:40
8. Ant Hole / Burning The Ant Hole
[previewing track]
 3:27
9. The Descent / Ant Chamber
[previewing track]
 4:11
10. Conference Table / The Wall Map
[previewing track]
 3:08
11. Interior Of Morgue
[previewing track]
 1:39
12. Military Takes Over / Through The Tunnels
[previewing track]
 3:04
13. Ant Hole #2 / End Of The Monsters
[previewing track]
 1:22
14. Ant Fugue
[previewing track]
 3:29
15. Main Title (from "It Came From Outer Space")
[previewing track]
 0:27
16. Sand Rock
[previewing track]
 0:51
17. Star Gazing
[previewing track]
 1:37
18. Visitors From Space
[previewing track]
 2:37
19. The Thing Foloows
[previewing track]
 1:31
20. Mysterious Desert
[previewing track]
 1:48
21. Globs Give Instructions
[previewing track]
 1:55
22. Prospector Globbed
[previewing track]
 1:45
23. Dr. Snell Disappears
[previewing track]
 0:46
24. Kidnapping Ellen
[previewing track]
 1:31
25. Glob Frank Killed
[previewing track]
 2:15
26. Killing Glob Ellen
[previewing track]
 1:10
27. End Title
[previewing track]
 0:56
28. End Cast
[previewing track]
 1:02
29. Atom-Powered Submarine
[previewing track]
 0:21
30. Main Title (from "It Came From Beneath The Sea")
[previewing track]
 1:28
31. Love By The Sea
[previewing track]
 0:49
32. Mister Monster #2
[previewing track]
 0:43
33. Tentacle / It Vs. Golden Gate Bridge
[previewing track]
 1:04
34. Mister Monster
[previewing track]
 1:14
35. Suckers In The Streets!
[previewing track]
 0:51
36. Monster Beneath The Sea / Destroying The Beast
[previewing track]
 2:31
37. Bakaleinikoda
[previewing track]
 0:15
38. Bonus Tracks
[previewing track]
 
39. Bonus Tracks
[previewing track]
 
40. Bonus Tracks
[previewing track]
 
41. Bonus Tracks
[previewing track]
 
42. Bonus Tracks
[previewing track]
 
  Total Album Time: 59:23

Review: Monstrous Movie Music

by Messrob Torikian August 25, 2003
4 / 5 Stars

Many times when we get re-recordings of soundtracks, we're treated to someone else's interpretation of the work and usually a quick one off in the studio mixing. The timing and the sound are seldom the way you heard it in the movie. Simply put, it always sounds "off". Producers Kathleen Mayne and David Schecter are two people who understand this and have done something wonderful. They've faithfully recreated soundtracks to classic horror and sci-fi movies from the 50's. Faithful not only to those composers' works but also in recreating the sound and the miking techniques commonly used when recording soundtracks. The results are amazing.

The music sounds and feels like it came straight from the 50s, the only difference being the high level of fidelity. For the first in their series (3 so far), Mayne and Schecter have chosen movies with prototypical 50's horror music. The scores are heavy on the brass and percussion and one of them, It Came From Outer Space, incorporates a theremin, the instrument used to create that spooky Woo-hee-ooo other-worldly sound. While the style of music may sound dated, it certainly doesn't detract from the enjoyment.

The CD sets the tone for everything right from the beginning with a couple of brief cuts from The Mole People. It immediately segues into the score for THEM!, one of the all time classic horror movies and still a prototype for modern monster movies such as Aliens and Tremors. The cues start off with a slow but urgent tempo as our heroes slowly discover the mystery behind a series of strange events in New Mexico. The pace quickens as the seek-and-destroy mission against the giant ants becomes the focus of the film. Composer Bronislau Kaper does an excellent job of giving the film a constant forward energy and punctuating the heroes' horrifying discoveries.

The music for It Came From Outer Space seems to perfectly embody our idea of what sci-fi/horror music from the 50's sounds like. Spooky and fast-paced for the most part, the score sometimes takes a break from the action for a bit of eerie introspective disquietude. It Came From Beneath the Sea, on the other hand, is almost all brass-heavy monster-on-the-loose (in this case a giant octopus) music. It gives the feeling that something is constantly being destroyed or being threatened.

What a magnificent find this is. Scores to classic sci-fi and horror movies from the 1950s done right. They may not be the original soundtracks, but these recreations are as close we're going to get (kudos also to conductor Masatoshi Mitsumoto). It must be said that while the style of music is quite different than the modern horror movie music to which we're used, these scores are incredibly fun to listen to. Not to be overlooked are the extensive liner notes detailing the creative history of each track, the numerous composers involved, and often times noting which other horror movies have borrowed them. If anything, this CD makes you want to check out these classic movies and watch them with a fresh perspective. I couldn't recommend this CD enough, especially to fans of horror movie scores.

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