Hey! You’re back!!! I’ve never been happier to see you – for two reasons really. The first of which is that I’m taking it proof you enjoyed my fall-infused debut feature, or at the very least enjoy movies and music and all things autumn. The second reason I’m grateful for your company today is the focus for this edition – “Frightening Films” and all the scary cinematic territory I’d rather not examine alone.
Now, Webster’s Dictionary defines ‘fear’ as “an unpleasant, often strong emotion caused by expectation or awareness of danger.” That’s a fact, but as for ‘scary’ – well, scary is a relative term. I mean, what some might find entertaining and amusing might just keep me up for days… and it did! But ‘tis the season for ghosts and ghouls and goblins and all sorts of things that go bump in the night – so clutching my popcorn for comfort – I’ve come up with a list of Five Frightening Films that aren’t too, too scary but indeed have amazing music to maximize the thrills and chills. From Oscar-winning blockbusters to stand-alone horrors to frightening franchise films all complete with sinister soundtrack songs just as deviously diverse – from original scores to terrifying turns on standards to classical tunes and perfectly placed songs that serve to reinforce the theme and take you to the edge of the ever so gruesome. (insert scream here)
First up, a movie that holds the #5 position on the AFI’s 100 Years…100 Thrills list, and no wonder with a log line that reads “A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.” The one and only Jody Foster stars as agent Clarice Starling who’s on the serial killer case of Buffalo Bill, and it’s Hannibal Lector, played ever so eerily by Sir Anthony Hopkins, whose counsel she seeks to solve the maniacal mystery in THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. The late great Jonathan Demme directed this horrifying masterpiece and worked closely with Canadian composer Howard Shore to ensure the music went beyond score to feel more like the fabric of the film. Demme’s mission for the music and every aspect of the movie – from cinematography and lighting to performance and production design was an “impending and building feeling of unease.” And it was that level of attention to detail that lead Demme to the most poignant music placement and character introductions in movie history. He knew he needed a song that would convey a ton of information in very small amount of screen time- 25 seconds to be exact. That’s all the time he allowed the audience to know and care about the character of Catherine Martin before she stepped out of car. For it to work he needed everyone to see her as someone full of life and promise – so that when she’s abducted by Buffalo Bill they truly care about her well being. That perfectly picked tune was one originally released by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on their self-titled debut album back in 1976. Little did they know “American Girl” would forever be etched into the minds of movie lovers some 15 years later. Actress Brooke Smith who played that character jamming along to the radio says to this day people are always saying how they immediately think of her when it plays. I know I do! THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS won 5 Academy awards back in 1992 including Best Picture, Best Lead Actress for Foster, Best Lead Actor for Hopkins and Best Diector for Demme. Stream it now on Prime Video, but brace yourself when you do!
At this point I feel it imperative to reassert the fact that my favourite genre of film is the RomCom. An affinity that, while on full display in my first feature, is nowhere to be found in this list. I note it now so you’ll know I went into this next film with high hopes that I – at the very least – could relish in the ‘romantic’ side of the movie. I mean it stars Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer, but – without giving away too much of the plot – WHAT LIES BENEATH drowned those hopes in pretty fast order. I guess forgoing Ford and Pfeiffer on the movie poster should have prepared me for more nightmare than dreamy and yet – I was nowhere near ready for what came at me in this twisty flick. You see, Ford plays a University Research Scientist named Norman Spencer who’s wife Claire, played by Phieffer, starts to feel a ‘presence’ in their home, and that haunting escalates until the ghost gets its revenge. Full transparency – I own in this movie on DVD and I jump EVERYTIME!!! Oh, it’s that good. Robert Zemeckis directs this 2000 fantasy thriller and I’m gonna tell ya it’ll keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Mega award-winning composer, Alan Silvestri created the gripping score for WHAT LIES BENEATH, and Harrison Ford and Michelle Phieffer were phenomenal in their roles. No surprise to learn they were Zemeckis’ first and only choices to star in the scary feature. Oh, and here’s one more frightening fact – the beautiful house depicted in the film was used for only the day scenes and was torn down immediately after filming because it didn’t meet local building codes. The rooms were duplicated on an LA sound stage for night scenes. And get this, there were 5 versions of the bathroom set created so as to ensure the thrills were thoroughly covered from every angle. You’ll have to watch it for yourself to see why…eeeek! WHAT LIES BENEATH is available to rent/buy through apple movies.
You’ve probably heard it said “Every hit has a hook!” That old adage is as true for movies as it is for music and perhaps never truer than with this next frightening film and all those that followed after in the terrifying franchise. I want to take you all the way to 1997 for the very first installment of I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER. It’s a simple story really, four high school friends take a nighttime joy ride along the coast of their seaside town, but then – a tragic accident takes place. That’s when things get complicated and what happens next sets into motion a cinematic spiral of epic proportions as stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sara Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prince Jr. and Ryan Phillippe must live with the consequences of the decision they made on that dark night. Live and try to stay alive now that they’re being stalked by a vengeful hook-wielding maniac. I told you there’d be a hook. Fair to say there’s a whole lotta screaming and a truly killer soundtrack too. In fact when Columbia Records released “I Know What You Did Last Summer: The Album” they could only fit 15 of the 29 songs featured in the film. Fortunately for Canadian rockers, Our Lady Peace their tune “Clumbsy” was among them, as was”D.U.I.” by The Offspring and Kula Shaker’s “Hush.” A song which fans of the franchise will know was covered by American indie pop band The Marias for the 2025 version of I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER – which for the record was not a remake – no matter what the title might imply. You can watch the original I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER streaming now on Netflix.
When you think about the hundreds of thousands of frightening films made over the years, it’s fair to see that villains come in all shapes and sizes. We’ve already covered cannibal killers, ghastly ghosts and horrifying hook-wielders, and while they’ve all been truly scary, back in 1987 there was a big screen villain that terrified men EVERYWHERE! No, not Jason Voorhees, although by then there had already been 6 installments of the FRIDAY THE 13TH franchise. No, I’m talking about the “hell hath no fury like a women scorned” kind of bad guy. Indeed, the James Dearden written, Adrian Lyne directed psychological thriller FATAL ATTRACTION became a cautionary tale for men – and let’s face it – bunnies everywhere. In it Michael Douglas stars as Dan Gallagher, a married man who has a weekend affair with a woman named Alex Forrest, played by Glen Close – who let’s just say ‘refuses’ to allow the affair to end. Things get pretty out of hand alright and very, very scary. Mega award-winning film composer Maurice Jarre created the oh so jarring score, but I want to draw your attention to a tip-off of needle drop. I can’t help but feel if we’d been paying closer attention to that first date in the restaurant we would have heard a musical clue. A foreshadowing as it were. While Dan and Alex are flirting across the table – the song-stylings of the Bill Evans Trio can be heard in the background, and as Dan gets closer and closer to making the decision that would threaten everything the music changes to the Victor Young & Edward Heyman standard “When I Fall in Love (It will be Forever).” Of course, it’s a jazz trio with no lyrics, so can you really blame Michael Douglas for not reading the room?! Never one for spoilers, I’ll only tell you Glen Close would earn an Oscar nomination for her role as the unhinged jilted lover along with the gratitude of husbands everywhere. As Close told Oprah in an interview several years later, she “can’t count the number of men who thank her for saving their marriage.” FATAL ATTRACTION is set to hit Netflix just in time for the scary season on Wednesday, October 29th.
I’m closing out this list of frightful films with a movie that I first saw on the big screen back in 1982. Twice if I’m being honest. YES, because it was that good and I wasn’t alone in loving it. It was such a blockbuster following it’s premiere in June, MGM re-released POLTERGEIST in October to take advantage of the Halloween box-office, thus securing it’s spot as the highest-grossing horror film of 1982. I’m still terrified to watch it, but of course I will again and again. If you’ve yet to see it let me give you the logline – “A family’s home becomes the center of paranormal activity that opens a doorway to the ‘other side’. With help, they must cross over to get their daughter back.” Now before all you slasher film fans come at me – I’ll remind you of the previously established fact ‘scary’ is a relative term. I’ll also tell you that Steven Spielberg, who co-wrote and co-produced the movie, calls POLTERGEIST his “Land JAWS – because the terror is relentless and unseen.” It should be noted, that by the time this picture got the greenlight from the studio Spielberg was already busy filming E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL so he tapped Tobe Hooper (TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE) to direct. And because John Williams was booked doing score for E.T. – they called on Oscar-winning composer Jerry Goldsmith (THE OMEN) to create the music, which by the way was off-the-charts chilling. Goldsmith earned another Academy award nomination for this score which included the beyond creepy kids choir singing “Carol Anne’s Theme.” Couple that with the now legendary line “They’re here.” and it’s spine-shivering stuff I tell ya! Oh, and there’s a ton of lore around the film’s production that’s even more bone chilling, but I’ll leave you to your own deep dive on that front and tell you POLTERGEIST is streaming now on Prime Video.
And there you have it my fellow film-loving folks. I hope you celebrate the spooky season with a watch of all five frightening films and do so confidently in the knowledge that covering your eyes at the really scary parts is perfectly fine by me. With any luck I’ll return in time for winter with some cozy classic movies featuring marvellously musical hits. Take care til then!
