The Thing (2011)
Marco Beltrami
" No Carpenter or Morricone hides in The Thing, but one Marco Beltrami "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
The Thing of director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. calls itself a prequel to The Thing of director John Carpenter, the plot taking place immediately prior to the events of that film. While I would like to believe that, the actual fans will rather call it a remake, considering the creature apparently likes repeating itself. Meaning the horrific attacks feel and look exactly the same as the ones in Carpenter's movie. It didn't do The Thing any good either, considering it followed the adequate performance of the original movie of 1982 at the box office. Of course time will tell if this prequel will receive the same cult status after several years. My gut reaction says, don't think so.
Horror specialist Marco Beltrami was hired to compose the music for The Thing. And of course it wasn't his first time he was asked to create, recreate or expand the sounds of an original existing score (Die Hard 4, Terminator 3). This time however there wasn't much to work with, considering very little of Ennio Morricone's score appeared in the original film. That left Marco with the option to go for something memorable. Memorably scary I mean. Because many will realize that this is quite a scary score to listen to once you turn the lights off.
Of course some kind of homage needed to be made towards Morricone's music, and Beltrami chose to implement the original throbbing main theme in "God's Country Music", this soundtrack's opening cue. Working still perfectly alienating after all this time, it sure elevates the expectations for this score. And I have to say, Beltrami quickly delivers on that anticipation. In "Road to Antarctica", he unleashes a powerful suspenseful fanfare that perfectly describes the vastness of Antarctica, but in "Meet and Greet" we are already treated to a bold festivity of horror and chills. If you remember what Scream sounds like, expect that sound to go louder, angrier and scarier through your spine. And the interesting fact is, you actually like that feeling.
Now expect those feelings to return during "Finding Filling" (which contains excellent fanfares of the alienating kind), "Female Persuasion" (which dares to trick the mind from time to time with its combination of the eerie and the horror), the outstanding powerful horror music of "Meating of the Minds" or the fanfarrific finale in "Sander Bucks". The rest dares to paint it all a little eerier ("Well Done", the creepy "Survivors, the uneasy "Open your Mouth" (with the additional throbbing theme of Morricone), the growling sounds of "Antarctic Standoff" or the moody effects in "In the Ship"). Luckily The Thing is not emotionless either. That is evident in "The End", a somewhat positive end for cello and strings and the typical Beltrami finish in "How did you Know?"
One thing is clear of The Thing, Marco Beltrami's score is definitely a lot more memorable than the score of Ennio Morricone. Even though The Thing feels much more conservative than the moody experimental score of 1982, I can honestly say Beltrami reinvents himself here from time to time. You have plenty of examples that showcase Beltrami's ability to keep it effective, interesting, new and horrific. And when all that is matched with his more creative horror writing of the last couple of years, you are actually listening to a score that surprised me. Enough to recommend this one to the die hard horror enthusiasts who want another bite of the good old horror Beltrami.
Tracklisting
1. God's Country Music (1.27)
2. Road to Antarctica (2.41)
3. Into the Cave (0.39)
4. Eye of the Survivor (2.25)
5. Meet and Greet (2.55) Excellent track
6. Autopsy (3.08)
7. Cellular Activity (1.38)
8. Finding Filling (3.25)
9. Well Done (1.32)
10. Female Persuasion (4.51)
11. Survivors (3.28)
12. Open your Mouth (4.20)
13. Antarctic Standoff (3.28)
14. Meating of the Minds (4.28) Excellent track
15. Sander Sucks at Hiding (2.22)
16. Can't Stand the Heat (2.10)
17. Following Sander's Lead (2.39)
18. In the Ship (2.39)
19. Sander Bucks (0.45)
20. The End (2.33)
21. How Did You Know? (2.29)
Total Length: 55.31
Horror specialist Marco Beltrami was hired to compose the music for The Thing. And of course it wasn't his first time he was asked to create, recreate or expand the sounds of an original existing score (Die Hard 4, Terminator 3). This time however there wasn't much to work with, considering very little of Ennio Morricone's score appeared in the original film. That left Marco with the option to go for something memorable. Memorably scary I mean. Because many will realize that this is quite a scary score to listen to once you turn the lights off.
Of course some kind of homage needed to be made towards Morricone's music, and Beltrami chose to implement the original throbbing main theme in "God's Country Music", this soundtrack's opening cue. Working still perfectly alienating after all this time, it sure elevates the expectations for this score. And I have to say, Beltrami quickly delivers on that anticipation. In "Road to Antarctica", he unleashes a powerful suspenseful fanfare that perfectly describes the vastness of Antarctica, but in "Meet and Greet" we are already treated to a bold festivity of horror and chills. If you remember what Scream sounds like, expect that sound to go louder, angrier and scarier through your spine. And the interesting fact is, you actually like that feeling.
Now expect those feelings to return during "Finding Filling" (which contains excellent fanfares of the alienating kind), "Female Persuasion" (which dares to trick the mind from time to time with its combination of the eerie and the horror), the outstanding powerful horror music of "Meating of the Minds" or the fanfarrific finale in "Sander Bucks". The rest dares to paint it all a little eerier ("Well Done", the creepy "Survivors, the uneasy "Open your Mouth" (with the additional throbbing theme of Morricone), the growling sounds of "Antarctic Standoff" or the moody effects in "In the Ship"). Luckily The Thing is not emotionless either. That is evident in "The End", a somewhat positive end for cello and strings and the typical Beltrami finish in "How did you Know?"
One thing is clear of The Thing, Marco Beltrami's score is definitely a lot more memorable than the score of Ennio Morricone. Even though The Thing feels much more conservative than the moody experimental score of 1982, I can honestly say Beltrami reinvents himself here from time to time. You have plenty of examples that showcase Beltrami's ability to keep it effective, interesting, new and horrific. And when all that is matched with his more creative horror writing of the last couple of years, you are actually listening to a score that surprised me. Enough to recommend this one to the die hard horror enthusiasts who want another bite of the good old horror Beltrami.
Tracklisting
1. God's Country Music (1.27)
2. Road to Antarctica (2.41)
3. Into the Cave (0.39)
4. Eye of the Survivor (2.25)
5. Meet and Greet (2.55) Excellent track
6. Autopsy (3.08)
7. Cellular Activity (1.38)
8. Finding Filling (3.25)
9. Well Done (1.32)
10. Female Persuasion (4.51)
11. Survivors (3.28)
12. Open your Mouth (4.20)
13. Antarctic Standoff (3.28)
14. Meating of the Minds (4.28) Excellent track
15. Sander Sucks at Hiding (2.22)
16. Can't Stand the Heat (2.10)
17. Following Sander's Lead (2.39)
18. In the Ship (2.39)
19. Sander Bucks (0.45)
20. The End (2.33)
21. How Did You Know? (2.29)
Total Length: 55.31