Interview with John Harrison

[krakenslayer]

I found this interview over at Fangoria, in which Harrison talks about his career and his current work on scoring "...of the Dead".

http://www.fangoria.com/blogs/chris-alexander/1586-exclusive-interview-john-harrison-talks-book-of-blood-and-composing-the-score-for-george-romeros-of-the-dead.html

Interesting stuff!

[AcesandEights]

Nice find, Krakenslayer!

This was a heartening read, to say the least.


I don’t want to write a score for …OF THE DEAD by starting off with ominous horror movie music, atonal , even pseudo-industrial sounds that are cliché in horror films today. To do that would deliver what everybody expects…this is not that kind of movie. This is something entirely different.

And this concerned me a bit, but I can understand why it might be a hard call:


The theme I’m working on might be controversial like DAY was and will be very melodic. But the questions I keep asking myself are do I orchestrate with strings? Should it be guitar driven? I’m really struggling. The film has distinctly pastoral look so I’m dealing with images of natural beauty with the living dead walking through it. It’s a challenge.


And I didn't know that Harrison...


also produced and directed the well received TV adaptation of DUNE.

That's badass in my book. :)

So...who the heck didn't like the music for Day? :confused:

[krakenslayer]

So...who the heck didn't like the music for Day? :confused:

I know. I had no idea there were people who hated the Day soundtrack, perhaps it's just a subspecies of the Day-basher that was common around these parts until about 4 or 5 years ago. :D

I love the Day soundtrack, it's original and interesting and really contributed a lot to the atmosphere of the movie. What he said about having a hard time getting the new one right doesn't concern me much, he only seems to be "struggling" because he's putting so much thought and hard work into the score (most composers on a lowish budget movie would just do whatever was easiest and not worry about it), so it's actually got me kind of excited. :D

[triste realtà]

Roger Avary says he doesn't like it in his vapid² commentary.

I tell you what though, I don't like that CD. It's just an LP reprint with some dvd rear channels for bonus and the left track is muffled for tracks 1, 2 and 3. I have to turn the 500Hz all the way down to have it match the right.

[Neil]

I found this interview over at Fangoria, in which Harrison talks about his career and his current work on scoring "...of the Dead".

http://www.fangoria.com/blogs/chris-alexander/1586-exclusive-interview-john-harrison-talks-book-of-blood-and-composing-the-score-for-george-romeros-of-the-dead.html

Interesting stuff!

Harrison composing? - The best news yet about .... of the Dead :)

Let's hope the magic is still there 20+ years on!

[capncnut]

I think I said in another thread a ways back that I was hoping Harrison would provide a decent score.

I loved the Day soundtrack. At the time it was really refreshing to hear a tropical-esque melody over the splatter - all the while keeping the traditional heartbeat rhythm (dun-dun, dun-dun) that we've come to know and love. It was different.

But... the song at the end of Day was rubbishness, it totally didn't fit. If a romantic ending occurred then it would've been okay but it seemed a bit naff to have some love song playing over the credits.

[AcesandEights]

But... the song at the end of Day was rubbishness, it totally didn't fit. If a romantic ending occurred then it would've been okay but it seemed a bit naff to have some love song playing over the credits.

Maybe they were trying to warm the hearts of any possible zombies in the area with a hot island beat.

Plus, that was an utter lovefest at the end of Day, John and McDermott had a total Bert and Ernie thing goin' on.

[krakenslayer]

But... the song at the end of Day was rubbishness, it totally didn't fit. If a romantic ending occurred then it would've been okay but it seemed a bit naff to have some love song playing over the credits.

Yeah, the soundtrack was composed with the original script in mind, so this was what the song was supposed to play out after:

169 EXT. A BEACH ON THE ISLAND - MORNING

TRICKS' BODY lies covered in the sand. THE REFUGEES are
gathered again, heads bowed, while JOHN speaks.

JOHN
Satan ain't sent this man back. Not
yet, anyway. So we all hopin' that
maybe he's uphthere with you, Lord.
This might be theofirst decent soul we
been able ta offertya in quite a few
years. That's adfact. We just gonna...
pray, Lord. We gonna pray that what
seems tahbe happenin' here...is really
happenin'...andoI'm gonna take the
chance and speaktthese words that I
ain't been abledta speak for so long...

May he rest in peace

THE OTHERS
Amen.

170 EXT. THE BEACH - NIGHT

THE CORPSE lies in the MOONLIGHT. NIGHT CRITTERS SCREECH AND
BURBLE in the jungle behind the sand. It's an eerie scene.

SARAH is sitting up, her RIFLE ready in her lap, watching the
body. JOHN steps in behind and she startles.

JOHN
Just me. I'll take the next shift.

He settles easily down beside the woman. The two stare together
at the shrouded corpse.

SARAH
How long do have to watch him?

JOHN
Forever, darlin'. Forever. 'Til he
turns ta dust and blows away on the
wind.

THE BODY lies silent, rigid under the KHAKI ARMY BLANKET that
rises and falls, rises and falls with the Gulf breeze.

[AcesandEights]

SARAH
How long do have to watch him?

JOHN
Forever, darlin'. Forever. 'Til he
turns ta dust and blows away on the
wind.

THE BODY lies silent, rigid under the KHAKI ARMY BLANKET that
rises and falls, rises and falls with the Gulf breeze.

Some of the stuff in the original Day script I take issue with (though I dig it thematically), but that is powerful stuff.

[krakenslayer]

Some of the stuff in the original Day script I take issue with (though I dig it thematically), but that is powerful stuff.

Indeed. :cool:

Just out of interest, what do you take issue with in the Day script?

[Dropout]

Roger Avary says he doesn't like it in his vapid² commentary.

I liked his commentary. And he actually took back what he said about the Day soundtrack during the commentary, saying he couldn't imagine the film without it.

As far as the original Day script, it's major problem was it had too many characters.

[Moon Knight]

He also did the Knightriders soundtrack.
The Day music is freakin' awesome!
Remember when the newspaper flickered open and hit the sound que? Yeah, awesome.

[MoonSylver]

He also did the Knightriders soundtrack.
The Day music is freakin' awesome!
Remember when the newspaper flickered open and hit the sound que? Yeah, awesome.

So many good cues in Day...I think it's when we first meet Bub as he lurches out of the shadows at Sarah & the synth goes "rrrrrrEEEEErrrrr"...awesome.:D

I need to watch Day again just thinking about the music.;)

[jscott]

He also did the Knightriders soundtrack.

Donald Rubinstein composed the Knightriders score, not Harrison (maybe you meant Creepshow?).

[Lord_Galvatron]

I loved that score the most in a Romero movie, I'm still looking for it on CD... anybody has mp3 samples of it?

[krakenslayer]

I loved that score the most in a Romero movie, I'm still looking for it on CD... anybody has mp3 samples of it?

I downloaded a copy of the then-out of print soundtrack off AudioGalaxy many moons ago. It's still pretty hard to find on CD, even though they did re-release it. These guys usually have it but it's out of stock just now (though there are some audio samples on the page): http://www.moviegrooves.com/shop/dayofthedead.htm