Halloween Soundtrack CD
Halloween Anniversary Edition.
1978, Compass International.
John Carpenter.
Verese Sarabande, CD, 1998, VSD 5970.
Rating: 
John Carpenter’s classic slasher flick gets the 20th Anniversary treatment, complete with dialogue, in this crisp, re-mastered re-issue. Released in 1978, Halloween was one of the first of a new trend toward teenage stab movies that became highly imitated, most notably by the ‘Friday the 13th’ series. Considered far superior to Friday, Halloween took the age old premise of a boogieman like ‘shape’ shadowing a small community and striking on Halloween night, in this case, the lunatic local Michael Myers. John Carpenter’s score, like the film itself, is a sparse, cold affair and rather repetitive, which is of course the point, the killer being an emotionless automaton. While the film benefits greatly from this score however, its ability to transcend it is limited; many of the cues, while effective, are almost identical. Proof of the score’s limitations was also born out in Carpenter’s ‘Halloween II’ (1981), which failed to add much to the original; maybe a reflection of the film’s one dimensional subject matter? Where this edition stands out from earlier releases is in the excellent sound quality, both of the score itself and the dialogue from the film. Unlike many re-mastered editions that sound identical to the originals, this release boasts fantastic stereo separation and clarity. Cues and dialogue have also been compiled in film order, giving the listener a strong sense of story without the distractions and musical edits that come with watching the film itself. Collectable.
Halloween Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listing:
1. Halloween Theme.
2. Halloween 1963.
3. The Evil Is Gone!
4. Halloween 1978.
5. The Boogie Man Is Coming.
6. The Shape.
7. The Hedge.
8. He Came Home.
9. Trick Or Treat.
10. The Haunted House.
11. The Devil’s eyes.
12. The Boogie Man Is Outside.
13. Damn You For Letting Him Go!
14. Empty Street.
15. See Anything You Like?
16. Lock The Door.
17. He’s Here?
18. Light’s Out.
19. Cut It Out.
20. Tombstone.
21. The Shape Stalks Laurie.
22. Turn Around.
23. Unlock The Door.
24. The Hanger.
25. Call The Police.
26. Last Assault.
27. Was It The Boogie Man?
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