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"The House on Haunted Hill" - Don Davis

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Author	Topic: "The House on Haunted Hill" - Don Davis

James Oscar® Winner	I was going to wait until I had the track listings to post the cover art, but Varese never responded to me. I guess they just don't like me as much as they like Crono/Kyp. sob.... Anyway, I think this looks like an awesome movie. Definitely better than Universal Soldier: the Return. So I'm hoping it's going to be a good score, too. The CD comes out on November 2nd. James NP - Ever After (*****)
posted 10-26-1999 09:04 PM PT (US)

Norman McCay Oscar® Winner	I am surprised Don Davis isn't breaking out of the mold....all these off-beat movies in his resume. I think he probably needs to score a drama to solidfy his presence amongst composers. Here's the complaint (there's always one in my posts...) It's another horror flick. Arrggh. Isn't anybody annoyed by this horror surge spurred by Blair Witch? I mean, there was Blair Witch (dating back to July), The Haunting, The Six Sense, Stir of Echoes, Stigmata, now Haunted Hill, then End of Days and Scream 3....geez!!! Enough is enough! I mean I am like the biggest Bridgette Wilson fan out still (she looks like one of those ending up dead in this movie, AGAIN--for those who remember the awful "I Know What You Did...." THIS SUCKS!!!)! She needs top billing!!
posted 10-26-1999 10:00 PM PT (US)

TimT Oscar® Winner	End of Days ,Stigmata and Stir of Echoes etc...I don't think have anything to do with Blairwitch. There were horror films before blairwitch remember? Lost Souls, End of Days, and Stigmata have sprung up becuase it's getting close to the millenium, which is supposidly the end of the world to alot of superstitous, religious people. These films all have the same themes, Demonism. -NP The Bone Collector - Craig Armstrong (3/5) [This message has been edited by TimT (edited 10-26-99).]
posted 10-26-1999 10:39 PM PT (US)

Scott Oscar® Winner	TimT, not all religious people are superstitous and not all superstitous people are religious. Scott
posted 10-27-1999 07:57 AM PT (US)

Crono/Kyp Oscar® Winner	You know if you ask them nicely...kidding I am looking foward ot this score, I liked what Davis did with "The Matrix." I also herd that is has a big orchestra and choir. On the tracks,I'll ask my buddy. I'll get them for you all. --Crono/Kyp Writer/Director/Producer NP: StarGate: David Arnold (**1/2/***) [This message has been edited by Crono/Kyp (edited 10-27-99).]
posted 10-27-1999 06:58 PM PT (US)

Al Oscar® Winner	First, the movie is a fun combination of The Haunting and Event Horizon. It is scarier than The Haunting, but it is not the better movie. The scores are two different matters. While The Haunting gave us music for Hill House, The House On Haunted Hill gives us music for a Haunted House movie. There is a large gothic sound with organs, choir, and full orchestra. The choir music, when used, is quite psychotic with its chanting. Don Davis does a good job of not making it sound too much like another Omen-rip-off. I would also like to thank Davis for trying to stay as far away from what Goldsmith composed for The Haunting as he can. The organ is used to great effect and gives the movie a sense of 'classic horror'. However, unlike those classic horror movies- the organ does not sound overbearing and obnoxious. A neat tragic theme is used a few times that consists of this organ and the orchestra. While it does still have a gothic sound, it is really quite beautiful. I don't know how well this score will do outside of the film. A lot of the music is basic creepy music to try and get under your skin, and most of the music is unmemorable. I can't even remember any bit of the music used in the end of the film. All I can suggest is to see this movie while it is still the Halloween season, watch Geoffrey Rush have fun playing a Vincent Price character flawlessly, just try to enjoy the movie for what it is, and listen to the score. Happy Halloween, guys!
posted 10-30-1999 09:38 AM PT (US)

James Oscar® Winner	Hey, they got back to me! Here's the track listing: HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL Music Composed and Conducted by Don Davis Varese Sarabande 302 066 088 2 1. Main Title (2:29) 2. Pencil Neck (1:05) 3. Hans Verbosemann (1:47) 4. House Humongous (1:20) 5. Brahms: Piano Quartet in g minor, Opus 25, excerpt (arr. Davis) (2:32) 6. Funky Old House (1:52) 7. No Exit (1:08) 8. Gun Control (1:25) 9. Surprise (1:20) 10. Price Pestiferous (1:35) 11. Misty Misogamy (1:53) 12. Coagulatory Calamity (3:59) 13. Melissa In Wonderland (3:45) 14. Sorry, Tulip (1:25) 15. Struggling to Escape (1:47) 16. Soirée A Saturation (3:18) 17. On The House (1:34) 18. Dead But Nice (2:05) 19. Blackburn's Surprise (:48) 20. Encountering Mr. Blackburn (2:03) 21. The Price Petard (1:58) 22. Epiphanic Evelyn (3:48) 23. The Corpus Delicti Committee Meeting (2:26) 24. Price In Perpetuity (2:55) 25. The Beast With the Least (3:06) Total Time about 53:30 (yeah!) James NP - The Avengers (****)
posted 10-30-1999 11:47 AM PT (US)

S Smith unregistered	I saw the movie last night. Great score. You're right Al. The organ is used very nicely, and I like this score way better than "Matrix." And while the movie was scarier than "Haunting" it still blew chunks. It blew the biggest chunks since, well, I don't remember the last really bad movie I saw. Probably "Blair Witch" or "Haunting," or some dumb action film.
posted 10-30-1999 01:01 PM PT (US)

Dan Brecher Oscar® Winner	The movie sucks eh? Dang. Guess it's up to me to complete my ghost movie screenplay then. Dan (UK)
posted 10-30-1999 01:19 PM PT (US)

Jasom Oscar® Winner	I saw the movie last night and I though it was pretty good. I didn't think it was very scary, just really gory. I definately loved the music to this movie. Don Davis did a great job. I loved the parts with the choir and the ones with the organ. I especially loved the music when the characters all go off in different ways. It was very upbeat and freaky at the same time. Can't wait till Tuesday to get this soundtrack. It has been a while since I have been this excited about getting a soundtrack. Jasom-np-South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (**/***)
posted 10-30-1999 02:02 PM PT (US)

Al Oscar® Winner	Jasom, about the piece you were speaking of- I thought it was a song at first! When I noticed that it was actuall part of the score, it surprised me. Davis definitely had some fun with this one... look at the track titles! I wouldn't be too hard on the film, S Smith. At least it knew just how schlocky it was. While some of the macabre images where quite jarring, none of them are anything that one cannot see in Event Horizon or Jacob's Ladder. The good thing about this film is that it rolls it all into one enjoyable midnight flick. One could almost think that Stephen Sommers wrote and directed it. Having said that, I wish he had.
posted 10-30-1999 08:44 PM PT (US)

S Smith unregistered	I guarantee you that if Sommers had written it, I'd have had a much better time. The deal with movies like "Mummy" and "Deep Rising" as that they don't take themselves too seriously, and almost make fun of themselves. Films like "Haunting" and "House on Haunted Hill" try to have this profound...well, not really a message...but they try to have some meaningful tie-in. With "Haunting," there was that woman related to the family, with "HOHH" they were all related to the employees of the asylum (although that was only briefly touched on, so who knows). Anyway, I thought that part was stupid. Sorry everybody. [This message has been edited by S Smith (edited 10-30-99).]
posted 10-30-1999 10:15 PM PT (US)

Dave Oscar® Winner	S Smith, Are you saying that this movie is cheasy like The Mummy? I don't know if I can take that. The score was great but the lack of seriousness in the movie bothered me. Is that what Hollywood thinks we want to see? A bunch of lame situations glued together by what could be a great plot? They need another serious action/adventure movie out sooon like Raiders of the Lost Ark to reafirm my faith. dave NP: Phantom Menace MP3's [This message has been edited by Dave (edited 10-31-99).]
posted 10-31-1999 02:12 AM PT (US)

S Smith unregistered	No, no. It's not cheesy like "The Mummy." The thing I didn't like about it was that it tried to come off as a serious-type flick, instead of kicking back and having a good time with it. What I meant was I WISHED it had been more like "Mummy." I probably would have enjoyed it more. And yes, "The Mummy" was pretty campy, but it was lot of fun. [This message has been edited by S Smith (edited 10-31-99).]
posted 10-31-1999 08:10 AM PT (US)

Jeron Oscar® Winner	Yeah! Right on Smith - Sommers is awesome. ~Jeron
posted 10-31-1999 10:00 AM PT (US)

robin4 Oscar® Winner	All I've got to say about this is about the only good thing that can come out of it is the score, which was pretty good.
posted 10-31-1999 04:40 PM PT (US)

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