Reviews

CD Review: THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA soundtrack

THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA soundtrack | ©2011 Buysoundtrax Records

Future KOJAK composer John Cacavas made a notable horror scoring debut aboard 1972’s HORROR EXPRESS, a classic thrill ride that combined mod rock stylings with an orchestral sensibility as old as a fire-eyed Siberian missing link. Cacavas applied an even groovier approach the next year to one of history’s greatest fiends, hearing him in service to an even more evil master as The Count tries to wipe out humanity with the bubonic plague. These SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA would also turn out to be the swan song for Christopher Lee playing the Count at Hammer films, though his nemesis Peter […]Read On »


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CD Review: ANIMALS UNITED soundtrack

ANIMALS UNITED soundtrack | ©2011 Perseverance Records

If there’s a musical king of the funny animal jungle, then David Newman can hold the title with the likes of ICE AGE, the SQUEAKQUEL to ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS, two SCOOBY DOO flicks and DR. DOOLITTLE among the various CG and live-action creatures that have opened their mouths for a hip joke. That original language is German in KONFERENZ DER TIERE or ANIMALS UNITED as it’s known over here. But no matter if the dubbing’s in Deutsch or English, the wonderfully antic voice of Newman’s comedy music is loud and clear. While he’s capable of such relaxed scores as […]Read On »


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CD Review: HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS: LIMITED EXPANDED EDITION

HALLOWEEN IV soundtrack | ©2011 Ahi Records

Some serial killers need a right hand knife, especially when they also happen to be the director and composer. Such was the assistance John Carpenter required after not only making HALLOWEEN. but also creating the most notorious, and toe-tapping theme in horror score history. That’s how sound designer-turned-composer Alan Howarth was brought into the series with HALLOWEEN 2 and given the “in association” credit for his teaming with Carpenter. Skillfully abetting that film’s far more visceral shocks with eerie atmospheres and relentless rhythms, the collaborators next turned to computer-generated horror for the series SEASON OF THE WITCH. However, HALLOWEEN‘s most […]Read On »


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CD Review: UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING soundtrack

UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING soundtrack | ©2012 Lakeshore Records

It’s time again to defrost ninja vampire warrior Selene from deep sequel freeze. And though Marco Beltrami gave her a more traditional orchestral horror score approach the last time out in UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION, it’s certainly cool to welcome the series’ original composer Paul Haslinger back into the ongoing Lycan-bloodsucker feud, which gets joined by humans hell-bent on wiping both clans out for Selene’s future AWAKENING. Going for a creepily ambient approach that reflected his Tangerine Dream roots in the first UNDERWORLD score, and then bringing an epic scope to the series’ impressive historical prequel RISE OF THE LYCANS, Haslinger goes […]Read On »


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CD Review: THE WRONG BOX soundtrack

THE WRONG BOX soundtrack | ©2011 Intrada Records

By 1966, John Barry was fully into the action swing of 007, the dark dramas of THE CHASE and KING RAT, as well as raising a female lion that would win him his first Oscar for BORN FREE. Far less known, but equally impressive was Barry’s talent for very British comedy, whether it was accompanying the jazzy woman chaser of THE KNACK or providing lethal gas for  THEY ALL DIED LAUGHING. THE WRONG BOX provided Barry with another black-humored romp as the last surviving members of an aristocratic class wait to see who’ll be the last man standing, and inherit […]Read On »


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TV Review: AMERICAN IDOL – Season 11 – “Final Judgment, Part 2” – And the Top 24 is …

AMERICAN IDOL Season 11 Final Judgment Part 2 | (c) 2012 Fox

Cast: Ryan Seacrest, Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson Network: Fox, airs Wednesdays and Thursdays @ 8 p.m. Original Telecast: Feb. 23, 2012 The drama was thick in the previous episode of the world’s greatest karaoke competition, AMERICAN IDOL, as the judges narrowed the competition to just 24 semi-finalists. All the while the drama was playing out they walked contestants through a dark hallway, through smoke and flashing lights and into the rotunda of doom. A very silly ending to the show that begins the live performances next week. While most of the people that were eliminated we had seen […]Read On »


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TV Review: SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE – “Empty Hands”

Viva Bianca in SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE | ©2012 Starz/

Stars: Lucy Lawless, Liam McIntyre, Manu Bennett, Peter Mensah, Viva Bianca, Craig Parker Writer: Allison Miller, Created by Steven S. DeKnight Director: Mark Beesley     Network: STARZ, airs Friday nights Original Telecast: February 17, 2012 So my biggest complaint with the new series of SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE is that the pacing hasn’t been on par with the other series. I’m honestly confused as to whether the pacing is better in “Empty Hands” or it just seems better because there’s more action (in more than one sense of the word). Again we have two stages of action in this episode. One which […]Read On »


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TV Review: THE RIVER – Season 1 – “A Better Man”

Scott Michael Foster and Joe Anderson in THE RIVER - Season 1 - "A Better Man" | ©2012 ABC/Mario Perez

Stars: Bruce Greenwood, Joe Anderson, Leslie Hope, Eloise Mumford, Paul Blackthorne, Thomas Kretschmann, Daniel Zacapa, Shaun Parkes, Paulina Gaitan, Scott Michael Foster, Katie Featherston Writer: Aron Eli Coleite, series created by Michael R. Perry & Oren Peli Director: Dean White Network: ABC, Tuesdays @ 9 PM Original Broadcast: February 21, 2012 The jungle wants you to behave yourself. This seems to be the message so far of THE RIVER. Last week’s episode, “Los Ciegos,” had two regulars having epiphanies about what jerks they were being. This week’s episode, “A Better Man,” has more of the same with different characters, while […]Read On »


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Blu-ray and DVD picks of the week including TOWER HEIST

TOWER HEIST | (c) 2012 Universal Home Entertainment

Your time is short. We know this. So in order to expedite your buying and Netflix decision making, we provide you with a list of the cool and not-so-cool titles coming out for movies, television and everything in-between. So put your feet up, grab some popcorn and check out this week’s selections. MOVIES TOWER HEIST – It’s not that TOWER HEIST is a bad movie. Well, it isn’t a good movie either, but it certainly doesn’t deserve all the negativity it received when it came out – despite having Ben Stiller in the lead role. The problem with the movie […]Read On »


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TV Review: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES – Season 3 – “All My Children”

Paul Wesley and Kat Graham in THE VAMPIRE DIARIES - Season 3 - "All My Children" | ©2012 The CW/Bob Mahoney

Stars: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder Writer: Evan Bleiweiss, Based on the book by L.J. Smith Director: Pascal Verschooris  Network: The CW, airs Thursday nights Original Telecast: February 16, 2012 Well, that was the shortest plot thread in the history of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES plot threads, now wasn’t it kids? By plot thread I am of course referencing the plot where Klaus (Joseph Morgan) and all of his siblings are tied together by their resurrected witch of a mother Esther (Alice Evans), so she can make them mortal and then kill them off. Sad that it only lasted two […]Read On »


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