POLTERGEIST

JERRY GOLDSMITH

Rating:

Original Review: Without a doubt one of the best horror scores of all time, Jerry Goldsmith's Oscar-nominated work for Tobe Hooper's classic 1982 chiller was due a for a digital remastering, and Nick Redman's work on this 1997 re-release is exemplary. After the opening strains of The Star Spangled Banner have died down, the score moves into the first presentation of the score's main theme, the quiet, gentle, almost lullaby-like 'Carol Anne's Theme', which is only presented twice in its entirety, during the main and end titles, but crops up regularly throughout the score in fragments. Carol Anne's Theme, which is performed by strings, flutes and a choir, is one of Goldsmith's most attractive compositions, but also one of his most versatile.

When played at its most lush it has an almost calming, soothing effect, but when it is played a little askew, as at the end of 'TV People' and during 'Contacting The Other Side' and 'Rebirth', it takes on a completely different demeanour - seeming almost perverted in the way in which it presents a childlike melody designed to give the listener the chills. Especially effective is the way that Goldsmith lulls the listener into a false sense of security, and then catches you unawares by switching from the comparative beauty of Carol Anne's Theme to disturbing atonality without any prior warning.

Aside from the main theme, there are a number of wonderful standalone musical tour de forces employed by Goldsmith here. "Twisted Abduction" is quite possibly one of his most brilliant compositions for portraying out and out terror, with deep dissonant brasses competing with a choir and swirling string figures (reminiscent of Star Trek: The Motion Picture) in an attempt to completely overwhelm the listener while, at the other end of the spectrum, 'The Light' presents the first incarnation of an awe-inspiring religious theme to underscore the scene where the sceptical Freleng family is told about 'the Netherworld'.

However, the pinnacle of the score occurs during the 16-minute sequence of 'It Knows What Scares You' and 'Rebirth', where the Frelengs attempt to rescue their young daughter from the Netherworld. By mixing and weaving together restatements of Carol Anne's Theme, the Religious theme and low brasses to represent the demons themselves with soaring stringwork and an angelic choir, Goldsmith has composed a mini symphony all of its own here, running the gamut of emotions from wide-eyed disbelief to sheer horror to almost heartbreaking sadness. After two more action cues in 'Night of the Beast' and 'Escape from Suburbia', the score concludes with a final, beautiful restatement of Carol Anne's theme which plays over the end credits but, just as you think the music is about to end, there is the most disturbing sound effect you are ever likely to hear during a film score. I'm not kidding - taken in the context of what you have just listened to, the last 20 seconds of track 13 are utterly, utterly horrifying. In no uncertain terms, Poltergeist is a musical masterpiece, which no horror score since has matched in terms of power and emotion.

Track Listing: Running Time: 68 minutes 14 seconds

Premier Soundtracks 8-21957-2-6 (1997/1982)

Music composed and conducted by Jerry Goldsmith. Orchestrations by Arthur Morton. Digital editing and mastering by Dan Hersch. Score produced by Jerry Goldsmith. Album produced by Nick Redman.


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