Quintessential Vinyl: The Howard Shore Scores for David Croneberg

One of the advantages of being a writer and getting the opportunity to work from home, primarily, is that I have access to my entire record collection. For me, there’s nothing more comforting or soothing than writing while the scores to some of my favorite films spin in the background. And with the vinyl craze on the rise, a lot of well known soundtracks for horror classics have been re-issued and become readily available again.

Sometimes, I pick themed playlists. A certain composer or director. Perhaps a certain time period of film soundtracks. Or it could just be random! But earlier this week, I opted to pull out all my Howard Shore scores for David Cronenberg films.

Shore first worked with Cronenberg on his 1979 feature THE BROOD, and maintained a steady working relationship with the director throughout his career with only a few examples where another composer stepped in, no doubt due to scheduling conflicts. It’s one of the great cinematic marriages between director and composer. And when I stopped to think about it, I realized that 5 quintessential collaborations between the two had all been recently reissued on vinyl. So, if you’re a record collector, and/or a fan of Cronenberg & Shore, here’s a handful of titles you should add to your collection.

SCANNERS / THE BROOD (Mondo)

This Mondo release showcases the two earliest collaborations between Cronenberg and composer Howard Shore. The double side LP features both the soundtrack score to SCANNERS with THE BROOD on the B-side. The main reason for this is that there’s actually not much music in THE BROOD! SCANNERS continues with one cue on the back, and then THE BROOD music is presented as one long track; this is a traditional, scary Shore score that sets the stage for that awkward feeling of delving into the unknown that Cronenberg’s earliest works always evoked.

SCANNERS, to me, always felt like a horror version of the X-MEN, where there were a whole bunch of people out there with the same powers as Professor X. THE BROOD made me more terrified of children than I already am! The release featured 2 original covers by artist Sam Wolfe Connelly, and came in two colorway options. This one is currently out of print and not available directly through Mondo anymore, but if you hunt around online, you’ll be able to track one down either via Discogs or Amazon for a little over $30-40 bucks.



DEAD RINGERS (Mondo)

Another stellar release from Mondo, and one that came out just as Scream Factory put out Blu-Ray collector editions of both DEAD RINGERS and RABID, is Shore’s complete original score for DEAD RINGERS, featuring a simple yet striking original cover art by Randy Ortiz. Much like the film, itself, Cronenberg’s style became more intricate and complex at this stage in his career. He’d already seen commercial success with THE DEAD ZONE and THE FLY, so this was the first in a trilogy of weirder, more experimental and surreal features in his filmography, and Shore’s style morphed to match what Cronenberg was doing. I mean, this is a film about gynecologist twin brothers, but it’s still a traditional, beautiful, lush Shore score, so keep dueling Jeremy Irons in mind when you listen. This also paves the way for the next two on this list, which go really bold, sonically. DEAD RINGERS is still available on red vinyl for about $30 bucks directly from Mondo right here.



CRASH (Mondo)

This is a film I didn’t get to see in theaters, because of the controversial NC-17 rating at the time. It was something I instead saw on home video for the first time, and I don’t think I fully understood or appreciated it back then. But listening to this glorious re-issue score makes me want to go back and watch it again with fresh eyes and an adult perspective. The movie depicts those that fetishize & get off on car accidents. And with that as his inspiration, Shore gets to really experiment by incorporating 6 electric guitars, 3 orchestral harps, 3 woodwinds and 2 percussionists to draft the score. It’s available through Mondo on a double LP (the 4th side is etched), featuring this gorgeous cover art by Rich Kelly for $35. Get yours right here!



NAKED LUNCH (Mondo)

Now we come to the most avant-garde and ambitious of all the scores: Howard Shore’s collaboration with jazz legend Ornette Coleman and the London Philharmonic Orchestra to deliver the sonic landscape of David Cronenberg’s bonkers William S. Burroughs adaptation of NAKED LUNCH! The semi-autobiographical story of Burroughs is funneled through a character named William Lee played by the great Peter Weller, and considering the drug-induced nature of the whole thing, and the elaborate looking creatures, this score very much captures the film’s lunacy. It’s challenging, not an easy pill to swallow, but neither is the film itself. This wouldn’t be my first recommendation, but if you’re a more seasoned Cronenberg/Shore fan, it’s definitely worth the listen. It’s got another killer art design by Rich Kelly, and is also still available direct through Mondo right here.



THE FLY (Varese Sarabande)

This is arguably the most well-known work for both David Cronenberg and Howard Shore, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise, because it’s a freakin’ masterpiece. I revisited the film not that long ago and from the first 5 minutes, you can just feel the synergy that brought this thing together. The score is easily the most straight forward, bold and catchiest of Shore’s work for Cronenberg, which fits the film, considering it’s also, by far, the most commercial feature Cronenberg has ever made.

In the off-chance you’ve never seen it, Jeff Goldblum plays brilliant scientist and inventor, Seth Brundle. He’s created a pair of telepods and courts a beautiful reporter named Veronica (Gena Davis, Goldblum’s real-life girlfriend at the time) to document his monumental scientific breakthrough. But, when he transports himself from telepod to telepod, a fly gets in the chamber and slowly, but surely, their DNA starts to fuse, turning Seth into a giant fly! It’s easily one of the best remakes ever done with brilliant performances, unbelievable gore FX, assured direction and a great, sweeping and emotional score by Howard Shore. It initially took me a while to track down a copy of the soundtrack on vinyl, and I was disappointed by the used one I managed to get. Lots of pops and hiss. But thankfully, earlier this year, Varese Sarabande re-issued this sucker on vinyl with a lenticular 3D cover! As well as a glow-in-the-dark variant! As far as I’m concerned, this one is essential. Grab yours right here.

In Honor Of SERIAL MOM, Here Are The Best Band Cameos In Cult Flicks!

Out this week from Scream Factory, just in time for Mother’s Day, is John Waters’ cult classic horror comedy SERIAL MOM, starring the great Kathleen Turner as a homicidal maniac mom who really, really thinks you shouldn’t wear white after Labor Day.

It’s personally my favorite of Waters’ films, not only because it features an homage to the late, great Herschell Gordon Lewis, or because both Traci Lords and Ricki Lake are hilarious in it, or the fact that it has my favorite Don Knotts gag of all time, but because one of my favorite bands was featured in it!

The great L7 can be seen performing the track “Gas Chamber” under the band moniker “Camel Lips,” which refers to their… umm… tight pants? (See pic above!)

In honor of both SERIAL MOM and L7, I thought it’d be fun to remind you of some other great band appearances in cult flicks. Let’s have a look and listen, shall we?

L7 in SERIAL MOM



Well, might as well start with this one! L7 had already found success with their major label debut “Bricks Are Heavy” and had just released the follow up “Hungry For Stink” in 1994 when Waters asked them to appear as “Camel Lips” in the film. They wrote a brand new song, specifically for the movie called “Gas Chamber.” The only place to find the studio version is on the SERIAL MOM soundtrack CD, which consisted of the L7 track, Barry Manilow’s “Daybreak” and the full score by Basil Poledouris. I couldn’t find the scene on its own, but you’ll find the full track above, edited to scenes from the movie!

Offspring in IDLE HANDS



Back in 1999, Offspring were still a pretty huge band. And I kind of hated them. I’ve since come to appreciate them in retrospect! But because of my feelings torward them, it made it a bit more satisfying to watch singer Dexter Holland suffer a horrible fate at the hands of IDLE HANDS evil… well, hand! The band can be seen performing a cover of The Ramones “I Want To Be Sedated” and their own track “Beheaded” right as singer Dexter Holland gets… well, beheaded. Clever! PS: Director Rodman Flender rules!

Deftones in THE CROW: CITY OF ANGELS



I bet you totally forgot about this one, huh? I think the soundtrack to the first CROW was one of those defining albums of the early 90’s. Everyone had it, everyone loved it, and everyone knew it by heart. So, you figure by the time they got around to the sequel, they had to try to accumulate a playlist of similar bands! Much like the movie however, they were unable to capture lightning in a bottle twice. Sure, there are a few cool songs on there like the Hole track, or NY Loose, but none of the break out hits like the first film had. However, one cool tid-bit, in the actual movie, you can spot the mighty Deftones performing the track “Teething.”

Medicine in THE CROW



Speaking of THE CROW, I mean… what a soundtrack, right? The Cure’s “Burn” is probably my favorite track by them. Nine Inch Nails cover Joy Division with “Dead Souls.” And a relatively unknown band called Stone Temple Pilots has a track called “Big Emtpy” on the soundtrack. Alas, the band in the actual movie with that catchy jangly guitar riff on delay is Medicine playing the track “Time Baby III.” Also of note, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult can be seen performing live during the later part of the movie.

The Dickies in 18 AGAIN



I’m cheating a little bit with this one as it’s, obviously, not a genre movie. But I’ll argue that 18 AGAIN is a cult film! I’m personally a big fan of the “switch” comedy, which became popular in the late 80’s. (BIG, LIKE FATHER LIKE SON, VICE VERSA) In 1988, around the same time The Dickies had provided KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE with their theme song, they also blew me away as the punk band that plays a track called “You Drive Me Ape (You Big Gorilla)” in the night club scene from 18 AGAIN. This was my first introduction to them, and I’ve loved them ever since!

Oingo Boingo in BACK TO SCHOOL



I am, yet again, going with a “cult” comedy, if anything so I could incorporate a little Oingo Boingo into this article. And why not? It’s for a track called “Dead Man’s Party!” A Halloween and karaoke favorite among my friends. First time I saw Danny Elfman and company was in this movie performing this track, all while a young Robert Downey Jr makes a case for being the poster boy for birth control. (That’s a Rodney joke, bless him.)

Primus in BILL & TED’S BOGUS JOURNEY



Faith No More’s Jim Martin appears as himself in BILL & TED’S BOGUS JOURNEY, but the band that gets to kick off the epic music competition at the end is none other than the great Primus, performing the track “Tommy The Cat,” with Pam Grier MC-ing!

Cannibal Corpse in ACE VENTURA



I have to admit, my first introduction to death metal titans Cannibal Corpse was in the above scene from ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE. Rumor has it, because Jim Carrey was a big fan. Let’s not forget, Carrey also lip-synced some Guns N’ Roses in the Dirty Harry sequel THE DEAD POOL. But anyways, one of the funniest bits from Carrey’s star-making vehicle was his little dance to the Cannibal Corpse track “Hammer Smashed Face.” As a bonus, here’s a fun deleted scene in which Ace Ventura makes an escape while crowd surfing:



Twisted Sister in PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE



My earliest memories of MTV involved those wacky videos from Twisted Sister, such as “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” featuring that crazed teacher who also appeared in ONE CRAZY SUMMER. (What the hell ever happened to that guy?!) Anyways, even cooler was seeing them shooting the music video for “Burn In Hell” while Pee Wee Herman is avoiding studio security on the backlot in PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE! Easily, one of the many highlights and fun surprises of that movie!

Alice Cooper in WAYNE’S WORLD



I mean, can this guy party or what?! Everyone loves WAYNE’S WORLD. So, how cool was it to see Alice Cooper performing the track “Feed My Frankenstein” at the concert?! While that bit is fun, none of us can ever forget the history lesson he gives to Wayne and Garth about the history of Milwaukee when they pop backstage after the show.



Alice In Chains in SINGLES



Ah, how I miss the 90’s. What a glorious time. And at the height of the grunge revolution came Cameron Crowe’s SINGLES, which isn’t exactly about the Seattle music scene, but really more of an examination of the dating scene. (Back when an answering machine could ruin an entire relationship!) Sure, the members of Pearl Jam pop up as Matt Dillon’s band Citizen Dick, but the highlight has to be seeing Alice In Chains playing the tracks “It Ain’t Like That” and “Would?”

SERIAL MOM is now available on Blu-Ray through Scream Factory in a special collector’s edition! Get your copy right here!

Why TEEN WOLF Is My Favorite Movie Ever

There always comes a point early in a newfound friendship when you’ll ask the other person what their favorite movie is. Since we’re horror fans, we tend to gravitate towards the genre first. My conditioned response to “what’s your favorite scary movie?” is usually always EVIL DEAD 2, followed very, very closely by Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO. But if we expand beyond the horror genre, what else do I love? Well, I grew up a child of the video generation, and of the early days of HBO. So, I love ’80s movies, teen comedies, slashers, things with fantastical elements, etc. But really, when I stop to think about it, I’m pretty sure TEEN WOLF is my favorite movie of all time.

Yes, I’m well aware there are better movies, but this is my comfort film. I can put it on at any time or place, and start it from any moment, and I know every scene, frame, music cue, joke, piece of dialogue, character quirk and so on. It’s just one of those movies that hit me at just the right time.

I was 9 years old in 1985 when it came out. I was already a huge fan of the Universal Monster movies and tended to gravitate the most towards the sympathetic Wolf Man. Simultaneously, my brother had taken me to see BACK TO THE FUTURE, which was a life-changing and imagination fueling piece of cinema for an impressionable young boy. BACK TO THE FUTURE is a film I still consider one of five perfect movies. (The others being JAWS, DIE HARD, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION and PULP FICTION) So, when TEEN WOLF came out, and it starred the kid from FAMILY TIES and BACK TO THE FUTURE as a teenage werewolf, it was everything I loved all in one flick.

Also, look – as middle school approached, I wasn’t exactly the most popular kid in class. The two things I found comfort in were horror movies and comic books. I enjoyed the thrill of vicariously surviving a horror film, but I learned my morality from reading Marvel comic books, in particular Spider-Man where I learned that “with great power comes great responsibility.” So, TEEN WOLF, written by Matthew Weisman and Jeph Loeb (who would go on to have a significant role in comic books, and currently helps guide the Netflix Marvel TV universe) was the culmination of both of the worlds I was so embedded in.

Scott Howard is a good hearted kid that is tired of being so “average.” Sure, he plays basketball with his high school team, the Beavers, but they kind of stink, and the hot, popular gal that he pines for, Pamela Wells, dates the over-age Mick, who is on their rival team. Scott does have his dad, his best friend, Stiles, and the girl next door, Boof. But he’s also going through… changes.

As it turns out, Scott comes from a long line of werewolves, something his father had hoped would pass him by, but as it turns out, being “the wolf” comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility. In fact, the script lifts the same adage that good ol’ Uncle Ben once told Peter Parker about “great power” and “great responsibility.”

It turns out maybe that popular girl isn’t such a nice person to want to be with? Maybe your true friends are the ones that already liked you before you were able to show off your newfound abilities? And maybe that girl next door that not-so-secretly pined for you is the person you should be with? It’s a very traditional morality tale that distinguishes right from wrong in a way that was completely indelible to me as a 9-year-old.

In one of my favorite scenes, while debating whether or not he truly needs his wolf alter-ego, Stiles begs Scott to “do the right thing.” And Scott replies, “that’s all I want to do, Stiles. That’s all I want to do.” For all of us that don’t feel like we 100 percent fit in, we at least desire to do the right thing, especially by the people we care about. And I think what makes a movie like this with a goofy premise work as well as it does is, despite all the jokes and outlandish scenarios, is that its heart shines through and through.

A few years ago at a Q & A for the film, the writers said that they knew Rod Daniel was the perfect director for this material because he was the only filmmaker that came in, and when asked what he thought the movie was about replied, “it’s about a father and son, just trying to figure it out.” There’s your heart and soul, folks.

What’s interesting about TEEN WOLF is that it was shot before BACK TO THE FUTURE, but released after. And naturally, BACK TO THE FUTURE was a cultural phenomenon and catapulted Michael J. Fox into household-name status. Capitalizing on the success of BACK TO THE FUTURE, TEEN WOLF came out a mere month later, and was also a huge hit, coming in number 2 at the box office, right behind BACK TO THE FUTURE.

Would TEEN WOLF have been as big a success had it come out before? We can hypothesize all we want, but this is the way it happened, and because of it, plenty more TEEN WOLF-esque properties came into being. It became a franchise! In 1986, a cartoon series was produced based on the movie (with a few minor alterations). In the series, Scott also had a grandfather, his “Teen Wolf” persona was secret except to Stiles and Boof, and Mick was no longer a 21-year-old that got left back, but another high school jock bully that constantly taunts Scott. It lasted 2 seasons and 21 episodes were produced.



In 1987, a sequel was released, but instead, it focused on Scott Howard’s cousin Todd Howard, played by Jason Bateman, whose sister, ironically enough, was played Michael J. Fox’s sister on the sitcom FAMILY TIES. At the time, I was already TEEN WOLF crazy (between both the original movie and the cartoon series) to the point that I don’t think I could’ve been more excited for a sequel than I was for TEEN WOLF TOO. In fact, I remember convincing my older cousin, Daniel, to take me because I had volunteered to write a review of it for the Middle School newspaper. This would be the first ever piece of film criticism I’d ever give, and who would’ve thought it would lead me to where I am today? It began with TEEN WOLF TOO! I don’t have that review anymore, although my vague memory was that I gave it a considerably good review, mainly because I so desperately wanted to love it that I forced myself to.

In retrospect, it was a disappointment, but it was also the first time I started to realize specific things about movies, franchises, and how studio mentality worked against them. For starters, the story picks up in college, so was this originally intended to be a direct sequel that followed the characters we knew and loved into the next chapter of their lives? And at that point, because Michael J. Fox was so huge, did they opt instead to change the lead character to his cousin? Sure, James Hampton (Scott’s dad) and Mark Holton (Chubby) returned, but Couch Finstock and Stiles were recast. It basically follows along as a loose, less successful remake of the first one (instead of basketball, it’s boxing!) but this version doesn’t quite connect, despite the best efforts of Bateman, who got to redeem this performance on Jimmy Fallon a few years back!

Also, character actors Kim Darby and John Astin help add some positivity to the proceedings. This one didn’t do as well as the original and hence, the proposed third TEEN WOLF movie, which was slated to do a gender-switch and star Alyssa Milano, was canceled! (Although, rumor has it that the 1989 feature TEEN WITCH with Robin Lively started out as a potential TEEN WOLF sequel/spin-off as well.)

Now, when younger people hear TEEN WOLF, they think of the hit MTV series, rather than the goofy coming-of-age comedy from 1985. I guess that’s ok. I tried to watch the TV show and made it maybe 4-5 episodes, but it just wasn’t for me, and it was so far removed from the movie it’s based on that I gave it up. I assume it’s similar to BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER; sure, the movie exists (and I rather like that a lot!), but the show was intended for a different audience. And it was huge for that audience, much like TEEN WOLF, the series, was huge for a new generation.

But that doesn’t mean that the original TEEN WOLF isn’t still out there as part of the pop-culture zeitgeist. For some inexplicable reason, the lead singer of the band M83 performed the track “Do It, Try It” from the album “Junk” on the Jimmy Kimmel show, complete in TEEN WOLF make-up. I still have no idea why! It wasn’t Halloween, it was in April. But kudos, regardless!

And like I said, I revisit the movie often, as it’s something I can put on at any time and feel like I’m with an old friend. The things that stand out to me now are the craft behind the picture. What was great about this era of movies was that everyone from every department took their job very, very seriously, and it was all about the craft of their work. I often have had this conversation with filmmakers Ti West and AJ Bowen. Sure, the premise of TEEN WOLF may be ridiculous, but no one on that set showed up and said, “this is silly, let’s half ass it.” One of the best scenes is a long, one-take tracking shot with Scott and Boof walking down the street talking about how they almost ran away together when they were kids. It’s a beautifully acted, shot and executed scene that, out of context, would fit in perfectly with any drama of that era. This is made all the more awesome by the fact that it’s actually from a movie about a kid that turns into a werewolf.

I’ll leave you with some advice from the great Coach Bobby Finstock in TEEN WOLF. It’s 3 rules that I, myself, have lived by ever since I first heard them in this movie, and I think they’re valid.

“Never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick to that, and everything else is cream cheese.”