Scream - Scream 2 (Promo)

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Marco Beltrami's star didn't shine before he met Wes Craven. Together they made bloody horror once more popular, combining the thriller genre with undeniable brutal murder. A psychopath like Psycho it was not, a sicko with a Scream mask all the more in the Scream trilogy. I especially enjoyed the second movie because it made a farce of itself, and the first had one of the most stunning openings in cinema horror history. Both scores received attention on Varčse's CD but together they gave 30 minutes of score, meaning 15 a piece. Quite ridiculous of course for many people and promos started floating around with added material. And this is what I have, each score has several tracks more and alone Scream 2 on this score is of the same length as the two scores combined on the original. We start first with Scream, opening with one of the few reoccurring themes of the trilogy. Like in the third score, 'Sidney's Lament' is a sorrowful lonely, somber piece (with vocal) which receives only true color at the end of Scream 3. Of course Scream brings also the stab music or basically the music supporting the killing, stabbing and chasing of the dumb bimbos and ignorant dudes who think they are safe if they stand behind a door. 'Altered Ego' is a good representation of this music with dissonant flutes and brass, bringing back the rhythmic fanfares of Mimic and Terminator 3. 'Tatum's Torture' is also brassy and represents some interesting orchestration techniques, a quality Beltrami definitely delivered in The Faculty years later. Of the unreleased tracks, we basically have to remember somewhat the same style and movements but still adding some material to the fore, on the original we had the electronic samples with choir in track 3, unreleased 'Back to School' does the same with Sidney's theme and the 'Mr. Himbrey's Last Stand' track brings down a good end fanfare.

While the first score proved to be a very interesting if standard affair on its own, the sequel brought the same but expanded on its own with more interesting qualities. Whether cliché or not, a choir can always add something more to the proceedings and Scream 2 and 3 delivered that, with the amusement. For the people who still have to find out the Scream scores, don't worry since the best tracks with the choir are present on Varčse's release. 'Stage Fright Requiem' begins promisingly with the stab music but also with fanfares ala Mimic and light choir, bringing back the memories of Dracula 2000 and Mimic. But its still 'Love Turns Sour' which is the best track, with its guitar bringing Dewey's theme (in the film they used explicitly the John Travolta theme of Broken Arrow but its not represented here, only with mimicking music). Still, the track continues with the brass and the rhythm before the choir inserts itself along with whirling strings and flutes, this track basically brings the best of what Mimic had to offer and that score is still Beltrami's finest effort to date in the horror genre. The rest is the basic formula we heard in the rest of the score, occasionally the boring underscore in 'Cici Creepies', the Broken Arrow like guitar and voice before Sid's theme is stated on piano and flute in 'Deputy for A Friend'. They bring the two themes together in one neat package. 'Sundown Search' brings the guitar with the cool electronic samples of track 3 while the 4 minute unreleased 'Showdown' brings nothing but stab music, occasionally catching Beltrami's fine ideas. 'Back in the Saddle' even has pure cowboy music with Dewey's guitar theme and a whistling in the background, hence the track title I guess.

The two scores have some extra material apart from Beltrami's music namely 2 songs, one by Dillon Dixon bringing the electronic samples as a key part of its song but nothing further and Bjork is present for Scream 2, with the same electronic samples, but Bjork is not my style anyway. The much requested theme of Scream 2, composed by Danny Elfman and named 'Cassandra Aria' is also present on the score but unfortunately in such poor sound quality that you basically can't enjoy it, also the style is totally unfitting (Men in Black with a Nightbreed mood and choir) since hearing the pure Beltrami style mix with the pure Elfman style is not totally fitting and working. Perhaps improved sound quality could make me to love it more but its nothing more then pure Elfman we hear here. And a word also about the added score cues, especially in Scream the sound quality is good but its loses its charm and power when the more serious tone is set, basically 'Mr. Himbrey's Last Stand' and its fanfare loses a lot of credit over that fact. Still, this makes that Scream - Scream 2 offers more to hear over Varčse's release. 55 minutes instead of 30 for 2 scores is much more acceptable and even if you are not missing highlights as 'Stage Fright Requiem' and 'Love Turns Sour', its nice to have something more as music. The quality is decent to good but especially the first has to suffer more because Scream 2's unreleased cues aren't bothered with that fact. Nothing totally mind blowing but I can say that the original offers the core of the goodies for normal fans, the expanded release nonetheless with Elfman's bonus piece in poor quality is for those who considered the normal to be lacking just a bit too much score, stabbingly normal it is nonetheless.

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Tracks

Single Disc

Scream

1. Sidney's Lament + (1.37)

2. Altered Ego + (2.46)

3. Trouble In Woodsboro + (1.48)

4. A Cruel World + (1.52)

5. Chasing Sidney + (1.35)

6. Tatum's Torture (2.47)

7. Late Night With Dewey (1.57)

8. Running For Help (1.28)

9. Back To School (1.13)

10. Mr. Himbrey's Last Stand (2.10)

11. NC-17 + (3.05)

12. I Don't Care: Dillon Dixon (3.06)

Total Length: 25.50

Scream 2

13. Stage Fright Requiem + (2.06) Excellent Track

14. Love Turns Sour + (4.44) Excellent Track

15. Cici Creepies + (1.13)

16. Deputy For A Friend + (2.19)

17. Hollow Parting + (1.49)

18. Cassandra Aria * (3.09)

19. Dewpoint & Stabbed + (2.15)

20. Hairtrigger Lunatic + (1.11)

21. Sundown Search + (0.52)

22. Back In The Saddle (1.25)

23. Showdown (4.30)

24. It's Over Sid + (0.46)

25. Disorder: Bjork (3.21)

* Composed by Danny Elfman

+ Featured on the original soundtrack

Total Length: 30.05

The use of artwork or photos is posted for non profitable reasons

=== Link to Composer Site: Marco Beltrami ===