Customer Reviews

Freddy Vs. Jason [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Good score, but the very brief opening title of the film (the mixing of the original Nightmare theme/Friday the 13th theme) is missing!!! New Line owns the rights - it should be on the album! One major complaint - the CD, like the film, seems to be pro-Jason with his theme played at least twice on the album. However, they did include the Freddy jump-roping rhyme and Freddy Krueger seems to have a new theme with the pre-burned Krueger scene music - a very menacing theme, too - perfect match for Englund's fine and chilling performance.

Greame Revell was tapped to do the score for Freddy vs. Jason, and considering that he's not Harry Manfredini, he does a damn good job. Its like the CD is three separate musical scores: one third of it sounds like what you would hear in the traditional Nightmare on Elm Street film, with the slow, haunting, string instrument-driven melodies that crawl under your skin, counter balanced by the fast, woodwind heavy musical cues that drive the Friday the 13th films. And its rounded out with musical cues that are completely original to Freddy vs. Jason.

Sadly, there are several musical cues not included, such as the Nightmare Melody/CH-CH-CH HA-HA-HA mashup from the very beginning of the film. In fact, the Nightmare Melody is missing entirely from the soundtrack. Also, some tracks from the film that ARE present on the soundtrack are missing small cues that really helped sell the scene in movie.

These things are missed, but this CD makes a great listening companion for anyone intent on reading the film's novelization. Plus, any fan of musical scores could make this an excellent addition to their collection.

Different flavor from the previous movies. Great new taste! Highly re-listenable

I was pleasantly surprised with this score. I'm not a big fan of Graeme Revell - I think the only albums of his I own are Daredevil, a fairly good score, and Tomb Raider, a very mediocre score. So I waited to buy this until it came out super cheap at 10 bucks. It was worth the wait, actually. As uninspiring as it looks, this is damn good horror music. It's not trying to be The Passion of the Christ or Braveheart. The simple motivation behind this score is easy - creep you out on some cues and make your heart race on others. Revell tackles both with ease.
The interesting thing about this CD is how much more exciting the last half is to the first. Usually with movie scores, especially horror ones (like Brian Tyler's horror scores) the CD comes on like gangbusters the first half then dies out into a series of stingers. Yes, there are stingers on this CD. A lot of them. But that's mostly in the first half, and the last 20 minutes or so are filled with blood pumping action. Say what you will about no coherency or no "main themes" - Revell accomplished what he wanted to do. He made a scary album that has some great action music. Lets leave it at that.
cheers
KZ

I love the film Freddy VS Jason so much, I had to look up both slashers history. This score captures every bit of the movie. Brilliant!

The main problem with this score is that it can never be anything other than what it is. It works okay (but not brilliantly) in the movie but far too few of the tracks can stand on their own. Graeme Revell is a popular but hardly accomplished film musician and his cues here are mostly incomprehensible noise to match the mayhem onscreen.

Onscreen mayhem can be set to rousing melodies and themes but that's not taken advantage of. Two mass murderers going head to head in the dream world and in atmospheric reality could have inspired an amazing score, but that's not taken advantage of. Revell does create a new theme for this movie and it's pretty cool but it hardly ever makes an appearance. Most of this stuff sound more like Ry Cooder than anything else. The resemblance is uncanny.

The problem, I reckon, lies with the fact that veteran F13 score magician Harry Manfredini's score for Freddy vs Jason was rejected. Resulting in not a lot of time for Revell to come with something amazing rather than something competent but soulless. He does use the trade mark 'ch ch ch ah ah ah' a few times and use some of the other Jason themes but his mixture of the Nightmare score and Jason signature feature over the opening New Line Cinema logo is bizarrely absent from this CD. A shame.

I know you're thinking 'It's a slasher movie, how good can the score be?'. But remember Friday the 13TH Part VII had a great score that is still unavailable on CD. If Revell took this project in the same direction of atmosphere and mystery then it would have been significantly superior. Constant sinister strings, loud crashing noises and overall dullness do not make a good score. The CD peaks with 'Girl With No Eyes', 'Will's Story', 'Jason's Surprise Attack', 'Stoner Creature' and 'Fight On The Dock'. More time and effort should have been focused on theme and feeling.