Customer Reviews

Portrait of Terror

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
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John Ottman really manages to take the HalloweeN score to a new level. After hearing this cd (music he had created for H20), I can't believe the producers would cut his score and add in Mimic and Scream music (by Marco Beltrami). It really disrupts what he created. Watch the movie and then listen to this cd. I'm a big HalloweeN fan and what he did to Carpenter's simple theme is amazing. Every other HalloweeN score has been a basic copy of Carpenter's, just with a few little touches. But Ottman re-creates it. This orchestral theme is so melodic and fluid (like most Ottman works), it almost doesn't fit a horror movie, but yet there is something creepy about it. He throws in heavy bass lines and violent strings. The rest of the soundtrack is no less. Get this cd!

It is said that film sequels become weaker on the whole as they are produced. This is certainly true for the last few in the Halloween series. Not to mention that the score music has been wrought away to little or nothing.

However, the revival of Jamie Lee Curtis' character, Laurie, added a nice touch to H20, and the score tops it off as one of the top horror sequels ever. Redoing the soundtrack as orchestral--instead of the monotonous synthesizer and piano--proved a wise move on Ottman's part, and though the stalk theme and opening credits hold the same melody, the string and brass accompaniment make the tune a beautiful journey of a horror movie.

Ottman work in previous films had not gained quite as much recognition, and with competition like James Horner and our beloved Danny Elfman, one can understand his predicament as a composer.

Nonetheless, the effort put into Halloween H20 became a film landmark, and the music is the largest part of it's success. With the somewhat equal succession of Halloween: Ressurection, we can be sure that 'The Shape' will lurk in the shadows of American cinema for many more years to come.

Thank you, Mr. Ottman, well done.

Heard it, LOVED it, bought it,
--GIGI

John Ottman's score for HALLOWEEN: H20 is clever, imaginative, original, but also the complete opposite of Carpenter's minimalist score for the very first, now-famed movie of the series. The hypnotic synthesizers make place for a full orchestra, FX samples, and a lot of original percussion. In fact, Ottman's choice of instruments is very reminescent of what John Frizzell did for ALIEN: RESURRECTION; some of the synths samples from that movie are found in PORTRAIT OF TERROR. I have to admit that H20's music is not as frightening as the alienating score that Carpenter devised, but it is clever in its use of instruments. Certain passages are even reminescent of Woodsboro's theme from SCREAM. Moreover, Ottman refrains from using the full HALLOWEEN theme until the very end, giving us only glimpses of it throughout the score. Overall, a really good score which is a lot of fun to listen to and to dissect. It's a beautiful, crafty, intelligent, and complex score that will surprise you every time you listen to it.

After viewing Halloween H20 in the cinema and discovering afterwards that half of the soundtrack by John Ottman had been replaced by tracks from the Scream and Mimic soundtracks, I left the cinema feeling very anxious to hear Ottmans intended score and was sad to hear that there where no intentions whatsoever to release a soundtrack of the film, however several months later and after a few legal wranglings Ottman has released his entire soundtrack under the pseudonym "Portrait of terror" and thank God he did because this is probably the best soundtrack to the "Halloween" movies since the original. Taking John Carpenters memorable score and giving it a twist of his orchestrations, Ottman has created a fiendishly wicked soundtrack with some very gentle and touching tracks in-between. "Laurie" a variation of Carpenters original "Laurie's theme" has been gently transformed into a beautifully lifting composition accompanied by flute, strings and a haunting choir. Ottman has been responsible for the soundtracks to some of the big name movies of the past including "The usual suspects" "The Cable guy" "Snow White:a tale of terror" and more recently "Apt pupil", here he proves so effortlessly that a once keyboard dominant, electronically produced score can easily be translated into a sweeping symphonic portrait of terror!!! A definite treat for Halloween!

Ever since I first was scared by the original "Halloween" I fell in love with the excellent, relentlessly creepy music. All the music to the "Halloween" films has been great, terrifying in its simplicity.

With the arrival of "H20" John Ottman took John Carpenter's original music and gave it a booming, orchestral facelift that brings new subtleties to the frightening theme. Ottman has created a much more complex film score, and it is a far cry from the simple scores of the previous films. It's a shame that the producers decided to track in "Scream" music instead of keeping all of the wonderful score by John Ottman. It really is one of the best recent horror film scores out there. The only replacement in H20 that was better was at the very end, when Laurie decapitates Michael, finally erupting into a full version of the original "Halloween Theme".

I loved the dark undertones and the excellent new themes that Ottman has created. I can't get enough of his chilling music and I believe that it is the best of the "Halloween" scores after the original. I especially loved "Main Title", "Face to Face", "Death of a Nurse", "Advice", "Seventeen", "Road Trip", and "Final Confrontation".

I hope that we will continue to see much of John Ottman's music in the horror genre--maybe even in future "Halloween" films. The music is at times haunting and beautiful, with hints of music from previous films. At other times the score is incredibly suspenseful and scary. This terrifying soundtrack rocks! It is an absolute must for fans of "Halloween" and horror film music. Buy it RIGHT NOW!!!

Even though I'm young, I love orchestrations. I loved watching Halloween H20 over and over, noticing that the composer made a whole new sound for John Carpenter's original Halloween theme. The second time I watched it, I noticed that John Ottman was the composer. I looked for a soundtrack, but never found it until coming across a website that showed that it wasn't called H20's soundtrack do to some legal stuff. But once I got it, I noticed that I didn't recognize some parts. I rented it again and went to the part where "Disposal" begins, but didn't hear it where I think it should have been. I also didn't hear "Face to Face" except for the part where the Shape gets the keys. I found that additional music was added by Marco Beltrami, but this is beside the point. Marco's work is good, but not as orchestrational as John's. My personal faves are Face to Face and Road Trip because of the slashing strings and the rumbling brass. If you LOVE scary music, you'll LOVE this CD!

This Movie is with out a doubt one of the best in the Franchise. because it marked the 20th Ann. of the Series. & Returned Jamie Lee Curtis As Laurie. And boy the Main Title John Ottman came up with is with out a doubt one of the best HalloweeN themes to date. this soundtrack is a must for all HalloweeN fans, it doesn't use any of the old themes like from the early days like the Stalk theme or Laurie's theme, although there is a track called "Laurie" but it does of course use the HalloweeN theme a few times. They do use the music from the first HalloweeN when Dr. Loomis and Sheriff Brackett go into the Myers House but they use it rarely and isn't included on the soundtrack. all in all, I was pleased with it. And it gives you a great since of the film so get your copy today!!!

John Ottman is the new Bernard Herrmann, one of the most talented young composers. His work on Halloween:H20 was fantastic and really much better than the Alan Howarth scores from 2, (In associate with John Carpenter) 3, (In associate with John Carpenter) 4, 5, 6. The only score that can compete H20's is the original. Even though it's one the best score in the series (part from the original) the producers cut it and added the good Marco Beltrami -Mimic and Scream- score. And ofcourse the score wasn't released as H20 but as Portrait of Terror. I recommend this CD. Buy it NOW !!!

It is good but it could have been better. That is why they took some of his music and asked Marco Beltrami to do some scores on the movie Halloween H20. But still good music to be scared to.

The opening song for the main credits throws in a beatuful mixture, as does each other song. I was angered to hear Marco Beltrami's Scream score in the original film. I love Scream but I felt it deserved it's own separate score. It has it's creepy and thrilling moments, yet throws in dramatic, touching moments, which also seem eerie. The first film's score has set a place alone in film theme's, and the second film's rendition was also thrilling. Now after the awful third through six films, we get to see a worthy film with a stunning and thrilling score. I reccommend to buy the 20th Ann. Score for the first film. Also, I hope John Ottman will release his score for Cruel Intentions. Also, watch Apt Pupil. Not for the movie, it's crap, but for its score also done by him.