By: Dr Matt Warnock
Halloween II: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is a collection of classic rock and pop tunes, modern originals and short excerpts taken from Rob Zombie’s 2009 hit movie of the same name. While Zombie, founder of the highly-successful band White Zombie, doesn’t feature himself on the album, he has done a masterful job of providing a multi-faceting sonic landscape representing the diverse nature of the music used in the film. Zombie does an excellent job of pairing some of the films most memorable sound bites with songs that will not only bring to mind the dark, macabre mood that one would associate with a Halloween film, but also the slightly ironic song choices that helped make the movie, and the accompanying soundtrack, such an entertaining experience for audiences world wide.
Each song on the album is separated by short, usually twelve to fifteen second, sound clips taken from the some of the most quotable dialogue in the film. As indicated by the parental advisory label on the cover of the album, these clips use strong language that some parents may want to keep away from their younger children. Having said that, anyone who purchases a soundtrack to a horror film, especially one directed by Rob Zombie, should expect the language to be a little on the blue side. Some of the clips, such as the excerpt titled “Jelly and Jam” which features one of the films characters telling the joke, “What’s the difference between jelly and jam? You can’t jelly your c**k up a dead girls ass,” reference the dark humor that Zombie includes in many of his films. As well as these humorous moments several of the short excerpts feature quotes taken from the films narrative, helping to set the stage for the songs chosen for the soundtrack.
The tracks that Zombie has chosen for this soundtrack are a mixture of new and original material and classic rock and pop songs. Listeners may be surprised at the wide variety of musical material that Zombie has chosen to include in his film, and the subsequent soundtrack. Classic pop tunes such as The Moody Blues’ “Nights and White Satin” and 10CC’s “The Things We Do for Love” are included alongside “Kick Out the Jams” by MC5 and the rock anthem “I Just Want to Make Love to You” by Foghat. There are also more modern tracks on the album including the short, but incredibly haunting, “Laurie’s Theme” by John 5 and two tracks by Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures, featuring the fictional psychobilly band that appeared in several scenes of the film.
One of the benefits of having a musician as a films director is the depth of musical knowledge they bring to the project. By including such a diverse collection of music in the film’s soundtrack, Zombie provides an enjoyable listening experience for fans of the film, as well as listeners who may not have seen the movie, or even know the history or storyline behind the Halloween movie franchise. Though not everyone enjoys horror films such asHalloween II, this album goes beyond what one would expect from a horror movie soundtrack, giving listeners of all tastes something to enjoy.
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