End of Soundtracks

by Michael Ware

This is a column devoted to the dregs of unsavory things most of us hate. Things I find explicitly, graphically cool, or at least enjoyably gratuitous. Let's start with synthesizers.

FOR LUCIO FULCI: A SYMPHONY OF FEAR (***)-- Graveside Records released this underground assembly of beautifully rendered covers of themes from the films of Italian gore master Fulci, who is either a patron god of cinema or the latin precursor of Crusty the Clown ("my torment is greater than Bunuel's!"), depending on your reaction to gratuitous eyeball piercings and worse. A plethora of artists from the world of death-metal and goth, as well as accomplished musicians provided some stirring material in between a few "inspired by" headbanger songs (dig the one by Penis Flytrap for GATES OF HELL) and euro-tech Sprockets tunes. My favorites begin with the awe-inspiring Gwar doing a faithful and haunting rendition of the ZOMBIE theme by Fabio Frizzi and Giorgio Tucci-Cascio that is much more disturbing than the original treatment of the Dies Irae-gone-disco piece, and is thoughtfully flecked with samples of dialog and slurpy noises ("let's see if there's something more cheerful on the radio").

THE BEYOND by Frizzi is lavished with a frenzied metal version of the "Verso L'Ignoto" by Carfax, and a mesmerizing vocal/keyboards performance by Alucarda (Azra Medea and Docion) of this zombie flic's signature theme "Voci Dal Nulla" (a choral chant repeating "and you will live in terror for all eternity" or something, over and over, except in Italian-- easily the most horrifying thing about the film other than the dubbed line deliveries at ear-splitting volume). Once exposed, there is no escaping the sea of darkness.

VOICES FROM THE BEYOND inspired a considerate Goth-styled song by This Secret Garden ("In all my darkest dreams/ I will not lose control").

NEW GLADIATORS' heraldic theme by Riz Ortolani receives a blistering surf rock overhaul by Eric Kauschen.

THE BLACK CAT by Pino Donaggio is the best score ever done for a Fulci, and is unrecorded except here. Composer Marco Werba transcribed the title theme and recorded this track with synths and live violin in a gorgeous performance. Exquisitely sad, the theme follows the 70s pattern of sub-Morricone Italianate melancholy with a mellow pop orchestral style (the rest of the score was symphonic with shrieking atonal horror show cues for the otherwise ridiculous black cat attacks), but is given a classical arrangement by Werba. This track is worth the price of the whole 2 disc-set.

Overall, this is a loving tribute that perfectly captures, surpasses, the grindhouse charisma (for some) of Fulci cinema: cheesed-out (blow-torched out?) but sort of diverting if actually kind of quaint (stupid). As you have surmised, it's for a restricted audience. Available at Footlight Records and Shocking Images.

THE MESSENGER: THE STORY OF JOAN OF ARC (****)-- I enjoyed Roger Ebert's horrifying burst of outrage over this on TV but didn't allow it to sway my opinion that this is a terrific film (with a mostly good Eric Serra score montage) in the best glib cavalier Luc Besson style that is hated probably for disavowing the traditional conventions of piety and restraint with the usual Joan mannequin of quiet rectitude and determination, propping up Man For All Seasons-type rhetoric of Faith and Doubt. Besson's take utilizes everything we know about schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress and grounds the film in a secular view of religious faith and politics. It assumes the format probably too easily for most to put up with, but if there's any doubt this is at least a worthy sequel to NIKITA check the fevered, fearless acting-by-possession performance of Milla Jovovich-- truth is in the eyeball.

OH MY GOD (****) by Guns 'n Roses from MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY THE MOTION PICTURE END OF DAYS-- A snarling blast of Peckinpah-level manic defiance, vituperation and spleen. Blows the cookie-cut-out teeny-pop commercial angst-on-delivery of Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Eminem (can't spell?) completely off the album. My second favorite film/music pairing this year, as good an apocalyptic snapshot as can be found anywhere, deeply personal and specific. The fin-de-siecle version of Ballad of Cable Hogue!

POKEMON THE FIRST MOVIE-- What other mind-altering drugs have you found at the mall?

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