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The Funhouse: (John Beal) In the horror boom of the
early 1980's, the concept of non-bloody horror film --one that uses ambience
and calculated jolts of action to scare audiences-- became popular with a
younger generation of viewers. Despite the introduction of slasher films at
about the same time (led by the
Friday the 13th series), director
Tobe Hooper would take the long awaited concept of carnival horror to new
heights one year before he would claim his own fame for Steven Spielberg's
Poltergeist. As funny as it may seem when thinking back on that
period of time, crazy carnival movies with homicidal monsters within wasn't
necessarily the same recipe for stupidity that it is today. In fact,
Universal Studios commissioned then-anonymous author Dean Koontz to write a
novelization based on the screenplay for release before the actual film hit
the theatres. With over a million copies of
The Funhouse sold in
bookstores before the release date, the appeal of the film was well
established. While the project did not receive the success hoped for at the
time, the feature film has become somewhat of a cult phenomenon nearly a
quarter of a century later. It's tale of four teenagers trapped in a
traveling carnival funhouse with a deranged, deformed, and masked killer,
and the story is certainly not forgiving to the youngsters. Combining a tiny
bit of slash with a good dose of monster and visual confusion, history has
largely determined that
The Funhouse is certainly less derivative
than its purely slasher siblings, and part of that strong, unique equation
is due to composer John Beal's score. Known mostly for his work on the
television show "Happy Days" at the time, Beal would reintroduce the complex
orchestrations of the classic horror genre for
The Funhouse and help
establish the versatility that has led him to become one of the kings of
movie trailer scoring in the decades since. Beal's involvement with horror
would continue with his subsequent work for the mini-series adaptation of
Stephen King's It.
Indeed, Beal's return to traditional attention to high
class details in
The Funhouse makes it more timeless than the film
could ever be. For the largely symphonic score, the depth and range of the
performing group is surprisingly crisp, even with its somewhat advanced age.
An aggressive score from the start to finish, Beal makes no attempt to hide
the suspense. After a wickedly striking opening cue, during which an
innocent flute is struck down by orchestral hits and violin slashing of
yesteryear, Beal continues to tighten the score's grip as it progresses. A
slightly waltz-like rhythm (always appropriate for a carnival atmosphere)
slowly churns in early cues and eventually explodes with all of its ominous
force realized in the final two cues. The depth of the string section in the
recording for
The Funhouse is a defining element, with lofty, full
performances of meandering, strangely melodic ideas weaving constantly
throughout. A heightened sense of unique orchestration is also present, with
non-traditional instrumental sounds employed to tingle your nerves. A slight
electronic presence in the bass region is employed, but not relied upon. The
score is edgy in its rhythmic progression, never hesitating to take the
opportunity to reach a cymbal-crashing crescendo when a monster is sighted
on screen. A few cliche slashes of strings owing form to Bernard Herrmann
are forgivable in
The Funhouse because they are typically only one
layer of horror upon many that Beal constantly strikes you with. The
thematic structures are primitive but effective, and the score resists
resorting to blatant carousel organ-types of rhythms until the very last
(end credit) cue. The propulsive nature of the music, along with the
surprising size and sound quality, make
The Funhouse a much
better-than-average effort in its genre. A strong mastering/mixing and a
balanced presentation on album will thrill any Christopher Young enthusiast,
and the label that has brought so much of Young's music to album also is
responsible for
The Funhouse. While the 1998 album is a promotional
one rather than a normal Intrada Records album, the folks at Intrada should
be thanked for digging up this nearly forgotten, but refreshingly dynamic
horror score.
****
The insert includes no extra information about the score or film.
