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Review of Deadly Blessing (James Horner)

1997 Bootleg

2023 Intrada

FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:

Buy it... if you can withstand some eye-rolling at a young James Horner's blatant emulation of Jerry Goldsmith in this religious horror entry.

Avoid it... if you expect much pleasantry in either the score or its best available album quality, its dated and muted sound quality conveying tiresome suspense more often than not.

FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:

Deadly Blessing: (James Horner) A lesser horror project in which female flesh was a priority for display, 1981's Deadly Blessing remains one of interest to fans of director Wes Craven's early works, his first attempt to break into studio ranks. Often considered extremely promising but underperforming in its haphazard red herrings and indecisive dual endings, the plot involves a rural American farming community of devout Hittite zealots and non-believers who both come under attack from a deadly force (or maybe a single maniac?) that torments them supernaturally and murders indiscriminately. It's a way that contemporary babes in outfits not approved by God could be slaughtered in a slasher environment set amongst 1800's settings and values, not the kind of publicity that the Amish or anyone else of that inclination wants to ponder. Even Craven dismissed the movie's script as ridiculous and long ridiculed his own product, though he strongly believed that he did the best he could with the material. The main problem with Deadly Blessing is evidenced in the differences between the final two minutes of the international and domestic versions of the film. (In the former, a normal killer is the culprit and, in the latter, a demon bursts through the floor to drag a woman to hell... no kidding!) It's a silly, old-school religious horror flick that falsely pits the pious against the sinners and throws the great acting of Ernest Borgnine against the incompetent posturing of Sharon Stone. Composer James Horner was recommended to Craven after his success with a pair of low-budget science-fiction scores and competent horror entries in the prior year. He was still using projects like Deadly Blessing to boost his nascent career, and working with Craven was an important step in that journey. His approach for Deadly Blessing is an awkward blend of his most hearty Americana tones of the early 1980's, a slew of mostly string-based horror techniques, and blatant rip-offs of Jerry Goldsmith's The Omen, resulting in a score that requires a significant amount of track rearrangement to enjoy out of context. Aside from a mixed adult choir, his ensemble consisted of a large string section augmented by woodwinds, chimes, harp, piano, and percussion. The heavy lifting is handled by the strings while the woodwinds convey the themes, chimes are applied as tolling bells and sound effects, and timpani pound away during killings.

The Satanic element and associated suspense in Deadly Blessing comes in the form of deep, menacing choral tones (almost like throat singing at times) that incorporates religious power in solemn chime-banging that could have informed The Name of the Rose if the latter film had enjoyed a more ambitious budget. This material opens and closes the score and largely defines its ambient character. On the other side, the protagonists' pastoral theme for strings and woodwinds heard in the early cues is simply beautiful, evolving from "Main Title," "Martha and Jim," and the end of "Gluntz's Demise" into a similar love theme as a variation in "This Century is More Peaceful" that is a blatant rehearsal of material destined for The Spitfire Grill and Deep Impact. This idea never reestablishes itself at the end of the picture because, well, everything goes to hell without resolution. The mass of suspense and horror moments is tackled with extremely high range plucking and tearing on violins with disturbing effect, standard thumping stingers also applied liberally. Ultimately, though, the most memorable parts of Deadly Blessing are the direct references to Goldsmith's The Omen. When Goldsmith later made a much-publicized wisecrack about Horner "helping himself to the work of others," it's hard not think about Deadly Blessing, for its several cues of Latin chants (heard most impressively in "Trouble in the Convertible") use unconventional choral techniques, including the battling of vocal genders and crying, shrieking, and wailing females, that owe everything to The Omen. Horner's predictable handling of these sections makes Deadly Blessing an eye-rolling event, sending most listeners back to the lighter pastoral theme. Not many other highlights adorn this work, though Horner collectors will appreciate the more urgently tonal opening to "Faith Leaps Out" as a fascinating moment of foreshadowing for later works. Included with Wolfen on a longstanding 1997 "Pony Tail" bootleg, Deadly Blessing was finally released officially on an Intrada Records product in 2023. Due to the poor quality of the surviving tapes, expect significant variation in the sound from track to track. Some cues are substantially muted, but at least Intrada's source was complete. Luckily, the pastoral highlights sound fairly crisp. (Don't miss John Beal's ambitiously outrageous trailer music for the film at the end.) Hardcore Horner collectors will be intrigued, but don't expect more than academic appreciation from this blatant nod to Goldsmith.  **

TRACK LISTINGS:

1997 Bootleg:
Total Time: 67:00

Wolfen: • 1. Main Title (2:23) • 2. Battery Park (2:43) • 3. Shape Shifting (2:12) • 4. The Indian Bar (3:59) • 5. Close Call (1:24) • 6. Wolfen Run (1:45) • 7. Reflective Moments (3:04) • 8. Wolfen on Wall Street (2:56) • 9. The Truth Revealed (3:30) • 10. Epilogue (1:42) • 11. End Title (4:17)

Deadly Blessing: • 12. Main Title (2:23) • 13. A New Day (0:57) • 14. Unwelcome Visitor/Fiery (4:09) • 15. Love Theme (1:54) • 16. A Grisly Discovery (1:13) • 17. A Brief Funeral (1:12) • 18. Barn/Snake (8:10) • 19. Vicky and John (1:13) • 20. An Empty Grave (1:07) • 21. Melissa's Awakening/Deadly (5:50) • 22. Final Confrontation (4:09) • 23. Finale/End Credits (4:06)

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2023 Intrada Album:
Total Time: 61:19

• 1. Main Title (From Deadly Blessing) (2:23) • 2. Incubus Painted on Wall (1:08) • 3. Martha and Jim (1:57) • 4. Unwelcome Visitor (2:03) • 5. Jim's Death With Tractor (3:19) • 6. Brief Funeral (1:12) • 7. Kids in the Barn/Pluck It Out (2:29) • 8. Gluntz's Demise (5:06) • 9. This Century is More Peaceful (1:12) • 10. Lana in the Barn (4:37) • 11. Gluntz Hangs Around (1:14) • 12. Snake in the Bath (Original) (4:45) • 13. John Gets a Licking (1:06) • 14. Lana's Dream (1:05) • 15. Wind Blows in Martha's Room (0:47) • 16. Trouble in the Convertible (1:59) • 17. Sour Milk (0:40) • 18. Surprise in the Grave (4:12) • 19. Martha and Faith Wrestle (2:02) • 20. Faith Leaps Out (4:10) • 21. The Incubus Rises and End Credits (From Deadly Blessing) (4:16) • The Extras: (8:42) • 22. Snake Stinger (0:11) • 23. Snake in the Bath (Revised) (4:22) • 24. End Credits (From Deadly Blessing) - Alternate (1:44) • 25. Deadly Blessing - Trailer* (2:17)

NOTES & QUOTES:

The inserts of the 1997 bootleg and its derivatives include no extra information about the score or film. That of the 2023 Intrada album contains notes about both.

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The reviews and other textual content contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Christian Clemmensen at Filmtracks Publications. All artwork and sound clips from Deadly Blessing are Copyright © 1997, 2023, Pony Tail (Bootleg), Intrada Records and cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 11/28/23 (and not updated significantly since).