Filmtracks Traffic Rank: #1,139
Written 9/13/03, Revised 3/3/09
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Buy it... if you treasure John Ottman's knack for creativity in style which,
in this case, translates into scampering orchestral rhythms on many light feet.
Avoid it... if the overplayed extent of percussive representations of the
arachnids and a fluid combination of horror and comedy in the same score cross too
many boundaries for you.
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| Ottman |
Eight Legged Freaks: (John Ottman) Who could ever forget the
hairy horror films of monsters caused by nuclear radiation in the 1950's? You had
giant spiders in Tarantula and, even better yet, giant ants attacking Los
Angeles in Them!. The 2002 flick Eight Legged Freaks both paid
tribute to that genre and mocked it at the same time, utilizing modern CGI effects
to produce a similarly themed attack on hopeless American trailer folk by huge,
nasty arachnids. The film's original title, "Arac Attack," played to the tongue and
cheek nature of the project, but that title was dropped because producers realized
that real life people aren't much more intelligent than the ones getting killed in
the film, and they would probably confuse the movie with a Gulf War action
documentary. Whether the giant spiders were unleashed on hostile Iraqis or
trailer-dwelling Americans, the Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich film was much more
of a comedy spoof than a serious horror film, and so they needed a score that was
playfully sinister. Composer John Ottman, a busy man in 2002, had wanted to work
with Devlin and Emmerich ever since he had seen their flashy debut with
Stargate in 1994, and Eight Legged Freaks would be that (albeit
inglorious) chance. The music in the old 50's style of monster films was always
over the top, with Godzilla-sized proportions and an enormous presence on
screen that often compensated for less than perfect special effects. Ottman's
approach to the project would also reflect that history of overblown melodrama of
parody levels, but as opposed to the style of the straight horror scores of the
genre, Eight Legged Freaks required a fair amount of humor in that same
statement of pomp. As the composer reflected at the time of the recording, "[the
score] would require me tapping into my quirky side (like that's hard), yet at the
same time playing the suspense and frolicky nature of the movie." The resulting
effort from Ottman led to yet another opportunity to speculate about the parallels
between Ottman's creative output and Danny Elfman's early comedy work. To say that
both exhibit the same musical sense of humor is obvious, but whereas Elfman often
toyed with the bizarre to conjure up his creativity, Ottman chooses the route of
subtle thematic adaptations and innovative use of orchestral instrumentation.
In short, Ottman's music is propelled by a keen sense of style.
Eight Legged Freaks is a great chance to hear this style it work, because
Ottman perfectly captures the spirit of the spiders in the prancing, yet relentless
rhythms that dance on every beat with a light impression, keeping the score in the
comedy realm. His employment of woodwinds as the heart of the score is an
intriguing, but well executed choice, often layering multiple players from that
section into the delicate suspense before brass explode during the actual spider
attacks. The mixing of the score is presented in intimate fashion as to ensure that
the range of flutes to bassoons is easily distinguishable. Their usage in a moment
like "Investigating" lends character to a cue that could otherwise pass without
notice. In a larger sense, Ottman accomplished for
Eight Legged Freaks what
is very difficult for any composer: a horror score that is funny. The title theme
has the robust, unstoppable procession of the spiders in a strange, major-key mood,
with every section of the orchestra alternating in the pinpoint statements of notes
that represent all of the little (or big, in this case) spider legs scampering
across the ground. Ottman also conjures up a castanet-laced theme for the mother
spider, as well as a somewhat noble woodwind theme for the young characters who
battle their attackers. As usual, the composer can't let the opportunity slip by
without inserting some extra melodic creativity, and in
Goodbye Lover mode,
he utilizes the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" nursery rhyme (also known as "Eensy Weensy
Spider") in several cues, usually through a clear solo instrument (and the cello
has the best role to this end). The Joey Deluxe vocal of "Itsy Bitsy Spider," as
heard over the end credits, is
not on this album. Despite a mix that exposes
the sound of a slightly undersized recording group, the score's vivacious attitude
compensates, and the scampering statements of harmonious theme maintain a
manageable environment. At times, though, as could be expected, the frenetic nature
of the wild orchestral outbursts can be overwhelming, leaving Ottman's more subtle
moments as the highlights (topped by a pleasant finale and resolution cue with
acoustic guitar). A hard rock explosion in "Spiders and Cycles" at the conclusion
of the album is the only disjointed part. Overall, even if you can't listen to
parody music like
Eight Legged Freaks for lengthy periods, you can't help
but marvel at Ottman's knack for capturing the spirit of a film in its precise
musical translation.
*** @Amazon.com: CD or
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Bias Check:
For John Ottman reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.17
(in 35 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.05
(in 21,453 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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