MovieChat Forums > The Children (1980) Discussion > Soundtrack

Soundtrack

posted 16 years ago by boinnng
7 replies | jump to latest

I just got through watching this (first time in YEARS). I t was the crummy "Grindhouse Experience" (prints of films on this set look like they have been dragged through all kinds of crap before they were saved to DVD...most are bad VHS copies, but "The Children"-although flawed-was a pretty OK transfer from VHS). The music ques kept bothering me. It's totally the "FRIDAY THE 13th" music! I realize Henry Manfredini did the music for this film...but did he truly bother to write new music or just reuse existing F13 bits???

[–] Boutros_Boutros_Sirhan_Sirhan 14 years ago

It's definitely new material, though of the same general style. i thought it really added to the eerie feel of the film.

[–] Heff2001 14 years ago

Yes, It is new HOWEVER, there are several cues that are totally reworked from Friday the 13th (blatantly!). What's even funnier is there's a lot of stuff that was then rehashed for Friday the 13th part 2 written for The Children. Funny. Sorta. In the end, though, it's some of Harry's best stuff.
Also, Director of Photography here, Barry Abrams, was the DP for Friday the 13th. Good times on the Friday the 13th front.

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Fasten your seatbelts....

[–] detune 14 years ago

I kept thinking they were ripping off Herrmann's Psycho score. But then that's what Manfredini was doing to a large degree in the F13 movies.

[–] Heff2001 14 years ago

Everyone seems to feel that way but I don't see an exact correlation. If you listen to Jerry Goldsmith's COMA soundtrack, you will hear many similarities to FRIDAY - he admittedly loves both composers but Friday stands on its own, to me. I think Harry broke through with F13 Part 2. That opening theme and the chase music is great, as is the chase music for 3 and 4, all different. HOUSE is one of his crowning achievements.
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Fasten your seatbelts....

[–] detune 14 years ago

When I replied I didn't realize Manfredini had done this score.

It's really only a couple of cues that are Psycho-like. I'm actually a fan of Manfredini's F13 work. No one did chase music quite like him, and some of his slow music was very disturbing. It does surprise me, though, that someone of Goldsmith's caliber is a fan.

[–] Heff2001 14 years ago

I agree, he's very talented. I meant that he (Harry) is a fan of Jerry and Bernard. Sorry for the confusion there.
Harry needs a blockbuster to let loose on. I wish someone would hand him the keys to a big budget production again.
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Fasten your seatbelts....

[–] Smug_Grinch 8 years ago

I've thought this for years. It all started with the slow zoom-in on the dripping pipe. Sure, Harry may have "reworked" some stuff, but it sounds like he just plagiarized his own music. Of course, both were released in the same year, so maybe it was just still fresh in his mind.

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We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.