Murderous Melodies: A Look At the Work of Bernard Hermann, Jerry Goldsmith and Goblin

By Kyle Rupprecht
URL: http://www.moviemaker.com/producing/article/bernard_herrmann_goblin_jerry_goldsmith_horror_movie_composer_20081014/
As any scared stiff moviegoer can tell you, a haunting music score is one of the horror genre’s most valuable assets. Try watching Halloween or Psycho with the sound turned off and you've set yourself up for a significantly less terrifying experience. Over the years, several composers have emerged with a gift for continually delivering memorably creepy horror film scores; not the kind of music you’d want to hear alone in the dark, but perfect for scaring trick-or-treaters on a windy Halloween night. Among them, MM takes a look at Bernard Herrmann, the man behind Psycho, Vertigo and more; Jerry Goldsmith, who scared audiences with The Omen; and Goblin, whose work with Dario Argento on Suspiria and Deep Red has made the band a horror movie legend.