Today is Friday the 13th! It is a day that invokes fear in the superstitious and causes widespread salivation among horror fans, as they know that regional theaters and television channels will commemorate the day with FRIDAY THE 13TH film marathons!
La-La Land Records is also celebrating the day, issuing the first-ever soundtrack box set containing the complete scores for the first six FRIDAY THE 13TH movies! Moreoever, if you are in the Los Angeles area, the label is hosting a FRIDAY double feature at the Vista Theater (complete details here).
In addition, they are inviting ShockTilYouDrop.com to host a special Q&A session with FRIDAY alumni Adrienne King (Parts 1 & 2) and a slew of cast-members from PART VI: JASON LIVES, including Thom Mathews, David Kagen, Darcy DeMoss, Vinnie Guastaferro and Nancy McLoughlin. The guest of honor, of course, will be composer Harry Manfredini, the man behind the music of the series!
We are also celebrating the event with a little interview with Mr. Manfredini, who provided the music for nine of the films in the seemingly ever-expanding series. We begin by touching a bit upon the parallel track-record he coincidentally ran in the 1980s with composer Alan Howarth, known for his work on many of the HALLOWEEN films.
Enjoy!
Did you ever see yourself in a sort of competition with Alan Howarth, as far as development of the sound palettes for your individual franchises?
No, not at all. Alan and I are friends, but I have never even thought of that kind of thing.
Howarth seemed to be more involved with seeing how much he could manipulate synthesizers during HALLOWEEN’s evolution. And you seemed to take a more genre-expanding approach, as though you were attempting to stretch the boundaries of what horror film music could actually be. Did you find yourself reliant more on one type of instrument or another as you went on?
I think you are pretty much spot on in this question. Alan is a synth and sound design genius, and very, very much at home in that world. He is very creative in his programming and sound design. My use of synths, was based more on me hearing a particular sound from a synth, and then saying, I can use that sound, or particular effect, or process that this synth was able to do.
You are also correct in observing that my focus is more on the horror orchestral sound, and the incorporating of sounds within that palette. All the FRIDAY films are based on the materials generated in the first film, and they expanded and developed as a result of new plots, or characters, or attitudes of the actual film. They changed as the size of the orchestra changed, and were altered by certain classical works and composers I might have been studying, and whatever new piece of gear that I happened on as time passed and new colors became available.
When you were writing the music for the FRIDAY movies, how much thought went into creating tonal progressions that would haunt the viewers’ minds after each film ended?
Well, I can say that the idea of “tonal” was not a thought, however, “color,” or “sonority” was a thought.
The basic sonorities of the FRIDAY films, all started in the first film, and were expanded and developed as the series progressed. The idea of tonal only comes into play in that I might be headed for a certain tonal center, or pitch, but not really a tonal idea in the sense of a tonality.
Are the contents of the box set completely pre-existing music from the films, or did you have to create any new pieces, as a result of the loss of the original masters?
I did not create any new pieces. These are the actually masters of the original scores.
Are there any previously unreleased tracks on this set that you are particularly proud to finally share with the fans?
Well of course there are numerous scenes that were my favorites from 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, which of course never were released. I thought they worked well with the visuals… so now they are all here. I think the really cool part of this is the great work of James Nelson who did the re-mastering and really brought some great life to these tracks.
On that token, which of the six scores are you most excited to finally breathe some air?
Well, as I said earlier, each film had certain scenes that I really liked what I did as far as helping the film, so it is nice to hear them on their own. I know there have been a few pirated versions of Part VI, but I can tell you that these sound so much better. VI had the largest orchestra.
And related to that, is there any music in your archives for deleted scenes that still have not seen the light of day?
That I can say for certain there is not. All the music written was used.
Throughout the 1980s, there was an incredible rash of slasher movies flooded upon the masses. Were you influenced at all by this to work just that much harder to keep FRIDAY something special?
I think the fact that I kept to the materials and attitudes of the original, and only expanded on that in the series allowed the scores to remain un-influenced by other scores, but I can say that I have heard the FRIDAY influences in some films.
Off-topic a bit, but whatever happened to STINGY JACK and BLACK WATERS OF ECHO’S POND?
Well, BLACK WATERS... was made and did okay I guess. I think the producers are holding back in its foreign and television distribution, for reasons I do not know, but It was completed and I guess was as good a film as it could have been. STINGY JACK is yet to be shot. I know the script has gone through many changes and I hope they finally get to make the film they want to make. I still am up to score it, but, it has to be a film first…so I just hope and wait.
And I was reading about this other film you were attached to, HALLOW POINTE – getting into the werewolf game?
HALLOW POINTE, I believe has been taken off the table. It will not be made. It seemed like a good idea for a story, but I guess there were finance issues etc. Not an unusual story for indie films these days.
An unusual project your name is also a part of is LEGEND OF THE RED REAPER. From the temp footage available on YouTube, the movie looks like it is attempting to get the jump on RED SONJA, which has been in talks of a reboot for some time. How did you get involved with this one, and what are you planning sound/genre/instrumentation-wise for it?
Well, I met Tara Cardinal at a convention. We talked a bit about it, and like you, I saw some stills and some footage. I was very impressed with the beauty of the photography and overall look. I still have not seen the final film, which I think is getting close to a final edit. I never have done this kind of score, so that is the reason for my excitement with this project. I can’t really say what it sounds like yet, but I am hearing some medieval, heroic, chorus, beauty, vocal, driving, ancient, organic yet contemporary sounds. How’s that for a broad answer? [Laughs]
And amid all this dark material, you recently did a holiday film, CHRISTMAS SPIRIT. This was not your first brush with holiday films. What attracts you to projects like this one?
I do all kinds of films. I have done a bunch of Lifetime, and Hallmark films. Christmas Spirit is a really sweet little film about the season. It is a light and fun score - comedic and tender, warm and fuzzy. It has just gotten picked up and I am sure will be around next Christmas.
Although your talent stretches into so many directions and genres, what keeps bringing you back to horror?
Well, I guess you grow where you are planted. I was put on the map by the FRIDAY franchise, and so people associate me with that genre…although musically I am all over the map. From your questions, I think you have been visiting my website, and I am sure you have heard some of the various CDs. So I guess I get brought back in simply because of history. I love music and love to score all styles.
Don’t forget to check out our previous conversations with Harry Manfredini HERE and HERE!
Keep up with Harry Manfredini at his official website.
And order your copy of the FRIDAY THE 13TH soundtrack box set at La-La Land Records!
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