Rob Price
Gutbrain Records
rob + gutbrain.com = email

2011 December 19 • Monday

Theater of Blood by Michael J. Lewis is the 196th Soundtrack of the Week.

This was an amusing movie that starred Vincent Price as an actor who murders his critics. Each killing is inspired by a Shakespeare play. Diana Rigg plays Price's accomplice.

Lewis's score begins with a beautiful main title theme, a lush, romantic and slightly melancholy waltz.

After this comes music for the killings: "Ides of March", "Friends, Romans, Countrymen," Cymbeline", etc. Strings and percussion do most of the work, with effective martial snare drum and menacing low double bass.

"Sexy Lips and Swinging Hips" is a Muzak-like lounge cue that segues into the creepy "A Pound of Flesh/To Be Or Not To Be/Now Is the Winter of Our Discontent".

"Partita of Blood" is a harpsichord version of the main title music that takes off in a flourish of virtuoso flash before a transition to the uptempo and dramatic "Alive in Triumph".

"I'm So Glad You've Come" also begins with the main title music before settling down into an ethereal groove that gets supplanted by tense strings and heraldic horns.

"Edwina's Theme" is a very tender and lyrical piece, a love theme for Diana Rigg's character, I think.

The last cue, "He Did Know How To Make an Exit", is a richly orchestrated version of the main title waltz. It's really a beautiful melody.