Horror fans know that the music in their favorite horror movies is often as important as the images themselves, and for the first time ever a feature length documentary is going to explore the importance of sound in the world of horror cinema. It’s titled Scored to Death: The Dark Art of Scary Movie Music, and the documentary is now funding through Kickstarter.
Scored to Death: The Dark Art of Scary Movie Music is a documentary based on the acclaimed Scored to Death books, and it’s set to be a feature-length documentary exploring the craft of creating horror film music. The documentary is currently in production and the Kickstarter fund will be running through Halloween, with over $13,000 raised towards the $40,000 goal so far.
Author and filmmaker J. Blake Fichera is producing and directing the film, based on his popular Scored to Death book series. Scored to Death: Conversations with Some of Horror’s Greatest Composers and Scored to Death 2: More Conversations with Some of Horror’s Greatest Composers explored the craft of horror film music through in-depth interviews with an eclectic all-star group of 30 composers who lent their talents to many of the genre’s most beloved films and franchises.
About the original Scored to Death book, Joe Bob Briggs wrote, “Horror films live and die with their musical scores. . . . If you claim to know how horror movies work, this book is a must-read.” Regarding its sequel, filmmaker Eli Roth (Hostel and Cabin Fever) wrote, “Music is the single most essential ingredient for me when making a scary movie. . . . J. Blake Fichera has done a brilliant job of helping us understand how these magicians make their secret sauce.” Don Mancini (filmmaker and creator of Chucky) added, “J. Blake Fichera’s interviews with horror’s top composers combine a journalist’s penetrating curiosity and attention to detail with a fanboy’s infectious enthusiasm, and the combination is irresistible for lovers of film, film music, and our beloved genre.”
Casting for the documentary is still underway, but like its literary predecessors, Scored to Death: The Dark Art of Scary Movie Music will feature an impressive lineup of horror soundtrack heavy-weights, including Harry Manfredini (Friday the 13th), Charles Bernstein (A Nightmare of Elm Street), Christopher Young (Hellraiser), Charlie Clouser (Saw), Richard Band (Re-Animator), John Massari (Killer Klowns from Outer Space), Alan Howarth (Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers), Holly Amber Church (Open 24 Hours), and more.
Fichera, a veteran TV/film editor and producer, has been planning this film for many years. He says, “Ever since I started work on the first Scored to Death book, back in 2013, the plan was always to turn it into a documentary. I am glad I waited, though. All the experience I gained, and the friendships I made throughout the creation of both books and the Scored to Death podcasts, will help make it a much better film than it would’ve been had I jumped into it right after the original book.
“What excites me about doing the documentary is that I can now explore this subject that I am hugely passionate about and have dedicated almost a decade of my life to studying in an entirely new way! The film will not be an abridged version of the books. Instead, I want to use the cinematic medium to hone in on specific aspects of the books and examine them in ways that weren’t possible on the written page—including how music functions in horror storytelling and our favorite scary movies.”
The Kickstarter campaign will run from September 27 to November 1, 2022, and features tiers for movie presales, bonus content, and various producing credits. Additionally, and of particular note, is a limited-edition compilation album [on both vinyl & CD] of memorable horror themes, specifically created for the campaign and featuring all-new recordings by horror music legend Alan Howarth, the bands Voyag3r & Anima Morte, Steve Moore (from the band Zombi), Holly Amber Church, Wojciech Golczewski, The Blair Brothers, Richard Christy (former Death & current Charred Walls of the Damned drummer), and more.
Head over to Kickstarter to learn more and donate today.
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