A short post from this week. I’m busier than dissolving alka-seltzer at the moment. I thought I’d take the opportunity to highlight a single, famous theme in the annals of horror history. Pino Donaggio’s subtly disquieting theme from ‘Carrie’ has burned itself into the aural pathways of many a horror fan since ‘Carrie’ was released in 1976. The theme itself deceives with a superficial layer of near-schmaltz. It’s easy to tune out while the strings and piano delicately go about their business. It’s only when those minor notes are hit that we, as a listener, get the sense that something pernicious lurks beneath this mannered sheen. The delicate moments suggest the titular character in bloom, like all youths of her age. It is only with the benefit of having seen the movie in question that we understand the horrifying trajectories in which Carrie’s bloom into womanhood follow. Donaggio’s theme brilliantly captures this strange duality. It’s beautiful and dark at the same time. Scores like this are worth shedding light upon because they are easily subsumed into the white noise of our memory. Although Donaggio is a highly regarded composer for many great horror films, his theme to ‘Carrie’ is rarely mentioned as one of the more memorable. It is purposefully delicate, not willing to thrash you about the face with visceral impact. It is chilling in a wholly unique way. Please reacquaint yourselves with Pino Donaggio’s theme from Brian DePalma’s ‘Carrie’:
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skJ_SNdYu7g&w=540]
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