o one can accuse Stuart Gordon of being unfamiliar with the H.P. Lovecraft literary canon. Since his first major motion picture, the 1985 horror masterpiece Re-Animator, the filmmaker has utilized the storyteller's invariably petrifying prose as the basis for several productions. Another visionary who is perhaps just as acquainted with the author's output is Richard Band, a talented composer who has also contributed to numerous cinematic adaptations of the writer's work. Band is an expert at melodically capturing scary sensibilities, a flair that makes the music for the 1986 film From Beyond—the second of Gordon's Lovecraft-inspired movies—phenomenally frightening and fun.
Via an ingenious mixture of artificial and orchestral accents, the score conveys a terrifying ambiance. "The Resonator and Main Title" sets a superlative mood, fashioning a tense atmosphere that's stressful yet oddly serene. It's a formidable aura that's equally evident on ensuing numbers like "Back to the Pretorius House," "Crawford's Anxiety" and "She's So Pretty." Enticing tinkling tones launch such cues as "Pretorius's Madness" and the lengthy "The Lampre From Beyond," generating false sensations of safety that quickly devolve into mysterious, menacing motifs. "Catherine Survives ... But?" is likewise misleading, opening with a calming interlude that slowly develops into a disconcerting din, even as "End Title" delivers a hushed and appropriately haunting conclusion.
The liner notes contain brief remarks from both Gordon and Band, along with extensive commentary from film-music maven Randall Larson. Limited to 3,000 copies, the 13-track collection, available on CD for the first time, includes five previously unreleased compositions.
Vibrant, visceral melodies
Lovecraft's best stories are indeed exceptional, not only due to their often over-the-top ghastliness but also because they cleverly blend elements of science fiction and horror. Band marvelously echoes that delicate balance, using synthetic and organic instrumentation to create a score—performed by the artfully named Arkham Philharmonic Orchestra—that subtly captures the horrific harmony of the author's weird work. It's a curious yet compelling combination that, for the most part, is powerful, poised and provocative.
"From Beyond—Original Main Title" is an ideal example of this imaginative equilibrium. Though ultimately relegated to the film's closing moments (the producers felt the tune was too languid to introduce the picture), spooky strings and resonant synthesizers form a morose melody that's simultaneously sinister and soothing. "The Mutations" fosters a similarly supernatural air, adding subdued percussion and discordant violins to the eerie electronic noises, with "Escape From the Mental Hospital & Beyond the Pretorius House" offering a fretful, frantic hubbub that's absolutely chilling.
While the movie's plot hinges on the paranormal consequences of stimulating the pineal gland, Band's music is actually more visceral than cerebral. That atypical approach functions especially well within this production, engendering a gut reaction that, like Lovecraft's original tale, is emotionally distressing and, at times, almost physically disturbing. In the end, the From Beyond soundtrack isn't entirely easy on the ear, but it's also not completely disquieting. Rather, it's a frightening, fascinating creation that, for horror-film fans, is masterful, macabre and memorable.
