John Ottman - Portrait of Terror (17 tracks) +Album Reviews

John Ottman does it again

alfabit@aol.com | US | 08/29/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"John Ottman really manages to take the HalloweeN score to a new level. After hearing this cd (music he had created for H20), I can't believe the producers would cut his score and add in Mimic and Scream music (by Marco Beltrami). It really disrupts what he created. Watch the movie and then listen to this cd. I'm a big HalloweeN fan and what he did to Carpenter's simple theme is amazing. Every other HalloweeN score has been a basic copy of Carpenter's, just with a few little touches. But Ottman re-creates it. This orchestral theme is so melodic and fluid (like most Ottman works), it almost doesn't fit a horror movie, but yet there is something creepy about it. He throws in heavy bass lines and violent strings. The rest of the soundtrack is no less. Get this cd!"

The polar opposite of John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN

Joshua Ressler | Canada | 01/07/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"John Ottman's score for HALLOWEEN: H20 is clever, imaginative, original, but also the complete opposite of Carpenter's minimalist score for the very first, now-famed movie of the series. The hypnotic synthesizers make place for a full orchestra, FX samples, and a lot of original percussion. In fact, Ottman's choice of instruments is very reminescent of what John Frizzell did for ALIEN: RESURRECTION; some of the synths samples from that movie are found in PORTRAIT OF TERROR. I have to admit that H20's music is not as frightening as the alienating score that Carpenter devised, but it is clever in its use of instruments. Certain passages are even reminescent of Woodsboro's theme from SCREAM. Moreover, Ottman refrains from using the full HALLOWEEN theme until the very end, giving us only glimpses of it throughout the score. Overall, a really good score which is a lot of fun to listen to and to dissect. It's a beautiful, crafty, intelligent, and complex score that will surprise you every time you listen to it."

Bravo, Mr. Ottman, Bravo!

Miss Gigi | Detroit, MI | 10/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is said that film sequels become weaker on the whole as they are produced. This is certainly true for the last few in the Halloween series. Not to mention that the score music has been wrought away to little or nothing.

However, the revival of Jamie Lee Curtis' character, Laurie, added a nice touch to H20, and the score tops it off as one of the top horror sequels ever. Redoing the soundtrack as orchestral--instead of the monotonous synthesizer and piano--proved a wise move on Ottman's part, and though the stalk theme and opening credits hold the same melody, the string and brass accompaniment make the tune a beautiful journey of a horror movie.

Ottman work in previous films had not gained quite as much recognition, and with competition like James Horner and our beloved Danny Elfman, one can understand his predicament as a composer.

Nonetheless, the effort put into Halloween H20 became a film landmark, and the music is the largest part of it's success. With the somewhat equal succession of Halloween: Ressurection, we can be sure that 'The Shape' will lurk in the shadows of American cinema for many more years to come.

Thank you, Mr. Ottman, well done.

Heard it, LOVED it, bought it,

--GIGI"

A SPOOKY TRICK OR TREAT?!

Kevin Murnane (kmurnane@tinet.ie) | Longford, Ireland | 11/06/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After viewing Halloween H20 in the cinema and discovering afterwards that half of the soundtrack by John Ottman had been replaced by tracks from the Scream and Mimic soundtracks, I left the cinema feeling very anxious to hear Ottmans intended score and was sad to hear that there where no intentions whatsoever to release a soundtrack of the film, however several months later and after a few legal wranglings Ottman has released his entire soundtrack under the pseudonym "Portrait of terror" and thank God he did because this is probably the best soundtrack to the "Halloween" movies since the original. Taking John Carpenters memorable score and giving it a twist of his orchestrations, Ottman has created a fiendishly wicked soundtrack with some very gentle and touching tracks in-between. "Laurie" a variation of Carpenters original "Laurie's theme" has been gently transformed into a beautifully lifting composition accompanied by flute, strings and a haunting choir. Ottman has been responsible for the soundtracks to some of the big name movies of the past including "The usual suspects" "The Cable guy" "Snow White:a tale of terror" and more recently "Apt pupil", here he proves so effortlessly that a once keyboard dominant, electronically produced score can easily be translated into a sweeping symphonic portrait of terror!!! A definite treat for Halloween!"

John Ottman's "Portait" of Halloween

Kevin Murnane (kmurnane@tinet.ie) | 06/22/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Ever since I first was scared by the original "Halloween" I fell in love with the excellent, relentlessly creepy music. All the music to the "Halloween" films has been great, terrifying in its simplicity. With the arrival of "H20" John Ottman took John Carpenter's original music and gave it a booming, orchestral facelift that brings new subtleties to the frightening theme. Ottman has created a much more complex film score, and it is a far cry from the simple scores of the previous films. It's a shame that the producers decided to track in "Scream" music instead of keeping all of the wonderful score by John Ottman. It really is one of the best recent horror film scores out there. The only replacement in H20 that was better was at the very end, when Laurie decapitates Michael, finally erupting into a full version of the original "Halloween Theme". I loved the dark undertones and the excellent new themes that Ottman has created. I can't get enough of his chilling music and I believe that it is the best of the "Halloween" scores after the original. I especially loved "Main Title", "Face to Face", "Death of a Nurse", "Advice", "Seventeen", "Road Trip", and "Final Confrontation". I hope that we will continue to see much of John Ottman's music in the horror genre--maybe even in future "Halloween" films. The music is at times haunting and beautiful, with hints of music from previous films. At other times the score is incredibly suspenseful and scary. This terrifying soundtrack rocks! It is an absolute must for fans of "Halloween" and horror film music. Buy it RIGHT NOW!!!"

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CD Details

CD Reviews

	John Ottman Portrait of Terror Genres: Pop, Soundtracks Track Listings (17) - Disc #1 Main Title Laurie Narrow Escape Advice Rest Stop Disposal Evening Begins, The Seventeen Face To Face Letting Go Here's Company Sonata For Molly Death Of A Nurse Final Confrontation He's Dead Road Trip Farewell, Michael
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