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Dr. Phibes Rises Again Composed by John Gale |
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Track Listing | |||
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01 - Main Title
(2:13) |
17 - The
Sarcophagus Yields Its Secrets (1:06)
(vocal version) (Instrumental) |
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Conducted by John Gale Produced by Robin Esterhammer Released by Perseverance Records on March 21st, 2003
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Total Running Time: 45:10 |
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The abominable Dr. Phibes is so abominable he can’t even stay dead like a good corpse. He just has to come back, which led to the second (and last film in the series), Dr. Phibes Rises Again. Of course, with sequels the mantra is always “bigger and better” no matter what the genre. Being the schlock horror film that it is, Dr. Phibes would definitely be required to come back in style. Like The Abominable Dr. Phibes, I looked all over to rent this (I’m not too keen on the mail order rental services where I might have had better luck), thus I only have peripheral knowledge that Dr. Phibes Rises Again is certainly more ambitious, but it doesn’t seem like it’s better than the first (which is usually the case with sequels anyway). One aspect where the film is definitely bigger and better is in the aural department with John Gale’s surprisingly complex score. Basil Kirchin’s work on The Abominable Dr. Phibes was great for the particular style he was shooting for. Intimate, pastoral and a distraction from the horror elements of the movie, Kirchin’s score was nevertheless butchered in the final film. Thus, the surviving elements were less than pristine and while the soundtrack album does as much as is humanly possible with it, it still cannot match up to the sonic power that Gale’s score has on this CD. The sound quality is quite good, and I can’t find any glaring fault with the mastering job on this disc. The orchestra sounds amply sized, and even the smaller ensemble cues come across well. Gale scores Dr. Phibes Rises Again with bold strokes, fully layering in percussion and strings that would be at home in any epic. Still, this score hits a wide variety of different moods and offers Gale the chance to play something of a chameleon in his compositions. What can you say about a score that can move among an orchestral epic, a jazz ensemble, and an rousing performance of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"? The music is as varied as the Ten Plagues of Egypt ™. This could be jolting if it wasn't for the fact that while generally played straight, Gale's score still has a tongue-in-cheek feel over the whole proceedings. His choir work, while somewhat limited, is generally spot on when it does appear, and the choice of Latinized lyrics is clearly a good one. It’s also interesting to note that the Schumann and Tchaikovsky influences come across clearly, and there’s even a little bit of what sounds like Ennio Morricone in "Vulvina’s Theme". If this score has any problem, the most glaring one would be that in the moments which call for the score to match more of the action on screen, it tends to become formless and harsh, relying on braying trumpets and driving strings for most of the effect, with little variation. Thankfully, these cues are short and spaced widely apart. I think that Dr. Phibes Rises Again is a better score, but it has a wholly different function to perform in its film than Kirchin’s did. Still, as delightful as this score can be, its intended purpose will most likely be to fall into the hands of those who are fans of the film. If this describes you, then let the stellar audio quality and highly informative liner notes be two of the key factors in your decision to add this to your collection. |
See Also
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