'Drag Me to Hell' by Christopher Young

[scallenger 483]

A bit surprised no one has made any post about this score, for it is one of the best I have heard this year, in my opinion. I'm not one who knows much of Christopher Young's work (aside from a couple horror films and what he did for Spiderman 3), but this is a wonderful and memorable horror score.

For those who like horror films and have yet to see the movie (which came out at the end of May) you should be ashamed since it is the scariest and most hilarious thing I have seen in a very, very long time. The basic plot is a young bank worker denies a loan extension to an old gypsy who then seeks revenge by putting a horrible curse on her. The curse makes her tormented by demons for 3 days before being literally dragged to hell. Once she discovers this, she tries to do everything she can to stop it from happening.

The score's got a delightful string-induced theme, that gets two big performances on the album along with hints of it heard throughout the rest of the score. There are a few other motiffs throughout, one for the gypsy, one for the lamia (the main evil spirit after her), and even a sort of a light "love" theme of sorts between the bank worker and her boyfriend. There may be other little themes as well that I could be missing, which makes re-listening fun.

Now I noticed the CD is ordered in the John Williams approach: not in film order, for the most part, and some tracks edited together from parts that happen later on in the film. But it all flows rather nicely on album and for a horror score it is, for the most part, a wonderful listen.

Anyway, I just wanted people to be aware of this score since the movie was so underlooked. It works pretty well in the film, but almost better to me on album form. It really is the most pleasing score I have heard all year.

For the moment, you can get the entire album now on Amazon.com in MP3:

http://www.amazon.com/Drag-Me-To-Hell/dp/B002INO2LA/ref=dm_cd_album_lnk

Or, if you'd rather wait for the CD, you can preorder it now on Amazon.com as well, to be released on Aug. 18:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00284EMKK/ref=dm_dp_cdp?ie=UTF8&s=music

Anyone else heard it yet?

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Definitely the score of the year for me as well. As soon as I started listening, I was hooked. Films scores that are as lively and almost self-aware like Drag Me To Hell aren't common these days.

I highly recommend it.

[crumbs 14,308]

An amazing score.. I saw the movie twice last week, and the first time around the score stood out as a spectacular highlight. It's a score that understands horror films need music that amp up the suspense, and don't just compliment the visuals. The carpark scene is one of the best scored suspense scenes I've seen in years. The distant suffocated violin (Mrs. Ganush's motif) is haunting and unnerving. The wonderful opening credits sequence really comes to life with the bombastic statement of the main theme. The first visit to the psychic ramps up the tension perfectly. And just on and on and on...

A cue I was too engrossed in the movie to notice the first time, but really got a kick out of the second time? The graveyard sequence. You just get the feeling Sam Raimi had a hell of a fun time making this film.. it's leaps and bounds ahead of Spiderman 3 in the entertainment stakes.

Great film, amazing score. Looking forward to hearing more original stuff from Young in the future...

[QMM 4]

Good stuff but the two cues I wanted from the film aren't on the album

[scallenger 483]

Good stuff but the two cues I wanted from the film aren't on the album

Really? I didn't think there was anything really missing of interest from what I recalled. Like I said above, some tracks were mixed with others from different points of the film, like how Williams does for his albums. But maybe I am forgetting some cues.

[QMM 4]

Both were just solo violin, first was when Mrs. Ganush was leaving the bank, second was the solo violin being played as Christine goes downstairs at Gunish's funeral

[scallenger 483]

Both were just solo violin, first was when Mrs. Ganush was leaving the bank, second was the solo violin being played as Christine goes downstairs at Gunish's funeral

Ah, okay, I think you are right then, it isn't on the album.

Btw, at first I thought they didn't have the music right when

Christine gets dragged to hell at the train station

, but I think it was edited in sort of near the end of the 2nd to the last track. Am I right/wrong?

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Scallenger, you need to pay better attention because I've been praising this brilliant score for several months now, I'm perturbed that the score has been pushed back twice.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

Christopher young said on ubeda that the viloin solos are mixed* in a way that is as if a 5 fingered devil is playing it.

(i mean that different solos were recorded and then mixed together)

[Nick Parker 3,040]

Christopher young said on ubeda that the viloin solos are mixed* in a way that is as if a 5 fingered devil is playing it.

(i mean that different solos were recorded and then mixed together)

Hm...that sounds awfully similar to Herrmann's The Devil and Daniel Webster....

[Richard Penna 3,686]

Wow, I'm reading nothing but praise for this score, but it's nothing even remotely special to my ears (2 tracks in). The sound also feels somewhat distant in a few tracks.

[crumbs 14,308]

Experience it with the film and you'll appreciate it more. It's actually not a great soundtrack. Very short, missing a lot of highlights, contains mostly alternates, and the mix is pretty unspectacular.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I wonder why Raimi doesn't use LoDuca any more. Although it's quite funny that he spent all that time scoring his movies, and then went off and produced by far his best score (Brotherhood of the Wolf).

[scallenger 483]

Scallenger, you need to pay better attention because I've been praising this brilliant score for several months now, I'm perturbed that the score has been pushed back twice.

Ah, sorry didn't see your other posts, but didn't see any actual thread dedicated to this score, which was what I thought it deserved, too.

Yeah, it is annoying the CD got pushed back twice. I was waiting for it in July, and was ready to buy (came out just around my pay day) and was angry that it got pushed back about another month. I couldn't wait to hear it when I realized they put up the MP3s, though.

It seems like some tracks might be alternates, but they really did edit all over the place different areas where cues go. I'm not certain, but the track "Auto-Da-Fee" seems like an edit of (and spoilers follow if you don't want to know) the scene in the graveyard where Christine is trying to shove the envelope in her mouth, the part where Christine is being dragged to hell at the train station, the part way back in the film when the Lamia is throwing her around her room (I could be wrong about this instance, but there is definitely something else that plays here), and then it plays the brief part where she is walking around the train station before she gets dragged. All in that order, in that one cue.

There are other cues like that, which I cannot place where they go, except the second track "Mexican Devil Disaster", which is the memorable opening of the movie, but then fades into a later part where Christine and her boyfriend are driving somewhere (I remember because of the prickly feeling the music gave when it shows these twisted vine-like plants above the car as they are driving).

It all flows nicely, but this album is as much in chronological order as is... well... most John Williams albums.

What's bad though is, also like some Williams albums, putting it in chronological order would sound end up just sounding like a fan-edit. It's just not worth it.

[Wycket 36]

I've heard tracks from this on Cinemagic over the past couple of months and have definitely been impressed. It has that old kind of sound I was hoping for with the film (which I have still yet to see unfortunately). I might pick this one up when the CD drops, but even if I don't I'm still glad it finally got its release.

[Trent Hoyt 13]

Films scores that are as lively and almost self-aware like Drag Me To Hell aren't common these days.

I highly recommend it.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Did I write that? I need to proofread myself better these days.

[publicist 4,643]

Experience it with the film and you'll appreciate it more. It's actually not a great soundtrack. Very short, missing a lot of highlights, contains mostly alternates, and the mix is pretty unspectacular.

Care to elaborate? It isn't short (53 minutes), it's not missing anything substantially and the mix sounds ok, even on YouTube.

[Jeshopk 8]

Wow, I'm reading nothing but praise for this score, but it's nothing even remotely special to my ears (2 tracks in). The sound also feels somewhat distant in a few tracks.

Close scores are crappy sounding for the most part. And the composition is very good, with thematic development and a classic horror sound.

[Jay 37,352]

Listened to the OST for the first time last night (after being impressed by selections they played on Cinemagic).... and loved it. This is indeed awesome stuff!

I really, really want to see the movie now!!

[Trent Hoyt 13]

Did I write that? I need to proofread myself better these days.

Its true though.

[scallenger 483]

Listened to the OST for the first time last night (after being impressed by selections they played on Cinemagic).... and loved it. This is indeed awesome stuff!

I really, really want to see the movie now!!

Hehe, I hope you enjoy the movie just as much, if not more, than the score. But to warn you: it has a lot of gross-out moments, especially for a PG-13 movie (the limit really gets pushed), but more surprisingly, it is a very funny movie. I thought the trailers advertising the movie were a bit misleading, but in my opinion, for the better. Most people went in perhaps thinking it would be a typical "evil spirit" movie, but instead got a fun and scary little rollercoaster ride that makes you laugh and then scares the crap out of you! Raimi is very much playing the "Evil Dead" game here, but in some ways it is better because the movie is more slick and looks more realistic, with characters you *shock* actually like, care about, or find just plain fun.

I can't help but praise this movie often for it didn't fair too well at the box office when it really, really should have. A shame since a movie like the new Transformers got more attention when it really is the inferior film of the summer.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I can't help but praise this movie often for it didn't fair too well at the box office when it really, really should have.

Well you already said why: the advertising.

[Ollie 1,059]

Plus the previews gave the ending away.

[Quintus 5,399]

Did it really? In that case I'm glad I saw this movie completey 'blind', having barely any knowledge of it prior to release.

Good movie and good score. Both are a lot of fun.

[Ollie 1,059]

Yes previews gave away the ending. Granted one would not know the actual ending although based on the title one can put the pieces together.

I know if I were assembling a trailer I wouldn't include a major scene from the end of my film.

[Quintus 5,399]

IMO Superman Returns suffered more than any other movie from the trailer giveaway syndrome.

[scallenger 483]

It is lame they gave away the ending of the movie. But, really: would you want it to end any other way?

[Morlock 11]

I don't think the movie was harmed by having given away the ending. There was no other logical place for it to end...part of the fun was how inevitable it was. That's what I liked about the movie- just about everything that might possibly be scary or surprising was foreshadowed and hinted at.

[Hitch 57]

I also praised Chris Young's score as well in the "Last movie you watched" thread when I saw the movie a few months ago.