sbenton45 Review of Horror Castle

Horror Castle (1963)

The jazz score does not work in this horror flick

[1 November 2005]

Though I am fond of listening to jazz, I found the jazz score for this movie too intrusive and distracting. The problem manifested itself early in the movie when, during a break in the action, a very nice jazz melody rang out that, unfortunately, seemed to be totally inappropriate to the setting and mood being created by the visuals. Great movie music supports the mood or spirit of the action on the screen. It should not take over. There are exceptions, or course, such as the music from "O Brother, Where Art Thou" which essentially plays a lead role in that film. In my opinion, the film would benefit greatly from a re-score, or at least the provision of an alternate score. (Has anyone tried this kind of thing before? It would be well suited to the DVD format).