For the first time, a feature-length documentary explores the fascinating relationship between music and horror cinema. On September 27, 2022, Scored to Death Entertainment LLC launched a Kickstarter campaign that will end on November 3rd. The funds raised will help make the film, Scored to Death: The Dark Art of Scary Movie Music—currently in production—a reality.
Author and filmmaker J. Blake Fichera is producing and directing the film, based on his popular Scored to Death book series. Scored to Death: Conversations with Some of Horror’s Greatest Composers and Scored to Death 2: More Conversations with Some of Horror’s Greatest Composers explored the craft of horror film music through in-depth interviews with an eclectic all-star group of 30 composers who lent their talents to many of the genre’s most beloved films and franchises.
About the original Scored to Death book, Joe Bob Briggs wrote, “Horror films live and die with their musical scores. . .. If you claim to know how horror movies work, this book is must-read.” Regarding its sequel, filmmaker Eli Roth (Hostel and Cabin Fever) wrote, “Music is the single most essential ingredient for me when making a scary movie. . .. J. Blake Fichera has done a brilliant job of helping us understand how these magicians make their secret sauce.” Don Mancini (filmmaker and creator of Chucky) added, “J. Blake Fichera’s interviews with horror’s top composers combine a journalist’s penetrating curiosity and attention to detail with a fanboy’s infectious enthusiasm, and the combination is irresistible for lovers of film, film music, and our beloved genre.”
Casting for the documentary is still underway, but like its literary predecessors, Scored to Death: The Dark Art of Scary Movie Music will feature an impressive lineup of horror soundtrack heavy-weights, including Harry Manfredini (Friday the 13th), Charles Bernstein (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Christopher Young (Hellraiser), Charlie Clouser (Saw), Richard Band (Re-Animator), John Massari (Killer Klowns from Outer Space), Alan Howarth (Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers), Holly Amber Church (Open 24 Hours), and more.
Fichera, a veteran TV/film editor and producer, has been planning this film for many years: “Ever since I started work on the first Scored to Death book, back in 2013, the plan was always to turn it into a documentary. I am glad I waited, though. All the experience I gained, and the friendships I made throughout the creation of both books and the Scored to Death podcasts, will help make it a much better film than it would’ve been had I jumped into it right after the original book. What excites me about doing the documentary is that I can now explore this subject that I am hugely passionate about and have dedicated almost a decade of my life to studying in an entirely new way! The film will not be an abridged version of the books. Instead, I want to use the cinematic medium to hone in on specific aspects of the books and examine them in ways that weren’t possible on the written page—including how music functions in horror storytelling and our favorite scary movies.”
The Kickstarter campaign will run from September 27 to midnight November 3, 2022, and features tiers for movie presales, bonus content, and various producing credits. Additionally, and of particular note, is a limited-edition compilation album [on both vinyl & CD] of memorable horror themes, specifically created for the campaign and featuring all-new recordings by horror music legend Alan Howarth, the bands Voyag3r & Anima Morte, Steve Moore (from the band Zombi), Holly Amber Church, Wojciech Golczewski, The Blair Brothers, Richard Christy (former Death & current Charred Walls of the Damned drummer), and more.
Support the project on Kickstarter at kickstarter.com/projects/scoredtodeathmovie/scored-to-death-the-dark-art-of-scary-movie-music
For more information and to stay updated on its progress, follow the project on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook or visit scoredtodeath.com
About the original Scored to Death book, Joe Bob Briggs wrote, “Horror films live and die with their musical scores. . .. If you claim to know how horror movies work, this book is must-read.” Regarding its sequel, filmmaker Eli Roth (Hostel and Cabin Fever) wrote, “Music is the single most essential ingredient for me when making a scary movie. . .. J. Blake Fichera has done a brilliant job of helping us understand how these magicians make their secret sauce.” Don Mancini (filmmaker and creator of Chucky) added, “J. Blake Fichera’s interviews with horror’s top composers combine a journalist’s penetrating curiosity and attention to detail with a fanboy’s infectious enthusiasm, and the combination is irresistible for lovers of film, film music, and our beloved genre.”
Casting for the documentary is still underway, but like its literary predecessors, Scored to Death: The Dark Art of Scary Movie Music will feature an impressive lineup of horror soundtrack heavy-weights, including Harry Manfredini (Friday the 13th), Charles Bernstein (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Christopher Young (Hellraiser), Charlie Clouser (Saw), Richard Band (Re-Animator), John Massari (Killer Klowns from Outer Space), Alan Howarth (Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers), Holly Amber Church (Open 24 Hours), and more.
Fichera, a veteran TV/film editor and producer, has been planning this film for many years: “Ever since I started work on the first Scored to Death book, back in 2013, the plan was always to turn it into a documentary. I am glad I waited, though. All the experience I gained, and the friendships I made throughout the creation of both books and the Scored to Death podcasts, will help make it a much better film than it would’ve been had I jumped into it right after the original book. What excites me about doing the documentary is that I can now explore this subject that I am hugely passionate about and have dedicated almost a decade of my life to studying in an entirely new way! The film will not be an abridged version of the books. Instead, I want to use the cinematic medium to hone in on specific aspects of the books and examine them in ways that weren’t possible on the written page—including how music functions in horror storytelling and our favorite scary movies.”
The Kickstarter campaign will run from September 27 to midnight November 3, 2022, and features tiers for movie presales, bonus content, and various producing credits. Additionally, and of particular note, is a limited-edition compilation album [on both vinyl & CD] of memorable horror themes, specifically created for the campaign and featuring all-new recordings by horror music legend Alan Howarth, the bands Voyag3r & Anima Morte, Steve Moore (from the band Zombi), Holly Amber Church, Wojciech Golczewski, The Blair Brothers, Richard Christy (former Death & current Charred Walls of the Damned drummer), and more.
Support the project on Kickstarter at kickstarter.com/projects/scoredtodeathmovie/scored-to-death-the-dark-art-of-scary-movie-music
For more information and to stay updated on its progress, follow the project on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook or visit scoredtodeath.com