Fans of the body horror subgenre will likely already notice that the apple does not fall far from the tree: Brandon Cronenberg has been captivating audiences for over a decade with his undeniable skill in evoking a visceral response from his viewers, notably from his recent work, Possessor, starring the always excellent and chameleon-like Andrea Riseborough [Mandy, Birdman (Or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)]; and his classic 2012 film, Antiviral, starring Caleb Landry Jones (Get Out, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri).
Read on for links to the soundtrack and the film trailers.
Catch up on the latest releases from Lakeshore Records! Moonlight (A24) won Best Picture – Drama at this year’s Golden Globes®, Golden Globe®-Nominated television series Mr. Robot (USA Network) debuts on Blu-ray/DVD, Underworld: Blood Wars (Screen Gems/Lakeshore Entertainment) made its theatrical and soundtrack premiere, new composer podcasts are available now on Spotify, and more. We’re heading into an exciting first quarter of the year, so stay tuned for updates on digital, CD and new vinyl releases!
“When I first approached Eric to do the score, I had a vague idea that it should incorporate electronic and acoustic instrumentation. It turned out he had been doing some interesting experiments along these lines with a musician named Michael White, who owned a large bank of analog synthesizers, like a fantasy version of an old telephone operator’s switchboard. The two of them had been running orchestral chords through these synths and deforming them, and the results were very exciting… The process was unpredictable and experimental.” — Brandon Cronenberg, Director of Antiviral
In the film Antiviral, a celebrity-obsessed society desires viruses and pathogens that come from famous people. Illness is a commodity. The Lucas Clinic makes its money collecting and selling viruses to the public.
Syd March, excellently portrayed by Caleb Landry Jones (Twin Peaks, Get Out), is an employee of the Lucas Clinic who makes money on the side by smuggling samples of pathogens in his own body to distribute on the black market.
Syd becomes infected with a particularly nasty and deadly contagion he collects from celebrity sensation Hannah Geist (Sarah Gadon). Syd races against time to find a cure while being hunted down by those who want his infected blood.
E.C. Woodley’s score features dark ambient tones and strange electronic sounds with treated piano pieces interspersed. Released in 2013, the album was somewhat ahead of its time, considering the popularity of today’s dark analog experimental electronic scores such as Mac Quayle’s “Mr. Robot”, Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein’s “Stranger Things”, and Adam Wingard’s Blair Witch.
Listen to “Syd Shoots Up,” “Hallucinations,” and “Running” from E.C. Woodley’s score:
Brandon Cronenberg continues:
“Eric and I went through the film from start to finish, discussing what the music should accomplish in both theoretical and specific terms. We decided given the subjective nature of the story that it should be consistently internal, reflecting what was going on in the protagonist’s head rather than what was going on around him. It should be something bodily, sometimes an elevated pulse, sometimes an expression of pain or sickness or bliss.”
Antiviral (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) available digitally on iTunes. Also available on compact disc.
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This Staff Pick is by John Bergin, Art Director and A&R for Lakeshore Records.
Follow John on Twitter: @JBXX
Looking for something to watch online? We’ve taken the liberty of sifting through over 100 movie titles to bring you this tight collection of eight movies which we think you’ll enjoy over the weekend. The soundtracks, all released by Lakeshore Records, feature award winning composers and rare tracks you can access exclusively through the album. We think you’ll enjoy the listen.
Antiviral (rent it on iTunes) – Craving a scifi film? Directed by Brandon Cronenberg, the futurisic movie takes it to the next level of oversharing: fans can share a (perhaps deadly) virus with their favorite über celebrity. Score by E.C. Woodley (The Dark Hours). Download The Album:iTunes | Buy CD
Blue Valentine(rent it on iTunes) – Starring Academy Award nominees Ryan Gosling (Drive) and Michelle Williams (Synecdoche, New York), this film chronicles a marriage through a series of flashbacks through good times and bad. Score by Grizzly Bear and features a track of Ryan Gosling singing. Download the Album:iTunes | Buy CD
G.B.F. (watch it on Netflix) – Directed by Darren Stein (Jawbreaker), this endearing coming-of-age movie introduces the concept of the G.B.F.: the Gay Best Friend, with the drama coming to a head at the prom. Soundtrack features music by Dragonette, Tegan and Sara, ‘Heven’ Helen Vergara, and many more. Download The Album:iTunes | Buy CD
In Bruges(watch it on Netflix) – Starring Colin Farrell (Seven Psychopaths), Brendan Gleeson (Gangs of New York), and Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes (The Dutchess, The Reader), a British hitman hides out in Bruges after a botched up assignment. While taking in the sights, he develops an appreciation of life in Belgium and considers a way out. Colin Farrell won the Golden Globe for his performance in this film. Score by Carter Burwell (Seven Psychopaths, Twilight Saga). Features music by Townes Van Zandt and Pretenders. Download The Album:iTunes | Buy CD
Mud (watch it on Netflix) – Starring Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey (Bernie, Dallas Buyer’s Club), this drama reminds us that McConaughey can play it straight or make us laugh just the same. Score by David Wingo. Download The Album:iTunes | Buy CD
The Grandmaster (watch it on Netflix) – Directed by Palme D’Or recipient Wong Kar-wai, this Academy Award-nominated film swept international awards shows for best score and music categories. Visually stunning, the movie is just as unforgettable as the music. Score by Nathaniel Méchaly and Shigeru Umebayashi. Download The Album:iTunes | Buy CD
The Grey (watch it on Neflix) – Any film which stars Academy Award nominee Liam Neeson is just cooler instantly. In this case, literally. Neeson leads stranded survivors of a plane crash through the frozen Alaskan wilderness. Score by Marc Streitenfeld (Welcome to the Rileys). Download The Album: iTunes | Buy CD
Zodiac (watch it on Netflix) – Three Academy Award nominees were cast together for this film: Robert Downey, Jr., Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right). Zodiac takes you back to a scary time in California history when the Bay Area was gripped by fear, thanks to a serial killer. Score by David Shire. Music by Santana, Johnny Mathis, Marvin Gaye, Miles Davis, The Four Tops, Three Dog Night, and more, on the various artists soundtrack. Download The Album! Zodiac Score:iTunes | Buy CD
Zodiac (Various Artists):iTunes | Buy CD
