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Halloween 2018: Listen to John Carpenter's New Michael Myers Theme Song
In anticipation of this year's upcoming Halloween sequel, John Carpenter's new theme song for Michael Myers has been released to the public. Set exactly 40 years after Carpenter's seminal horror classic, David Gordon Green's Halloween follows masked killer Michael Myers as he picks up where he left off in the quiet town of Haddonfield, Illinois on Halloween night.
After he escapes from Smith's Grove Sanitarium - just as he did in the original movie - Michael tracks down Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis), one of his targets who managed to survive his killing spree back in 1978. Little does he know, however, that Laurie has been preparing herself for his inevitable return for the past four decades, and she isn't going down without a fight. Also starring Judy Greer, Will Patton, and Andi Matichak, as well as retconning every sequel that came before it, Halloween brings back Carpenter (who scored the first, second, and third movies in the franchise) as the film's composer- and the track reintroducing Michael Myers to a new generation has just been released.
Independent record label Sacred Bones Records released the new theme song via YouTube. Titled "The Shape Returns" (referencing the name Michael was first referred to as in Carpenter and Debra Hill's original screenplay), the track is very much akin to Michael's theme in the original Halloween, titled "Michael Kills Judith," when a six-year-old Michael stabbed and killed his older sister. Both tracks begin with a combination of classic piano composition and synthesizer, but "The Shape Returns" differs by jumping straight into the classic 5/4 time signature-style Halloween score.
Michael's new theme also includes new audio elements that still feel very much grounded in the types of scores Carpenter composed in movies he released in the late-'70s and mid-'80s, including Assault on Precinct 13, The Fog, and Christine. That said, Carpenter also shares composer credits with his son Cody Carpenter (who incorporates more of a classic rock influence into his similarly retro aesthetic) and his godson Daniel Davies (who worked with Carpenter on his Lost Themes album).
It's been clear from the beginning that this year's Halloween would honor Carpenter's original movie. Now, given the response from early Halloween screenings and trailer footage to this new track, it's evident that Green, as well as the rest of the creative team involved, are delving into this beloved property with strict respect for the source material. And, after the sour taste left in many a fan's mouth following lackluster sequels and remakes, this new version of Halloween - at the very least - seems worthy enough to set things right.
Halloween (2018) release date: Oct 19, 2018
