Maniac (1980)
Released by Intermezzo Media
16 Tracks with a Total Running Time of 32 min
Music Composed and Conducted by Jay Chattaway

There is really nothing about this film where it doesn’t go above and beyond. And Chattaway’s score is another prime example of that. For a film as brutal and disturbing at it is, the music fits perfectly. As score starts out with the Main Title, it almost sounds like a sweet lullaby, or music box. But as the score progresses to the very next track, Apocalypse New York, we can feel the darkness seeping in. By using different instruments and even strange sounds, it starts to build that feeling of uneasiness.

In the track Hooker’s Heartbeat, accompanying the constant buzz of an organ, we can hear the beating pulse of a heart, before it explodes into almost a scream of sound that seems to continue on and on before slowing going down into tone and volume. Which happens to work perfectly with what we’re seeing on screen.

One of my favorite tracks is Inner Voices, which uses sound clips from the movie of actor Joe Spinell when he’s talking to himself, or is he talking to mother? But with an eerie sound in the background, it not only gives a creepy feeling, but enhances what Spinell is saying, creating a very unsettling feeling.

Chattaway is able to use simple methods, like a few notes played quickly, to create a mood. Kind of like what Carpenter did but not as repetitive, using it only once in a while to create the feeling. And it works beautifully. While there are a few faster tracks, such as Subway Terror, overall this is not an action pack or fast paced score, but one that works smoothly in the background creating an amazing atmosphere. One could hear the beautiful track Cry for Mother and have no clue that it was written for one of the goriest horror films of the ’80s. Just an excellent score.