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| At what age did you see yourself as a composer? 26. Did a TV pilot and went on from there. Can't remember the name of the pilot. It was a girls name. Did you ever see yourself composing music for horror films? Never. How were you approached to do the music for 'Silent Night Deadly Night'? A friend recommended me to Ira Barmak who produced the movie. I was just beginning to compose experimental/avant garde electronic music and Ira thought what I was doing would work well in the film. I loved how you did the opening of the film with the screechy sound effects as some of it reminded me of John Carpenter and Alan Howarth's composing for 'Halloween: Season of the Witch' or Charles Bernstein for 'A Nightmare On Elm Street'. Did you watch these films and sort of get an idea for this one? I didn't see either film. Frankly I wasn't a horror movie fan. I just happened to be composing music that seemed to work in the genre. There was many great intense music for the parents (Played by Tara Buckman and Geoff Hansen) being murdered by the santa killer (Played by Charles Dierkop) or the crazed grandpa (Played by Will Hare) or yet the famous murder scene with the loose teenager being impaled on deer antlers (Played by Linnea Quigley). Did you read the script and thought "I got a great idea to make all of this sound effective"? I never read the script. I got a final cut of the film on video. I could sync it up with my electronic music rig. I scored the whole film in my home studio. I knew I could do almost anything I wanted with no restrictions. The more dissonant and atonal the better. Man. . . Did I have fun. Reading the script did you find the story very disturbing with all the content that was going to be used in it? As I said. I never read the script. Of course when I first saw the film all that sexy murder and mayhem gave me an adrenalin rush. However, in the end, I found it very funny. I mean, Santa as a mass murderer? Come on....It was so over the top and ridiculously violent that it just made me laugh. Now the film was nearly picketed during it's theatrical release. Was this discouraging to you since you put alot into it fearing it won't come out since it disturbed many parents since the fact it was coming out close to Christmas? I hoped they wouldn't get their way. I was quite proud of my score. Once a company played it at cinema's regardless did you get positive feedback from fans and did they ever mention of the music sounding similar to other slasher flicks they were a fan of? I've started receiving fan mail in the last few years. Never before. I think the internet and the fact that the film continues to grow in the underground market has caused this. Who knows? No one has mentioned similarities to other slasher scores. Now you composed music for another type of horror flick titled 'Dance of the Dwarfs'. Did you have any similar sound effects for that one? That was my first electronic score. I had one Analog synthesizer and a 16 track tape machine. Came out rather weak. I would have preferred an orchestra but budgets are budgets and you do the best you can with what you've got. Even with an orchestra I don't think I could have helped the film. What was it like doing the music for that one? Frustrating. Were you approached to do the composing for any other slasher or other types of horror flicks like an 'A Nightmare on Elm Street', 'Friday the 13th' or 'Halloween' sequels? No. What are you up to these days? I continue composing experimental/electronic music. I've also been creating videos for about a year. Check out perrybotkin.com You'll find my COMBINES 1 - 2 - 3 CD's and my first five videos. My sixth one has only been up on YouTube for a few days. Google perry botkin - THE POTTY TRAIN. In a quite different way, it's weirder than Silent Night. Now here's some fun stuff: What are your favorite horror films? Unless you consider "Psycho" a horror film, I don't remember any other films in that category. Out of all the the music you worked on for your list of movies or TV shows which project did you enjoy working on the most? A CBS Mini-Series called "Windmills of the Gods" Also electronic but more romantic. If you were a top horror film composer for a day whether he was alive or dead who would he be? Bernard Herrmann What is your idea of perfect happiness? To continue living the life I lead in perfect health for many years to come. What are your ambitions in life? To discover new and creative (artistic) ways to express myself. |