APM at the Movies: A24’s 'MaXXXine' Finds Archival Horror Hidden Gem in Octopus Records
Horror films gained widespread momentum in the 1970s and 1980s. While film budgets were still small, the demand for the genre was at an all-time high. The shoestring budgets allotted for music in this genre introduced a new trend of electronic compositions featuring analog synthesizers.
A24’s new film, MaXXXine, pays homage to classic slasher films and is a sequel to the movies X and Pearl. It is set in Los Angeles in 1985 and centers around a horror movie actress eluding a mysterious killer who stalks Hollywood starlets. The film uses tracks from Octopus Records, a rare collection of authentic Italian film scores, including many horror scores from the golden age of the genre. These albums document the musical history and evolution of the sounds that have scared audiences for decades.
In keeping with the authenticity of the horror genre in the 1980s, the score features horror movie soundtracks that fueled slasher films. Check out this chaotic synthesizer track from the Octopus Records catalog placed in MaXXXine:
The track is from the 1979 Italian horror film The Great Alligator, which portrays a giant alligator stalking tourists who upset an island god.
Hear more authentic archival horror movie film score gems from the Octopus Records catalog:
- “Cannibal Ferox Theme” - Cannibal Ferox (1981)
- “Mysteries Apotheosis” - City of the Living Dead (1980)
- “Dangerous Flight” - Concorde Affair ‘79 (1979)
- “Alligator Fear” - The Great Alligator (1979)
- “Inner Terror” - Django Strikes Again (1987)
- “Devil Doll” – The Torturer (2005)
When authenticity matters, APM has you covered! We are your one-stop source for new and archival film scores.
By Sarah Scarlata
