Satan Bug, The (1965)

Composer(s):
Jerry Goldsmith

Released in:
1965

Reviews

Classic Goldsmith.
by Bret Wheadon (January 28, 2008)
I had never heard of the film "The Satan Bug" until I chanced upon it on TCM. But upon hearing the chilling, unsettling "Main Title" sequence, I was immediately hooked into this all-too-realistic story of biological terrorism. And when I discovered that the soundtrack was by none other than Jerry Goldsmith, my initial reaction to the score was explained. Goldsmith has been one of the touchstones in my love of film soundtracks, and this score, which has been meticulously reconstructed from various elements by Film Score Monthly is replete with the trademark flourishes which Goldsmith brought to his golden age. The Satan Bug shares several tonal similarities to "The Planet of the Apes" which Goldsmith composed two years later. It features the same brutal percussive thrust as "Apes" and also revels in asymetrical rhythms and constructions which keep the listener guessing as to where the composer is leading. The composition style is minimalist, with orchestra colors masterfully blended between scraping basses, brass flourishes, and staccato xylophone, with the main 11-note theme further punctuated with jawbone and Solovox. While the score as a whole is not as compelling as some of Goldsmith's later works, it's certainly one of his finest early examples of virtuosity, and worth checking out for film score fans.

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