Poltergeist 2 Poltergeist II: Deluxe Edition Soundtrack CD

All music written by Jerry Goldsmith.
Original score composed and conducted by Jerry Goldsmith.
Audio Mixer: Bruce Botnick.
Liner Note Author: Jerry McCulley.
After embracing more traditional orchestral and choral elements for 1982's original Poltergeist, composer Jerry Goldsmith attacks its 1986 sequel from the opposite direction, employing cutting-edge electronics that greatly enhance the film's otherworldly terror. Owing much to Goldsmith's landmark work on The Omen, the music favors atmosphere over action, building genuine mystery and suspense by creating unfamiliar sounds from familiar instruments. Few Goldsmith scores are so rigorously disconcerting, and whatever the faults of the film itself, the score is palpably intense. Intrada's 54-minute limited-edition release greatly expands upon Varèse Sarabande's original 1986 disc, which clocked in at just over half an hour. Varèse's subsequent 2003 re-release features even more material, and is thus recommended to consumers seeking to approximate the score as Goldsmith originally envisioned it. ~ Jason Ankeny
By the time that Jerry Goldsmith scored 1985's Poltergeist II, he had already been one of the top composers in Hollywood for nearly two decades, so it's no surprise that his work here is solid, even when the reputation of the film is not. While electronic elements have been a part of film scores almost as long as they have been recorded, Goldsmith typically shied away from featuring synthesizers on earlier scores. Here, however, he uses them to great effect -- and not only in the typical fashion to highlight spookier moments, but in many cases anchoring key compositions like the otherworldly bass of "The Visitor" and the tense swirling tones of "The Worm." The deluxe edition of Poltergeist II includes a photo-rich booklet with quality liner notes by Jerry McCulley. ~ Wade Kergan