Last year Spencer Hickman approached me with what can only be described as a bit of a wet dream project. Or perhaps just a dreamy dream project: to produce the cover art for the Let The Right One In soundtrack. I LOVE horror (especially horror that gets the odd critical thumbs-up, because it's a rare win for the blood team) and I have been secretly gagging for the chance to work on something like this.
So! Hickman has set up a recording company. The story goes a little something like this:
"Founded by Spencer Hickman manager of Rough Trade East in London Death Waltz Recording Company will concentrate on delivering high end collectors vinyl that will include extensive liner notes from composers and directors as well as brand new and exclusive artwork from a variety of fine artists. All releases will be on ltd coloured vinyl and contain bonus screen prints and posters.
Death Waltz Recording Company are set to become the premier vinyl soundtrack label for cult film enthusiasts!"
There's a lot more to tell - more amazing soundtracks (Donnie Darko, Escape from New York, Zombi 2 - or Zombie, Island of the Living Dead, House of the Devil *screeeeeeeeeeam!*) with art from the sort of people I feel really lucky to be sitting alongside on the greater project. If it all makes you chomp at the bit and shout "but I want them ALL!" at the sky, there's a subscription to avoid missing out on anything.
Sort of reminds me of how I felt when they released Care Bear soft toys. Alas, I only had the one.
Moving on: I couldn't have asked for a better film to get started on.
Pegged for July 25th, this will be the very first vinyl release of the Let The Right One In soundtrack with sleeve notes by composer Johan Söderqvist.
There are two editions:
White vinyl, edition of 200, comes with a 12" x 12" lithograph
Black vinyl, edition of 600, comes with an A2 poster
with prints to follow in the future.
I approached Let The Right One In as a complete and utter fan girl. That is to say that on top of the enthusiasm and raw fear, I could scarcely single out the direction I wanted to take because “Oh my god, it’s all so beautiful. Which scene wouldn’t I want to paint?”
My biggest problem was the fact that every time I thought of the film, Oskar came to mind.
Oskar’s biggest problem is that he’s inherently unlikeable.
I can hear my mother now; telling me not to be nasty.
It’s true though and the fact that he gets bullied doesn’t make him endearing. If anything, it’s annoying that he can’t see what an easy target he makes of himself; gormlessly staring skyward with snot running, unhindered, down his nose and onto his mouth which is itself a permanently yawning hole.
If you had to take a moment to imagine how you would deal with Oskar, I’d put money on my knee jerk reaction being a rough shake and some grating words of encouragement that would probably veer towards “Stand up for yourself. And blow your nose, for fuckssake!"
So my focus landed on Eli. Indeed, had she not set up camp in Oskar’s Safe Place, his unremarkable existence would probably have carried on in much the same fashion as it had done to that point. It feels as if Oskar is one chapter while Eli is the story.
In my mind she’s the perfect embodiment of the film’s overriding message: if you can find someone who can tolerate you, hold on to them.
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