October is thick with not only great archival horror soundtracks, but favorites from all genres! Let's dive in to eight great film score reissues from this past month.

Intrada rolled out titles from three iconic composers. This week sees an expansion of the late James Horner's score to The Land Before Time (1988). The second collaboration between animator Don Bluth and producer Steven Spielberg (this time with George Lucas in tow) told the story of a group of juvenile dinosaurs roaming the prehistoric Earth in search of safety. Known to '90s kids for an astounding array of direct-to-video sequels (13, plus 26 episodes of a televised cartoon, as of 2016), the original Land Before Time is something of a cult classic, and Horner's score is an admirable follow-up to his work on Bluth's An American Tail. There's also a great pop tune in the mix: Diana Ross' "If We Hold On Together." This remastered disc includes two previously unreleased cues, adding another 15 minutes of music into the mix - all sourced from Shawn Murphy's original scoring mixes. Frank K. DeWald has penned liner notes in a booklet designed by Kay Marshall.

Also new from Intrada: a late-period expansion for Jerry Goldsmith. The Last Castle was a drama that featured Robert Redford as an inmate in a military prison who clashes with James Gandolfini's brutal warden. Goldsmith was no stranger to brilliant military scores from Patton to Air Force One, but this one was particularly significant: completed in the wake of the September 11 attacks, Goldsmith was moved by the spirit of the times and the iconography of the American flag throughout the film, going so far as to title his main theme "September 11, 2001." This release features both the expanded film score and the original album presentation from the time, plus a helping of classical source cues that Goldsmith also prepared. Jeff Bond writes liner notes, as does Malcolm McNab, the trumpet soloist on the film's theme; Marshall again designs the package.

And the label also launched another expanded soundtrack in the Steven Spielberg-John Williams canon earlier this month. The Maestro's 2005 score to War of the Worlds is as far from his other sci-fi/alien works as it gets - minimal themes and haunting dissonance to accompany Spielberg's modern, 9/11-inspired take on the H.G. Wells novel. Tom Cruise starred as a deadbeat dad who suddenly had to protect his children when a Martian invasion shocks the planet. This 2CD set also features the complete film score, alternate takes and the original soundtrack album; as always, Mike Matessino is on hand for production, mixing, mastering and editing, while Bond and Marshall handle liner notes and package design.

For Halloween, La-La Land Records has gone full steam ahead with horror scores. First up is the premiere CD release of the soundtrack to Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood. This 1988 entry in the series was the first to feature stuntman Kane Hodder as the hockey-masked serial killer Jason Vorhees, a role he'd reprise in three further films. This score features new material by composer Fred Mollin augmented with classic cues from three previous Friday the 13th films as scored by Harry Manfredini. This set, limited to 2000 copies, is produced by Kevin Bergeron and Dan Goldwasser, mastered by Adam Gonsalves and liner notes by Brian Satterwhite in a package designed by Goldwasser.

Elsewhere, LLL has prepped the premiere release of the score to Graveyard Shift, a low-budget 1990 horror film based on an early short story by Stephen King. Anthony Marinelli and Brian Banks, composers of Young Guns, put in the work here. Goldwasser produces and designs the package, with mastering from James Nelson and notes by Daniel Schweiger, featuring new interviews with the composers and director Ralph S. Singleton. This disc is limited to 1000 copies.

And finally from La-La Land comes an expansion of Bill Conti's score to The Karate Kid Part II. This time, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) accompanies Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) to his mentor's native Okinawa, Japan, where old scores are settled and new lessons are learned. (It appears that plot threads from this film figure into the forthcoming third season of sequel series Cobra Kai, which focuses on the adult lives of Daniel and his old nemesis Johnny Lawrence, played by William Zabka.) Though Part II was known for Peter Cetera's hit single "The Glory of Love," Conti admirably continues the Rocky-for-teens thread of the first film, with some of his themes incorporating the pop track "Two Looking At One," as performed by Carly Simon. Liberated and expanded from a 2007 box set devoted to the series, The Karate Kid Part II is produced by Neil S. Bulk, with Michael McDonald and Doug Schwartz handling mixing and mastering, respectively. Goldwasser again designs this set, limited to 3000 copies.

Varese Sarabande has got two expanded soundtracks in their CD Club this month, too. For horror fans, there's an expansion of the score to John Carpenter's 1995 remake of the horror classic Village of the Damned, about a group of children with murderous pyschic powers. While the Master of Horror's work directing the film was not as celebrated as his earlier filmography, fans adored his score, a collaboration with Dave Davies of The Kinks. And so, the full film score and original soundtrack album come together in this limited set (1500 copies strong), with liner notes by Randall D. Larson. And finally, Varese has a new deluxe version of John Powell's beloved score to the 2010 feature How to Train Your Dragon. Powell earned his first Oscar nomination for this grandiose soundtrack to an animated adventure about a young Viking who befriends a mythical winged creature. How to Train Your Dragon spun off two sequels in 2014 and 2019 as well as an animated series. Powell has greatly expanded his score for this album, offering unreleased cues as well as alternates and demos. Tim Grieving writes liner notes; the set is limited to 3000 copies.

All these scores can be ordered at the links below, with track lists on display.

James Horner, The Land Before Time: Music from the Motion Picture (Expanded Edition) (originally released as MCA Records 6266, 1988 - reissued Intrada ISC 449, 2020)

* previously unreleased

1. The Great Migration
2. Sharptooth and the Earthquakes
3. Whispering Winds
4. Foraging for Food
5. Journey of the Dinosaurs *
6. Separate Paths *
7. The Rescue/Discovery of the Great Valley
8. End Credits
9. If We Hold On Together - Diana Ross

Jerry Goldsmith, The Last Castle: Music from the Motion Picture (Limited Edition) (Intrada ISC 451, 2020)

Disc 1: Film score (1-21) and extras (22-26)

1. The Castle
2. Irwin Arrives
3. The Cell Block
4. My Turn
5. Rain
6. The Rock Pile
7. My Mission (Original)
8. No Wall
9. The Dog Tags
10. Let's Go Ladies
11. The Salute
12. Winter's Report
13. Full Alert
14. Fading Away
15. Military Justice
16. The Count Down/Hold Them
17. Taking Command
18. Battle for the Castle
19. Fall In
20. The Flag (Revised No. 2)
21. September 11, 2001 (Theme from The Last Castle)
22. The Cell Block (Alternate)
23. My Mission (Alternate)
24. The Count Down/Hold Them (Early Take)
25. The Flag (Original)
26. The Flag (Revised No. 1)

Disc 2: Classical source music (1-7) and original soundtrack album (8-20, released as Decca 440 016 193-2, 2001)

1. Mozart: Symphony No. 40 In G Minor, K. 550 (Movement II, Andante)
2. Mozart: Piano Sonata In C Major, K. 545 (Movement II, Andante)
3. Mozart: Piano Sonata In B-Flat Major, K. 570 (Movement III, Allegretto)
4. Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, Variation 3
5. Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, Variation 7 (Long)
6. Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, Variation 7 (Short)
7. Salieri: Concerto for Oboe, Violin, Cello and Orchestra in D Major (Movement 1)
8. The Castle
9. Irwin Arrives
10. The Rock Pile
11. Get Behind the Mule - John Hammond
12. Let's Go Ladies
13. Full Alert
14. Military Justice
15. The Count Down
16. Hold Them
17. Taking Command
18. The Flag
19. September 11, 2001 - Theme from The Last Castle
20. Chiseled in Stone - Dead Hall

John Williams, War of the Worlds: Music from the Motion Picture (Expanded Edition) (Intrada ISC 459, 2020)

* previously unreleased
** contains previously unreleased material

Disc 1: Film score presentation

1. Prologue and Opening Montage
2. Is It Over?
3. The Intersection Scene (Film Version) **
4. What Happened?
5. Driving Away from Trouble **
6. Surveying Wreckage/Watch the Lightning *
7. Bodies in the Water/Ray and Rachel **
8. Attacking the Car **
9. In the Cafe *
10. The Ferry Scene (Extended Version) **
11. Woods Walk *
12. Refugee Status (Extended Version) **
13. Robbie Joins the Fight
14. The Basement *
15. Harlan Ogilvy *
16. Probing the Basement (Extended Version) **
17. The Aliens *
18. Ogilvy's End *
19. Red Planet **
20. The Basket **
21. The Entrance to Boston **
22. Defeat and Reunion **
23. Boston Street Finale **
24. Closing Montage **
25. Epilogue (Film Version)

Disc 2: Remastered original soundtrack (1-15, released as Decca B0004568-02, 2005) and extras (16-21)

1. Prologue
2. The Ferry Scene
3. Reaching the Country
4. The Intersection Scene
5. Ray and Rachel
6. Escape from the City
7. Probing the Basement
8. Refugee Status
9. The Attack on the Car
10. The Separation of the Family
11. The Confrontation with Ogilvy
12. The Return to Boston
13. Escape from the Basket
14. The Reunion
15. Epilogue
16. Prologue and Opening Montage (Alternate) *
17. Before the Escape
18. The Entrance to Boston (Alternate) **
19. Boston Street Finale (Alternate No. 1) *
20. Boston Street Finale (Alternate No. 2) *
21. Epilogue (Alternate) *

Bill Conti, The Karate Kid Part II: Original Motion Picture Score (Limited Edition) (La-La Land Records LLLCD 1542, 2020 - original film released 1986)

* Contains "Two Looking At One" composed by Carly Simon, Bill Conti & Jacob Brackman
** Composed by Nobuko Miyamoto & Reverend Masao Kodani

1. Main Title
2. No Mercy
3. Six Months Later
4. Breathing/Daniel Nails It
5. Okinawa
6. Honor Very Serious
7. Time Flies/Who Wins?
8. Enter Sato/Then See Me
9. Miyagi's Home
10. No Choice
11. The Funeral
12. Ask Drum
13. Their Song
14. No Contest/Rekindled Love
15. Chopping Ice
16. What Has Happened?
17. Miyagi
18. Miyagi's Attack
19. Take Me with You *
20. Everything Gone
21. Daniel Leaves *
22. The Storm (Film Version) *
23. Walk Away */Yuiyo Bon Odori **
24. Moon Spots
25. Daniel's Triumph *
26. Main Title (with Percussion Overlays)
27. Enter Sato (Alternate)
28. No Choice (Alternate)
29. Everything Gone (Alternate)
30. Samisam
31. Moon Spots (Alternate Take)
32. Love Theme from The Karate Kid Part II (Film Version) *

Portions of Tracks 1-25 released in Varese Sarabande box 0307 1059, 2007
Versions of Tracks 22 and 32 released on United Artists SW 40414-1, 1986

Harry Manfredini & Fred Mollin, Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood - Music from the Motion Picture (Limited Edition) (La-La Land Records LLLCD 1547, 2020 - original film released 1988)

* features music from Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
** features music from Friday the 13th
*** features music from Friday the 13th Part II

1. Prologue
2. Main Title (Cast and Crew)
3. Flashback *
4. Dad's Death
5. Tina's Theme
6. The Pier 12 Years Later
7. Matchbook Exercise
8. Tina Summons
9. Jason Resurrected
10. Tina's Vision
11. This is Some Birthday
12. Mom, I Saw Him Again **
13. Dan and Judy *
14. Jason Impales Dan
15. Sleeping Bag Bash *
16. Nick and Tina
17. Pearls Go Flying
18. I Hate This Place *
19. Flying TV
20. Skinny Dip ***
21. Russel Gets Axed
22. Mom in the Study
23. Tina Overhears Crashes
24. Death from Above
25. Kate's Murder
26. Nick and Tina Find Mike
27. Blood on the Floor *
28. It Was Him in the Lake
29. Robin's Death
30. Human Body Shield *
31. Death by Bush Trimmer *
32. Tina Finds Mom and Meets Jason
33. Melissa Meets Jason/Confrontation
34. Jason Comes Up for Air/Jason Unmasked
35. Jason Grabs Tina/Nails/Tina Burns Jason
36. Resurrecting Dad
37. Ambulance/Where's Jason We Took Care of Him
38. End Title
39. End Credits

Tracks 1, 2, 4, 10, 14, 16, 17, 19, 21-26, 28-29 and 32-39 composed by Fred Mollin
Tracks 3, 11-13, 15, 18, 20, 27 and 30-31 composed by Harry Manfredini
Portions previously released on BSX Records BSXCD 8847, 2005 and in full on Waxwork Records LP (no cat. #), 2020

Anthony Marinelli & Brian Banks, Graveyard Shift: Music from the Motion Picture (Limited Edition) (La-La Land Records LLLCD 1548, 2020 - original film released 1990)

* not used in film
** contains music not in film

1. Prologue/Main Title
2. Pumping the Rats */Hall Waits/Health Inspector
3. Kelly and the Exterminator **
4. V.C. Rats - Part 1
5. V.C. Rats - Part 2
6. Stevenson's Death
7. Carmichael's Red Herring
8. Nardello and the Caddy
9. Hall's Red Herring
10. Hall Recruited/Nardello Gets the Chomp
11. Rats in the Desk/Ippeston Fired
12. Exterminator Exterminated
13. Hall Finds Trap Door/The Sub-Basement
14. Hall Climbs to Safety/Flying Cans/Ground Bat **
15. End Credits (instrumental)
16. Prologue/Main Title (alternate)
17. End Credits (alternate instrumental)
18. Graveyard Shift Trailer - John Beal

Varese

John Powell, How to Train Your Dragon: Music from the Motion Picture (The Deluxe Edition) (Varese Sarabande VCL 1020 1205, 2020 - original film released 2010)

Disc 1

1. This is Berk (Alternate Film Version) [1m2alt]
2. This is Berk (with Original Opening Version) [1m2]
3. Anybody See That? [1m6]
4. War Room [1m7a]
5. Training Out There [1m7b-c]
6. Hiccup Comes Homes [2m8]
7. Dragon Training [2m9]
8. Wounded [2m10]
9. The Dragon Book [2m11]
10. Hiccup Focus [2m12]
11. Offering [2m13]
12. Forbidden Friendship [2m14]
13. New Tail [2m15]
14. Teamwork [3m16]
15. Charming the Pziiffelback [3m17]
16. See You Tomorrow [3m18]
17. Test Drive [3m20]
18. Not So Fireproof [3m21]
19. This Time for Sure [3m22]
20. Astrid Finds Toothless [3m23]
21. Astrid Goes for a Spin [3m24]
22. Romantic Flight [3m25]
23. Dragon's Den [3m26b]
24. Let's Find Dad [3m26c]
25. Kill Ring/Stop the Fight [4m27-28]

Disc 2

1. Not a Viking [4m30]
2. Ready/Confront [4m31]
3. Relax/Stroke/Hell [4m33-34]
4. Over/Less Okay [4m35-37]
5. Wings [4m38]
6. Counter Attack [5m39]
7. Where's Hiccup? [5m40]
8. Coming Back Around [5m41]
9. Sticks & Stones - Jónsi
10. The Vikings Have Their Tea [5m50]
11. The Vikings Have Their Tea (Alternate Version) [5m50alt]
12. This is Berk (Demo) [1m2]
13. New Tail (Demo) [2m15]
14. See You Tomorrow (Demo) [3m18]
15. Test Drive (Demo) [3m20]
16. Romantic Flight (Demo) [3m25]
17. Coming Back Around (Demo) [5m41]

John Carpenter & Dave Davies, Village of the Damned: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (The Deluxe Edition) (Varese Sarabande VCL 1020 1035, 2020 - original film released 1995)

Disc 1: Film score

1. Angel of Death/Midwich Sleeps/Daybreak
2. The Fair (Extended Version)
3. Gas Station/Asleep
4. Awaken/The Funeral
5. Welcome Home, Ben (Extended Version)
6. Big Meeting/The Decision
7. The Same Dream
8. Baptism (Extended Version
9. Baby Mara
10. Children's Theme/Dilemma
11. The Parents Arrive
12. Children's Carol (Instrumental)
13. Loss/Carol of the Damned
14. Carlton
15. Ben's Death/Ultimatum
16. Burning Desire (Extended Version)
17. Last Kiss/The Bomb
18. The Brick Wall (Extended Version)
19. March of the Children (End Credits)

Disc 2: Original soundtrack (1-13, released as Varese Sarabande VSD-5629, 1995) and film score bonus tracks (14-17)

1. March of the Children
2. Children's Carol
3. Angel of Death
4. Daybreak
5. The Fair
6. The Children's Theme
7. Ben's Death
8. The Funeral
9. Midwich Shuffle
10. Baptism
11. Burning Desire
12. Welcome Home, Ben
13. The Brick Wall
14. Awaken (Film Version)
15. Baby Mara (Film Version)
16. Carlton (Film Version)
17. March of the Children (Alternate Mix)