5. Bride Of Frankenstein (1935) - Franz Waxman
Classic Hollywood composer Franz Waxman delivered an appropriately complex score to this landmark sequel that delves deep into the pathos of the outcast and everyones destructive urge to be loved. Whats remarkable is not necessarily the musics ability to unnerve, but rather its emotional emphasis and superb mixture of light comedy with terror. As the title suggests, the main course of this decedent horror feast is the creation of The Bride. It is no mere coincidence then that the most memorable music cue comes upon the moment of The Brides most unnatural birth. As she is displayed for the first time in all her madness with that iconic white streak through her hair, the music celebrates with a cacophony of joyous, yet disconcerting bells. High strings bounce along her ghostly theme just long enough for the film to reach its disastrously bleak ending. The music is as lush and provocative as the film itself. Some cues, if taken out of context, could easily be mistaken an excerpt from an opera minus the voice. Its more than simple musical theme manipulation: its a respectable piece of classical music... that just so happens to have been written for a horror movie.