Alan Howarth (born 1948) is an American composer and sound designer who has worked on soundtracks for Hollywood films including the Star Trek and Halloween series, and is known for his collaborations with film director and composer John Carpenter.
Alan Howarth grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. Playing music in local rock bands, he opened for national touring acts including The Who and Cream.[ citation needed ] He then began to create original music in bands Braino and Pi Corp, using synthesizers. From 1976 he provided synthesizer support for fusion jazz band Weather Report,[ citation needed ] which relocated him to Los Angeles. Howarth caught his big break in 1980 when his music was used for a Star Trek movie trailer. After that he worked on the next five Star Trek films. [1]
This biographical article is written like a résumé .(June 2016) |
Howarth's collaborations with John Carpenter include: Escape from New York , Halloween II, Halloween III: Season of the Witch , Christine, Big Trouble in Little China , Prince of Darkness and They Live .
His music has been featured in films like The Osterman Weekend , The Lost Empire , Retribution , Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers , Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers , Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers , The Dentist and The Dentist 2 , Boo , Evilution, Basement Jack , Hansel and Gretel , Zombie Night, and Brutal.
His award-winning sound designs have appeared in Star Trek: The Motion Picture , Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , Star Trek V: The Final Frontier , and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , Raiders of the Lost Ark , Poltergeist, Back to the Future Part II , Back to the Future Part III , The Little Mermaid and Total Recall. His team received Academy Award awards for Best Sound Effects for The Hunt for Red October and Bram Stoker's Dracula directed by Francis Ford Coppola.[ citation needed ] He has also created some sound effects for Sound Ideas's award-winning "Series 6000: The General" royalty-free sound effects library.
Howarth performs his film scores in live concert to excerpts from the films, and has performed in Geneva, Kraków, St. Petersburg, New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, London and Paris.
Howarth pioneered immersive multi-channel surround sound systems with Steven Taylor's "Dimension Audio" that included the early prototype theatrical 48.4 systems that are now known as Dolby Atmos and DTS sound immersion. His current research has resulted in founding of RA Music, which holds several worldwide patents[ citation needed ] for the conversion of standard musical recordings into tunings of the Natural Frequency Spectrum as defined by nature, science and ancient architecture.[ clarification needed ]
Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1979 | Star Trek: The Motion Picture | Sound effects creator | |
1980 | The Final Countdown | Special sound effects, composer | |
Galaxina | Special sound effects | ||
Battle Beyond the Stars | |||
1981 | Student Bodies | Electronic music producer, electronic music recording | |
Escape From New York | Sound effects, music composer | With John Carpenter | |
Halloween II | Music composer | ||
Raiders of the Lost Ark | Special sound effects | Uncredited | |
1982 | Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan | ||
Poltergeist | |||
National Lampoon's Class Reunion | |||
Flying High II: The Sequel | |||
The Thing | Special sound effects, additional music | With John Carpenter | |
Halloween III: Season of the Witch | Music composer | ||
1983 | Christine | ||
The Osterman Weekend | Electronic sound designer | ||
Twilight Zone: The Movie | Special sound effects | ||
1984 | Star Trek III: The Search for Spock | ||
Gremlins | Uncredited | ||
Buckaroo Banzai | Special synthesized sound effects | ||
Exterminator 2 | Sound effects creator | ||
Hyperspace | Synthesized sound effects | ||
The Lost Empire | Music composer | ||
1985 | Head Office | With James Newton Howard | |
Runaway Train | Electronic sound effects | ||
My Science Project | Special sound effects | ||
1986 | Wired to Kill | ||
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home | |||
Duet for One | Electronic sound effects | ||
Big Trouble in Little China | Music composer | With John Carpenter | |
1987 | Prince of Darkness | ||
Retribution | |||
The Running Man | Sound processing | ||
1988 | Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers | Music composer | |
Brothers in Arms | |||
They Live | Music composer, synthesized sound effects | With John Carpenter | |
Beetlejuice | Special sound effects | Uncredited | |
Norman's Awesome Experience | Sound | ||
Phantasm II | Sound designer | ||
1989 | Star Trek V: The Final Frontier | Special sound effects | |
The Little Mermaid | Processed sound effects | ||
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers | Music composer | ||
1990 | The Hunt for Red October | Additional sound effects | |
Class of 1999 | Electronic sound effects, sound effects editor | ||
Back to the Future Part III | Special sound effects | Uncredited | |
Total Recall | |||
RoboCop 2 | |||
DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp | Processed sound effects | ||
The Rescuers Down Under | |||
Project Alien | Special effects sound editor | ||
1991 | Final Approach | Additional sound effects | |
Cool as Ice | Additional sound design | ||
Salmonberries | Sound design | ||
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country | Special sound effects | ||
Grand Canyon | Special sound effects editor | ||
The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe | Music composer | ||
1992 | Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama | ||
Honey, I Blew Up the Kid | Special sound effects | ||
Army of Darkness | Sound designer, sound supervisor | ||
Bram Stoker's Dracula | Additional sound effects | ||
The Waterdance | Sound effects editor | ||
Fortress | |||
1994 | The Mask | ||
Stargate | Processed sound effects | ||
1995 | Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers | Music composer | |
Tank Girl | Special sound effects | ||
1996 | The Dentist | Music composer, special sound effects | |
Mørkeleg | Music composer | ||
1998 | The Dentist 2 | ||
1999 | Her Married Lover | ||
The Omega Code | Music composer, special sound effects | ||
She's All That | Additional sound designer | ||
2000 | The Prince of Light | Music composer, sound | |
Alone with a Stranger | Music composer | ||
2002 | Britney, Baby, One More Time | Sound designer | |
Star Trek: Incident at Beta 9 | Sound effects | ||
2003 | The Sleep of Reason | Supervising sound editor | |
2005 | Boo | Music composer | |
2007 | Headless Horseman | Music composer, sound designer | |
2008 | The Spiderwick Chronicles | Special sound designer | |
Evilution | Music composer | ||
2012 | Brutal | ||
Dead Shadows | Sound designer, sound mixer | ||
2019 | Hoax | Sound designer |
John Howard Carpenter is an American filmmaker, composer, and actor. Most commonly associated with horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s, he is generally recognized as a master of the horror genre. At the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, the French Directors' Guild gave him the Golden Coach Award and lauded him as "a creative genius of raw, fantastic, and spectacular emotions".
Halloween III: Season of the Witch is a 1982 American science fiction horror film and the third installment in the Halloween film series. It is the first film to be written and directed by Tommy Lee Wallace. John Carpenter and Debra Hill, the creators of Halloween and Halloween II, return as producers. Halloween III is the only entry in the series that does not feature the series antagonist, Michael Myers. After the film's disappointing reception and box office performance, Michael Myers was brought back six years later in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988).
Jerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer known for his work in film and television scoring. He composed scores for five films in the Star Trek franchise and three in the Rambo franchise, as well as for films including Logan's Run, Planet of the Apes, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Patton, Papillon, Chinatown, The Omen, Alien, Poltergeist, The Secret of NIMH, Medicine Man, Gremlins, Hoosiers, Total Recall, Basic Instinct, Air Force One, L.A. Confidential, Mulan, and The Mummy. He also composed the fanfares accompanying the production logos used by multiple major film studios, and music for the Disney attraction Soarin'.
Michael Myers is a character from the slasher film series Halloween. He first appears in 1978 in John Carpenter's Halloween as a young boy who murders his elder sister, Judith Myers. Fifteen years later, he returns home to Haddonfield, Illinois, to murder more teenagers. In the original Halloween, the adult Michael Myers, referred to as The Shape in the closing credits, was portrayed by Nick Castle for most of the film and substituted by Tony Moran in the final scene where Michael's face is revealed. The character was created by John Carpenter and has been featured in twelve films, as well as novels, video games, and comic books.
Benjamin Burtt Jr. is an American sound designer, film director and editor, screenwriter, and voice actor. As a sound designer, his credits include the Star Wars and Indiana Jones film series, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), WALL-E (2008), and Star Trek (2009).
Halloween II is a 1981 American slasher film directed by Rick Rosenthal, in his directorial debut, written and produced by John Carpenter and Debra Hill, and starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence, who reprise their respective roles as Laurie Strode and Dr. Sam Loomis. It is the second installment in the Halloween film series and is a continuation sequel to Halloween (1978). The plot picks up directly after the cliffhanger ending of the first film, with Michael Myers following survivor Laurie Strode to the local hospital, while his psychiatrist Dr. Loomis continues his pursuit of him.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers is a 1988 American slasher film directed by Dwight H. Little, written by Alan B. McElroy, and starring Donald Pleasence, Ellie Cornell, and Danielle Harris in her film debut. It is the fourth entry in the Halloween franchise and marks the return of Michael Myers, as the primary antagonist, after his absence in Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982), a standalone film.
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers is a 1995 American supernatural slasher film directed by Joe Chappelle, written by Daniel Farrands, and starring Donald Pleasence, Paul Rudd, Marianne Hagan, and Mitch Ryan. The sixth installment in the Halloween film series, the plot depicts Michael Myers hunting down the infant son of his niece, Jamie Lloyd. The film marks the final appearance of Donald Pleasence as Dr. Sam Loomis before his death, as well as the feature film debut of Paul Rudd, who portrays a now adult Tommy Doyle from the original Halloween (1978).
Halloween is an American slasher media franchise that consists of thirteen films, as well as novels, comic books, a video game and other merchandise. The films primarily focus on Michael Myers, who was committed to a sanitarium as a child for the murder of his sister, Judith Myers. Fifteen years later, he escapes to stalk and kill the people of the fictional town of Haddonfield, Illinois. Michael's killings occur on the holiday of Halloween, on which all of the films primarily take place. Throughout the series various protagonists try to stop Myers including, most notably, babysitter Laurie Strode and psychiatrist Dr. Samuel Loomis. The original Halloween, released in 1978, was written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill—the film's director and producer respectively. The film, itself inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and Bob Clark's Black Christmas, is known to have inspired a long line of slasher films.
Nicholas Castle is an American screenwriter, film director, and actor. He is known for playing Michael Myers in John Carpenter's horror film Halloween (1978). He also had a cameo as Myers in Halloween (2018). Castle also co-wrote Escape from New York (1981) with Carpenter. After Halloween, Castle became a director, taking the helm of films such as The Last Starfighter (1984), The Boy Who Could Fly (1986), Dennis the Menace (1993), and Major Payne (1995).
Thomas Lee Wallace is an American film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in the horror genre, directing films such as Halloween III: Season of the Witch and Fright Night Part 2 and also directing the 1990 television miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's epic horror novel It. He is a long-time collaborator of director John Carpenter, receiving his first credit as art director on Carpenter's directorial debut Dark Star. Along with Charles Bornstein, he edited both the original Halloween film and The Fog.
Halloween is a 1978 American independent slasher film directed, co-written, and scored by John Carpenter. Starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis, with P. J. Soles and Nancy Loomis in supporting roles, the film is set mostly in the fictional town of Haddonfield, Illinois. The plot centers on a mental patient, Michael Myers, who was committed to a sanitarium for murdering his teenage sister on Halloween night when he was a child. Fifteen years later, having escaped and returned to his hometown, he stalks teenage babysitter Laurie Strode and her friends while under pursuit by his psychiatrist Dr. Samuel Loomis.
Escape from New York: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is a soundtrack album composed and performed by John Carpenter, featuring the score to the 1981 film Escape from New York.
Halloween II is a 2009 American slasher film written, directed, and produced by Rob Zombie. The film is a sequel to Zombie's 2007 remake of 1978's Halloween and the tenth installment in the Halloween franchise. The story follows Laurie Strode as she deals with the aftermath of the previous film's events, Dr. Loomis who is trying to capitalize on those events with a new book, and Michael Myers as he seeks to reunite with his sister. The film sees the return of lead cast members from the 2007 film Malcolm McDowell as Loomis, Scout Taylor-Compton as Strode, and Tyler Mane as Myers, respectively. Sheri Moon Zombie, Brad Douriff, and Danielle Harris also return from its predecessor.
Halloween II is a soundtrack by John Carpenter for the 1981 film of the same name. It was released in 1981 through Varèse Sarabande. An expanded 30th Anniversary Edition was released in 2009 through Alan Howarth Incorporated.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch is a soundtrack by John Carpenter & Alan Howarth for the film of the same name. It was released in 1982 on vinyl through MCA Records and on CD through Varèse Sarabande. An expanded 25th Anniversary Edition was released in 2007 through Alan Howarth Incorporated. It was the final Halloween soundtrack to be produced by Carpenter, who would eventually return to the franchise to score 2018's Halloween.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers is a soundtrack by Alan Howarth for the film of the same name. It was released on September 28, 1988 through Varèse Sarabande. A limited expanded edition was released in 2011 through Alan Howarth Incorporated. It is the first Halloween soundtrack not to be produced by John Carpenter.
Halloween is the soundtrack album to the 2018 film Halloween, which is the eleventh installment in the Halloween franchise and a sequel to the 1978 film of the same name. The film was directed by David Gordon Green and written by Green, Jeff Fradley, and Danny McBride. It stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Nick Castle who reprise their roles as Laurie Strode and Michael Myers, with stuntman James Jude Courtney, who also portrays Myers.
Halloween Kills (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2021 film Halloween Kills, directed by David Gordon Green; a sequel to Green's Halloween (2018) and the twelfth instalment in the Halloween franchise. John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies, who previously scored for the first film, returned for the sequel. As similar to the predecessor, John had reused the original theme from the 1978 film using modern interpretations.