Soundtrack Interview

Bruce Cohen of The Reds

 
MCRS : Was the original music created before, during or after the shooting
of the movie and how long did the process take? 

BC: We composed the music after the filming. Mann sent us a 3 hour uncut
version without sound effects to watch along with a cue sheet indicating
where he wanted music. We took about 2 weeks in NYC then another 2 
weeks in LA to lay down the tracks.


MCRS : The music cue that plays during the aborted attempt to capture
the killer sounds like your work, would this be a correct assumption ?

BC:  The scene with the jogger was a cue we recorded for that scene
entitled  "Jogger"

MCRS:  Were there many unused cues created for Manhunter by yourselves?

BC:
I have in my possession a cassette of all the cues we recorded that 
were used in Manhunter and those that weren't. We recorded music for
a few scenes that Michael either decided he didn't want music or wanted
to use an actual song for those scenes. 



BC: One piece which wasn't used was the scene where Will is in the yard
up in the tree looking into the house. Also we recorded music for the
fantasy scene  where Will sees the Mrs. Leeds rise out of the bed with the
silver eyes, which wasn't used. 

BC: Here's a little trivia for you. Michael asked us to write a list a title names for
the movie when the name Red Dragon was decided not to be used. We came up
with all kinds of stuff. My favorite was Blood from the Moonlight. Manhunter was 
not my favorite. I don't remember who came up with that but I think it was Dino
DeLaurentiis.


BC: Also when Michael first showed us the scene with Dolarhyde chasing
the blind  girl in his house Iron Butterfly just started playing out of nowhere.
And me and my partner, Rick just looked at each other and said to Michael, 
why is that playing? Mann says to us well that's what Dolarhyde is listening
to on his stereo. At this point there was no action showing the eight track
being put into the machine. So we said to Michael why don't you show him
putting in a tape or starting a turntable showing that he is about to play Iron 
Butterfly as if he was supplying his own music for the chase. Well that is 
what he did, Mann went back and showed us a new scene showing
Dolarhyde (actually just a hand) putting in the tape of Iron Butterfly. I think
it made the scene even nuttier....that this guy was really off his rocker to 
put on Iron Butterfly for his music. 

One more story on this.....we told Michael  that Hendrix's "Voodoo Child"
would have been a great choice too..even just  for the song title.

Find out more on The Reds at http://www.stereosociety.com/reds.html