With the broadcast of the highly anticipated Toy Story of Terror! television special just one day away in North America (airing Oct 27 & on-demand on Oct 25 in the UK), the wait is almost over. The good news is that as of today you can download the full 21-minute soundtrack that accompanies the spooky, yet hilarious special. If you’re avoiding spoilers though, you may want to wait until after the air date to listen to the soundtrack as the song titles may give away some moments from the short.
As we’ve known for quite some time, the soundtrack itself is scored by Pixar veteran composer, Michael Giacchino (The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Up, Cars 2, One Man Band, and La Luna). We can confidently say that if you’re a fan of Michael’s other works, this will not disappoint you in any way. The soundtrack is full of Giacchino’s usual flare, but this time you also get the added bonus of traditional horror film elements as well.
From the pacing of the soundtrack, you can tell there are going to be plenty of moments while watching the film that will make you jump in your seat. The quiet moments build to a momentous punch of strings and horns on “Why’d It Have to Be Crawl Spaces?” in a way that you’ve come to anticipate in a horror film (like when someone jumps out from behind a corner).
The soundtrack is split into two sections where the first half really builds the layers of worry and despair, while the second half really accents the heroic and action-packed moments when we’re introduced to Combat Carl. The track, “Ballad of Combat Carl” is one of the only character themes that we’re introduced to in the soundtrack with brassy, militant touches that truly let you know that Carl is a war hero who’s seen his share of battles.
“World’s Worst Curtain Call” contains a few quick throw-backs to the Toy Story soundtrack which is really great to hear. Those familiar character cues really take you back to the feelings of heroism that you get when watching the now-classic Toy Story franchise.
We couldn’t be happier with the soundtrack and are extremely pleased that Pixar decided to release the official score to pair with the film’s release. Now all you have to do is wait until tomorrow night (October 16th) to see how the soundtrack melds with the film’s visuals.
