The 'Burbs

After confronting horrors spanning from simian slavers (Planet of the Apes) to bloodthirsty cosmic parasites (Alien) to serial killer Norman Bates (Psycho II), composer Jerry Goldsmith tackles the greatest threat of them all -- American suburbia -- with his deliciously weird and witty score for the 1988 black comedy The Burbs. Reuniting with director Joe Dante, for whom he scored 1984's Gremlins, Goldsmith wryly subverts traditional horror motifs like wheezing organs, ritual drums, and electronic effects to evoke in Technicolor splendor the chills and thrills lurking behind the white-picket fences. He even invokes his landmark Patton theme to hilarious effect. The end result is a score as daffy and daring as Carl Stalling's classic Looney Tunes efforts -- the perfect accompaniment to Dante's uniquely anarchic vision. ~ Jason Ankeny