John Carpenter’s soundtracks for the most recent Halloween trilogy, made alongside his frequent collaborators Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies, marked the legendary director and composer’s return to film scoring after nearly two decades away. 2018’s Halloween, 2021’s Halloween Kills, and 2022’s Halloween Ends were all directed by David Gordon Green, who engaged Carpenter early in the pre-production process, ultimately enlisting him as both an executive producer and soundtrack composer for the trilogy. Now, for the first time, expanded editions of all three scores are being made available by Carpenter’s long-time label, Sacred Bones Records. A deluxe box set collecting the definitive editions of all three scores, plus standalone versions of the expanded Halloween, Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends soundtracks, will be out on October 3rd.
In listening to the recent Halloween scores, the collaborative spirit among the composing trio is one of the first things that jumps out. The now-famous bowed guitar part on Halloween’s “The Shape Hunts Allyson,” like all the guitar parts strewn across the trilogy, is played by Daniel Davies. John calls Daniel “the adventurer” of the group, and credits him with introducing sounds he’d never have considered. Cody, who his father refers to as a “musical savant,” is an equally essential presence. It’s his steady, methodical hand that helps give shape to the ideas that fly around when these three get in a room together. The scores for the new films may be centred on familiar themes, but they’re also a lot more sonically diverse and musically audacious than anything John could have pulled off in 1978, when he made the original Halloween.
“Oh my God, I had three days, and I had me,” John recalls. “I didn’t have anybody who could play anything. No picture, no nothing. Just sit down and play. I would say, let me have a beat. And Dan Wyman, the synthesiser teacher at USC, would tune up the tube amps and I’d play that. It was really crude. If you listen to those scores, there’s not a lot of variation. It repeats a lot of the same music, over and over again. I’d go back with four or five pieces and cut it into the movie.”
That John was able to emerge from that situation with perhaps the greatest horror movie soundtrack of all time is a testament to his genius. The new Halloween scores provide different pleasures altogether. They’re the sound of three formidable musicians working in perfect lockstep, limited not by technology or time or budget but by their own imaginations. On the expanded editions of these great scores, John, Daniel, and Cody’s working process comes to life. To truly appreciate everything that went into them, you need to hear not only the big, show-stopping moments like “The Shape Hunts Allyson” but the short, interstitial cues that give these movies their shape and texture. With the expanded versions of all three soundtracks now becoming available for the first time, you can finally do just that.
Now for the first time ever, the complete Halloween trilogy – Halloween, Halloween Kills, and Halloween Ends – is being released in fully expanded editions. These definitive versions feature previously unreleased music cues that reveal new layers of the iconic scores. The expanded version of Halloween Kills features 25 unreleased music cues, while Halloween Ends adds 10 new tracks, deepening the movie’s haunting sonic energy. Halloween Expanded also returns with a brand new visual presentation, featuring all new artwork by Chris Bilheimer. These expanded scores are finally hitting streaming platforms, and will also be available in a wide range of physical formats, including various LPs and CD, with each expanded edition containing a poster designed by Creepy Duck.
In addition to the individual expanded releases, the Halloween: The Complete Expanded Collection will also be available as part of a deluxe limited box set, offered in 6xLP and 3xCD formats. These editions feature exclusive new packaging and artwork by Chris Bilheimer, along with expansive liner notes by music critic Brad Sanders, which include exclusive interviews with John Carpenter and director David Gordon Green, three collectible posters designed by Creepy Duck, a box set-exclusive poster design by Chris Bilheimer, and a deluxe lenticular cover that brings the artwork to life. For John Carpenter collectors, Halloween completists, and all fans of great film music, Halloween: The Complete Expanded Collection should be considered an essential, landmark release.
