Press Release from Dragon's Domain: Dragon’s Domain Records presents KILLER PARTY for the first time, featuring music composed by John Beal (TERROR IN THE AISLES, THE FUNHOUSE) for the 1986 horror comedy directed by William Fruet, written by Barney Cohen and starring Martin Hewitt, Ralph Seymour, Elaine Wilkes and Paul Bartel.
Written by Barney Cohen of FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER fame, KILLER PARTY is a Canadian supernatural slasher film with comedic tongue-in-cheek overtones directed by William Fruet. A native of Alberta, Canada, Fruet directed a stream of low-budget horror flicks throughout the 1970s–80s including THE HOUSE BY THE LAKE, FUNERAL HOME, and SPASMS, before venturing into television to direct episodes of FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE SERIES, WAR OF THE WORLDS, and GOOSEBUMPS.
Released the same year as the seminal slasher APRIL FOOL’S DAY, KILLER PARTY lacerates the traditional April Fool’s joke to the nth degree. After a series of false introductions, the real plot of the movie revolves around a trio of young ladies who make a pact to pledge Sigma Alpha Pi, a popular sorority at their university during Hell Week. In spite of Mrs. Henshaw’s warning, the sorority sisters decide to hold their annual April Fool’s Night hazing ritual at Pratt House anyway. And the body count starts to rise…
The music for KILLER PARTY was composed and conducted by John Beal. A combat veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Beal is a prolific composer and conductor internationally recognized for his work with major recording artists including Elton John, Gladys Knight, Olivia Newton-John, Ella Fitzgerald, B.B. King, and Deadmau5 to name a few. As principal conductor of the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra, Maestro Beal has traveled the world directing orchestral performances in cities including London, Tokyo, Antwerp, Prague, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, and Luxembourg. In addition to his extensive conducting experience, Beal is also an accomplished composer having scribed scores for forty-five theatrical motion pictures including THE FUNHOUSE, TERROR IN THE AISLES and multiple television series.
Beal’s eclectic score for KILLER PARTY is the quintessential amalgam of 1980s synthesizer technology fused with live performances. Composed in just two weeks with the help of trusted friend and orchestrator Douglas Timm), Beal amassed fifty hefty minutes of avant-garde horror music far surpassing the strict budgetary limitations. An arsenal of high-tech gadgets including a Yamaha DX7, Fairlight CMI, and a mellotron were intermixed with a modest string section comprised of eight musicians and one player each performing trumpet, trombone, and tuba.
Dragon’s Domain Records presents the world premiere release of KILLER PARTY, featuring music composed by John Beal, mastered by James Nelson at Digital Outland. The booklet contains liner notes written by author and composer Brian Satterwhite, with the participation of the composer.
