Horror Extreme Movie Catalog

Warlock 2 is the original campy 90's Goth Sequel that I was glad Julian Sands signed on for. I couldn't wait to find and add this DVD into my library just because of him and also because of the sheer joy of watching this campy movie over and over again. Watch Warlock and then pop in the sequel to get it. Great Gothy Fun to Watch!

"Warlock: The Armageddon" was directed by Anthony Hickox, who, at the time, was on a roll producing a slew of cheesy, but fun B-horror films. "Warlock" is no exception, with an appropriately fun, over-the-top performance by Julian Sands as the Warlock, with a forgettable-yet-somehow-familiar supporting cast. For this sequel, new composer Mark McKenzie took the musical reins from Jerry Goldsmith, and his second feature film effort is an entertaining venture into fantasy with horror overtones.

Mark McKenzie's treatment of the film of more as a fantasy than a hard-core horror movie is appropriate, as the character story between the two young Druid Warriors takes a prominent frontal role in the film. The Druid theme is heroic and beautiful, with a touch of wonder and innocence, taking a cue from John William's Force theme to represent the protagonists. This theme is repeated throughout the score, and these melodic performances truly make the album.

However, this is a movie about the rise of Satan's son, and thus the main titles rise with a dark choral piece written in Latin for the Catholic Mass. The Warlock's theme is dark, imposing, and perhaps a little spooky, but not overly so... and it's melodic enough to make for a fun listen. In fact, our ears never suffer the loud screeches of string and percussive crashes that plague many horror scores, as McKenzie keeps the score harmonic throughout. The album wraps up with a nice suite of all the main themes from the score.

Overall, the score is an entertaining and pleasant listen. The sound quality is average, but not great on this recording, but the quality of the music makes up for it, especially the performances of the heroic Druid theme. The track "Ken's Magic" features perhaps the best performance of this theme, and this track alone, along with the performances in the main titles, make the album worth checking out.