Ryan Shore - Composer

Featured Interview (40 minute podcast) - nontourage.com
Featured Interview (Career) - soundtrack.com
Featured Interview (Vulgar) - Film Score Monthly
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Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door

• It's refreshing how Ryan Shore skillfully avoids the musical cliches that could've turned The Girl Next Door into a generic sexploitation film score. Writing a shocking sting is easy, but crafting a score that addresses serious social themes within a dramatic thriller takes balls. There's little melodic content here, and even when it's exquisitely poignant, it's either underdeveloped -- perfectly matching title character Meg's short life -- or struggles to rise above dense layers of benthic tones during the child abuse scenes. Cues such as "Torture" manage to transport the listener right into that nasty basement, and makes one feel like a shackled voyeur. Unlike Shore's tender theme for "David and Meg", his secondary material for stepmom Ruth is very lean and clean in the way he nails her as a dark presence lurking beneath an almost sterile facade of manicured neatness. Available as a download, the score reaffirms Shore's talent for tackling seriously tough material. (RUE MORGUE MAGAZINE)

• The first authentically shocking American film I've seen since Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer over 20 years ago. If you are easily disturbed, you should not watch this movie. If, on the other hand, you are prepared for a long look into hell, suburban style, The Girl Next Door will not disappoint. This is the dark-side-of-the-moon version of Stand By Me." (STEPHEN KING)

• Composer Ryan Shore was tasked to enter the dungeon and express the brooding atmospheres necessary to propel the narrative through the firm acquiescence of the audience. It’s a very emotional film and hard watch yet Shore’s music helped ease us through the delicacies of the story with subtle efficiency. There are long haunting melodies and he’s careful not to comment upon the horrific images on screen directly but rather give them a soundboard for which to resonate. (AINTITCOOLNEWS.COM)

• Ryan Shore did an excellent job with the musical score. (AINTITCOOLNEWS.COM)

Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer

• The team deserves kudos for the studio-slick veneer they've achieved here, enhanced by Ryan Shore's equally lush score. (FANGORIA.COM)

• The ominous opening music is nearly the best part of Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer. (THE TORONTO STAR)

• What might be most unusual for a B-movie with only one name star, though, is the symphonic score, recorded live with a 93-piece orchestra and composed by Ryan Shore. (LA TIMES)

• Ryan Shore’s film score was very impressive. Such a good score should probably be accompanying an epic like BEN-HUR or some other heroic tale. (SATURDAY FRIGHT SPECIAL)

• The movie has a fantastic old-school-style musical score! (FEARNET.COM)

• The monsters themselves are impressively done up, fitting right in with a great full-orchestra score by Ryan Shore. (THE MONTREAL MIRROR)

• Classic horror viewers will love the old-school analog FX that realize plenty of blood and crunch – with a strong score by Ryan Shore to match. (FILMTHREAT.COM)

• The entire package is complimented by a cogent full orchestral score by Ryan Shore. (SHOCKTILLYOUDROP.COM)

Kettle of Fish

• Shore simply shines on his sax. It definitely is a must for any jazz fan given Shore’s marvellous source contributions to Kettle of Fish. I can’t praise it enough! (MUSICFROMTHEMOVIES.COM)

Numb

• Adding tremendously is a wonderful score by Ryan Shore. The music has a trippy, reverberating quality that lingers in the air like smoke. (OBSESSEDWITHFILM.COM)

Headspace

• This may be one of the most perfectly constructed musical scores for a horror film since The Sixth Sense. (NICKOLAS COOK)

• Ryan Shore’s score to Headspace is a mature work that stands up to repeat plays. With beautiful work throughout... this is no music to sit back to... and this score deserves your ear space. (MUSIC FROM THE MOVIES)

• Headspace is one of the most plain terrifying scores in a long time. It's chillingly effective and constantly rewarding. (MOVIE-WAVE.NET)

• Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of the score for Headspace is its maturity in using restraint. It is a quiet and prime work that is best listened to in the dark. (SOUNDTRACK.NET)

• This clearly shows that Shore is innovative and creative, infusing his music with a plethora of styles. Shore is clearly a talent to be watched. (SCOREWARS.COM)

• I also want to mention Ryan Shore’s original score, which may be one of the better horror soundtracks I’ve heard in recent years. It’s refreshingly short on nu-metal and if I’m not mistaken, I’m pretty sure I heard… a non-synthesized orchestra. It is so nice to hear real horror movie music again. (JOEHORROR.COM)

• Creating a unique atmosphere of tension and horror, composer Ryan Shore has written a fascinating orchestral score for the science fiction thriller Headspace. (CINESCAPE.COM)

• Ryan Shore has created quite a different style of music from the typical horror film. So many of the horror films today are headache producing, teeth grinding, and metal sounding with so much slashing and banging that your normal listening level needs to be turned down to listen to it at all. Yes, Ryan has included a small amount of that, but there is much more to offer. The first time I listened to the main theme in the first track "Headspace" I remembered the theme! -- It's a five note motif which is very distinct and then expanded on the piano, strings and electronics. Recommended. (GOLDENSCORES.COM)

A Letter from the Western Front

• My favorite part of the film is the original score. (ROGER EBERT & THE MOVIES)

212

• 212 is a pleasure to experience, and when you include some perfect music choices, it becomes a triple-scoop romantic comedy with New York flavors. (JOHN COOPER, Director of Programming, Sundance Film Festival)

Cadaverous

• Ryan Shore's score for Cadaverous gives the film a special character that it would not have had without the music. A special marriage has taken place between the music and the film, such that the film would not have been the same without it -- this is paramount in my criteria for the award. (Academy Award® winning film composer ELMER BERNSTEIN, upon awarding Ryan the Elmer Bernstein Award)

Prime

• The original music from Ryan Shore is trendy and fits in perfectly with the song selections in the film. The composer has been working steadily for a number of years now and this project is certainly one of his highest profile scores to date. Uncle Howard will be proud. (MUSIC FROM THE MOVIES)

Shadowplay

• I have always thought that the simplest things are the most beautiful and the score for Shadowplay is a perfect example of this. It's emotional carriage is huge. (SOUNDTRACK.COM)

Vulgar

• Like all good composers, Shore knows how to use silence, and he does so to great effect. The score to Vulgar is a fine piece of work. (FILM SCORE MONTHLY)

Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher

• Ryan Shore's rousing score is well steeped in the traditions of the great adventure themes. The 110-piece orchestra does Shore's compositions proud and helps the action along with a pounding sound that sounds just as rich as the film's visuals are impressive. (DVD TOONS)

Janita (CD)

• One of the strengths of this album is the arrangements, particularly the use of a real string section. Nothing overdone, nothing in your face, everything perfectly in place and exactly suited to every single beautiful song. The amazing song That's How Life Goes has a stunning melody lifted even higher by the genius string arrangement. (SOULSORTS U.K.)

Inside Film Music: Composer's Speak (BOOK)

• Immediately one is impressed by his opening discussion with film composer Ryan Shore on the basic terms and techniques of film music starting with that old chestnut, "Why is there a need for film music?". In fact this is the best, most complete description of the process I can ever remember. (MUSICWEB-INTERNATIONAL.COM)

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