Crystal Lake Nightmares interview with Friday the 13th composer Harry Manfredini
The Friday the 13th franchise is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion, a convention called Crystal Lake Nightmares was recently held in California, featuring dozens of guests who contributed to bringing this beloved franchise to the screen. JoBlo’s own Ryan Cultrera attended and had the opportunity to speak with several guests, including composer Harry Manfredini, the creator of the iconic “Ki Ki Ki Ma Ma Ma” sound effect and the music for most of the films in the franchise. You can discover what Manfredini shared about his work on the franchise in the video embedded above.
Manfredini composed the scores for Friday the 13th (1980), Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981), Friday the 13th Part III (1982), Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984), Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985), and Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI (1986), before passing some of his music tracks to Fred Mollin, who composed for the seventh and eighth films. Manfredini returned to the franchise to provide music for Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993) and Jason X (2001), as well as for the 2017 video game and the 2013 documentary Crystal Lake Memories.
Outside of the Friday the 13th franchise, Manfredini’s music can be heard in films such as The Children (1980), Wes Craven’s Swamp Thing (1982), The Hills Have Eyes Part II (1984), Slaughter High (1985), House (1985), House II: The Second Story (1987), DeepStar Six (1989), House III: The Horror Show (1989), Aces: Iron Eagle III (1992), House IV (1992), Kickboxer 3: The Art of War (1992), My Boyfriend’s Back (1993), Wishmaster (1997), Terminal Invasion (2002), multiple 1313 movies, and others like Morgan: Killer Doll, Jurassic Reborn, among many more.
If you’re a fan of ’80s horror, you’ve likely encountered much of his music. I watch the Friday the 13th movies so frequently that his music has become practically the soundtrack of my life.
Are you a fan of Harry Manfredini’s work? Check out our interview with the composer, then share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
Arrow in the Head
