While much has been written on the scores for quintessential gialli such as Argento’s Deep Red (Profondo Rosso), Fulci’s film—alternately titled Seven Notes in Black and Murder to the Tune of Seven Black Notes—inherently ties a music theme to the plot itself. In effect, its alternate titles not only appropriately reference the narrative, but seven particular notes mentioned creates a sense of foreboding. The number of notes is incorporated into the recurring main theme. Each repetition then builds suspense as the film moves toward its inevitable conclusion.

In this month’s “Finding the Sacred Among the Profane” column, Film Editor Sean Woodard explores The Color Purple ’s religious themes.

For this month’s Once Upon a Time in Film Scoring column, Sean examines Elmer Bernstein’s theme for the underrated Charles Bronson Western, From Noon Till Three.

In this month’s “Finding the Sacred Among the Profane” column, Film Editor Sean Woodard explores the themes of hope and spiritual righteousness in Frank Darabont’s adaptation of the Stephen King classic, The Shawshank Redemption.

Sean explores one of the best-settling soundtracks of the 1980s, Top Gun, in this month’s Once Upon a Time in Film Scoring column.

Film Editor Sean Woodard discusses the moral dilemma in Orca for this month’s “Finding the Sacred Among the Profane” column.

Dewey Cox is “guilty as charged” in Sean Woodard’s latest Once Upon a Time in Film Scoring column.

Film Editor Sean Woodard explores the intersection of doubt and faith in The Exorcism of Emily Rose for this month’s “Finding the Sacred Among the Profane” column.

Sean Woodard examines Ennio Morricone’s score for Sergio Leone’s magnus opus, Once Upon a Time in America .

Film Editor Sean Woodard explores the gratuitous violence in Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ and equates it with torture porn in his latest Finding the Sacred Among the Profane column.

Sean Woodard examines the importance of natural sound and the limited use of music in Martin Scorsese’s Silence.

By mixing religious and demonic imagery with the esoteric theories of Fulcanelli (which allude to an alchemical connection to the building of gothic cathedrals) to achieve this atmosphere, Soavi raises this convoluted, somewhat nonsensical horror film into a visually arresting cult classic.

As Llewyn aimlessly goes about the week—dealing with many issues including an ailing father, losing the Gorfeins’ cat, and the question of whether he impregnated his friend’s wife, Jean—the folk music heard in the film mirrors his circumstances and daily depression.

Why would someone put his life—and soul—on the line to save a girl he’d never met before? This question forms the basis of faith in William Friedkin’s 1973 adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist.

Richard Donner’s The Omen (1976) remains one of the seminal religious-themed horror films to have been released in the wake of Rosemary’s Baby (Polanski 1968) and The Exorcist (Friedkin 1973), cashing in on the socio-political and religious hysteria of the 1970s.

Vincent Price perhaps played his most sadistic role in Michael Reeves’ 1968 film Witchfinder General. The film is loosely based upon the real-life figure of Matthew Hopkins, who is believed to have been responsible for the death of over 300 people accused of witchcraft in the 1640s.

When people hear the phrase “stand by me,” they’ll most likely recall the classic Ben E. King song or the 1986 Rob Reiner film which shares its name. Adapted from Stephen King’s novella The Body, the film was nominated for an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay and has been cited in multiple publications as one of the best coming-of-age dramas. It is my favorite film and one of my main influences on becoming a writer.

Lucio Fulci, affectionately known among his fans as the “Italian Godfather of Gore,” directed a wide array of genre films including spaghetti westerns and comedies, but is most remembered for his Euro Horror films. While most casual fans may recognize him as the director of Zombie 2 (1979)—a pseudo-sequel to George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead (1978)—and The Beyond (1981), Fulci also contributed some solid entries in the 1970s to the giallo genre, including A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin (1971) and Don’t Torture a Duckling (1972).

Brian’s De Palma’s music-laden cult classic Phantom of the Paradise (1974) provides a zany look at how the music business operates. It also is an often hilarious spin on the Faust legend and Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera. For people who have never seen the film, I describe it as “Phantom-meets-Faust-meets-rock-two-years-before-Rocky Horror.”

In writer-director Bryan Bertino’s The Strangers (2008), a couple are subject to escalating terror when they are preyed upon by a trio of home invaders. Out of this simplistic premise, elements of faith are introduced that balance its otherwise nihilistic tone.