DISGRACELAND – Bonus Episode: Why Does Hollywood Ignore The Most Impactful Music?

Podcast: DISGRACELAND
Host: Jake Brennan (Double Elvis Productions)
Air Date: October 30, 2025

Episode Overview

This bonus "After Party" episode explores a central paradox in film history and the music industry: why does Hollywood, particularly the Academy Awards, routinely overlook the most impactful and influential music in cinema—especially from the horror genre? Host Jake Brennan dives into the iconic, unsettling power of horror movie scores, discusses Hollywood’s persistent snubbing of such soundtracks, rewinds to the history and myth of ACDC, and spotlights listener contributions about the scariest movies ever made. As always, Brennan delivers the content with the reverent, irreverent, and conspiratorial tone that defines DISGRACELAND.

Main Discussion: The Exorcist, Horror Movie Music, and Hollywood's Blind Spot

[02:40] – The Exorcist & the Impact of Horror Movie Scores

• Iconic Fear through Music: Jake describes the visceral impact The Exorcist (1973) had on audiences, from fainting and vomiting to heart attacks and even a miscarriage—sensations intensified not just by visuals, but by the haunting score.
• Critical Point: “Horror movie music, unlike music in other film genres, is essential to the success of a film. Horror movie music is also the most memorable music in cinema. Think of films like Psycho, the Shining, and yes, The Exorcist and try to imagine these movies without the music. You really can't.”
  (Jake Brennan, 03:55)

[04:02] – The Oscar Snub of "Tubular Bells"

• The Exorcist was nominated for 10 Academy Awards—including Best Picture, Acting, Directing, and more—but NOT for Best Original Score or Song, despite the legendary status of Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells.”
• Jake’s take:
  “As a kid growing up in the 70s and 80s, I knew that music before I ever even saw the film. It's iconic, like the music of so many other horror films. But Tubular Bells almost didn't happen, at least not in the Exorcist.”
  (Jake Brennan, 06:00)

[06:30] – The Backstory: Friedkin’s Hunt for the Perfect Sound

• Director William Friedkin rejected scores by Bernard Herrmann (of Psycho fame) and Lalo Schifrin (who wrote the Mission Impossible theme), to the point of literally throwing Schifrin’s score out a window.
• Friedkin found “Tubular Bells” by chance—an unknown, synth-driven prog rock piece by 19-year-old Mike Oldfield—which became the defining sound of cinematic dread.

[07:35] – The Academy's Horror Apathy

• The Academy rarely nominates horror films for Best Original Score. After Jaws (1976, John Williams) and The Omen (1977, Jerry Goldsmith), it’s happened only three times in 50 years:
  • Amityville Horror (1980)
  • Interview with the Vampire (1995)
  • The Village (2005)
• Jake lists other overlooked horror masterpieces (e.g., Suspiria, The Shining, Hereditary, Get Out), all featuring remarkable music.

[09:15] – Summing Up the Irony

• The Academy’s mission is “to recognize excellence and inspire the next generation of filmmakers.” Jake questions, “What’s more human than fear? And fear as expressed in film is done so most effectively with great music. Music you can’t forget, but somehow music Hollywood disgracefully ignores.”
  (Jake Brennan, 09:40)

Listener Interaction & Community Calls

(Segment resumes after [12:25] with community contributions)

Question of the Week

• Prompt: What's the scariest movie of all time?
• Next Week: The greatest rock album of all time.

Listener Voicemails and Texts

[15:14] – Matt from 414:

• Picks Baskin (Turkish horror) as the scariest movie he’s seen, with Martyrs (French extreme horror) as an honorable mention.

Jake’s Response:
“I've never heard of this movie. I'm intrigued. Something about Turkey scares the hell out of me. I had a sketchy flight from Turkey once… I love these recommendations.”
(15:55)

[16:22] – Tony from 206:

• Calls out Videodrome (David Cronenberg) for being so disturbing he couldn’t finish in one sitting.
• Loves The Strangers for its old-school home invasion terror: “No backstory to who these three killers are. They just show up and just terrorize the hell out of this couple.”
• Recommends 1408 (“I think that's a movie that doesn't get talked about enough in the conversation of good horror films.”)

Jake’s Response:
“Videodrome is awesome. Yes, it's a lot... I could not agree more about Strangers. One of the absolute scariest films I've ever seen, if not the scariest film I've ever seen. I love it. I love the simplicity of it. I think that that has a lot to do with why it's so frightening. Something about the subject matter. The home invasion piece that just. Oh, man. What's scarier than a home invasion?”
(17:37)

[18:55] – Lisa from 907:

• Asserts The Blair Witch Project as her scariest—especially the famous ending, which gave her chills for the rest of the night.

Jake’s Response:
“We forget how huge Blair Witch Project was culturally. For those of us who were there at the time, it was a massive movie… It was just one of those things that was like wildfire and you had to see it.”
(19:55)

[20:44] – 703 (No Name):

• Childhood horror: Saw both The Exorcist and Phantasm at ages 7 and 8 (unbeknownst to parents), still haunted.

Jake’s Response:
“I can't imagine seeing The Exorcist as a 7 year old. Nevermind as a 7 year old in 1973 when it was released… After everything I gave you earlier in the B block about what it was like for theatergoers… The thing that really got to people and that made them nauseous in the theaters… was the needle and the blood splurt. And he [Blatty] said that was it every time.”
(21:45)

[22:54] – 309 (No Name):

• Grateful new listener; shares he and his wife run a dance and performing arts studio.
• Loves the show’s personal touches: “Side note, that's one of my favorite parts of the show.”

Jake’s Response:
“I just like thinking about people out there getting through their day, listening to the stuff we put together... it just makes me feel good.”
(23:30)

Community Reminders & Calls to Action

• Next week’s question: What's the greatest rock album of all time? (Call/text/email with responses!)

DISGRACELAND Updates & Miscellaneous Segments

[24:50] Upcoming Content and Listener Mail

• AC/DC Part 2 preview: Upcoming episode will continue the story of drummer Phil Rudd, murder-for-hire allegations, and Back in Black's legendary position in rock history:
  “Back in Black is the second biggest selling album of all time. That's just incredible... but is it the greatest rock record of all time? I don't think so.”
  (Jake Brennan, 13:14)

• Listener Peter from Adelaide (Australia): Wants to know where to buy Disgraceland merch, shares love for the Ramones.

  • Find merch at: disgracelandpod.com/merch

• Daniel K., Berlin: Suggests an episode on Dr. John—episode is confirmed as in production.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Horror Music’s Place in Film:
  “Fear, as expressed in film, is done so most effectively with great music. Music you can't forget, but somehow music Hollywood disgracefully ignores.”
  (Jake Brennan, 09:40)

• On Scary Films Beyond Horror Genre:
  “We're gonna be nominating movies from Hollywood history that aren't horror but are so scary they could be considered horror. That makes sense. Great films that scare the hell out of you, but aren't horror movies.”
  (Jake Brennan, 12:30)

• Personal Touch:
  “I just like thinking about people out there getting through their day, listening to the stuff we put together… it makes me feel good.”
  (Jake Brennan, 23:30)

Listener Recommendations Recap

• Baskin (Turkey)
• Martyrs (France)
• Videodrome
• The Strangers
• 1408
• Blair Witch Project
• The Exorcist
• Phantasm

Additional Segments

[28:26] – 60 Second Sports Rant

• Jake’s quick but passionate take on the current World Series (Dodgers vs. Blue Jays), lamenting the state of his beloved Red Sox.

[32:05] Hollywoodland Update (w/ Dr. Zeth Lundy)

• Zeth discusses finally watching Evil Dead 2, its impact, and what makes horror cinema inventive and memorable.

Episode Wrap-Up & Key Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------------|--------------| | Main episode theme introduction | 02:26–02:47 | | The Exorcist and impact of horror music | 02:47–09:40 | | Listener horror movie picks/responses | 15:14–23:30 | | Greatest rock album of all time (next question) | 24:50–25:55 | | Listener mail on merch & episode requests | 25:55–27:55 | | Sports rant | 28:26–31:50 | | Hollywoodland/Evil Dead 2 review | 32:05–33:54 |

Final Takeaways

• DISGRACELAND challenges Hollywood’s ongoing dismissal of horror film music despite its lasting cultural impact and undeniable cinematic power.
• Listeners are invited to reflect on their own scariest movie experiences and best rock albums—building the show’s sense of community.
• The show balances reverent music history, dark myth, pop culture critique, and listener engagement with energy, sharp opinions, and humor.

How to Participate

• Submit answers/voicemails: Call 617-906-6638, email disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or post on social @disgracelandpod
• Merch: disgracelandpod.com/merch
• Exclusive content: Patreon or Apple Podcasts for “All Access” membership