For their second full length outing, Oingo Boingo expand on the hyperactive sound of their debut by adding more aggressive guitars and even a bit of dance funk. The single and video for 'Private Life' got further MTV and west coast radio attention, displaying the band as what can be described as institution escapees or a circus attraction gone mad. Elfman’s crazed vocal style adds tremendous energy to the layered, complex musical arrangement on the vibrant 'Grey Matter' and 'Insects'. 'Wild Sex (In The Working Class)' and 'Nothing To Fear (But Fear Itself)' are like jack-hammers pounding with energy and excitement, with the former included in the popular 1984 coming-of-age comedy Sixteen Candles. 'Whole Day Off' was released as a promotional single, showcasing a more laid back funky dance sound, while 'Reptiles and Samurai' closes the album focusing firmly on electronics.
Taking the musical reins from the legendary Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner boarded the Starship Enterprise to deliver what would prove to be his breakthrough score. A surprisingly dark, emotional effort some distance removed from Goldsmith's utopian fanfare, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was instrumental in steering the franchise into more complex territory. Horner's lucid melodies and sweeping orchestral arrangements possess a sense of genuine danger and malice long absent from Star Trek's musical backdrop, climaxing in the profoundly emotional catharsis of "Spock." His efforts lend Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's vision a newfound gravitas.
The Thing (also known as John Carpenter's The Thing) is a 1982 science fiction horror film directed by John Carpenter, written by Bill Lancaster, and starring Kurt Russell. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist, a parasitic extraterrestrial lifeform that assimilates other organisms and in turn imitates them. The Thing infiltrates an Antarctic research station, taking the appearance of the researchers that it absorbs, and paranoia occurs within the group.