Rest Stop: Don't Look Back – Soundtrack Review

In this second installment of the Rest Stop films, Corporal Tom Hilts is back home in Texas, on a 10-day leave from his overseas posting. He's hoping to find his brother Jesse, who disappeared a year ago on a trip to California with girlfriend Nicole.

Tom and his girlfriend Marilyn drive to California in his truck, along with his friend Jared, who's driving his old car. Things become scary when Jared stops at an old rest stop and is attacked by the driver of a yellow truck. Tom and Marilyn wait for him at the next rest stop, and Tom is also attacked and kidnapped by the same driver of the yellow truck. The ghost of Nicole appears to Marilyn in the restroom, and things get scarier from there. The movie, directed by Shawn Papazian, stars Richard Tillman as Tom Hills; Jessie Ward, Marilyn; Graham Norris, Jared; Joey Mendocino, Jesse; Julie Mond, Nicole; and Brionne Davis, The Driver. Rest Stop's music was composed by Bear McCreary. He was one of the proteges of the late movie composer Elmer Bernstein. He worked with Bernstein for almost 10 years. McCreary's written scores for TV shows such as Eureka, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and Battlestar Gallactica, Seasons 1-3. According to McCreary, the CD features the complete Don't Look Back score, but also his favorites from Rest Stop: Dead Ahead. He considers this CD as the definitive Rest Stop collection. The score has a good mix of instrumentals and songs. I liked the track "Tom and Marilyn", with its quiet guitar. It's a cool rock instrumental. "Cleansing the Sinner" is a fun gospel song; "All That Remains" is sung by Raya Yarborough. She sounds a little like Aimee Mann. "Lonely Woman," a ballad performed by Brendan McCreary, features great fiddles. "Trapped" has lots of fiddles again and the instrumentation creates a wall of dissonant sounds. The music makes you feel trapped! The tunes "Down Home Salvation" and "Jesus, He Forgives You Too" both sung by the Rev. Buford "Buck" Davis and His Minstrel Singers have a country-western, down-homey feel. I liked the CD, though I probably would not like the movie since it's a horror film. The CD stands up on its own merit.