PREMIERE: Steve Moore’s ‘VFW’ Soundtrack Cue ‘Run Lizard Run’

VFW — from director Joe Begos (Bliss) — is a compelling film and a downright good time. Someone once referred to it as “The Expendables for cool character actors” and I agree with that. The B-movie charm and batshit crazy violence and narrative histrionics, along with the camaraderie of a cast of bona fide talents, is truly a blast to experience. Augmenting this is the exquisitely kinetic and nostalgic synth score from Steve Moore (Mayhem, The Guest, Bliss). Today, Vehlinggo is proud to premiere “Run Lizard Run,” a cue from the soundtrack that Lakeshore Records and Fangoria release on Friday.

Moore is the co-founder of the eminently important duo Zombi, along with Anthony Paterra, and was a contributor to Valerie and Friends. He is known for invoking the tone and spirit of 1980s synth scores from the likes of John Carpenter and Tangerine Dream and creating something richly evocative and new from it. It’s a nostalgia that never lets its cheese get moldy, that’s for certain. His craft fits well with the story of VFW, which is about a guy named Fred (Stephen Lang) and his military buddies who must defend their local VFW post – and an innocent teen – against a deranged drug dealer and his relentless army of punk mutants. These Vietnam vets have been to hell and back, but this will be the longest night of their lives.

“The stakes felt pretty high for this one,” Moore said in a statement. “The real challenge was matching the intensity of the performances, which are fantastic. My influences also included ’80s Tangerine Dream soundtracks like Near Dark, Alan Silvestri’s Predator scores and late 80s/early 90s metal — the slow stuff like Obituary and Winter.”

Get the score through several potential channels.

Tracklist for Steve Moore’s VFW Soundtrack

01. Opening
02. Is it Real?
03. Montage
04. Do What You Gotta Do
05. Run Lizard Run
06. Axe Attack
07. Hey Punk
08. While the Larger Force Regroups
09. Alive
10. Now the Girl Talks
11. Enough to Kill the Kid Over
12. The Mud
13. I Think We’re Gonna be Fine
14. Walk it Off
15. One More For the Road
16. Let’s Make a Deal
17. There’s No Negotiating
18. Fire it Up
19. Follow My Lead
20. Hello Fred
21. Murder is Subjective
22. Nobody’s Gonna Take this Ridge
23. The Deuce and a Half
24. I Like This Place
25. End of the Line
26. Happy Birthday Old Man
27. End Credits

About Joe Begos’ VFW

The film’s cast is stacked with recognizable faces and names: Martin Kove (Karate Kid, Cobra Kai); William Sadler (Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey, Bill and Ted Face The Music); Stephen Lang (Avatar, Don’t Breathe, Manhunter); David Patrick Kelly (Twin Peaks, The Warriors, John Wick, Malcolm X); George Wendt (Cheers); and Fred Williamson (Hammer, Black Caesar, From Dusk Til Dawn). They’re joined by the likes of Sierra McCormick and Tom Williamson, among others.

The Fangoria-produced film is out in select theatres and VOD on Friday, Feb. 14, the same day as the soundtrack. See it with your special someone.

For more information on the players discussed in this post: Fangoria — Lakeshore Records — Steve Moore.