New Horror Movie ‘Hostel’ Has Ties to Mackinac Island

Nathan Barr

Nathan Barr, a Los Angeles film composer whose family has a cottage on the West Bluff, has his latest work in the new horror film, “Hostel,” which was released Friday, January 6.

Mr. Barr, the son of Penny and John Barr of Mackinac Island and Bronxville, New York, composed the music for one of last summer’s biggest motion pictures, “Dukes of Hazzard.”

He has been in Los Angeles since 1996 when he studied under Hans Zimmer, an Academy Award-winning film composer of “Lion King.” Since then, Mr. Barr has composed dozens of film scores, including “Broken Lizard’s Club Dread” in 2004, “Cabin Fever” in 2002, “Briar Patch” in 2001, and “From Dusk Til Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter” in 2000.

Mr. Barr’s task in film composing is to write background music for each scene to heighten emotions evoked by dialogue or imagery on the screen.

He traveled to Prague to record a 70-piece orchestra for “Hostel.” He also performs with the orchestra on a glass armonica, an instrument invented by Benjamin Franklin. It produces a sound similar to the one heard when fingers are run around the edge of a wine glass, Mr. Barr said.

The record label Varese Sarabande released the “Hostel” soundtrack on compact disc Monday, January 23.

“Hostel” is a dark movie thriller about three college students who hike through Central Europe and are lured into an underground black market that specializes in attracting victims for its twisted clientele, people who pay to watch other people be tortured. The film is directed by Eli Roth.