Unveiling the Musical Magic of ‘Willy’s Wonderland’
Nicolas Cage’s highly anticipated horror film, Willy’s Wonderland, featuring Cage as a janitor battling evil animatronics, is now available on VOD and in select theaters. To celebrate the release, we had the pleasure of speaking with one of the film’s creatives, Émoi, who not only served as the film’s composer but also provided the voice of Willy Weasel. We asked him ten questions about everything from his background to his favorite Nicolas Cage film.
Émoi’s Journey into the World of Film Composing
Émoi’s passion for music began at the age of five when his mother enrolled him in a vocal ensemble. As a teenager, he started playing guitar and eventually became more serious about piano. Music became his escape and addiction, but he assumed he would need to become a performer to make a career out of it. However, he always loved the relationship between picture and music and realized he could write to picture in a dark room by himself. That’s when he knew he wanted to become a composer.
Inspiration from Iconic Film Scores
When asked about a film score that had a lasting effect on him, Émoi mentioned the cliché but iconic choice of Star Wars, particularly Return of the Jedi. He also enjoyed horror and fantasy soundtracks, such as Killer Klowns, Return of the Living Dead, anything by Tangerine Dream, Never Ending Story, and Christopher Young’s work on Hellraiser. Émoi has always been a huge fan of musicals as well.
Scoring ‘Willy’s Wonderland’: A First-Time Feature Experience
Willy’s Wonderland is Émoi’s first full-length feature to score. Due to the pandemic, he had to isolate and take on all music department roles himself, resulting in a surprisingly massive workload. Fortunately, he had a supportive team behind him, including director Kevin Lewis, Grant Cramer, David Ozer, and Jeremy Daniel Davis.
Juggling Multiple Roles in ‘Willy’s Wonderland’
In addition to scoring the film, Émoi also served as the music editor and the voice of Willy Weasel. Juggling these roles was challenging, but he managed to write and record the score, including additional character songs, in just 2 1/2 months. He stayed on as music editor until January 2021, making it a long and challenging journey.
Reliving Childhood Memories Through ‘Willy’s Wonderland’
Émoi’s favorite part of working on Willy’s Wonderland was the opportunity to take his imagination back to places like Chuck E. Cheese, which he frequented as a child. He also loves the horror genre and is a big fan of Nicolas Cage, making this project a dream come true.
Exploring Other Genres and Émoi’s Musical Aesthetic
While Émoi wouldn’t mind staying in the horror/thriller genre, he also loves fantasy and adventure stories. His compositions tend to explore and evoke the odd, whimsical, romantic, and eerie nature of existence.
Émoi’s Favorite Nicolas Cage Film: ‘Wild at Heart’
Émoi has a particular fondness for Wild at Heart, as it was his first exposure to Nicolas Cage’s fearless acting. The film left a lasting impression on him, and he even felt the need to get a snakeskin jacket after watching it!
Life Beyond Film Scoring: Émoi’s Personal Projects
In his limited free time, Émoi is working on a musical of his own, which he believes will become the opus of his career.
*Émoi’s Willy’s Wonderland original motion picture soundtrack is now available digitally.
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