 This the first and only film in which composer Howard Shore (qv)  did not write the music for a film by his friend/director  David Cronenberg (qv). This was due to studio politics in which  Paramount wanted a more familiar composer to write the music for the  film. Michael Kamen (qv) whod done the music for the film  _Venom (1981)_ (qv) for the studio was chosen.