Soundtracks were originally meant to be integral elements in creating a movie's mood, not merely a film studio's desperate attempt to recoup expenses by selling what essentially amounts to product placement to the highest record company bidder. That said, neo-classical composer Mark Snow, who also writes all of the TV show's incidental music, has concocted a dynamic soundtrack that captures the suspenseful drama and harrowing emotional tension that made The X-Files one of the hottest pop culture phenomena of the '90s. In Snow's hands, the orchestra becomes a living, breathing thing, pulsating with an almost alien life force that's nearly as creepy as the film these songs were written to accompany. Though not quite as modern as his more ambient work on the show, Snow's powerful score is a brilliant piece of work that establishes him as the rightful heir to John Williams' throne.