The story of Christopher Reeve is an astonishing rise from unknown actor to iconic movie star, and his definitive portrayal of Clark Kent/Superman set the benchmark for the superhero cinematic universes that dominate cinema today. Reeve portrayed the “Man of Steel” in four Superman films and played dozens of other roles that displayed his talent and range as an actor, before being injured in a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. After becoming a quadriplegic, he became a charismatic leader and activist in the quest to find a cure for spinal cord injuries, as well as a passionate advocate for disability rights and…
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Interview…Efren Ramirez on Style, Story and ‘Seven Cemeteries’
As spooky season is upon us, we’d like to turn to the words of wise man who once said, “It’s Halloween. Everyone’s entitled to one good scare.” But in this case, let’s sub out scare for fun. Considering the film in question, and one of its lead actors, fun is an understatement. We got to speak with Efren Ramirez about his work on Seven Cemeteries. The Danny Trejo-led film is a take on an iconic western wherein a rag-tag band of zombified hired guns help protect the innocent against a deadly serious drug lord. Ahead of the film’s release, we sat with the actor/producer/DJ about what’s going on in his…
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Interview…Talking Syths and Sensibility with Highway Superstar
When it comes to indie music, we go all in, and love finding new artists, new tunes, and new styles. Our lifeline to life-changing sounds has and continues to be Bandcamp. This go-to platform and community is home to hundreds of thousands of folks who are likely to produce your next favorite earworm. We have a solid list of folks whose works have become part of our DNA. While they may not be household names, they live rent free in our heads and on our turntables. As such, we were excited to speak with Highway Superstar about his otherworldly creations and soundscapes. The musical alter ego of Alex Karlinsky (the…
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Interview…Composer Ilan Eshkeri on 20 Years of ‘Layer Cake’ and Personal Music Pursuits
To those in the know, Layer Cake is the landmark British crime drama of the 21st century. Since 2004, it has continued to impress audiences, and for two solid decades it is still going strong, gaining new fans as it finds its lane along with other captivating and gritty stories of narrative quicksand like The Game. It’s clever, complex, serious as cancer, but also one entertaining ride book-ended with one of the best opening sequences and closing shots of all time. To the fans out there, you’ve helped make it resonate. To those yet to be initiated, welcome, you are in for a treat. The film had a proper release…
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Interview…Composer Colin Stetson on the Musical Terror of ‘Uzumaki’
Today, we got to speak with super stylish saxophone wizard Colin Stetson. He’s made a name for himself with vast soundscapes and unnerving compositions in films like Color Out of Space, The Menu and Hereditary. He’s also got a new one coming next month from Hulu called Hold Your Breath where he similarly works his unsettling magic in an intimate, small-scale picture. But the topic du jour is the palette he crafted for the unbearably beautiful yet grotesque adaptation of the Japanese manga Uzumaki. Here are some notes from the official Milan Records press release about the show and the soundtrack. A captivating masterclass in psychological horror and obsession, Uzumaki…
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‘Hans Zimmer Live’ In Texas Is Big Beyond Words
World-renowned composer Hans Zimmer recently came to Texas with Hans Zimmer Live (or, simpler, HZL) and their stop in Ft. Worth rocked the house. Zimmer’s music is magical, soul touching and earthshaking. As one of the most powerful and influential figures in music, his band’s talent is eclipsed only by their diversity. It’s safe to say that their live show is like nothing else, and you can never truly capture the sound of the experience through headphones or a turntable. It bears repeating, but HZL is a one-of-a-kind concert, and one which runs the gamut of crowd-pleasing favorites, notable pop culture hits, and themes/tunes which truly mean a lot to…
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Interview…Andy Timmons: The World’s Smoothest Guitarist
This year has been a great year for us in terms of interviews. We consider ourselves lucky to be able to talk with so many people we admire, and we’re constantly surprised by the stories our guests share. So before we get started, here’s a question for all you music fans: Who’s your favorite guitarist? The answers will vary for sure, but there are some usual suspects – Clapton, Vai, Slash, Johnson, Mars, Vaughn, etc. Today’s interview is focused on someone who leads the pack because of his playing style, his versatility, but also his consistency. Andy Timmons has a ton of fans, and one thing you’ll see among all…
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G-S-T Review…’Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ is Gravely Funny
People complain about sequels, but let’s get this out of the way. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is good. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice works. And that’s because the story works. It’s a semi-charming set up – replete with familiar Burton oddities – about a bio exorcist who is less than charming. The story by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar cleverly weaves older characters back into the sequel, and the best thing the team does is that they don’t try to explain too much. The ghost with the most has endured because he is mysterious. What are his powers, why and how does he do what he does? Unclear. Do we care? Not really. The point…
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Interview…Catherine Grieves on Music Supervision and ‘Baby Reindeer’
Growing up on a healthy diet of No Doubt and ’90s era music, Catherine Grieves was unknowingly charting her course to the field of Music Supervision. Cat was also thinking about music in those terms anyway; she’d always wanted to be the person who chooses songs for Match of the Day, aka the world’s most famous football show. While it didn’t seem a tenable career path, she followed her musical interests (playing flute and piano and singing) before getting a degree in Sound Engineering. The need for music supervision on TV and film in the UK increased, and Cat got an internship at the time more BBC productions were trying…
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Interview…The Waltzes, Wizards and Wonder of Composer Patrick Doyle
As die-hard fans of film scores, one of our favorite people to speak with is composer Patrick Doyle. While he’s known the world over for his sensational, rousing, and robust music, that’s really only a portion of the man. Whenever we talk to him about his life, we segue into topics that, some times, are even more fascinating than the topic du jour. For instance, Patrick lives in London and has had a holiday home in France for 30 years; a building that conservatively one could estimate was built in the 1700s. Also, not many people can claim to own a tapestry that adorns a centuries old wall. That’s pretty…
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G-S-T Review…’Alien: Romulus’ Is A Triumph
“In space, no one can hear you scream.” Those words have echoed in film and pop culture circles for decades. And rightly so. Space is the perfect setting for high stakes stories with little hope for safety or rescue. Read: the ultimate pit of despair. But does it have to be? Well, in the Alien universe, the answer is always yes! To add comic insult to xenomorph injury, there’s another quote that resounds just as well (albeit from a more lighthearted sci-fi film), “this will all end in tears.” And coming from Fede Alvarez, that couldn’t be more true. With Alien: Romulus, Alvarez and co-writer Royo Sayagues have done fans…
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Interview…Lawrence Loh on Conducting ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ and Other Films In Concert
In advance of the live-to-picture performances of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra this month, Lawrence Loh sat with us to discuss his career, the nuances of conducting as well as his recent appointment to Music Director of the Waco Symphony Orchestra. Those of you North Texas symphony fans and concert goers will likely have seen Lawrence at numerous events (like the Christmas Pops) as Associate Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra where he has delighted audiences for years. As a self-described “Star Wars geek” and film music enthusiast, Loh has conducted numerous sold-out John Williams and film music tribute concerts. This month’s program…
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[Exclusive] Interview…Kip Winger – Rock Legend & Classical Compositional Master
Once in a great while we get the chance to speak with someone we’ve truly admired for years. In this case it is decades, plural, and Winger has been deep in our acoustic DNA since 1991. On today’s show we reached for an out of this world guest and are so excited to share this interview with you. It was a true thrill speaking to Kip Winger about the impressive and dizzying number of projects and albums from the rock world to the classical music landscape. Those of you who are fans of hits like “Down Incognito“, “Easy Come Easy Go” or “Headed For A Heartbreak” (just to name a…
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Interview…Director James Marsh on the Brilliant Writing and Acting in ‘Dance First’
We live for films that surprise, entertain and delight. Whether it is the subject matter or the talent involved, when something raises eyebrows or pulses it tends to stick with you. One such film is James Marsh’s latest effort. The BAFTA and Academy Award winner (The Theory of Everything) brings us a stunning adaptation of the life of playwright Samuel Beckett. In our eyes, the most remarkable part of Dance First is the writing from Neil Forsyth. It’s sharp on paper but is increasingly elevated by the amazing cast which make the scenes and dialog so compelling. So it’s no surprise that we were excited to speak to Marsh about…
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Music Review…Jasmine Myra’s Mellifluous and Radiant Sounds on ‘Rising’
Jasmine Myra is a UK-based jazz musician who continues her hot streak with the sultry and sophisticated sounds on her sophomore album. Rising sports some more subdued compositions, and they are quite different in texture and timbre than her 2022 release. We spoke to Myra last year to talk all about Horizons and had such a great time chatting about her interests and background. It’s been just about two months since Rising was released, and Jasmine has recently finished a pretty robust touring schedule, and yet she’s already got the itch to start work on her next release. But for now, let’s talk about this one which is quite the…
