The dream of every creative is to see their idea brought into the world. Yet the process of getting something from starting line to finish line can be anything but a straight shot. Ask an artist, filmmaker, or anyone in entertainment, and they’ll all concur. For a variety of reasons, the process can be drawn out, delayed, very nearly cancelled or worse. But with luck, patience and perseverance, a dream realized is worth all the agony. That brings us to today’s guest. You could say that a fifteen year journey to craft a seven-minute animated short film is a long run for a short slide. But if that was the…
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Interview…Composer Ilan Eshkeri on the Emotional Beauty of ‘Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story’
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…
