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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‘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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[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…Randy Edelman on Songs, Scores, Musical Instincts and the Fiftieth Anniversary of ‘Prime Cuts’
Fifty years ago, Randy Edelman released his third record. Leading off this special album is the song Bluebird. “Prime Cuts” has many standout tracks – a mix of joyous, playful, down tempo and lovelorn tunes – but that one in particular exemplifies how he can pen something that seems simple yet comes across as wildly creative, poignant and timeless. He’s got the tools, he’s got the talent, and a very lovely voice; that’s what you call a triple threat. Randy has seen almost every aspect of the music business and while song writing and composing for films are two completely different animals, he can float back and forth between the…
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Interview…Production Designer Paul Cripps on Visual Depth, Creativity and Stories From the Set of ‘Ted Lasso’
I’ve often said that I think movie magic is actually music magic. Many times it is the film score that is the heart of the film. But a very close second would be production design. While film and TV are essentially a two-dimensional exhibition of a three-dimensional world, plenty of skilled craftsmen, artisans and stage hands weave their own magic to create a sense of place. Grand cinematic adventures from The Wizard of Oz to The Matrix to Oppenheimer doesn’t physically come through the screen, but visually you still feel the weight, density, and the depth that make those worlds believable. Some of the greatest production designers in history aren’t household…
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Interview…Alden Ehrenreich and Natalie Metzger on ‘Shadow Brother Sunday’
One of the most enjoyable perks in film journalism is getting to talk to creative individuals about their work. On this site we’ve been fortunate enough to meet with numerous storytellers; we love taking deep dives with the talent at hand to find what inspires them. Some of the best interviews are ones that yield behind-the-scenes stories, triumphs and lessons learned. All in all, the road to bring any production to the public is a long one – but it can certainly be fun. And that’s why people in film consider the work an all-or-nothing pursuit. Last week, we had a kitchen sink discussion with Alden Ehrenreich. He’s been working…
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Music Review…’Severance’ Soundtrack Is Chock-Full of Lumon Goodies
If you’re a fan of soundtracks and film scores, the team at Mondo has you covered. They take great pride in crafting physical media, they produce vinyl with audiophiles in mind, and they also care about the packaging. Like a lot! In fact, their slipcases have just as much detail as their amazing posters. Yet the cool thing about their albums is that the team gets to do way more than silk screen their work on foil variants. Albums give these artists/creatives a smaller yet more complex canvas than a poster and the team tries their darnedest to use every square inch (inside and out) to tell their story. The…
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Interview…Composer Nathan Johnson on Harpsichords, Travelogues and ‘Glass Onion’
For those of you needing a classically clever whodunnit to add to your cinematic plate this holiday session, look no further than Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion. The next installment in Benoit Blanc mystery series is whip smart, hilarious, exquisite and layered…you know, like an onion. Herein, Johnson and company outdo everything in their last detective yarn. Bigger stakes, bigger laughs, bigger onions – it’s an exceptional outing! Every element just sings, and again Rian enlists his cousin Nathan Johnson to write a fitting score to accompany the masterful story. While subsequent yarns in the series are meant to be stand-alone events, the further adventures of the Kentucky-fried character required Johnson…
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Music Review…’The Batman’ Is A Ballet of Brooding, Brains and Brawn
There’s a lot to love in the music of Michael Giacchino. He’s been to space, he’s been lost on an island, he’s been to the moon, far from home, he’s been up and inside out, and when it comes to modern composers, he’s the right one to let in if you want to get to the heart of the story. On that note, this film marks his fourth time collaborating with Matt Reeves, and what a team they have made over the years. The Batman finds him exploring new ground, well, for Reeves that is; Giacchino is all kinds of familiar with a superhero sound. But the world of dark…
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‘Toy Story’ in Concert with The Dallas Symphony Orchestra
In a symphony setting usually known to perform the works of Ravel, Stravinsky, and Bach, who would’ve thought seeing Toy Story in concert would be so enthralling? Well, film fans for one. But actually, what Randy Newman did for that very ambitious animated property (which Pixar debuted in 1995) has gone on to delight people all over the world. So, like the film itself, his music is a huge draw. People are likely more familiar with “You’ve Got a Friend In Me” and “I Will Go Sailing No More” than the score for the film, but through the Pixar in Concert series, symphony halls have been showcasing the tremendous effort…
