When you think of Westerns, and the truly great scores and soundtracks that propelled them into legendary status, there are a staggering number of all-time greats. Much of that credit is thanks to a wide range of composers who have tried their hand in this sacred genre: Elmer Bernstein, Dimitri Tiomkin, and Alfred Newman for starters. Then there are contemporaries like Bruce Broughton, Alan Silvestri, John Barry, Michael Kamen, James Newton Howard, Harry Gregson-Williams and James Horner as well as those just dipping their toe in for a particular film David Newman and Michael Abels. Part of that great pantheon is John Debney who has been around the corral a…
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Interview…William Moseley on History and Honesty in ‘Murder Company’
We recently had the chance to speak with William Moseley, one of Britain’s ever brilliant actors, and were thrilled to have him on the podcast. At a young age he started his career with The Chronicles of Narnia, and right out of the gate he began proving his capable, captivating and complex skills as a thespian. Over the years, he’s brandished swords, ridden horses, fired guns and looked as excellent in a suit as he would a suit of armor. Last year he starred alongside Mel Gibson in the tenses actioner On the Line (which I think deserves a lot more credit), and now he finds himself in his second…
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Interview…Kay Hanley and Tom Polce on Bringing Melodic Magnificence to ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’
Hey there, score fans. If you’re like me, the first property you think of when someone says “musical” is probably not Star Trek. Well, you’re not wrong, but thanks to the efforts from the dynamic duo of Kay Hanley and Tom Polce that’s gonna change. These two seasoned musicians have outdone themselves with the sing-song soundtrack that, as far as those characters who boldly go, really changes everything. Episode 9 in season 2 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds made waves in TV as the first full musical episode in franchise history. Cleverly named “Subspace Rhapsody,” the story puts the crew of the USS Enterprise and others in this universe…
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Interview…Director Phillip Noyce on Character Mortality, Storytelling and Improvisation
Just a few weeks before Christmas, we got a bucket list chance to speak with director Phillip Noyce about his latest film. For almost fifty years Noyce has worked on every aspect of filmmaking (writing, acting, cinematography, rigging) and the result of all that experience is his ability to capture the audience and bring us right into the story. Noyce has given us stunning, remarkable and indelible characters who are on the run from something – their agencies, their enemies/friends or even themselves – and these stories about Jack Ryan, Simon Templar and several others resonate with audiences years, even decades later. The reason? Well, in the words of Mr.…
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Interview…Kellan Lutz on Action, Emotion, Film & Family
In his latest movie, Kellen Lutz gets to do his version of a Liam Neeson Taken movie. The man who has been a vampire, an expendable, even Hercules has had quite a roster of films and TV work since getting into the business less 20 years ago. And he really deserves credit for his emotional portrayal. He’s underrated and remarkably good at playing a character who is broken down, or has had his whole world taken from him. So much so that it would be good for him to land more roles where his character is in crisis. In 2016 he played something similar, albeit in an indie sci-fi opera, as…
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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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Interview…’Jessica’s Big Little World’ Co-Creators and Star on Inspiration, Messages and Growing Up
Ask any kid what’s the biggest challenge about being a “kid”, and they’ll probably say it’s not being big. So enter a highly creative and adorable show from Cartoon Network about that very thing. From the creators of Craig of the Creek comes a show all about Craig’s lovable little sister, the one-and-only Jessica. Jessica’s Big Little World hooks you quickly, and it’s because of the material. Sure, it’s a kids show, but it’s about relevant topics to very young kids. With touches of fantasy and lots of fun it deals with role models, responsibility, and then the biggest hurdle for any kid: doing things themselves. It’s not about geography,…
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[Fantastic Fest Interview]…Director Francis Galluppi on ‘Last Stop In Yuma County’
I sat down with Francis Galluppi to discuss his first feature film, a neo-noir (do not call it a western) pressure cooker that I really loved. How can you not be intrigued by this log line or the clever poster below? “When a traveling knife salesman is forced to wait for fuel at an isolated rest stop, violence erupts around him when two bank robbers arrive during their getaway from a big heist.” We discussed his unexpected inspirations, the injury that kickstarted his filmmaking career, and the amazing cast he collected for this film.
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[Fantastic Fest Interview]…’Spooktacular!’ Documentary Team
Long before Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, there was Spooky World. Spooktacular! tells the story of America’s first Halloween Theme Park and the people behind it. This includes employees, guests, and horror icons that played a part in the park’s history including Tom Savini, Linda Blair, Kane Hodder, and Robert Englund. I sat down with the team behind the documentary to discuss the process and the passion involved: Quinn Monahan (Director), Gail Jorden (Writer), Anthony Landry (Halloween Event Historian/Producer), and David Bertolino (Hauntrepreneur/Founder). This makes for a great Halloween season watch and will join the list of past Fantastic Fest haunt documentaries such as American Scream, and Haunters: the Art of…
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Interview…Producer/Director Natalie Metzger on Film, Fun and Charting Her Own Course
When you meet someone who is passionate about their work, you tend to see them coming a mile away. Two very good examples are writer/director/producer Natalie Metzger and her husband/producing partner Matt Miller who founded Vanishing Angle. Their production company nurtures the freshest voices in the independent film community with award-winning films and series, taking projects from script through distribution. We first got to meet them at Fantastic Fest in 2022 and were blown away by their unsettling family drama, Spoonful Of Sugar. We knew we needed to keep any eye out for anything they did in the future. And they’re also a super fun team to chat with. Today,…
