Jon Ekstrand is a Stockholm based Swedish film composer and artist. He began his career under the mentorship of acclaimed sound designer Owe Svensson, where he sharpened his skills at understanding the power of sound and its dramaturgic importance in helping a story realize its potential. In 1998, whilst attending Stockholm Film School, Ekstrand met Director Daniel Espinosa, in which the two formed a tight creative relationship which continues to this day. Ekstrand and Espinosa have collaborated on seven films, including the hit trilogy Easy Money as well as Hollywood Studio Films Child 44, Life, and the Marvel film Morbius starring Jared Leto. The hybrid soundtrack is part synth, part…
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Interview…Music Supervisor Cody Partridge on TV, Film and ‘Letterkenny’
Here’s a fun diversion. Take a movie, any movie, and skip to the end credits. These days, a ton of people work on any given project, and yet very few of them get the “credit” they deserve. Why? Well, I’d posit that many people have no idea what some of those titles mean. What’s a key grip? Answer: they set up the lights. Well, what’s a best boy? Answer: they help the key grip. There’s all sorts of trades who contribute but one of the more nebulous out there deal with audio. So, Marc, what’s with all this preface? Just tell us who we’re going to hear from. Ok, then,…
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Interview…Legendary Music Promoter Dave McLean on ‘Schemers’
How could you chronicle the life of a person? Like, their whole life? Well, that’s a trick question because it is literally impossible. Still though, you can try to sum up their life – either through a series of career highlights or character building sequences. But what if you have several of those? And I mean SEVERAL. Then you have your work cut out for you, and you’re talking about the one and only David McLean. Mr. McLean has literally lived music from a young age, and this Scottish entrepreneur is about as self-made as they come. For close to 50 years, he’s worked with/managed/promoted some of the biggest musical…
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Sweet Trailer…Liam Neeson in Martin Campbell’s ‘Memory’
It’s so great that we’re continuing to see big films and action stars on the silver screen again. And one of the biggest out there is Liam Neeson. That got us thinking about something: just when did Mr. Neeson become a hard-hitting leading man? Well, off the top of my head, I like to think it was 30 plus years ago with one of the very first (successful) comic styled films playing – he played the lead in Sam Raimi‘s Darkman. But were you to scan his resume, you’d it see goes even further to titles like Next of Kin, The Bounty, Krull and even Excalibur which means that this…
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Ohhh, Look…The All-Star Cast of Dreamworks Animation’s ‘The Bad Guys’
Hey, film fans, we’ve got a fun little video for you. This breezy featurette highlights the all-star cast of the upcoming DreamWorks Animation film hitting the big screen next month. What’s that? You hadn’t heard about The Bad Guys? Well, neither had we, but it sounds like it’s right up our alley. In the new action comedy, a crackerjack criminal crew of animal outlaws are about to attempt their most challenging con yet—becoming model citizens. Never have there been five friends as infamous as The Bad Guys—dashing pickpocket Mr. Wolf (Academy Award winner Sam Rockwell), seen-it-all safecracker Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), chill master-of-disguise Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), short-fused “muscle” Mr.…
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Interview…Aneil Karia on Riz Ahmed and ‘The Long Goodbye’
What’s more powerful: words or actions? Usually it’s the latter, yet in the case of Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed’s brilliant and sobering short film, the former shines ever brighter and clearer. The Long Goodbye is a personal statement from the two above-mentioned entertainers, and an incredibly pointed narrative. Just a mere 11 minutes, and you are thrust into a world of experiences that many social groups have had to endure for generations. To say this is powerful doesn’t give it enough weight. But simply, it does the job because it is true. Karia uses sharp visuals – mostly editing and natural light – to convey an accurate portrayal that,…
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Interview…Martin Strange-Hansen and Kim Magnusson Discuss the Loss and Weight of ‘On My Mind’
How often do we listen to the lyrics of a song? And I mean really listen. Sometimes the poetry the artist spent so long crafting gets lost in the car, or speakers, but maybe it’s because we aren’t ready for the weight of the message. Other times, our lives don’t correlate to the words. But what about when it does? It usually results in a couple people (for whatever the reason or message) saying, ”that’s our song!” So why this particular intro? No, we’re past Valentine’s Day, but there is still love in the air, and it’s two-fold. First is a heartfelt short film about a man who wants nothing…
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Interview…Composer Steve Mazzaro on the Quirky and Charming Score to ’Army of Thieves’
Every few years, some piece of pop culture jumps up, grabs hold of us and just won’t let go. In this case, it was the unassuming prequel to Zach Snyder’s Army of the Dead. Considering they both deal with zombies, perhaps the surprise (and parallel) was quite funny, even serendipitous. What really comes alive in this heist film, which are usually fun by nature, is the music. At times, it is white-hot to match the energy (and calamity) fueling this team of discarded dorks. Other times, it is somber and anguished as these characters wear their emotions on their sleeves. Further, the sound pulsing through the speakers is so unexpected…
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Sweet Trailer…Caleb Landry Jones in ’Nitram’
What is art? Is it a reflection of real life, or a fabrication of it? Often times, it can be tough to discern, but when it’s the former it can be far more impacting. So on that note, we present the upcoming IFC Films feature from hard-hitting Aussie filmmaker Justin Kurzel (True History of the Kelly Gang, The Snowtown Murders) who is adept at adapting tough subject matter. This film is headlined by wondrously complicated character actor Caleb Landry Jones. Having spoken to both Jones and Kurzel over the years, I have to say that if there are two individuals capable of commanding such a complicated vehicle, it’s these two…
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Podcast: 2021 Recap – Films, Scores and More!
Hi everybody. Well, we’re completely out of 2021 (whew!) and as we march forward into what the future of cinema holds, let’s take a quick look back to what impressed or depressed us in the last twelve months. On today’s show, I’m again joined by my compadre, my Consigliere, my caballero, Federico Furzan. Together, we run down the best & worst of 2021 as well as our favorite films, film scores, and anticipated features hitting screens in the coming months. How closely do the picks of these two high-flying film friends with low standards align with one another? I guess you’ll have to check out the episode to find out.…
