This year, Tron: Legacy celebrates turns 10, and a huge part of that film was the amazing music from Daft Punk – it was the duo’s first film score and quite an endeavor for all involved. The combination of electronic and orchestral music seemed like a long shot, but if anyone could stick the landing, it was probably them. Truth be told, they had help from a young Joseph Trapanese and Bruce Broughton as well as two years to collaborate and work their magic. As far as we’re concerned, the world is a lot better with that music in it. So in this installment of our podcast series – one…
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Official Sneak Peek of IFC Midnight’s ‘Relic’
Hey all, hope you’re happy and healthy in week 3,482 of the lock down. At times like this, we’re so glad we have movies to keep us distracted, entertained, or whatever they do for us. And on that note, the GST team is excited about the writer/director Natalie Erika James’ unforgettable and auspicious feature debut from IFC Midnight, and are delighted to share this clip from Relic. The familial horror yarn starring Emily Mortimer, Bella Heathcote, and Robyn Nevin had its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019 to critical acclaim, praising the film as a fresh and terrifying twist on the notorious haunted-house tale. Enjoy this first…
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Interview…Composer Paul Leonard-Morgan on High Energy, Cyberpunk, and Philip Glass
Over the years, we’ve spoken to lots of people in the entertainment business, and neither our good friend Bryan Kluger (of BoomStickComics) nor myself have met many individuals with the all-out energy and enthusiasm that Paul Leonard-Morgan exudes. No joke. The Scottish composer is a delight to speak with and you can tell he doesn’t just love his job…he realllly loves it and that comes through in how he describes his process (using analog synthesizers), his projects (Disney Test Track at Epcot Center and Limitless), and his collaborators (Alex Garland, Mark Romanek). He loves life, cares for everyone, has great taste in film and scores, and he even coined a catchphrase…
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Interview…Composer Joseph Stephens on Danny McBride, HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones, and “Misbehavin'”
This week, we got to hang out with North Carolina-based multi-instrumentalist, film score composer, and songwriter Joseph Stephens. He’s got a lot of experience in TV and film and one of the gems in Stephens’ in his crown is the a little ditty called “Misbehavin‘” otherwise known as the most unlikely of upbeat bangers featured in The Righteous Gemstones, HBO’s breakout series from series creator Danny McBride. Stephens is the composer behind the show and has worked with McBride many times; their relationship goes back to their college days. Stephens composed and co-wrote the original song with McBride and Edi Patterson (who both star in the series). The twangy, fun-loving song…
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Sweet Trailer…’Bill & Ted Face the Music’
Whoa. The wait is finally over. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter are back, and star in the first official trailer for Bill & Ted Face the Music! Can’t believe this is almost upon us, but in these crazy times I think we need a feel-good type of film that picks us up and rocks our world. This sequel is directed by Dean Parisot (Galaxy Quest) and the score will be composed by Mark Isham – two equally triumphant dudes. Remember: Be excellent to each other annnd Party on, dudes! Once told they’d save the universe during a time-traveling adventure, 2 would-be rockers from San Dimas, California find themselves as middle-aged…
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Interview…Directors Jonathan Milott & Cary Murnion Discuss ‘Bushwick’ and ‘Becky’
Directing duo Jonathan Milott & Cary Murnion made quite the impression with their last two genre films. In 2014, they released Cooties – the Elijah Wood led film about a mysterious virus which hit an isolated elementary school, transforming the kids into a feral swarm of mass savages. It was the fun and absurd kind of ’80s style romp you’d see Joe Bob Briggs highlight on Drive-In Theater. Following that, the two made a statement with Bushwick. Based partly on thoughts and ideas from a post-9/11 New York, the themes seems darkly prophetic, if not a cautionary tale. Thankfully, it’s fiction, but what was true is the dynamic and amazing…
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Interview…Stephen McHattie Talks Career, Casting, and Dual Roles in Bruce McDonald’s ‘Dreamland’
Stephen McHattie is a prolific actor from Canada who started out in the theatre, moved to New York for acting school, and has been in over 200 feature films/television shows since 1970. His most recognized roles were in Pontypool, The Fountain, Watchmen, 300, Orphan Black, The Strain, Beverly Hill Cop 3, and even BASEketball. We’ve always been a fan of Stephen because of the roles he selects, the gravity he brings to each project, his thousand-yard stares, and that’s before he starts acting. His latest film (one of five released in 2019) is Dreamland. Bruce McDonald‘s nebulously dreamy hitman story is about as far from lucid as you can get.…
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Interview…Composer Mark Isham on Jazz, Frank Darabont, and ‘Little Fires Everywhere’
Seasoned composer Mark Isham (pronounced I-sham) has one of the most diverse and prolific careers in film and television. With a background in jazz, and proficiency with trumpet and piano, Isham has scored innumerable titles and given a incredible flair to each of his projects. His latest works graced with his musical muscle is Hulu’s familial drama Little Fires Everywhere. Taking inspiration from the narrative, Isham’s themes mirror the duality of the interweaving characters (from two vastly different worlds). Even the main theme represents the delicate and sometimes violent interactions between lead characters played by Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington – what starts out prim and proper soon segues into…
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Jamie Kennedy Comedy Special “Stoopid Smart” on Streaming Services in June
Actor-comedian Jamie Kennedy’s new stand-up comedy special Jamie Kennedy: Stoopid Smart premiered exclusively on the #1 free streaming app Tubi TV on May 25, 2020. Jamie landed his big break when he was cast in Baz Luhrman’s Romeo + Juliet, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio as a punked-out rival to John Leguizamo. His career soon kicked into high gear as he co- starred in his breakthrough performance as Randy Meeks in Wes Craven’s Scream and its follow-up Scream 2. Jamie has worked alongside some of the biggest names in Hollywood like Steve Martin in Bowfinger and Greg Kinnear in the Oscar-nominated As Good As It Gets. He was recently featured in James Gray’s…
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Interview…Director Vaughn Stein on Stage, Screen, Simon Pegg and ‘Inheritance’
Filmmakers draw inspiration from everywhere: past experiences, theater, classic films, friends, even other directors. They say that everyone’s got a story, and in the case of Vaughn Stein, his story is the amalgamation of everything he’s been exposed to. In short, it’s a lot! This week we spoke with Stein about his latest film – a gripping drama about a dynastical family torn apart by skeletons in the closet. And “closet” is a relative word, as the downward spiral consuming this affluent New York family is not caused by a skeleton but a living, breathing person trapped in a bunker against their will. Bum, bum, buuum! In 2018, Stein directed…
