It should be news to no one that Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith, Edgar Wright and Brett Simmons are big names in film. Granted you might not know the latter (yet!) but these filmmakers all share the same level of encyclopedic knowledge about the industry and important films which they use to take viewers on rides they’ve never had before. They make films the way they want and, more importantly, the way we fans want to see them. A sometimes hodgepodge of ideas and inspiration from what spoke to them through the years can be an instant hit and keep us talking long after the credits have rolled. Anyway, Simmons belongs…
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Back to the Orchestra: The Sound of VCRs, Analog TV, and Flying Cars
Some things have certain smells that have the capacity to transport to a very specific place. Be it your mother’s cooking or the perfume of the one you shared your first kiss with, you can go to a specific memory and relive it over and over. How about the cinema? Can the smell of stale popcorn, artificial butter flavoring and dirty carpets take you some place? The same thing happens with sounds and music. Film scores have been part of cinema ever since sound was incorporated into the reel. Can you imagine Indiana Jones fighting Nazis without John Williams’ score in the background? Or Marty McFly riding his skateboard without Alan…
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Music Review…’Avengers: Infinity War + Endgame’ Behemoth Box Set
Alan Silvestri is one of our very favorite composers, and his contributions to film are nearly unparalleled. When it was announced that Mondo and Hollywood Records would be releasing the complete scores to Infinity War and Endgame on vinyl, the only thing better than that would be to have the Time Stone so we could actually get it sooner – good news is that it was well worth the wait. We are thrilled to review this box set as Silvestri’s music spins on our turntable, and, trust me, these albums are not to be missed! One of the reasons we love Silvestri’s work is that he has an absolute knack…
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Off the Shelf…’Avengers: Infinity War’
Avengers: Infinity War hits Blu-Ray this week, and it is just as thrilling as it was in theaters. An event ten years in the making, Avengers: Infinity War is the best Marvel movie to date. Like the events in the story, the success of Infinity War is a team effort for which you can credit the studio, the producers, and the directors they trust with these dense narratives to ensure that each new story will top the previous effort. Joe and Anthony Russo have outdone themselves and raised the bar for all future MCU endeavors. Each of these iconic characters have grown in the last decade, and you really can feel…
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G-S-T Review…Avengers: Infinity War
It may sound incredibly trite and unoriginal to state this, but Avengers: Infinity War is the best Marvel movie to date. It’s an accurate statement to describe an event ten years in the making, and you’re likely to see top film critics quote something similar in trailers and ads after the film’s release. Like the events in the story, the success of Infinity War is a team effort for which you can credit the studio, the producers, and the directors they trust with these dense narratives to ensure that each new story will top the previous effort. Each of these characters has grown in the last decade, and you really can…
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G-S-T Review…Ready Player One
Sometimes, movies and stories speak to us on a level that is hard to comprehend or even put into words. Cinematic experiences can dazzle and inspire or, on the contrary, confound and confuse us. But if done well, the trip is worth taking again and again. To some it’s art, to others it’s escapism, but a break from reality is one thing – the desire to live in that reality is quite another. So enter Steven Spielberg whose resume reads largely of some of the finest and impacting films in cinema history. Some of his films are so cherished and captivating that fans would do anything be ‘in’ right along…
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Ohhh, Look…Full Album Artwork for Mondo’s BACK TO THE FUTURE Vinyl Release
Great Scott!! The “future” is just two days away. And similar to May 4th, 10/21/2015 is a date held in high regard by the film and geek communities alike. After living with images of the Cafe ’80s and Pitbull hoverboards in my head for the past 26 years, I’m jazzed that the world is getting closer to that vision of tomorrow imagined by Robert Zemeckis and co. for Back to the Future II. So while some notice/lament the lack of flying cars in “our” future, I’ll gladly take Mondo’s magnificent looking BTTF trilogy score (which includes some Alan Silvestri-composed tracks that are being released for the first time evar!!!) over…
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Great Scott!!…’Back to the Future’ Turns 30
This is heavy. 30 years ago, lightning struck the clock tower of an unassuming California town, and the world hasn’t been the same since. Back to the Future is an incredible piece of filmmaking – full stop. Further, it is one of the rare occasions where a film’s legacy is only eclipsed by its fun factor. The landmark film has inspired countless filmmakers, artists, and entertainers…there are even Back to the Future LEGOs if that tells you anything. The impact it’s had on pop culture shows that the property has truly captured the hearts of an entire generation. In fact, years ago, we created a blog event titled “Films That…
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Christmas Pops with The Dallas Symphony Orchestra Couldn’t Be Jollier
Life is all about experiences, and there are very few things that can rival the thrill of live music. For 25 years, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra has been putting on incredible shows and performances. This time of year, their Christmas Pops series can put even the most grumpy cat in the mood for jingle jangle holiday festivities. The world-renowned Meyerson Symphony Center, replete with its one-of-a-kind of acoustics, and incredible light display, offer patrons a visual journey as fascinating and vibrant as the auditory one. The playlist for this event (click here to view the full set list) has a plethora of old time Christmas favorites, and a good number of modern musical…
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Interview…Film Composer Henry Jackman on Big Screen Heroes and Even Bigger Themes
Since 2009, composer Henry Jackman has been adding blockbuster films to his resume at an incredible rate. And there’s a reason for it – he’s extremely good at his job. Jackman has consistently been providing the modern film world with some of the most thrilling, weighty, and substantive music of the last decade. That’s high praise, but he’s certainly earned his laurels with the likes of X-Men: First Class, and things haven’t slowed down since. In just five years, the Oxford educated British musician has ascended into the ranks of Hollywood’s elite composers. This year he was tapped to create an epic, futuristic score for Disney and Marvel’s Big Hero…
