The story of Christopher Reeve is an astonishing rise from unknown actor to iconic movie star, and his definitive portrayal of Clark Kent/Superman set the benchmark for the superhero cinematic universes that dominate cinema today. Reeve portrayed the “Man of Steel” in four Superman films and played dozens of other roles that displayed his talent and range as an actor, before being injured in a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. After becoming a quadriplegic, he became a charismatic leader and activist in the quest to find a cure for spinal cord injuries, as well as a passionate advocate for disability rights and…
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Interview…Composer Colin Stetson on the Musical Terror of ‘Uzumaki’
Today, we got to speak with super stylish saxophone wizard Colin Stetson. He’s made a name for himself with vast soundscapes and unnerving compositions in films like Color Out of Space, The Menu and Hereditary. He’s also got a new one coming next month from Hulu called Hold Your Breath where he similarly works his unsettling magic in an intimate, small-scale picture. But the topic du jour is the palette he crafted for the unbearably beautiful yet grotesque adaptation of the Japanese manga Uzumaki. Here are some notes from the official Milan Records press release about the show and the soundtrack. A captivating masterclass in psychological horror and obsession, Uzumaki…
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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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Interview…The Waltzes, Wizards and Wonder of Composer Patrick Doyle
As die-hard fans of film scores, one of our favorite people to speak with is composer Patrick Doyle. While he’s known the world over for his sensational, rousing, and robust music, that’s really only a portion of the man. Whenever we talk to him about his life, we segue into topics that, some times, are even more fascinating than the topic du jour. For instance, Patrick lives in London and has had a holiday home in France for 30 years; a building that conservatively one could estimate was built in the 1700s. Also, not many people can claim to own a tapestry that adorns a centuries old wall. That’s pretty…
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Interview…Composer John Debney Blazes the Trail for ‘Horizon: An American Saga’
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…Composer Amelia Warner on the Sonic Swells and Sporty Sentimentality to ‘Young Woman and the Sea’
One of the most exciting, invigorating, and crowd-pleasing films of 2024 will not be a sequel, prequel or reboot. If I was a betting man, I would put all my cinema dollars on Young Woman and the Sea. What’s that you ask? Well, it’s a sports movie of a different type and it’s also the kind of story that’s most likely to surprise. Directed by Joachim Rønning (of Kon-Tiki), this tells the true-life story of Trudy Ederle, the competitive swimmer, who, in 1926, was the first woman to ever swim across the English Channel. This sensational film sits comfortably next to the likes of Apollo 13, Rudy, even The Queen’s…
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Interview…Composer John Paesano on the New Sounds of ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’
When a film score hits the right notes, and propels the narrative in film, TV, video games or even a short, the results can be absolutely breathtaking. Sure, we all expect the sound that composers craft (guided by the picture or from conversations with the director) to do the heavy lifting, but even when it stays out of the way, as they say, timing is everything. And what ace composer John Paesano does to the above-mentioned properties has the ability to get us invested in such a short amount of time with a single key, a full symphony, or just plain silence. From a young age, Paesano knew film music…
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Interview…Composer Chris Benstead on the Worlds of Guy Ritchie
When a composer and a filmmaker find a groove, the results are a seemingly never-ending well of material. Suffice to say, the best partnerships are far more than just one note. Pun intended! Filmmakers whose work spans multiple genres – war, action, fantasy, crime, all of the above – need a sound that suits the story. There are several long-standing director/composer partnerships out there and one of the more recent noteworthy pairings is the one-two punch of Guy Ritchie & Chris Benstead. We’ll be completely honest here: one of our very favorite (if not all time favorite) director is Guy Ritchie. A legend now, he blew people away with his…
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Interview…Composer David Fleming on Danger and Discovery in ‘Damsel’
Every once in a while it’s fun escape into a popcorn fantasy film, and something with a sword or two and a dragon are usually sure to please. In this case, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo delivers in all categories all the while offering a tale you thought you had seen before. With Netflix’s Damsel, he puts a spin on the “princess in distress” framework to make Millie Bobby Brown the hero of her own story. Then again, just looking at the album artwork below, you could probably figure that out. To elevate and enhance the story, composer David Fleming was brought in to give Juan Carlos’ story literal wings. His work…
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Interview…Composer Andrew Kawczynski on Collaboration, Inspiration, Huge Films and Dream Jobs
Where does inspiration come from? How much influence does it have on you? And how does it help any creative get their work across the finish line? These are questions every artist has, and the answers can be wildly different. We interview a lot of composers and everyone has uniquely different stories, yet there is one constant we continually find baffling: they never have any time. On this episode of The GoSeeTalk Podcast Experience we spent more than an hour with seasoned composer Andrew Kawczynski. Last year, he and Lorne Balfe produced the adrenaline-fueled, head-nodding score to Gran Turismo. If you thought young Jann Mardenborough was in for a rough…
