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,…
-
-
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…
-
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…
-
Interview…Director Tim Kirkby on Subtle Humor and Colorful Casting in ‘Last Looks’
When it comes to entertainment, there’s a certain school of thought that things belong on boxes – the easier it is to identify something, the easier is it to understand and sell it. So we have genres. But when stories mix certain elements, and make bold choices, the narrative becomes stronger and keeps the audience on its toes. Case in point. When someone says “detective story”, one might think Sam Spade or Jake Gittes. Well what if you throw in eccentric characters, against type casting and pepper the whole affair with a certain British flair and some ’70s era pizazz? Now you’re getting something unique, entertaining and unexpected. So that…
-
Interview…Murad Abu Eisheh on Truthfulness and Importance of ‘Tala’vision’
Ahead of the nominations for this year’s Academy Awards, we got to speak with a highly talented young director about his powerful short film. This project is written and directed by Murad Abu Eisheh (who is in his third year of film school) who was inspired to write Tala’vision after he came across an article about ISIS banning televisions in Syria 2014. The film highlights Tala’s struggle trying to live her childhood in a war zone. This heart-wrenching film won the Gold Student Academy Award, thus qualifying it to be considered for a 2022 Oscar. The Jordanian director earned his bachelor’s degree in Visual Communications and Design with a focus…
-
Interview…Composer Kevin Kiner on the Emotion and Intellectual Authenticity to ‘Peacemaker’
There are heroes. There are villains. And then there’s Peacemaker…Fresh from his explosive role in last year’s hit film The Suicide Squad, and from the brilliantly twisted mind of James Gunn, comes PEACEMAKER – a new series achieving peace on HBO Max at any cost starting January 13. The DC spinoff series is written and directed by James Gunn, and the show explores the continuing story of the character that John Cena reprises in the aftermath of Gunn’s 2021 film. The colorful patriot is a compellingly vainglorious man who believes in peace at any cost. And like the titular character, seasoned composer Kevin Kiner doesn’t care how many ear drums he has to kill to give us great music. This…
-
Interview…Composer Don Davis Shares Stories Plugging Into ‘The Matrix’
In a world of remakes and reboots, one property we thought we’d never see expanded or revisited was the universe of The Matrix. It was, and still is, a landmark film, one that raised the bar for filmmakers and the industry as a whole. A triple-kick of story, visuals and action, The Matrix was a high watermark for cinema. As the series expanded, the arcs of the three leads finished in a less than satisfying (or deserving) way, yet it still seemed the most logical and inescapable end. Fate? Perhaps. The third film culminates in an uneasy truce between humans and machines (and between programs themselves). More importantly it’s not…
-
Interview…Director James Cullen Bressack on Bruce Willis and ‘Fortress’
From Lionsgate comes a new action thriller directed by James Cullen Bressack. Fortress is fast and shoots from the hip. Just short of a midnight movie, it has fun with its premise and delivers some surprises, including a noteworthy and unexpectedly delicious turn from Chad Michael Murray. But the best part about this film is the man behind the camera. Ahead of the film’s release this month, we got to chat with the young but seasoned director/producer – who has 44 shorts, features and music videos to his credit and he’s not even 30 – and it was a real treat. Bressack is incredibly humble, well-versed, really knows his films,…
-
Interview…Composers Zach Robinson and Leo Birenberg on Music, Metal and Mayhem in ‘Cobra Kai’
You want to become a master of kicking ass in a musical soundscape? It’s easy! Just remember these three simple rules: Strike first, strike hard, show no mercy. Well, whether it’s sweeping the leg, or nailing a face-melting guitar/saxophone solo, our guests today can certainly tell us about their path to be the best…around. It takes time, talent, patience and a good amount of networking. Earlier this year, we spoke with composer Zach Robinson and had a blast getting to learn about his musical journey. Today, Zach is back as well as the other half of the sonic dojo that props up the Cobra Kai TV show. The duo have…
-
Interview…Composer Daniel Hart on ‘The Green Knight’
Daniel Hart is a composer and performer based in Los Angeles. Hart made his feature film debut in 2013 with the critically acclaimed Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, which began his collaboration with filmmaker Dallas native David Lowery (we spoke to Lowery at the time of the release) and Hart has composed the music for all of Lowery’s films, including Pete’s Dragon, A Ghost Story, Old Man and The Gun, and 2021’s The Green Knight. He has also written music for This American Life, and composed the score for S Town, one of the most popular podcasts of all time. To score The Green Knight, Hart went on his own epic personal journey as the religious overtones of the film…
