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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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…
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Interview…Composer Michael Abels on Get Out, Us, Bad Education and The Shags
Music is an intangible element in film, TV, and video games. Many times, a score, theme, or even a few notes is asked to deliver the emotions that either a story or character lacks. Granted, that’s the worst case scenario. But when both the narrative and music work in harmony, it can yield the some legendary cinematic experiences. Submitted for your approval are a handful of those: Lawrence of Arabia, Taxi Driver, Blade Runner, Inception, and, for you horror fans, 2019’s Us. Recently, we spoke with composer Michael Abels about his craft. Abels got the bug for music with those three famous notes from The Sound of Music. After that,…
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Interview…Gareth Coker on the Score to ‘Ori and the Will of the Wisps’
Gareth Coker grew up playing video games, and has a true knack for writing music which services the gameplay. It mainly comes down to his number one rule: composers have to play they game they work on. In our hour-long discussion, we chatted about his early days playing piano, the hundreds of hours spend devouring numerous games, and how the story (not necessarily the music) makes certain titles so impacting. Coker made a name for himself with the 2015 mega hit Ori and the Blind Forest. The success of this phenomenal Metroidvania style game was half attributed to Coker’s bold, lush, and wondrous score. The 2020 follow-up is just as…
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Interview…Composer Scott Bomar on the Funky Soundtrack to ‘Dolemite Is My Name’
When Dolemite Is My Name came out last year, it blew everyone away. And how could it not? It had Eddie Murphy in the lead role, the story was charming, heart-warming and hilarious, it featured amazing costume design from Ruth Carter (she won an Oscar for Black Panther), and the grooviest soundtrack you could ask for. Having grown up in the ’70s, Memphis-based musician Scott Bomar knows this sound well. With a combination of horns, mean guitar riffs, a well-placed harmonica, and one funky clavinet, he weaves a magical tapestry of soul over Craig Brewer’s film. As fans of the film and the score, we were thrilled to speak to…
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Interview…Jason Graves on Scoring TV and Video Games Galore
In the world of music composition – whether it’s film, video games, TV or all three – there are plenty of people working very hard. They may not be household names like Williams or Elfman, but it doesn’t mean they are any less talented. And to stay in the game, nearly everyone penning music is downright prolific. One of these unsung musicians is two-time BAFTA award winner Jason Graves. You may not recognize him at first, but we’re pretty sure you’ll know everything he’s ever touched: Magnum P.I., Hawaii Five-O, Tomb Raider, Far Cry, Friday the 13th, and that’s just the short list. Graves started playing music early on, and…
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Interview…Justin Kurzel on the Madness and Magnificence of ‘True History of the Kelly Gang’
One of the most remarkable films to be released this year is, without a doubt, True History of the Kelly Gang. Directed by Aussie filmmaker Justin Kurzel, and adapted from the book by Peter Carey, the film is an acting tour de force. Full stop. It’s also an amazing piece of filmmaking. Much like the film’s protagonist, anti-hero, outlaw, Kurzel makes his own rules. From the first frame everything about the production is bespoke. We liked the film quite a bit because it’s different, but you do need to get through it all to really appreciate it. It’s very Kubrickian in that there is nothing conventional about the story/characters, cinematography,…
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Interview…Music Supervisors David Hayman and Cody Partridge
In our latest foray into social distancing, we joined our good friend Bryan Kluger (of BoomStickComics) again on his podcast and spoke with the grooviest of music supervisors operating out of Toronto. David Hayman and Cody Partridge work at Supergroup Sonic Branding Co. they explained their work and what goes into getting music approved for use in film and TV. David is Creative Director & Lead Music Supervisor. And Cody is the crusher of dreams…I mean, he runs interference to get rights to clear the music. He also runs point one of our very favorite TV shows. These sonic sherpas guide clients through the process and select some fantastic songs that really…
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Interview…Jonathan & Josh Baker on Growing Up Down Under and Adventures in Filmmaking
Hey everyone! Hope each of you are safe, sound, and enjoying this global pandemic. What a time to be living in, huh? While there are several things you could do to keep your spirits up in this time of a global crisis (reading, knitting, amateur cage fighting), we have one entertaining suggestion: listen to a 90-minute conversation with Australian-born filmmakers Jonathan & Josh Baker. When it comes to cinema, these guys know their stuff! We’ve gotten to know the duo over the years, and have tried to help spread the word of their film, Kin, whenever and however we can. Seriously, check it out. The two joined us on a…
