The Dallas-based USA Film Festival (which runs 4/22-4/27) kicked off on Thursday, April 22nd. Prior to the opening night ceremonies, John Turturro brought his new film Fading Gigolo to Dallas to open the festival. His latest is narrative is about a NY native who when faced with losing his job enters into the world’s oldest profession, and ends up finding something he didn’t know he was looking for. Fading Gigolo is an oddball film but one that deep down has a heart and a message about the simplest of life’s pursuits – love, relationships and a sense of belonging. Written, directed and starring John Turturro, the film is Turturro’s fifth…
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Video Interview…’Dom Hemingway’ Writer/Director Richard Shepard
Director Richard Shepard’s wild imagination allows him to write skewed or jaded characters that are as enticing as they are off-putting. Each of his so-called protagonists (if you can classify anyone as the “good guy” please tell us how) is so close to the breaking point but manages to find redemption at the very last second. One thing is for sure; whether it’s Pierce Brosnan as the assassin who is hilariously at the end of his rope or, in this case, Jude Law who has come apart in every possible way Shepard’s fantastic characters are so oddly appealing. We sat with Richard for an in-depth interview. He talks to us…
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Interview…Legendary Brazilian Musician and ‘Rio 2’ Soundtrack Producer Sergio Mendes
Sergio Mendes is a producer, composer, keyboardist and vocalist whose influence on the music industry has spanned five decades and continues to evolve through new collaborations and mediums. One of the most internationally successful Brazilian artists of all time, Mendes started his career with the groups Bossa Rio and the Sergio Mendes Trio but it was Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66 which sparked global stardom. Mendes added soul and funk to his jazz and pop and Mendes’ signature mix of bossa nova/samba and his distinctive pop instrumentation features melodies with distinct sophistication and alluring sexiness that ultimately came to define Brazilian music for many music enthusiasts around the world. In the…
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Interview…Film Music Composer Stephen Endelman Discusses Scoring ‘Rob the Mob’
Raymond De Felitta’s latest film Rob the Mob is based on the true story of the New York couple who would pulled off Mafia heists during the Gotti trial in the early 1990s. It stars Michael Pitt, Nina Arianda, Andy Garcia and Ray Romano and this period film finds composer Stephen Endelman re-teaming with the Oscar-nominated filmmaker. Last week we were fortunate to speak with this seasoned musician to discuss his work on the film. Endelman, who was actually living in NY during the original heist incidents, crafts a wonderfully simple musical backdrop to the love story of this modern day Bonnie & Clyde as well as the grittiness of their…
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Home Grown Texas Talent Interview Series – Film and TV Composer Darius Holbert Talks Peter Berg, Hulu and His Experiences in the Music Industry
Darius Holbert is an award-winning composer of music for film, TV, and new media and has written scores for a gaggle of international films and television shows. Less than a decade in the industry he’s already been afforded the opportunity to work with such film and TV luminaries as Robin Williams, Kevin Spacey, Bobcat Goldthwait, J.J. Abrams, and many more. His work has even been featured in hit TV shows like American Horror Story, Lost, The Client List, Grey’s Anatomy, American Idol, and Crash. Aside from scoring to picture, Darius has been commissioned to compose operas, modern dance pieces, and chamber works. He has appeared on a ton of records…
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Video Interview…Director Rob Minkoff On Adapting ‘Mr. Peabody & Sherman’
Last week director Rob Minkoff made a stop in Dallas to promote his latest film, the feature-length adaptation of Jay Ward’s classic animated show Mr. Peabody & Sherman. No stranger to animation Minkoff is the driving force behind successful family fare like the Stuart Little series, the Roger Rabbit short films “Tummy Trouble” and “Roller Coaster Rabbit” and of course The Lion King. Yup, he directed Disney’s animated classic way back in 1994 and now 20 years later, going by what we saw at the Press screening, Mr. Minkoff (and DreamWorks Animation) looks to have another huge hit on his hands. We sat down with Rob to talk about the film,…
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Exclusive: Interview…Film Composer William Ross Talks Career Experiences as Music Director for the Academy Awards
William Ross has had a hand in all avenues of the music industry. A four-time Emmy winner, Ross has decades of experience as a composer, orchestrator, arranger, conductor and music director. Aside from scoring titles like Tin Cup and Ladder 49, he’s worked with a dizzying array of artists and musicians over the years from fellow famous Hollywood composers (John Williams, Alan Silvestri) to pop music icons (Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson). Ross has quite a lot of Olympics experience as well as he’s arranged the music for the opening and closing ceremonies for various Olympic games from 1998 to 2010. But beyond that he’s also tasked with the music of Hollywood’s biggest night. This year’s Academy Awards ceremony marks…
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Interview…Film Composer Patrick Doyle Talks ‘Jack Ryan’, Love of Country and Having A Laugh At It All
Hailing from Uddingston, Scotland, musical maestro Patrick Doyle always has the hugest smile on his face, which makes him either the happiest guy on the planet, or someone who just really, really loves his job. Perhaps it’s both, but you can’t go a few seconds without hearing him laugh. Even over the phone you can sense the endless joy in his voice when he talks about his career, his passion and his good friend Sir Kenneth Branagh. In fact, the rare (but widely abundant on the web) photo above is one of the few times you won’t see him grinning like a kid with a key to a candy store.…
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Interview…Film Composer Christopher Lennertz Rewrites the Rules for Comic Soundscapes with ‘Ride Along’
Christopher Lennertz is a composer, producer, conductor, and arranger whose adeptness for a multitude of genres has put him on the map time and time again. You many not recognize his name but if you’ve seen Horrible Bosses, Think Like A Man, shows like Supernatural or played games like Mass Effect 3 and Starhawk then you know Chris’ work. A veritable encyclopedia of musical styles and theories Chris currently writes the music for the hit J.J. Abrams series Revolution on NBC. He’s also celebrated for his video game scores like Steven Spielberg’s Medal of Honor series and he just completed the score for the most recent installment of the iconic…
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Interview…Film Composer Alex Heffes on ‘Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom’
The world lost Nelson Mandela in December of this year and so it’s bittersweet that this Winter we are given a powerful film that chronicles the life of such an important man. The film Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom is directed by Justin Chadwick, stars Idris Elba and Naomie Harris and features a moving and emotional score from award-winning British composer Alex Heffes. Alex composed over 90 minutes of original music for the film. Traveling to South Africa he recorded choir vocals and South African singing legend Caiphus Semenya’s own voice to depict Mandela’s passing into Manhood as a young boy and ultimately reprising this theme for his inauguration as South Africa’s…
