Fifty years ago, Randy Edelman released his third record. Leading off this special album is the song Bluebird. “Prime Cuts” has many standout tracks – a mix of joyous, playful, down tempo and lovelorn tunes – but that one in particular exemplifies how he can pen something that seems simple yet comes across as wildly creative, poignant and timeless. He’s got the tools, he’s got the talent, and a very lovely voice; that’s what you call a triple threat. Randy has seen almost every aspect of the music business and while song writing and composing for films are two completely different animals, he can float back and forth between the…
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Interview…Director William Eubank on Realism, Rawness and Relationships in ‘Land of Bad’
Looking at the calendar, we’re just now into February. But after seeing William Eubank’s latest actioner you’d think we were deep in the Summer season where high-octane films are typically blowing up cinema screens. So that speaks highly of Eubank’s film as well as the state of entertainment these days – no matter where you look, you’re going to find something to surprise you or knock your socks off. Land of Bad is a taut film about drone warfare, but Eubank and co-writer David Frigerio make this more about character than technology. It’s an exercise in ramping up tension. Moreover, it tells the unique relationship between two soldiers working on…
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Interview…Composer Harry Gregson-Williams on Aardman Animation, Tony & Ridley Scott, and Working with Family
One of the best bits about running GoSeeTalk is getting to know people over time. As consumers, we can watch anyone’s career grow. But from a journalistic standpoint, having conversations about what a particular creative makes, how they do it, and all the steps along the way make for a greater understanding and appreciation of the things we see and hear. So let’s go back to 2013 when we first had the great opportunity to speak to rock star composer Harry Gregson-Williams. We had an interview at length and dove head first into multiple high points on his resume. That was then followed up a couple years later to discuss…
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Interview…Composer Joby Talbot on Paul King, Neil Hannon and ‘Wonka’
When you talk about comfort food, or feel-good movies, I’m sure everyone has their go-to picks, and the range of titles is probably as vast as any horizon. We’ve got a few for sure, but one that constantly offers something new upon repeat viewings is Garth Jennings‘ 2005 adaptation of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. One of the many reasons it works so well is the score from Joby Talbot. In a word, it’s tremendous. Talbot, who began playing music at a very young age, has tried all manner of instrument and musical outfits and made a name for himself as keyboardist and arranger with Neil Hannon’s pop group…
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Interview…Director Peter Hutchings on ‘Which Brings Me to You’
It’s always delightful and refreshing when a film plays out against type and expectations. All too often we know how something will end well before the halfway mark. But in the case of Peter Hutchings’ romantic comedy, the film has enough twists and turns to keep things exciting and offer a handful of surprises. We sit with director Hutchings to talk about various aspects of the film adapted from the epistolary novel by Steve Almond and Julianna Baggott. One of the most interesting aspects of the production is how the team came up with an innovative framework for the film’s many flashback sequences. It feels appropriate to the conversational nature…
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Interview…Tina Guo on Determination, Being Yourself and Rocking Out
In the sports world there are all sorts of inspirational slogans like “winners aren’t born and they’re made“. You’ve heard them before, seen posters in gyms, yadda, yadda, yadda. But does that translate to the entertainment world, specifically with musicians? Well, if if you look hard enough you might find a few rare instances where it is true, and when it comes to our latest guest, she wasn’t made, she’s more accurately manufactured. Tina Guo is a world-renowned cellist whose talent is nearly eclipsed by her personality. Made in China – this next part is 100% true – and born to musician parents in the communist army, Tina has an…
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Interview…Miguel Ortega on ‘The Voice In the Hollow’
On this episode of the podcast we speak to writer, director and premier visual effects artist Miguel Ortega. His recent animated short has been a hit at every festival it has been to. Yet this tale of two sisters at odds with one another – a take on the Cain and Abel story as it were – has more to offer than an animated re-telling of something you’ve seen/heard before. Well, leave it to Ortega and regular collaborator/co-creator Tran Ma to give you an experience like none other. The Voice In the Hollow is a ghastly and impacting 10-minute animated African horror story; these two are treading new ground with every…
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Interview…Director Phillip Noyce on Character Mortality, Storytelling and Improvisation
Just a few weeks before Christmas, we got a bucket list chance to speak with director Phillip Noyce about his latest film. For almost fifty years Noyce has worked on every aspect of filmmaking (writing, acting, cinematography, rigging) and the result of all that experience is his ability to capture the audience and bring us right into the story. Noyce has given us stunning, remarkable and indelible characters who are on the run from something – their agencies, their enemies/friends or even themselves – and these stories about Jack Ryan, Simon Templar and several others resonate with audiences years, even decades later. The reason? Well, in the words of Mr.…
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Interview…Kellan Lutz on Action, Emotion, Film & Family
In his latest movie, Kellen Lutz gets to do his version of a Liam Neeson Taken movie. The man who has been a vampire, an expendable, even Hercules has had quite a roster of films and TV work since getting into the business less 20 years ago. And he really deserves credit for his emotional portrayal. He’s underrated and remarkably good at playing a character who is broken down, or has had his whole world taken from him. So much so that it would be good for him to land more roles where his character is in crisis. In 2016 he played something similar, albeit in an indie sci-fi opera, as…
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Interview…Production Designer Paul Cripps on Visual Depth, Creativity and Stories From the Set of ‘Ted Lasso’
I’ve often said that I think movie magic is actually music magic. Many times it is the film score that is the heart of the film. But a very close second would be production design. While film and TV are essentially a two-dimensional exhibition of a three-dimensional world, plenty of skilled craftsmen, artisans and stage hands weave their own magic to create a sense of place. Grand cinematic adventures from The Wizard of Oz to The Matrix to Oppenheimer doesn’t physically come through the screen, but visually you still feel the weight, density, and the depth that make those worlds believable. Some of the greatest production designers in history aren’t household…
