Jon Voight is an acting legend. More than that, he’s kind, charismatic and an incomparable thespian. At 85, he’s still got wide range and is razor sharp. But whether he plays a bit part, leading man or anything in between, anyone who’s seen his films can easily cite Voight for being a standout. Think about Midnight Cowboy, Varsity Blues, Enemy of the State, Heat, Mission: Impossible, Deliverance, The Champ, or his Oscar-winning turn in Coming Home and it’s clear that Voight’s performance sticks with you years after the credits have rolled. There are a few constants established and maintained in his career beyond his towering 6’-2” frame and that’s his…
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Interview…Composer Nitin Sawhney on ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’
We love it when a film serves as a vehicle to say something deep and meaningful. One such story is the latest from Shekhar Kapur. His direction of the story from writer Jemima Khan – about the modernity to arranged marriages in Indian cultures – give What’s Love Got To Do With It? its tangible emotional core. Adding to the success of that is the score from composer/songwriter Nitin Sawhney (who wrote the original score for the film and three original songs). Shazad Latif and Lily James carry the film, yet it is the subtle worldly vibe the music adds to certain story beats which “marries” well with many pivotal…
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Interview…Catherine Hardwicke on Rome, Romance and Toni Collette in ‘Mafia Mamma’
If you want a comedy that is as off-the-wall as it is refreshing, then look no further than Catherine Hardwicke’s Mafia Mamma. This fish-out-of-water actioner mixes The Godfather and Eat, Pray, Love into a wine vat and the result is an endearing farce that shines thanks to Toni Collette. Always one for detail and legitimacy, Hardwicke gives this film a boost by filming in Rome and casting real Italian actors who add a lot of body to the sauce. Yet the wonderful sets and locations would be noting if she didn’t understand the characters. Even with its implausible comedic set up, the film delivers because of the earnestness of the…
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Interview…Paul Haslinger on Electronic Soundscapes, Subtext, and Scoring Processes
If you were around in the ’80s, few things defined “cool” like music did. And, film fan or not, the top of that list is most likely going to be Tangerine Dream: the German electronic music outfit who dominated airwaves and theaters with their cutting edge electric sound. One key member of that ensemble pushing the electronic side of the band was young Paul Haslinger who joined up with them after their big hits like Sorcerer and Risky Business. Bringing a younger video game sensibility, he helped change the course of their sound for the better and contributed plenty including scores to Near Dark, Miracle Mile and Three O’Clock High.…
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Interview…Composer Alex Heffes on the Fun, Feverish and Flavorful Score to ‘Mafia Mamma’
Alex Heffes is a Golden Globe, BAFTA and 3 x Ivor Novello nominated composer who has scored over 70 feature films and TV projects. He has worked with many of cinema’s top filmmakers including Kevin Macdonald, Steven Frears, Catherine Hardwicke, Mira Nair, Tim Burton & J J Abrams. His unique ability to collaborate with artists from different cultures has been been a trademark of his style. He collaborated closely with Burton on his screen adaptation of Sweeney Todd and Heffes’ solo album, FACE TO FACE, features collaborations with artists such as the late Ryuichi Sakamoto, Regina Spektor and Yasmin Levy. Notable TV projects include the 2016 award-winning reboot of TV…
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Interview…Jessica St. Clair, David Gborie and Maile Flannagan Chat About ‘Royal Crackers’ on Adult Swim
Adult Swim has really jumped to the forefront of animation in the last twenty years. What was once the kind of thing that people would talk about in hushed tones – friends swapping grainy VHS copies of lewd shows in schools – is now in the mainstream and getting the attention these remarkable shows deserve. Sure, some of the output is an acquired taste with stories/characters/jokes as wild as they come. But the team here at GST are fans, and we recently talked to Casper Kelly (Too Many Cooks) as well as the team behind Aqua Teen Hunger Force (Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro) who help lead the zany charge…
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Interview…Composer Randy Edelman on Songs, Scores and Career Retrospective
Most of the time, a film would be nothing without the musical score. We hold the music in higher regard than the narrative itself, and our heroes have always been film composers. Getting to run this site for almost fifteen years, I can admit to just plain geeking out when speaking to people in the film music community. Case in point. Randy Edelman is a legendary singer, songwriter, orchestrator, conductor, and a seasoned music man who has quite literally scored our childhood. Just looking at the impressive list of titles to his credit (Dragonheart, Beethoven, Troop Beverly Hills, The Mask, My Cousin Vinny, Angels in the Outfield, Shanghai Noon, Daylight)…
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Interview…Quentin Dupieux on Absurd Characters and Non-Linear Storytelling in ‘Smoking Causes Coughing’
When people talk about oeuvres in film, they usually celebrate the rogue visionaries who change the landscape of cinema with each new feature. These are the kinds of filmmakers who are festival darlings and have some of the most unique tastes in the industry. One such creative is Quentin Dupieux and once you see his work, you’ll never be the same. I was a big fan of Wrong when it played at Fantastic Fest years ago. Well, like a fine wine he’s matured and in that time he’s taken his trademark style to the next level of absurdity. His latest is a farce about superheroes and there’s an inherent charm…
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Interview…Director Kurt Wimmer on Remakes, Reverence and the Writing Process
Once in a while, we get the joy of speaking to the people whose works have brought us joy. Equilibrium is one of our favorite films. Today, we get to share with you the brief slice of cinematic glee we had chatting with Kurt Wimmer. He directed the above-mentioned Christian Bale-led actioner, and written a slew of stellar and substantive stories like Law Abiding Citizen, and remakes to Total Recall and Point Break. His latest is Childern of the Corn which is is based upon the short story “Children of the Corn” by Stephen King that gives the King short some poignancy amid tangible real-life character motivations. We had an…
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Interview…Composer James Allen Roberson on Horses, Hoedowns and ‘Heart of a Champion’
James Allen Roberson is a composer and multi-instrumentalist working in film and television. With a diverse background in pop, rock, contemporary, and orchestral music he has carved out a unique niche in the current media landscape. James grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee playing classical violin and electric guitar from an early age. He studied film scoring and composition at Berklee College of Music in Boston where he received a bachelors of music degree. And from there he moved to Los Angeles and began working at Remote Control Productions with renowned composer Rupert Gregson-Williams as well as helping out on projects for Heitor Pereira, Guillaume Roussel, Deborah Lurie, and Hans Zimmer.…
