• Composer Series,  Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment

    Interview…John Powell Composing the Score to ‘Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie’

    While technically Canadian, Michael J. Fox is one of America’s most beloved actors. Fueled by an inability to be still, he’s been moving since the day he was born. That tenacity propelled him through his childhood and, years later, the difficult and nebulous waters of Hollywood. Rejections would have sent many young hopefuls packs…but not Mike. Perseverance and attitude prevailed and Fox was rewarded with film and TV work that charted an unparalleled course few actors have been able to replicate or even follow. One of the best words that could describe this pint-sized Canuck is “joyful” – his delivery and smile elicits a laugh every single time. Fox may…

  • Composer Series,  Features,  Interviews,  Mondo,  Movies/Entertainment,  Podcast Interview

    Interview…John Powell on ‘Solo’, John Williams, and A Long Time Before A Galaxy Far, Far Away

    British composer John Powell began his career in the advertising world writing music for commercials. Growing up in a musical family, you could say it was in his blood and it wasn’t long before he left the jingle world and headed to Los Angeles after being recruited by Hans Zimmer. While there, he worked on titles like The Prince of Egypt and The Road to El Dorado before being groomed for his first big solo outing: Face/Off. Talk about making an entrance. Powell came out swinging – to match the ballet of bullets and boat chases in the John Woo actioner – but he also gave the film lots of…

  • FourScore,  Movies/Entertainment

    FourScore Match-Up #13: “The Spy Who Loved Me”

    Different scores for different spies. The film world is chock full of secret and double agents both great and small. From covert operative to fire-and-forget sleuths of the incendiary kind, these masters of disguise are really only as good as their orchestra. Sometimes a spy film calls for things to be slow and low yet other times a preponderance of bass is needed to aid in their bombastic exploits. Yet, like the old saying goes, you really do need to the right tool for the job. The following composers are equally skilled and succeed in making their respective spies seem larger than life. While they’re all great, today’s FourScore looks to find the…

  • FourScore,  Movies/Entertainment

    FourScore Match-Up #7: "Batteries Not Included"

    Today we’ve got robots, robots everywhere; good, bad, big, small, made of new parts and spare parts. Each film features four equally impressive scores about peace, love, family and even all out war. Quite a mixed bag of bolts, wouldn’t you say? In true Rock’em Sock’em format we pit these big guys (and not so big guys) up against one another. Leave it to great composers to craft such amazing scores to make you feel emotional for walking trash cans. So which of these can take a licking and keep on ticking?? Is the story of a boy and his Giant, How about that gorgeous CG moral lesson touting we can…