• FourScore,  Movies/Entertainment

    FourScore Match-Up #19: “It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got Them Strings”

    This week Kenneth Branagh’s Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit hits theaters and marks the 11th time he and that smiling Scottsman composer Patrick Doyle have worked together in the last 25 years. The film features an amazing arrangement of strings with such diversity and complexity it’s easily some of the best pensive spy music since David Arnold’s work scoring the Bond series. And seriously, no matter what country you’re from the stellar track “Ryan, Mr. President” may be the most swellingly patriotic theme you’ll ever hear. Doyle’s works have such dense richness that they give each film an almost mythical atmosphere. One thing is for sure, he just knows how to…

  • FourScore,  Movies/Entertainment

    FourScore Match-Up #16: “You’re Very Animated”

    Blue Sky Studios and 20th Century Fox are bringing Chris Wedge’s EPIC to theaters this weekend. It’s a visual wonderland that is perfectly complimented by Danny Elfman’s beautiful score. So it was with that in mind we decided to look at a variety of beloved films that feature equally gorgeous animation and take us to worlds too incredible to believe. Yet while the four titles above are vastly different at first glance they do share one common element; a standout musical score that is as vibrant as any hand-painted or computer generated cells in each of these fantastic stories. So who will walk away with the crown in today’s FourScore…

  • Movies/Entertainment,  Reviews

    On Second Thought, Bill’s Take: G-S-T Review…Star Trek Into Darkness

    There’s a vitality to director J.J. Abram’s latest foray into the Star Trek universe. While he may not be going where no man—or this series in particular—has gone before, it appears his goal is to give the series forward momentum that can be sustained even if he doesn’t return to the helm. Certainly, Abrams leaves the franchise in a much better place than where he found it. What you look for in a Trek film largely depends on what generation you belong to and outside of that, what series you most align yourself with. There’s a rich history through the various decades that Trek lived through on the boob tube.…

  • FourScore,  Movies/Entertainment

    FourScore Match-Up #15: “The Great Space Race”

    At warp speed, J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Into Darkness is set to scream into theaters this week. So with that in mind it seemed like the perfect opportunity to dust off our FourScore series to help kick off new and upcoming entries to our running feature (which has been long overdue for another installment). Today, we look to the future and also to the past to champion some of the best soundtracks to some influential and seminal space-themed films that boldly go where no one has gone before… With that said, today we’ll examine one of the funnest space operas of all time, a suffering franchise’s adrenaline fueled reboot that brought together (probably for the first time) fans…

  • Movies/Entertainment

    Soundworks Collection Profile: Michael Giacchino

    Now that the announcement and full teaser trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness have been released, lots of questions have been raised about J.J. Abrams’ sequel. Questions like who is Benedict Cumberbatch‘s character John Harrison? and recently “Are You the 1701?“. But no question is more important to us film score geeks at G-S-T than “What will Michael Giacchino bring to the table for the next Star Trek film?“. Granted Michael already provided the score for the 9-minute prologue (which plays before The Hobbit), but even he admits that that theme may in fact change for the final product. Why? Well because J.J. and the team at Bad Robot are deep in post-production…

  • Movies/Entertainment

    Ohhh, Look…Pixar Short 'La Luna' On-Line NOW!!

    Most audiences on the planet automatically know that when going into a Pixar film they’ll be wow’d by great visuals and, more importantly, superb storytelling. But of equal and sometimes better quality are their fantastic short films like Partysaurus Rex. Case in point; this year, with Brave, we got the studio’s first Princess story but while it didn’t have quite the impact they regularly offer fans, the short La Luna couldn’t have been better. A wondrous story about a boy, his father and grandfather and their celestially custodial family business La Luna is magical and has the makings of a classic…if you could consider an animated short a classic that is. Today it showed up…

  • Dallas Symphony Orchestra,  Movies/Entertainment

    Michael Giacchino – Live At The Meyerson Symphony Center

    Oscar-winning film composer Michael Giacchino has won hearts around the world with his themes to Up, Star Trek, Lost among many others. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra invited Michael to conduct a retrospective concert this past weekend and it was an experience to say the least. His already thrilling music became even more vibrant as it echoed off every surface in the majestic hall of the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. That plus the amazing contributions from the University of Texas at Arlington Festival choir helped make the themes you thought you knew and loved even more colorful on the evenings of May 18th – 20th. The air in the symphony hall before Michael…

  • Composer Series,  Dallas Symphony Orchestra,  Features,  Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment,  Video Interviews

    Exclusive: Video Interview…Film Composer Michael Giacchino

    To close out their Masters of Film Music series, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra has invited Oscar-winning film composer Michael Giacchino (pronounced “Juh-keen-oh“) to conduct a retrospective concert from May 18th – 20th. The set list, which he’s calling Stories of Islands, Balloons and Space, will include a number of his most popular and well-loved themes/music including Lost, Up, Star Trek, Super 8 and Ratatoulie. While he’s garnered plenty of acclaim and accolades this will be one of the few time he’s ever conducted his work. But before he takes the stage for his 3 night engagement (the first time that an orchestra in the United States has performed a complete range of his work), he agreed to meet with G-S-T for an exclusive interview. Join…

  • Composer Series,  Dallas Symphony Orchestra,  Features,  Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment

    Exclusive: Interview…Film Composer Michael Giacchino

    This week, Oscar-winning film composer Michael Giacchino (Star Trek, Super 8, Up, The Incredibles) will hold an exclusive 3 night engagement with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The retrospective concert experience will feature a set list of Giacchino’s finest works with an added bonus; Michael himself will be conducting his well-loved themes at the Meyerson Symphony Center from May 18th – 20th. In a very fun and informative interview from his office at Pixar, Go,See,Talk got to speak with Michael to discuss his influences, his passion, his process and how he weaves his musical magic. 20 minutes is nowhere near long enough to spend with this gifted musician (honestly I have pages of things I wanted to ask him), so before our on-camera session with him…

  • Dallas Symphony Orchestra,  Movies/Entertainment

    Dallas Symphony Hosts “The Masters of Film Music” w/ Michael Giacchino

    Oscar-winner, Pixar golden boy and creator of some of the catchiest and most memorable tunes in recent years, Michael Giacchino’s musical genius knows no bounds. His exciting, weighty and frenetic themes have been the unseen heart and soul in stories great and small, from video games and TV shows all the way up to big budget animated films and blockbusters. If you were emotionally invested in any Pixar, Bad Robot or other adventure/sci-fi production in the last decade, you were no doubt under the spell of maestro Michael Giacchino. This week, acclaimed film composer Michael Giacchino will hold an exclusive 3 night engagement with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The retrospective concert experience will feature a set list of…