Mondo employees are a rare breed of cinephiles and artisans – chalk it up mostly to each of them having seen certain films way too early in their lifetime. Having watched those titles countless times, movies are not just a means of entertainment, they are part of their DNA. Who else could make/understand a “little too Raph” joke on a daily basis without missing a beat? In short, certain films defined their tastes for years to come. One such individual is Mo Shafeek. We got to speak to him for over an hour regarding his role as Mondo’s soundtrack production manager. Based in Austin, TX, the Mondo bunch (Mo included),…
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Interview…Richard Kaufman on John Williams and Being A Session Musician on ‘Jaws’
Richard Kaufman is, and has been, a good friend of the site. Thanks to our contacts at the Dallas Symphony, we always get to catch up with him when he’s in town for a show as their Pops conductor laureate. Richard has had an amazing career being a session musician (violin) on many classic film scores as well as being MGM’s Music Supervisor for 19 years. He’s seen incredible things behind the gates of major Hollywood studios. You’ve seen those Dos XX commercials with “the Most Interesting Man in the World” right? Well, it should actually be Richard they’re talking about. Seriously, name any filmic presonality and Richard either knows them,…
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CONTEST CLOSED – Win A Copy of the ‘Sin City: A Dame to Kill For’ Soundtrack Autographed by Composer Carl Thiel
Attention: CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. All winners have been notified. Thanks for your interest in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. ——————————————————————————————————————————— This week, Sin City: A Dame To Kill For was released on Blu-Ray and this follow-up to Robert Rodriguez’s noir-fueled 2005 film is full of even more hard-edged and unsavory characters…and a whole lotta Eva Green, that’s for sure! But this grungy world wouldn’t have half of its gritty and slightly off-putting charm without the driving soundtrack to compliment the insane action and ultra violence. Earlier this year we again spoke with composer Carl Thiel about his musical contributions to the Double R universe. Along with insights about the…
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Hans Zimmer's 'Man of Steel' Soundtrack Gets a Two-Disc Special Edition
Even though June 14th is so close we can almost touch it, we’re still going to have to wait just about three weeks before we get to see Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot blaze across the screen. From the trailers and marketing campaign to the actors and the creative team, there’s really nothing about this production that doesn’t scream epic blockbuster hit. Yet as much as we’re ready to be blown away by the visual marvels Snyder will unleash, we at GST are even more pumped to hear the sound that Hans Zimmer brings to the film. As of right now Zimmer’s score will be released on Tuesday June 11th and…
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Ohhh, Listen…First M83 Track Released From The 'Oblivion' Score
At G-S-T we’ve become increasingly fond of the group M83. It’s not hard once you listen to a few tracks since they have such a distinct and infectious sound. When Joseph Kosinski began work on his second film after the TRON: Legacy many wondered if Daft Punk would return to knock another score out of the park. Well Kosinski enlisted the above mentioned French group to score the film and that only made the production of Oblivion that much more appealing. Recently the first track from the score, titled “StarWaves” was released (thanks to Rolling Stone for the heads up) and it sounds goooood! Have a listen and enjoy the epic…
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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…
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Ohhh, Listen…Preview Thomas Newman’s Score From ‘Skyfall’
On October 5th fans around the globe celebrated the 50th anniversary of everyone’s favorite secret agent. Like a steam roller, Bond 23 has been pushing toward its November 9th release date. From an Oscar-winning director (and his video blogs), to a simply top drawer cast, to Adele’s sensationally Bond-esqe title song, it looks like Skyfall and will live up to the hype. Well as fans of films scores we at G-S-T were over the moon to find out that Thomas Newman would be lending his talents to the 007 franchise. As regular composer David Arnold had to bow out to help work on the 2012 Olympics, we’re excited to see what Newman will bring to the table.…