A Score To Settle

Welcome back, everyone! To close out 2023, I’m concluding with an episode of the Now Playing sub-series of the podcast to spotlight notable film scores throughout the calendar year. This year provided some surprise blockbusters, such as BARBIE and OPPENHEIMER, along with new entries from major franchises like INDIANA JONES, CREED and THE FAST & THE FURIOUS - with memorable music from many. Enjoy ...

Hello and welcome back to the podcast! In this episode, prepare to be transformed as I continue my mini-series entitled “TV Goes To The Movies” and now explore the music for THE TRANSFORMERS franchise. As before, my focus is musically what was or was not carried over from the television episodes of a particular series to its respective theatrical feature, such as the main TV theme or scoring style.

Welcome all to the podcast! In this episode, I continue my mini-series entitled "TV Goes To The Movies", a topic in which I intend to explore TV shows that migrated over to the big screen. As expected, my focus is musically what was or was not carried over from the television episodes of a particular series to its respective theatrical feature, such as the main TV theme.

Hello everyone! With this episode of the podcast, I begin a new sub-series entitled "TV Goes To The Movies", a topic intended to explore TV shows which migrated over to the big screen.

In mapping out a potential plan for the podcast this year, I felt motivated to explore this scenario in terms of musically what was and was not carried ove...

Happy New Year to all listeners out there and welcome to the first new episode of 2023! In this inaugural episode of the new year, I am accompanied by popular soundtrack album producer and editor Neil S. Bulk, in what has become a perennial, (hopefully) entertaining and often “inside baseball” type of discussion. Neil and I recap his standout projects from the prior year, 2022, for the venerable sound...

Welcome back to the show! In an effort to wrap up 2022, I’m concluding with an episode of the Now Playing sub-series of the podcast. This is following on from the previous Now Playing installment (episode 47) in which I primarily covered the first half of the year, including THE BATMAN and TOP GUN: MAVERICK, with additional notable highlights from late 2021. In this episode, enjoy music from John Will...

Welcome back to the podcast! In this episode, I present and examine the music composed for the PREDATOR film franchise, from the 1987 original through to the latest installment, PREY, released via the streaming service Hulu in August 2022. My goal is to identify the themes, motifs, instrumentation and approach applied by composer Alan Silvestri (BACK TO THE FUTURE, MOUSE HUNT, THE AVENGERS) to PREDATO...

Welcome, everyone, to the next episode of the podcast! In this episode, I revisit a sub-series of the show called "Now Playing", during which I showcase recent soundtrack albums to which I’ve been listening. This can include music for both current film releases and classic scores newly issued on album. Below are the titles (and artists) that I present, mostly from the end of last year and the first ha...

Hello again and welcome back to the podcast! In this somewhat "super-sized" installment of my multi-part trek through the music of Science Fiction cinema, I attempt to close out the decade of the 1980's. The previous installment in this series focused on titles from the years 1980-82. Here, I cover the remaining years of the decade with examples of the competing and sometimes collaborative film music ...

Welcome to the next new episode! I am pleased to be joined once more by soundtrack album producer and editor, Neil S. Bulk. As heard in previous years, which long-time listeners may recall, I’ve invited Neil back to reflect on his notable projects from the prior year, in this case 2021, for the various soundtrack record labels such as La La Land Records and Varese Sarabande. Topics range from work con...

Welcome to 2022, everyone! In this first episode of the year, my multi-part journey into the music of Science Fiction cinema and its evolving soundscape through the decades continues. We’re now crossing over into the 1980’s, following on from the seismic shift in film scoring which occurred with the unexpected arrival of STAR WARS in 1977 and its John Williams-penned symphonic score, hearkening back t...

Greetings everyone! In this new episode of the podcast, my sonic journey through the music for Science Fiction cinema through the decades continues, by closing out the 1970's. This will focus on titles from the 1977-1979 years, and more specifically STAR WARS and the ripples created by that seismic shift of its musical score composed by John Williams. The electronic and avant garde sounds of the genre...

Welcome back to the podcast! In this episode I continue on to the next chapter of a multi-part deep dive, into the evolving music of Science Fiction cinema through the decades, with my focus today being the 1960’s. Thus far, we’ve journeyed through the 1950’s scores which were brimming with electric violins, theremins, Novachords, jarring stinger chords and harsh onslaughts of brass and percussion.

Beginning with this episode (the 40th!) of the podcast, I plan to present a multi-part analysis into a specific cinematic genre, that being the music of science fiction through the years. The 1950's is often considered the initial Golden Age of Science Fiction, when the genre showcased its own distinctiveness onscreen and gained notoriety in part due to films such as THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (195...

Hello again, everyone! On this episode of the podcast, I am joined by the brilliantly skilled composer Benji Merrison. Benji is based in London and has provided music across a wide spectrum of media, from TV to film, documentaries and art installations. His background includes both formal music schooling as well as music production and engineering. Some of Benji Merrison's previous projects include TV...

Welcome back to the podcast! Marvelously proficient composer, arranger and songwriter Matthew Head joins me on this episode to discuss his background and diverse career. Matthew's soundtracks have garnered Grammy, Emmy, Peabody and NAACP awards and nominations, all while working from his home in Marietta, Georgia. His notable projects include TV series such as GREENLEAF (on OWN), Boomerang (on BET), T...

Hello all! In this new episode of the podcast, I am joined by the wonderfully innovative composer Grant Fonda. Grant has contributed music to various multi-media projects, including notable documentaries such as THE DATING PROJECT and the award-winning DOWN THE FENCE, and is graciously taking time to talk about his score for the new documentary feature film entitled THE HOUSE THAT ROB BUILT, which pre...

Welcome back, everyone! In this new episode, I talk with multi-talented composer Enis Rotthoff. Born in Berlin, Enis is a well established and distinct musical voice in German cinema and in recent years has been been cultivating a similarly impressive reputation here in the United States. He has composed music for diverse films such as GUNS AKIMBO and THE SUNLIT NIGHT and I'm pleased to welcome Enis t...