Welcome all listeners out there to the new year and also to the inaugural episode of 2024! To launch into this new year, in this episode I am accompanied once more by perennially popular soundtrack album producer and editor Neil S. Bulk, to continue our conversation in recapping his standout projects from the prior year, in this instance 2023. His work can be heard on album releases from the La La Land, Quartet and Varese Sarabande record labels. As always, I appreciate when Neil can spend time ...
Feb 19, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 55
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 music from a cavalcade of composers - John Williams, Lorne Balfe, Christophe Beck and Hans Zimmer...
Nov 20, 2023•1 hr 36 min•Season 1Ep. 54
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. During its near 40 year history, from the original 1984 syndicated cartoon series, to the animated...
Aug 10, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 53
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. This time I open Channel D to examine "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." - a popular spy series which aired on NBC from 1964-1968. Its ...
May 21, 2023•1 hr 23 min•Season 1Ep. 52
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 over from the television episodes of a particular series to its respective theatrical feature. For example, was the TV series' main theme referenced? Was the style...
Mar 27, 2023•1 hr 48 min•Season 1Ep. 51
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 soundtrack record labels La La Land Records, Quartet Records and Varese Sarabande. As always, I appre...
Feb 10, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 50
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 Williams, Lorne Balfe, Junkie XL, Alexandre Desplat among others! Below are the films and composers ...
Dec 04, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 49
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 PREDATOR (1987) & PREDATOR 2 (1990) and how this symphonic model was subsequently interpreted in th...
Sep 18, 2022•1 hr 36 min•Season 1Ep. 48
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 half of 2022: VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE - Marco Beltrami ARMY OF THIEVES - Hans Zimmer & Ste...
Jun 27, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 47
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 trends - pop & electronic and orchestral. The 80’s were a peak time of musical surprises, so...
Apr 24, 2022•1 hr 39 min•Season 1Ep. 46
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 continuing during lockdown, rescores, film score presentations vs original albums and guessing as t...
Feb 06, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 45
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 to the sounds of the classical Hollywood era. This symphonic shadow loomed large over Sci-Fi movi...
Jan 17, 2022•1 hr 34 min•Season 1Ep. 44
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 heard during the early Seventies found themselves supplanted by the return of those of the Gold...
Oct 17, 2021•1 hr 31 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Hi again everybody! In this episode of the podcast, my multi-part deep dive into the malleable soundscape of Science Fiction cinema continues, with the focus today being the 1970’s. Well, to be more specific, this episode focuses on the first half of the 1970's. It was a period when the sweeping symphonic sound of the Golden Age had briefly faded, mostly supplanted by either pop inflected scores and songs, tracked in classical works or experimental, often electronic tones. Sci-fi film scores (an...
Aug 22, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 42
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. Now, as we advance into the 1960's, we'll hear sumptuous symphonic scores for THE TIME MACHINE (19...
Jul 18, 2021•1 hr 31 min•Season 1Ep. 41
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 (1951), CONQUEST OF SPACE (1955) and INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956). Music from this decade's...
Jun 06, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 40
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 series for BBC 1 such as FORCES OF NATURE, DYNASTIES and GREEN PLANET. Today, I have welcomed h...
May 02, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 39
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), THE FAMILY and P-VALLEY. Here I talk with Matthew about composing and arranging score and songs f...
Apr 11, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 38
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 premiered in February 2021. THE HOUSE THAT ROB BUILT was directed by Jonathan Cipiti and Megan Harr...
Mar 14, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 37
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 to the podcast to discuss his latest feature, LOVE SARAH. Released in January 2021, LOVE SARAH wa...
Feb 21, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Welcome to the first new episode of 2021! I am graciously joined once more by soundtrack album producer and editor Neil S. Bulk to review his projects from the previous year and discuss surprises, roadblocks and highlights along the way. Titles covered in this episode include THE KARATE KID II (1986) and THE KARATE KID III (1989), with music composed by Bill Conti, both available in deluxe editions released from La-La Land Records, completing the trilogy alongside their previous release of 1984'...
Feb 01, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Welcome back, everyone! In this episode of the podcast, I am charting the musical journey of the popular TV series, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, which ran from 1987 to 1994. THE NEXT GENERATION, or TNG, was a syndicated sequel series to the beloved original STAR TREK series, the first spin-off in what is now a long-running media franchise. Personally, it happens to be my favorite TV series, it's what made me into a Star Trek fan and features some of my favorite music for television. The three...
Dec 06, 2020•1 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Welcome to the next new episode of the podcast! It's been awhile since my last episode of this variety, being that it is split into two segments - the first focuses on a notable and favorite score of mine, followed by a segment that is a free-wheeling chat between myself and another soundtrack fan! Modernist composer Alex North's challenging, complex and arresting score for the 1981 dark fantasy film DRAGONSLAYER has long been considered memorable for the genre overall. I briefly present North's...
Sep 27, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 33
Welcome back, everyone! This is part two of my investigation into music of the popular cop/action film series, LETHAL WEAPON, composed by Michael Kamen, Eric Clapton and David Sanborn, and its fusion of rock, blues and orchestral stylings. In part one, I focused on the original, released in 1987, and the first sequel, along with presenting contextual examples from scores for police and detective movies which preceded this series. Here, I continue on into LETHAL WEAPON 3 (1992) and LETHAL WEAPON ...
Jul 19, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Welcome to the next new episode! In another of my "Listening To" series, I am exploring the music of the popular cop/action film series, LETHAL WEAPON, which appeared onscreen in 1987 in its initial installment and then wrapped up in 1998 with LETHAL WEAPON 4. The core cast and crew remained mostly the same throughout the entire production, with Richard Donner as director, superstars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover headlining and music composed by Michael Kamen, Eric Clapton and David Sanborn. Speci...
Jun 21, 2020•57 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Soundtrack album producer and editor Neil S. Bulk returns as an honored guest to the podcast to discuss several of his notable film score restorations completed during 2019. He shares behind-the-scenes information and anecdotes from wonderful projects he guided last year for fan favorite record labels, including La-La Land Records, Quartet Records and Varese Sarabande. I ask Neil about his efforts on the 5-disc PLANET OF THE APES box set, which collects all music from the original five films in ...
May 03, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Welcome to the first episode of the show for 2020! While it's been a difficult year so far, I trust that everyone is currently staying safe, healthy and sheltered in these unfortunately uncertain times. The podcast has been on hiatus for awhile, but I plan to return with more episodes this year, beginning with this one, which carries a more personal focus. Last year, 2019, was the 25th anniversary of my father's passing and to acknowledge how he affected my love of movie music, I wanted to devot...
Mar 22, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Welcome to the next episode of the podcast! To celebrate the recently released deluxe CD box set from La La Land Records, I am exploring the marvelous music composed for the original PLANET OF THE APES film series - from Jerry Goldsmith's groundbreaking score for the initial entry in 1968 through to Leonard Rosenman's rousing music for the fifth and final film, 1973's BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES. This popular and successful series was a forerunner of the serialized, narrative film franchis...
Sep 15, 2019•1 hr 35 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Hello all, I am back with the next new episode of the podcast! In this installment, I cover a new concert recording and previously unreleased and expanded albums. First, I explore music featured on the new 2-CD "The World of Hans Zimmer: A Symphonic Celebration", a live concert performance recorded in 2018 at the Hollywood In Vienna festival honoring Mr. Zimmer. Next up is previously unreleased TV music from the 1970's on "The Quinn Martin Collection Vol. 1: Cop and Detective Series" (featuring ...
Jul 14, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Hello and welcome back to the podcast! In this new installment of my "Listening To.." series, I am centered on composer Elliot Goldenthal, one of my favorite film composers of the modern era. You might not immediately recognize his name, but Elliot Goldenthal has contributed music to some of the most notable and popular movies of the last few decades. This includes such diverse titles as ALIEN 3 (1992), INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE (1994), HEAT (1995), BATMAN FOREVER (1995), MICHAEL COLLINS (1996) a...
Jun 15, 2019•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 26
