498 avsnitt • Längd: 45 min • Veckovis: Fredag
In a unique weekly podcast, Edith Bowman sits down with a variety of film directors, actors, producers and composers to talk about the music that inspired them and how they use music in their films, from their current release to key moments in their career. The music chosen by our guests is woven into the interview and used alongside clips from their films.
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We are truly in the company of cinematic royalty on the latest episode of Soundracking, as Keanu Reeves joins John Wick director Chad Stahelski to discuss chapter 3 of the hugely enjoyable franchise.
Theirs was very much a partnership forged during the filming of The Matrix trilogy - on which Chad worked as both a stuntman and stunt co-ordinator. When Keanu received the script for Wick, he invited Chad on board, who in turn enlisted the services of composers Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard.
They provided the scores for all three movies, and as ever you'll hear plenty of their work sprinkled throughout the conversation - as well as a couple of classic needle drops from The Matrix.
We have a treat for you on our latest episode of Soundtracking, not just in the shape of our guest but also the quite magnificent score that accompanies his new film.
For director Dome Karukoski wisely enlisted the services of the incomparable Thomas Newman for Tolkein, a biopic on the life of The Hobbit and Lord Of The Rings author. Starring Nicholas Hoult, Lily Collins, Colm Meaney, and Derek Jacobi, Tolkein charts the writer's formative years, as his creativity, friendships and love affair with Edith Bratt are put to the test by the outbreak of World War I.
As ever, you'll hear plenty of Thomas's music throughout the conversation, as well as examples of Hildur Guðnadóttir & Lasse Enersen's work on one of Dome's previous movies, Tom Of Finland.
After 22 films featuring a legion of heroes and villains, it is the end (of sorts) for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Avengers: Endgame is the culmination of an epic undertaking on the part of Marvel Studios, and delivers thrills, laughs, spectacular set pieces and one or two tears.
We've done our best to avoid spoilers, but if you haven't seen Endgame or indeed Infinity War, you might want to wait before diving in to this latest episode of Soundtracking.
As with Infinity War, Endgame directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, with the score provided by Alan Silvestri. And in the fine tradition of the Marvel movies, we've got a rather large bonus at the end of our conversation in the shape of our first interview with the Russo brothers, to save you searching for it on the internet. It really is worth revisiting.
What links Gandhi, Dangerous Liaisons, Groundhog Day, My Name Is Joe, The Fisher King and You've Got Mail?
The answer is composer George Fenton, who scored all of these films as well as a hundred-odd more! He also provided the music for several big budget BBC wildlife documentaries, including as The Trials Of Life and Blue Planet and Planet Earth.
So we are indeed in esteemed company on our latest episode of Soundtracking, the original podcast about screen music.
We caught up with George at his wonderful home on the release of Red Joan, a British spy drama starring Sophie Cookson and Judi Dench. As usual, you'll hear George's work from this and other movies throughout the conversation, as well his experiences of collaborating with Stephen Frears, Terry Gilliam, Ken Loach, Nora Ephron and Sir Richard Attenborough.
Our guest on this week's Soundtracking is not necessarily a name you'll be familiar with. But as a movie fan, you'll certainly know the music he has had a key hand in.
For in his 20 years at Air Studios, Jake Jackson has produced and engineered an extraordinary number of magnificent scores. As well as being Nick Cave and Warren Ellis's go-to guy, he has also worked on Gladiator, Pete's Dragon and Under the Skin among many other well-known films. Indeed, his work has featured on at least 20 episodes of this podcast, which is why we were so keen to get him on.
It's three for the price of one in our latest episode of Soundtracking, as director Tom Harper, writer Nicole Taylor and actress Jessie Buckley join me to discuss their new film, Wild Rose.
Set in Glasgow, Wild Rose tells the story of Rose-Lyne Harlan, a troubled working class mother of two who dreams of becoming a country star in Nashville. With strong support from Julie Walters and Sophie Okonedo, it's a moving, bittersweet affair, that never goes in quite the direction you're expecting. It also features plenty of music - some of which you'll recognise and some of which is totally original.
Indeed, with the help of their music guru Jack Arnold, Nicole and Jessie wrote several of the songs that appear in the movie.
Our latest episode of Soundtracking is another live event, recorded at the British Film Institute in London with writer, director & actor Andy Serkis and musician Nitin Sawhney.
The pair have collaborated on several occasions, most recently on Mowgli: Legend Of The Jungle, Andy's performance capture reimagining of The Jungle Book. It's available to watch now via Netflix, and if you haven't seen it already we highly recommend it. Nitin also provided the score for Breathe - Andy's directorial debut.
As alway's, you'll hear plenty of music from both films during the conversation and plenty more besides.
You wait months for a guest to talk with authority about scary movies, then two come along at once. Following Jordan Peele's fine turn in our previous episode, we're delighted to welcome Eli Roth to the show this time round.
Eli is a writer, director, actor and producer who came to prominence with films such as Cabin Fever and Hostel. While much of his work is not for the faint hearted, his latest project, The House With A Clock In Its Walls, follows the great Spielberg tradition of frightening family fun.
Eli is also an encyclopaedia when it comes to score - to the point at which we couldn't source half of the music he refers to. But no matter: as you'll hear, he delivers quite the lesson nonetheless ...
We haven't featured as much horror as we'd like on Soundtracking, so it really is a great thrill for us to welcome the man of the moment in that particular field, Jordan Peele.
Having forged a hugely successful career as a comedian and actor, Jordan won an Oscar and numerous other accolades for his debut feature, Get Out, which blended traditional genre tropes with social observation to create something altogether fresh.
Now he follows it up with the equally brilliant Us, in which a family is confronted by a group of doppelgängers. Both films were scored by Michael Abels, who had never previously worked on a movie until Jordan came along.
We'll hear plenty of Michael's work, as well as some of the truly brilliant needle drops that are used across the Get Out and Us.
Two extremely talented gentlemen join us for our latest episode of Soundtracking, better known for their work in fields other than cinema.
But in Benjamin, writer / director Simon Amstell and composer James Righton of Klaxons fame have collaborated on a film that is tender, moving and also very funny.
Starring Colin Morgan and Phénix Brossard, Benjamin tells the story of a filmmaker who is forced to confront life's big questions as he embarks on a relationship with a charismatic young musician.
As ever, you'll hear plenty of James' score, as well as an insight into Simon's CD soundtrack collection ...
There is a fine tradition of female singers who have made the successful transition to cinema - from Barbara Streisand and Queen Latifah to Diana Ross and Lady Gaga. And we can certainly include R&B goddess Mary J Blige on that list.
Having sold over 80 million records, Mary has a string of impressive acting credits to her name too. She played Malcom X's widow Dr Betty Shabazz in Betty and Coretta, and was nominated for an Oscar for performance as matriarch Florence Jackson in the deeply moving period drama, Mudbound.
Mary is equally at home at the less-serious end of the entertainment spectrum, as demonstrated by her turns in Rock Of Ages and The Umbrella Academy, which is available now on Netflix.
We should say that we had some terrible static interference on the recording of this interview, which we genuinely think may have been caused by Mary's earrings! We've tried to clean it up as best we can, but do forgive us as and when the quality occasionally dips below our usual high standards …
Head to Itunes and search for our playlist for this episode, to listen to every track that is featured on the show, in the order we play it. Alternatively, cut and paste the following link:
Genius though he is, Martin Scorsese would be the first to admit the enormous debt of gratitude he owes to one Thelma Schoonmaker.
For Thelma is the woman who has edited over 20 of his movies, from Raging Bull and Casino to Gangs Of New York and The Departed. So it's truly an honour to welcome her to Soundtracking, the weekly screen music podcast. As you'd hope, she has some great stories to share with us.
Thelma was married to the late Michael Powell, one half of the legendary partnership Powell and Pressburger. Their work influenced Martin hugely - and indeed it was he who introduced Thelma to her would-be husband.
You'll hear plenty of music from their films, as well as some of the more memorable cues to feature in Martin's back catalogue. There are a few notable clips to enjoy, too ...
If the release of If Beale Street Could Talk gave us a much needed excuse to get Barry Jenkins onto our screen music podcast, Soundtracking, then it also provided the perfect opportunity to invite his composer Nicholas Britell back for a second time.
Nicholas's turn in episode 46 was a delight, illuminating the nuances of his Oscar-nominated score for Moonlight in ways that were quite beyond anything we'd imagined.
His work on Beale Street is equally layered, encapsulating with its mournful strings and wistful horns the old adage that the course of true love never runs smooth. It is, from start to finish, gut-wrenchingly beautiful, and has quite rightly seen him nominated by the Academy again. At the time of recording, we don't know if he landed the gong, but he'd certainly make a worthy winner.
We also discuss his work on Adam McKay's Vice too - a film with a mere 8 Oscar nominations - and Battle Of The Sexes, which was directed by former guests on this show, Valerie Farris and Jonathan Dayton.
It's been the best part of eight years since Joe Cornish released his directorial debut Attack The Block. And in our humble opinion, his follow up The Kid Who Would Be King has been well worth the wait.
That's not to say Joe hasn't been busy, co-writing the Adventures Of Tintin with Edgar Wright, Stephen Spielberg and Peter Jackson, and Ant Man with Edgar and Paul Rudd, among others.
But it's great to have him back at the helm. Based on an idea Joe originally had as a twelve year old, The Kid Who Would Be King tells the story of a young boy who finds King Arthur's legendary sword Excalibur, and must then use it to stop the mythical enchantress Morgana from destroying the world.
The film is scored by Electric Wave Bureau, a collective comprising Damon Albarn, his wife Suzi Winstanley, Michael Smith and Nelson De Freitas, and you'll hear plenty of their work sprinkled throughout the conversation.
There's also music by John Williams, Led Zeppelin, Prefab Sprout and, er, Bucks Fizz ...
We have another polymath for you in the latest episode of Soundtracking - this time in the shape of Australian actor, writer and director Joel Edgerton.
Joel's latest project is Boy Erased - in which he admirably deploys all three of these skills. Based on a memoir by Garrard Conley, the film stars Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and Troye Sivan, and tells the story of the son of devout Baptist parents who is forced to take part in a gay conversion therapy program.
Boy Erased is scored by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans, who also collaborated with Joel on his directorial debut, The Gift. At Joel's behest, it's a nuanced affair, hinting at the darker themes of the movie without ever over-stating them. They also make great use of choral voices.
We should mention that Joel and Edith discuss a key plot detail during the course of the interview, so if you're planning to see the film, you might want to hold fire before listening to this ...
Ever since meeting him prior to the release of Moonlight, Edith has been longing to get Barry Jenkins onto Soundtracking. So it's an absolute pleasure to welcome him along ahead of the UK opening of his latest movie - the magnificent If Beale Street Could Talk.
Based on the novel by James Baldwin, it tells the story of a young African-American woman who seeks to clear the name of her imprisoned lover before the birth of their child.
If Beale Street Could Talk has recieved three Oscar nominations including Best Adapted Screenplay for Barry and Best Original Score for his composer and former guest on this show, Nicholas Britell.
At Barry's request, Nick's score leans heavily on jazz tropes. We also discuss his excellent taste in needle-drops, from Nina Simone to Al Green and Barbara Lewis.
When the opportunity to interview the Canadian writer, director and animator Dean Deblois presented itself, we just had to say yes, even though our schedule is choc-a-block.
For alongside Chris Sanders, Dean is the man behind the How To Train Your Dragon trilogy - a series of films that have brought Edith and her two boys an immense amount of joy. They're also responsible for Lilo And Stich, another big hit in the Bowman household.
The final installment of the trilogy is called Hidden World. Scored by John Powell (with a little help from Jonsi of Icelandic band Sigur Ros), it brings to a conclusion the story of Hiccup the Viking and his dragon, Toothless. The animation is mind-blowing, and beautifully compliments a narrative that's both wildly thrilling and deeply moving.
As always, we'll be interspersing relevant music with the conversation, including the Jonsi tracks that feature on the end credits of the first two films - Sticks & Stones and Where No One Goes.
18 years after he brought us the lo-fi superhero thriller Unbreakable - and a mere 3 since the surprise sequel Split - M Night Shyamalan finally completes his so-called Eastrail 177 trilogy with Glass.
All the key players from the pervious films return, led by Bruce Willis's blue collar vigilante and Samuel L Jackson and James McEvoy's super-villains. Much of the action takes place in the mental institution where the trio are incarcerated and probed by Sarah Paulson's sceptical psychiatrist.
Glass is scored by West Dylan Thordson, who also provided the music for Split. It's an edgy, minimalist affair - with the ambient gloom and agitated strings reminiscent of Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow's incredible work on Alex Garland's Annihilation (see episode 85!)
And it's with West's cue Backfire that we begin, as Night reflects upon the history of a trilogy nearly two decades in the making.
We should say that if you haven't seen Split and intend to do so anytime soon, you might want to wait before listening to this, though it wouldn't be the end of the world ...
You may not be familiar with her name, but you will certainly know her films. For Elizabeth Karlsen has produced a whole host of cinematic gems - including The Crying Game, Little Voice, Made In Dagenham, Great Expectations and Carol. And having spoken to her husband Stephen Woolley on this show previously, it's a pleasure to welcome her to Soundtracking, Edith's weekly podcast about screen music.
Indeed, such has their lasting influence been that they are to receive The Outstanding British Contribution To Cinema at the 2019 BAFTA Film Awards.
Elizabeth's latest project is Colette. Staring Keira Knightly and Dominic West, Colette tells the true story of a French woman whose husband exploits her creative talents by persuading her to write under his name. The success of the ensuing series of novels brings them both considerable fame, though she soon becomes frustrated that she cannot take the credit she deserves.
Colette is scored by Thomas Adès, and it is with his title track from the movie that we begin our interview. You'll also hear music from Bronski Beat, Frank Sinatra and Minnie Riperton among others.
We should add that there's a fair bit of choice language in this episode - not least from the mouth of Sir Michael Caine …
Two episodes of Soundtracking in 2019 - two five-star films. Following Yorgos Lanthimos's appearance to discuss his subversive period drama The Favourite, Jon S Baird joins us for our latest show to talk us through the music in his much-vaunted Laurel & Hardy biopic, Stan & Ollie.
Starring Steve Coogan and John C Reilly, Stan & Ollie tells the story of their theatre tour of the British Isles many years after the peak of their fame. By turns funny and moving, it brims with charm, innocence and wit. The central performances are utterly convincing, and beautifully complimented by Shirley Henderson and Nina Arianda as the comedy duo's wives.
Having worked with Clint Mansell on Filth, Jon employed the services of composer Rolfe Kent for the score, whose previous work includes Sideways and Up In The Air - not to mention Dexter. And, as always you'll hear plenty of Rolfe's work sprinkled throughout the conversation, even though his cues from the film have yet to be commercially released.
But where else could we begin that with his take on Dance Of The Cuckoos - the unmistakable Laurel & Hardy theme ...
Our latest episode of Soundtracking couldn't be better timed, what with Olivia Coleman having just landed a Golden Globe for her performance as Queen Anne in The Favourite. If you haven't heard it already, her acceptance speech is particularly amusing - and will most likely be one of several she has to deliver during this awards season.
Telling the story of two ambitious women (played by Rachel Weisz & Emma Stone) competing for Anne's affection, The Favourite is directed by our old friend Yorgos Lanthimos. And we're delighted to say he returns to the show to discuss the sonic intricacies of his brilliant film.
As you may recall if you listened to his previous outing, Yorgos has never hired a composer, preferring instead to source existing compositions. That said, he's most happy to profess extreme gratitude to his sound designer Johnnie Burn - as, in fact, are we. For Johnny not only provided us with a couple of specific cues from the movie, but also pointed us in the direction of a lovely video which reveals how he and his team went about soundscaping the drama.
You can find that video in full at Soundworkscollection.com - though we've dropped a bit of it into our conversation here too.
Happy New Year, one and all, and welcome to this bonus episode of Soundtracking, as we kick off 2019 by celebrating the nominees for the EE Rising Star Award at February's British Academy Film Awards.
Now in its 14th year, the EE Rising Star Award is the only category at the ceremony voted for by the public. Previous winners include Tom Holland, James McAvoy, Eva Green, Tom Hardy, Kristen Stewart, John Boyega and last year’s winner, Daniel Kaluuya
So how are the nominees chosen? Well, a panel of industry experts and enthusiasts gather at BAFTA HQ to discuss potential candidates. And Edith is one of them!
And so to the shortlist, presented in alphabetical order in the time honoured tradition: the nominees are Jessie Buckley, Cynthia Erivo, Barry Keoghan, Lakeith Stanfield & Letitia Wright.
All you have to do to vote online for your favourite is head to ee.co.uk/BAFTA now! The winner will be revealed at the EE British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday 10th February.
To give you a flavour of the competition, we're delighted to say we're joined by the three female nominees, who reflect upon their careers and genuine passion for music. As you'll hear, all of them can sing for starters ...
Robert Zemeckis is an absolute legend. From Back To The Future to Polar Express and Forrest Gump, he makes the kind of movies you can watch over and over again.
So it's a great honour to welcome him to Soundtracking for our very last show of 2018.
Robert's collaborator-in-chief is composer Alan Silvestri, who has scored every one of his films since Romancing The Stone, which came out in 1984. And yes, we will be playing the theme from that, as well as a couple of classic tunes from Forrest Gump and plenty more besides.
But we begin with their latest project, Welcome To Marwen. Starring Steve Carrell, it's based on a documentary about artist Mark Hogencamp, who in 2000 was brutally attacked by five men after he told them he was a cross-dresser.
Following nine days in a coma, Mark suffered brain damage that left him little memory of his previous life. By way of therapy, he built a model World War II–era Belgian town in his yard and populated it with dolls representing himself, his friends, and even his attackers.
Mark called the town Merwencol, and this episode begins with Alan's cue of the same name.
54 years after she first lit up the lives of the Banks family - not to mention cinema-goers the world over - everyone's favourite nanny is back.
Mary Poppins Returns sees Emily Blunt in the title role, reunited with the household in the wake of a tragedy three decades after events of the original.
It's directed by Rob Marshall, and we're delighted to say that Rob is our guest on this festive edition of Soundtracking - the weekly podcast about film and television music.
Remaining true to the spirit and tone of the 1964 movie, Mary Poppins Returns is a love letter to London, Walt Disney, animation and, of course, classic silver screen musicals.
The score and songs were composed by Marc Shaiman, with lyrics from fellow Broadway legend Scott Wittman, and we also reflect at length upon the Sherman brothers' classics of the original.
Epic is a word oft-applied to cinema, but rarely can it have been more appropriately used than to describe the work of Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens. For along with writing partner Fran Walsh, it is they that brought us both the Lord Of The Rings and Hobbit trilogies, not to mention King Kong.
Their latest project is the equally ambitious Mortal Engines, which they wrote and produced. Based on the novel of the same name by Philip Reeve, Mortal Engines is based on the mind-boggling premise that cities of the future have been mounted on wheels and motorised in order that they can hunt and prey upon each other.
The film's score is provided by Tom Holkenborg, also known as Junkie XL, a previous guest on this show. There's plenty of his work to enjoy in this episode, as well of that of Howard Shore, who worked on The Lord Of The Rings & Hobbit movies.
In recent weeks, we've been asking for suggestions for your favourite example of guitar-playing in film with a view to winning a Fender from their new Player Series range.
As you might imagine, we've been inundated - receiving shouts for everything from Morricone to The Blues Brothers and Wayne's World.
For this bonus episode, we invited composer Daniel Pemberton and music supervisor Kle Savidge to judge the winning entries. Hopefully, you'll appreciate the magnificent trio of cues & scores which came out of the hat.
Thanks to Fender for providing guitars from their Player Series range to our competition winners.
It's with a slightly heavy heart that we welcome you to our latest episode, given that the film we're discussing is almost certainly the great Robert Redford's last. That film is The Old Man And The Gun, and the writer / director behind it is David Lowery.
David first appeared on the show in August 2017, where we covered A Ghost Story, Pete's Dragon and Ain't Them Bodies Saints among many other things.
So here the focus is very much on his latest project. Based on a true story, it stars Robert as gentleman bank robber Forest Tucker, Sissy Spacek as the woman he falls for, and Casey Affleck as the rookie cop pursuing him. To a person, the acting is electrifying.
Tom Waits also has a role, which gives us an excuse to play one of our favourite tracks of his, What's He Building?. You'll also hear music by Jackson C. Frank, The Kinks, Scott Walker and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy.
The score, meanwhile, is provided by Daniel Hart, who is David's regular collaborator. At Daniel's suggestion, the pair settled on jazz for the sonic backdrop - and we give you a taster of that too.
If you want a masterclass in how to score an action movie, you've come to the right place. Because in this episode, director Christopher McQuarrie and composer Lorne Balfe talk us through their stellar work on the genuinely brilliant Mission Impossible: Fallout.
As you'll hear, Chris and Lorne are, quite simply, tremendous company. We cover a lot of ground too - from the intricacies of scoring a chase sequence to reworking one of the most famous themes ever.
Indeed, one of the obvious challenges faced by Lorne was how to marry Lalo Schifrin's iconic work on the TV series with Christopher's requirements for his very contemporary take on the franchise. Our opening cue Kashmir is an example of how he did it - featuring as it does Lorne's interpretation of Lalo's classic 'Plot' & 'Mission' themes.
There's also plenty more of the score to enjoy and some great anecdotes about cinematic folklore.
Be warned, while there are no major spoilers, Chris and Lorne do go into the narrative in some detail, so you might wish to wait to listen if you prefer to watch films 'blind'.
Over 100 episodes have passed since writer / director David Mackenzie first joined us on Soundtracking.
On that occasion, we talked about his critically acclaimed thriller, Hell Or High Water, and much of his back catalogue.
He returns to discuss Outlaw King, a passion project about Robert The Bruce which is available to watch now on Netflix.
As well as a score by Tony Doogan (on which David is credited), Outlaw King features plenty of traditional Celtic and ecclesiastical music - which was sourced by music supervisor Jim Sutherland.
You'll hear plenty of both throughout this episode.
We should point out that if you don't know the story of Robert The Bruce, David goes into it at length during this conversation, which obviously provides much of the narrative content for his movie.
Our latest episode of Soundtracking comes off the back of a very special day Edith spent at Abbey Road Studios in London as the score for JK Rowling's Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Gindelwald was being recorded.
She was there as the guest of director David Yates and producer David Heyman, both of whom join us this week to discuss what she heard and saw - and how James Newton Howard's stunning compositions compliment the action on screen.
It's their second appearance each, having been on by themselves before, so do check out both those episodes once you're done with this one.
Our latest episode of Soundtracking in association with the White Company marks the first appearance for a man Edith has long admired.
Steve McQueen is a British writer, director and producer. who had critical big-screen success with Hunger and Shame before scooping an Academy Award for 12 Years A Slave.
His latest project is the ensemble heist thriller Widows. Based on the 1983 ITV series of the same name, The plot follows a group of women who attempt a heist in order to pay back a crime boss after their ne'er-do-well husbands are killed on a botched job.
It's scored by Hans Zimmer, and also features a sumptuous Nina Simone track and brand new material by Sade, which is always cause for celebration.
We also discuss David Bowie, Liza Minnelli, Glenn Gould and much more besides.
Our latest episode of Soundtracking in association with The White Company sees a return for a third time of two of our faves.
Writer / director Ben Wheatley's made his debut on our very first show, while composer Clint Mansell walked us through his back catalogue in our 52nd outing - including his magnificent work on Ben's adaptation of the JG Ballard novel, High Rise.
Ben then returned to talk about the jazz-funk score for Free Fire, with Clint joining Duncan Jones in Los Angeles to discuss Duncan's future-noir thriller, Mute. That conversation was an awful lot of fun - and well worth checking out if you haven't already.
Now, at last, we've managed to get Ben and Clint in the same room to tell all about their latest collaboration, Happy New Year, Colin Burstead.
Very loosely based on the Shakespeare play, Coriolanus, it tells the story of Colin, who hires a lavish country manor for his extended family to celebrate New Year. But as we all know, family gatherings over the festive season rarely pass without one or two cataclysmic moments, and Colin's wee party is no exception ...
It's another Soundtracking Live this week - this time recorded a month or so back at Festival No 6 in the weird and wonderful village of Portmerion, north Wales.
Our guest that day was a novelist, playwright and occasional director of shorts, who well and truly thrust himself into the pop cultural consciousness with Trainspotting, and Danny Boyle's subsequent film adaptation of the same name.
We are, of course, talking about Irvine Welsh.
Irvine was on fine form - discussing everything from his unlikely love of musicals and rom coms to the directors and composers who've inspired him as both a writer and a great fan of cinema. It all seemed to go down well with a packed audience, which made a very long round-trip more than worthwhile.
Expect music from from Oliver, Boogie Nights, Pulp Fiction and more ...
Our latest episode of Soundtracking sees a return for the supremely entertaining writer, director and producer Sacha Gervasi, who joined us a couple of months back to discuss his career to date. We held some of that interview back to coincide with the realease of his latest movie, My Dinner with Hervé.
Starring Peter Dinklage and Jamie Dornan, My Dinner With Hervé recounts the later days of actor Hervé Villechaize, best known for his roles in smash TV show Fantasy Island and The Man With The Golden Gun, in which he played Nick Nack. As you'll hear, it's a deeply personal endeavour for Sacha, who, almost by chance, got to know Hervé well shortly before he commited suicide.
Given My Dinner With Hervé was 25 years in the making, Sacha talks at length about his own relationship with Herve and why he felt he owed it to him to get project off the ground. We think it's a tale worth telling. So, before we get to the music, we're going to share this incredible backstory with you, interspersed with extracts from composer David Norland's score.
Since last joining us on Soundtracking, it’s fair to say Damien Chazelle has done alright for himself - becoming the youngest ever winner in the Best Director category at the Oscars for La La Land.
His latest offering is First Man. Starring Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy, the narrative explores the years leading up to and including the 1969 Apollo 11 Mission to the moon, with the focus very much on the emotional challenges faced by Neil Armstrong and his family.
It's another giant leap for Damien, who seems pathologically incapable of making a bad movie. We discussed Whiplash and La La Land at length during our first conversation, so the focus is very much on how he and composer Justin Hurwitz went about creating a soundscape to transcend earth and space for this project.
As if it weren't enough writing, producing, directing and starring in a movie, you'd surely have the right to feel pretty smug if said movie got rave reviews across the board too.
Well, that's exactly what's happened with Bradley Cooper and A Star Is Born - though he was anything but smug when he joined Edith to discuss his achievements in our latest episode of Soundtracking. If anything, one gets the impression he's genuinely stunned and humbled by how well his work has been received.
A remake of the 1937 film of the same name, it stars Bradly and Stefani Germanotta (better known as Lady Gaga), and follows a hard-drinking musician who discovers and falls in love with a young singer.
It marks the third remake of the 1937 original, which was adapted into a 1954 musical starring Judy Garland and James Mason and then remade as a 1976 rock musical with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson.
And, just as Lady G proves to quite the actor, so it turns out Bradley has a really rather unexpectedly brilliant singing voice …
We very much like welcoming musicians to Soundtracking, so we were incredibly excited to learn about a documentary on the life of superstar Sri Lankan / British rapper M.I.A. - not least because Edith has been a huge fan since her days at BBC Radio 1.
Matangi/Maya/M.I.A. was directed by her longtime friend Steve Loveridge, and follows 22 years in her life - including her rise to fame and her perspective on the controversies sparked over her music, public appearances and political activism. It has been incredibly well-received, and won a special jury award at this year's Sundance Film Festival.
Obviously, you'll hear plenty of M.I.A.'s work throughout the conversation, and also find out about some her musical and cinematic influences.
The latest episode of Soundtracking finds us out and about once more, this time at the British Film Institute on London's South Bank.
And it's a truly stellar cast.
Director Lenny Abrahamson, composer Stephen Rennicks, editor Nathan Nugent and producer Gail Egan joined Edith in front of an audience to discuss the music of their latest film, The Little Stranger.
Based on the novel of the same name by Sarah Waters, the plot follows a doctor who visits an old house his mother used to work at, only to discover it may hold a dark secret.
As you'll hear, there's a bit more talking and a bit less music than we usually serve up, but what the gang has to say makes for essential listening if you have even the the remotest interest in film-making.
Now one of the reasons it was such a joy speaking to Lenny, Stephen, Nathan and Gail is that they brought along all sorts of exclusive clips to share with us, including alternative beginnings and rough cuts from The Little Stranger.
Obviously you won't be able to see these clips, but we've included the audio anyway to give you a sense of how much thought the team puts into every single frame. The guys also set up each clip in detail to give you a sense of what's going on.
Hopefully, your imagination will do the rest.
Our latest edition of Soundtracking features British writer / director Bart Layton.
Bart won widespread critical acclaim for his debut The Imposter, a documentary about the case of the French conman Frédéric Bourdin, who impersonated a Texas boy who disappeared at the age of 13 in 1994.
His new film is also inspired by an extraordinary true story about a group of ordinary everyday guys who plan to steal the most expensive book in America. Unlike The Imposter, though, it's predominantly a work of 'based on real events' fiction, with great performances by all of the actors in the central roles.
It also features a banging soundtrack and excellent score by Anne Nikitin.
Our latest guest on Soundtracking is a composer who cut his teeth as a founder member of Tindersticks, with whom he wrote orchestral arrangements, recorded numerous albums and toured worldwide.
Dickon Hinchliffe then turned his hand to scoring films when French director Claire Denis asked the band to write the music for her film Nénette et Boni.
Dickon hasn't looked back since, providing the sonic backdrop to films as diverse as Winter's Bone, Project Nim and Leave No Trace.
His latest project is Idris Elba's directorial debut, Yardie, which required compositions that complimented not only the narrative but also the fabulous soundtrack.
Our latest guest may be German, but he's clearly something of an Anglophile, having made a Bond film, the Peter Pan inspired Finding Neverland, and now a new take on the British cultural institution that is Winnie The Pooh.
Perhaps most importantly, Marc Forster is a total audiophile too!
Marc's Christopher Robin is a delightful live-action addition to the Disney franchise, with Ewan McGregor in the leading role and Jim Cummings, Toby Jones and Sophie Okonedo among those providing the animal voices.
It also features 3 original tunes by Richard Sherman, the legendary Disney songwriter.
Christopher Robin is dedicated to composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, who had already started scoring the film when he passed away so unexpectedly at the age of 48. So, at the eleventh hour, Jon Brion and Geoff Zanelli stepped in. You'll hear plenty of their exceptional work throughout the conversation, as well as tracks by Spoon, Muse, Chris Cornell, Wreckless Eric and more.
Providing a sequel for one of the highest grossing and most loved live-action musicals of all-time is a terrifying challenge by any reckoning, so we think you might be surprised how humble and down to earth the man that was charged with doing so is.
Ol Parker wrote and directed Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, and has done a fine job too. As well as managing an all-star cast including Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Cher, he also had the not insignificant problem of melding all those iconic songs with the wonderful Anne Dudley's score. Thankfully, Benny and Bjorn from ABBA were on hand to help …
The reason we're coming to you a little later than normal is because Anne and Mamma Mia music supervisor Becky Bentham have been moving heaven and earth to provide us with exclusive cues from the film. So as well as plenty of sing-along classics, you'll be hearing Anne's score too.
Our latest guest is another of those 'annoying' multi-talented sorts, who's written, directed and produced a whole host of movies to widespread acclaim.
Sacha Gervasi's first film was The Big Tease, which he co-wrote with Craig Ferguson. He went on to pen The Terminal, made into a film directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks. That's some feat.
He also directed the brilliant rockumentary Anvil, which tells the deeply personal story of a heavy metal band who've been plugging away for 30 years.
And it's with Anvil that we began. If you're unfamiliar with their work, it's pure Spinal Tap, only real …
And so to episode 101 of Soundtracking, the weekly podcast about screen music. And we're delighted to say the person who joins us for the first step of our journey towards 200 is the multi-talented Paddy Considine.
As well as starring in a wide variety of critical & commercial successes, Paddy wrote and directed the award-winning Tyrannosaur, and also fronts his own band, Riding The Low.
Now he brings us Journeyman. Scored by Harry Escott and featuring music by Nick Cave and Guided By Voices, Journeyman tells the story of a boxer who survives a coma following a brutal fight - with devastating consequences for both himself and his loved ones.
It really is an incredibly powerful and moving drama - with knockout performances by Paddy and Jodie Whittaker in the lead roles. Not that the process of bringing it the screen was easy - as you'll hear during the course of a remarkably candid conversation.
Back in 2016, we had the idea of making a podcast dedicated to screen music. We had no clue whether we'd get the guests, whether they'd have anything to say, whether it'd get repetitive - or even whether you'd listen.
Roll forward 2 years, and here we are at Soundtracking celebrating our 100th episode.
It's a milestone we're incredibly proud to have reached, and to mark the occasion we've compiled a selection of our favourite moments from our first hundred episodes. The diversity of what you'll hear shows what infinite variety there is to the fine art of film and teleivision music - which is exactly why you won't be getting rid of us just yet.
Among those featured in this Who's Who of showbusiness are Jon Favreau, Nicolas Winding Refn, Ron Howard, Edgar Wright, Danny Boyle, Sofia Coppola, Justin Hurwitz, Greta Gerwig, Duncan Jones and Clint Mansell.
Enjoy!
It's a slightly different edition of Soundtracking this week, as we bring you another of our live events, this time recorded at the Moët Summer House weekend in London in June.
Edith's guest was the brilliant playwright and screenwriter Abi Morgan, whose work includes movies Iron Lady and Shame and TV dramas The Hour, River and The Split.
We're bringing this one to you in two parts, because as well as talking about music, we also spoke at length about her craft. And while it doesn't quite fit with our usual brief, we thought we should share what Abi had to say about that too, as she provides great insights into the process of writing for the screen.
It's a very special episode of Soundtracking for Edith this week, as we welcome first-time director Drew Pearce to the show.
Edith and Drew have known each other for nearly 20 years, during which time he's co-written Iron Man 3 and provided the story for Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
His debut feature as a director is Hotel Artemis, which is set in the near future and tells the story of a nurse who runs a hospital for criminals. Despite being new to the directing game, Drew has assembled a quite incredible cast - headed up by Jodie Foster in her first major acting role for 5 years. Jeff Goldblum, Sofia Boutella and Sterling K Brown are among those providing support.
He also managed to persuade composer Cliff Martinez to score the movie, and we get plenty of insights into how the great man operates.
Not for the first time on this show we're joined by Pixar royalty, which is, frankly, a joy.
Following Edith's chat about Coco with Lee Unkrich & Darla Anderson back in episode 75, we're delighted to welcome writer, director, animator, voice-actor & double Oscar winner Brad Bird - who has just served up another masterclass in movie-making with Incredibles 2.
Like Coco, Incredibles 2 is scored by Michael Giacchino, who also worked with Brad on the first film. We also talk about Iron Giant, find out about his introduction to Disney, and discover some of his favourite scores.
Our guest this week is an Oscar winning Scottish director, equally at home in the realms of fact and fiction.
Kevin Macdonald won his academy award for One Day in September, but has also won widespread critical acclaim for films such as Marley, The Last King Of Scotland, How I Live Now and State Of Play. He's collaborated with some tremendous composers along the way, including Jon Hopkins and Alex Heffes - of which more later.
But we begin with his latest project Whitney, a gut-wrenching documentary about the ill-fated singer, featuring candid interviews with those closest to her, as well as plenty of her music.
We also hope it provides aspiring filmmakers with a fascinating insight into his processes.
We know we bang on about it here on Soundracking, but it really is hard to get women on the programme, such is the male dominance of the industry. But every now and again, our efforts succeed, in this case with the suprememly talented writer/ director, Clio Barnard.
Clio's latest film is Dark River. Starring Ruth Wilson, Mark Stanley, and Sean Bean, it tells the story of a woman who returns home after a 15 year absence in order to claim the tenancy of her father's farm.
Boasting a new song by PJ Harvey, Dark River is scored by Harry Escott, who has worked with Clio on all three of her features, starting with her debut Arbor.
We should say that this episode features a MAJOR SPOILER relating to her second movie, The Selfish Giant.
It's been a year that's seen one or two massive cinematic events, but you can always count on dinosaurs to make a few very loud noises too.
Already the 7th highest grossing film of 2018, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is the work of Spanish director JA Bayona, who returns to Soundtracking for a second sitting. You can, of course, listen to our previous conversation with Signor Bayona via edithbowman.com.
Scored by Michael Giacchino, Fallen Kingdom is part adventure story, part haunted house thriller, with the two elements posing very different challenges for both director & composer. Then, of course, there was John Williams' classic Jurassic Park theme to consider. For reasons we'll discover, JA and Michael deployed it sparingly, though it does feature in familiar form at the very end of the film ...
You can't describe yourself as a podcast about film music without talking to the occasional composer. And we've be joined by a fair few of the best - from Clint Mansell, Justin Hurwitz and Nicholas Brittell to Geoff Barrow, Ben Salisbury and Philip Selway.
Without exception, each has cast the projects they've been involved with in a new light and given us exclusive insights into the subtleties of their craft.
So we're delighted to finally bring you Daniel Pemberton, in a piece recorded a few months back in his London studio.
Daniel is hot property right now. Having worked with Ridley Scott, Guy Ritchie, Danny Boyle and Aaron Sorkin, he's now provided the score for Ocean's 8, which is out around the globe already but in the UK on Monday 18th June. We'll hear examples of his compositions for all these world-class directors throughout the conversation, as well as some cracking stories.
As if we needed an excuse to invite Ron Howard back to Soundtracking, the fact he's directed the latest installment in the Star Wars franchise is a pretty good one.
Solo: A Stars Wars Story speaks for itself, telling the backstory of one of cinema's most lovable rogues. And as with all the movies, music plays an integral part - as central to the experience as the narrative, characterisation and special effects.
In this instance, John Powell provided a score which takes things in a new sonic direction. Nevertheless, he had the blessing of John Williams, who also composed a brand new theme for Han ...
We all know Hugh Grant, from his floppy haired romantic performances, dad dancing down the stairs at No 10 Downing Street and most recently high kicking his was in pink prison Lycra in Paddington 2.
There is much more than meets the eye with Hugh, particularly when it comes to music and specifically in projects he’s involved in as a producer. He very clearly appreciates and understands the power of music, both for him as an actor but also in how it should be carefully crafted into a film.
Currently starring in the BBC Drama A Very English Scandal as the British Liberal Party leader, Jeremy Thorpe, who in 1979 was accused of the attempted murder of his gay ex-lover. It is directed by the award winning Stephen Frears and written by the fabulous Russell T Davis who brought on board his regular collaborator, composer Murray Gold. In this episode you will hear Murrays work for the show along with some familiar pieces of music from Hughs back catalogue. Not least the memorable work done by Badly Drawn Boy for About A Boy.
Our latest guest is a giant of British comedy, whose unerring originality, wit and satirical brilliance have long since earned him global recognition.
Armando Iannucci's CV is enviable, with credits including The Day Today, Alan Partridge, The Thick Of It, In The Loop and Veep (for which he won two Emmys).
His latest project is The Death Of Stalin, a so-called comedy of terrors about the power struggles which followed the passing of the eponymous dictator in 1953. The film is available on home entertainment formats now, and we strongly recommend you check it out if you haven't already.
Musically, The Death Of Stalin allowed Armando to indulge his passion for classical music, with the likes of Shostakovich providing sonic inspiration for Christopher Willis's excellent score.
You'll hear plenty of extracts from that, as well as the actual recording of a Mozart piano concerto that may very well have been a matter of life and death.
Our latest episode of Soundtracking is a celebration of all things 007, following an event recorded at the London Film Museum with David Arnold and Don Black.
The pair have Bond in their blood. Don has provided lyrics for some of the most memorable title tunes, while David has scored 5 of the movies - including The World Is Not Enough, Tomorrow Never Dies and Casino Royale. You'll hear plenty of examples of their work, alongside that of the great John Barry, whose themes and score is so inextricably linked to the success of the franchise.
We should say that due to circumstances beyond our control, the sound is pretty poor in places, so many apologies for that. But the music, of course, is of the very highest quality ...
In what is surely one of the biggest cinematic events of all time, let alone the year, Avengers: Infinity War hit screens around the globe last week, breaking records galore and garnering widespread critical acclaim to boot.
So it's with great excitement that we welcome the directors Anthony and Joe Russo to Soundtracking.
Boasting a stellar ensemble cast, Infinity War sees numerous characters from the Marvel Universe join forces to prevent intergalactic despot Thanos from destroying, well, everything.
Don't worry, though, there are no further spoilers here, not least because Edith was only allowed to see 20 minutes of the film at the time of recording the interview.
What we do have for you is Anthony and Joe talking about Alan Silvestri's score, their love of needle-drop, Henry Jackman's work on Captain America, the genius that is Mark Mothersbaugh, David Schwartz's screwball approach to the music in Arrested Development and reflections upon Community, which saw the brothers collaborate with Ludwig Göransson.
Without wishing to sound sycophantic, it's hard to imagine a more humble talent that Garth Jennings.
During this episode, he and Edith discuss many of his extraordinary creative endeavours - though on hearing the conversation you'd be forgiven for thinking he'd had next to nothing to do with any of them at all.
Don't be fooled.
Having founded production company Hammer & Tongs with Dominic Leung and Nick Goldsmith in 1993, Garth has been instrumental in a string of iconic music videos and also written and directed Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, Son of Rambow and most recently Sing.
Oh yes, he's penned a children's book too.
Expect music from composer Joby Talbot, Blur, Fatboy Slim, Betty Wright and more.
It's been a while since we had any acting talent on the show, so it gives us great pleasure to welcome the wonderful John Simm to Soundtracking.
John has appeared in many great productions on stage and screen. He is perhaps best known for his roles in Life on Mars as Sam Tyler and Doctor Who as The Master, with recent appearances in Collateral on the BBC and Trauma on ITV.
His films include Wonderland, Human Traffic, and 24 Hour Party People - and we'll obviously be featuring tracks from all of these projects throughout the conversation. He's also an accomplished musician, with plenty more about his exploits on that front featuring too.
It's another very special Soundtracking this week as we take you to the Everyman Cinema in Hampstead, where director Alex Garland and his composers Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury came together for a Q&A following an exclusive screening of Annihilation.
As you may know, the film hasn't had a cinematic release outside the US. You can, however, watch Annihilation on Netflix, and it's well worth your time if you haven't seen it already. Unusually for us, there a couple of spoilers in this episode too, which is all the more reason to check the movie out.
Before Alex joined everyone on stage, Edith caught up with Geoff and Ben in the bar to discuss their other work, specifically on Ex Machina and Ben Wheatley's Free Fire.
Their first score together was for Dredd. At least, it would have been had the studio not decided it wasn't suitable for the film. Thankfully, they shared their efforts anyway under the guise of Drokk. And it's with a spot of Drokk that we began - which basically means you're in for a real treat.
This week's episode has been a long-time coming. We reckon Edith spoke to director Todd Haynes just before Christmas - after his latest film Wonderstruck received a 3 minute standing ovation at last year's Cannes film festival - and we've been desperate to share our chat ever since.
Well, the moment has come, as Wonderstruck finally gets an official UK release - though you may already have been lucky enough to see it on Amazon.
Based on the bestselling novel by Brian Selznick, who also wrote the screenplay, Wonderstruck intertwines two stories set 50 years apart about children Rose and Ben, both of whom are on quests to find their parents. In a novel twist, Rose's story plays out as a black and white silent movie, which presented various challenges for composer Carter Burwell.
As well of plenty of examples of Carter's score, you'll also hear music from Thom Yorke, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday and more.
Before Lynne Ramsay, there was composer Lorne Balfe. For Lorne was the very first guest on Soundtracking Live, as part of the British Film Institute's Big Thrill Season back in November.
We then went on to speak to Lynne at the Glasgow Film Festival, with Alex Garland, Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury to come soon following a great chat we had after a special screening of Annihilation at the Everyman cinema in Hampstead, London.
The list of films Lorne has worked upon is mighty impressive, from Dunkirk and The Lego Batman Movie to Ghost In The Shell and Geostorm. He's also produced excellent work for television, with Genius and The Crown among his credits.
Almost by definition, anyone who listens to this show will have been deeply saddened by the recent death of composer Jóhann Jóhannsson. Well, the moment has come for us to pay our little tribute, as we talk to director Garth Davis about Mary Magdalene, the last film Jóhann worked on.
In this episode, Garth discusses Mary, his previous film Lion, and of course Jóhann, who teamed up with fellow Icelander Hildur Guðnadóttir for his final score.
On another note, if you're an EE customer, we have some exciting news for you, as EE are offering 2 free tickets to see Call Me By Your Name at selected Vue and Odeon cinemas across the UK.
The screening is taking place on the 26th March as part of the Our Screen initiative – with each customer getting 2 tickets using the code: EEBAFTA2018. You can choose your cinema and get tickets a ourscreen.com/eebafta.
Having brought you Lynne Ramsay in conversation from the Glasgow Film Festival in our previous episode, we're on location once again here on Soundtracking in partnership with the EE BAFTAs, this time at London's world-famous AIR studios.
For that's where Edith caught up with Junkie XL - aka Tom Holkenborg - on the day he recorded the string parts of his score for Tomb Raider.
Tomb Raider is directed by Norwegian Roar Uthaug, and we're delighted to say Edith caught up with him separately to discuss what he asked of his composer, the tone he wanted for the film and K.Flay's excellent end credit track, Run For Your Life. There's also a sonic treat for old-skool gamers before we're done too.
But where else could we begin than with Tom in the control room at AIR …
Something slightly different on Soundtracking in partnership with the EE BAFTAs this week, as we bring you an edited version of Soundtracking Live with Lynne Ramsay at the Glasgow Film Festival.
Lynne is one of Edith's favourite directors, so it really was an honour to welcome her on stage in front of a very appreciative live audience.
Her latest film You Were Never Really Here has garnered 5 star review after 5 star review. It stars Joaquin Phoenix and is scored by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood.
We'll hear plenty of Jonny's work throughout the course of the conversation, as well as cues from We Need To Talk About Kevin, Movern Caller and Ratcatcher
We have a treat for you on this week's episode of Soundtracking in partnership with the EE BAFTAs, as Duncan and Clint join Edith from LA
If not a match made in heaven, then it was certainly a match made on Moon. For that was their first collaboration. Such was the success of that film it seemed inevitable the pair would re-unite - and so it is they us to discuss their latest project together - the Netflix Original film, Mute.
Co-written and directed by Duncan, Mute tells the story of a mute bartender searching for his girlfriend, who mysteriously disappears in a near-future Berlin. It was an incredibly personal film for him, given the time he spent in the city with his father, David Bowie, during the 1970s.
During the interview, we discuss the thoughts and processes behind Clint's score, Duncan's needle-drops and the more general sonic tone he was aiming for. We also explore Moon in detail too.
We're not gonna lie, Greta Gerwig is one of Edith's favourite actors, so all objectivity has gone out of the window during this week's episode of Soundtracking in partnership with the EE BAFTAs.
In fairness, everyone seems to agree her directorial debut Lady Bird (which she also wrote) is a triumph. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf and Timothee Chalomet, it charts the turbulent relationship of the eponymous teenager and her mother - with the narrative by turns irreverent, hilarious, brutally honest and deeply moving.
The score is provided by Jon Brion, who has that uncanny ability to blend traditional orchestration with a tone that's modern and offbeat.
The soundtrack, meanwhile, is an absolute gem, featuring the likes of The Monkees, John Cale, Justin Timberlake and Reel Big Fish. While it would have been tempting to include super-cool records - for want of a better expression - Greta instead went for songs that her characters would have been listening to at the turn of the Millennium.
As anyone who's paid attention to Edith talking film over the years knows, she's a big fan of how Marvel Studios have transposed their comic book universe to the big screen. So it gives us great pleasure here at Soundtracking in partnership with the EE BAFTAs to report that the latest addition to the canon, Black Panther, is a rip-roaring success.
And it gives us even greater pleasure to welcome writer / director Ryan Coogler and Executive Producer Nate Moore to the programme.
You'd have to go a long way to find a more suitable movie for us to discuss.
For starters, there's the accompanying album, 'Black Panther: Music From And Inspired By ...', which was masterminded by Kendrick Lamar and features the likes of Anderson Paak, James Blake, SZA and Vince Staples.
Then there's the wildly inventive and original score courtesy of Ryan's friend and longtime collaborator, Ludwig Göransson, who also worked with him on Fruitvale Station and Creed. It was a real labour of love for Ludwig, who spent a considerable amount of time in Africa working with local musicians to capture authentic instrumentation, tone and rhythm.
And as you'll hear, it was time very well spent ...
Another week, another Oscar winner chats to Soundtracking in partnership with the EE BAFTAs.
These days, the quality and quantity of original programming on streaming services is quite astounding - with A-list talent delivering high-class drama time and time again.
One of Netflix's standout series of 2017 was Mindhunter. Overseen by David Fincher, it tells the story of how the FBI's profiling unit came into being in the 1970s. By turns dark, funny, moving, cool and brutal, it also makes great use of contemporary pop & rock.
So it's with great pleasure that we welcome Asif Kapadia to the show, who directed two episodes of the first season.
Asif has won numerous awards for The Warrior, Senna and Amy, with the latter scooping the Oscar for Best Documentary. There will, of course, be plenty of examples of Amy Winehouse's music throughout the course of the conversation, as well as composer Antonio Pinto's work on both Amy and Senna.
We have more exponents of world-class animation in our latest episode of Soundtracking in partnership with the EE BAFTAs, this time from Disney Pixar.
Having just spoken to Nick Park, we're delighted to be joined by two key figures from the studios - writer / director Lee Unkrich and producer Darla Anderson.
Having previously joined forces for Toy Story 3, Lee and Darla's latest project is the wonderful Coco.
Coco follows 12-year old Mexican, Miguel, a would-be musician who is accidentally transported to the land of the dead, where he seeks the help of his great-great grandfather to return to his family in the land of the living.
Like so many of Pixar's previous offerings, it has gone down a storm with both critics and audiences - with a 97 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and gross worldwide takings of $700 million to date.
Music is central to the narrative. As well as original compositions performed by the characters, there's a rich score from Pixar stalwart Michael Giacchino. You'll hear plenty of Michael's work throughout the conversation, not to mention pieces by Thomas Newman, Randy Newman and more.
Edith's latest episode of Soundtracking in partnership with the EE BAFTAs is with a man who's won a fair few in his time: the one and only Nick Park.
As well as national treasures Wallace and Gromit, he and Aardman Animations have also brought us Creature Comforts, Shaun The Sheep, Chicken Run and now full-length feature Early Man.
Starring Eddie Redmayne, Masie Williams, Tom Hiddlestone and Timothy Spall among many other great actors, Early Man is a prehistoric underdog yarn fizzing with all the wit and charm we so associate with Nick's previous offerings. The score arrives courtesy of Harry Gregson-Williams and Tom Howe, and there are also contemporary source cues by Kaiser Chiefs, New Hope Club and The Vamps.
Don't forget, we're also encouraging you to vote for the EE Rising Star award at the 2018 BAFTAs, so head to ee.co.uk/bafta to do just that ...
Despite being a thoroughly humble and unassuming sort, Joe Wright has led quite the life. From drinking in the pub as a youngster with Kathy Burke to creating live visuals for The Chemical Brothers, he's long held ties to key players in British culture. Not that he's become a director of great repute on anything other than merit - as evidenced by his latest movie, Darkest Hour.
Telling the story of Winston Churchill's early days as Prime Minister during World War II, Darkest Hour revolves around an extraordinary central performance from Gary Oldman, which has already landed him a Golden Globe. But the brilliance of this film is about so much more than that - thanks in no small part to Joe's all-encompassing vision.
Darkest Hour is up for a whopping nine awards at the EE BAFTAs. As well as Gary's inevitable nomination, these include Best Film and, appropriately enough for our purposes, Best Music for Dario Marianelli.
On Joe's instruction, Dario's score was inspired by the modernist movement of the 50s and 60s, and specifically a more recent work called Hammers by contemporary German composer Nils Frahm.
In a very special bumper edition of Soundtracking, Edith is joined by all five of the nominees for the EE BAFTA Rising Star award.
They are, in no particular order, Daniel Kaluuya, Florence Pugh, Timothée Chalamet, Tessa Thompson and Josh O'Connor.
As well as getting to know about them as actors and individuals, we'll also be interspersing score and source music from their films in the usual way, and finding out about their diverse sonic tastes.
Accordingly, you'll hear music by Giggs, Frank Ocean, Keaton Henson, Alt-J, Psychedelic Furs, Sufjan Stevens, Talking Heads, Korn, Max Richter and many more.
This award is voted for by the public, so head to ee.co.uk/bafta to get involved.
With his first two films In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths, Martin McDonagh made the transition from world famous playwright to high-class filmmaker seem deceptively straightforward.
Such a shift is anything but, of course. But he continues the trend with his latest offering - the jet black comedy drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missourti.
Hotly tipped for success this coming awards season, it tells the story of a woman in the eponymous town who lays down a challenge to local police to take greater action over the unsolved murder of her daughter. Among its many delights are barnstorming central performances from Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson.
Three Billboards is scored by Carter Burwell, who has collaborated on all three of his feature films. Their partnership is a dream come true for Martin, who fell in love with his work on the Coen brothers' Blood Simple as a teenager ...
We are very excited here at Soundtracking that we have teamed up with EE, the headline sponsor of the EE British Academy Film Awards, to create a series of special podcasts over the next few months.
In that time, we will explore the minds and experiences of BAFTA talent and we start the partnership this week with past EE Rising Star Award winner, Will Poulter.
For one so young, Will has already built up a mighty impressive CV. Having made his breakthrough in Son Of Rambow back in 2007, the 24-year-old has since had significant roles in Maze Runner, We're The Millers, War Machine and The Revenant.
His most recent outing was in Detroit, in which he plays a racist and sadistic police officer involved in a shocking case of brutality during the city's 1967 race riots. It's a performance of stunning depth and maturity - and one that may yet see him nominated for an Oscar.
All of these films are interesting from a musical perspective too - from the 80s Rambow soundtrack to Cave / Ellis vehicle War Machine and The Revenant, which was score by Ryuicho Sakomoto, Alva Noto and Bryce Dessner from The National.
We'll also hear music from The Cure, Ben E King, Tracy Chapman and Toto.
It's hard to think of a more iconic set of musical themes than those so thrillingly imagined by John Williams for Star Wars: A New Hope. 40 years on and that score still sounds as exhilarating as ever.
Much then to discuss with Rian Johnson, the man who has written and directed the latest installment of the space opera, Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Up until this point, Rian has employed the services of his cousin Nathan to score his movies. And as we'll hear, he's done a fine job, from the DIY noir of Brick to the rich orchestration in The Brothers Bloom and layered synths of Looper.
But when it came to the Star Wars: Last Jedi it could only be John, who delivered a suite retaining all the classic themes that we so associate with the saga while having very much its own identity ...
We don't just speak to directors, composers and producers on this show; actors are welcome too. And in Cillian Murphy, we not only have a man at the top of his game but also a genuine enthusiast for the sonic arts.
Cillian has shone in a hugely diverse range of films, from blockbusters Dunkirk and The Dark Knight trilogy to indie flicks Disco Pigs and Breakfast on Pluto. He can currently be seen in BBC gangster epic Peaky Blinders, back for a fourth season having garnered an enormous fan-base and widespread critical acclaim.
If you haven't seen Peaky, one has to wonder what you've been doing with your time. In a nutshell, Cillian stars as Tommy, the leader of the eponymous gang who are fighting for underworld supremacy in post World War I Birmingham.
Among the show's many delights is the use of contemporary music as a counterpoise to the narrative, from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis (whose track Martha's Dream is playing now) to PJ Harvey, Savages, David Bowie and The White Stripes.
You'll hear examples of all of these artists throughout the conversation - starting with Mr Cave and his Red Right Hand - a track that has become synonymous with the show ...
We've already spoken to one legendary British producer on this show in the shape of Stephen Woolley. Now it's the turn of David Heyman.
Like Stephen, David's CV is enviable. As well as producing all the of Harry Potter films and spin-off Fantastic Beasts, he's also the man behind The Light Between Oceans, Testament Of Youth and Gravity among many, many other celebrated movies. And as we'll discover, music very much falls under his remit.
The list of composers David has worked with is mighty impressive, from John Williams and James Newton Howard to Steven Price, Max Richter and Dario Marianelli, who scored his latest project, the delightful Paddington 2.
Perhaps surprisingly, David loves hip-hop, which informed his first movie as a producer, Juice, the 1992 thriller starring late rapper Tupac Shakur. And given that we kick off by playing tracks and a clip from the film, we should warn you that there's inevitably a fair bit of choice language in this episode ...
For the first time in 66 episodes, disaster struck as Edith's original interview with Val and Jon was corrupted.
Thankfully, this delightful wife & husband team agreed to do it all over again 24 hours later and boy are we glad they did - so fantastic was their company on both occasions.
Val and Jon cut their teeth making music videos, working with the likes of Jane's Addiction, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Smashing Pumpkins.
They moved into feature films with the wonderful Little Miss Sunshine, which was scored by Davotchka and Mychael Danna and showcased tunes by Sufjan Stevens and Rick James.
Their latest offering is Battle Of The Sexes. Starring Emma Stone and Steve Carrell, the plot is loosely based on the 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.
As well as including tracks from Elton John, Tommy James & The Shondells and a Sarah Bareilles original - the movie is scored by our old friend Nicholas Britell.
You'll hear examples of all of these artists during the conversation.
For a small nation, Scotland doesn't half punch hard when it comes to the arts. And like previous guest David Mackenzie, Paul McGuigan is a fine example of a Scottish director doing great things on a global stage. From gritty British crime drama Gangster No 1 to whip-smart Hollywood thriller Lucky Number Slevin, he's proved most versatile - also working on a string of TV hits such as Sherlock.
Paul's latest film is Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool. Based on the memoir by Peter Turner, it tells the story of his relationship with screen goddess Gloria Grahame while she was living in the city. Scored by Paul's friend J Ralph, it also features tracks by Elton John, A Taste Of Honey, Jose Feliciano and and an original composition from the one and only Elvis Costello. You will, of course, hear examples of all of these artists throughout the conversation - as well as David Ruskin's delightful love them for The Bad & The Beautiful, for which Gloria won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1952.
Though still a relative newcomer to the cinematic mainstream, Yorgos Lanthimos has already proved himself to be a filmmaker of wild originality and imagination.
Following his breakthrough feature Dogtooth, which tells the story of children completely cut off from the outside world by their parents, he brought us The Lobster, a surreal tale about people who are turned into animals if they fail to find love.
His latest offering is psychological revenge thriller, The Killing Of A Sacred Deer. Starring Barry Keoghan, Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman, it follows a family forced into making a torturous decision having seemingly been cursed. Unsettling, unpredictable and gripping, it landed the best screenplay award at this year's Cannes.
Though Yorgos hasn't worked with a composer on any of his films to date, the classical pieces he uses in The Lobster and Deer often serve a similar purpose. While the former features the work of Beethoven, Stravinsky, Strauss and Britten, the latter has a much more experimental palate - full of agitated strings and alarming tonal shifts.
You'll hear plenty examples of this throughout the course of the conversation, as well as tracks by Nick Cave & Kylie Minogue and Radiohead (for whom Yorgos directed a short video).
If you like your movies lavish, dreamy and dripping in nostalgia, you could do a lot worse than turn to the work of Italian director Luca Guadagnino.
Luca is a filmmaker with a sensitive touch - capable of making the very specific set of circumstances in the stories he tells seem personal and relevant to us all.
Music, of course, has proved most useful in achieving this recurring tone - not least in A Bigger Splash, which starred Tilda Swinton as a world-fmaous rockstar and Ralph Feinnes as a larger-than-life record producer.
His latest offering is Call Me By Your Name. Set in Italy, the film chronicles the relationship between 17-year-old Elio Perlman and his father's American student, Oliver, who spends a heady summer living with the family in 1983.
Suffice to say Edith is not alone in loving it, with critics already bigging-up its chances come awards season.
Luca tends not to use conventional composers in his work - though Sufjan Stevens has written two original cues for Call Me By Your Name. Instead, for the most part, he relies on source music. And given that the character of Elio is a pianist, Luca sprinkled the narrative with piano compositions by the likes of John Adams and Ryuichi Sakamoto.
You'll also hear music from The Psychedelic Furs, Rolling Stones, Captain Beefheart and Goblin throughout the course of the conversation.
It’s always a pleasure to welcome a directorial debutant to Soundtracking – what with their entirely fresh take on the art of source music and score.
Not that Andy Serkis is a novice when it comes to cinema. As an actor, he played Gollum in Lord Of The Rings and Caesar in the Planet Of The Apes franchise, with roles in the new Star Wars and Black Panther to come soon.
He also brilliantly captured the essence of troubled troubadour Ian Dury in Sex & Drugs & Rock N Roll, which was directed by our good friend Mat Whitecross. Indeed it’s thanks to Mat you’ll get to hear Andy’s version of My Old Man from the film – after his editor Marc dug out a copy for us.
Andy’s first major foray behind the camera is Breathe. Starring Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy, Breathe tells the story of Robin Cavendish, who was given three months to live after being paralysed from the neck down by polio at the age of 28. He became a pioneering advocate for the disabled and travelled the world with his wife, Diana Blacker, in the hope of transforming the lives of others like him. Since Robin's son Jonathan is Andy's partner at their production and motion capture company, Imaginarium, he had a deeply personal connection to the narrative. This extended to the music, which was composed by his friend, Nitin Sawhney.
Now while this is Andy's first job in charge of an actual feature film, he previously directed the cutaway scenes for video game, Heavenly Sword. And who did he get to score that? None other than Nitin, of course ...
Of the many directors we've featured on this show, few can claim to have served up such a diverse body of work as Michael Winterbottom.
Michaeal is one of Britain's most inventive and ground-breaking film-makers. From his 1995 debut Butterfly Kiss to controversial love story 9 Songs and gritty docu-drama Road To Guantanamo, he has consistently experimented with subject matter and form - often to critically-acclaimed & award-winning effect,
There can be no finer example of his talents than bittersweet comedy The Trip - which starred Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon and was described by Richard Curtis as one of the greatest television programmes of all time.
Rather like The Trip, his latest project On The Road blurs the line between fact and fiction. Ostensibly a documentary about a real tour by the band Wolf Alice, the narrative revolves around a relationship between two members of the crew, played by actors Leah Harvey and James McArdle.
Though he tends to use source music over score, Michael has worked with composer Michael Nyman on several occasions,
Plenty about Mr Nyman during the conversation, as well as music by The Sex Pistols, Richard Strauss, Happy Mondays, Joy Division, Elbow and The Super Furry Animals.
This episode is brought to you by Casper Mattresses and Tide Bank. Details of special offers available to you can be heard at the start of the programme.
It's high time we had a bit of Nordic Noir on this show, so it's an absolute pleasure to welcome rising Swedish star Tomas Alfredson to Soundtracking.
Tomas made his name with Let The Right One In - which was scored by Johan Söderqvist, won numerous awards and was described by legendary critic Roger Ebert as the 'best modern Vampire movie'.
He then took charge of the adaptation of John Le Carre's classic novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, for which he employed the services of Spanish composer Alberto Iglesias.
Now he brings us another project based on a book in the shape of The Snowman, Jo Nesbo's dark, disturbing and thrilling international bestseller. Starring Michael Fassbender, Rebeccca Ferguson and Charlotte Gainsbourg. the film is scored by the ever reliable Marco Beltrami.
Since the score is not commercially available yet, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to our friends at Back Lot Music for sending us all the cues in advance. You can get hold of them yourself in a week or so, but meantime you'll hear plenty of examples as Tomas deconstructs Marco's work in fascinating detail ...
Following our chat with Clint in episode 52, we had a little snippet left over in which he talked briefly about his score for Loving Vincent. And given that it's out this week, we thought we'd publish it now.
The conversation is accompanied by two of his cues from the movie, Marguerite Gachet At The Piano and Wheatfield With Crows.
It's been a while since we can recall such a keenly anticipated cinematic event, or one that has then gone on to exceed all our wildest expectations. But that is what our guest this week Denis Villeneuve has achieved with Bladerunner 2049.
We discuss taking on the legacy of Vangelis - plus his trio of films with composer Jóhann Jóhannsson: Prisoners, Sicario and Arrival
Given how tragically hard we've found it to speak to women on this show, it's a genuine delight to welcome writer, director and producer Nancy Meyers to Soundtracking.
Nancy is one of the grand dames of Hollywood. Having earned an Oscar nomination for her original screenplay for Private Benjamin in 1980, she's since been responsible for a string of commercial smashes, including The Parent Trap, Something's Gotta Give and The Holiday.
Indeed, her second film as director, What Women Want, was at one stage the most successful film ever directed by a woman, taking in $183 million in the United States alone.
Her latest project is Home Again, for which she assumed the role of producer for her daughter Hallie. The film is scored by John Debney, who features prominently in the Jon Favreau episode too.
What with being one of the undoubted queens of the Rom-Com, Nancy has worked with several legendary composers over the years - from Bill Conti and Alan Silvestri to the inimitable Hans Zimmer.
You'll hear plenty of their work throughout the conversation, but where else could we begin than with Carole King?
As drummer for one of the world's most successful, respected and critically-acclaimed bands, he's thrilled music-lovers across the planet for a quarter of a century.
Now Philip Selway of Radiohead has turned his hand to film scores - taking charge of the music for Polly Steele's debut feature, Let Me Go.
Based on the memoir of Helga Schneider, Let Me Go tells the story of a woman who discovers her mother had strong ties with the Nazis many years after she was abandoned by her as a child. It features four incredibly strong and well-drawn female characters - which inspired Philip's compositions in all sorts of fascinating ways.
Philip is the first of our guests who spends most of his time being a rock-star - albeit a particularly humble and unassuming one. As such, he and Edith not only explore the specifics of his score for Let Me Go, but also the different creative challenges it posed to those he encounters in his day job.
We've had several polymaths on this show, from Jon Favreau to Matt Ross and Warren Beatty - who are as at home in front of the camera as behind it. And Stanley Tucci certaininly falls into that category - an actor, writer and director who's been involved with countless critically acclaimed works of film and television.
Stanley's latest project is Final Portrait. Starring the sensational Geoffrey Rush and Armie Hammer, it's based on the true story of the time American journalist James Lord sat for world-renowned artist, Alberto Giacometti. Critics agree it's a charming delight - as do we!
Given the 1960s Parisian setting, there were plenty of opportunities to play around with the idiomatic French music of the era. But Stanley was keen to avoid cliche, complimenting the familiar sounds of accordions and chanteuses with Evan Lurie's whimsical score. You'll hear plenty of examples of music from the film, as well as bits and bobs from Stanley's other films.
Following a string of seasoned moviemakers such as Luc Besson, Doug Liman and Steven Soderbergh, we bring you a relative novice this week in the shape of Benedict Andrews. At least - a novice in cinematic terms.
For Benedict is one of the world's foremost theatre and opera directors, who makes the transition to the screen with psychological thriller Una.
Given this is Benedict's first film, much of the conversation focuses on the differences between the mediums in which he's worked. It also gives us an opportunity to play you examples of music from his stage productions, including extracts from Alex Baranowski's smoky, cinematic score for Streetcar Named Desire, which starred Gillian Anderson.
But there's plenty to discuss when it come to Una too. Starring the ever excellent Rooney Mara and Ben Mendelsohn, the narrative centres on a woman confronting an older man about a illicit sexual relationship which took place in their past. The film is scored by Benedict's friend Jed Kurzel, whose work we discussed at length during a previous show with Jed's brother, Justin.
Jed has developed a reputation as a composer of serious weight, as evidence by the fact he and the London Contemporary Orchestra recently provided the music for Ridley Scott's Alien Covenant. Hardly surprising, then, that Benedict turned to his old mate on taking the plunge from stage to screen ...
When Edith sat down with Steven Soderbergh, he immediately told her he'd been listening to our podcast by way of research. That unsettled her a little bit, but we hope you'll agree his homework served him well - such was the magnificence of his company!
As a director, he's renowned for his expert use of both needle-drop and score - with Thomas Newman and Cliff Martinez two of his go-to composers.
His latest project Logan Lucky sees him reunited with David Holmes, with whom he struck up a most fruitful relationship on Out Of Sight and the Ocean films. And it's with Logan Lucky we began - and David's Original Score Medley that features on the soundtrack to the film ...
From indie classics Swingers and Go to big budget blockbusters The Bourne Identity and Edge Of Tomorrow, Doug Liman is a director who makes a point of thrusting the viewer into the very heart of the action.
His musical selections are central to the experience - as evidenced by the Oakenfold track which so memorably accompanied the exhilarating car chase in Bourne, and accompanies Edith's intro.
Doug's latest film is American Made. It's based on the life of Barry Seal, a commercial pilot who became a drug smuggler in the 1980s and was recruited later on by the DEA to provide intelligence.
The film is scored by Christophe Beck, who has very kindly sent us a couple of his cues from the film to exclusively feature in this episode. They're not available anywhere yet, so MASSIVE thanks to him. But as well as Christophe's original compositions, American Made also features a rip-roaring array of needle-drops from the 70s and 80s, including tracks by George Harrison, Talking Heads and the one which opens up the conversation - A Fifth Of Beethoven by Walter Murphy
It's fair to say Soundtracking might not exist without Clint. That's because the genesis of the idea formed when Edith saw him performing his film scores at the Largo in Los Angeles back in 2012.
And 5 years later, here we all are!
After his band Pop Will Eat Itself disbanded in 1996, Clint was introduced to the business when Darren Aronofsky asked him to score Pi. The pair have collaborated several times since - as part of total body of work comprising around 50 films.
During the course of the conversation, you'll hear extended extracts of Clint's work on High Rise, Moon, Pi, Black Swan and Requiem For A Dream. But we begin in the iconic venue in which this interview took place - Air Studios in London - with the main theme from the very first score he recorded there ...
From short film Pioneer to romantic crime drama Ain't Them Bodies Saints and Disney epic Pete's Dragon, David Lowery has made a habit of examining the nature of identity, family and relationships from altogether sideways perspectives.
It's an approach that's served him well - and one he uses to great effect again in his latest offering, A Ghost Story.
A Ghost Story stars Casey Affleck as the spirit of a recently deceased man who remains in the house he shared with his wife, played by Rooney Mara. It's scored by Daniel Hart, who David has worked with on many occasions. Daniel's compositions for the film stemmed from a song he wrote for his band, Dark Rooms, and you'll hear plenty of it during the course of the conversation.
Edith and David also discuss the music which inspired him as an aspiring director, and also what it's like to work with the great Robert Redford.
This weekend mark's our first birthday, and it occurred to us that we've been rather remiss in our formative year in not having featured a music supervisor. So we decided to put that right by speaking to Sarah Bridge, who came highly recommended by one of our previous guests, the Oscar winning John Ridley.
As well collaborating with John on Sky Atlantic's TV series Guerrilla, Sarah has worked on a host of critically acclaimed productions including X + Y, The Sense Of An Ending and The Theory Of Everything. The latter was scored by one of her idols, Jóhann Jóhannsson.
This episode features examples of his score, not to mention music by Max Richter, Femi Kuti, Keaton Henson and Irma Thomas.
But we began by learning about the myriad facets to Sarah's role in the movie-making process.
When it comes to stylish movie-making, you can generally rely on the French. And one man with Gallic flair in abundance is Luc Besson.
The genial Parisian has been involved in over 100 films as either a writer, producer or director - including much loved cult classics Nikita, The Big Blue and Leon. His latest project is CGI sci-fi epic Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets, a sumptuous visual feast based on the comics he loved as a kid.
Much of Luc's work has been scored by his longtime friend Eric Serra, of which more in a moment. But in the case of Valerian, he turned to Alexandre Desplat, just to shake things up a little bit ...
When we originally conceived the idea of a show about film music, one of the first names on our guest wishlist was Sofia Coppola. And we finally got our girl - with the supremely gifted writer / director joining Edith on the release of The Beguiled, which won her the Palme D'Or at Cannes.
Sofia's pedigree is impeccable. Few directors in the history of cinema have used music more effectively than her father - who instilled in her from a young age a deep understanding of its potential.
This has been reflected in her own work - from the anachronistic punk tracks she deployed in period drama Marie Antoinette to the dreamy electronica that so perfectly fitted the mood of Lost In Translation. Playing now from that film is Alone in Kyoto by Air, who would later provide the score for The Virgin Suicides.
She's also married to Thomas Mars form Phoenix, who composed what little score there is for The Beguiled.
He's back! Having joined us to reflect upon his career to date in Episode 34, Edgar Wright returns to concentrate on his latest project Baby Driver, which has received widespread critical acclaim as it wows cinema-goers around the world.
The film tells the story of young getaway driver Baby, who uses music to calm his nerves in the face of chronic tinnitus. As such, he's listening to his iPod throughout much of the narrative. It's an audacious premise which - while posing technical challenges - also gave Edgar the opportunity to share a wealth of sonic gems from his record collection.
With 35 tunes in Baby Driver, there's certainly plenty to discuss - from the specific Jon Spencer track that inspired the movie 20 years ago to the structural delights of Barry White, Queen and Focus.
It also features a personal favourite of Edith's, which seemed as good a place as any to start the conversation ...
One of the surprise cinematic hits of 2016 was the heart-wrenching coming-of-age drama Moonlight, which of course won Best Picture at this year's Oscars in unforgettable circumstances.
Written and directed by Barry Jenkins, Moonlight presents 3 stages in the life of the main character Chiron as he struggles to deal with his sexuality and challenging social circumstances.
It was beautifully scored by Nicholas Britell, who we're delighted to say is Edith's latest guest on Soundtracking - a weekly podcast about screen music.
On the face of it, Nicholas's compositions follow orchestral conventions. Scratch beneath the surface, however, and one discovers all sorts of sonic tricks - including a technique borrowed from hip-hop called Chopped & Screwed, in which the original piece of music is slowed down, bent and overlaid to create something that sounds altogether different. Plenty, then, for Edith and Nicholas to discuss ...
There have been many great documentary makers over the years, but of those at work today one of the undoubted bosses is Nick Broomfield.
Often controversial, always challenging, Nick has covered myriad subjects - from serial killer Aileen Wuornos and Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss to Afrikaner nationalist Eugene Terre Blanche.
He's perhaps best known for Kurt & Courtney, an incendiary investigation into the events surrounding Cobain's death - which Love was none too happy about. We do, of course, hear plenty more about that during the conversation.
Now normally, we play relevant musical extracts throughout the entirety of the conversation, but given the nature of Nick's work, it's a more conventional interview on this occasion.
But there's still plenty of music to discuss - not least because his latest project Whitney: Can I Be Me is all about Whitney Houston, who was found dead in a hotel room in 2012.
Made in collaboration with filmmaker Rudi Dolezal, Can I Be Me is scored by Nick Laird-Clowse (pron: Close), so it's his cues you hear we discuss Nick's thoughts on the troubled superstar.
Edith's latest guest is an unassuming delight - still early in her career but surely destined for great things (of which she's already achieved a fair few).
Alice Lowe is actor, writer and now director, who has appeared in a host of critically acclaimed TV shows and films - including Ben Wheatley's Sightseers, which she co-wrote.
Her mainstream directorial debut Prevenge is a black comedy about a pregnant woman who believes she is receiving murderous instruction from her unborn child.
Alice enlisted electronic duo Toydrum to compose the score for the movie - with the pair delivering a suitably unsettling suite that reflects protagonist Ruth's psychopathic urges.
We also hear about her love of Delia Derbyshire, David Lynch and the one and only Nik Kershaw.
One hardly needs an excuse to discuss the work of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, but it's always good to have one anyway.
Australian director David Michod has employed the services of the ever-reliable duo for his latest project War Machine, which is exclusively available to watch on Netflix.
It is a staggering score, of which you can hear plenty during Edith's conversation with David. They also discuss Antony Partos's contributions to Animal Kingdom and The Rover, which are equally magnificent.
Whatever you think about the Guy Ritchie canon, it's hard to dispute his flair for combining the visual with the sonic. From Lock, Stock ... and Snatch to Sherlock Holmes and The Man From UNCLE, the musical elements of his films often drive the narrative - through his ingenious use of needle-drops and bold score. Indeed, when it comes to the latter, he's collaborated with the great Hans Zimmer on more than one occasion, of which more during the conversation.
His latest movie is King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword. Scored by Daniel Pemberton - who worked on The Man From UNCLE too - it also features British artist Sam Lee. As we'll hear, both rose to Guy's challenge of using the timeless tropes of folk music to create something at once medieval and modern.
Guy is on typically mischievous form & we very much hope you enjoy the banter!
Over the course of the last twenty odd years, British director John Madden has brought us a string of critically acclaimed films which, pleasingly, have tended to do rather well at the box office too. Indeed, Shakespeare in Love not only landed seven Oscars, but also returned a tidy proft of over $250 million.
And as we'll discover, it's John's view that you can't make a good movie without considerable help from a good composer.
In the case of John, score dominates - since the kind of films he's made haven't generally required needle drops. So it is you'll hear extracts of Thomas Newman's score for the Best Exotic Maigold Hotel movies, Stephen Warbeck's work on Mrs Brown and Shakespeare In Love, and Max Richter's haunting suite for his latest film, the political thriller Miss Sloane ...
Though we've been lucky enough to speak to a fair few superstars in our relatively short run here on Soundtracking, this might just be the first time we've welcomed a genuine grandee to the programme.
Michael Apted is a writer, producer and actor who's been involved in film and television for well over 50 years. His credits include everything from British soap opera Coronation Street and the revolutionary documentary series Up to critically acclaimed movies such as Gorillas In The Mist and Enigma. He's also had the honour of directing a Bond film, which is no bad thing to have on one's CV. In recognition to his contribution to cinema, he was elected President of the Directors Guild Of America in 2003.
Michael's latest offering is Unlocked, a supremely entertaining thriller starring Noomi Rapace, Orlando Bloom, Toni Collette, Michael Douglas and John Malkovich. That, I think we can all agree, is some cast. And what with it being a genre piece, it provided the perfect opportunity to explore the particular demands he deemed fit to make of composer Stephen Barton for the score ...
If anyone knows how to use music to maximum effect on screen it's James Gunn. For James is the man behind both Guardians Of The Galaxy volumes, which are as celebrated for their hugely successful Awesome Mixes as his sharp, fun and witty interpretation of the Marvel franchise.
In the movies, Star Lord Peter Quill listens to mixtapes given to him by his mother, which are laden with music from 1970's Earth. The songs often play during the action on screen, providing energy and drive to the narrative. As well as the joyous array of source cues, there's Tyler Bates' score, which you'll hear extracts from throughout the course of the conversation.
Unfortunately, we weren't afforded as long with James as we'd have liked, so there was barely time to deal with all the tunes in the Guardians films, let alone anything else.
But he's tremendous value and we still managed to cover plenty of ground. We also play loads of the Awesome Mixes, including tracks by the likes of Redbone, The Runaways, Raspberries and Blue Swede ...
Edith's guest this week requires very little introduction. An actor, writer, director and producer, he appeared in his first film in 1961 and has subsequently been nominated for no fewer than 14 Oscars, winning best director for Reds in 1981.
We are,of course, talking about the legend that is Warren Beatty.
Throughout his career, Warren has demonstrated a passion for source cues in particular - from the bubble-gum pop of Shampoo to the rap that provides the unlikely sonic inspiration for Bulworth. He's also worked with world-renowned composers Stephen Sondheim, Ennio Morricone and Danny Elfman.
Still going strong at 80, his latest project is Rules Don't Apply - which he wrote, directed and also stars in as real-life business tycoon Howard Hughes. Among the cast is Lily Collins, who as aspiring actress Marla Mabrey performs a specially commissioned song during the narrative.
We'll hear a bit of that, but this particular episode begins, as it ends, with the piano maestro that is Errol Garner ..
John Ridley describes Idris Elba as a Renaissance man; were he not so humble, he might just as easily apply the expression to himself. An Oscar-winning screenwriter for the magnificent 12 Years A Slave, he's also a dab hand at directing, producing, novel-writing and (believe it or not) stand-up comedy.
He's ferociously thoughtful, considered and intelligent too, so our latest offering is as much about sociology and politics as sound.
John's latest project is Guerrilla, made by the ever-reliable Showtime and available in full via Sky Atlantic. Staring Idris, Frieda Pinto and Babou Ceesay, it focusses on the little-known story of the British Black Panther movement in 1970s London. In addition to some rare contemporary grooves from that, you'll hear extracts from Hanz Zimmer's score for 12 Years A Slave, Waddy Watchel's bespoke arrangements for the Jimi Hendrix biopic All Is By My Side, and a spot of Carter Burwell's work on 3 Kings (which John scripted).
But in putting this episode together, we owe a special debt of gratitude to his music supervisor on Guerrilla, Sarah Bridge. Not only did Sarah provide us with hard-to-find source tracks by Britain's first ever all-black rock group Noir, she also delivered examples from Max Richter's score - including Love Song, the piece that plays under Edith's introduction.
Perhaps most excitingly, though, she's given us an exclusive recording of Femi Kuti's track Look Around, which he actually performed live for a club scene that features in the narrative ...
It's back to where it all began, with Edith's second crack at British director, Ben Wheatley. This time round they're focusing on Ben's new film Free Fire, a super-stylish action comedy which he co-wrote with his wife and longtime creative partner, Amy Jump.
Executive produced by Martin Scorsese, Free Fire is scored by Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury, who took sonic inspiration from David Shire's exceptional work on The Taking Of Pelham 123. You'll hear plenty from both musical suites, as well as tracks by Lalo Schifrin, The Nerves, Creedence Clearwater Revival and John Denver.
As before, Ben is tremendous value, as we very much hope you'll agree.
Good grief, does this fine gentleman have a few stories to tell. Whether discussing Tony Hancock with David Bowie or royally pissing off Harvey Weinstein, British producer Stephen Woolley has been there, done that, and bought the (band) T-shirt.
Stephen is perhaps best known for his work with Neil Jordan on films such as Interview With The Vampire, The Company Of Wolves, Michael Collins and the Oscar-winning Crying Game. He also directed the Brian Jones biopic Stoned and executive-produced Backbeat - which focused on fifth Beatle Stuart Sutcliffe.
If you need any further evidence of his credentials for Soundtracking, he's variously secured the services of David Bowie, Jerry Dammers, Dusty Springfield, Boy George and the Pet Shop Boys for movies he's produced. You'll hear songs from all of these artists woven into the conversation - as well as extracts from Carl Davis' theme for Scandal, Anne Dudley's work on The Crying Game and Rachel Portman's score for Stephen's latest film, Their Finest.
But our story begins in punk London - the city where Stephen's love of music and film germinated ...
Like Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino and Danny Boyle, Edgar Wright is one of those filmmakers who's become synonymous with an expert use of music in his work.
As well as having collaborated with composers such as Nigel Godrich, Steven Price and David Arnold, he's also deployed source cues to maximum effect in every single one of his projects - from offbeat comedy classic Spaced to the ridiculously entertaining Cornetto Trilogy.
It's thus an absolute delight to welcome him to Soundtracking - a weekly podcast in which directors, writers, actors and musicians discuss the sounds of the screen.
Edgar's new film Baby Driver recently premiered at South By Southwest in Texas to great acclaim, but we'll invite him back to talk more about that in June when it gets a general release. Suffice to say, the soundtrack features in excess of 35 songs ...
In the meantime, we're going to reflect upon a CV that includes Shaun of The Dead, Hot Fuzz, World's End and Scott Pilgrim - not to mention Spaced - the wonderfully postmodern TV show with which he made his name ...
When Jon Favreau joined Edith to discuss his remake of The Jungle Book, he revealed that the aspect of the film he was most preoccupied with was the music.
Our latest guest Bill Condon says much the same thing about his retelling of a more recent Disney classic, Beauty And The Beast.
In Bill's case, it was a potential deal-breaker: he only agreed to direct the project on the condition that the man who composed the original score came on board. That man is Alan Menken, whose Oscar-winning themes for the 1991 animation reverberate loud and clear throughout this live action reboot.
We also discuss his work with pre-eminent composer, Carter Burwell, who has collaborated with Bill on several occasions
The mighty Kong has traveled a long way since we first saw him batting away aeroplanes atop the Empire State Building to the melodramatic strains of the great Max Steiner.
CGI now rules when it comes to Monster Movies, just as Marcel Delgado's model of the giant ape did the New York skyline back in 1933.
But some things in cinema never change - including the way music is used to set an identifiable tone for narrative.
In the case of Kong: Skull Island, young American director Jordan Vogt-Roberts has sought to introduce the familiar sonic stylings of the Vietnam War to the traditional thrills and spills of the matinee creature feature - with most entertaining results.
During the course of his conversation with Edith you'll hear plenty of musical nods to Apocalypse Now and Good Morning Vietnam - and also discover which Rolling Stones track provided the inspiration for Henry Jackman's score.
They also reflect upon Jordan's previous film, The Kings Of Summer, with extracts from composer Ryan Miller's wonderful experimental soundscape underlaying the discussion.
But the show begins on Skull Island, where Samuel L Jackson and his men go about their business to the pounding beats of Creedence Clearwater Revival, David Bowie and Black Sabbath ...
If one could embody charm, it might very well take the form of James Mangold - an open, warm and intelligent man who also happens to have a proven track record in delivering quite tremendous movies.
His latest offering is Logan - a dark, violent and spandex-free addition to the X-Men franchise, which sees Hugh Jackman's Wolverine in the throes of existential crises. Critics love it - in part due to the director's offbeat take on a sometimes formulaic genre. And as we'll discover, offbeat is a word which applies equally to Marco Beltrami's score ...
While James doesn't entirely accept the claim himself, his films have been described as eclectic. He's certainly tackled a rich variety of subject matter - from Cop Land to Girl Interrupted and the Oscar-winning Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line - with scores and soundtracks to boot.
Enjoy!
Another week, another Academy Award winner - this time in the shape of Tennessee director Gore Verbinski.
Gore secured the Oscar for Rango – a firm family favourite in Edith's house - and has also notched up a string of box office smashes, from Mouse Hunt and The Mexican to The Pirates Of The Caribbean trilogy.
As you’d expect from someone ranked as the 10th highest grossing director in the world, he’s also collaborated with some mighty fine composers.
On which note, Gore is not the first of our guests to have developed a productive relationship with Hans Zimmer. As well as scoring several of his movies, Hans also offers regular advice on who to hire when he’s not available. Indeed, this applies to Gore’s latest film - the psychological horror A Cure For Wellness.
Based on his own nighhtmares, it stars Dane DeHaan, Jason Isaacs and Mia Goth and tells the story of a young American executive who is sent to a mysterious rehabilitation center in the Swiss Alps. As is typical of the genre, music and sound design play a key role in building tension – with the cornerstone of Ben Wallfisch’s excellent score a creepy lullaby that’s reprised in various forms throughout the film …
As Ron Howard observed in one of our previous episodes, Ang Lee is a filmmaker with a quite extraordinary range. He followed the majestic Oscar-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with comic book joyride Hulk - before bringing us Brokeback Mountain, Lust Caution and The Life Of Pi.
Such a diverse array of subject matter has very different musical requirements, with Tan Dun, Mychael Danna, Danny Elfman and Alexandre Desplat among the composers he’s worked with.
And these collaborations are exactly what we’re here to discuss on Soundtracking – a weekly podcast about screen music with Edith.
Ang’s latest movie is Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk. Starring young British actor Joe Alwynn in the title role, it tells the story of a soldier returning from Iraq who’s suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
From the point of view of score, the narrative posed a new set of challenges for the Taiwanese director - given that much of the action unfolds in a sports stadium …
Over the years, there's been many a filmmaker in possession of a sensational record collection. We've spoken to a few on this show - from Andrea Arnold and Richard Linklater to Nicolas Winding Refn and Danny Boyle. But just because you have impeccable taste, doesn't mean you can successfully translate it to the screen.
Thankfully, writer / director Mike Mills knows how to enhance a story with sound - as evidenced by his latest movie, 20th Century Women. Set in 1979, it tells the story of a mother who enlists her bohemian friends to help raise her son, and is part-based on his own childhood.
Music is central to both the development of narrative and character - with the artists featured all close to Mike's heart. Each selection is inspired by personal experience, from offerings by Siouxsie And The Banshees through The Buzzcocks to Black Flag. Indeed, when it comes to Talking Heads, he even bought the T-Shirt (well, his sister did anyway) ...
There are SO many great tunes in here, you'd be a fool to miss it.
When you’ve made 5 movies that average over 90 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s fair to say you’re doing something right in the eyes of the discerning film fan.
Writer / director Jeff Nichols has done just that. From his debut Shotgun Stories to Take Shelter, Mud and Midnight Special, he’s proved himself to be a master craftsmen, capable of breathing life into an incredibly diverse range of subjects.
His latest offering Loving is no exception. Starring Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga, it tells the true story of the landmark US court case Loving versus Virginia, which challenged the state laws prohibiting inter-racial marriage.
As with all my guests, music is a central feature of Jeff’s work. From the scores provided by his go-to composer David Wingo to the considered placement of pop favourites from his youth, he has more than met the contrasting sonic demands presented by the narratives he’s brought us.
From the very opening sequence of Danny Boyle's debut Shallow Grave - in which the viewer zooms through the streets of Edinburgh to the dark pounding beats of Leftfield - it was clear we were dealing with a filmmaker of great visual flair who understood a thing or two about music too.
As if proof were needed, he followed Shallow Grave with Trainspotting and that set of songs - which rank it alongside the likes of Pulp FIction and Lock, Stock ... as one of the defining pop soundtracks of the 1990's.
Two decades on and Danny is still blazing a trail. Renton, Sick Boy, Begbie and Spud back - alongside Iggy, Blondie, and one or two artists for the 'T2' generation.
In the case of Danny, there's simply too much ground to cover in one show. So, for the time being at least, we focus on his various collaborations with John Murphy, AR Rahman and Rick Smith and Karl Hyde from Underworld - who, of course, had a big musical hand to play in both Trainspotting films ...
As double-bills go on a show such as this, it’s hard to imagine a more relevant combo than the director and composer of La La Land - the film that’s causing quite the song and dance the world over.
In our previous episode we had the pleasure of talking to director Damien Chazelle about his musical masterpiece; this time round, it’s all about his composer and great friend, Justin Hurwitz.
If you’re new to the show, the format is simple. Each week, Edith speaks to key figures from the world of cinema about the music in their work, with relevant examples of the cues we discuss woven into the discussion.
So it is you'll be hearing extracts from Justin’s compositions for Guy And Madeline On A Park Bench, Whiplash and La La Land, all of which he scored for Damien.
The pair met in their Freshman year at Harvard, forming a band called Chester French who went on to have considerable success after they went their own way to make movies. But Chester French’s loss has been our gain, with Whiplash and La La Land in particular earning near-universal acclaim – not to mention awards and nominations aplenty …
If you've had the pleasure of watching Damien Chazelle's breakthrough feature Whiplash, you'll know it's a hard act it is to follow. But follow it he has with La La Land, an utterly beguiling 21st century musical set in the city of angels.
Having just landed 7 Golden Globes - including Best Screenplay and actress and actor awards for Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling - it's now been nominated for 11 Baftas.
In the case of both Whiplash and La La Land, the music is provided by Damien's old college roommate Justin Hurwitz, who I'm delighted to say joins me next week. You’ll hear plenty of examples from both scores, as well as a spot of West Side Story and Singing In The Rain.
Edith's guest this week is fast establishing a reputation as a filmmaker of wit, originality and imaginative flair. In his short career as a writer / director, John Michael McDonagh has brought us 3 features, all of which have been characterised by taut narrative, black comedy and whip-crack dialogue.
First up was The Guard, starring Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle, which is officially the most financially successful Irish independent movie of all time. Then came Calvary, a darkly humorous drama about a priest tormented by his community.
Now he’s crossed the Atlantic with War On Everyone, another twisted comedy in which Alexander Skarsgård and Michael Peña play a pair of tearaway New Mexico cops.
John’s heartfelt passion for music is reflected in the wide variety of artists he’s used in his work. During the course of our conversation, you’ll hear tunes from The Clash, The Fun Loving Criminals, REM, M.O.P and John Denver, among many, many others.
We’ll also discuss his collaborations on score with Calexico, Patrick Cassidy and Lorne Balfe.
Edith's first guest of 2017 is Juan Antonio Bayona - or JA for short - which we hope you'll agree seems a most excellent way to start the New Year.
Since 2007, the Spanish director has made three critically acclaimed movies - all of which have had, in very different ways, children at the centre of the narrative.
First came his superior horror flick The Orphanage, followed by The Impossible, which is about a family caught up in the 2004 tsunami and was inspired by true events.
Now he brings us A Monster Calls. Based on the award winning fantasy novel by Patrick Ness, it tells the story of a boy who comes to terms with the terminal illness of his mother with the help of a humanoid tree. It stars Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Toby Kebbell, Lewis MacDougall and Liam Neeson, and is an incredibly powerful cinematic experience.
As with all JA's films, A Monster Calls is scored by Fernando Velazquez, while his foray into television with Penny Dreadful saw him collaborate with Polish composer, Abel Korzeniowski. You can expect plenty of extracts from both musicians' work, as well as pieces from George Delarue and Elmer Bernstein among others.
In days gone by, it might have been considered a backward step to go from adapting Shakespeare to adapting a video game. Not anymore – with this week’s guest Justin Kurzel having done just that.
Following his hugely well-received take on Macbeth, the Australian director has now turned his attention to Assassin’s Creed - a movie based on the video game franchise that has sold well over 100 million copies worldwide. Both projects are scored by his brother Jed, and both star one of the actors of the moment, Michael Fassbender.
In the 21st Century, our brief here on Soundtracking applies as much to games as it does to film. Not only is the Assassin’s Creed series fully scored by the likes of Jesper Kyd and Winifred Phillips, but one of the trailers features a cover of Everybody Wants To Rule The World by New Zealand vocal sensation, Lorde. They’re more than just hackathons, too - with big ideas about morality, science, history and fate driving the narrative.
Plenty, then, for Justin to draw inspiration from when transforming the games into a cinematic experience …
In cinematic terms, it may very well just be the greatest story ever told. With its ground-breaking special effects, unforgettable cast of characters and universal themes, the original Star Wars trilogy has inspired and delighted film goers ever since A New Hope blew everyone away in 1977.
Among those to have felt its force is Gareth Edwards - the man charged with directing the latest addition to the franchise, Rogue One.
And it goes without saying that music is central to the impact of George Lucas’s masterpiece – as are the iconic sound effects. John Williams’s score is one of the most famous ever written, while we all mimicked the noise of a Tie-Fighter or lightsaber when we played with the toys as kids. Gareth was only too aware of this sonic legacy, and reveals how he and composer Michael Giacchino acknowledged it in Rogue One.
We’ll also explore his collaborations with Jon Hopkins and Alexandre Desplat on Monsters and Godzilla respectively, with plenty of examples from both scores woven into the conversation.
Having earned an Oscar nomination for his short film Cashback in 2004, British director Sean Ellis has since caught the eye with a stylistic approach that is urgent, visceral, and intense. With the help of composers Guy Farley and Robin Foster, he's delivered soundscapes to match.
Following its run at the Oscar, Sean developed Cashback into a full-length feature before bringing us Anglo-French horror The Broken, both of which were scored by Guy.
Then came the Philippine-set crime drama Metro Manila, which won numerous awards. His latest project is Anthropoid, which tells the true story of an unlikely assassination attempt on Hitler's second in command Reinhard Heydric - the so-called Butcher of Prague
For these two most recent ventures, Sean predominantly collaborated with Robin, who we must thank profusely for his assistance in putting this episode together. Apart from anything else, we'd have struggled to identify the specific Bartok violin sonata that features in a key scene in Anthropoid without him!
Interestingly, though, that sonata is one of the few cues in the film that's relevant to 1940s Prague, with Sean and Robin instead settling on a dark electronic score to evoke the all-pervasive atmosphere of paranoia that came with the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia ...
You have to go a long way to find someone who doesn't like Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie and the gang - or Alice of Wonderland fame, for that matter.
With this in mind, it's a great pleasure to welcome James Bobin into the Soundtracking family. Not only has James directed two Muppet movies and steered Alice on a recent outing through the Looking Glass, he's played a very significant hand in a couple more pop-cultural institutions too.
For having helped Sasha Baron Cohen create Ali G, Borat and Bruno, he then teamed up with Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie to bring the wonderful musical comedy Flight Of The Conchords to our screens. Indeed, Bret subsequently lent his expertise to both of James' Muppet movies. We'll be playing plenty of tunes from these films throughout the course of the conversation, as well as some classic Conchords.
We also have the joys of hearing excerpts of Danny Elfman’s majestic score for Alice Through The Looking Glass - and a Strauss polka that was all the rage in the 1870s.
When you're invited to direct a movie adaptation involving one of the most-loved literary creations the world has ever known, you can be pretty certain you won't get a second chance if you mess it up.
Thankfully, that's not a fate that befell David Yates. Not only did David take charge of the last four Harry Potter films, he was also asked to make JK Rowling's official spin-off Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, which has been greeted with hugely positive reviews.
With the budgets attached to the Potter franchise, it is of course possible to secure the services of the best composers in the world. David has taken full advantage of this privilege, variously employing Nicholas Hooper, Alexandre Desplat and James Newton Howard. He also collaborated with Rupert Gregson-WIlliams on The Legend Of Tarzan.
You'll hear plenty of their work throughout the conversation, as well as that of John Williams - who provided scores for the first three Potters. We also find out a little bit about his earlier work, and get a blast of Mongolian throat music, which he used to great effect in his BAFTA nominated short film, Rank.
Routinely cited as one of the funniest movies of all-time, This Is Spinal Tap is much imitated, oft-quoted, and as fresh now as it was when it first appeared in 1984. If you haven't seen it, you must buy it immediately.
Directed by Rob Reiner, it takes the form of documentary following a shambolic heavy metal band as they tour North America. Though the band is, of course, fictional, their songs are very real, and very funny.
One of the men behind both these songs and the razor-sharp script is writer, actor, director and musician Christopher Guest.
As we'll discover, Christopher's musical background stood him in good stead for Tap, and also A Mighty Wind, his affectionate parody of the folk world. His latest directorial project is Mascots, in which he appears alongside Parker Posey, Jane Lynch, Chris O'Dowd and Ed Begley Junior among many others.
As with all his films, there's no traditional score - with the tunes the mascots perform to provided by CJ Vanston. But he is a fan of film music, and in particular the quirky orchestrations of Italian legend, Nino Rota.
Expect plenty of music from Tap, The Folksmen and Mascots, as well as the odd trip-down-memory-lane clip too.
As subject matter goes, it doesn't get much more rock and roll than Joy Division, New Order, The Happy Mondays, Ian Dury, The Stone Roses, Coldplay and Oasis. But, in one way or another, all these artists have featured in the work of British director Mat Whitecross.
As we'll discover, Mat got his big break from Michael Winterbottom while working as a runner on the set 24 Hour Party People, which tells the story of Tony Wilson and Factory Records. The pair went on to direct Road To Gauntanomo together, before he flew solo on the Ian Dury biopic Sex And Drugs And Rock And Roll and Stone Roses-inspired comedy, Spike Island.
Coldplay are among his illustrious list of music video clients, while he's also worked with composer Ilan Eshkeri and Tim Wheeler of Ash on more than one project. Indeed, Ilan and Tim have very kindly supplied us with some of their favourite compositions for their film and TV work with Mat, which you'll hear throughout the show.
And as if you needed more, there are excerpts from Rael Jones' score for Mat's Oasis documentary Supersonic too, amid the more familiar fare served up by the band themselves.
In his relatively short career, writer and director Derek Cianfrance has produced a body of work that has not only been critically lauded, but also wildly contrasting in its sonic demands.
For Blue Valentine, his celebrated breakthrough feature, he collaborated with American folk-rockers Grizzly Bear, who provided him with a dreamy hybrid of source music and score. He then worked with Mike Patton of Faith No More, Mr Bungle and Fantomas on The Place Beyond The Pines, before securing the services of composer Alexandre Desplat for his latest film, The Light Between Oceans.
Each project had very different musical requirements, which Derek outlines in fascinating detail here. He's a great raconteur, too - with splendid anecdotes about his lifelong obsession with Mike Patton and the sneaky way he got Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams to sing and dance for him in Blue Valentine.
Expect plenty of Alexandre's score for The Light Between Oceans, Mike Patton's diverse back catalogue, Grizzly Bear and, of course, the dulcet tones of Mr Gosling!
Few filmmakers at work today can claim to have more visual flair than Nicolas Winding Refn. From his debut thriller Pusher to Drive, Only God Forgives and The Neon Demon, he has always served up a feast for the eyes.
Invariably his themes are downright dark and sleazy - with tech-noir soundscapes and cinematography enhancing the mood. Whether using source music or score, the Danish director is most accomplished when it comes to sonic dressing.
Nicolas has enjoyed a particularly fruitful relationship with composer Cliff Martinez. We'll hear plenty more about that during the course of the interview, as well as excepts of score from the movies on which they've collaborated.
Nicolas also gives us a fascinating insight into how he deploys music to induce a profound emotional response from his cast, and also reveals what he considers to be the Holy Grail of score.
From child star to Academy Award winning director, Ron Howard has always made it his business to entertain.
And entertain us he has - from A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13 and Frost / Nixon to his most recent offerings - the Beatles documentary Eight Days A Week and Dan Brown thriller Inferno.
But whereas Edith's previous guest Andrea Arnold prefers to accompany her films with source music, Ron is a particular fan of score, and has, accordingly, collaborated with some of the finest cinematic composers of recent times, including James Horner, Thomas Newman, John Williams and Hans Zimmer. We'll hear plenty more about the director's admiration for that venerable bunch during the course of our conversation, as well as excerpts from the work they produced for his movies.
Ron also reflects on his time as an actor, and has a most amusing anecdote about Michael Jackson!
Andrea Arnold announced herself to the film world by winning an Oscar for her short film Wasp in 2005. Since then her releases Red Road, Fish Tank and American Honey have all won the Jury Prize at Cannes.
The latter is her latest offering - a road trip following a 'Mag Crew' as they party their way across the American Midwest selling magazine subscriptions door-to-door - listening to plenty of phat beats.
Hip-hop is the sonic hearbeat of the film, with the sub-genre of Trap particularly prevalent. Originating in Atlanta in the 1990s, Trap music is dark, aggressive and lyrically challenging. We feature plenty of uncensored examples from the soundtrack during this episode.
Don't forget you can check out the playlist to the show on Spotify. https://play.spotify.com/user/soundtrackingwithedithbowman
Next week: Ron Howard!
In his brief directorial career, Tate Taylor has brought us three very different films requiring three very different soundscapes.
First up was his Oscar-nominated Civil Rights drama The Help, set in his hometown of Jackson, Mississippi, in 1962. It is a deeply personal film for Tate and awash with the music of the time - including Ray Charles, Mavis Staples and Johnny Cash. It also saw him collaborate with Thomas Newman for the first time on the score.
Then came the James Brown biopic Get On Up - with track after glorious track from The Godfather of Soul. Produced my Mick Jagger and again scored by Thomas, it was built around an incredible performance by Chadwick Boseman in the lead role.
Now we have his take on Paula Hawkins' international bestseller The Girl On The Train – a psychological thriller featuring suitably claustrophobic sonic undertones. Danny Elfman provides those in spades, and you'll hear plenty of his score in this episode.
We also get the story behind Thomas's score for The Help, and of course have the opportunity to play lots and lots of James Brown.
Thea Sharrock was brought up on The Ramones. She cut her directorial teeth in theatre, becoming the youngest ever artistic director at a British theatre when she took over at the Southwark Playhouse at the tender age of 24.
She went on to direct Happy Now? at the National Theatre, before taking Equus to New York in 2008 - with Daniel Radcliffe making his Broadway debut. In 2009, she directed a production of As You Like It at Shakespeare's Globe. In 2010, she directed Keira Knightley and Damian Lewis in The Misanthrope, then Benedict Cumberbatch in the Olivier-winning revival of After the Dance – before moving to TV with Tom Hiddlestone's Henry V for the BBC. This was beautifully scored by Adrian Johnston - whose work features prominently in this episode.
Her debut feature film Me Before You is a romantic drama starring Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin, with a soundtrack featuring Ed Sheeran, Max Jury, Jack Garratt and The 1975 - and a score by the legendary Craig Armstrong (Romeo and Juliet, Moulin Rouge, Love Actually). Again, there's plenty of Craig's music to enjoy here.
It's a safe bet that any writer / director who borrows song titles to name his own films is something of an audiophile. Richard Linklater is unquestionably one of these. From Dazed and Confused To Boyhood and the so-called 'Before' Trilogy, the amiable Texan has forged a career making movies with a very specific sense of time and place - accompanied by soundtracks that appropriately underscore the mood he's attempting to create.
His latest film continues this trend. Set in a fictional US college in 1980, Everybody Wants Some!! offers up a stonking array of contemporary tunes - from Donna Summer and Jermain Jackson to Blondie and The Sugarhill Gang. As with so much of his back catalogue, it's also very funny and beautifully observed.
By his own admission he prefers source cues to score - though he’s not averse to orchestration when the situation demands - as it did, for instance, in A Scanner Darkly. But it's rock 'n' roll where his heart lies, so expect music from Steppenwolf, The Hives, The Flaming Lips and Aerosmith. You can check out the playlist in full via edithbowman.com too.
Though it’s impossible to pigeonhole the 9 feature films David Mackenzie has directed, there’s one thing they have in common: his obvious passion for music.
Having enlisted Scottish band The Pastels to provide the soundtrack for his debut The Last Great Wilderness, he’s since collaborated with luminaries such as David Byrne and Max Richter. Indie label Domino Records provided all the songs for Hallam Foe, while David’s romantic comedy You Instead was shot over 5 crazy days at the T In The Park festival in Scotland.
His latest film Hell Or High Water continues this fine musical tradition - scored as it is by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.
So expect to be taken on a musical journey, with tracks from Townes Van Zandt, Waylon Jennings, Franz Ferdinand and The Bill Wells Trio among many others.
Actor, writer and now director of Captain Fantastic starring Viggo Mortensen, Matt Ross takes Edith on a musical journey encompassing bagpipes, German experimentalism and Bulgarian folk – not to mention Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Guns N Roses.
To hear all the music from the show in full, check out our spotify playlist - https://play.spotify.com/user/soundtrackingwithedithbowman and please subscribe to the show on itunes. You can find out what else Edith is up to at www.edithbowman.com and follow her on twitter @edibow
In the latest episode of Soundtracking, writer, actor, director and all-round good guy Jon Favreau joins Edith to discuss how he uses music in his films.
From the big-band beats of Swingers to the Latin and R&B infused rhythms of Chef, Jon has always displayed a knack for using sound to perfectly compliment his visuals. This is no bad thing in the context of his remake of The Jungle Book, what with its formidable musical legacy. As well as George Bruns' majestic score, it also features a series of unforgettable showstoppers by longtime Disney collaborators the Sherman brothers. Good job he had Bill Murray and Christopher Walken to help out!
Expect tracks from artists as diverse as AC/DC, Buddy Holly, The Chips, Roberto Roena and Louis Prima.
On the release of his latest film War Dogs, writer and director Todd Phillips discusses the use of music in his movies, which reflects his love of everything from Black Flag to Billy Joel, Pink Floyd to Gram Parsons.
Todd Solondz won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize for his debut feature Welcome To The Dollhouse. He followed it up with Happiness, which explored themes including rape, paedophilia, murder and suicide. Upon the release of his latest venture, the dark comedy Wiener Dog, Todd talks to Edith about musical collaborations with Nina Persson and Devendra Banhart, plus his love of Mary Poppins, The Carnival of the Animals and Barry Manilow. To hear all the music from the show in full, check out our spotify playlist - https://open.spotify.com/user/1175379738/playlist/1FCSL0ZsctbasEza3kyeMb and please subscribe to the show on itunes. You can find out what else Edith is up to at www.edithbowman.com and follow her on twitter @edibow Next week, Todd Phillips - the man behind the Hangover trilogy, whose new film War Dogs is based on the extraordinary true story of two highly unlikely arms dealers.
Edith chats to US film director David Ayer about the incredible range of music in his movies...from Fury and Training Day, up to his latest release, the hugely anticipated Suicide Squad.
To hear all the music from the show in full, check out our spotify playlist - and please subscribe to the show on itunes. You can find out what else Edith is up to at www.edithbowman.com and follow her on twitter @edibow
Next week: the man behind Happiness and Wiener Dog, Todd Solondz
For our inaugural episode, Edith chats to British film director Ben Wheatley about the way he uses music in his movies. Ben made his name co-writing and directing the indie horror Kill List, before cementing his reputation with Sightseers and A Field In England. He has now taken on the considerable challenge of realising the dystopian visions of novelist JG Ballard in High Rise …
Edith finds out about Ben's broad music tastes, which are reflected in his work – from his love of German experimentalists to the more pop-driven sounds Soft Cell and Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
To hear all the music from the show in full, check out our spotify playlist - and please subscribe to the show on itunes. You can find out what else Edith is up to at www.edithbowman.com and follow her on twitter @edibow
Next week: David Ayer, the man behind Training Day and Fury, whose latest project is a big-budget adaptation of the cult comic Suicide Squad.
En liten tjänst av I'm With Friends. Finns även på engelska.