Soundtracking with Edith Bowman

One of our favourite films of the year has undoubtedly been Joker. We've already spoken to composer Hildur Guðnadóttir about her score for the movie, and now it's an utter delight to welcome director Todd Phillips back to Soundtracking for a second sitting. There was much to discuss, from Hildur's stunning contributions to the influence of Charlie Chaplin and the thorny issue of why he used a Gary Glitter cue. We also have tracks from Frank Sinatra and Jimmy Durante.

Our guest on this week's soundtracking is something of a protofeminist in Hollywood terms, in that he makes it his mission to put strong, charismatic women at the very centre of his narratives.Paul Feig made his name with Bridesmaids in 2011 - a much loved comedy starring Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne and Mellisa McCarthy that has more than stood the test of time. 8 years later he's back with another female-led offering, Last Christmas, which was written by (and features) Emma Thompson and sees Emilia Clarke take the lead.Scored by Paul's regular collaborator Theodore Shapiro, Last Christmas is held together musically by a string of George Michael classics, both of whose work you'll hear plenty of ...

Our latest guest on Soundtracking is something of a demigod when it comes to the realms of music and film.Anton Corbijn is a Dutch photographer, music video director and filmmaker who has snapped anyone who's anyone in the music industry, including Bob Dylan, Bjork, Bruce Springsteen and Miles Davies. Indeed, it was he who took those iconic pictures of Joy Division in the subway tunnel, beginning a relationship which ultimately led to him bringing us the Ian Curtis biopic, Control. Anton has also had a long-standing relationship with U2 and Depeche Mode, and it is Depeche Mode's final concert of their Global Spirit tour that is the subject of his latest project - the documentary, Spirits In The Forest, which places a specific focus on six of the band's fans.Depeche Mode: SPIRITS in the Forest is in cinemas for one night only worldwide on 21 November. Find your closest screening at spiritsintheforest.com

It's a welcome return for David Michod to our latest episode of Soundtracking, in which the Australian director talks us through the music for his latest film, The King.The King is available on Netflix now, and is loosely based on on William Shakespeare's plays relating to Henry V. In putting the movie together, David turned to a couple of friends of this show: co-writer and actor Joel Edgerton and composer Nicholas Britell. It's an intentionally otherworldly score, and, as ever, you'll hear plenty of it throughout the course of the conversation.

Our guest on this latest episode of Soundtracking is an actor who made his name portraying one of the most iconic frontmen ever to have graced a stage.Sam Riley's performance as Ian Curtis of Joy Division in Control was, quite simply, stunning - and perhaps informed by his own experiences of playing in his own band, 10,000 Things. As you'll discover, Sam is not only a great lover of music, but also absolutely cracking company.He can currently be seen appearing in Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil alongside Angelina Jolie.

Our latest guest on Soundtracking is someone we've been wanting to get on the podcast for a very long time - as have many of you, judging by the feedback we receive on social media.Mica Levi, also known by her stage name Micachu, is a classically trained composer who came to the attention of the film world in 2014 with her debut score for Jonathan Glazer's Under The Skin. Not only did Mica's work on her next film, Jackie, gain an Oscar nomination, but it also garnered vocal praise from none other than Ryuichi Sakamoto. Now she's teamed up with Alejandro Landes for Monos, a deeply unsettling movie in which eight children with guns watch over a hostage and a cow on a faraway mountaintop.

It's another double-whammy on our latest episode of Soundtracking - this time in the shape of two composers of world-wide repute.Michael Giacchino cut his teeth on video games, before turning his attentions to film and television, with a host of award-winning scores for films such as The Incredibles, Up, Rogue One and Star Trek.David Arnold, meanwhile, is a much-loved British artist who's been making screen music for nigh-on three decades - with Zoolander, Tomorrow Never Dies and Sherlock among his many credits.Edith caught up with them ahead of a very special evening at London's Royal Albert Hall called Settling The Score, in which they played some of their greatest hits, for want of a better expression.

It's a double-whammy on our latest episode of Soundtracking, as we bring you two extremely talented ladies charting very different courses in the world of cinema.First up is Hildur Gudnadottir. Well known to fans of this podcast - on which she has featured by proxy many, many times - Hildur has gained broader and much deserved recognition for her work on Joker - Todd Phillips's origin story about the eponymous super-villain that has proved hugely popular among movie fans and critics alike. If you haven't seen it yet, Joaquin Phoenix's performance is astonishing, as is Hildur's suitably disturbing score.Then we have Dolly Wells, a much-loved British comedy actor who has just made her directorial debut with Good Posture. She and I have more of a chat about her career in television and film than the usual focus on music, but she's an utter delight, so we really wanted to share it anyway.

Our latest guest on Soundtracking is John Crowley, the Irish film and theatre director who previously brought us critical successes Intermission, Boy A and Brooklyn.His new offering is The Goldfinch. Based on Donna Tart's novel of the same name, the narrative centres on Theo, a young man who takes a painting from a museum after his mother dies in a terrorist attack.While the cinematography is provided by undisputed master of the art, Roger Deakins, John went for a relative novice in Trevor Gureckis for the score. As ever, you'll hear plenty of Trevor's work throughout the conversation.

Edith's guest on the latest episode of Soundtracking is a composer who has been pushing sonic boundaries for three decades. As well as releasing numerous albums and EPs under various monikers, Matthew Herbert has also scored a diverse range of films, including three for Chilean director Sebastian Lelio. The word is overused, but we reckon he's a true visionary. He now has television credits to his name too, with his latest project Temple currently available on Sky and Now TV. As always, you'll hear plenty of Matthew's work throughout the conversation.

If you haven’t been addicted to Peaky Blinders since it first aired in 2013, then you need to get yourself off to the BBC iPlayer at once and start catching up. All episodes are currently available for varying degrees of time, and we highly recommend you get involved before it's too late.Directed by Anthony Byrne, the latest season sees Cillian Murphy return as Tommy Shelby, head of the eponymous gang vying for underworld supremacy in inter-war Birmingham. And we're delighted to say that both Anthony and Cillian are with us on Soundtracking to discuss the show’s extraordinary music - which dares to put contemporary alternative artists against the period backdrop. As such, some of the lyrics are quite fruity! We should mention Edith spoke to them not only before Season 5 screened, but before Anthony had even finished editing it.We should also mention we had a few problems with Edith's mic during the recording, which we’ve dealt with as best we can. Thankfully, though, the lads sound fine, which is all that really matters.

There can be few cinematic genres that benefit more from the power of score than horror. And it IT and IT: Chapter 2, writer / director Andy Muschietti and his composer Benjamin Wallfisch have nailed it. Reflecting the shape-shifting abilities of Pennywise The Clown, Benjamin has produced a soundscape which Andy describes as 'bendy' - that switches in an instant from the safe and dreamy to something altogether more dark and twisted.As well as discussing the score at length, Andy also talks us through some of the needle drops he used, including tracks by The Cure and The Cult.

We have the miracle of social media to thank for our latest episode of Soundtracking, after Edith reached out to the one and only Alan Silvestri on Twitter. And, gentleman that he is, he very kindly invited her to meet up with him on a recent visit to London. Alan is responsible for some of Hollywood's most memorable scores and themes, from Back To The Future and Forrest Gump to Castaway and The Avengers. In recent times, his longstanding relationship with Robert Zemeckis is perhaps only matched by that of Steven Spielberg and John Williams. As if that weren't enough, he also wrote most of the music for the classic TV show, Chips ...

Our latest guests on Soundtracking are husband and wife duo Aaron and Sam Taylor-Johnson, who have joined forces on a number of levels to bring us A Million Little Pieces.An adaptation of James Frey's book of the same name, it's based on the author's experiences in rehab as he attempted to recover from alcohol and drug addiction. Despite the well-documented controversies surrounding the veracity of some of James's account, there's no denying it's power as a study of what it's like to hit rock bottom.Sam and Aaron wrote the script together, before Sam got behind the camera and Aaron in front of it to take the lead role. They also worked as producers on the film. The score, meanwhile, is provided by Atticus Ross - a frequent collaborator with Trent Reznor.

Something of a first on our latest episode of Soundtracking, as we're not only joined by a world-class director, but also his world-class translator. To be fair, Pedro Almodovar's English is certainly better than Edith's Spanish, but we are eternally grateful to the lovely Maria for stepping in when he occasionally reverted to his mother tongue. Pedro's latest film is Pain And Glory - a semi-autobiographical tale in which he draws on his own experiences to explore the life of Salvador Mallo, a director in decline. Pain And Glory reunites Pedro with a number of longtime collaborators, including leading man Antonio Banderas, Penelope Cruz and composer Alberto Iglesias. As well as plenty of Alberto's music, we also feature cues by Ryuichi Sakamoto, Ennio Morricone and Grace Jones.

What better way to start the fourth year of our film music podcast Soundtracking than with one of the undisputed kings of the art, Quentin Tarantino.His new movie Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is everything you'd hope for when it comes to the deployment of pop cues, and also features score by the likes of Bernard Herrmann and Maurice Jarre.Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie among many others, Once Upon A Time is set in 1969 Los Angeles, where an ageing television actor and his stunt double navigate the changing Hollywood film industry. It blends fiction with real events - most notably the murder of Sharon Tate at the hands of the Manson family.

This week marked the third birthday of our film music podcast Soundtracking - which is a milestone we’re very proud to have reached. That we’re still going is thanks in no small part to you, and of course the guests who take half an hour out of their busy schedules to talk to me about their passion for all things sonic.To mark the occasion, we’ve drawn together some of our favourite moments from the past year, which has featured many huge names from the world of cinema and television.Among the voices you’ll hear are Bradley Cooper, M.I.A., Peter Jackson, M Night Shyamalan, Thelma Schoonmaker, Barry Jenkins, Jordan Peele, Cliff Martinez, Keanu Reeves & Danny Boyle - with some fabulous cues to boot.

Our latest episode of Soundtracking has been some time in the making - so busy is the composer in question. But, boy, was it worth the wait. Max Richter is a name that's come up on numerous occasions on our film music podcast, with Joe Wright, Denis Villeneuve, Yann Demange and John Ridley among those who have either enlisted his services or used his original compositions in their work. So we were truly humbled when Max agreed to join us on stage at London's BFI for one of our live events recorded in front of an audience. Though we barely scratched the surface of his extraordinary back catalogue in the hour or so we had with him, we still covered a lot of ground, including his contributions to Waltz With Bashir, Mary Queen Of Scots, White Boy Rick, Black Mirror and Arrival.

Our latest guest on Soundtracking makes a very welcome return to the show, having given us something of a retrospective on his astounding career back in episode 45.Nick Broomfield is multi-award winning documentary maker who, among many other subjects, has made several films about musicians - including Kurt & Courtney, Biggie & Tupac and, most recently, Whitney Houston.Continuing the theme, Marianne and Leonard: Words Of Love, is an intimate meditation on the relationship between Leonard Cohen and his Norwegian muse, Marianne Ihlen. It's a deeply personal project for Nick, who met Marianne during a visit to the Greek island of Hydra when he was 20, and also encountered Leonard on the LA party scene.As with Whitney, Marianne and Leonard is scored by Nick Laird-Clowes , who consciously borrowed heavily from Cohen's musical lexicon to create a coherent sonic backdrop to the narrative. We are also extremely grateful to (composer) Nick for providing us with several of his yet-to-be released cues from the movie

Back in 2016, Jon Favreau was kind enough to be the very first person we recorded for our film music podcast, Soundtracking. 151 episodes later, and Jon returns to discuss his flabbergasting remake of Disney's much-loved Oscar-winning musical, The Lion King - a mind-boggling photorealistic animation starring Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Billy Eichner, and Beyoncé. As with the 1994 version, this new film is scored by our old friend Hans Zimmer, with Elton John returning to rework his compositions from the original alongside South African composer, producer and singer Lebo M. Pharrell Williams also produced five of the tracks.

Edith's latest guest on Soundtracking is one seriously multi-talented lady. Emma Forrest is a journalist, novelist and screenwriter - who has now added directing to her CV with her drama, Untogether. Starring Lola and Jemima Kirke, Jamie Dornan, Billy Crystal and Emma's former husband Ben Mendelsohn, Untogether tells the story of two sisters in the throes of relationships that are challenging for very different reasons. Music plays a key part in setting the tone, with one specific track by Primal Scream inspiring the whole film. The film is scored by Robin Foster. And it's with Robin's track Hercules Climbs The White Mountain that we begin, since this was the piece he played to Emma that provided the basis for the entire soundscape of the movie ...

Our guest on this week's Soundtracking is the extremely talented and likeable director Yann Demange. Having made his name with TV shows such as Dead Set and Top Boy, Yann moved into cinema with '71, a critically acclaimed drama about the Troubles in Northern Ireland. '71 is scored by David Holmes, who was also instrumental in helping Yann pick the music for his second feature, White Boy Rick. Based on an incredible true story, White Boy Rick stars Richie Merritt as Richard Wershe Jr., who became the youngest FBI informant ever at the age of 14 in the 1980s. The film is scored by wonderful Max Richter - who you'll be able to hear on this podcast soon - and also features a banging set of tunes from the 70s and 80s.

We couldn't be more excited about our latest episode of Soundtracking, recorded with the one and only Cliff Martinez at his beautiful home & studio in Topanga Canyon, California.Cliff's name has come up on countless occasions since we started this podcast - not least in the company of Steven Soderbergh, Nicolas Winding Refn, Todd Phillips and Drew Pearce, all of whom have employed the expert services of the former Red Hot Chilli Pepper to score their movies.We'll hear plenty more about all of these fine gentleman - and get the inside line on Cliff's work on films such as Sex, Lies and Videotape, Drive, Only God Forgives, War Dogs and Hotel Artemis.

As with the lunar landing and assassination of JFK, there are a fair few folk who can tell you exactly where they were and what they were doing when Diego Maradona punched the ball into Peter Shilton's net, sending Argentina on their way to victory in the quarter final of the 1986 World.So it's no surprise, over three decades later, that someone has decided to tell the story of this enigmatic sporting superstar. And that someone is our old friend Asif Kapadia, returning to Soundtracking to discuss his revealing biopic, Diego Maradona.Having previously explored the lives of troubled geniuses Ayrton Senna and Amy Winehouse, Asif has once again cast a forensic eye across a mind-bendingly brilliant yet undoubtedly flawed individual - with the key difference in this instance being that his subject is still alive.The results are utterly captivating.As with both Senna and Amy, Asif turned to Brazilian composer Antonio Pinto for the score. And, as ever, you'll hear plenty of Antonio's work throughout the course of the conversation, as well as a killer disco-tinged boomer from Todd Terje ...

Three inspirational women are the stars of our latest episode of Soundtracking, Edith's weekly screen music podcast, as we bring you another of our live events recorded at London's British Film Institute.Carly Paradis, Amelia Warner and Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch are all making big waves in the world of film composition - which, let's be honest, is (like the rest of the business) rather male dominated. So is was an absolute pleasure to get them on stage together in front of an audience to appreciate and celebrate their work.Though this was recorded quite a few months ago, we've held it back because, on June 12th in London, a new concert event celebrating the work of female composers in film & media will take place at EartH in Hackney, in which all three will feature.More information on that event can be found here.

It's three for the price of one on the latest episode of Soundtracking.First up is actress, producer and now director, Olivia Wilde, who makes her debut behind the camera with Booksmart. A coming-of-age comedy/drama starring Kaitlyn Dever and Beanind Feldstein, it boasts a killer soundtrack and a super-cool score by Dan The Automater.As if that weren't enough, we then welcome director Dexter Fletcher and composer Giles Martin, who join forces to fabulous effect on the Elton John musical biopic, Rocketman. Starring Taron Egerton in the lead role and Jamie Bell as Elton's longtime collaborater, Bernie Taupin, the film features all the classics, reworked for the purposes of the narrative by Giles.But we begin with Olivia - who we can assure you knows and loves her music. As we mentioned, she's used a number of great needle-drops in Booksmart, including tracks by LCD Soundsystem, Lizzo and Anderson Paak. Dan the Automator, meanwhile, compliments her choices with his score, which more than passes as a standalone work of beats, breaks and dreamy electronica ...

It's a welcome return for Guy Ritchie to Soundtracking, Edith's weekly film music podcast. And it's also a welcome return for Aladdin, making his first big screen appearance since 1992 in Guy's live action remake of DIsney's animated classic. In this visually stunning reboot, Will Smith is charged with filling Robin Williams's considerable boots as Genie, with Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott playing Aladdin and Jasmin respectively.As with the animation, this latest incarnation is scored by Alan Menken, who won an Oscar and Golden Globe for the original. And in addition to a new number called Speechless, it features plenty of familiar tunes, including the classics Arabian Nights, One Jump Ahead and Friend Like Me.

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:https://itunes.apple.com/gb/playlist/soundtracking-with-edith-bowman-episode-132-mary-j-blige/pl.u-6mo4l9mhpzG6x

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 KaluuyaSo 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.