Settling the Score

#66 – The Empire Strikes Back Oct 03, 2024

“I love this score.” “I know.” Jon and Andy search their feelings about John Williams’ score for the 1980 hit sci-fi fantasy sequel The Empire Strikes Back. How important has this score been to our hosts? How does its mastery show itself on different scales? And, what are the odds of successfully navigating this show’s longest episode ever?

#65 – Double Indemnity Jun 11, 2024

Jon and Andy go straight down the line through Miklós Rózsa's score for the 1944 film noir classic Double Indemnity. Which elements of this music sound like noir, and which don’t? Why do we enjoy stories about bad people? And, where’s a good spot in L.A. to sneak into if you want to hear some Schubert?

#64 – 2024 Oscars Special Mar 06, 2024

It’s time again for Jon and Andy to strip away the phony tinsel of Hollywood and find the real tinsel underneath, as they consider this year’s Oscar nominees for Best Original Score. Is it possible that our hosts are feeling less cranky this year? What are some different ideas these movies have for using music to fill time? And, did you notice that this episode is still shorter than two of these five nominated films?

#63 – The Conversation Feb 21, 2024

Come and eavesdrop on Jon and Andy discussing David Shire’s score for the 1974 surveillance mystery drama The Conversation. What does Shire's solo piano music express about the main character? How are the themes of the movie embodied in its world of sound? And, will Fred Flintstone be a good father?

#62 – Name The Score! 2 Feb 13, 2024

Surprise! It’s time for a break from the bucket: Jon and Andy look back at all the scores they’ve talked about since the end of the AFI list, and Andy puzzles Jon with another needle-drop quiz. Can Jon remember all this music? Can you remember it better than Jon? And, like, what have our hosts even been talking about this whole time?

#61 – How to Train Your Dragon Dec 20, 2023

This time Jon and Andy train their attention on John Powell’s score for the 2010 animated fantasy adventure How to Train Your Dragon. Just how many themes does this score have? Might their meanings change with repeat viewings? And, what rhythmic pattern will Jon finally let Andy talk about?

#60 – There Will Be Blood Sep 12, 2023

In this episode Jon and Andy drink up Jonny Greenwood’s score for Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2007 period drama There Will Be Blood. How does Greenwood’s music seem to get so deeply inside your head? What lines can be drawn between it and his work for Radiohead? And, is either of us even close to getting the Daniel Plainview voice right?

#59 – The Day the Earth Stood Still May 23, 2023

This time Jon and Andy land their spaceship in the middle of Bernard Herrmann’s score for the 1951 sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still! How strongly was Herrmann committed to musical otherness? What peculiar instrumentation did he use to achieve unearthly sounds? And, have we finally cracked Gort's secret alien robot code?

#58 – 2023 Oscars Special Mar 09, 2023

Join Jon and Andy as they sneak back into the Dolby Theater to discuss this year's nominees for Best Original Score! Could this be our least impressive slate of contenders yet? What does it mean for music to really speak to the human heart? And, will we succeed in our attempt to keep the episode short? (No.)

#57 – In the Heat of the Night Jan 18, 2023

They call this an episode about Quincy Jones’ score for the 1967 social drama mystery In the Heat of the Night! How amazingly broad is the scope of Jones’ expertise? What effect does it have on the movie that his music feels so good? And, what would YOU say to Rod Steiger?

#56 – Scott of the Antarctic Sep 13, 2022

Get ready for a long haul, as Jon and Andy set out across Ralph Vaughan Williams' score for the 1948 historical adventure film Scott of the Antarctic. What was unusual about the relationship between this movie and its celebrated classical composer? What techniques did he use to depict snow, ice, and struggle? And, are criticisms not made worse / when written in a rhyming verse?

#55 – Conan the Barbarian Jul 20, 2022

Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear Jon and Andy discuss Basil Poledouris’ score for the 1982 fantasy adventure movie Conan the Barbarian. From what classical references does Poledouris draw, and what very non-classical things might have drawn from him? What’s a quick way to make your music sound archaic? And, waiter, what’s this in my soup?

#54 – The Incredibles May 31, 2022

Jon and Andy catch each other monologuing about Michael Giacchino’s score for the 2004 Pixar superhero movie The Incredibles! How did Giacchino become one of Hollywood’s go-to composers? What cultural influences wind up shaken and stirred into his music? And, how big of a dork was Jon when he had a chance to ask Giacchino a question?

#53 – 2022 Oscars Special Mar 23, 2022

It’s back to Hollywood Blvd. for Jon and Andy as they consider this year’s Oscar nominees for Best Score. What has them enthusiastic, and what has them angry? What musical sounds are trendy this season? And, what exciting new mini-segment will they introduce to the show? (Podcaster General’s warning: this episode is too long! Recommended serving size: one (1) segment.)

#52 – Alien Mar 08, 2022

Jon and Andy are bursting to talk about Jerry Goldsmith’s score for the 1979 sci-fi horror classic Alien! How much of what Goldsmith wrote didn’t make it into the movie, and why? What musical reptile did he unleash into his orchestra? And, will our hosts finally consider couples therapy?

#51 – The Red Violin Jan 18, 2022

The fates foretold that Jon and Andy would discuss John Corigliano’s score for the 1998 history-spanning musical saga The Red Violin. How does Corigliano draw a musical line to connect the film’s disparate episodes, and how darkly does he draw it? What sensibilities did he bring from the world of classical concert composing? And, is this our dirtiest episode yet?

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#50 – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Nov 30, 2021

Once upon a time, Frank Churchill, Leigh Harline and Paul Smith wrote the score for Walt Disney’s groundbreaking 1937 animated feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. How did the development of cartoons require close musical integration? Have Jon and Andy finally found stair-climbing music they can agree about? And, what’s the best method for changing your clothes?

#49 – A Clockwork Orange Oct 12, 2021

This time Jon and Andy slooshied Wendy Carlos’ music as they viddied the 1971 Stanley Kubrick dystopian satire A Clockwork Orange! How did Carlos pioneer an entirely new musical soundscape? What sorts of meaning does Kubrick get out of it for this film? And, who's been doing all this mysterious thieving?

#48 – The Best Years of Our Lives Aug 17, 2021

Jon and Andy seem to have talked for a very long time about Hugo Friedhofer’s score for the Best Picture of 1946, The Best Years of Our Lives! How many different ways does Friedhofer engage with the drama? In what sense is this music American? And, when is the 3D version coming out already?

#47 – Young Frankenstein Jun 22, 2021

Walk this way to hear Jon and Andy discuss John Morris’ score for the 1974 Mel Brooks monster movie spoof Young Frankenstein! How does Morris help the movie’s zaniness and sincerity to coexist? What techniques make the music sound old-fashioned, and what light can a visit from the show’s go-to violin expert - Jon’s wife Becky - shed on them? And, what is the sweet mystery of life, anyway?

#46 – 2021 Oscars Special Apr 20, 2021

This time, the red carpet comes to Jon and Andy: join us as we delve into the score nominees for this year’s unusual Oscars. Are film score fashions shifting? Who’s on what wavelength, and who might not be? And, are Jon and Andy being even crankier than usual, or is it just a weird year?

#45 – Terminator 2: Judgment Day Apr 06, 2021

We’re back, with Brad Fiedel’s score for 1991’s box office champion, Terminator 2: Judgment Day! How did the improving technology change Fiedel’s approach between the first movie and its sequel? What’s the unexpected provenance of some of the score’s key sounds? And, why are we still talking about Henry Mancini?

#44 – Touch of Evil Mar 02, 2021

This was some kind of a score; what does it matter what Jon and Andy say about it? In Henry Mancini’s score for Orson Welles’ 1958 film noir Touch of Evil, how does the music that’s playing in the next room cast a menacing pall? Why do we get to hear two different musical approaches to the film’s famous opening shot? And, what odd jobs did Welles scrounge up on the side while he was making this movie?

#43 – 1995 Extravaganza Jan 21, 2021

While we're still ringing in the New Year, let's ring in this old one again too: join Jon and Andy as they pan across the landscape of 1995 film music. Was it a less complicated time? How did America sound? How many Oscars for score were awarded? How many more movies than Jon did Andy watch? And, which of them should be rewritten as musicals?

#42 – Back to the Future Oct 13, 2020

It’s about time! Jon and Andy finally get around to Alan Silvestri’s score for the hit 1985 sci-fi comedy adventure Back to the Future. What does its main theme have in common with some other memorable movie melodies? How does a film’s score have to breathe with its editing? And, where we’re going, do we need roads?

#41 – North by Northwest Aug 12, 2020

George Kaplan? No, you must be mistaken, I’m an episode about Bernard Herrmann’s score for the 1959 madcap wrong-man adventure North by Northwest. What’s behind Herrmann’s extremely process-derived writing style? Does this movie really make any sense, and what can the music do about it? And, what did this movie inspire Jon to attach to himself?

#40 – Titanic Jun 30, 2020

This time, Jon and Andy go on and on about James Horner’s score for the 1997 epic disaster romance Titanic. What pop artist did director James Cameron originally want to score the movie? What powerful chord change is a keystone of both the score and the movie’s famous song? And, just how many famous paintings have actually been on the bottom of the ocean this whole time?

#39 – Bullitt May 12, 2020

Let’s cut to the chase - this episode is about Lalo Schifrin’s score to the 1968 detective thriller Bullitt. What does it really mean to be “cool?” Were the late 1960s a “dark age” for film music? And, just how many TV dinners did Steve McQueen eat every week?

#38 – The Princess Bride Apr 14, 2020

So you want us to talk about Mark Knopfler’s score for the 1987 fairy tale adventure The Princess Bride? As you wish. How is this score sensitive to the twists and turns of the dire straits in which our heroes find themselves? Can a movie have a good score without having good music? And, when Rob Reiner said no one else could have scored the movie, did he mean it? (Anybody want a peanut?)

#37 – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Mar 24, 2020

It’s lined up in our sights and we’re ready to pull the trigger on Ennio Morricone’s score for the 1966 iconic Spaghetti Western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. How did he arrive at the combination of ingredients that created such a memorably distinctive sound? Is the main theme meant to evoke an animal call, a lone gunslinger, a dream, or all of the above? And, what does Jon’s cat think of this score?

#36 – 2020 Oscars Special Feb 04, 2020

It’s time once again to find out who Jon and Andy are wearing on the Oscar red carpet! How does this crop of nominees for Best Original Score stack up to previous years’? What did each movie want from its music? And, what stupid schtick did they put at the beginning of this one?

#35 – Rocky Jan 21, 2020

Yo! In this corner is Bill Conti’s score for the 1976 boxing drama Rocky! How did this whole movie wind up punching above its weight? How do some chords that start out weak later find themselves getting strong now? And, how many times as long as the score is this episode? (Answer: 5)

#34 – Spartacus Dec 17, 2019

I am an episode about Spartacus! I’m an episode about Spartacus! There’s a lot for Jon and Andy to grapple with in Alex North’s score for this 1960 swords-and-sandals epic. Is this the “most composed” score ever? How much can it, should it, and does it add to the picture? And, would the podcast be improved by recording it in a bathtub?

#33 – The Omen Oct 29, 2019

Just in time for Halloween, this episode is all for you! Hear what Revelations are in store as Jon and Andy discuss Jerry Goldsmith’s score to the 1976 horror flick The Omen. Should a horror film’s music know that it’s in a horror film? Where are all these voices coming from? And, is Neil Diamond really a Satanist?

#32 – Batman Oct 15, 2019

Holy film score discussion, this time it’s Batman! Join Jon and Andy in Gotham City as they talk about Danny Elfman’s classic 1989 score. How does Elfman sell the sound of a dark comic book world? What peculiar path led him to film music in the first place? And, is this the best movie theme ever written on an airplane?

#31 – The Man with the Golden Arm Sep 17, 2019

Jonesing for a fix of score analysis? This time Jon and Andy lock themselves in a room with Elmer Bernstein’s score for the 1955 noir drama of drug addiction, The Man with the Golden Arm. How did its use of jazz influence the sounds of the subsequent decades? How is that jazz able to suggest both seediness and sophistication? And, why would anyone want to play poker with Frank Sinatra?

#30 – Interstellar Aug 06, 2019

Some inexorable interdimensional force seems to have drawn Jon and Andy to talk about Hans Zimmer's score for the 2014 outer space epic Interstellar. Why was a pipe organ such an unusual but apt choice for Zimmer? How does he sculpt tonal colors that range from quite delicate to maybe-too-loud? And, what would happen to this podcast if it fell into a black hole?

#29 – American Beauty Jul 09, 2019

The first score the fates have assigned to Jon and Andy, as their voyage continues past the AFI’s list, is Thomas Newman’s score for the 1999 Oscar-winning dramedy American Beauty. What interesting and powerful hybrid compositional process does Newman employ? What kooky instruments does it include? And, how much worse is Jon’s acting than Wes Bentley’s?

#28 – AFI Wrap-Up May 21, 2019

After finishing their task of discussing and reordering the American Film Institute’s Top 25 Scores, Jon and Andy kick back and take stock of what they’ve done. What did they learn? What did they get wrong? How in the world did Andy expect Jon to recognize the clips he chose for his quiz? And, what score will be up next?

#27 – Star Wars Apr 09, 2019

A long time ago… Jon and Andy started working their way down the AFI's list of the Top 25 Scores, and they've finally reached #1 - Star Wars! This Star Destroyer-sized episode tackles such questions as: What were our hosts' origin stories as film music nerds? Can you name that tune in fewer notes than Andy? How, indeed, does the sausage get made? And, what comes next?

#26 – 2019 Oscars Special Feb 20, 2019

Jon and Andy try for their own EGOT - Episode Glutted with Oscar Talk - as they hit the red carpet and present their takes on this year’s nominees for Best Score. The field includes one repeat customer, and four composers making their debuts on the podcast. Who will win? Who should win? Who shouldn’t win? Who’s already won? Who cares?

#25 – Gone with the Wind Jan 15, 2019

As God is our witness, #2 on the AFI’s list is Max Steiner’s score for 1939’s Gone with the Wind. Will Jon and Andy butt heads over stair-climbing music, again? Will they see eye to eye about the correct way to use a highlighter? And, how well were they each able to get into a movie that, uh, sure seems to like the Confederacy more than they do?

#24 – Lawrence of Arabia Nov 20, 2018

We’ve arrived at the Top Three on the AFI’s list, with Maurice Jarre’s score for the 1962 sweeping historical epic Lawrence of Arabia – so it is written! How does Jarre’s big main theme make such a compelling case for the romance of the desert? What far-fetched scheme did the producer originally have in mind for the film’s music, and how is that reflected in the final product? And, what apology does Jon owe to the citizens of Aqaba?

#23 – Psycho Oct 23, 2018

Find out how much praise we shower on the AFI’s #4 – Bernard Herrmann’s score for 1960’s Psycho! How did arguably the most famous of all film score cues result from ignoring Hitchcock’s specific instructions? What did Herrmann see in this film beyond even what Hitchcock perhaps intended? And, how would you spell the Psycho noise? Plus, a special appearance by Jon’s wife Becky for some insight into violin techniques.

#22 – The Godfather Sep 25, 2018

We’ve made you a podcast you’d be hard-pressed to turn down! We finally cracked the AFI’s top five, with Nino Rota’s score for 1972’s The Godfather. What far-reaching historical traditions does the main theme come from? What somewhat nearer reaching did Rota do for some of the other music? And, how would this list look different if judged by how things sound played on car horns?

#21 – Jaws Aug 21, 2018

You’re not gonna need a bigger podcast – this one’s about John Williams’ 1975 score for Jaws, the #6 score on the AFI’s list! How did Williams change Spielberg’s conception of his own movie? In a score often remembered for its simplicity, how many different complex flavors does he actually bring? And, what one weird trick can let you know whether a shark is coming to eat you?

#20 – Laura Jul 31, 2018

Not only is it the face in the misty light, but Laura – and its 1944 score by David Raksin – is the #7 on the AFI’s list! What in Raksin’s personal life helped inspire the famous theme melody? Why was it so bewitching for so many performers, for so many years? And, is it possible this whole podcast has been replaced by Sibelius at the last minute?

#19 – The Magnificent Seven Jul 17, 2018

Thumbing their nose at the chance for some numerical serendipity, the AFI put Elmer Bernstein’s score for the 1960 epic Western The Magnificent Seven at #8 on their list. What makes this theme such an all-time great? Does this movie deserve it? And, Jon didn’t dare to write more parody lyrics, did he?

#18 – Chinatown Jun 12, 2018

What’s the AFI’s #9 score, by Jerry Goldsmith – did you forget it? It’s Chinatown. What behind-the-scenes intrigue brought Goldsmith to work on this picture? Why is his main theme such a perfect fit for this story? And, what eye-opening scoop did our crack research staff (Andy) uncover?

#17 – High Noon May 22, 2018

Don’t worry, we won’t forsake you – we’ve finally cracked the AFI’s top ten, with Dmitri Tiomkin’s score for the classic 1952 western High Noon. How did this movie inadvertently change the whole landscape of the entertainment industry? How successful was Tiomkin at becoming an eccentric fixture on 1950s television? And, to what depth of dopiness will Jon stoop in writing parody lyrics?

#16 – The Adventures of Robin Hood May 08, 2018

What ho! – #11 on the AFI’s list is Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s score for the 1938 Technicolor romp The Adventures of Robin Hood. Why did Korngold at first think he was the wrong man for the job? What does the score sound like both before and after it’s orchestrated? And, would you dare to take a drink every time we say the word “swashbuckler?”

#15 – Vertigo Apr 23, 2018

We won’t keep you hanging – #12 on the AFI’s list turns out to be Bernard Herrmann’s score for the 1958 Hitchcock psychological thriller Vertigo! How do Herrmann’s musical suspensions perfectly serve the Master of Suspense? Why was this story of obsession such fertile ground for his distinctive compositional style? And, between Jon and Andy, who does the best terrible Jimmy Stewart impression?

#14 – King Kong Mar 26, 2018

Rampaging onto the AFI’s list at #13 is Max Steiner’s score for the 1933 fantasy adventure classic King Kong. Did Steiner invent film music in the first place? Does this music have more in common with modern scores or silent film accompaniment? And, whatever became of King Kong’s acting career?

#13 – E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Mar 12, 2018

John Williams makes his first appearance on the AFI’s list at #14, with his 1982 score for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Why does this movie ask so much of its music? What’s the relationship between a composer and a temp score? And, how loud are your keys?

#12 – 2018 Oscars Special Feb 19, 2018

In this special super-sized episode, Jon and Andy take a break from their countdown of the AFI’s list, and examine the five films and composers nominated for this year’s Best Original Score Oscar. These wide-ranging scores come at the question of what to do with film music from some very different directions. Who will win? Who should win? Join us on the red carpet!

#11 – Out of Africa Jan 29, 2018

Look, up in the sky, it’s John Barry’s score for 1985’s Out of Africa! In the #15 score on the AFI’s list, does the melody for the famous airplane scene get enough use through the movie? When should the music connect one scene to the next, and when shouldn’t it? And, was Sydney Pollack right when he said turning this material into a screenplay was impossible?

#10 – Sunset Boulevard Jan 15, 2018

Franz Waxman’s score for 1950’s Sunset Boulevard is ready for its closeup! Jon and Andy bring some differing viewpoints to their discussion of #16 on the AFI’s list. What musical reference joke does Waxman use for his love theme? Should the score climb the stairs when the characters do? And, how comfortable were our 2017 armchairs?

#9 – To Kill A Mockingbird Dec 12, 2017

Jon and Andy are excited to welcome a special guest onto the show! After their discussion of Elmer Bernstein’s score for 1962’s To Kill A Mockingbird, stick around to hear a chat with Emilie Bernstein – Elmer’s daughter and longtime orchestrator! How did Elmer focus in on the right perspective from which to tell the story? What distinctive scale makes the main theme sound wondrous? And, can Andy talk as low as Gregory Peck?

#8 – Planet of the Apes Nov 20, 2017

Jerry Goldsmith’s score for the 1968 sci-fi landmark Planet of the Apes was #18 on the AFI’s list the whole time! What technique does Goldsmith call on to sound so alien? What wacky instruments does he throw into the mix? And have we finally seen the last of Charlton Heston’s bare chest?

#7 – A Streetcar Named Desire Nov 13, 2017

Another Kazan/Brando collaboration turns up as the AFI’s #19: it’s Alex North’s score for the 1951 film adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ stage classic A Streetcar Named Desire. Why is North’s groundbreaking use of jazz so effective? Why was the music for the famous “Hey Stella!” scene deemed to be too sexy? And what does it sound like to go to crazytown?

#6 – The Pink Panther Nov 06, 2017

Now it’s time for the AFI’s #20: Henry Mancini’s score for the 1963 farce The Pink Panther. Why is the iconic Pink Panther tune such a great melody? When does Mancini feel the need to “hit things with the comedy hammer?” And did Blake Edwards really make this movie just so he could go on vacation?

#5 – Ben-Hur Oct 30, 2017

Miklós Rózsa’s score for the 1959 super-spectacular Ben-Hur trumpets its way onto the AFI’s list at #21. How were biblical epics like comic book movies? In such an immense film with such an immense score, what are the moments that don’t get any music, and why? And should we have been writing lyrics to all the love themes we’ve covered?

#4 – On the Waterfront Oct 23, 2017

Counting down to #22 on the AFI’s list takes us to Leonard Bernstein’s score for the 1954 classic On the Waterfront. Were Lennie and Elia Kazan making the same movie? Is this the prettiest love theme ever? And, how is Jon’s Marlon Brando impression?

#3 – The Mission Oct 16, 2017

#23 on the AFI’s list is Ennio Morricone’s score for the 1986 period drama The Mission. Why is the music accompanying Robert De Niro’s redemption so powerful? Is the “Gabriel’s Oboe” theme too noodly? And, what did Jon say to Ennio when he briefly met him that one time?

#2 – On Golden Pond Oct 16, 2017

Next up is #24 – Dave Grusin’s score for On Golden Pond (1981). When does Grusin decide to just score the scenery, and when does he dare to get inside Katherine Hepburn’s performance? What changed between 1981 and 1991 about how joy sounds? And what does this score have in common with Cheers?

#1 – How the West Was Won Oct 16, 2017

Jon and Andy kick off their show by talking about #25 on the AFI’s list – Alfred Newman’s score for the 1962 epic western How the West Was Won. As they figure out what they’re doing, they consider: How should music be used for action sequences? Did Aaron Copland invent the “western sound?” And, how do you pronounce “Cinerama?”

#0 – Welcome Oct 06, 2017

Jon and Andy introduce themselves, and the show.

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