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    TV & Film

    Settling the Score

    Join Jon and Andy as they explore the world of film music, one score at a time. Each episode is an in-depth discussion of a classic film score: what makes it tick, how it serves the movie, and whether it’s, you know, any good. It’s a freewheeling, opinionated conversation with an analytical bent, richly illustrated with musical examples. No expertise required.

    The series began by tackling “100 Years of Film Scores,” the AFI’s list of (purportedly) the 25 greatest scores in American cinema history, and now draws from a broad range of distinguished scores old and new.

    Jonathan Dinerstein writes music for film and television in Hollywood. Andy is a pianist and music director. They’ve been chatting together about movie music for 20 years.

    Support the show at Patreon.com/SettlingtheScore.
    Write us at scoresettlers@gmail.com.

    Advertise

    Copyright: © 2019 Settling the Score

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    Latest Episodes:
    #75 – The Third Man Sep 24, 2026
    Show notes

    Jon and Andy find themselves in a dither over Anton Karas' zither score for the 1949 noir classic The Third Man. Does this music perfectly capture the particular pathos of post-War Vienna, or is it silly and obviously wrong? How did the opportunity of a lifetime fall into Karas' lap? And, seriously though, what's the deal with this music?


    #74 – The Hours Jul 14, 2026
    Show notes

    Hear Jon and Andy go on and on, over and over and over and over again, about Philip Glass’ score to the 2002 literary drama The Hours. How does Glass' minimalism resonate with the movie's repeating and interwoven timelines? What is it implying about life and death? And, is it cheating?


    #73 – 2026 Oscars Special Mar 12, 2026
    Show notes

    Jon and Andy camp out on Hollywood Blvd. for another marathon episode on this year’s Oscar nominees for Best Original Score. Is it possible there are some trends in film scoring that have us excited? Do we completely understand them? And, should we have been listening to all this music in our sleep?


    #72 – Beetlejuice Jan 14, 2026
    Show notes

    Come on down as Jon, Jon, Jon and Andy, Andy, Andy haunt Danny Elfman's score to the 1988 supernatural comedy Beetlejuice! How did Elfman's background stand him in good stead for this particular brand of craziness? Which of his formative musical influences shine through this score? And, what’s a painless way to buy an ’84 Ford?


    #71 – The Grand Budapest Hotel Oct 23, 2025
    Show notes

    Join Jon and Andy as they check into Alexandre Desplat's score for the 2014 Wes Anderson creation The Grand Budapest Hotel. How does Desplat's music align with Anderson's idiosyncratic perspective? What instruments give it its very particular zing? And, how might Wes Anderson edit this podcast differently?


    #70 – Elevator to the Gallows Jul 24, 2025
    Show notes

    Listen as Jon and Andy take a long, meandering stroll through and around Miles Davis’ score for the 1958 crime drama Elevator to the Gallows. How did this French film wind up looming large in the history of American jazz? What special mood does Davis find, and what special note helps him describe it? And, what would you give to hear Miles imitate Marlon Brando?


    #69 – The Fugitive May 06, 2025
    Show notes

    Follow along as Jon and Andy do a hard-target search of James Newton Howard’s score to the 1993 man-on-the-run thriller The Fugitive. How do this film and its music match this cultural moment? What technical rule does Howard break, and why doesn’t it matter? And, wait a minute, does this plot actually make any sense?


    #68 – 2025 Oscars Special Feb 28, 2025
    Show notes

    It’s back to the Oscars stage for Jon and Andy, to talk about this year’s nominees for Best Original Score, and it’s back to some age old questions: Do we want our music made out of notes or blobs? Does reading up about these scores get in the way of our curmudgeonly opinions? And, how much music should a musical's music music?


    #67 – The Graduate Feb 11, 2025
    Show notes

    Are you here for an affair? Ah yes, an episode of Settling the Score, very good sir - this one's about Simon and Garfunkel’s song score to Mike Nichol’s classic 1967 satire The Graduate. How was this movie pioneering in its use of music? Do these famous songs engender sympathy or skepticism for the characters, or both? And, it's okay to ask: do these lyrics actually mean anything?


    #66 – The Empire Strikes Back Oct 03, 2024
    Show notes

    “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?


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