Soundtracking with Edith Bowman

Edith Bowman

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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618 episodes
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Apr 28, 2017 · 29 min
Warren Beatty On The Music Of Bonnie & Clyde, Bulworth, Reds And Shampoo
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 ..
Apr 21, 2017 · 35 min
John Ridley On The Music Of Guerrilla, 12 Years A Slave And Jimi Hendrix
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 ...
Apr 7, 2017 · 36 min
The Return Of Mr Wheatley!
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.
Apr 1, 2017 · 1 hr 3 min
Stephen Woolley On The Music Of Stoned, Absolute Beginners, Interview With The Vampire & The Crying Game
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 ...
Mar 24, 2017 · 57 min
An Edgar Wright Musical Retrospective
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 ...
Mar 18, 2017 · 38 min
Episode 33: Bill Condon On The Music Of Beauty And The Beast, Dreamgirls & Chicago
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
Mar 10, 2017 · 38 min
Episode 32: Jordan Vogt-Roberts On The Music Of Kong, Vietnam & The Kings Of Summer
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 ...
Mar 3, 2017 · 40 min
Episode 31: James Mangold On The Music Of Logan, Cop Land & Johnny Cash
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!
Feb 25, 2017 · 39 min
Episode 30: Gore Verbinski On The Music Of Pirates Of The Caribbean, Rango & The Cure For Wellness
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 …
Feb 17, 2017 · 37 min
Episode 29: Ang Lee On The Music Of 'Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk' And Other Movies
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 …
Feb 10, 2017 · 46 min
Episode 28: Director Mike Mills On The Music Of 20th Century Women, Beginners & The Punk Revolution
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.
Feb 3, 2017 · 42 min
Episode 27: Jeff Nichols On The Music Of Loving, Midnight Special & Mud, Among Other Films
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.
Jan 27, 2017 · 42 min
Episode 26: Danny Boyle On The Music Of Trainspotting And Other Films
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 ...
Jan 20, 2017 · 46 min
Episode 25: Composer Justin Hurwitz on La La Land, Whiplash And The Musicals Of Yesteryear
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 …
Jan 13, 2017 · 31 min
Episode 24: Damien Chazelle On The Music Of La La Land And Whiplash
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.
Jan 6, 2017 · 46 min
Episode 23: John Michael McDonagh On The Music In War On Everyone, The Guard And Calvary
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.
Jan 1, 2017 · 37 min
Episode 22: JA Bayona On The Music Of A Monster Calls, The Impossible And The Orphanage
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.
Dec 23, 2016 · 37 min
Episode 21: Justin Kurzel On The Music Of Assassin's Creed, Macbeth & Snowtown
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 …
Dec 16, 2016 · 37 min
Episode 20: Gareth Edwards On The Music Of Rogue One, Star Wars, Monsters and Godzilla
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.
Dec 9, 2016 · 35 min
Episode 19: Sean Ellis Reveals All About The Music In His Films, Including Metro Manila And Anthropoid
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 ...