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  • The bit that you skip #151: Brad Fiedel – Desert suite

    Terminator 2: Judgment Day is the definite blueprint of how to make a sequel. Themes from the original are still there, with enough callbacks for the fan, but still original enough to deliver something different. Whereas the doom-laden 1984 classic ended up on a gloomy note, the 1991 sequel leaves the door open, reusing the…

  • The bit that you skip #150: Delia Derbyshire – Zwizih Zwizih

    Delia Derbyshire was a genius and that’s an understatement. Her work at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop was both creative and challenging, serving both the BBC’s ident for radio and tv broadcasts, and as the recognisable scores for many a show, including of course Doctor Who. Derbyshire’s arrangement of Ron Grainier’s composition is perfect. Field recordings…

  • The bit that you skip #149: Barry DeVorzon – Wonder Wheel

    A movie like The Warriors screams drive-in classic. Perhaps because it was due to my first experience with the film being at a drive in when I was a child. Although sporting all the trimmings of a b-movie feast, Walter Hill’s adaptation of Sol Yorick’s novel is a masterpiece of 70s grit. The oppressive atmosphere…

  • The bit that you skip #148: Michael Kamen & Orbital – Lewis & Clark

    By 1997, Michael Kamen was a well-respected composer in Hollywood. After a strong start by composing arrangements for Pink Floyd, Queen, Tom Petty and many monoliths of classic rock, he crossed over to film scores thanks to The Wall’s soundtrack album. What galvanised his status as a master of suspense and action was the trifecta…

  • The bit that you skip #147: Elia Cmiral – Ronin

    John Frankenheimer’s late-career Ronin is a strange beast. Released in 1998, you could swear it’s a lost film from the 70s. From the muted colours on everyone’s clothes, to the action scenes, it’s a movie that didn’t feel “modern” back then. Sure, they had top of the line equipment (for the era) and tracking a…

  • The bit that you skip #146: Brian Hodgson – Cybermen Stab & Music

    Musique Concrète is a genre that goes for found sounds and creates soundscapes through manipulation. Add a splash of reverb, reverse the sound, slow it down, add a delay or a chorus, then reverse again. The BBC radiophonic went for this approach, using things such as lamps, bells, and vocals and render all of these…

  • The bit that you skip #145: Hildur Guðnadóttir – Mortar

    I can’t sleep on a moving vehicle. Bus, car, boat, airplane, you name it, if it’s move, I can’t sleep. I might nod, but no real sleep for me. On long flights, I try to catch up with movies that either I missed or didn’t make it to Mexico and I couldn’t be arsed to…

  • The bit that you skip #144: Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor – Hand covers bruise

    Losing. This song’s pure emotion is about losing. Or a phyrric victory if you’re a silicon valley ne’er-do-well. I didn’t know what to expect about a Facebook movie. Never would I expect it to intertwine with my own personal life but that’s how it goes. Sloucher was gaining traction in those days and I was…

  • The bit that you skip #143: Don Davis and Juno Reactor – Mona Lisa Overdrive

    Once the Matrix sequels got announced, the hype exploded in a way only The Phantom Menace had back in those days. The Matrix was a sleeper hit in 99, a cultural watermark from The Wachowskis, whose only directing credit was Bound, a sleazy and slick crime flick. Sure, they had credits for rewrites, like in…

  • The bit that you skip #142: Jerry Goldsmith – Outland Main Theme

    Outland gets a terrible reputation in many circles. Either these people haven’t rewatched it or simply go by someone else’s critique. I’ve recently rewatched after a few decades (!) and found it entertaining. Yes, it’s High Noon in space but it’s shot quite well and the production design has that “worn future” that both Alien,…