Sofia Coppola On The Music Of The Beguiled, Lost In Translation And The Virgin Suicides
When we originally conceived the idea of a show about film music, one of the first names on our guest wishlist was Sofia Coppola. And we finally got our girl - with the supremely gifted writer / director joining Edith on the release of The Beguiled, which won her the Palme D'Or at Cannes. Sofia's pedigree is impeccable. Few directors in the history of cinema have used music more effectively th...
35m Jul 15, 2017
35m
Edgar Wright On The Music Of Baby Driver
He's back! Having joined us to reflect upon his career to date in Episode 34, Edgar Wright returns to concentrate on his latest project Baby Driver, which has received widespread critical acclaim as it wows cinema-goers around the world. The film tells the story of young getaway driver Baby, who uses music to calm his nerves in the face of chronic tinnitus. As such, he's listening to his iPod ...
50m Jun 30, 2017
50m
Composer Nicholas Britell on The Music Of Moonlight, 12 Years A Slave & Vangelis
One of the surprise cinematic hits of 2016 was the heart-wrenching coming-of-age drama Moonlight, which of course won Best Picture at this year's Oscars in unforgettable circumstances. Written and directed by Barry Jenkins, Moonlight presents 3 stages in the life of the main character Chiron as he struggles to deal with his sexuality and challenging social circumstances. It was beautifully sc...
40m Jun 23, 2017
40m
Nick Broomfield On Whitney Houston, Kurt Cobain & Courtney Love
There have been many great documentary makers over the years, but of those at work today one of the undoubted bosses is Nick Broomfield. Often controversial, always challenging, Nick has covered myriad subjects - from serial killer Aileen Wuornos and Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss to Afrikaner nationalist Eugene Terre Blanche. He's perhaps best known for Kurt & Courtney, an incendiary investiga...
41m Jun 20, 2017
41m
Alice Lowe On The Weird & Wonderful Sounds Of Prevenge, Delia Derbyshire and David Lynch
Edith's latest guest is an unassuming delight - still early in her career but surely destined for great things (of which she's already achieved a fair few). Alice Lowe is actor, writer and now director, who has appeared in a host of critically acclaimed TV shows and films - including Ben Wheatley's Sightseers, which she co-wrote. Her mainstream directorial debut Prevenge is a black comedy abo...
35m Jun 13, 2017
35m
Director David Michod On The Music Of War Machine, Animal Kingdom & The Rover
One hardly needs an excuse to discuss the work of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, but it's always good to have one anyway. Australian director David Michod has employed the services of the ever-reliable duo for his latest project War Machine, which is exclusively available to watch on Netflix. It is a staggering score, of which you can hear plenty during Edith's conversation with David. They also...
35m Jun 02, 2017
35m
Guy Ritchie On The Music Of King Arthur, Snatch & The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Whatever you think about the Guy Ritchie canon, it's hard to dispute his flair for combining the visual with the sonic. From Lock, Stock ... and Snatch to Sherlock Holmes and The Man From UNCLE, the musical elements of his films often drive the narrative - through his ingenious use of needle-drops and bold score. Indeed, when it comes to the latter, he's collaborated with the great Hans Zimmer ...
33m May 26, 2017
33m
Director John Madden On The Music Of Max Richter, Thomas Newman & Stephen Warbeck
Over the course of the last twenty odd years, British director John Madden has brought us a string of critically acclaimed films which, pleasingly, have tended to do rather well at the box office too. Indeed, Shakespeare in Love not only landed seven Oscars, but also returned a tidy proft of over $250 million. And as we'll discover, it's John's view that you can't make a good movie without con...
31m May 20, 2017
31m
Michael Apted on Bond, Belushi & His Latest Film Unlocked
Though we've been lucky enough to speak to a fair few superstars in our relatively short run here on Soundtracking, this might just be the first time we've welcomed a genuine grandee to the programme. Michael Apted is a writer, producer and actor who's been involved in film and television for well over 50 years. His credits include everything from British soap opera Coronation Street and the r...
36m May 12, 2017
36m
James Gunn On His Awesome Mixes From Guardians Of The Galaxy
If anyone knows how to use music to maximum effect on screen it's James Gunn. For James is the man behind both Guardians Of The Galaxy volumes, which are as celebrated for their hugely successful Awesome Mixes as his sharp, fun and witty interpretation of the Marvel franchise. In the movies, Star Lord Peter Quill listens to mixtapes given to him by his mother, which are laden with music from 1...
31m May 05, 2017
31m
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...
29m Apr 28, 2017
29m
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 mu...
36m Apr 21, 2017
36m
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...
37m Apr 07, 2017
37m
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 th...
1hr 3m Apr 01, 2017
1hr 3m
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 ridic...
57m Mar 24, 2017
57m
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 th...
38m Mar 18, 2017
38m
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 identi...
39m Mar 10, 2017
39m
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 d...
40m Mar 03, 2017
40m
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 w...
40m Feb 25, 2017
40m
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, D...
38m Feb 17, 2017
38m
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 ...
47m Feb 10, 2017
47m
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 s...
42m Feb 03, 2017
42m
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 al...
42m Jan 27, 2017
42m
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 y...
46m Jan 20, 2017
46m
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...
32m Jan 13, 2017
32m
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 mos...
46m Jan 06, 2017
46m
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, w...
37m Jan 01, 2017
37m
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 mill...
37m Dec 23, 2016
37m
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...
38m Dec 16, 2016
38m
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...
35m Dec 09, 2016
35m
Episode 18: Writer, Producer And Director James Bobin On The Music Of Alice, The Muppets And Flight Of The Conchords
You have to go a long way to find someone who doesn't like Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie and the gang - or Alice of Wonderland fame, for that matter. With this in mind, it's a great pleasure to welcome James Bobin into the Soundtracking family. Not only has James directed two Muppet movies and steered Alice on a recent outing through the Looking Glass, he's played a very significant hand in a cou...
35m Dec 02, 2016
35m
Episode 17: Director David Yates Talks About The Music Of Harry Potter And Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them
When you're invited to direct a movie adaptation involving one of the most-loved literary creations the world has ever known, you can be pretty certain you won't get a second chance if you mess it up. Thankfully, that's not a fate that befell David Yates. Not only did David take charge of the last four Harry Potter films, he was also asked to make JK Rowling's official spin-off Fantastic Beast...
33m Nov 25, 2016
33m
Episode 16: Christopher Guest On The Music Of Spinal Tap, A Mighty Wind and Mascots
Routinely cited as one of the funniest movies of all-time, This Is Spinal Tap is much imitated, oft-quoted, and as fresh now as it was when it first appeared in 1984. If you haven't seen it, you must buy it immediately. Directed by Rob Reiner, it takes the form of documentary following a shambolic heavy metal band as they tour North America. Though the band is, of course, fictional, their song...
30m Nov 18, 2016
30m
Episode 15: Mat Whitecross On Oasis, Ian Dury, Coldplay And The Music In His Films
As subject matter goes, it doesn't get much more rock and roll than Joy Division, New Order, The Happy Mondays, Ian Dury, The Stone Roses, Coldplay and Oasis. But, in one way or another, all these artists have featured in the work of British director Mat Whitecross. As we'll discover, Mat got his big break from Michael Winterbottom while working as a runner on the set 24 Hour Party People, whi...
47m Nov 11, 2016
47m
Episode 14: Derek Cianfrance On The Music In Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond The Pines And The Light Between Oceans
In his relatively short career, writer and director Derek Cianfrance has produced a body of work that has not only been critically lauded, but also wildly contrasting in its sonic demands. For Blue Valentine, his celebrated breakthrough feature, he collaborated with American folk-rockers Grizzly Bear, who provided him with a dreamy hybrid of source music and score. He then worked with Mike Pat...
48m Nov 04, 2016
48m
Episode 13: Nicolas Winding Refn on the Music in Drive, Only God Forgives and The Neon Demon
Few filmmakers at work today can claim to have more visual flair than Nicolas Winding Refn. From his debut thriller Pusher to Drive, Only God Forgives and The Neon Demon, he has always served up a feast for the eyes. Invariably his themes are downright dark and sleazy - with tech-noir soundscapes and cinematography enhancing the mood. Whether using source music or score, the Danish director is...
36m Oct 28, 2016
36m
Episode 12: Director Ron Howard on the Music in His Films
From child star to Academy Award winning director, Ron Howard has always made it his business to entertain. And entertain us he has - from A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13 and Frost / Nixon to his most recent offerings - the Beatles documentary Eight Days A Week and Dan Brown thriller Inferno. But whereas Edith's previous guest Andrea Arnold prefers to accompany her films with source music, Ron is...
44m Oct 21, 2016
44m
Episode 11: Oscar winning director Andrea Arnold talks American Honey
Andrea Arnold announced herself to the film world by winning an Oscar for her short film Wasp in 2005. Since then her releases Red Road, Fish Tank and American Honey have all won the Jury Prize at Cannes. The latter is her latest offering - a road trip following a 'Mag Crew' as they party their way across the American Midwest selling magazine subscriptions door-to-door - listening to plenty of...
31m Oct 14, 2016
31m
Episode 10: Director Tate Taylor on Danny Elfman, Thomas Newman, James Brown and The Girl On The Train
In his brief directorial career, Tate Taylor has brought us three very different films requiring three very different soundscapes. First up was his Oscar-nominated Civil Rights drama The Help, set in his hometown of Jackson, Mississippi, in 1962. It is a deeply personal film for Tate and awash with the music of the time - including Ray Charles, Mavis Staples and Johnny Cash. It also saw him co...
36m Oct 07, 2016
36m
Episode 9: Thea Sharrock on her career in the theatre, and now her debut feature film Me Before You, scored by the legendary Craig Armstrong (Romeo and Juliet, Moulin Rouge, Love Actually)
Thea Sharrock was brought up on The Ramones. She cut her directorial teeth in theatre, becoming the youngest ever artistic director at a British theatre when she took over at the Southwark Playhouse at the tender age of 24. She went on to direct Happy Now? at the National Theatre, before taking Equus to New York in 2008 - with Daniel Radcliffe making his Broadway debut. In 2009, she directed a...
28m Sep 30, 2016
28m
Episode 8: Richard Linklater on the Music in Dazed And Confused, School Of Rock, Everybody Wants Some!! and Other Films
It's a safe bet that any writer / director who borrows song titles to name his own films is something of an audiophile. Richard Linklater is unquestionably one of these. From Dazed and Confused To Boyhood and the so-called 'Before' Trilogy, the amiable Texan has forged a career making movies with a very specific sense of time and place - accompanied by soundtracks that appropriately underscore ...
34m Sep 23, 2016
34m
Episode 7: David Mackenzie On The Music In Hell Or High Water, Hallam Foe, Starred Up And Other Films
Though it’s impossible to pigeonhole the 9 feature films David Mackenzie has directed, there’s one thing they have in common: his obvious passion for music. Having enlisted Scottish band The Pastels to provide the soundtrack for his debut The Last Great Wilderness, he’s since collaborated with luminaries such as David Byrne and Max Richter. Indie label Domino Records provided all the songs for...
32m Sep 16, 2016
32m
Episode 6: Matt Ross About The Music Of Captain Fantastic and other movies
Actor, writer and now director of Captain Fantastic starring Viggo Mortensen, Matt Ross takes Edith on a musical journey encompassing bagpipes, German experimentalism and Bulgarian folk – not to mention Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Guns N Roses. To hear all the music from the show in full, check out our spotify playlist - https://play.spotify.com/user/soundtrackingwithedithbowman and please subscr...
36m Sep 09, 2016
36m
Jon Favreau on the music of The Jungle Book, Swingers, Chef and other movies
In the latest episode of Soundtracking, writer, actor, director and all-round good guy Jon Favreau joins Edith to discuss how he uses music in his films. From the big-band beats of Swingers to the Latin and R&B infused rhythms of Chef, Jon has always displayed a knack for using sound to perfectly compliment his visuals. This is no bad thing in the context of his remake of The Jungle Book, what...
34m Sep 02, 2016
34m
Episode 4: Todd Phillips on the music in War Dogs, The Hangover and other films
On the release of his latest film War Dogs, writer and director Todd Phillips discusses the use of music in his movies, which reflects his love of everything from Black Flag to Billy Joel, Pink Floyd to Gram Parsons.
27m Aug 26, 2016
27m
Episode 3: Todd Solondz talks Wiener Dog and other movies
Todd Solondz won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize for his debut feature Welcome To The Dollhouse. He followed it up with Happiness, which explored themes including rape, paedophilia, murder and suicide. Upon the release of his latest venture, the dark comedy Wiener Dog, Todd talks to Edith about musical collaborations with Nina Persson and Devendra Banhart, plus his love of Mary Poppins, The Carni...
28m Aug 19, 2016
28m
Episode 2: David Ayer talks Suicide Squad and other movies
Edith chats to US film director David Ayer about the incredible range of music in his movies...from Fury and Training Day, up to his latest release, the hugely anticipated Suicide Squad. To hear all the music from the show in full, check out our spotify playlist - and please subscribe to the show on itunes. You can find out what else Edith is up to at www.edithbowman.com and follow her on twit...
21m Aug 12, 2016
21m
Ben Wheatley: The acclaimed British film director of High Rise
For our inaugural episode, Edith chats to British film director Ben Wheatley about the way he uses music in his movies. Ben made his name co-writing and directing the indie horror Kill List, before cementing his reputation with Sightseers and A Field In England. He has now taken on the considerable challenge of realising the dystopian visions of novelist JG Ballard in High Rise … Edith finds o...
26m Aug 03, 2016
26m