I'm starting with the thing I want to recommend more enthusiastically: a podcast called Settling the Score. It's a relatively new show that's only about a dozen episodes in, but it has already become essential for me, the podcast that will shove everything else backward in the queue whenever a new episode drops. Hosted by "Jon and Andy" (Jonathan Dinerstein and Andy Boroson), each episode is a deep dive into the score of one particular film.
To kick off their show, the hosts have chosen to countdown through the AFI Top 25 Movie Scores. As with all of the American Film Institute's lists, some of the picks seem inevitable and correct, while other seem baffling and moronic. Both categories of selection have provided excellent material for the podcast. Episodes so far have focused on head scratchers ("How the West Was Won"), unassailable masterpieces ("E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial"), and movies that probably just made the list for one memorable tune/scene ("The Pink Panther").
What quickly became apparent to me in just one or two episodes is how well these hosts know their stuff. They are clearly passionate experts on the subject of film music. They do in-depth research for each episode, getting their hands on actual printed sheet music from the scores where they can. They talk in great detail about how the music is constructed, both technically and emotionally. They explain unfamiliar musical concepts in approachable detail. And each episode is slickly edited to play exactly the passages of the music they refer to during their hour-long discussion.
I've been enthralled by episodes even when I didn't know the music beforehand. Their deep dive on "A Streetcar Named Desire" (which I've seen only as a stage production) really digs into how composer Alex North revolutionized film music with his score, making me appreciate the music both on its own and in historical context. Their examination of "Sunset Boulevard" (which I had seen, without taking particular note of its music) illuminated how Franz Waxman served up a score from a dying era of film to perfectly complement the movie's themes.
Even when I know the score being discussed quite well, Jon and Andy's discussion exposes new layers for me. The "Planet of the Apes" episode revealed the secret order governing Jerry Goldsmith's apparently chaotic score, teaching me about "twelve-tone technique" and actually identifying many of the things making those noises that I'd found unidentifiable. Their most recent episode, on "E.T.", was a real eye opener. I've always liked that score, enough even to have gone to see a symphony perform it live. I think the podcast made me love that score, stripping it apart to reveal how the magic was done in a manner that in no way compromised the thrill of the magic itself.
My only complaint about the podcast is its frequency. After launching with a few episodes and a weekly schedule, Jon and Andy fell into an every-other-week schedule. Then they did a special episode about the 2018 Oscar nominated scores that (understandably) took longer to produce, and that seems now to have led them to a once-every-three-weeks schedule. Quality like this takes time, I suppose, and I was perhaps too greedy to have devoured the available episodes too quickly. Maybe I'll listen to them again while I'm waiting for new ones to drop.
I imagine a podcast this niche might not be for everyone. But that's sort of the joy of podcasts -- with so many of them out there, there is The Perfect Podcast for everyone. I believe I've found mine. If you love movies, I think you should check it out. If you love movie scores, even half as much as I do, do not delay -- this was made for you as surely as it was made for me. Settling the Score is top notch, grade A. (A+, if I had a history of giving them out.) I wish my own signal were larger so I could boost theirs to the degree it deserves.
No comments:
Post a Comment