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Amazon can already hear the strains of John Barry’s iconic theme paired with that gun barrel shot — the one to which Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig have all leant their figures. CEO Andy Jassey said on a July 31 call (which highlighted his company’s better-than-expected Q3 earning) that “James Bond is in the hands of one of today’s greatest filmmakers,” and adding, “We cannot wait to get started on 007’s next adventure.”

Jassey is referring to none other than Denis Villeneuve, who was announced in June as the next director to take on the franchise — which already has 25 official releases in its canon. Villeneuve will have the unique position of being the first steward to not be collaborating with the Broccoli family, which has overseen every Bond movie since “Dr. No” in 1962.

How exactly Amazon MGM Studios will handle Bond...

Despite recent reports making the rounds online, Edgar Wright is not attached to direct a remake of The Black Hole for Disney, Collider has learned. Earlier this week, a widely circulated story originating from industry scooper Daniel Richtman and later echoed by World of Reel claimed that Wright was in talks with Disney to helm a new version of the 1979 sci-fi cult film, with a script reportedly being co-written by Wright and Attack the Block’sJoe Cornish. That story, however intriguing it sounded to fans of both Wright and vintage genre cinema, is simply not true. According to reliable sources close to the situation, there is no active deal involving Wright, Cornish, or Disney concerning The Black Hole. Sorry, folks.

The original 1979 film — Disney’s first PG-rated release — was a bold, eerie, and philosophical experiment that gained a cult following in the decades after its release. With existential themes, kitschy-yet-memorable robot designs,...

On June 28, 2006, Warner Bros. brought back Superman, this time with X-Men director Bryan Singer at the helm of the franchise and Brandon Routh as the Man of Steel. The film, Superman Returns, collected $391 million at the global box office but didn’t a sequel and DC went in a new direction after the title’s release. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review is below

The Superman who returns in Superman Returns is a different Man of Steel than we are used to seeing. In Superman: The Movie, the film by director Richard Donner in 1978, the late Christopher Reeve rescued the iconic superhero from high camp with the sincerity and warmth of his acting. His Superman was a romantic charmer. Director Bryan Singer positions this new film as a sequel to Donner’s film, and his Superman — played with winning fortitude by newcomer Brandon Routh — is less a Man of Steel than a Man of Heart.

“Let me ask you something,” composer Lalo Schifrin told me a few years ago during a long conversation that, sadly, would be our last. “When you write your articles, do you require a piano? I imagine you don’t, because you already have all the words that you need in your mind, which you then elaborate with your knowledge of grammar and syntax, right? It’s exactly the same for me. I don’t need a musical instrument in order to compose a piece. The notes are in my head.”

I had the privilege of interviewing Schifrin, who died Thursday at 93, multiple times during the past three decades. The most memorable meeting with the Emmy-nominated (Mission: Impossible theme) and Oscar-nominated composer (Sting II, The Amityville Horror) was a leisurely lunch at one of his favorite Beverly Hills restaurants when I was still in my early 20s and just getting started in journalism.

Art director who won Oscars for his work on Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, and nominations for Alien, The Empire Strikes Back and The Abyss

Leslie Dilley, who has died aged 84 after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, won the first of two Oscars as an art director for his work on the original 1977 Star Wars film. His creation, the much-loved little robotic droid R2-D2, with a silver and blue dome head and rocket boosters that enabled him to fly through space, appeared on screen for more than 40 years (1977-2019), spanning the first three movies and both the prequel and sequel trilogies.

He recalled the “head-scratching” challenge in those pre-cgi days. “We started out with a cardboard drum, added cardboard arms and then tried to walk it,” he said. First he built different versions based on conceptual designs drawn by Ralph McQuarrie. Then Dilley, along with the director,...

James Bond enthusiasts are being treated to a definitive release of one of the franchise’s most iconic scores.LA-La Land Records will release a deluxe vinyl edition of ‘Goldfinger’ on 1 June, featuring the most complete version to date of John Barry’s score for the third 007 movie, released in 1964 and starring Sean Connery as the spy.As the label unveiled its ambitious plans to reissue classic Bond soundtracks on both vinyl and CD, a representative for the company said in a statement about the Goldfinger release: “We want fans to have something to look forward to every six weeks or so.”The label, which has built a strong reputation for restoring and reissuing film and television soundtracks, confirmed this will be the first time all known cues from the 1964 film have been compiled on a single vinyl record. The release is timed to coincide with renewed interest in Bond music,...

Les Dilley, the Oscar-winning art director and production designer, has died. He was 84.

Dilley died on May 20 due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease, his family said. “Les’s legacy lives on in the many iconic films he helped bring to life for over six decades and in his family home he personally built as an homage to his work. His love for the motion picture business was evident to the very end. When he wasn’t on set, he enjoyed constructing things in his workshop at home, playing ice hockey, and a good cup of tea. In addition to his incredible work ethic, quirky British humor, and love of life, he was a dedicated and loving husband, father, grandfather and friend to many. He will be greatly missed,” the family said in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.

Dilley worked on 100 film and TV projects over his 60 year career,...

One of the biggest flops of the 1980s is getting a feature-length documentary. Back in 1986, Howard the Duck was such a box office disaster that it might have cost Universal production head Frank Price his job, and it single-handedly dispelled the notion that George Lucas was infallible as far as his projects went. On a massive budget of over $30 million (the same amount Return of the Jedi cost), the movie only grossed $38 million worldwide, and swept the year’s Razzies. Yet, it has an essential place in the pop culture as the first theatrical adaptation of a Marvel Comics character ever to hit the big screen, and it remains a nostalgic favourite of many folks who grew up in the era (including the writer of this article).

Now, Anchor Bay Entertainment has acquired Howard the Doc or: How I Learned to Start Quacking and Love the Bomb, a feature-length deep...

This week on the Film Stories Podcast Network: Citizen Kane, vampires, John Barry scores and more. Here’s what we’ve been up to…

Frame to Frame

This week Andy Williams and Sean Wilson are leaning… leaning… on a pair of classics as they tackle two directorial debuts by actors in Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane and Charles Laughton’s The Night of the Hunter…

Podcast-616

It’s all getting quite political in the murky world of Matt Murdock as Hugh McStay is joined by Baz Greenland to discuss 1×05 and 1×06 of Daredevil: Born Again, plus they have a chinwag about all this Avengers: Doomsday casting business…

MovieVersaries

Get your Streep on with Bo Nicholson and Andy Williams as they celebrate 40 years of Sydney Pollack’s romantic adventure, Out of Africa…

Vampire Videos

You know the man but how well do you know his daughter? A question Dan Owen and Hugh McStay,...

On Monday 17 March 2025, BBC Two broadcasts Mastermind!

Season 22 Episode 24 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “Mastermind” on BBC Two promises to be an exciting showdown as the final heat unfolds. Four contenders will take their turn in the famous black chair, facing off against challenging questions on their chosen specialist subjects. This episode is crucial, as only those who perform well will secure a spot in the semi-finals.

Clive Myrie will be at the helm, guiding the contestants through their rounds. Each contender has selected a unique topic to showcase their knowledge. One will delve into the life and career of Audrey Hepburn, exploring her iconic films and legacy. Another will tackle the expansive universe of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” a beloved series that has captivated fans for years.

The third contestant will focus on the Dci Ryan novels by author Lj Ross, a series that has gained a dedicated following.

In the exciting Season 22 Episode 24 of “Mastermind,” four contenders will face the intense challenge of the famous black chair. This episode, airing at 8:30 Pm on Monday, March 17, 2025, on BBC Two, promises to be a thrilling showdown as participants aim for a spot in the semi-finals. Clive Myrie will be at the helm, guiding the contestants through their specialist subjects.

Each contender has chosen a unique topic to showcase their knowledge. They will dive into the world of Audrey Hepburn, exploring her iconic films and legacy. Another will tackle the intricate universe of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” a beloved series with a rich storyline and memorable characters. The Dci Ryan novels by Lj Ross will also be a focus, allowing a contestant to demonstrate expertise in gripping crime fiction. Lastly, the music of John Barry, renowned for his film scores, will challenge one participant’s understanding of cinematic soundtracks.

It’s a rare type of cinephile who wasn’t introduced to the idea of film as more than just idle entertainment by the ritual of the Academy Awards. And it’s an even rarer type of cinephile who didn’t soon thereafter vehemently reject the Oscars as the ultimate barometer of a film’s artistic worth. Those of us who started off with The Godfather, Schindler’s List, All About Eve, or Casablanca all eventually got around to Out of Africa, Around the World in 80 Days, The Greatest Show on Earth, Cimarron, and Cavalcade.

First loves being first loves, we still find ourselves regressing if for only one night a year, succumbing to the allure of instant canonization even as it comes in the form of repeated slap-in-the-face reminders of Oscar’s bracing wrongness: Gladiator, Braveheart, Chicago, Crash. In that sense, consider this project part cathartic exorcism and part...

As the future of James Bond remains unclear following Amazon gaining creative control over future films, the 2025 Oscars paid tribute to the franchise's musical history with a stunning live performance that began with The Substance star (and Oscar nominee) Margaret Qualley dancing to the classic Bond theme.

Wearing a red dress, Qualley danced to the Monty Norman-composed, John Barry-arranged "James Bond Theme" while being surrounded by men in tuxes. Together they paid tribute to the franchise' history of various 007 and Bond Girl actors. Blackpink's Lisa then did a rendition of Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die" from Roger Moore's first 1973 Bond film of the same name, followed by Doja Cat performing "Diamonds Are Forever," originally sung by Dame Shirley Bassey as the theme of Sean Connery's 1971 comeback film. The tribute came to an end with Raye singing the Oscar-winning hit "Skyfall," from the 2012 Daniel Craig film,...

The James Bond franchise got its own moment at the 2025 Oscars with a medley dedicated to the films and performed by Lisa, Doja Cat and Raye, with a preamble by Margaret Qualley in the form of a dance to the movie’s theme. Lisa sang a snippet of “Live and Let Die” while showing off her own dance moves, Doja took on “Diamonds are Forever,” originally sung by Shirley Bassey, and Raye sang “Skyfall,” for which Adele won an Oscar in 2012.

James Bond has been in the headlines quite a bit lately, and not because there’s a new movie in the franchise.

Last week, news broke that producers and siblings Michael G. Wilson, 83, and Barbara Broccoli, 64, the guardians of the Bond film franchise, were selling their interest in their late father’s Eon — the company that’s kept the Broccoli dynasty in creative control of 007 since the character...

You can't really have a true 007 adventure without an opening title sequence. They're a seminal piece of the James Bond experience that thematically set the tone for the film you're about to watch. It's difficult to imagine that ever going away even with the creative changing of the guard to Amazon MGM Studios. The ingenuity in their kaleidoscopic imagery has evolved over a number of ways across the franchise's six decade run. But it's ultimately the musical selection that accompanies these visuals that give these sequences their power. The wrong track — even if it's a good song — can offset the mood of the film.

Nearly every Bond film has had to go through the lengthy process of matching the right voice to those opening titles, with "Thunderball" proving to have one of the most interesting developments. Anyone who's marathoned the title sequences — as I have — knows that suave crooner...

The old adage is that you can’t make a good film out of a bad script. Well, 1967’s “You Only Live Twice,” is one of the only films ever made to disprove that theory. Kind of. By his own admission, author Roald Dahl’s script is a regurgitation of the basic framework of the first Bond screenplay, “Dr No” with the toppling of American spacecraft being replaced with a spaceship eating another spaceship in an effort to kick start Wwiii – and written in mind with set parameters by the producers at EoN production – more beautiful girls, a blonde henchman, and that it be bigger and zanier than the previous four Bond films combined.

The success of “You Only Live Twice” rests almost solely on its filmmaking. The sets by Ken Adam, the direction by Lewis Gilbert, and the stylish and epic scope of the cinematography by “Lawrence of Arabia...

Quick LinksJames Bond Is at a Pivotal Point and Amazon Is Not up to the TaskAmazon Has Already Teased Plans for Expansion in the Name of "Content"James Bond Could Quickly Become as Watered Down as 'Star Wars'

Yesterday was the day the James Bond franchise died. At least, that's how many fans of the iconic franchise will feel following the news that Amazon will take the creative reins while longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson take a step back. Resisting the urge to rant uncontrollably while weeping to the sound of John Barry’s familiar theme, the idea of Amazon taking over all future James Bond adventures is sure to hit harder than Jaws' fists and the bombs that took out Daniel Craig's 007 combined, with fans wondering what kind of ridiculous spin-offs, prequels, and other side hustles will now be concocted in an effort to...

The Wild, Wild Podcast, a show about Italian cult cinema, is the latest addition to the Film Stories Podcast Network. Links and details here:

A new year, the first of many new exciting podcasts to grace the Film Stories Podcast Network, or rather in this case join it as we welcome aboard the Wild, Wild Podcast.

In this entertaining and informative podcast, co-hosts Rod Barnett (of The Bloody Pit and NachsyCast) and Dr. Adrian Smith (historian and writer) explore Italian cult cinema with themed seasons, and have so far covered science fiction, police thrillers, erotic comedies, comic adaptations and more. Favourite directors of the podcast include Antonio Margheriti, Mario Bava, Ruggero Deodato, Sergio Martino and Luigi Cozzi, the latter having featured in a mini-season of his own which culminated in an interview with the maestro live from his Dario Argento museum in Rome (even the podcast theme is based on...

After being hit with a swathe of legacyquels over the past several years, it's pretty clear that as an audience, nostalgia is our kryptonite. Then again, a return to a franchise can silence naysayers the second they hear a few notes from a familiar score that'll have us sitting up in our seats and our chest involuntarily swelling. That's what many fans undoubtedly felt when, while checking out the stunning new poster for James Gunn's "Superman" (a film that really needs to work), they caught the gentle breeze of John Williams' unmistakable theme for 1978's "Superman: The Movie" sounding out. "Superman" (to our knowledge) isn't a legacyquel, but it absolutely would not matter if it still uses Williams' music.

Given the amount of fire emojis and praised heaped upon the one-sheet's unveiling, people are happily expressing their joy over the beloved composer's work getting reapplied to this all-new iteration of DC's poster boy.

The entire James Bond franchise is known for its stylish opening credits sequences and their original songs, and all 25 can be ranked from worst to best. Regardless of how good the actual movie is, James Bond fans are almost guaranteed to be in for a treat with the franchise's intro credits. Every James Bond actor was ushered into their films with stunning visuals, catchy and moving songs, and mood-setting sequences.

There are quite a few factors that go into making a compelling intro worthy of James Bond. The visuals have to be excellent and invoke both the image and feel of a legendary spy, the music has to be sufficiently moving and grand, and it has to set up and fit with the mood of all the adventures 007 is set to go on. Every title in the franchise, from the worst to the best James Bond movies, excels in at least one of those areas,...

When it comes to Bond, George Lazenby’s one-off performance in the title role was once considered silly, overly melodramatic, and lacking a convincing emotional grounding. This wasn’t helped by the fact that he only starred in one James Bond film, not giving audiences a chance to see more of his range. However, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is filled with some genuinely great moments, and — from its polar bears and decorated trees to its original December release in 1969 — could even be seen as a sort of James Bond Christmas special, perfect to enjoy over the holiday season.

55 years after its first release, public opinion is finally shifting around this oddity in the 007 canon. Some of the initial negative response was almost certainly down to the fact that this was the first time Bond had been played by anyone other than Sean Connery, and the film’s...

The producers of the James Bond series cast Michael Caine as secret agent Harry Palmer in the hope of launching a separate spy franchise, but it didnt exactly pan out. Len Deighton published his first spy novel, The Ipcress File, shortly after the blockbuster success of the very first Bond movie, Dr. No. When The Ipcress File became a bestseller, Bond producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli tapped Deighton to pen the script for the sequel, From Russia with Love. Not much of his screenplay made it to the final film, but the producers enjoyed working with Deighton.

Saltzman decided to adapt The Ipcress File for the screen in the hope of launching a second spy movie franchise that could run alongside the Bond films. He cast Caine to play the lead role of Palmer, with the aim of bringing him back for an endless string of sequels. The Ipcress File...

The James Bond theme is synonymous with danger, charm, and sophistication—a perfect reflection of the world’s most famous spy. But what if we told you that the iconic tune, with its sharp guitar riffs and jazzy brass, has a surprising connection to India? Long before it became the soundtrack of 007’s adventures, the melody was part of a song inspired by Indian music, written for a stage musical that never made it to Broadway. Curious? Let’s dive into the fascinating story of how Bond’s signature sound has roots in an unexpected place.

The Birth of a Melody: Inspired by A House for Mr. Biswas

Back in the late 1950s, Monty Norman was working on a stage musical based on V.S. Naipaul’s acclaimed novel A House for Mr. Biswas. The book tells the story of Mohun Biswas, an Indo-Trinidadian man struggling with poverty, family expectations,...

We have apparently seen the end of the Indiana Jones franchise, as Harrison Ford has stated that The Dial Of Destiny is the last time he’ll don the fedora and whip. Well, it will be the action and adventure franchise’s end unless Disney decides to squeeze every last drop they can out of it, which is never out of the question. Film fans always need something else to fill in their viewing void, so what are the best adventure movies like Indiana Jones for fans of the Indiana Jones series to check out?

U​ncharted (2022)

T​his is oddly a full-circle film when it comes to Indiana Jones. Uncharted is based on the video game of the same name, which was admittedly based on the Indiana Jones films. Nathan Drake (played by Tom Holland) teams up with a seasoned treasure hunter in Sully (Mark Wahlberg) to find a...

Every James Bond movie has separate iconic songs to get listed, but the James Bond Theme has become synonymous with the franchise name. It has been the signature music since Dr. No in 1962. Before Daniel Craig took the legacy baton forward in 2006, every Eon-produced James Bond movie featured Monty Norman’s created theme song. Although Monty Norman wrote several songs for other musical stage plays, including Pinocchio, Stand, and Deliver, he will forever be remembered for composing the iconic James Bond music.

A snippet from Dr. No | Credits: United Artists

Despite his illustrious career, Norman’s association with the “Dum di-di dum dum” guitar que arranged by the John Barry Orchestra will always be iconic. Vic Flick, who used to work with John Barry as a guitarist is popularly known for playing that particular guitar riff, has died. To honor his legacy, let’s look at a few unknown facts about the theme music.

Vic Flick, the famed British session guitarist who picked out the twangy riff for the James Bond theme song introduced to moviegoers on Dr. No, has died. He was 87.

His death on Thursday after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease was announced by his family on Facebook.

Flick also played on No. 1 hits for Peter and Gordon (“A World Without Love”) and Petula Clark (“Downtown”); performed on Tom Jones’ “It’s Not Unusual” and “Ringo’s Theme” (This Boy) for A Hard Day’s Night (1964); and collaborated with the likes of Jimmy Page, George Martin, Herman’s Hermits, Cliff Richard, Eric Clapton, Dusty Springfield and Engelbert Humperdinck.

“He was a musician’s musician,” Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues wrote in the foreword to Flick’s 2008 memoir, Vic Flick Guitarman: From James Bond to The Beatles and Beyond.

“He always stood up to play! Yes, I know it sounds obvious — but you...

Robert Watts, the British producer and production manager who collaborated with George Lucas on the first three Star Wars films and the first three Indiana Jones movies, has died. He was 86.

Watts died Monday in his sleep at his home in East Sussex, England, his rep, Julian Owen at Alliance Agents, told The Hollywood Reporter. “We were with him for a decade taking him to conventions all over the world, where he could connect with fans and talk about his career,” Owen said.

Watts also worked alongside Indiana Jones director Steven Spielberg on the Spielberg-produced Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) and An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991).

For the extremely challenging first Star Wars film, Watts served as production supervisor under production designer John Barry, and the two traveled to Morocco and Tunisia to scout locations. He then did some third-unit directing.

“We were under a great deal of pressure from 20th Century Fox,...

One of the best things to happen in Hollywood in recent years is that Michael Keaton’s career got a major second wind (but don’t call it a comeback) after a somewhat lower-key period. While the extent of Keaton’s career downturn pre-Birdman has indeed been overblown (let’s not forget he was still a big enough star to play the villain in the RoboCop reboot months before Birdman came out), it can’t be denied that Alejandro González Iñárritu’s movie gave him a major boost. Since then, he’s appeared In some amazing films, including Spotlight, The Founder, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and The Trial of the Chicago 7. He has also done great TV work, such as the exceptional limited series Dopesick.

However, Keaton’s pre- and post-Beetlejuice/Batman career tends to be overlooked when discussing his filmography, which is a shame as he was already a...

Over the last few years, we’ve seen the rise of trigger warnings in all manner of media, from TV shows to movies and even plays. While speaking with The Times of London, Matt Smith gave his two cents on trigger warnings. The House of the Dragon actor worries about “everything being dialed and dumbed down” when audiences are given a warning on what and how to feel.

“We should be telling morally difficult stories, nowadays in particular,” Smith said. “It’s Ok to feel uncomfortable or provoked while looking at a painting or watching a play, but I worry everything’s being dialed and dumbed down. We’re telling audiences they’re going to be scared before they’ve watched something.“

Smith continued, “Isn’t being shocked, surprised, stirred the point? Too much policing of stories and being afraid to bring them out because a climate is a certain way is a shame.

Who needs verses? ? Let the bassoons speak for themselves. The title track of RZA’s upcoming orchestral album, A Ballet Through Mud, benefits from light and shade, give and take between the strings and woodwinds. It’s not classical music per se since it owes more of a debt to John Williams, John Barry, and even a little Ennio Morricone than it does to Mozart and Tchaikovsky, but the cinematic quality works in its favor. The full piece, one of 11 tracks on the album, debuted on Friday. The complete album is due out on Aug.

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 is now available on VOD. There’s no way around it – the film’s theatrical release was a huge disappointment, as it earned back only a fraction of its reported budget and has put the release of the second film in major jeopardy. However, now that it’s streaming, the hope is that people will be able to discover it at home, perhaps paving the way for this saga to continue. If you’ve watched Horizon and are jonesing for more modern westerns to check out, here are some we really like here at JoBlo.

Tombstone (1993):

This is perhaps an ironic one to put on a list that pays tribute to Costner’s Horizon, as the star’s own big-budget western epic, Wyatt Earp, was badly overshadowed by this competing story about the same historical events. The fact is, George Pan Cosmatos and Kurt Russell...

Twisters isn't an announced remake of Jan de Bont's 1996 cow-chucker Twister, but it kinda is? Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) honors the beloved storm-chasing picture by borrowing plot milestones for his blustery "continuation," yet it's hardly a copycat. Twisters is an exhilarating summer blockbuster with plenty of giddyup, trading Van Halen needle drops for buckin' Wild West rambunctiousness. Chung's breathtaking intimacy as a storyteller never sacrifices the adrenalized thrills found in life-threatening tornado hunts, swirling together rapturous disaster sequences with adventurous mavericks who yee-haw their way into our hearts. It's hands-down one of the 2024's champion titles so far, meant to be experienced on a gigantic theater screen.

The film's setups are familiar, but new characters hardly make for a stale Twister regurgitation. Daisy Edgar-Jones stars as Kate Cooper, the New York City meteorologist called back into action five years after tragedy strikes in the field. Kate's former colleague...

Eddie Murphy has a lot of standalone movies that are great like Trading Places, Harlem Nights, and the more recent Dolomite is my Name, but he’s also been a bit of franchise gold in the past. Obviously, Beverly Hills Cop is the biggest and most recent example, but he’s also been part of 2 48 Hours movies, a couple Nutty Professor flicks, a couple Doctor Dolittle movies and is an integral part of the mega franchise that is Shrek. While we unfortunately have to call Coming to America a franchise now after that abysmal rehash that Amazon dropped on us, there is another movie and character that I actually wouldn’t mind being brought back and has potential, under the right writer and director combo, to be a fun time and maybe even fix some of the mistakes from its predecessor. While Pluto Nash and Norbit are all time stinkers...

Regardless of its importance to the storytelling process, film music is too often an afterthought. There are a variety of theories that composers have as to why, and they’re mostly related to a lack of education. So I’ve decided to take an active stance in educating filmmakers about the role of music in film and the process of how a film score comes into being.

My hope is that by the end of this piece you’ll be more familiar with: A) the history of film music in general, and B) the key composers who have contributed to the development of film music as an art. So—where did this all start?

The Silent Era (1890s-1929) Silent film star Mary Pickford. Somewhere, a pianist is inspired.

During the silent era, films music is provided by each individual theater, either by phonograph or as performed live by flesh-and-blood musicians.

Plot: An epic saga of the various groups who try to settle the ever-expanding horizon of the old West.

Review: Kevin Costner’s Horizon might be the most ambitious movie undertaking since Lord of the Rings. Think about it – Kevin Costner has sunk a huge chunk of his own personal fortune into making an epic Western saga, with a second movie only weeks away from hitting theatres, regardless of whether or not the first makes him any money. If that weren’t enough, he’s already started shooting pieces of the third film, and he’s sworn he’ll be making a fourth film as well. Given the scope of his ambitions, it’s hard to truly judge Horizon – Chapter 1 as a standalone film, with it so clearly part of a much bigger whole.

Running three hours (with credits), Costner, who also directed, produced and co-wrote the film (with Jon Baird...

Grasa, the second album by 29-year-old Argentine singer and rapper Nathy Peluso, kicks off with “Corleone,” a sumptuous, old-fashioned bolero. A snippet of John Barry’s dreamy 007 theme “From Russia With Love” morphs into the kind of feverish groove that would have made La Lupe proud. “This ambition is killing me,” sings Peluso, her booming voice in full bloom.

“Corleone” is a somewhat disorienting opening track. Like most of Peluso’s music, it’s both edgy and comfortingly familiar; honest to the core, but with a thin layer of irony underneath.

Dan Wallin, the music scoring engineer who recorded such classic film scores as “Spartacus,” “Bullitt,” “The Wild Bunch” and “Out of Africa,” died early Wednesday in Hawaii. He was 97.

Twice Oscar-nominated for best sound (1970’s “Woodstock” and 1976’s “A Star Is Born”), he won a 2009 Emmy for sound mixing on the Academy Awards telecast and received two additional Emmy nominations in the sound mixing category.

But it was Wallin’s skill behind the console, recording and mixing musical scores for movies and TV, that won him legions of fans among nearly all of Hollywood’s top composers and ensured steady employment for more than half a century.

He recorded the music for an estimated 500 films, including those for “Bonnie and Clyde,” “Cool Hand Luke” and “Finian’s Rainbow” in the 1960s; “The Way We Were,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Nashville,” “King Kong” and “Saturday Night Fever” in the 1970s; “Somewhere in Time,” “The Right Stuff...

Tomorrow night, ABC is airing The Oscars. Hooray? While I’ll certainly be watching, I must admit that the Oscars have certainly lost their lustre over the years, at least as far as I’m concerned. When I was a kid, the Oscars seemed so much larger than life. I vividly remember every Oscar night being an event as a kid, with the ceremony (more often than not hosted by Billy Crystal) crowning the winners as – in my mind anyway – the kings and queens of Hollywood.

Indeed, it seemed like a movie winning an Oscar was the ultimate judge of a film’s quality. When something like The Silence of the Lambs swept the Oscars, it was as if the movie was being minted as an all-time classic (which it ended up being). However, when the Oscars happen tomorrow, does anyone think a major win will permanently change anyone’s career?...

Are audiences too soft these days? Ralph Fiennes thinks so, at least when it comes to needing trigger warnings in the theater. Fiennes is currently starring in a modern-day retelling of Macbeth, which, as every high-school student knows, contains a few gruesome murders. Some theaters have reportedly been offering trigger warnings in advance of the production, and Fiennes isn’t a fan.

When asked by BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg if audiences have gone too soft, Fiennes said, “I think they have. I think we didn’t used to have trigger warnings. I mean, there are very disturbing scenes in Macbeth, terrible murders and things. But I think the impact of theater should be that you’re shocked and you should be disturbed.“

Fiennes added, “I don’t think you should be prepared for these things, and when I was young, we never had trigger warnings for shows. Shakespeare’s plays are full of murders,...

The name’s warning. Trigger warning. The British Film Institute is catching major flak for tacking on a disclaimer ahead of a collection of movies screening this season, including two James Bond pictures.

As per The Guardian, the London-based organization is including the following text ahead of their retrospective on composer John Barry, of course, best known for composing nearly half of the James Bond films: “Please note that many of these films contain language, images or other content that reflect views prevalent in its time, but will cause offence today (as they did then). The titles are included here for historical, cultural or aesthetic reasons, and these views are in no way endorsed by the BFI or its partners.” The notes with You Only Live Twice also state that the movie “contains outdated racial stereotypes.“

One has to question the necessity of a trigger warning here, especially from a...

A season dedicated to composer John Barry, including two James Bond films, has received trigger warnings from the BFI. More here.

The BFI has unveiled a new season celebrating the work of composer John Barry. Titled John Barry: Soundtracking Bond and Beyond, the season includes two Bond films, Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice as well as films such as Midnight Cowboy and The Ipcress File.

The season has earned itself a trigger warning from the BFI, as reported by The Guardian. The blanket warning for all films reads: “Please note that many of these films contain language, images or other content that reflect views prevalent in its time, but will cause offence today (as they did then). The titles are included here for historical, cultural or aesthetic reasons and these views are in no way endorsed by the BFI or its partners.”

Programme notes for 1967’s You Only Live Twice...

A new season celebrating John Barry’s film soundtracks come loaded with offence warnings that don’t seem that necessary

• BFI season gives James Bond films trigger warnings

Culture warriors have heard a safety-catch being clicked firmly into place at London’s BFI Southbank for a forthcoming season of 60s movies – variously naughty, groovy and gritty – scored by the great composer John Barry: Soundtracking Bond and Beyond. The “Beyond” part means classics such as The Ipcress File and Midnight Cowboy, but obviously 007’s exploits are the main event.

And there’s a prominent warning: “Please note that many of these films contain languages, image and other content that reflect views prevalent in its time, but will cause offence today (as they did then).”

Those last four words will be savoured by historians of offence management: the additional pre-emptive assertion that some of this was iffy then, offensiveness is not relative and that was no excuse.

The season celebrating the work of British composer John Barry flags films from the 60s and 70s that contain outdated language, images and stereotypes that will cause offence

Audiences at a new season of films at the British Film Institute in London have been cautioned the titles – including two James Bond movies – “will cause offence today”.

A blanket trigger warning has been placed over all movies being presented at a tribute to the work of British composer John Barry, the man behind the scores for many 007 films.

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