KQEK.com Digital / Big Head Amusements / ArtScopeTO - Podcasts

For ArtScopeTO, I interviewed Toronto-based abstract painter Donna Wise on her unique techniques, and working during the 2020-2021 pandemic. Further info and stills are available via the Editor's Blog at KQEK.com. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit artbydonnawise.com and donnawisefine art on Instagram for more info on the artist and samples of her fine work. Special Thanks to Donna Wise for her time, and Glenda Fordham at Fordham P.R. for facilitating the interview.

Film historian, home video producer, and restorationist Jason Pichonsky discusses the premiere Blu-ray and DVD release of Julian Roffman's restored suspense-drama THE BLOODY BROOD (1959), from KINO Lorber. This podcast follows in the footsteps of my prior Q&A with Peter Roffman and his book DEAR GUELDA: THE DEATH AND LIFE OF PIONEERING CANADIAN FILMMAKER JULIAN ROFFMAN. For further details and links to related CanCon films (including John Huston's PHOBIA), please see the Editor's Blog at KQEK.com. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Composers Amin Bhatia and Ari Posner discuss scoring ANNE WITH AN E, CBC and Netflix's recent production of L.M. Montgomery's ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, as adapted by BREAKING BAD's Moira Walley-Beckett. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. Special Thanks to Amin Bhatia and Ari Posner, and Maike Eilert at White Bear PR. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Composer Austin Wintory discusses scoring the new interactive full motion video game ERICA from Flavourworks, and published by Sony, and his compilation album REMNANTS. Music from both albums are available via Bandcamp. A prior interview from 2010 regarding Paul Solet's psychological shocker GRACE (2009) is also available. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. Special Thanks to Austin Wintory, and Maike Eilert at White Bear PR. Visit Austin Wintory's website for music samples, news, and media links. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

For the latest edition of ArtScopeTO, I interview photographer Pengkuei (Ben) Huang, whose current eco-series SOLEMN PINES FADING THINGS is exhibited at Toronto's Urban Gallery (400 Queen Street East) from May 2-31st, as part of the 2019 Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival. Huang discusses the genesis of his series, which examines the location and people in Japan's Tohoku region, and the lingering effects of the triple hit of an earthquake, tsunami, and the Fukushima Daiishi nuclear disaster in 2011. Further info and stills from the exhibition are available via the Editor's Blog at KQEK.com. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit www.benhuangphotos.com for more info on Huang's work. Special Thanks to Ben Huang for his generous time, Urban Gallery's manager Calvin Hambrook and curator Allen Shugar, and Glenda Fordham at Fordham P.R. for facilitating the interview.

Composer John Murphy (28 DAYS LATER, MIAMI VICE) discusses scoring the BBC's lavish new 6-part mini-series LES MISERABLES (2018), based on Victor Hugo's epic novel; his main themes & use of the viola; and taking a break from scoring in 2015 after the album ANONYMOUS. Prior interviews with the composer from 2010 (regarding ARMORED) and 2015 (regarding ANONYMOUS)are also available. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. Special Thanks to John Murphy, and Adrianna Perez at White Bear PR. Visit John Murphy's website for more info on the composer. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

In the latest ArtScopeTO podcast, I interview photographer Lori Ryerson, whose current series OFF THE BEATEN PATH is showcased from April 6-27, 2018, at Toronto's Urban Gallery, 400 Queen Street East. Topics include abandoned landscapes, vintage cars, capturing small details in unlikely places, and transitioning from a corporate career to working artist. Further info and stills from the exhibition are available via the Editor's Blog at KQEK.com. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit www.focalocity.ca for more info on Lori Ryerson's work. Special Thanks to Lori Ryerson for her generous time, Urban Gallery's manager Calvin Hambrook and curator Allen Shugar, and Glenda Fordham at Fordham P.R. for facilitating the interview.

Composer-Arranger-Orchestrator James T. Sale discusses his score for SAINT JUDY (2018), the bio-drama on attorney Judy Wood and her successful efforts to improve the laws for immigrants seeking asylum. Also touched upon are temp tracks, Jerry Goldsmith, and Mark Mothersbaugh, with whom Sale worked for several years as an orchestrator and composer. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. Special Thanks to James T. Sale, and Grecco Bray at The Krakower Group. Visit James T. Sale's website for more info on the composer. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Filmmaker Zach Weddington discusses the making of Viva Amiga (2017), his affectionate chronicle of the beloved home computer that evolved from a game machine to a pioneering multimedia system for musicians, filmmakers, gamers, and artists. Available digitally from Vimeo, we also discuss the extensive bonus interviews (many free) and the Amiga's impact, including the iconic video editing system the Video Toaster from Newtek, plus vintage computing and video gear. Visit KQEK.com for a review of Viva Amiga and the lightly discussed Stinking Heaven, and my ongoing blog (Mis)Adventures in Video at Big Head Amusements, which includes a link to Newtek's award-winning Video Toaster demo Revolution 1.0 + 2.0. Special Zach Weddington, whose next project is Arcadia, a history of arcade games. Visit his production site www.rocksteadymedia.com for more info. If you enjoyed this podcast, please read the Editor's Blog at KQEK.com, and connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and myself on Instagram.

Following the April 18, 2018, screening of I've Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987) at Toronto's Revue Cinema for National Canadian Film Day, writer-director Patricia Rozema discussed her feature film debut with cléo journal’s Kiva Reardon. Topics include the casting of Sheila McCarthy, developing the story, filming in Toronto, a short bit on Harvey Weinstein, Calvinist self-discipline, and Rozema’s latest work, Mouthpiece. Bookending the podcast are some thoughts on my shifting tastes since 1987, and at KQEK.com I've posted additional thoughts on the film, related links, and reviews of Rozema's first two features, I've Heard the Mermaids Singing and White Room  (1990). If you enjoyed this bonus podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

In this month's ArtScopeTO podcast, I interview photographer Andre Vittorio, whose current series Abstractions on Metal is showcased from April 5-28, 2018, at Toronto's Urban Gallery. Topics include the aesthetics of shooting architectural subjects, especially Brutalist forms in Toronto. Further info and stills from the exhibition are available via the Editor's Blog at KQEK.com. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit www.andrevittorio.com for more info on the artist. Special Thanks to Andre Vittorio for his time, Urban Gallery's manager Calvin Hambrook and curator Allen Shugar, and Glenda Fordham at Fordham P.R. for facilitating the interview.

Jazz composer & improviser Marilyn Lerner discusses performing her score live for Frank Borzage's silent classic Street Angel (1928) at Toronto's Revue Cinema in November of 2017. Also discussed are Lerner's prior scores, including Carl Theodor Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), and the nuances of improvising music live for cinema audiences. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. Special Thanks to Marilyn Lerner, the Revue Cinema's Eric Veillette, and Silent Revue series programmer & curator Alicia Fletcher. Visit Marilyn Lerner's website for more info on the composer and music samples. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

2018's first podcast features a conversation with Peter Roffman, who edited and authored Dear Guelda: The Death and Life of Pioneering Canadian Filmmaker Julian Roffman, newly published as an ebook and available from Amazon. The nearly hour-long program has son Peter reflecting on the incredible career of Julian Roffman, best known for producing & directing Canada's first feature-length 3D and horror film, The Mask (1961), which I profiled separately in a May 16, 2016 podcast, archived on this channel. The elder Roffman was invited by John Grierson to join the then-new National Film Board of Canada organization, then became a WWII correspondent, documentarian, and after being blacklisted by Hollywood, Roffman returned to Canada where he established the country's first commercial video post-production house. Our conversation also includes Roffman's involvement with David O. Selznick, Flipper's Ivan Tors, and much, much more. Reviews of Dear Guelda and related film reviews will follow, but please visit KQEK.com for more info and book links on this podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

In this month's ArtScopeTO podcast, I interview Toronto-based abstract painter Donna Wise, whose current series Flights of Fancy is showcased from December 2-30, 2017, at Toronto's Urban Gallery. Further info and stills from the exhibition are available via the Editor's Blog at KQEK.com. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit www.donnawiseart.com for more info on the artist. Special Thanks to Donna Wise for her time, Urban Gallery's manager Calvin Hambrook and curator Allen Shugar and Glenda Fordham at Fordham P.R. for facilitating the interview.

In this month's ArtScopeTO podcast, I interview renowned painter Mary Lynne Atkinson, whose current series Land on Fire is showcased from November 2-25, 2017, at Toronto's Urban Gallery. Further info and stills from the exhibition are available via the Editor's Blog at KQEK.com. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit www.atkinsonartworks.com for more info on the artist. Special Thanks to Mary Lynne Atkinson for her time, Urban Gallery's manager Calvin Hambrook and curator Allen Shugar and Glenda Fordham at Fordham P.R. for facilitating the interview.

Recorded live at Toronto's Royal Cinema, this week's podcast features an edited version of the Q&A with Italian prog-rock and horror masters Goblin, including Maurizio Guarini, Fabio Pignatelli,Massimo Morante, Agostino Marangolo, and Aiden Zammit, and Rue Morgue Magazine's Aaron von Lupton as moderator. The Q&A was conducted after the Toronto Premiere screening of Synapse Film's gorgeous 4K restoration of Dario Argento's Suspiria (1977). Bookending the podcast are some thoughts on the show, plus details on the upcoming screening of the Italian silent classic Dante's Inferno (1911), to which Guarini will be performing his original score live at the Royal on Dec. 6, 2017. Also of note: starting today, I'm making available for 1 week of free streaming via Vimeo and YouTube my experimental documentary BSV 1172: Your Friendly Neighbourhood Video Store (2016), as a salute Video Store Day, Sat. Oct. 21, 2017. A home video release will follow in late January, 2018. Visit KQEK.com for more info, links on this podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

In the latest ArtScopeTO podcast, I interview abstract painter Chris Marin, whose current series Passages is showcased from October 5-28, 2017, at Toronto's Urban Gallery. Further info and stills from the exhibition are available via the Editor's Blog at KQEK.com. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Special Thanks to Chris Marin for her time, Urban Gallery's manager Calvin Hambrook and curator Allen Shugar and Glenda Fordham at Fordham P.R. for facilitating the interview.

In this week's composer interview, Joe Kraemer discusses his latest work, the Amazon production Comrade Detective, a satire of a fake Soviet era detective series; and King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen.  Also discussed are DVD audio commentaries and vinyl, and a lengthy editorial on classic Canadian detective shows set in Any City, U.S.A., plus some teasing details on Video Store Day, coming Saturday October 21st to a bricks & mortar video shop near you. Visit KQEK.com for more info, links, and a review of Comrade Detective: Season 1. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. Special Thanks to Joe Kraemer, and Adrianna Perez and Molly McIsaac at White Bear PR for facilitating this interview. Visit Joe Kraemer's website for more info on the composer and his vast C.V.

In my occasional non-film podcast, ArtScopeTO, I chat with Hamilton-Toronto painter & photographer Hanna Kostanski, whose paintings of urban Toronto locations spanning the 1910s through the 1970s are showcased until August 26, 2017 in the exhibit 20th Century Toronto: Intersections & Interactions at The Urban Gallery. Further info and stills from the exhibition are available via the Editor's Blog at KQEK.com. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Special Thanks to Hanna Kostanski for her time, Urban Gallery's manager Calvin Hambrook and curator Allen Shugar and Glenda Fordham at Fordham P.R. for facilitating the interview. Visit Hanna Kostanski's website for more info.

This week’s podcast features a compact Q&A with legendary Goblin member Maurizio Guarini, who joined the iconic Italian prog-rock band and film composing group in 1975, and co-composed & performed on many of Goblin’s greatest albums, including Roller, Suspiria, and Patrick. Guarini, now based in Richmond Hill outside of Toronto, was recently commissioned by the Italian Institute of Culture to compose and perform a new score for L’inferno (1911), Italy's first feature film, and a surreal adaptation of Dante’s The Divine Comedy, the famous narrative poem completed in 1320. Visit KQEK.com for more info, links, and a film review of L'Inferno. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. Special Thanks to Maurizio Guarini and his wife Cinzia, and David at Daniloff Productions for facilitating the interview. Visit Maurizio Guarini's website for more info on the composer and his vast C.V.  

Julia Marchese discusses directing Out of Print (2014), a passionate documentary on the New Beverly Cinema, the feisty, independent rep cinema renowned for programming rare slices of film history; and the increasing difficulty for programmers to access and screen 35mm film prints in an age of digital projections and DCPs. Visit KQEK.com for a film review of Out of Print, which was recently released on DVD from Level 33 Entertainment, and thematically related reviews of Cinemania (2002),  The Dying of the Light (2016), Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the American Drive-In Movie (2013), and Side by Side (2012). If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links.

Craig Atkinson discusses his directorial debut, Do Not Resist (2016), an unsettling documentary on the militarization of local police departments. Filmed just as the violence in Ferguson began to erupt, Atkinson details the overuse of S.W.A.T. for mundane search warrants, and the current government grants that enable departments to buy army surplus vehicles. Visit KQEK.com for a film review of Do Not Resist, which recently screened at Toronto's Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, and Detropia (2015), filmed and co-produced by Atkinson. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links.

Jared Scott discusses his latest film, The Age of Consequences (2016), a provocative documentary on climate change, featuring many former military officials who add deeper credence to the correlation between extreme shifts in climate, mass population migration, and war. Scott also touches upon the film's themes, and his storytelling technique which includes the use of chapters, moments of respite for audiences, and Malcolm Francis’ excellent score. Visit KQEK.com for a film review of Age of Consequences, which recently screened at Toronto's Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links.

Begun in 2012 and completed in the spring of 2016, my experimental documentary BSV 1172: Your Friendly Neighbourhood Video Store premiered November 13th, 2016, at the San Diego Underground Film Festival, and in this two-part blog I offer thoughts on its genesis (filming the environs of a so-called obsolete form of home entertainment with dead tech), and also present Part One of an edited version of the conversation between I Lost It at the Video Store author Tom Roston and NOW magazine's Norman Wilner which took place at the location and subject of my film, Toronto's Bay Street Video. Visit Big Head Amusements for additional info on and stills from BSV 1172, plus links to a Teaser Trailer. Visit KQEK.com for links to an additional podcast interview with Tom Roston, a review of his book, and some reviews and related media tied to the current podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links.

Victor Kanefsky discusses the art of editing, structure, balance, and pacing in a conversation that spans both his latest directorial work, Art Bastard (2016), a lively documentary on painter Robert Cenedella, and his lengthy career as an editor in many genres, including horror (Ganja & Hess) and documentary (Style Wars). Visit KQEK.com for a film review of Art Bastard, which recently screened at Toronto's Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, plus some related review links. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links.

In what’s hopefully the first in a series of vinyl related podcasts, I speak with Cary Mansfield, Varese Sarabande’s Vice President of A&R, about the label's recent trio of limited LP editions of catalogue titles – John Powell’s The Bourne Identity (2002), Don Davis’ The Matrix (1999), and Marco Beltrami’s Scream (1996) and Scream 2 (1997) – and the quirks and nuances of pressing an LP and the market itself, being more collector-oriented that when I began collecting soundtrack LPs in the late 1980s. Visit KQEK.com for a review of Varese Sarabande’s Bourne Identity soundtrack LP, and some links on documentaries and vintage industrial shorts covering the history of vinyl records, the long-playing LP, and extreme vinyl collectors. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links.

In a radical move for director Tim Burton, the score for his latest film was written by the collaborative team of Mike Higham and Matthew Margeson, both skilled in composing, orchestrating, and arranging for a diversity of projects (including several Hans Zimmer productions).  I’ve divided the podcast on Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children into separate halves, starting with Matthew Margeson in Part 1, and Mike Higham in Part 2. Additionally, coming soon is a separate and more detailed Q&A with Higham on his other specialized skill, an ace music editor. Visit KQEK.com for more info and a review of La-La Land Records’ Miss Peregrine soundtrack CD. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links.

In a radical move for director Tim Burton, the score for his latest film was written by the collaborative team of Mike Higham and Matthew Margeson, both skilled in composing, orchestrating, and arranging for a diversity of projects (including several Hans Zimmer productions).  I’ve divided the podcast on Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children into separate halves, starting with Matthew Margeson in Part 1, and Mike Higham in Part 2. Additionally, coming soon is a separate and more detailed Q&A with Higham on his other specialized skill, an ace music editor. Visit KQEK.com for more info and a review of La-La Land Records’ Miss Peregrine soundtrack CD. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links.

In my latest conversation with Iranian-American composer Nima Fakhrara, we touch upon some of the organic experimentation that gives his recent horror score The Girl in the Photographs its eerie tenor, and the fusion of Persian and vintage electronic sounds for 1979 Revolution: Black Friday (of which both soundtrack albums are available digitally and on CD from Lakeshore Records). This interview is also available as a visual podcast. Visit KQEK.com for more info and related CD reviews. Additional info on the making of the visual podcast is available at my filmmaking site, Big Head Amusements. My interview with Fakhrara on the sci-fi puzzle film The Signal (2014) is also available on iTunes, Libsyn, and YouTube. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links.

  This partial Editor's Blog features edited excerpts from the pre-screening intros of Julian Roffman's The Mask (1961), Canada's first feature-length 3D and horror film, screened in 2012 and 2015 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. The 2012 extract focuses on the fragile state of a rare 35mm  print and the 3D process, while the 2015 extract covers both the book launch of The Canadian Horror Film: Terror of the Soul, with editors Gina Freitag and Andre Loiselle providing contextual background info on Canadian film history and The Mask's uniqueness. Read the full Editor's Blog at KQEK.com. Read a detailed review of KINO's 3D Blu-ray and DVD editions of The Mask. Additional info on The Canadian Horror Film is also available. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. Also available: HD extracts from visual podast version at Big Head Amusements.com.

  Author & journalist Tom Roston (PBS's POV) discusses I Lost It at the Video Store: A Filmmaker’s Oral History of a Vanished Era (The Critical Press), his brisk and engaging chronicle of the disappearing bricks & mortar video rental shop that used to be the main home movie resource for film fans and emerging filmmakers. A review of Tom Roston's I Lost It at the Video Store is available at KQEK.com. Coming soon: a follow-up podcast featuring edited excerpts from the lengthy discussion & audience Q&A with author Roston and NOW Magazine's Senior Film Writer Norman Wilner, recorded live at Bay Street Video on Monday May 2, 2016. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links.

  As part of Reel Canada's National Canadian Film Day celebrations, actor and artist Stephen Lack participated in a lengthy Q&A with NOW Magazine's senior film writer Norman Wilner after a free screening of David Cronenberg's cranium-cracking classique Scanners (1981) at Toronto's Royal Cinema. Topics include Scanners’ 35 years of cult fame, blowing up Louis Del Grande’s head, co-star Patrick McGoohan, director Cronenberg, make-up whiz Dick Smith, and The Rubber Gun, a 1977 film co-written by Lack and director Allan Moyle which is seeking a Canadian partner in assembling a special edition release using rare materials from Lack’s own private archives. Following this slightly edited version of the half-hour Q&A are my editorial thoughts on the ongoing problems in finding indie, art, cult, and CanCon tax shelter classics (such as Kings and Desperate Men) on DVD and as digital downloads. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. Also available: HD extracts from visual podast version at Big Head Amusements.com.

I'm back with the first of several podcasts, after taking an extended break to finish up a new experimental doc, BSV 1172. 2016 starts with an interview with the esteemed Brian Reitzell on scoring NBC’s Hannibal, of which music from Season 3 was recently released digitally and on CD from Lakeshore Records and on LP via Invada Records. Reitzell also discusses musique concrete, working with David Slade, Tangerine Dream, and using vintage analogue synthesizers. This interview is also available as a visual podcast. Visit KQEK.com for more info. Additional info on the making of the visual podcast (which involved a vintage video synthesizer) is available at my filmmaking site, Big Head Amusements. If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links.

Back in 1973, veteran TV and feature film director Ted Post helmed The Baby, a film written by playwright and occasional film & TV writer Abe Polsky. The Baby tells the story of a social worker assigned to check in on a most unusual case: a grown man living in a crib with the emotional and intellectual capacity of an infant. The eccentric plot, bizarre characters, twist ending, and classic seventies kitsch motivated writer / director Dan Spurgeon to adapt Polsky’s script into a play with a little more camp value and grindhouse qualities. Spurgeon’s bawdy play, which remains very faithful to the characters and Polsky’s plotting, debuted in Los Angeles in 2013 with actor Frank Blocker playing the venomous matriarch Mama. Currently running at Toronto’s Storefront Theatre until November 1st, The Baby retains several members from the original L.A. production, and in this month’s podcast I spoke with writer / director Dan Spurgeon and star Frank Blocker about the impressionable film, the play’s genesis and creation, Blocker’s clever interpretation of Mama, bad seventies music, and slight differences in L.A. and Toronto audiences. Also available: reviews of the 2015 Toronto production + the Severin Films Blu-ray of the original 1973 feature film.   If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. All podcast editing, mixing, and audio restoration produced in-house. For inquiries and demo reels, please visit Mondomark.com.

Interview with Italian film composer Fabio Frizzi, conducted prior to his follow-up concert Frizzi 2 Fulci at London’s famous Barbican in the fall of 2014. In addition to discussing the thrill of performing his music live in London, Frizzi discusses his early film work – Oscar Brazzi’s “sexy” film Giro girotondo... con il sesso è bello il mondo (1975) and Lucio Fulci’s Il cav. Costante Nicosia demoniaco, ovvero: Dracula in Brianza (1975) – plus working with Fulci on Zombi (1979), The Beyond (1981), and scoring severe eye trauma. Frizzi also talks about the restoration of his Contraband (1980) score, which makes its premiere release via Beat Records, who’ve also released a 2-CD set of Frizzi’s 2013 London concert. Please note: this interview was edited just prior to Frizzi's announcenent in mid-July of Frizzi 2 Fulci's North American tour, including a performance at The Opera House in Toronto on Thursday October 8th. A two-part podcast interview with Frizzi regarding his 2013 concert at London's Union Chapel is also available (Part One + Part Two). Read the Editor's Blog at KQEK.com for related reviews.   If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and incisive Editor's Blogs by Mark R. Hasan. All podcast editing, mixing, and audio restoration produced in-house. For inquiries and demo reels, please visit Mondomark.com.

Interview with film composer Claudio Simonetti regarding the expanded, remastered release of Demons (1985) on LP and CD from Rustblade Records. Topics include crafting the score, the remixes, the great sound engineering typical of Italian soundtracks of the 70s and 80s, vinyl releases, an upcoming recording of Goblin's Profondo Rosso / Deep Red score by his new band Claudio Simonetti's Goblin set for release later this year by Rustblade, and the possibility of releasing Simonetti's music for the 1922 classic silent film Nosferatu. Also available: a print Q&A with Rustblade's owner Stefano Rossello on the nuances of releasing vinyl albums. Read the Editor's Blog at KQEK.com for related film reviews.   If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and incisive Editor's Blogs by Mark R. Hasan. All podcast editing, mixing, and audio restoration produced in-house. For inquiries and demo reels, please visit Mondomark.com.

Interview with film composer Craig Safan regarding the expanded, remastered releases of The Last Starfighter (1984) on CD from Intrada Records, and Warning Sign (1985) on CD and LP from Invada Records. Topics include electronic / orchestral scoring, 'baking' master tapes, and discussing Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985), Son of the Morning Star (1991), and his upcoming album Rough Magic from Perseverance Records, inspired by ancient cave paintings in Europe. Read the Editor's Blog at KQEK.com for related film score reviews. Visit Craig Safan's website at www.craigsafan.com.   If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and incisive Editor's Blogs by Mark R. Hasan. All podcast editing, mixing, and audio restoration produced in-house. For inquiries and demo reels, please visit Mondomark.com.

Interview with film composer John Murphy (28 Days Later, Sunshine, Miami Vice, Armored ) regarding his latest album, Anonymous Rejected Filmscore. Topics include being part of the elite 'rejected film score composers club,' crafting themes and variations, using vintage analogue audio gear to create layered distortion, and the album's vinyl / LP release. Also available: online print interview with John Murphy from 2010. Read the Editor's Blog at KQEK.com for more info and stills from the upcoming montatge accompanying an extract from Anonymous Rejected Filmscore. Visit John Murphy's website at www.johnmurphyofficial.com. Purchase the album at www.tapednoise.com.   If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and incisive Editor's Blogs by Mark R. Hasan. All podcast editing, mixing, and audio restoration produced in-house. For inquiries and demo reels, please visit Mondomark.com.

One of Hollywood's best-kept secrets, film composer Elia Cmiral has built a career scoring diverse movies with traditional orchestral and hybrid electronic scores, and in this latest interview with the composer, Cmiral talks about the classical orchestral sounds of Atlas Shrugged Part 3: Who is John Galt? from Atlas Productions, and being the subject of a documentary by fellow Czech director Petr Kanka - Elia Cmiral: Part 1, which recently premiered at the Golden Prague International Television Festival. Also available: online print interviews with Elia Cmiral from 2009, 2007, and 2006.   If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. All podcast editing, mixing, and audio restoration produced in-house. For inquiries and demo reels, please visit Mondomark.com.

Iranian-born composer Nima Fakhrara discusses his breakthrough electronic score for The Signal (2014), released digitally and on CD by Varese Sarabande, and featuring an incredible blend of hand-crafted sounds for William Eubank's visually striking sci-fi thriller. Fakhrara also talks about classical Persian music, minimalism, and his love for the hammer dulcimer, which he's performed on several scores for mentor Hans Zimmer.   If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. All podcast editing, mixing, and audio restoration produced in-house. For inquiries and demo reels, please visit Mondomark.com.

Film composer / orchestrator Ceiri Torjussen talks about orchestrating for composer Marco Beltrami (Snowpiercer), and his latest soundtrack release from MovieScore Media, Test (2014), which captures the electronic soundscapes of eighties Brit pop in this unique AIDS drama.   If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. All podcast editing, mixing, and audio restoration produced in-house. For inquiries and demo reels, please visit Mondomark.com.

Film composer / orchestrator Timothy Williams discusses his entry into film scoring, his early years at the BBC, and studying in Ontario, Canada, before moving to Los Angeles and becoming an in-demand orchestrator. Also discussed: his latest release, Red Sky, available from Lakeshore Records.   If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. All podcast editing, mixing, and audio restoration produced in-house. For inquiries and demo reels, please visit Mondomark.com.

Film composer Michael Penn talks about crafting the music for TV's Masters of Sex and using the sounds of the Mellotron, a fantastic organ-like instrument which allowed musicians to access looped sound samples through a keyboard. Also available: review of Dianna Dilworth's excellent 2008 documentary Mellodrama: The Mellotron Movie (released by Bazillion Points).   If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. All podcast editing, mixing, and audio restoration produced in-house. For inquiries and demo reels, please visit Mondomark.com.

Renowned Cinerama Restoration Director David Strohmaier discusses his work restoring forgotten films shot and exhibited in Cinerama - the three-panel, wide film process which debuted in 1952 and launched the widescreen wars of the 1950s. Moving from classic Cinerama films released by Flicker Alley to his latest project, Holiday in Spain (aka the Smell-O-Vision classique Scent of Mystery) available on Blu-ray by Redwind Productions, this lengthy discussion digs into a marginalized, if not fogotten chunk of widescreen film history. Also available: online print interviews with Redwind Productions' Brian Jamieson + additional comments from David Strohmaier, and a review of Mario Nascimbene's soundtrack album, released by Kritzerland Records.   If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. All podcast editing, mixing, and audio restoration produced in-house. For inquiries and demo reels, please visit Mondomark.com.

Composer Darius Holbert discusses his entry into film scoring, composing the music for Jason Eisener's grisly and fun Hobo with a Shotgun (2011), the sounds of vintage synths, scoring the series Quick Draw (2013) in the domain of original programming by online film / TV providers, and the music of Oh, the Places You'll Go! (2012), Teddy Saunders' clever translation of Dr. Seuss' final book. Special Thanks to Darius Holbert for his generous time and candor, and Shoshie Aborn at Big Picture Media for facilitating this interview.   If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info. All podcast editing, mixing, and audio restoration produced in-house. For inquiries and demo reels, please visit Mondomark.com.

Busy composing music for TV series such as DirectTV’s Rogue, Jeff Toyne’s latest project is the suspense film The Privileged, his third score for writer / director Leah Walker. The film score also offered Canadian composer Toyne a plum opportunity to score a film set in his home province of Ontario, and use its premiere at the Canadian Film Fest in March of 2014 to discuss the recent talks regarding an alliance between the Canadian Directors Guild and Composers Guild. The soundtrack to The Privileged is available as a digital album from Jagged Edge Music. Also available: a prior interview with Jeff Toyne discussing the music for Season 1 of Rogue. Special thanks to Jeff Toyne for making time during his busy schedule, and Chandler Poling at White Bear PR.   If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. All podcast editing, mixing, and audio restoration produced in-house. For inquiries and demo reels, please visit Mondomark.com.

In early February, composer & musician Ronen Landa spoke to KQEK.com about his latest scores: the comedy Cavemen(2013), and Home (2014), his second feature film score (after The Pact) for horror director Nicholas McCarthy. Landa’s skills extend to scoring comedies, dramas, documentaries, and horror, but one of his major influences remains Ennio Morricone, whose work with the famed Gruppo di improvvisazione nuova consonanza inspired the more experimental aspects of Home. Songs and two score cues from Cavemen are available from Lakeshore Records, whereas Landa’s Home will be released later this year. His prior score for director McCarthy, The Pact, is available from Moviescore Media. Special thanks to Ronen Landa for his time, and Beth  Krakower at CineMedia Promotions.     If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. All podcast editing, mixing, and audio restoration produced in-house. For inquiries and demo reels, please visit Mondomark.com.

In Part 2 of a lengthy career & industry discussion, Fabio Frizzi discusses “Frizzi to Fulci,” his first concert in London, England, at Union Chapel on Oct. 31, 2013; the superb sound engineering of classic 70s and 80s Italian soundtrack albums; and the effects of evolving technologies on film composing. Special thanks to Fabio Frizzi for a lively discussion, and Stuart Kirkham at Fifth Avenue PR for facilitating the interview. “Frizzi to Fulci” is presented by Death Waltz Records and Paint It Black London. Listen to Part 1 of this extended interview. Visit Fabio Frizzi’s SoundCloud page.   If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. All podcast editing, mixing, and audio restoration produced in-house. For inquiries and demo reels, please visit Mondomark.com.

In Part 1 of a lengthy career & industry podcast, Fabio Frizzi discusses “Frizzi to Fulci,” his first concert in London, England, at Union Chapel on Oct. 31, 2013; the unwavering endurance of Italian film music & soundtrack albums from the 70s and 80s; adapting his own work for the special concert setting; and his unreleased film and non-film work. Special thanks to Fabio Frizzi for a lively discussion, and Stuart Kirkham at Fifth Avenue PR for facilitating the interview. “Frizzi to Fulci” is presented by Death Waltz Records and Paint It Black London. Listen to Part 2 of this extended interview. Visit Fabio Frizzi’s SoundCloud page.   If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. All podcast editing, mixing, and audio restoration produced in-house. For inquiries and demo reels, please visit Mondomark.com.

Known for his break-though slasher score Scream (1996), Marco Beltrami has written music for every conceivable film genre – plus TV productions – and in our podcast he discusses scoring the zombie films World War Z and Warm Bodies, action movies, mentor Jerry Goldsmith, collaborator Buck Sanders, and one of his early credits, TV’s Land’s End (1995). Special thanks to Marco Beltrami for discussing his amazing work, and Alex May at Costa Communications for facilitating the interview. The soundtrack to World War Z is available from Warner Bros. Music.   If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. All podcast editing, mixing, and audio restoration produced in-house. For inquiries and demo reels, please visit Mondomark.com.

Podcast with up & coming composer John Piscitello regarding his work on the documentary No Place on Earth (2012). Special thanks to John Piscitello for discussing his latest work, and Chandler Poling at White Bear PR. The digital soundtrack album is available from Varese Sarabande Records, and the DVD is available from Magnolia Home Entertainment.   If you enjoyed this podcast, connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Visit KQEK.com for additional film reviews, soundtrack reviews, interviews, and read the Editor's Blog by Mark R. Hasan for additional info and related links. All podcast editing, mixing, and audio restoration produced in-house. For inquiries and demo reels, please visit Mondomark.com.