Pulling Focus

In this episode John Petitt, Assistant Archivist with Temple University Libraries' Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) discusses the Archives' 50th Anniversary, "digital rot" and International Home Movie Day. John share some of his favorite soundtrack music by Brian Eno, Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes, Raymond Scott and Al Ham's Move Closer to Your World aka Action News Theme. Also we pay tribute to Harry Dean Stanton and Tom Petty.

In this episode Sam Adams, longtime Philadelphia City Paper writer and now Senior Editor at Slate.com joins me in the studio to discuss the changing role of the film/media critic, the 2017 Emmy Awards, and his recent trips to the Toronto International Film Festival and the Camden International Film Festival in Maine. Featured are some great soundtracks from the current “Golden Age” of television shows Master of None, I Love Dick, Fargo, Empire, This is Us and Broad City plus such classic opening TV themes from Rockford Files, Miami Vice and Peter Gunn.

This episode is dedicated to all the students in the Philadelphia Public School System headed back to school on their first day. Featured here are some great soundtracks from Fame, To Sir with Love, Cooley High, Rushmore, Clueless, Breakfast Club and more. This show also celebrates the incredible resources of the Philadelphia Free Library with a set of music pulled from CDs from their music collection.

This episode was compiled for my summer road trip to head to South Carolina to see the eclipse. It features selections from some of the most iconic road movies --Badlands, Thelma and Louise, Easy Rider, Two Lane Blacktop and a few less obvious ones, including music from Wim Wenders Road Movie Trilogy. Featured artists include Kris Kristopherson, Roger Miller, Canned Heat, Improved Sound Limited, Eddy Arnold and the Village People.

This episode offers a sneak preview of the upcoming BlackStar Film Festival opening on Thursday, August 3. Senior Program Manager, Nehad Khader discusses this year's festival theme of Resistance. And BlackStar's Artistic Director Maori Karmael Holmes talks about the genesis of the festival and how it has become a kind of family reunion for independent filmmakers of color. Featured tracks in this episode include Nina Simone's Four Woman, Sweet Honey in the Rock's Echo and Horance Tapscott's The Giant Has Awakened.

This episode includes a lively conversation with Sarah Mueller, co-organizer of Cinespeak: Alternative Cinema talking about their #Boycott the Oscars summer film series in the Brewerytown neighborhood of Philadelphia. Featured soundtracks include films from Claudine, Sweet Love Bitter, and Spike Lee joints including Do the Right Things, Crooklyn and Bamboozled.

For this special 2-hour WPPM FUNd Drive show Keith Brand, longtime radio host of WXPN Sleepy Hollow and Soundtrack Sunday Morning shares some of his favorite soundtrack and sound scores. Featured artists include Harry Neilson, Elton John, Jay Farrar, Judy Garland, Gustavo Santaolalla. Hear music from Breakfast at Tiffany's, Brazil, Diva, Harlan County USA, Mary Poppins and Singing in the Rain. It's a FUNd Drive show but we went easy on the pitching. Episode is chockful of great info about WPPM and PhillyCAM!

In honor of our tenth episode we finally dug out the Rocky theme, it was only a matter of time. It seemed the only fitting way to close out a short audio piece recorded at a rally in support of the PA Film Tax Credit held on the steps at the Art Museum on June 3, 2017. Featured soundtracks of films shot in Philly include Peter Gabriel's score for Birdy, Paul Buckmaster's theme for Terry Gilliam's Twelve Monkeys and James Newtown Howard's score for M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable. We also devote a set of music to Sofia Coppola who just became only the 2nd women to be named Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival. Hear music from her first short film Lick the Star, Lost in Translation, Somewhere, Virgin Suicides and Marie Antoinette.

This episode offers a sneak preview of the upcoming Philadelphia Latino Film Festival (PHLAFF) opening on Friday, June 2. Festival Director, Marangeli Meija Rabell discusses this year's festival offerings and their commitment to showcasing work by emerging filmmakers and those using film as a means of social change. We talk about the current economic crisis in Puerto Rico, the new documentary film about Residente and how PHLAFF is building community by bringing artists together with audiences. Featured soundtracks include Alejandro Iñárritu's Amores Perros, Marcel Camus' Black Orpheus, Eliseo Subiela's Dark Side of the Heart and Residente.

This episode celebrates the over 40 years of repertory film programming at International House of Philadelphia while looking ahead to its future with a new name, the Light Box Film Center. I'm joined by Jesse Pires, Chief Curator to talk about their launch event featuring a 25th Anniversary screening of Allison Anders' Gas, Food Lodging. Featured soundtracks are all inspired by past programs shown on the big screen at International House and include Wim Wenders' Kings of the Road, Robert Mugge's Sun Ra: A Joyful Noise and Bill Pypmton's The Tune.

This episode of Pulling Focus is a conversation with local film curator, filmmaker, cultural critic, fashionista, Maori Karmael Holmes. She invited 2 filmmakers. Nefertite Nguvu (In the Morning) and Kimi Takasue (95 and 6 to Go) to talk about their recent films screening here in Philadelphia in May 2017. In the Morning follows a group young, hip folks on a day in Brooklyn and that got me thinking about other films with strong ensemble casts full of young breakout talents. Soundtracks featured in this episode include Diner and Chacun cherche son chat plus music by Danny Elfman, Bahamadia, Greg Tate and Abby Dobson.

Continuing the celebration of National Poetry Month but this time adding jazz to the mix. April is designated as Jazz Appreciation Month in Philadelphia and here at WPPM we have been pulling out all the stops highlighting the tremendous community of jazz musicians of all genres and generations. I'll put playing of some seminal jazz film tracks film noir to the French new wave. And in just a few minutes I will be having a conversation with poet Beth Feldman Brandt who was commissioned by the Philadelpia Jazz Project to adapt her poems to the stage and combine them with jazz in the work Retro Love. Aired on WPPM 106.5 FM in Philadelphia in April 2017.

It being National Poetry Month, this edition of Pulling Focus puts films that feature poetry in the foreground. Program also features a short audio piece recorded during a hand processing workshop led by experimental filmmaker Kathryn Ramey. Hear music from films by Jim Jarmusch, Robert Frank, Nina Patel and others. Featured artists include Lynn Sheffield and David Amram, Annette Hanshaw, Masala Dosa, Screamin' Jay Hawkins and more.

This episode of Pulling Focus aired on WPPM in Philadelphia on March 21, 2017. This is an all music episode built around the theme of great concert films. It features jazz. Latin, RnB, ska, bluegrass and Rock n Roll from films like Stop Making Sense, Jazz on a Summer's Day, Dave Chappelle's Block Party, Wattstax, Woodstock and The Last Waltz and featuring artists Dinah Washington, Buena Vista Social Club, Talking Heads, David Bowie, The Selector and more.

Recorded on the eve of International Women's Day, this episode of Pulling Focus puts women directors in the foreground and features interviews with Laris Kreslins, programmer of the Women's Animation Festival, and animators Emily Hubley and Signe Baumane. For more info about the festival go to http://moore.edu/calendar/moore-women-artists-film-festival-women-in-animation.

This episode of Pulling Focus is an Oscar preview and features an interview with Hebert Peck, one of the producers of the Oscar nominated I Am Not Your Negro. Original air date on WPPM in Philadelphia, 2/21/2017. Featured artists include Maurice Jarre, Mychael Danna, Nicholas Britell, Little Jimmie Scott, Alexi Aigui, words by James Baldwin and more.

This edition of Pulling Focus is a crowd sourced mix of songs about movies. Original air date on WPPM in Philadelphia, 2/14/17. Au Cinema by Lianne La Havas Skate Away by Dire Straits Clint (Silence on tourne) by Thomas Dutronc Matinee Idol by Rufus Wainwright Mon Pere se prenait pour Fred Astaire by Antoine Brimful of Asha by Cornershop Celluloid Heroes by Kinks B Movie by Elvis Costello What's Your Take on Cassavetes by Le Tigre - Films by Gary Numan Gary Numan by Let's all go to the Lobby Let's Go to the Movies by Ozomatli Saturday Night at the Movies by The Drifters Grace Kelly by Mika The Film of My Love by 10 cc