Soundtracking With Edith Bowman

Our latest guest is a giant of British comedy, whose unerring originality, wit and satirical brilliance have long since earned him global recognition. Armando Iannucci's CV is enviable, with credits including The Day Today, Alan Partridge, The Thick Of It, In The Loop and Veep (for which he won two Emmys). His latest project is The Death Of Stalin, a so-called comedy of terrors about the power struggles which followed the passing of the eponymous dictator in 1953. The film is available on home entertainment formats now, and we strongly recommend you check it out if you haven't already. Musically, The Death Of Stalin allowed Armando to indulge his passion for classical music, with the likes of Shostakovich providing sonic inspiration for Christopher Willis's excellent score. You'll hear plenty of extracts from that, as well as the actual recording of a Mozart piano concerto that may very well have been a matter of life and death.

Our latest episode of Soundtracking is a celebration of all things 007, following an event recorded at the London Film Museum with David Arnold and Don Black.  The pair have Bond in their blood. Don has provided lyrics for some of the most memorable title tunes, while David has scored 5 of the movies - including The World Is Not Enough, Tomorrow Never Dies and Casino Royale. You'll hear plenty of examples of their work, alongside that of the great John Barry, whose themes and score is so inextricably linked to the success of the franchise.   We should say that due to circumstances beyond our control, the sound is pretty poor in places, so many apologies for that. But the music, of course, is of the very highest quality ... 

In what is surely one of the biggest cinematic events of all time, let alone the year, Avengers: Infinity War hit screens around the globe last week, breaking records galore and garnering widespread critical acclaim to boot. So it's with great excitement that we welcome the directors Anthony and Joe Russo to Soundtracking. Boasting a stellar ensemble cast, Infinity War sees numerous characters from the Marvel Universe join forces to prevent intergalactic despot Thanos from destroying, well, everything.  Don't worry, though, there are no further spoilers here, not least because Edith was only allowed to see 20 minutes of the film at the time of recording the interview.  What we do have for you is Anthony and Joe talking about Alan Silvestri's score, their love of needle-drop, Henry Jackman's work on Captain America, the genius that is Mark Mothersbaugh, David Schwartz's screwball approach to the music in Arrested Development and reflections upon Community, which saw the brothers collaborate with Ludwig

Without wishing to sound sycophantic, it's hard to imagine a more humble talent that Garth Jennings. During this episode, he and Edith discuss many of his extraordinary creative endeavours - though on hearing the conversation you'd be forgiven for thinking he'd had next to nothing to do with any of them at all.  Don't be fooled.  Having founded production company Hammer & Tongs with Dominic Leung and Nick Goldsmith in 1993, Garth has been instrumental in a string of iconic music videos and also written and directed Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, Son of Rambow and most recently Sing.  Oh yes, he's penned a children's book too.  Expect music from composer Joby Talbot, Blur, Fatboy Slim, Betty Wright and more.

It's been a while since we had any acting talent on the show, so it gives us great pleasure to welcome the wonderful John Simm to Soundtracking. John has appeared in many great productions on stage and screen. He is perhaps best known for his roles in Life on Mars as Sam Tyler and Doctor Who as The Master, with recent appearances in Collateral on the BBC and Trauma on ITV. His films include Wonderland, Human Traffic, and 24 Hour Party People - and we'll obviously be featuring tracks from all of these projects throughout the conversation. He's also an accomplished musician, with plenty more about his exploits on that front featuring too. 

It's another very special Soundtracking this week as we take you to the Everyman Cinema in Hampstead, where director Alex Garland and his composers Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury came together for a Q&A following an exclusive screening of Annihilation. As you may know, the film hasn't had a cinematic release outside the US. You can, however, watch Annihilation on Netflix, and it's well worth your time if you haven't seen it already. Unusually for us, there a couple of spoilers in this episode too, which is all the more reason to check the movie out. Before Alex joined everyone on stage, Edith caught up with Geoff and Ben in the bar to discuss their other work, specifically on Ex Machina and Ben Wheatley's Free Fire. Their first score together was for Dredd. At least, it would have been had the studio not decided it wasn't suitable for the film. Thankfully, they shared their efforts anyway under the guise of Drokk. And it's with a spot of Drokk that we began - which basically means you're in for a re

This week's episode has been a long-time coming. We reckon Edith spoke to director Todd Haynes just before Christmas - after his latest film Wonderstruck received a 3 minute standing ovation at last year's Cannes film festival - and we've been desperate to share our chat ever since. Well, the moment has come, as Wonderstruck finally gets an official UK release - though you may already have been lucky enough to see it on Amazon.  Based on the bestselling novel by Brian Selznick, who also wrote the screenplay, Wonderstruck intertwines two stories set 50 years apart about children Rose and Ben, both of whom are on quests to find their parents. In a novel twist, Rose's story plays out as a black and white silent movie, which presented various challenges for composer Carter Burwell.  As well of plenty of examples of Carter's score, you'll also hear music from Thom Yorke, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday and more.

Before Lynne Ramsay, there was composer Lorne Balfe. For Lorne was the very first guest on Soundtracking Live, as part of the British Film Institute's Big Thrill Season back in November. We then went on to speak to Lynne at the Glasgow Film Festival, with Alex Garland, Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury to come soon following a great chat we had after a special screening of Annihilation at the Everyman cinema in Hampstead, London.  The list of films Lorne has worked upon is mighty impressive, from Dunkirk and The Lego Batman Movie to Ghost In The Shell and Geostorm. He's also produced excellent work for television, with Genius and The Crown among his credits. 

Almost by definition, anyone who listens to this show will have been deeply saddened by the recent death of composer Jóhann Jóhannsson. Well, the moment has come for us to pay our little tribute, as we talk to director Garth Davis about Mary Magdalene, the last film Jóhann worked on. In this episode, Garth discusses Mary, his previous film Lion, and of course Jóhann, who teamed up with fellow Icelander Hildur Guðnadóttir for his final score. On another note, if you're an EE customer, we have some exciting news for you, as EE are offering 2 free tickets to see Call Me By Your Name at selected Vue and Odeon cinemas across the UK.  The screening is taking place on the 26th March as part of the Our Screen initiative – with each customer getting 2 tickets using the code: EEBAFTA2018. You can choose your cinema and get tickets a ourscreen.com/eebafta.

Having brought you Lynne Ramsay in conversation from the Glasgow Film Festival in our previous episode, we're on location once again here on Soundtracking in partnership with the EE BAFTAs, this time at London's world-famous AIR studios. For that's where Edith caught up with Junkie XL - aka Tom Holkenborg - on the day he recorded the string parts of his score for Tomb Raider. Tomb Raider is directed by Norwegian Roar Uthaug, and we're delighted to say Edith caught up with him separately to discuss what he asked of his composer, the tone he wanted for the film and K.Flay's excellent end credit track, Run For Your Life. There's also a sonic treat for old-skool gamers before we're done too. But where else could we begin than with Tom in the control room at AIR …

Something slightly different on Soundtracking in partnership with the EE BAFTAs this week, as we bring you an edited version of Soundtracking Live with Lynne Ramsay at the Glasgow Film Festival. Lynne is one of Edith's favourite directors, so it really was an honour to welcome her on stage in front of a very appreciative live audience. Her latest film You Were Never Really Here has garnered 5 star review after 5 star review. It stars Joaquin Phoenix and is scored by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood. We'll hear plenty of Jonny's work throughout the course of the conversation, as well as cues from We Need To Talk About Kevin, Movern Caller and Ratcatcher

We have a treat for you on this week's episode of Soundtracking in partnership with the EE BAFTAs, as Duncan and Clint join Edith from LA If not a match made in heaven, then it was certainly a match made on Moon. For that was their first collaboration. Such was the success of that film it seemed inevitable the pair would re-unite - and so it is they us to discuss their latest project together - the Netflix Original film, Mute. Co-written and directed by Duncan, Mute tells the story of a mute bartender searching for his girlfriend, who mysteriously disappears in a near-future Berlin. It was an incredibly personal film for him, given the time he spent in the city with his father, David Bowie, during the 1970s. During the interview, we discuss the thoughts and processes behind Clint's score, Duncan's needle-drops and the more general sonic tone he was aiming for. We also explore Moon in detail too. 

We're not gonna lie, Greta Gerwig is one of Edith's favourite actors, so all objectivity has gone out of the window during this week's episode of Soundtracking in partnership with the EE BAFTAs. In fairness, everyone seems to agree her directorial debut Lady Bird (which she also wrote) is a triumph. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf and Timothee Chalomet, it charts the turbulent relationship of the eponymous teenager and her mother - with the narrative by turns irreverent, hilarious, brutally honest and deeply moving.   The score is provided by Jon Brion, who has that uncanny ability to blend traditional orchestration with a tone that's modern and offbeat.  The soundtrack, meanwhile, is an absolute gem, featuring the likes of The Monkees, John Cale, Justin Timberlake and Reel Big Fish. While it would have been tempting to include super-cool records - for want of a better expression - Greta instead went for songs that her characters would have been listening to at the turn of the Millennium.

As anyone who's paid attention to Edith talking film over the years knows, she's a big fan of how Marvel Studios have transposed their comic book universe to the big screen. So it gives us great pleasure here at Soundtracking in partnership with the EE BAFTAs to report that the latest addition to the canon, Black Panther, is a rip-roaring success. And it gives us even greater pleasure to welcome writer / director Ryan Coogler and Executive Producer Nate Moore to the programme. You'd have to go a long way to find a more suitable movie for us to discuss. For starters, there's the accompanying album, 'Black Panther: Music From And Inspired By ...', which was masterminded by Kendrick Lamar and features the likes of Anderson Paak, James Blake, SZA and Vince Staples. Then there's the wildly inventive and original score courtesy of Ryan's friend and longtime collaborator, Ludwig Göransson, who also worked with him on Fruitvale Station and Creed. It was a real labour of love for Ludwig, who spent a cons

Another week, another Oscar winner chats to Soundtracking in partnership with the EE BAFTAs. These days, the quality and quantity of original programming on streaming services is quite astounding - with A-list talent delivering high-class drama time and time again. One of Netflix's standout series of 2017 was Mindhunter. Overseen by David Fincher, it tells the story of how the FBI's profiling unit came into being in the 1970s. By turns dark, funny, moving, cool and brutal, it also makes great use of contemporary pop & rock. So it's with great pleasure that we welcome Asif Kapadia to the show, who directed two episodes of the first season. Asif has won numerous awards for The Warrior, Senna and Amy, with the latter scooping the Oscar for Best Documentary. There will, of course, be plenty of examples of Amy Winehouse's music throughout the course of the conversation, as well as composer Antonio Pinto's work on both Amy and Senna.

We have more exponents of world-class animation in our latest episode of Soundtracking in partnership with the EE BAFTAs, this time from Disney Pixar. Having just spoken to Nick Park, we're delighted to be joined by two key figures from the studios - writer / director Lee Unkrich and producer Darla Anderson. Having previously joined forces for Toy Story 3, Lee and Darla's latest project is the wonderful Coco. Coco follows 12-year old Mexican, Miguel, a would-be musician who is accidentally transported to the land of the dead, where he seeks the help of his great-great grandfather to return to his family in the land of the living. Like so many of Pixar's previous offerings, it has gone down a storm with both critics and audiences - with a 97 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and gross worldwide takings of $700 million to date. Music is central to the narrative. As well as original compositions performed by the characters, there's a rich score from Pixar stalwart Michael Giacchino. You'll he

Edith's latest episode of Soundtracking in partnership with the EE BAFTAs is with a man who's won a fair few in his time: the one and only Nick Park. As well as national treasures Wallace and Gromit, he and Aardman Animations have also brought us Creature Comforts, Shaun The Sheep, Chicken Run and now full-length feature Early Man. Starring Eddie Redmayne, Masie Williams, Tom Hiddlestone and Timothy Spall among many other great actors, Early Man is a prehistoric underdog yarn fizzing with all the wit and charm we so associate with Nick's previous offerings. The score arrives courtesy of Harry Gregson-Williams and Tom Howe, and there are also contemporary source cues by Kaiser Chiefs, New Hope Club and The Vamps. Don't forget, we're also encouraging you to vote for the EE Rising Star award at the 2018 BAFTAs, so head to ee.co.uk/bafta to do just that ...

Despite being a thoroughly humble and unassuming sort, Joe Wright has led quite the life. From drinking in the pub as a youngster with Kathy Burke to creating live visuals for The Chemical Brothers, he's long held ties to key players in British culture. Not that he's become a director of great repute on anything other than merit - as evidenced by his latest movie, Darkest Hour. Telling the story of Winston Churchill's early days as Prime Minister during World War II, Darkest Hour revolves around an extraordinary central performance from Gary Oldman, which has already landed him a Golden Globe. But the brilliance of this film is about so much more than that - thanks in no small part to Joe's all-encompassing vision.  Darkest Hour is up for a whopping nine awards at the EE BAFTAs. As well as Gary's inevitable nomination, these include Best Film and, appropriately enough for our purposes, Best Music for Dario Marianelli.  On Joe's instruction, Dario's score was inspired by the modernist movement of the

In a very special bumper edition of Soundtracking, Edith is joined by all five of the nominees for the EE BAFTA Rising Star award. They are, in no particular order, Daniel Kaluuya, Florence Pugh, Timothée Chalamet, Tessa Thompson and Josh O'Connor. As well as getting to know about them as actors and individuals, we'll also be interspersing score and source music from their films in the usual way, and finding out about their diverse sonic tastes. Accordingly, you'll hear music by Giggs, Frank Ocean, Keaton Henson, Alt-J, Psychedelic Furs, Sufjan Stevens, Talking Heads, Korn, Max Richter and many more. This award is voted for by the public, so head to ee.co.uk/bafta to get involved.

With his first two films In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths, Martin McDonagh made the transition from world famous playwright to high-class filmmaker seem deceptively straightforward. Such a shift is anything but, of course. But he continues the trend with his latest offering - the jet black comedy drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missourti. Hotly tipped for success this coming awards season, it tells the story of a woman in the eponymous town who lays down a challenge to local police to take greater action over the unsolved murder of her daughter. Among its many delights are barnstorming central performances from Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson. Three Billboards is scored by Carter Burwell, who has collaborated on all three of his feature films. Their partnership is a dream come true for Martin, who fell in love with his work on the Coen brothers' Blood Simple as a teenager ...