Episode #37, The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears with Blanck Mass

On this episode, we're talking with Blanck Mass about the rescore of the 2013 giallo film, The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears. Blanck Mass is better known as Benjamin John Power, one half of Fuck Buttons. In 2015, Powers was commissioned by the East End Film Festival to curate a rescore for Bruno Forzani and Héléne Catet's film. The original score for The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears wasn't actually original. Instead, as the University of Wisconsin's Mike King wrote in a blog post for UW's Cinematheque, "much of the soundtrack is directly lifted from the 1970s cinema that inspires them."

Tracklist:
Blanck Mass, "John Doe's Carnival of Error" (World Eater)
Ennio Morricone, "Erotico Mistico" (Maddalena)
Blanck Mass, "Laura's Blood" (The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears Re-Score)
Blanck Mass, "The Hole" (The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears Re-Score)

From the Stereo to Your Screen #4, "Oingo Boingo & Weird Science"

It only seems natural that Danny Elfman would end up doing film scores, given the number of times his Los Angeles psychotic cabaret act, Oingo Boingo, had their music appear in films during the ‘80s. Their appearance in Back to School doing “Dead Man’s Party” is one of that movie’s more iconic scenes, and they’re all over the soundtrack to 1984’s Bachelor Party, also appearing in the film itself.

However, it’s the title track for the 1985 sci-fi comedy, Weird Science, with which I identify the band cinematically. The film’s a John Hughes joint that manages to simultaneously revisit the themes for which the director’s best known — such as finding the strength within yourself — while also being a film wherein a computer-created woman can summon mutant bikers to a party.

On this episode of From the Stereo to Your Screen, we discuss Oingo Boingo's video for "Weird Science," from the film Weird Science. You can read the original column and see the video at Cinepunx.

Episode #36, Joe Bob Briggs

Movie critic Joe Bob Briggs is known for his reviews of drive-in movies, even if there aren't all that many drive-ins around these days. He's become something of a go-to guy for films with exploding heads, car chases, nudity, and all aspects of action, be it kung-fu, car-fu, or chainsaw-fu. While he was once best known for his hosting duties on The Movie Channel and TNT, introducing films as part of Joe Bob's Drive-In and MonsterVision, he's now an author of some repute, with the essential movie guides Profoundly Erotic: Sexy Movies that Changed History and Profoundly Disturbing: Shocking Movies that Changed History.

Tracklist:
Joe Bob Briggs, "MonsterVision" (TNT's MonsterVision)
Herschel Gordon Lewis, "Blood Feast Main Title" (The Amazing Film Scores of Herschel Gordon Lewis)
Gary Ham, "Prescription Beer" (The Howling 7: New Moon Rising)
Herschel Gordon Lewis, "Robert E Lee Broke His Musket on His Knee" (The Golden Turkey Album)
John Carpenter, "Assault on Precinct 13" (Assault on Precinct 13 OST)

From the Stereo to Your Screen #3, "Last Action Hero & AC/DC"

1993's Last Action Hero bombed so hard, people were baffled at how good and successful the following year’s True Lies ended up being. That, however, was basically a last gasp, and with the exception of Schwarzenegger’s appearances in the Expendables films, his ability to make a film make bank with his name above the title essentially ended with Last Action Hero.

Watching the video for AC/DC's "Big Gun," one can easily start to parse out why. Whereas the video for the prior year’s “You Could Be Mine” by Guns ‘n’ Roses saw Arnold being a cold, calculating badass, this one is precisely the opposite.

On this episode of From the Stereo to Your Screen, we discuss AC/DC's video for "Big Gun," from the film Last Action Hero. You can read the original column and see the video at Cinepunx.

Episode #35, 48 Hours with the BusBoys' Brian O'Neal

On this episode, we're talking with Brian O'Neal of the BusBoys about the band's appearance in the buddy-cop classic, 48 Hours. The 1982 film was the film debut of Eddie Murphy. In it, he plays convict Reggie Hammond, who is taken out of jail for the titular period of time in order to help Nick Nolte's cop, Jack Cates, catch a thief and murderer named Albert Ganz. It's funny, cool, and made Murphy a huge star. 

In one of the film's two rather classic nightclub scenes, at a bar Vroman's, Hammond tries to pick up a lady while a band play some kick-ass boogie-woogie rock 'n' roll behind it all. That band, the BusBoys, plays a song, "The Boys Are Back In Town," which is so immediately catchy that it makes a return over the end credits, and even gets referenced in the tagline for the sequel, Another 48 Hours, when it came out eight years later. Strangely, it never saw release as a single -- or in any form -- until the Busboys re-recorded it in 2000 for their fourth album, (Boys Are) Back in Town, along with the other song from the film, "New Shoes." We talk about all of this with O'Neal, as well as the band's work on the soundtrack for Ghostbusters.

Tracklist:
James Horner, "48 Hours Main Title" (48 Hours OST)
The BusBoys, "The Boys Are Back In Town" (48 Hours OST)
The BusBoys, "New Shoes" (48 Hours OST)
The BusBoys, "Cleanin' Up the Town" (Ghostbusters OST)

From the Stereo to Your Screen #2, "Addams Family & MC Hammer"

The brightest stars burn briefest, as the saying goes. MC Hammer’s Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt ‘Em and Too Legit to Quit were released back-to-back in 1990 and 1991, and by the time The Funky Headhunter dropped three years later, hip-hop had moved from the pop-friendly jams of Hammer, Young MC, and Vanilla Ice to the likes of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Tupac.

On this episode of From the Stereo to Your Screen, we discuss Hammer's video for "Addams Groove," from the film The Addams Family. You can read the original column and see the video at Cinepunx.

Episode #34, April March's "Chick Habit"

On this episode, we're talking with April March about her song, "Chick Habit.," an English language rewrite of the song, "Laisse tomber les filles," composed by Serge Gainsbourg and originally performed by France Gall. March's song was featured in the opening credits of 1999's But I'm A Cheerleader, and in the closing credits of Death Proof in 2007. We go deep into the history of March's version, as well as discussing her upcoming projects.

Tracklist:
France Gall, "Laisse tomber les filles" (Laisse tomber les filles)
April March, "Chick Habit" (Gainsbourgsion!)
Cecil Milner, "Blaze of Brass"
King Palmer, "Holiday Playtime"
Shitbirds, "Oh Joy!" (Oh Joy!)

From the Stereo to Your Screen #1, "Clerks & Soul Asylum"

We talk the video for Soul Asylum's "Can't Even Tell" from the soundtrack to Clerks for the inaugural episode of From and Inspired By the Stereo to Your Screen. These podcasts will be short mini-episodes focusing on music videos for various films, and will run in the weeks where there aren't new episodes of From & Inspired By. Episodes are audio versions of the From the Stereo to Your Screen columns I write over at Cinepunx.

Episode #33, Kay Hanley of Letters to Cleo

Letters to Cleo came out of Boston in the early '90s, and scored a hit with their song "Here and Now," from the 1993 LP, Aurora Gory Alice. That song received a nice bump as part of the soundtrack to the Beverly Hills 90210 spin-off, Melrose Place, when it was released in 1994. The band also had music in The Craft, wherein they covered the Cars' song, "Dangerous Type."

The band had two further covers, along with two originals, when they not only appeared on the soundtrack to the 1999 teen romance 10 Things I Hate About You, but also made multiple appearances in the movie as Julia Stile's character's favorite band. Letters to Cleo would disband a year later, with frontwoman Kay Hanley recording the vocals for all of the Josie & the Pussycats songs in 2001.

On this episode, we discuss the band's work in these films with Hanley, as well as talking about Letters to Cleo's new EP, which you can pre-order here.

Tracklist:
Letters to Cleo, "I Want You to Want Me" (10 Things I Hate About You OST)
Letters to Cleo, "Dangerous Type" (The Craft OST)
Letters to Cleo, "Cruel to Be Kind" (10 Things I Hate About You OST)
Josie & the Pussycats, "3 Small Words" (Josie & the Pussycats OST)
Letters to Cleo, "Here and Now" (Aurora Gory Alice)

Episode #32, The Splathouse with Jim 'Rock' Schiller

Happy New Year! We're back from our holiday hiatus. Welcome back to the show. For our first episode of 2017, we're talking with Jim 'Rock' Schiller, the man behind the music and production of The Splathouse, one of our favorite new podcasts of 2016.

The Splathouse is a weekly podcast focused on cult and classic films. Episodes include a panel discussion around the film of the week, celebrity critic interviews and picks, artist interviews with actors, directors, and crew, and discussions with independent film distributors.

It's a goddamn delight, and we were happy to speak with Schiller about his work on the show, as well as his musical endeavours with San Francisco comedy rock band For the Ladies and hip-hop duo Emu & Lookalike.

Episode #31, Rex Hobart & The Misery Boys

On this episode, we're looking at the latest movie from director Ang Lee, Billy Lynn's Long Half-Time Walk, and talking the soundtrack with Scott Hobart, frontman for Kansas City honky-tonk outfit, Rex Hobart & the Misery Boys. 

It was quite a surprise to see a Kansas City band on the soundtrack to such a big-budget movie from a marquee director, so we reached out to the eponymous Rex Hobart of Rex Hobart & the Misery Boys, better known as Scott, and discussed how their two songs came to be in Ang Lee's film, as well as the band's music in Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys.

Tracklist:
Rex Hobart & the Misery Boys, "Forever Always Ends" (The Spectacular Sadness Of)
Rex Hobart & the Misery Boys, "Gotta Get Back to Forgetting You" (Your Favorite Fool)
Rex Hobart & the Misery Boys, "Nothin' But Nothin'" (Forever Always Ends)
Rex Hobart & the Misery Boys, "A Long Shot of Hard Stuff" (A Long Shot of Hard Stuff)
Ying Yang Twins feat. Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, "Salt Shaker" (Me & My Brother)

Episode #30, Record Store Day Black Friday 2016 with Tony Giles

We once again welcome Tony Giles, of the Damn Fine Cast, the Lakeshore Records podcast, and 5/5/78, to talk Record Store Day releases. This Friday, November 25, brings a slew of exclusives to record stores for Black Friday, and we break down the various soundtrack and score-related titles. We also both offer up out most-anticipated non soundtrack releases.

Tracklist:

Charles Fox and Bob Crewe, "Barbarella" (Barbarella)
Sesame Street, "Letter B" (Born to Add)
Eric Cartman, "O Holy Night" (South Park: Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics)
Puscifer, "Rev 22:20" (Underworld OST)
Electric Wizard, "Dunwich" (Witchcult Today)

Episode #29, Basketball with Reel Big Fish's Aaron Barrett

On this episode, we're looking at Baseketball, the 1998 American sports comedy film co-written and directed by David Zucker and starring South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. We discuss the Mojo Records soundtrack with Aaron Barrett, frontman for long-running ska-punk act Reel Big Fish, who were not only on the soundtrack, but in the film itself.

Tracklist:

Reel Big Fish, "Take On Me" (Baseketball OST)
Reel Big Fish, "Beer" (Turn the Radio Off)
Reel Big Fish, "241" (Turn the Radio Off)
The Supersuckers, "Psyched Out" (Baseketball OST)

Episode #28, Wu-Tang Kung-Fu with Dustin Pryor

On this episode, we delve into the way music can open your mind to new movies and vice versa, courtesy the intersection of the Wu-Tang Clan and kung-fu films. To delve into this, we talk with Dustin Pryor of the Media Rewind podcast. It's a great discussion, and we get into some interesting areas, not the least of which is a much-deserved RZA lovefest.

Speaking of which -- the RZA is currently touring a live re-score of The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. There's one date left: November 10 at the Town Hall in Manhattan. You can find details here.

Tracklist:
Wu-Tang Clan, "Wu-Tang Ain't Nuthing Ta F' With" (Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers))
Wu-Tang Clan, "Bring Da Ruckus" (Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers))
Wu-Tang Clan, "Uzi (Pinky Ring)" (Iron Flag)
Wu-Tang Clan, "Triumph" (Wu-Tang Forever)
Wu-Tang Clan, "Gravel Pit" (The W)

Episode #27, Red State with Adam Lee

The 2011 film, Red State, was the first departure of Kevin Smith from his rather more comedic roots. It’s a grindhousey horror action film more akin to The Devil’s Rejects than the suburban hi-jinks of Mallrats or Clerks. Smith self-produced the whole film, then released it under his own Smodcast Films banner.

In an interesting turn of events, as Smith was wrapping filming on the movie in October of 2010, he put out a call via Twitter for speed metal and country tunes. The country tune he picked was Adam Lee & the Dead Horse Sound Company's "Drinking, Cheating, Loving, and Leaving," from their 2010 album, When the Spirits Move Me. We spoke by phone with Adam Lee about that song, as well as Smith’s movie Tusk. We started off with a discussion of Lee’s new solo album, Sincerely Me, which was released earlier this year.

Tracklist:
Adam Lee & the Dead Horse Sound Co., "Drinking, Cheating, Loving, and Leaving" (When the Spirits Move Me)
Adam Lee, "Good Days" (Sincerely, Me)
Adam Lee & the Dead Horse Sound Co., "Holy Roller" (When the Spirits Move Me)
Adam Lee, "Stray Cat" (Sincerely, Me)
Adam Lee, "Misery" (Sincerely, Me)

Episode #26, The Nice Guys

On this episode, we're talking about the soundtrack to the most recent film from director Shane Black, The Nice Guys, out now on Blu-ray. I was hooked from the moment that the Temptations' "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" played over the opening credits, but that's just me. The very utter '70s-ness of the soundtrack really sets the time for The Nice Guys, and mixes rock 'n' roll with funky soul in a way few soundtracks do. It's nice to see a music director recognize that people could listen to Brick and KISS within the same day, rather than treating them like they're from different planets.

We also discuss the amazing double vinyl LP release of the soundtrack from iam8bit.

Tracklist:

The Temptations, "Papa Was A Rolling Stone"
Earth Wind & Fire, "September"
The Band, "Ain't Got No Home"
Brick, "Dazz"
Al Green, "Love and Happiness"

Episode #25, Septemburton with the Alamo Drafthouse's Ryan Davis

On September 30, 20th Century Fox will release Tim Burton's latest feature film, an adaptation of Ransom Riggs' 2011 young adult novel, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. In celebration of the director's latest, as well as his entire career, the Alamo Drafthouse will turn the month of September into Septemburton, with screenings of Burton's best films, including a 35mm screening of 1989's Batman. We spoke with Ryan Davis, creative manager of Kansas City's Alamo Drafthouse Main Street by phone about the series, as well as some of his favorite Burton films.

Afterward, we delve into our own thoughts regarding Prince's soundtrack for Burton's Batman. You should totally read Steven Hyden's 2012 AV Club article that makes the case far better than I ever could, entitled "Prince’s Batman soundtrack is not the embarrassment it’s reputed to be."

Tracklist:
Danny Elfman, "Beetlejuice Main Titles" (Beetlejuice OST)
Danny Elfman, "Big Fish (Titles)" (Big Fish OST)
Prince, "Trust" (Batman OST)
Prince, "Batdance" (Batman OST)
Prince, "Partyman" (Batman OST)
Danny Elfman, "The Bike Dream" (Pee-Wee's Big Adventure OST)

Episode #24, The Good The Tough & The Deadly

For those who enjoyed David J Moore's first massive, textbook-sized tome (World Gone Wild: A Survivor’s Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Movies), his latest -- The Good, the Tough & The Deadly: Action Movies & Stars 1960s-Present -- is even bigger, better, and badder. In addition to interviews with action stars and directors, he teamed up with the likes of Vern, Mike “McBeardo” McPadden, and Destroy All Movies’ Zack Carlson to write reviews. It's a fantastic bit of reading and a very necessary addition to your reference library. We spoke with Moore via Skype about the book, as well as the majesty of his favorite action soundtrack -- 1987's Over the Top.

Tracklisting:

Alan Silvestri, "The Delta Force" (Delta Force OST)
Vince DiCola, "Training Montage" (Rocky IV OST)
James Horner, "Commando Main Title" (Commando OST)
Kenny Loggins, "Meet Me Halfway" (Over the Top OST)
Sammy Hagar, "Winner Takes It All" (Over the Top OST)
Paul Hertzog, "Advanced Training" (Kickboxer OST)

Blog Extra: Tito Larriva on Repo Man

Singer and guitarist Tito Larriva has had a healthy musical life in both the early days of the L.A. punk scene, as well as having his music featured in quite a few films. The first cinematic appearance of Larriva's music came as part of the iconic cult film, Repo Man, directed by Alex Cox in 1984, with his band the Plugz supplying both songs for the soundtrack and composing the score.

In more recent years, Larriva's been fronting Tito & Tarantula, whose music has popped up in quite a few Robert Rodriguez films, such as Desperado and From Dusk Til Dawn. Larriva's also scored films as diverse as the rather underrated Kevin Costner golf film, Tin Cup, and the Latina coming of age movie Mi Vida Loca.

Larriva wasn't able to speak with us for the podcast, but was kind enough to answer by e-mail some possible questions about his involvement in Repo Man we'd advanced his publicist.

How did you come to get involved with Repo Man?

Alex Cox was a fan of my punk band, the Plugz (late '70s/early '80s). He was a part of a video the Plugz did at UCLA and after he graduated from film school, we got together and talked about his idea for Repo Man and what direction he wanted for the score: punk Leone ...

What song from the film stands out most in your mind?

There are so many cool tracks it's hard to pick: Circle Jerks, Iggy's Repo Man theme -- hard to pick, really.

Where did the music come from -- your standard set, written specifically for the film, or a combination?

The songs, of course, were from the Plugz records, but the soundtrack I created with my friends Ruben and Stevie. The Plugz cut the tracks and I conducted it to the actual film: no click tracks back then. It was all done live to picture. Still my favorite way of doing things.

Bud: "I don't want no commies in my car. No Christians either." "Goddamn-dipshit-Rodriguez-gypsy-dildo-punks. I'll get your ass". "A repo man spends his life getting into tense situations". "Look at those assholes, ordinary fucking people. I hate 'em." "Only an asshole gets killed for a car."

Was there music which was left out of the film?

In regard to all the cues the we cut for the film: no, we used all of it. 

Did you have any involvement with the other music from the soundtrack?

I'm not sure what you mean by that. If you mean the score, we recorded all the music in the film but for one cue. It was a pretty cool cue, too, written by Zander Schloss, who was an actor in the movie. But all songs were from pre-existing records of the artists. Iggy's Repo Man theme was the only song that was specifically cut for the film.

How has the music aged for you?

Like a fine wine, my friend -- like a fine wine.

Did the music influence your later career? If so, how?

Very much so. Shortly after the release of the movie, I started a new band called the Cruzados. We had the punk Leone sound, got signed to a major label by Clive Davis, and had a short but very successful run all through the '80s.

What are your current projects?

Tito & Tarantula, of course. Lots of touring, maybe get a new record out before the year's over. A few film projects on the horizon but can't really talk about it to much. You know... I don't want to JINX it, so we'll leave it at that.

Episode #23, Scored to Death with J Blake Fichera

On this episode, we speak with J Blake Fichera, musician and author of the new book, Scored to Death: Conversations with Some of Horror's Greatest Composers, out now from Silman James.

In Scored to Death, the author spoke with 14 different composers of music for horror films. Be it the greats like Harry Manfredini, John Carpenter, and members of Goblin, or newcomers like Jeff Grace and Joseph Bishara, Fichera asks great questions and gets inside the creative processes of these amazing musicians. Scored to Death is the sort of book which appeals to newcomers to film score fandom, as well as deep-digging heads.

There's a chance at the end of the podcast to win a copy of Fichera's book, too!

Tracklisting:

Harry Manfredini, "House Main Titles" (House OST)
Goblin, "Profundo Rosso" (Deep Red OST)
John Carpenter, "Vortex" (Lost Themes)
Claudio Simonetti, "Demon" (Demons OST)
Bernard Herrmann, "Psycho" (Psycho OST)
Josepha Bishara, "The Conjuring" (The Conjuring OST)
Fabio Frizzi, "Suoni dissonanti" (City of the Living Dead OST)
Jeff Grace, "Original Inhabitants" (House of the Devil OST)