Settling the Score

Jon and Andy find themselves in a dither over Anton Karas' zither score for the 1949 noir classic The Third Man. Does this music perfectly capture the particular pathos of post-War Vienna, or is it silly and obviously wrong? How did the opportunity of a lifetime fall into Karas' lap? And, seriously though, what's the deal with this music?

Hear Jon and Andy go on and on, over and over and over and over again, about Philip Glass’ score to the 2002 literary drama The Hours. How does Glass' minimalism resonate with the movie's repeating and interwoven timelines? What is it implying about life and death? And, is it cheating?

Jon and Andy camp out on Hollywood Blvd. for another marathon episode on this year’s Oscar nominees for Best Original Score. Is it possible there are some trends in film scoring that have us excited? Do we completely understand them? And, should we have been listening to all this music in our sleep?

Come on down as Jon, Jon, Jon and Andy, Andy, Andy haunt Danny Elfman's score to the 1988 supernatural comedy Beetlejuice! How did Elfman's background stand him in good stead for this particular brand of craziness? Which of his formative musical influences shine through this score? And, what’s a painless way to buy an ’84 Ford?

Join Jon and Andy as they check into Alexandre Desplat's score for the 2014 Wes Anderson creation The Grand Budapest Hotel. How does Desplat's music align with Anderson's idiosyncratic perspective? What instruments give it its very particular zing? And, how might Wes Anderson edit this podcast differently?