The Hand of Fate Hands down, my favorite M. Night Shyamalan movie is Signs. The humor, the humanity, and the early fall scenery of Pennsylvania (my home state) just get me every time. It’s a movie that I return to every single fall. The soundtrack […]

The First I Love You My wife and I just rewatched the first 4 seasons of Stranger Things with our son Matthew. Neither of us had watched season 4, and it was incredible. The soundtrack of Stranger Things is the typical 80’s synth excellence we’ve […]

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s signature brand of chaos is accompanied by the music of Danny Elfman — a name synonymous with quirky, unforgettable melodies. His music has long been a staple of Tim Burton’s imaginative and gothic worlds;  including Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Alice in Wonderland, and Corpse […]

Beyond Desolation Gustavo Santaolalla’s haunting and evocative score for The Last of Us Part II — exemplifies his mastery of cinematic sound. His melodies accompany Ellie’s journey, with a signature blend of traditional Latin American instruments and modern electronic sounds. The music perfectly captures the […]

Every 27 Years [Updated and reposted from 2017.] Every 27 Years is a hauntingly beautiful composition by composer, Benjamin Wallfisch, that was featured in the 2017 film adaptation of Stephen King’s IT. The piece serves as a thematic undercurrent — hinting at the cyclical nature […]

Alien Alien (1979) is a groundbreaking film that follows the crew of the commercial spaceship Nostromo, as they investigate a mysterious signal on a desolate planet, and encounter a deadly extraterrestrial creature. The film’s claustrophobic suspense, and iconic (H.R. Giger) creature design have made it […]

Skyfall As the highest-grossing Bond film of all time, Skyfall raked in a stunning $1.1 billion upon its release in 2012. Adjusted for inflation, that would be $1.5 billion today. The other Daniel Craig era Bond films have massive box office numbers, but none of […]

Bathroom Dance Todd Phillips’ 2019 film, Joker, is a gritty exploration of mental health and societal alienation. The film follows Arthur Fleck, a struggling comedian who descends into madness, culminating in a city-wide uprising. The film’s haunting atmosphere is greatly enhanced by the dread-filled soundtrack […]

I Remember Everything Zach Bryan is one of the biggest artists in America blending anthemic roots music, poetic lyrics, and a raw, bare bones delivery. His sold out live performances are literal revivals — with concert goers singing so loud, that they drown out the […]

Clocks To this day, Clocks is still mesmerizing. A truly compelling 4 bar progression: Eb Major, Bb Minor, Bb Minor, F Minor. That’s 3 minor shapes in a row — yet the riff sounds overwhelmingly positive — which is normally the domain of major chords. […]

The Prince That Was Promised House of the Dragon, begins nearly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. The show portrays the reign of House Targaryen, and their children battling for control of the Iron Throne. The glorious music is from Game of […]

Yellow Recently, early Coldplay songs have made a comeback with my teenage guitar students. I had forgotten how extraordinary these songs were, specifically from the first two albums, Parachutes and Rush of Blood to the Head. With “Yellow” I wanted to do a fingerstyle arrangement […]