Leyendo en el Hospital The score for The Motorcycle Diaries is widely regarded as one of Gustavo Santaolalla’s masterworks. Directed by Walter Salles, the 2004 film is adapted from the journals of two real-life Argentines, Alberto Granado and Ernesto Guevara de la Serna. Depicting the […]

The Last Samurai “The Last Samurai,” released in 2003, is an epic historical drama directed by Edward Zwick and starring Tom Cruise. Zwick has actually directed many of my favorite films; Glory, Legends of the Fall, and Blood Diamond to name a few. The Last […]

Kids “Kids”, by synth composers Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein, is a central theme from the Stranger Things soundtrack. It perfectly captures the show’s sense of wonder and 1980’s retro vibe. Of all of the musical motifs from the Netflix show, I think Kids (called […]

Where is My Mind This song was originally released in 1988 by The Pixies. It’s a true “indie” song — with a delightfully Lo-fi production. The drums sound like they were recorded with a single room mic. Where is My Mind was most famously used […]

Superman In December 2024, James Gunn posted a graphic on Instagram announcing the Superman (2025) trailer. The audio featured an ethereal, slightly Celtic reimagining of John Williams’ original theme. I thought it was stunning, and I immediately grabbed my guitar to start working on a […]

Now We Are Free “Now We Are Free” is one of Hans Zimmer’s most iconic themes, right up there with “Time” from Inception. Originally composed with vocalist Lisa Gerrard for Gladiator, the piece captures the Roman concept of the afterlife—Elysium—and the protagonist’s final journey home. […]

Writing’s On The Wall The theme of 2015’s Spectre is “Writings On The Wall”, by Sam Smith. The song reminds me of the campy, Roger Moore-era James Bond themes. With Sam Smith’s crooning falsetto, it feels more in league with songs like: “Nobody Does it […]

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 film I find myself returning to every single autumn. Beyond […]

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 […]

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 […]

Across the Stars This song is a beautiful motif by the greatest film composer of all time, John Williams. Across the Stars was recommended to me by one of my long time Intellimusica members, and it’s one of the all-time classic Star Wars themes. In […]