F1: The Movie, immerses viewers in the high-stakes world of Formula One racing. The film stars Brad Pitt and is directed by Joseph Kosinski. If you mashed up the films — Top Gun: Maverick, and Days of Thunder (with Pitt’s own Tarantino character) Cliff Booth […]

Parting Ways Gustavo Santaolalla’s iconic guitar motifs, which are essential to the The Last of Us games, form the backbone of the HBO series’ score. While many of the original tracks have been adapted—often revised, shortened, and retitled—Santaolalla has also woven in brand new compositions. […]

The Path (A New Beginning) Within the critically acclaimed video game and HBO series The Last of Us, Gustavo Santaolalla’s “The Path (A New Beginning)” symbolizes hope, amidst a brutal world. Whether the song accompanies a hopeful glance across a ravaged landscape, or a moment […]

Smokestack Twins Directed by Ryan Coogler, the horror film Sinners unfolds in the Jim Crow-era Mississippi Delta in 1932. The film stars Michael B. Jordan in dual roles (as twin brothers) who return to their hometown to start again, only to be confronted by a […]

Sweater Weather My wife and I were in fertility treatments in late 2013 and most of 2014. There was a point (in the treatment) where we were driving out the facility every other day. At that time, Sweater Weather was the number one song on […]

Life on Mars? “Life on Mars?” is a highly acclaimed song by the iconic David Bowie. It was originally released on his 1971 album Hunky Dory and later as a single in 1973. The lyrics are surreal and cinematic, depicting a young girl’s escapist disillusionment […]

Renaissance “The White Lotus” is an acclaimed HBO anthology series, known for its social satire and dark comedy. Each season follows the wealthy guests and the staff at a luxurious “White Lotus” resort, with each location providing a new backdrop for the unfolding dramedy. “Renaissance” […]

The Last of Us Part II Gustavo Santaolalla’s score for “The Last of Us Part II” deepens the game’s harrowing, emotional landscape. The title theme is played on some type of guitar-banjo (played as an actual 6 string guitar). We can also see elements of […]

Summertime Sadness “Summertime Sadness” by Lana Del Rey, is a bittersweet anthem with a dreamy and cinematic production. I love Lana’s signature breathy, crooning vocals. Together it creates an atmosphere of beautiful longing. It’s a summer song that acknowledges the shadows within the sunshine — […]

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 […]

Resolve This piece is from the HBO Max series, The Last of Us (season 1). The series is directly based on the iconic PlayStation game where —  in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by a fungal pandemic, Joel, a hardened smuggler, is tasked with escorting Ellie, […]

Severance Severance is a psychological thriller series on Apple TV+ about employees at Lumon Industries who have undergone a “severance” procedure, surgically dividing their memories between their work and personal lives. This creates two distinct versions of themselves: one for work (the “innie”) and one […]