First Love and the Falling Snow I wrote “First Love and the Falling Snow” for my wife, Jennifer — as we approach our 23rd Wedding Anniversary in just a few days. Foremost in my memory is one of our early dates in 1998. (As a […]

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 […]

Sam Mendes’ 2019 war epic, 1917, is a cinematic feat that immerses the audience in the horror of World War I. The film’s haunting and expansive score is from composer, Thomas Newman. The music conveys the emotional weight of the Lance Corporal Schofield (George MacKay) […]

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 […]

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 […]

La Muerte De La Poderosa I revisit The Motorcycle Diaries soundtrack often. The whole thing is a masterpiece. I love everything Gustavo Santaolalla does, but for me, the big two are: The Motorcycle Diaries and Brokeback Mountain. Gustavo Santaolalla’s work on The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) embodies […]

Invited “Invited” is of course, by multi-instrumentalist composer, Gustavo Santaolalla. Having won 2 Academy Awards, he’s widely considered one of the greatest film-composers of all time. This piece is originally played on Santaolalla’s signature instrument, the Ronroco (a small Andean guitar). The Last of Us […]

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 […]

Her Life Was Over, by Gustavo Santaolalla, is a short fingerstyle motif from the soundtrack of Wild Life. This film is a documentary about life of Doug Tompkins (founder of North Face) and his wife, Kris. Although the documentary is not widely known, the guitar […]

Theme for a Father Lost at Sea This piece is from Netflix’s Outer Banks, Season 3. The composer is Fil Eisler. It’s a beautiful, cinematic guitar piece that found it’s way onto my Spotify recommendation’s. While the beginning of the passage is relatively simple, and […]