PERRY MASON: CHAPTER 1 (MUSIC FROM THE HBO® SERIES – SEASON 1) SOUNDTRACK NOW AVAILABLE ON WATERTOWER MUSIC

 

WaterTower Music is excited to announce today’s release of Perry Mason: Chapter 1 (Music From The HBO® Series - Season 1), which stars Matthew Rhys, and features 7 tracks from the show’s 1st episode. The five original score tracks were written by the artistic force that is six-time Grammy-winner, Oscar® 

nominated trumpeter/composer Terence Blanchard (Da 5 Bloods, BlacKkKlansman) who is featured on several of the tracks. The 2 jazz standards on the album feature Luke Carlsen and were performed by The Perry Mason New Year’s Eve Band. As episodes air, fans can look forward to additional music being released over the course of the season, culminating in a soundtrack at the season’s end. 

The prolific and highly respected musician discussed his work on the project. “Tim Van Patten is an amazing storyteller. Every inch of the screen is utilized to create a cinematic journey that is captivating and exciting. It is an honor to work on a series whose direction is so clear and able to take chances that are so daring. This is not your parent’s Perry Mason,” Blanchard continued. ”I tried to create a mixture of sonic colors from the period without being bound to it. At the same time, I wanted to create something contemporary and fresh.” 

Perry Mason: Chapter 1 (Music From The HBO® Series - Season 1) features 7 tracks from the 1st chapter (episode) and is now available on all digital platforms. The track list is as follows:

ABOUT PERRY MASON:  1931, Los Angeles. While the rest of the country struggles through the Great Depression, this city is booming! Oil! Olympic Games! Talking Pictures! Evangelical Fervor! And a child kidnapping gone very, very wrong! Based on characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner, this drama series follows the origins of American Fiction’s most legendary criminal defense lawyer, Perry Mason. When the case of the decade breaks down his door, Mason’s relentless pursuit of the truth reveals a fractured city and just maybe, a pathway to redemption for himself. 

ABOUT TERENCE BLANCHARD: Oscar® nominee, six-time Grammy-winner and 2018 USA Fellow trumpeter/composer Terence Blanchard has been a consistent artistic force for making powerful musical statements concerning painful American tragedies – past and present. 

From his expansive work composing the scores for Spike Lee films ranging from the documentary When the Levees Broke, about Blanchard’s hometown of New Orleans during the devastation from Hurricane Katrina to the epic Malcolm X; and the latest Lee film, Da 5 Bloods, Blanchard has interwoven melodies that created strong backdrops to human stories. 

Blanchard received an Oscar® nomination for his original score for Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman. He was also BAFTA nominated for his original music for the film. He won a Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition for writing “Blut Und Boden (Blood and Soil)” a track from BlacKkKlansman. 

More recently, Blanchard has composed his second opera, Fire Shut Up in My Bones, based on the memoir of celebrated writer and The New York Times columnist Charles Blow. The libretto was written by Kasi Lemmons and commissioned by Opera Theatre of Saint Louis where it premiered in June 2019. The New York Times has called Blanchard’s opera “inspiring,” “subtly powerful” and “a bold affecting adaptation of Charles Blow’s work.” The Metropolitan Opera of New York will premiere Fire in 2022-23, making it the first opera composed by an African American composer to premiere at the MET. Blanchard’s first opera, Champion also premiered to critical acclaim in 2013 at OTSL and starred Denyce Graves with a libretto from Pulitzer Prize Winner, Michael Cristofer.

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Varèse Sarabande: "Xena Warrior Princess: Lyre Lyre Hearts on Fire" [LP]

Varèse Sarabande Records announces the exciting first-time ever LP release of Xena Warrior Princess: Lyre Lyre Hearts on Fire—Original Television Soundtrack, which will be available on August 7, 2020. The LP packaging includes a double-sided picture disc in a clear sleeve with a full-color folded insert. Pre-order for the LP is available today, June 17, on VareseSarabande.com.

The first-time vinyl release of the original soundtrack to Season 5’s beloved musical episode, “Lyre Lyre, Hearts on Fire,” includes songs sung by cast members—most notably Lucy Lawless, who plays the lead character of Xena: Warrior Princess. The album includes Lucy Lawless’ versions of “People Got to Be Free,” “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves,” “There’s Always Something There to Remind Me” and “War,” all of which are regarded as iconic staples by hardcore Xena fans.

The score portion of the soundtrack is attributed to Emmy®-winning composer Joseph LoDuca, who scored the entire Xena series. LoDuca’s career credits include two Emmy® Award wins from 11 nominations, as well as a César Nomination for the French film Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001). He’s also widely known for creating the music for the Evil Dead film series (including Army of Darkness), as well as the soundtracks for the highly rated syndicated TV series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and more recently, The Librarians.

Xena: Warrior Princess’ syndicated rights are currently being exercised by the Syfy network, with blocks of shows running each Thursday, hosted by Lucy Lawless. The series will continue airing until all 134 episodes are complete.

 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Varèse Sarabande: "THE RUNNING MAN" [VINYL] music by Harold Faltermeyer

Varèse Sarabande Records is thrilled to announce the upcoming special release of The Running Man Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Deluxe Edition) by GRAMMY®-winning composer Harold Faltermeyer (Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun, Cop Out and the upcoming film Top Gun: Maverick). The Deluxe Edition version will be available digitally and released on LP for the first time on August 14, 2020. The LP version is available for pre-order today, June 15, on VareseSarabande.com.

In the year 2019, America is a totalitarian state where the favorite television program is The Running Man—a game show in which prisoners must run to freedom to avoid a brutal death. Having been made a scapegoat by the government, an imprisoned Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has the opportunity to make it back to the outside again by being a contestant on the deadly show, although the twisted host, Damon Killian (Richard Dawson) has no intention of letting him escape.

The original (1987) 17-track soundtrack has been expanded to 35 tracks, which include additional music and unreleased and alternate cues. The album was remastered from the original Paramount Pictures sources. The package features original artwork, images from the film and a booklet with extensive liner notes by film music journalist Daniel Schweiger.

Harold Faltermeyer on this special deluxe edition release: “Scoring The Running Man was a rather big challenge. After the urban and bouncy score for Beverly Hills Cop, and the epic and heroic score for Top Gun, I was facing a new territory. The Running Man needed a dark, ominous sound design with a new sound library we had to create. It was fun working on this movie and it‘s great to see that after all these years, there is still a vivid interest. I was very delighted when I heard that Varèse Sarabande would be releasing the entire score!”
 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Silva Screen Records: "THUNDERBIRDS" music by Barry Gray

To celebrate Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s legacy, Silva Screen is releasing music from the Anderson’s iconic TV shows in CD, digital and vinyl formats. Following the releases of UFO and Supercar soundtracks, Thunderbirds is the 3rd release in the series. It is newly compiled, mastered and designed by the creative team at Fanderson - The Official Gerry And Sylvia Anderson Appreciation Society.

The album features 37 tracks from 19 episodes (series 1 and 2), including the Thunderbirds main theme and closing titles. The tracks were not programmed to follow the episode order but to achieve an integrated listening experience. The best bits of the sixties’ soundscapes are here. The Thunderbirds soundtrack is an effective time capsule as Gray’s music veers into British spy genre, Latin pop, exotica, urban jazz and military marches. Beautifully composed and conducted, the score reflects the moods of the scenes, from dangerous to romantic, no-nonsense to silly, fraught to fragile. The score’s musical landscape was given cohesion by Gray’s masterful use of leitmotifs. Perhaps, Barry Gray’s creative role in Thunderbirds is comparable to John Barry’s in early James Bond movies.

Barry Gray was a classically trained composer and a versatile musician and was amongst the first composers to use electronic instruments in music for television. Best known for creating the music for most of the Gerry & Sylvia Anderson television series in the 1960's and 70's (Fireball XL5, Thunderbirds, UFO, Space:1999), Barry Gray’s complete musical opus is still not commercially available in its entirety. Fanderson, dedicated to the productions of Gerry Anderson, has gained access to all Barry Gray's original studio tapes and have undertaken a major re-issue project. Together with Fanderson, Silva Screen Records is championing Barry Gray’s incredible musical opus and is releasing the material in a series of physical and digital albums and vinyl records. [http://www.silvascreenusa.com]

 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Walt Disney Records: "ARTEMIS FOWL" music by Patrick Doyle

 

Walt Disney Records has released the original motion picture soundtrack for “Artemis Fowl,” now streaming only on Disney+. The digital album features original music by Patrick Doyle (“Murder on the Orient Express,” “Cinderella,” “Brave”) marking the fifteenth time Doyle has collaborated with director Kenneth Branagh.   The Artemis Fowl soundtrack is available here.  

Recorded at AIR Studios in London, the score was conducted by James Shearman and produced by Maggie Rodford.   Branaugh also serves as Executive Soundtrack Producer

Doyle’s long-time creative collaboration with Branagh began in 1989 with “Henry V.”   The film’s song ‘Non Nobis Domine’ was awarded the 1989 Ivor Novello Award for Best Film Theme.  In 1991, they re-teamed for “Dead Again,” which earned Doyle a Golden Globe®-nomination. Subsequent collaborations include “Frankenstein,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” “As You Like It,” “Hamlet” (for which Doyle received an Oscar® nomination for Best Original Score), “Sleuth,” and “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.”

Doyle has scored over 50 international feature films, including “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” “Gosford Park,” “Sense and Sensibility,” “Indochine,” “Carlito’s Way” and “A Little Princess.” His work has led to collaborations with some of the most acclaimed directors in the world, including Regis Wargnier, Brian De Palma, Alfonso Cuarón, Ang Lee, Chen Kaige, Mike Newell and Robert Altman.

Disney’s “Artemis Fowl,” based on the beloved book by Eoin Colfer, is a fantastical, spellbinding adventure that follows the journey of 12-year-old genius Artemis Fowl, a descendant of a long line of criminal masterminds, as he desperately tries to save his father who has been kidnapped. In order to pay his ransom, Artemis must infiltrate an ancient, underground civilization—the amazingly advanced world of fairies—and bring the kidnapper the Aculos, the fairies’ most powerful and coveted magical device. To locate the elusive object, cunning Artemis concocts a dangerous plan—so dangerous that he ultimately finds himself in a perilous war of wits with the all-powerful fairies.

“Artemis Fowl” is directed by Kenneth Branagh and stars Ferdia Shaw, Lara McDonnell, Josh Gad, Tamara Smart, Nonzo Anozie, with Colin Farrell and Judi Dench. Kenneth Branagh, p.g.a. and Judy Hofflund, p.g.a. are producing with Matthew Jenkins and Angus More Gordon serving as executive producers. Conor McPherson and Hamish McColl wrote the screenplay.

 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Varese Sarabande: "SEAQUEST DSV" 2CD music by John Debnry

 

seaQuest DSV was set in 2018, when a political organization called the United Earth Oceans (UEO) formed in response to the colonization of the deep sea. Keeping peace among the various inter-oceanic conflicts is the grand, futuristic seaQuest DSV (“deep submergence vehicle”). The series was created by Rockne S. O’Bannon and produced by Steven Spielberg.

The Deluxe Edition soundtrack was composed and conducted by Emmy®-winning composer, John Debney (Elf, The Orville, Iron Man 2, The Jungle Book). The original (1995) 14-track album has been expanded to 58 tracks and two CDs. The album was remastered from the original sources provided by Debney. Disc one features music from the show’s pilot episode, while disc two features music from selected episodes from Season One curated by John Debney. The deluxe set features eight pages of extensive liner notes from film music journalist Tim Greiving and from the show’s creator, Rockne S. O’Bannon.

John Debney on the deluxe edition release: “seaQuest holds a special place in my heart. It was an exciting time for me working with Amblin and Steven Spielberg. I had done a wonderful Civil War pilot for Steven called ‘The Class of ’61.’ Although the pilot didn’t sell, Steven liked what I’d done and soon after invited me to work on the seaQuest pilot. I’ll never forget composing what was basically a teaser for the show. We recorded at the old Evergreen studios in Burbank. The teaser turned out well and shortly after presenting to NBC, I got the call that the show was a ‘Go.’

“Working on the show was a dream and frequently Steven would send a note expressing his love for the score. Created by the amazing Rockne S. O’Bannon, seaQuest was a show ahead of its time speaking to the human condition and important environmental Issues. Every week was a new adventure and I’m so grateful to Steven, Amblin and the wonderful directors and producers I met on the show. I hope you enjoy the amazing performances of the Los Angeles recording musicians who always brought their ‘A’ game. Enjoy!” *Limited Collector’s Edition of 1,500 copies. [https://www.varesesarabande.com/]

 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Varese Sarabande: "THE RUNNING MAN" music by Harold Faltermeyer

 

In the year 2019, America is a totalitarian state where the favorite television program is The Running Man—a game show in which prisoners must run to freedom to avoid a brutal death. Having been made a scapegoat by the government, an imprisoned Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has the opportunity to make it back to the outside again by being a contestant on the deadly show, although the twisted host, Damon Killian (Richard Dawson) has no intention of letting him escape.

The Running Man (Deluxe Edition), was composed by GRAMMY®-winning composer Harold Faltermeyer (Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun, Cop Out, and the upcoming film Top Gun: Maverick). The original (1987) 17-track album has been expanded to 35 tracks, which include additional music and unreleased and alternate cues. The album was remastered from the original Paramount Pictures sources. The package features original artwork, images from the film and a booklet with extensive liner notes by film music journalist Daniel Schweiger.

Harold Faltermeyer on this special deluxe edition release: “Scoring The Running Man was a rather big challenge. After the urban and bouncy score for Beverly Hills Cop, and the epic and heroic score for Top Gun, I was facing a new territory. The Running Man needed a dark, ominous sound design with a new sound library we had to create. It was fun working on this movie and it‘s great to see that after all these years, there is still a vivid interest. I was very delighted when I heard that Varèse Sarabande would be releasing the entire score! *Limited Collector’s Edition of 2,000 copies. [https://www.varesesarabande.com/]

 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Varese Sarabande: "BECKY" music by Nima Fakhrara

 

Music.Film Recordings & Varèse Sarabande Records have digitally released the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to the indie thriller Becky from director-duo Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion (Bushwick, Cooties). The pulsing original score is composed by Nima Fakhrara, who is best known for his work on Detroit: Become Human and Crypto. The film was released on June 5th and is available On Demand and Digital, courtesy of Quiver Distribution.

Nima Fakhrara explains his process: “With this score, I took everything to its limits using children’s musical toys, vocal screams, and deep vocal breathings to create the signature sounds you can hear throughout. I wanted Becky to feel like a superhero origin story, and for the audience to experience the emotions Becky feels throughout her journey. Directors Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion kept pushing me to go wilder, and the score is the result of that.”

Streaming/Purchase: https://ffm.to/becky

ABOUT BECKY... Spunky and rebellious, Becky (Lulu Wilson) is brought to a weekend getaway at a lake house by her father Jeff (Joel McHale) in an effort to try to reconnect after her mother’s death. The trip immediately takes a turn for the worse when a group of convicts on the run, led by the merciless Dominick (Kevin James), suddenly invade the lake house.

Becky stars Lulu Wilson (Annabelle: Creation, The Haunting of Hill House), Kevin James (Paul Blart: Mall Cop, The King of Queens), Amanda Brugel (Snowpiercer, The Handmaid’s Tale), Robert Maillet (Deadpool 2, Pacific Rim) and Joel McHale (Community, Deliver Us from Evil). The film was directed by Cary Murnion (Bushwick, Cooties) and Jonathan Milott (Bushwick, Cooties) and co-written by Nick Morris making his feature screenwriting debut, Ruckus Skye (The Devil to Pay, Rattle the Cage) and Lane Skye (The Devil to Pay, Rattle the Cage).

ABOUT NIMA FAKHRARA... Multi-hyphened Iranian-born, Nima Fakhrara is the founder of Zoo Creatives, with studios in Los Angeles and New York City. His credits include the Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion’s Becky, Sony PlayStation’s Detroit Became Human, John Stalberg Jr’s Crypto, Toronto Film Festival Official Selection The Girl in the Photographs (the final film executive produced by Wes Craven), the Los Angeles Film Festival selection Consumed (directed by Daryl Wein), the Sundance Film Festival selection The Signal, Gatchaman (directed by Toya Sato and starring Tori Matsuzaka and Ryohei Suzuki), a live action take on the anime series Battle of the Planets, The Pyramid (directed by Gregory Levveseur, produced by Alexander Aja), and Exists (directed by Eduardo Sanchez). His international credits include the Japanese TV show called Tantei No Tantei, and the SXSW selection I Am Hero. His video game credits include Resident Evil: Revelations 2 and the 2016 release 1979 Revolution: Black Friday.

Nima’s first experience with music was listening to his uncle play the santour. Influenced by this, he studied that instrument and became well versed in Persian classical music. After moving to the United States, Nima continued his musical studies and attended California State University Northridge where he obtained his degree in composition studies. However, his interest in music was not limited to composition and performance. He studied ethnomusicology, anthropology, and how to construct instruments. Classically trained with both traditional western and non-western sounds, Nima often samples instruments from around the world. If he hasn’t found the right sound, he invents new instruments to create the textures and timbres in his mind.
 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Universal Studios Home Entertainment: "THE HUNT" [BLU-RAY/DVD]

 

Who is the hunter and who is the hunted? Decide for yourself! From producer Jason Blum (The Invisible Man, Halloween), director Craig Zobel (Z for Zachariah, “The Leftovers”) and writers Damon Lindelof (“Watchmen,” “The Leftovers”) and Nick Cuse (“Maniac,” “Watchmen”) comes a “clever, gory, often very funny” (Ty Burr, The Boston Globe) film that has “all the makings of a cult classic” (Forbes), as THE HUNT arrives on Digital May 26, 2020 and on Blu-ray™ and DVD June 9, 2020 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Featuring “a seriously cool action performance” (William Bibbiani, The Wrap) from Betty Gilpin (“Glow”), THE HUNT includes behind-the-scenes featurettes on the making of this suspenseful thriller. 

Twelve strangers wake up in a clearing. They don’t know where they are, or how they got there. They don't know they’ve been chosen… for a very specific purpose … THE HUNT.  In this subversive satire, a group of elites gather for the very first time at a remote Manor House to hunt ordinary Americans for sport. But the elites’ master plan is about to be derailed because one of The Hunted, Crystal (Gilpin), knows The Hunters’ game better than they do. She turns the tables on the killers, picking them off one by one as she makes her way toward the mysterious woman (two-time Oscar® winner Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby) at the center of it all. 

THE HUNT features an outstanding supporting cast including Emma Roberts (“American Horror Story”), Ike Barinholtz (Blockers), Justin Hartley (“This is Us”) and Ethan Suplee (“My Name is Earl”). The theatrical version of the film is currently available for early viewing on a wide variety of popular on-demand services as a premium rental offering.
 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

MVD Entertainment Group: "Rolling Stone Life and Death of Brian Jones" [DVD]

 

Release of DVD and Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Album from the new film, "Rolling Stone Life and Death of Brian Jones" due out June 12th.  The film has just wrapped up a run of successful screenings across the USA, Europe and South America after a highly celebrated December world premiere in London at the Regent Street Cinema.

Here is the pre-order link for the "Rolling Stone Life and Death of Brian Jones" DVD:
https://mvdshop.com/products/rolling-stone-life-and-death-of-brian-jones-dvd

In the mid 1960s, Brian Jones emerged as “the face” and poster boy of the Bohemian Swingin’ London scene, topping the charts with The Rolling Stones and dating model/actress Anita Pallenberg.

However, his excessive lifestyle and his reputation as “the original bad boy of Rock & Roll” was to cost him dearly. As the scene descended into the acid ridden year of 1967 so did Brian. Targeted by the authorities and media, he spiraled out of control, losing both Anita and the respect of the Stones. Two years later, Brian was found at the bottom of his swimming pool, the verdict: death by misadventure.

During the last 50 years many theories have emerged, claiming that Brian was murdered and that it was covered up at high level, as this film discovers – the evidence for this is extremely compelling.

"Rolling Stone Life and Death of Brian Jones" is the 5th acclaimed music documentary for Spanish filmmaker Danny Garcia. His other releases include "The Rise and Fall of The Clash"; "Looking for Johnny", about New York Dolls guitarist Johnny Thunders; "Sad Vacation", a film chronicling the final months in New York City of the Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious & his girlfriend Nancy Spungen and Danny's most recent release "Stiv: No Compromise, No Regrets" about Stiv Bators, legendary frontman of the iconic Ohio band the Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church.

"Rolling Stone Life and Death of Brian Jones" adds to the list of respected music documentaries Danny Garcia has produced and directed.

Here is a link to the film’s trailer: [CLICK HERE]

Jeremy [Six Strings]

The film is scheduled to be released June 12th, 2020 on DVD by MVD Entertainment Group and will be available thru the following streaming services:

Amazon
Dish Network
Films Media Group
Google Play
Night Flight
Sling
Xbox
Vimeo

MVD Entertainment Group: "THE MAD FOX" [Blu-ray]

 

In stark contrast to the monochrome naturalism of his earlier masterwork Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji, visionary master director Tomu Uchida took inspiration from Bunraku and kabuki theater for arguably his strangest and most lavishly cinematic film, The Mad Fox. Amidst a mythically-depicted medieval Japan, a court astrologer foretells a great disturbance that threatens to split the realm in two. His bitter and treacherous wife conspires to have the astrologer killed, as well as their adopted daughter, Sakaki. The astrologer's master apprentice, Yasuna, who was in love with Sakaki, is driven mad with grief and escapes to the countryside. There, he encounters Sakaki's long-lost twin, Kuzunoha, and the pair meet a pack of ancient fox spirits in the woods, whose presence may be the key to restoring Yasuna's sanity, and in turn bringing peace to the fracturing nation. Finally available outside Japan for the first time, Uchida's stunning, wildly stylized widescreen tableaux - using expressionist sets and color schemes - are highlighted in a world premiere Blu-ray™ release. Year of Production: 1962

 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

MVD Entertainment Group: "DREAM DEMON" [Blu-ray]

 

A young bride-to-be's anxieties over her upcoming wedding take on a horrifying, demonic form in this underseen 1988 "rubber reality" shocker from director/co-writer Harley Cokeliss (Black Moon Rising), starring Timothy Spall and Jemma Redgrave. As her marriage to decorated war hero Oliver draws near, well-heeled Diana moves into her sprawling new London home where she starts to experience strange and terrifying nightmares. But are these blood-curdling night terrors merely the symptom of an unsettled mind, or the sign of something far sinister at work? Hounded by a pair of sleazy journalists (Timothy Spall and Jimmy Nail), Diana soon crosses paths with American tourist Jenny, who appears to have a strange connection to the foreboding house and its sinister past. Long dormant on home media since its original VHS release, Dream Demon - a terrific blend of psychological horror and late 80s practical gore effects - has at long-last been stirred from its analogue slumber and arrives on Blu-ray, newly-restored from the original camera negative and in a brand new Director's Cut! Year of Production: 1988

 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

MVD Entertainment Group: "BLOOD TIDE" [Blu-ray]

Terror strikes in paradise as Academy Award-winning actors James Earl Jones, José Ferrer and Lila Kedrova star in this thrilling tale of sea monsters and sacrificial virgins, from the people that brought you the notoriously gruesome Island of Death! When treasure hunter Frye (James Earl Jones) accidentally awakens an ancient sea monster that has been lying dormant on a Greek island, the inhabitants are forced to resume the practice of sacrificing virgins in order to placate the demonic creature. Meanwhile a couple, Neil and Sherry, arrive on the island in search of Neil's missing sister, Madeline. Written and produced by Nico Mastorakis - the man behind such genre favourites as the aforementioned Island of Death, The Zero Boys, The Wind and many others - and directed by Richard Jefferies (Scarecrows, Tron: Legacy), Blood Tide is a suspense-filled creature feature surging with blood, nudity and beach-side aerobics! Year of Production: 1982

 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

MVD Entertainment Group: "SOLID METAL NIGHTMARES: THE FILMS OF SHINYA TSUKAMOTO" [Blu-Ray]

One of the most distinctive and celebrated names in modern Japanese cinema, there's no other filmmaker quite like Shinya Tsukamoto. Since his early days as a teenager making Super 8 shorts, he has remained steadfastly independent, garnering widespread acclaim while honing his own unique and instantly recognizable aesthetic on the margins of the industry. Frequently exploring themes of urban alienation, physical transformation and psycho-sexual obsession, his films cross genre boundaries, defying straightforward classification. This exclusive collection gathers together eight feature-length films and two shorts from Tsukamoto's diverse filmography, including his most recent offering - his samurai drama Killing, making its home video premiere. Includes: Tetsuo: The Iron Man, Tetsuo II: Body Hammer, Tokyo Fist, Bullet Ballet, A Snake of June, Vital, Kotoko, Killing, The Adventure of Denchu-Kozo, Haze.  Year of Production: 1987

Jeremy [Six Strings]

MVD Entertainment Group: "WHY DON'T YOU JUST DIE!" [Blu-Ray]

Shades of early Tarantino, Edgar Wright and Sam Raimi abound in this violent, stylish and riotously entertaining slice of family life, Moscow style, described as "a splatterpunk action comedy drenched in gleefully dark Russian humor" (The Hollywood Reporter) and "an amazing first feature from a filmmaker to watch" (Screen Anarchy). Matvey (Aleksandr Kuznetsov) has just one objective: to gain entry to his girlfriend's parents' apartment and kill her father Andrey (Vitaliy Khaev) with a hammer to restore her honor. But all is not as it initially seems, and Matvey's attempts to bludgeon the family patriarch to death don't quite go to plan as Andrey proves a more formidable - not to mention ruthless - opponent than he anticipated... and Matvey, for his part, proves stubbornly unwilling to die. Making his feature debut, writer/director Kirill Sokolov presents a rousing tale of family, modern relationships and the dark places they can take you to when things turn sour. Featuring a soundtrack that veers between Ennio Morricone-esque western riffs and toe-tappingly catchy pop numbers, Why Don't You Just Die! delivers laughs, shocking twists and copious quantities of blood and gore, and establishes Sokolov as one of cinema's brightest rising stars. Year of Production: 2018

 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

MVD Entertainment Group: "America As Seen By A Frenchman" [Blu-Ray]

At the end of the 1950s, celebrated French documentarian François Reichenbach (F for Fake, Portrait: Orson Welles), whose lens captured the likes of Brigitte Bardot and Johnny Hallyday, spent eighteen months traveling the United States, documenting its diverse regions, their inhabitants and their pastimes. The result, America is Seen by a Frenchman, is a wide-eyed - perhaps even naïve - journey through a multitude of different Americas, filtered through a French sensibility and serving as a fascinating exploration of a culture that is both immediately familiar and thoroughly alien. Prison rodeos; Miss America pageants; visits to Disneyland and a school for striptease; a town inhabited solely by twins; rows of newborns in incubators, like products on an assembly line - all these weird and wondrous sights, and more, are captured, sans jugement, by Reichenbach's camera, aided by whimsical narration (provided by, among others, Jean Cocteau) and a jaunty musical score by the late, great Michel Legrand (Une femme est une femme). Titled L'Amérique insolite - literally "unusual America" - in its native tongue, America as Seen by a Frenchman lovingly renders the various eccentricities of Americana circa the mid-twentieth century, and proves the old adage that reality really is stranger than fiction. Year of Production: 1960

 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Acort International: "EVIL UNDER THE SKIN" film

Evil Under The Skin... a mother will do anything for her child... A mother and daughter head off for a secluded weekend to reconnect little do they know the sordid past of the home there staying in or the strangeness it attracts as they descend into madness.

Check Out the Trailer: https://acortinternational.com/filmcatalog/evil-under-the-skin/
 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Milan Records: "SKELATTACK" music by Jamal Green

Milan Records announces the June 5 release of SKELATTACK (ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK) with music by composer, musician and producer JAMAL GREEN.  Available everywhere Friday, June 5, the album features music composed by Green for Konami Digital Entertainment’s newest indie game, in which players explore a vast subterranean world as Skully, working to protect the dungeon’s riches whilst unlocking its epic story.

“As soon as I saw Skelattack, I Instinctively knew what sound palette I needed to create the score. Inspired by Danny Elfman’s fantastic score for The Nightmare Before Christmas, I could instantly imagine the woody tones of marimbas, woodblocks and shakers to remind the audience of the hollow rattling of bones and the scraping of peculiarly pitched ribs,” says composer JAMAL GREEN of the soundtrack, adding, “The music I wrote towards the end of Skelattack’s development is a lot “broader” and much more filmic and I think that gives the soundtrack a lot to offer. Skelattack has an amazing narrative and I think the music (and its creation) follows the same arch – From humble beginnings to a grand, climactic conclusion and a lot of character development along the way!”

Now available for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC/Steam, Skelattack delivers a visually-stunning, 2D action-platformer where players will jump, slash, and battle through the Underworld, tackling various platforming obstacles and puzzles along the way. The game showcases six unique environments filled with deadly charming art style and colorful, hand-drawn environments and characters.

Skelattack turns the platforming hero stereotype on its head by putting players in the shoes of Skully, a skeleton fighting to protect his home. As a member of the newly deceased and just getting the hang of being dead, Skully’s newfound home and friends are attacked by humans. Instead of seeking gold or other treasure, the humans kidnap Aftervale's elder skeleton, Elzedon, and attempt to steal the magic that kindles the spirits of the dead - the Blue Flame. Together with Imber, Skully’s trusty bat friend, players will control both characters through the Underworld in an attempt to stop the human threat, save the Elder, and protect the Blue Flame.

Jamal Green is a composer, musician and producer with an incredibly distinct and versatile voice which he has crafted over many film and game projects.  Whether nurturing an ecosystem in the indie game sensation Equilinox or brought to tears by the final scenes of the feature film Aberdeen you will find Jamal’s scores breathing life into incredible characters and stories.

A lover of all genres and sounds, Jamal always experiments with unique and interesting sound palettes to suit the projects he works on. World music elements (Particularly African and Indian music) can be found in a lot of his music which gives it an unequivocal flair.  This, combined with his passion for creating cinematic and symphonic music as well as his frequent use of electronic elements is why he has become a greatly coveted composer for animation, games, film and TV.

As a producer and songwriter Jamal has written songs which have featured on some of Spotify’s biggest playlists such as The Most Beautiful Songs in the World, Lost in the Woods and The Wind Down.

Konami Digital Entertainment, which is the core company of Konami Group, develops entertaining content for mobile, console and card games. The company is known for global franchises such as PES, Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Castlevania, Contra, and the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game series. www.konami.com/games/corporate/en/.
 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Milan Records: "SHIRLEY" music by Tamar-kali

Milan Records announces the JUNE 5 release of SHIRLEY (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK) with music by genre-defying artist, musician and composer TAMAR-KALI.  Available for preorder now, the album features new music written by Tamar-kali for NEON’s forthcoming film about renowned horror writer Shirley Jackson.  Also making its debut alongside today’s preorder is the album’s lead track “Baby” – listen here.  Originally making its award-winning premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Shirley, starring Elizabeth Moss, will be available everywhere Friday, June 5 from NEON.

“When I asked Tamar-kali to go wild, she went WILD,” says Shirley director JOSEPHINE DECKER of the film’s soundtrack.  “Her spirit is inside this film in a visceral, guttural way. She brought such rich rhythm and power to the score of Shirley.  In a film about two women unraveling each other, Tamar gave gravity, grace and nuance to the mysteries their union unleashed.

Renowned horror writer Shirley Jackson is on the precipice of writing her masterpiece when the arrival of newlyweds upends her meticulous routine and heightens tensions in her already tempestuous relationship with her philandering husband. The middle-aged couple, prone to ruthless barbs and copious afternoon cocktails, begins to toy mercilessly with the naïve young couple at their door.

ABOUT TAMAR-KALI... Brooklyn born and bred artist Tamar-kali is a second-generation musician with roots in the coastal Sea Islands of South Carolina. As a composer, Tamar-kali has defied boundaries to craft her own unique alternative sound. Her debut LP Black Bottom challenged the alt-rock norm. The pieces she composes and arranges for her string sextet and voice project: Psychochamber Ensemble, marry the classical music of her Catholic upbringing with post-punk sensibilities.

Tamar-kali speaks her lyrical truth with a supreme passion and a voice that will shake your foundation and shatter your expectations with its soulful intensity. Her range and versatility have allowed her to perform on a variety of domestic and international stages with a diverse list of artists from Vernon Reid and Vijay Iyer to Meshell Ndegeocello and Moses Sumney.

2017 marked her debut as a film score composer. Her work on Dee Rees’ Oscar-nominated “Mudbound,” garnered her the World Soundtrack Academy’s 2018 Discovery of the Year Award. Her subsequent film scores; Joshua Marston’s COME SUNDAY, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Martin Sheen and THE LIE, directed by Veena Sud reveal an expanding palette that originates from her emotional artistic core.

2019 was a hallmark year for her work as a composer. She composed two works in a series of orchestral pieces focused on the Gullah Geechee during the Civil War and Reconstruction. In addition, she scored 4 films total; 3 which were featured at the Sundance Film Festival 2020. They include Dee Ree’s anticipated thriller the Joan Didion novel adaptation ‘THE LAST THING HE WANTED’ starring Anne Hathaway, Willem DaFoe and Ben Affleck, Josephine Decker’s psychological drama, ‘SHIRLEY’ starring Elisabeth Moss as famed horror author Shirley Jackson and Kitty Green’s THE ASSISTANT. The 4th film, a documentary, JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE is slated for theatrical release this summer.

Tamar-kali’s current artistic landscape includes a range of projects; a theatrical concert work, Demon Fruit Blues is in development with The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and a solo EP featuring a collection of eclectic torch songs, ‘My Morning Cameo’ is slated for release this year.

 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Varese Sarabande: RECORD STORE DAY 2020 RE-ANNOUNCEMENT

Varèse Sarabande Records will be releasing five amazing soundtrack LPs on Record Store Day 2020’s newly announced release dates: Army of Darkness and Hackers will be available as double LPs and Mortal Kombat and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance get the picture disc treatment (Age of Resistance in two different variants). Record Store Day 2020 was originally planned to take place on April 18th and was postponed until June 20th in wake of COVID-19. Now, the annual celebration will be held through a series of “Record Store Day” drops, which will occur on three Saturdays spread across three consecutive months: August 29th, September 26th, and October 24th.

These five Varèse Sarabande Records titles will be available on the dates listed below at thousands of independent record stores. A list of participating stores can be found at recordstoreday.com and for more info about these special LPs visit VareseSarabande.com.

*AUGUST 29th: Army of Darkness
*SEPTEMBER 26th: Hackers, Mortal Kombat, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Aureyal Picture Disc)
*OCTOBER 24th: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Crystal Chamber Picture Disc)

ARMY OF DARKNESS – Joseph LoDuca (Double LP)—*RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 29th*
This double LP soundtrack for Sam Raimi’s 1990s classic Army of Darkness film (a continuation of Raimi’s Evil Dead series, which also starred Bruce Campbell as Ash) features the original cover graphics with new notes and images, and a newly remastered score by composer Joe LoDuca. Years later, LoDuca continued to score Evil Dead projects through the Starz series, Ash vs The Evil Dead. The latter series ran from 2015–2018. Army of Darkness is musically distinct, however, in having a secondary contributing composer: Danny Elfman’s (Batman, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, The Simpsons) killer theme “March of the Dead.”

HACKERS – Various Artists (Double LP)—*RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 26TH*
On vinyl for the first time, the definitive soundtrack to the film Hackers is being released in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the film. The double LP features never-before-released tracks including “Hackers Suite” performed by composer Simon Boswell, as well as two pieces by Guy Pratt, “One Combination” and “Grand Central Station” featuring David Gilmour.

“This was such a fun thing to do, had to quickly knock it up at home and then David swung by and did his inimitable thing in one take.” – Guy Pratt

Additionally, tracks that were not on the original soundtrack release in 1995, including “Protection” by Massive Attack, and “Open Up” by Leftfield, are part of this special album edition. The commemorative package includes two black vinyl LPs in a gatefold, new notes from director Iain Softley, and unreleased photos of the cast.

MORTAL KOMBAT – George S. Clinton (Picture Disc)—*RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 26TH*
Originally released on CD only in 1995 and currently unavailable in any physical format, this score to the first film ever developed for the massive gaming franchise will get the LP treatment in conjunction with the film’s 25th anniversary. Side A of this two-sided picture disc features the iconic Mortal Kombat logo, while Side B features Goro, a fan favorite from the game and film who is generally considered by gamers to be one of the most memorable and difficult bosses in gaming culture. In fact, the four-armed fighter did not lose a battle for 500 years before a first-ever loss to Mortal Kombat hero, Johnny Cage. The music was composed by George S. Clinton with a heavy assist from the guitarist, Buckethead (Guns N’ Roses, Primus), who appears on 10 of the 26 tracks.

THE DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE, The Aureyal & The Crystal Chamber – Daniel Pemberton, Samuel Sim (Picture Discs)

*AUREYAL PICTURE DISC—*RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 26TH*
*CRYSTAL CHAMBER PICTURE DISC—*RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 24TH*

Two truly special picture disc editions featuring imagery unavailable anywhere else! The Aureyal, a symbol representing the unity of the seven Gelfling Clans, presents itself in the visions of various important Gelfling characters and is formally identified as “the sigil of great power” by skekGra the Heretic. The Aureyal picture disc is complemented on the other side with the cover art from the Volume 1 CD and digital release. The Crystal Chamber disc depicts the floor of the Dark Crystal’s chamber; a circle of 18 arcane symbols, one for each of the urSkeks that came to Thra during the first Great Conjunction. The Crystal Chamber picture disc is complemented on the other side with the cover art from the Volume 2 CD and digital release. Consumers should note that the track selections on the two picture discs are completely different. Although available for individual purchase, they are thematically a set.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a 10-episode prequel to the groundbreaking 1982 fan-favorite The Dark Crystal, and stars Taron Egerton, Star Wars’ Mark Hamill, Harry Potter’s Helena Bonham-Carter, Tomb Raider star Alicia Vikander and Outlander’s Caitriona Balfe. The show’s composer Daniel Pemberton reveals, “I wanted the music to be as magical as Thra itself – organic, imperfect, strange, mystical, otherworldly and wonderful. I wanted to create new sounds that felt like they came from the world itself, as well as using thematic largescale orchestral elements to bring an emotion to the journey of the characters.”
 

Jeremy [Six Strings]