Soundtrack Showdown

In the most explosive Soundtrack Showdown so far, we talk about the representation of women in film music, the politics of the Mexican-US border, and the meaning of the word 'doof'.

Episode 2 of Soundtrack Showdown. We look at two movies about Batman vs his arch-nemesis the Joker. Danny Elfman’s score for Batman (1989) and Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard’s score for The Dark Knight (2008). In a spirit of light-hearted (but often quite heated) competition we break the scores down over five rounds, in which we discuss how well the music works in key areas, then declare an overall winner. This week, our rounds are – 1 – Batman Themes 2 – Joker Themes 3 – Style 4 – Action Music 5 – Legacy and Impact

In episode 1 of Soundtrack Showdown, we look at two classic horror film scores, Bernard Herrmann’s score for Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) and John Williams’ score for Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975). In a spirit of light-hearted but sometimes heated competition, we break the scores down over five rounds, discuss and analyse how well the music works in key areas, and then declare the overall winner. This week, our rounds are: 1 – Monster Motifs 2 – Main Themes 3 – Techniques and Production 4 – Suspense Music 5 – Legacy and Impact Who will win?