John Williams' iconic Superman score is analyzed in context of a 3-part superhero movie: science fiction in the beginning, Americana growing up in Smallville, and a full-blown comic book in Metropolis. The main themes used in Williams' score are analyzed via breaking down these three influences. The history of Superman is discussed, and behind-the-scenes stories of the making of 1978's Superman are revealed.

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We continue our interview with Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, discussing the iterative and very personal nature of songwriting, life stories shared in the writers room, Anna's character arc, and the heart-warming struggle that Kristoff faces when trying to express his feelings. We also discuss the inspiration behind Olaf's song "When I Am Older."

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Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez join us in the studio for a 2-part interview about the songs of Frozen II. They discuss their process of discovering the songs that drive the story, their collaboration with Disney, and share fascinating stories of their iterative songwriting adventures into the unknown.

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We conclude our listen to Return of the Jedi, and the whole classic Star Wars trilogy, with the Battle of Endor. Themes are discussed, as are moments where music was omitted. We explore more diagetic music with the Ewoks, and compare multiple versions of the film's ending.

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In part 2 of our analysis, we look at roughly the first half of Return of the Jedi. We discuss each cue, its dramatic effect, and the creative process behind the final presentation. The diagetic, in-world music is also discussed, and we compare the original 1983 music to the changes that were made in the 1997 Special Edition.

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Return of the Jedi is the third Star Wars score from John Williams, and it transforms his overall musical approach to that of an operatic cycle. We look at how familiar themes from the first film are treated, and we explore and dissect some of the major new themes that greatly enrich the classic trilogy.

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We continue our listen to Morricone's groundbreaking, stylish scores for director Sergio Leone and his "Spaghetti Westerns," including a close examination of For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. The cultural impact of these movies is also discussed, and we listen to the clever sound editing and effects that made the soundscape so memorable.

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Ennio Morricone's iconic music for the "Spaghetti Westerns" of Sergio Leone had an enormous impact on western soundtracks... especially the violent and stylish trilogy of films that featured Clint Eastwood as "The Man With No Name." We analyze the trilogy's first film, A Fistful of Dollars, and its unique film score by Morricone. The history of how this film was made is discussed, as is the sound design and post-dubbing that makes the soundtrack of Leone's westerns so unique.

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Season 3 intermission

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In our second look at The Nightmare Before Christmas, we discuss the enormous contirbutions of the voice talent in this cast. We also continue looking at great moments from the film's score, discuss the orignal motion picture soundtrack album, and analyze the remaining songs from the middle of the film - all the way to it's dramatic finale.

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