Sonic World of Cinema grab bag
An assortment of film soundtrack-related material from the RNZ archives.
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Appointment for 3 November 2011
Adrian Hollay talks about the 1927 German expressionist silent movie 'Metropolis' - one of the first science-fiction films - and explores its original music. Audio
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Frank Strobel
4 Nov 2011German conductor working with NZSO for live screening of 1927 German film Metropolis. Audio
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NZSO Metropolis Review
7 Nov 2011Thomas Goss reviews last Saturday night's NZSO live film score performance to 1927 German classic. Audio
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May I Heave the Envelope Please?
A caper through the history of "music which the Oscars should have loved, but didn't." Presented by Steve Danby. Audio
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Feature album - Forrest Gump - the soundtrack
12 Sep 2014The 12-times platinum soundtrack to the film Forrest Gump is about to mark its 20th annversary. To mark the occasion, the album will soon be available for the first time on vinyl. Including songs from… Audio
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The Sampler: Brian Reitzell, Auto Music
20 Sep 2014Composer and music supervisor Brian Reitzell is best known for his work on film soundtracks The Virgin Suicides and Lost In Translation. He's just released a solo set of Krautrock influenced… Audio
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Shostakovich - the Strains of Cinema
17 May 2015Michael Vinten looks at Shostakovich's film-scores. Audio
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Appointment with Inspector Morse
27 Jul 2015Real ale and opera are the main consolations for Inspector Morse in ITV's multi-layered series. Morse fan Adrienne Simpson looks at the integrated use of music in the long running whodunnit. Audio
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Sonic World of Cinema - Eternity and a Day
Ryan Smith explores some tracks from Eleni Karaindrou's timeless score to the poetic film Eternity and a Day by Greek director Theo Angelopoulos. Audio
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Garth Hudson: The Band's keyboard virtuoso
People remember the famous end of The Band, captured in Martin Scorcese's concert film The Last Waltz. But the virtuoso player in the group was always in the back - Garth Hudson on keyboards and… Audio
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NZSO goes to the movies
28 Nov 2016The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra went to the movies this weekend, playing the scores of two famous Hitchcock films Vertigo and Psycho. The music, written by Bernard Herrmann took the audience on a… Audio
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'Moana' brings Pacific culture to the world
13 Dec 2016Seeing South Pacific culture on movie screens worldwide is a ‘dream come true’ for Kiwi musician Opetaia Foa'i - one of the songwriters in Disney-Pixar’s Moana. Video, Audio
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Great Movie Soundtrack: Jackie Brown
14 Jun 2017Today's great album, is from the soundtrack to the American crime thriller "Jackie Brown", the 3rd feature film directed by Quentin Tarantino. A trademark of those early Tarantino movies is the… Audio
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Discussing dark matters with Randy Newman
1 Aug 2017Randy Newman has a new album – and an assignment for Lorde. Nick Bollinger talks to the legendary singer-songwriter and film composer. Audio
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Composers on Camera - How Amadeus Changed Everything
1 Oct 2017Thomas Goss takes a long view of cinematic composers, and how one film lifted their narratives from the mundane to the epic. Audio
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Composers on Camera - The Beethoven Meme
Thomas Goss offers a comparison of three recent movies about the greatest classical composer, and suggests how their different views add up to one Messianic testament. Audio
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Composers on Camera - Composer as Madman
Thomas Goss discusses composer-film specialist Ken Russell & his penchant for over-the-top portrayals, and reviews other films in which hysteria trumps drama. Audio
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Composers on Camera - Composer as Lover
Thomas Goss explores how the subject of romance is elevated to philosophical and artistic heights when merged with the identity of a great composer. Audio
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Composers on Camera - Composer as Hero
Thomas Goss compares the cinematic narrative of the epic hero-composer to our own assumptions and impulses in appreciating concert music. Audio
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NZ International Film Festival - six of the best music films
There’s a great selection of music films in the upcoming NZ International Film Festival, from documentaries to biopics to classic concert films. Here are our picks. Video, Audio
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'The Soundtrack Show': the music in our favourite films
3 Aug 2019'The Soundtrack Show' looks at the role that music plays in creating the fictional universe in some of our favourite films. From Jaws to Star Wars, from Psycho to Jurassic Park...and beyond! We play a… Audio
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Silver Scroll finalists for SOUNZ Contemporary and Screen Awards announced
16 Aug 2019Several of New Zealand’s best composers have been shortlisted for three prestigious awards in contemporary composition, film and television scoring ahead of the APRA Silver Scroll Awards in Auckland… Video
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The music that makes the film
14 Jan 2020Music 101's Tony Stamp takes us through some of his favourite films from last year and the songs that made them. Video, Audio
About Sonic World of Cinema
Let’s face it, the shower scene in Psycho just wouldn’t be as scary without those screechy stabbing strings, Amelie wouldn’t be as loveable without her quirky accordion soundtrack following her around the streets of Montmartre and the Imperial Stormtroopers from Star Wars just wouldn’t be as cool without their foreboding brass-heavy march. Frodo without Howard Shore’s Shire theme? Spaghetti westerns without Morricone? – unthinkable!
A well-crafted soundtrack can transport us into whatever world the film-makers have conjured up. And long after we’ve left the cinema the music has the ability to take us right back there.
Sample the best of recent film soundtracks, re-frame movie scores from the past that have refused to deteriorate with time, discover obscure film music (whether 1960s Czech fantasy, Japanese horror, or B-grade sci-fi).
The occasional video game soundtrack and noteworthy music from television shows are also in the mix.
Keep an eye on our unique and growing New Zealand film soundtracks collection and hear interviews with creators and composers from here and around the world.