Cliff Martinez, a celebrated film composer who frequently collaborates with filmmakers Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, The Knick) and Steven Soderbergh (Solaris, Contagion, Showtime’s The Knick) has composed the soundtrack to the highly anticipated first-person shooter Far Cry 4.
Martinez collaborated with Ubisoft Montreal’s Far Cry 4 music designer Jerome Angelot, music supervisor Simon Landry, and audio director Tony Gronick to craft original music for the gameplay and also added musical textures that enhance the detailed environment and ruthless characters featured in the game.
Before he embarked on his film career, Martinez was a former drummer for Red Hot Chili Peppers (he, along with the band, are Rock and Roll Hall of Famers).
“It was an honor to be asked to write the music for the Far Cry 4 game as my first full-length video game soundtrack,” said Martinez, who also scored Spring Breakers. “It was exciting for me to be asked to take my usual minimalistic cinematic approach to the immersive game world. Any game where you can ride on a rampaging elephant is a project you can’t turn down!”
Far Cry 4 comes out November 18 for the PlayStation 3 &4, Xbox One & 360, and Windows PC. The Far Cry 4 Original Game Soundtrack (digital edition) comes out November 4, with a limited 2-CD edition hitting North America on December 2 (December 9 in Europe). A 3-LP version releases on January 2015.
No Good Deed (PG-13, 84 minutes),a thriller starring Idris Elba as an escaped convict saddled with horrible relationship issues, hits Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD January 6 via Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
Taraji P. Henson co-stars as the housewife who lets the convict enter her home after his car breaks down in the rain. Her “good deed” leads to nightmarish repercussions for her family and best friend (Leslie Bibb), as the delusional criminal won’t stop until he gets exactly what he wants.
I actually liked this thriller, and there’s an interesting twist that occurs in the third act which makes No Good Deed into a cut above your average B-movie experience. I won’t give out any spoilers, but this flick was one of my cinematic guilty pleasures this year.
Blu-ray Exclusive Features:
“The Thrill of a Good Fight” – Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson talk about the fight sequences in the film.
“Good Samaritan” – Henson and the filmmakers (the picture’s directed by Sam Miller, who worked with Elba on Luther) discuss Terri’s (Henson) decision to let a stranger into her home.
Blu-Ray & DVD Features:
“Making a Thriller” Featurette – Idris Elba, Taraji P. Henson, director Sam Miller, and producers Glenn S. Gainor and Will Packer talk about the feature.
The Voice artist Jessie Pitts initially picked Gwen Stefani as her coach during the Blind Auditions (Pitts performed Brandi Carlile’s tune ‘The Story’), and although she lost in the Battle Rounds to Ryan Sill, Blake Shelton stole Pitts and kept her in the competition.
After advancing during the Knockouts with a refreshingly subtle rendition of the Elton John classic ‘Your Song,’ Pitts is now prepping for the Live Playoffs under the guidance Shelton. Pitts, who was raised in Alabama and traveled to Nashville to pursue her music dreams, has one of the more unique voices in the competition, and hopefully she continues to gradually sneak up on America.
How crazy has this whole experience on The Voice been for you?
It’s crazy. It’s surreal. I know I’ve said that word so many times but that’s the only way to describe it. I would never have imagined to be in this position – to be going to Lives.
My goal was to get a chair turn, and that happened. And then the goal was to win my battle but that didn’t necessarily happen, but I got stolen. I’m simply thrilled and grateful to be where I am – going into Lives, it’s crazy.
http://youtu.be/5Eeaz86y2T0
Is part of that process for you taking things one step at a time on The Voice?
Yeah, well I try to stay humble (but) my goal is to win the whole thing. If I’m saying (to myself) ‘I’m going to win the whole thing and I’m going to be The Voice,’ I feel it’s easier for me to work really hard and that’s going to get me there.
It’s different for everyone and for me it’s definitely a step by step kind of process. I just have to put everything into the song I’m singing in that round.
In a big picture way, is being stolen an advantage since you can learn from people like Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton?
I definitely think it’s an advantage because Gwen taught me so many different things. She taught me a lot of stage presence tips and (utilizing your) emotion and Blake is teaching me technique, and tips about my pitch and timing.
So I get the best of both worlds by getting to combine both of their advice and use that to make my song better.
What’s it like to have Blake Shelton in your corner, since he’s been a huge supporter since your Blind Audition.
It means a lot to me even though I didn’t choose him in the beginning, he decided to steal me anyway. Blake was always the one that I was going to go with before I even tried out. But Gwen just made a connection and I think it was the right decision because Blake stole me and what happened was meant to be, I guess. Right now I’m on the team I’m supposed to be on. Blake’s such a big supporter – it’s like he’s my biggest fan right now and that feels really great.
Can you see your own improvement on The Voice, or is that something you’ve still yet to process?
Well, I was talking to Blake the other day and he said I kind of snuck up on America, and that really hit me for the first time that I really had changed.
For me to sneak up on America, I must have been doing something right and it means a lot that people can see my improvement because I definitely see it in my voice, especially. I’ve learned so much from this whole process, so for everyone to notice that – it feels really great.
You seem to have an easy emotional access to whatever song you’re singing. Is connecting with the audience one reason you love to sing?
That’s the thing that’s always been important to me when I’m singing. I could be singing my ‘A, B, C’s’ but I’m going to get emotional about it (laughs). That’s how I am as an artist. You can be a great singer and sing perfectly and technically, but if there’s no emotion, it can’t move the audience. So my goal is to touch the audience in a way that many people can’t.
THE VOICE — Season: 7 — Pictured: Jessie Pitts — (Photo by: Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Having worked at a record label, does that give you an advantage in seeing a different side of the music industry?
In addition to working at the label, I was also studying music business at Belmont University and I think it’s an advantage because I know the ins and outs of this business. And I know how you can get trapped into certain things. (I know) what kind of people you want on your team, and what kind of people you want working with you.
So I think I’m prepared going into the music business. I’ve worked (at the label), I’ve studied music business, so now I want immerse myself (as a music artist).
So specifically, what kind of people would you like to work with moving forward?
That’s a good question. I don’t have any criteria right now – I just want people that really see my vision and know who I am as an artist.
Blake Shelton is an amazing connection that I have now as well Gwen Stefani. No matter what, I feel confident that I’m going to find a place in the music business that is meant for me.
Is making close friends on The Voice another great part of the experience?
Absolutely. That’s one of the biggest things I’ve taken from this competition. I have lifelong friends that I have met here. Everybody just wants everyone to succeed and do the best that they can on the show. I was surprised at how well I got along with everyone. I was pleasantly surprised at how everyone has each other’s back.
I love L.A. – I would die to live here some day. It’s just so different. There’s so many opportunities out here – it’s different from Nashville. I love Nashville because it has a big city in a small town feel.
But L.A., there’s just something about it – I would love to move out here at some point.
Lastly, what are you looking forward to next on The Voice?
I’m looking forward to passing through the Live Playoffs and I’m excited to be on the stage by myself once again and step up my game even more. I feel like I have to top my last song. So I’m excited (and) I’m working hard to do that.
Thank you for your time Jessie and continued success on The Voice.
Thank you so much.
http://youtu.be/N4tXXSYVj8U
(The Knockouts continue as The Voice airs tonight and tomorrow on NBC at 8 pm et/pt)
Coming out as a Blu-ray Combo Pack and on Digital HD November 4, Land Ho! centers on ex-brothers-in-law Mitch and Colin (Earl Lynn Nelson, Paul Eenhoorn) who take a spontaneous (and ultimately rejuvenating) trip to Iceland.
Mitch is a rambunctious and bawdy surgeon who’s never lacking in conversation, while Colin is much more reserved. Though Mitch’s behavior occasionally borders on abrasive, he means well, as the Icelandic journey was his way of shaking Colin out of his emotional rut.
Filmmaker Martha Stephens and Earl Lynn Nelson are cousins, and the genesis for Land Ho! came from her desire to cast Nelson in a lead role (he previously worked with her on Passenger Pigeons and Pilgrim Song) and place him somewhere that was out of his element.
As for Eenhoorn, his performance in the 2013 film This Is Martin Bonner inspired co-director Aaron Katz to cast him as Colin.
Earl Lynn Nelson – Land Ho! (Sony Pictures Classics)
Land Ho!, which features a wonderful 1980s inspired score for Keegan DeWitt and provides beautiful, breathtaking shots of Iceland, is an inspired, bawdy, and altogether resonant look at two buddies who are having the time of their lives. It’s one of this year’s most pleasant cinematic surprises, and it’s definitely worth a look if you love road trip type features.
Land Ho! Special Features:
1. Deleted Scenes (12:18)
“At The Club” is an extended nightclub sequence featuring Eenhorn, Nelson, and co-stars Elizabeth McKee and Karrie Krouse.
“Balls” contains several cuts of Earl Lynn Nelson walking into a hotel room and exclaiming “balls.” “
Ghost Job” has Colin recounting a sexual experience he had with a ghost (hence the scene’s moniker).
Alternate Intro – The original title sequence of the film, which was originally named Lay of the Land.
2. Los Angeles Film Festival Q&A w/ Earl Lynn Nelson, Paul Eenhoorn, Martha Stephens, Aaron Katz, and Elizabeth McKee (13:27) – The filmmakers and actors talk about shooting in Iceland for a huge portion of the Q&A, but the most memorable part of the session had nothing to do with filmmaking. Earl Lynn Nelson, who refreshingly doesn’t hold back his thoughts, told the audience that, even at 72, he’s still a vital man, humorously adding that his “stinger” is still working.
During the Q&A, Earl Lynn Nelson explained why Land Ho! contains a relatable theme:
“I don’t know why people are (pigeonholing) this as an old people’s movie when this is a movie for everybody. You’re taking your life and going on with it. Live every day, because guess what, tomorrow might never come. And that’s my philosophy, and that’s the way I am, and that’s the way I live.”
3. Commentary with Paul Eenhoorn, Earl Lynn Nelson, Martha Stephens, and Aaron Katz – One interesting tidbit from the commentary is learning that the film, though mainly shot with two Red One cameras, also featured sequences shot with a DSLR camera (Canon 5D).
Land Ho! – Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
During my interview with Martha Stephens and Aaron Katz, the filmmakers talked about the universality of Land Ho!:
Team Blake artist Reagan James, though just 15, has already released an album (Remedy came out in 2013) to her credit and is now looking to go make the live playoffs for The Voice (TV Line spilled the beans on the Knockout pairings last week).
I was highly impressed with James’ approach to songwriting and music, and during our interview she gave refreshingly candid answers to my questions – even explaining why she tends to be “all over the place.”
Check out our chat below, as the Burleson, Texas resident discusses about her passion for music, getting coached by Blake Shelton, and, of course, the joy of eating black olives! (For more info on Reagan James, check out her official site)
Good morning Reagan, how are you?
Hi I’m good. How are you?
Great. First off, I have a stupid question. You’ve said in previous interviews that you love black olives.
Oh my gosh, yes!
Do you like them by themselves, on pizza, or just on anything?
All three of those answers are a ‘yes.’ I love them anywhere – anytime (laughs).
How awesome is it to be on The Voice and already have an album out?
It’s so great, because if I didn’t have any of that, I’d just have to point (people) to YouTube videos or things like Instagram and Twitter. I wouldn’t actually have a product that I could give them. It’s cool that they can already go and listen to my stuff and start following me right now. So it’s a blessing, I’m so happy I did that (laughs).
THE VOICE — Season: 7 — Pictured: Reagan James — (Photo by: Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Coming from a musical family and learning how to play guitar, how important is learning how to craft a song through writing along with having a working knowledge on the musicianship behind it? There must be more layers to your work than just the singing aspect.
Yeah. Writing is my biggest passion. It comes before everything. I think that being able to sing and play instruments and write altogether is . . . I’m really happy that I have all those abilities just because you can completely change somebody’s day with your lyrics. You can completely alter how someone’s feeling – and I love it.
Blake Shelton has a way of connecting with artists, no matter what the genre. What has he taught you along the way? Is his ability to relate to the people he coaches a big reason for his success?
I think, it doesn’t matter how good the coaching is. If you’re not comfortable in your skin, you’re not going to get anything out of it. You’re going to be too worried about what you look like (and) what you sound like. The best thing that Blake’s done for me so far is providing me with a sense of comfort within myself to an even bigger extent than I already had.
I’ve always been really confident and aware of my talent. Whenever I’ve been able to work with him, everything is so positive, and encouraging, and instructive. It just boosts my self-confidence. If you can boost your self-confidence, the rest will come and you’ll be able to take the input that people are giving you and you won’t take it harshly. You’ll take it as a good thing. He’s boosted my self-confidence a lot.
You’ve heard it time and time again about being wise beyond your years. I’m wondering where that sense of maturity, especially with how you approach your craft, comes from?
I think that where you are has to do with what you’ve been through. It doesn’t have to be with how long you’ve been alive. The things that I’ve experience and the things I’ve done over the course of my life has shaped me and molded me into the person I am today.
I don’t really have a complete explanation for it – but definitely music has a lot to do with it. Writing – it forces you to get outside your comfort zone and to look at other people’s perspectives on things.
http://youtu.be/CfZaiD_WsJI
I know you can’t say much about the Knockouts without getting into trouble. But can you, I guess in a vague fashion, talk about the song you chose for this round?
The reason that I song the song that I chose (laughs) – is it fits perfectly into my genre. Lots of chances to go really big and a lot of chances to show off my falsetto. It has a good variety and I think it’s really fun to perform. I think everyone’s going to like it.
I was talking to Matt McAndrew the other day and he was talking about how writing was an autobiographical process. Is that the same for you?
I write a lot of different styles. What I find myself doing a lot of the time is (although) I am still young I really want to write deep stuff that everybody can grasp onto.
But as a kid, I haven’t been through everything yet. I like to be able to look at other people’s lives and experiences and take those things and put myself in their shoes and write like I’m living what they’re living. So I do a lot of that.
I also do a lot of imagery writing – metaphorical stuff. And yeah, I write about my feelings all the time. Not like organized poetry, but (more like) free writing. Then I take that and put it into song form.
I’m writing all the time. Like the notes on your phone? I have hundreds of those.
THE VOICE — “Blind Auditions” Episode 702 — Pictured: Reagan James — (Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC)
How great is to have your family and friends supporting you?
You look at some artists and they’ll say they have no support from their families. They’ve come up all on their own and they don’t have anything. Looking at them, and then I look at my situation and I feel so blessed. I have so many people – my whole town is backing me up.
There’s never a moment when I’m alone in this game. I always havepeople to go to and talk to and help me. That’s an amazing feeling.
Is music your main thing down the road?
Music is my main thing forever. I could see myself writing, producing, performing – all that stuff. That’s why I have such a hard time when people ask what my genre is. I don’t want to fit in one box. I want to do everything.
If I want to go record a country album or if I want to go hip-hop or rock, I want to be able to do that and not be held in one category.
Part of your confidence as a writer and singer, does that come out of your innate curiosity for life? Do those elements add color to your music?
I think what brings out the most colors is the fact that I question myself daily. One day I’ll have one view on life and the next day it will be completely changed.
That seems unstable, but at the same time I’m thankful that I’m all over the map because it allows me to reach so many other people. I can connect with everybody because I have all these thoughts that, if you’re human, you’re going to relate to at least one of them, you know?
Thank you for your time Reagan! Good luck moving forward.
Thank you!
Knockouts continue this week as The Voice airs Monday and Tuesday nights (NBC, 8 pm et/pt).
The Dark Knight trilogy filmmaker Christopher Nolan sends Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway to a new galaxy in his ambitious, science fiction epic Interstellar. Playing a pilot turned farmer named Cooper, McConaughey is eventually tasked with leading a group of explorers to find a new inhabitable planet for humankind.
During the Interstellar press conference, Nolan elaborated on his passion for the project (he co-wrote the film with brother Jonathan Nolan):
“For my part, I look for a great story. What I found in Jonah’s draft was a very relatable situation. A great opportunity to challenge myself as a filmmaker in terms of various technical issues but also emotional issues. I’m a father myself and I related to the character as a father. I wanted to really push that in the telling of the story. I couldn’t tell you any more specifically . . . I just look for something that grabs me and holds me emotionally.”
One emotionally charged sequence, which I won’t spoil, has Cooper experiencing an incredibly profound moment. McConaughey talks about how he approached the scene below, and Nolan adds that “manly man tears” were shed after watching that sequence in dailies.
Opening in select cities November 7, The Theory of Everythingcenters on the inspiring and steadfast relationship between astrophysicist Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne)and his wife Jane (Felicity Jones). The film, directed by Man on Wirefilmmaker James Marsh, is based on Jane Hawking’s memoir Travelling to Infinity: My Life With Stephen.
“This is a fascinating and formidable woman to be playing,” said Jones. “It was a project where I knew that I would need to do a lot of research and a lot of preparation. When you’re playing real people, you feel a sense of responsibility, because you know that they’re going to see it at some people. It can sound a bit grandiose, but you want to do justice to their experiences – and Jane and Steven, they really lived extraordinary lives in an extraordinary way.”
In the audio clip below, Felicity Jones talks about the prep work involved in tackling such real life women as Jane Hawking in The Theory of Everything and Nelly Ternan in The Invisible Woman.
Jake Gyllenhaal is a versatile actor who’s traversed many genres, and that diversity continues with Nightcrawler, a perverse and prescient thriller that refuses pump the brakes from the get go.
Lou Bloom (Gyllenhaal) is unemployed, and though his sunken cheeked visage gives him a desperate and all too hungry look, our anti-hero is far from weak. Rather, he is laser focused on landing a stable and well paying job. America is the land of opportunity, and Lou believes putting one’s best foot forward, along with an unshakable work ethic, should place him on the right path.
A highway accident during the dead of night sets Lou on his path, as he meets Joe Loder (Bill Paxton), a freelance cameraman who sells violent nighttime footage (car accidents, robberies) to local news stations in need of juicy footage.
Armed with a camera and a police scanner, along with the assistance of a hapless, well meaning drifter (Riz Ahmed), Lou speeds through the Los Angeles streets, ready to document the latest “if it bleeds, it leads” news story.
Rene Russo (The Thomas Crown Affair) gives one of her best performances as Nina Romina, a news director sees potential in Lou and eagerly buys his captured footage. Desperate to keep her job, Nina takes her news coverage to grisly and tabloid driven lengths to increase her struggling station’s ratings.
In the clip below, Rene Russo explains why she didn’t change a word of dialogue for Nina (the movie is penned and directed by Russo’s husband, Dan Gilroy)
Lou’s quick ascent as a videographer may be commendable, but the steps he takes along the way is absolutely horrifying. Whether it’s staging a crime scene, manipulating Nina to suit his own needs, or placing his assistant in harm’s way, Lou’s sociopathic tendencies lead him to a dark, morally corrupt arena.
Gilroy and cinematographer Robert Elswit create a neon tinged, seedy, yet ultimately dreamlike City of Angels, wherein animalistic urges supplant any semblance of decency. Lou is envisioned by Gilroy as a coyote who haunts the local grounds, looking to feed on the available prey. Thanks to losing 20 pounds, Gyllenhaal perfectly captures Lou’s subtle ferocity.
In the following clip, Jake Gyllenhall about an aspect of the media he learned from doing Nightcrawler:
Movie fans may see traces of Billy Wilder’s Ace in the Hole or Sidney Lumet’s Network in Nightcrawler, and time will tell if the movie reaches their stratospheric heights. Even with these influences, the movie entirely stands on its own, giving viewers a nightmarish look at the insatiable media and mass consumption which creates people like Lou Bloom and Nina Romina.
A thriller which mixes film noir and pulp sensibilities, Nightcrawler thankfully doesn’t revel in the sheer audacity of its narrative. Rather, we are given an even-eyed yet seductive look at a man determined to succeed in the news business. Reporting is a bloody and dirty job and someone’s got to do it. Thankfully Lou, much to the detriment of his colleagues, is more than up to the task.
NIGHTCRAWLER (Open Road Films)
Running Time: 117 minutes.
MPAA rating: R
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Bill Paxton, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, Kevin Rahm. Director/Writer: Dan Gilroy
Eddie Redmayne (Les Misérables, My Week with Marilyn) delivers a sublime performance as renowned physicist Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. It’s a performance that’s garnering Redmayne, who won a Tony in 2010 for his work in Red, great notices (the movie comes out November 7).
Redmayne and co-star Felicity Jones, who plays Hawking’s strong willed wife, should be names that will be discussed when awards season comes around.
According to a Variety piece on Redmayne, Hawking described the movie as “broadly true” and even celebrated after the movie’s screening with the movie’s director (James Marsh) and scribe (Anthony McCarten).
“He has this amazing sense of humor,” said Redmayne, who first met Hawking five days before shooting started. “And an amazing sense of mischief and this sort of like glint in his eye.
During today’s press junket for The Theory of Everything, I asked Redmayne about his reaction to Hawking’s positive response about the film (a nurse reportedly “wiped a tear from Hawking’s eye” after the screening). Click on the audio below to hear Eddie Redmayne:
“Star Wars:Galactic Defense adds its own flare to the traditional tower defense genre and brings the excitement that was once limited to a galaxy far, far away, right to your fingertips,“ said Barry Dorf, DeNA vp of partnerships and alliances. “The game packs beloved characters, iconic locations, tactical gameplay, and heart-pounding battles into one exciting mobile experience.”
Since i’m an iOS guy, I’ll be downloading the game to play on my iPad. I’m always cautious whenever the freemium model is used, so hopefully Star Wars: Galactic Defense offers a ton of gameplay without immediately necessary in-app purchases/premiums.
I’ll be playing the game over the next several games and posting my review on this site. But for now, check out the trailer and, if you have actually played or are planning to play the game, feel free to comment below!!
