Category Archives: Music

TIFF FILM REVIEW: ‘The Magnificent Seven’

Posted on September 8, 2016 by admin

By Ray Bennett TORONTO – Antoine Fuqua’s “The Magnificent Seven” is a rousing Western adventure with stylish set pieces, interesting characters sketched quickly, and a great deal of carnage. It moves fast and loud and should please action fans and … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Music, Reviews, TIFF Toronto International Film Festival | Tagged 'The Magnificent Seven', Antoine Fuqua, Chris Pratt, Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, James Horner, Simon Franglen, Toronto International Film Festival | Comments Off

‘Jeannie’ Barbara Eden dreamed of being a TV cop

Posted on August 23, 2016 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Barbara Eden, who turns 85 today, is remembered most fondly as the sexy genie in the Sixties sitcom “I Dream of Jeannie” but what she really wanted to be was a TV cop.

Posted in Film, Interviews, Memory Lane, Music, Television | Tagged 'Harper Valley P.T.A.', 'I Dream of Jeannie', Barbara Eden, George Pal, Larry Hagman | Comments Off

When I spoke to Wonder Woman, she had no clothes on …

Posted on July 24, 2016 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Lynda Carter, in her “Wonder Woman” prime, stepped naked and wet from the shower as I said “hello” to begin our interview about life after three seasons as TV’s top female superhero.

Posted in Interviews, Memory Lane, Music, Television | Tagged 'Wonder Woman', Lynda Carter | Comments Off

Kraków Film Music Festival: ‘A total pleasure!’

Posted on June 1, 2016 by admin

By Ray Bennett KRAKÓW – Cliff Martinez said it best. The genial but taciturn favourite movie composer of filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, said, “It is simply very exciting to be in a place that celebrates film music.” Martinez was speaking at … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Krakow Film Music Festival, Music, News | Tagged AUKSO Chamber Orchestra of the City of Tychy, Cliff Martinez, Heitor Pereira, Joseph Trapans, Krakow Film Music Festival, Ludwig Wicki, Marek Moś, Pro Musica Mundi Choir, Robert Piaskowski, Sinfonietta Cracovia, Tauron Arena | 1 Comment

Kraków Film Music Festival: Animation Gala

Posted on May 30, 2016 by admin

By Ray Bennett KRAKÓW – Animated films tend to be filled with basic emotions that offer composers the opportunity to revel in them all from the terror of oppression to the tumult of revolt, the panic of flight to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Krakow Film Music Festival, Music, Reviews | Tagged Alan Menken, Alexandre Desplat, Beethoven Academy Orchestra, Daniel Carlin, Diego Navarro, Frank Strobel, Harry Greyson-Williams, Heitor Pereira, John Powell, Kasia Laska, Krakow Film Music Festival, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Magdalena Wasylik, Marcin Jajkiewicz, Marcin Suszycki, Michael Giacchino, Polish Radio Choir, Robert Lopez, Stephen Flaherty, Stephen Schwartz, Tauron Arena Kraków, Wioletta Chodowicz | Comments Off

Kraków Film Music Festival: alterFMF Gala: Drone Sounds

Posted on May 29, 2016 by admin

By Ray Bennett KRAKÓW – The annual Kraków Film Music Festival continues to extend and deepen our appreciation of movie music and the life of film scores after the credits roll. The latest example was an outstanding concert of electronic film … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Krakow Film Music Festival, Music, Reviews | Tagged alterFMF Gala: Drone Sounds, Anthony Weeden, AUKSO Chamber Orchestra of the City of Tychy, Cliff Martinez, ICE Krakow Congress Centre, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Joseph Trapanese, Krakow Film Music Festival, Łukasz Targosz | Comments Off

Kraków Film Music Festival: Wars & Kaper: Deconstruction

Posted on May 28, 2016 by admin

By Ray Bennett KRAKÓW – The annual Kraków Film Music Festival showed its adventurous side on May 26 with a fascinating programme of jazz interpretations of film music by treasured Polish composers Henryk Wars and Bronisław Kaper by the Audiofeeling … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Krakow Film Music Festival, Music, Reviews | Tagged Audiofeeling Trio, Bronislau Kaper, Henry Vars, Henryk Wars, ICE Krakow Congress Centre, Krakow Film Music Festival, Paweł Kaczmarczyk | Comments Off

Why Donovan said he would get me a knighthood

Posted on May 10, 2016 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – When Donovan, who turns 70 today, announced in Cannes that the internet is the new Sixties, my story about it made headlines around the world. When I ran into the folk-rocker later at a BMI gathering … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Memory Lane, Music | Tagged BMI, Donovan, MIDEM | 1 Comment

THEATRE REVIEW: Gemma Arterton in ‘Nell Gwynn’

Posted on February 17, 2016 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Jessica Swale’s thoroughly entertaining play “Nell Gwynn”, about the strumpet turned actress who beguiled a king of England and became a queen of the London stage, is filled with laughter and music and a few … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Reviews, Theatre | Tagged 'Nell Gwynn', Anneika Rose, Christopher Luscombe, David Rintoul, David Sturzaker, Gemma Arterton, Greg Haiste, Hugh Durrant, Jay Taylor, Jessica Swale, Michael Garner, Michelle Dotrice, Nica Burns, Nicholas Shaw, Nigel Hess, Peter McGovern, Sarah Woodward, Sasha Waddell, Shakespeare's Globe | Comments Off

Art meets science in space at the Natural History Museum

Posted on February 12, 2016 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The Natural History Museum’s exhibition “Otherworlds: Visions of Our Solar System”, on show now through May 15, is as good as a movie as it takes visitors on a journey through space with spectacular still … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, News, Reviews | Tagged 'Otherworlds: Visions of Our Solar System', ESA, Joseph Michalski, Michael Benson, NASA, Natural History Museum | Comments Off