Best Squid Thomas Podcasts (2025)

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Jeremiah Fraites (The Lumineers, The Long Walk, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere) 44:12

Play Pause

3d ago44:12

44:12

I know I keep saying that the end of this season is imminent. And it is, but it seems like every time I think it's about dead it springs back to life for a little while longer. Reviving it this week is Jeremiah Fraites. Jeremiah is going to be best known as being one of the founding members of the hit alternative folk band The Lumineers, but lately…

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Jeff Danna Talks The Hunting Wives, Silent Hill 36:32

18d ago36:32

36:32

Composer Jeff Danna (The Good Dinosaur, The Boondock Saints) joins me on The Film Scorer podcast just before we wrap up season 5! Oddly enough, I've listened to quite a bit of music from the Silent Hill franchise over the last 15 months or so, and it turns out that Jeff "scored" the two film adaptations from earlier in the 2000s (I used "scored" in…

1
Daniel Pemberton 31:40

1M ago31:40

31:40

In a Film Scorer first, a repeat guest joins the show! Daniel Pemberton (the Spider-Verse films, King Arthur) comes onto the show for a second time, after chatting with me back in 2023 about his score for Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse. Even though we're just over halfway through the year, Daniel's already scored about a half dozen projects, s…

1
Electric Youth 37:31

2M ago37:31

37:31

Today I'm joined by Electric Youth! Well, one half of the electronic/synth pop duo - Austin Garrick - without his co-member Bronwyn Griffin. Their latest project is the score for North of Normal, a true coming-of-age drama that jumps between timelines in a forest commune in the 70s and city life in the 80s. Some of you may think that the band's sou…

1
Carlos Rafael Rivera 26:49

3M ago26:49

26:49

Carlos Rafael Rivera (The Queen's Gambit, Hacks) is one of the few composers my mom has asked me about, so I'm extra excited to have him join the show! Carlos's latest project is Department Q, his fourth series with writer-director Scott Frank (joining Godless, The Queen's Gambit, and Monsieur Spade, as well as the film A Walk Among The Tombstones)…

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Thomas Newman and Julia Newman 28:16

3M ago28:16

28:16

What a surreal moment - getting to chat with Thomas Newman and Julia Newman! Whether you're a big film music fan or a casual film goer, I'll guess that you're familiar with Tom, having been nominated for fifteen Academy Awards (I accidentally say fourteen...) and scoring projects like The Shawshank Redemption, American Beauty, Finding Nemo & Findin…

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Max Aruj and Alfie Godfrey Score Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning 44:19

4M ago44:19

44:19

The Mission Impossible franchise has been going strong for nearly thirty years, so it's a bit surreal to see it apparently come to an end, with Tom Cruise hanging up the mantle as Ethan Hunt. To celebrate the final entry, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, the film's composers Max Aruj and Alfie Godfrey join the show! Naturally, the three o…

1
Scoring Squid Game with Jung Jae-Il (Parasite, Mickey 17) 18:54

4M ago18:54

18:54

Ahead of the premiere of the third and final season of Squid Game, I chat with the show's composer, Jung Jae-Il (Parasite, Mickey 17). Obviously Jae-Il and I spend much of the conversation talking about Squid Game, including the palette, the differences in score and approach between the seasons (due to different games and loads of character deaths)…

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Leo Birenberg & Zach Robinson (Cobra Kai, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man) 50:26

5M ago50:26

50:26

Composers Leo Birenberg & Zach Robinson join The Film Scorer Podcast to round out the unofficial (and accidental) trilogy of duo interviews (joining Meg Remy & Grace Glowicki and Aaron May & David Ridley). Leo and Zach are fresh off of scoring the sixth and final season of Cobra Kai as well as the first season of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-M…

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Adolescence with Aaron May and David Ridley 41:55

5M ago41:55

41:55

For my second of three consecutive duo interviews, I chat with composers Aaron May and David Ridley. While they've been composing together for a while, their biggest project is also their most recent - the viral Netflix series Adolescence, from director Philip Barantini and starring Stephen Graham. It's not surprise, then, that we spend a lot of ou…

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The Final Episode 2:17:04

6M ago2:17:04

2:17:04

Goodbye, goodbye. For our final episode of this run, Austin, Raymond & Henry talk about how they watch movies, some mailbag questions, some musings on the craft, and more. Thanks again for tuning in each week, everybody. Stay safe, and we'll see you at the movies! Follow us on Twitter! @austin_hayden (Austin) @creamatoria (Raymond) and on Letterbox…

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The "Best" Film Scores of 2024 28:08

6M ago28:08

28:08

Although we're now a couple months into 2025, I finally present you with the "best" film scores of 2024. As usual, there are some very mainstream scores in here that most observers would agree with and there are a few left field choices. If you're a longtime listener, that shouldn't surprise you. As with all of these lists, although I say they're t…

1
Mulholland Drive: It Was All A Dream 1:33:55

6M ago1:33:55

1:33:55

Our penultimate episode! The guys get into Mulholland Drive (directed by David Lynch) on this one. This film is a great segue for conversation as it weaves through film studies, what it means for something to be Lynchian, what it means to make movies - and more. Enjoy! Join the LAST Livestream of SHOW ME THE MEANING! next Tuesday at 5 PM PST on the…

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The Best Film Scores of the 2020s (So Far) (with Piecing It Together) 54:37

6M ago54:37

54:37

It's a bit worrying to realize that we're now over halfway through the 2020s - where has the time gone? Well, I suppose we all know one collective reason why it feels like a blur... But rather than lament the passage of time, I've decided to celebrate what's been released during the last five years; specifically, celebrating the "best" film scores …

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The Boy and The Heron: A Filmmaker's Legacy 1:41:53

7M ago1:41:53

1:41:53

Raymond is back from filming his movie! The guys get into The Boy and The Heron - Hayao Miyazaki's swan (heron?) song. Who will take over Studio Ghibli? Does more money make a better movie? Is this film a bigger metaphor for Miyazaki's retirement? They get into these questions and more - and more! Enjoy! We only have TWO episodes left! So be sure t…

1
Dead Lover with Meg Remy (aka U.S. Girls) and Grace Glowicki 36:19

7M ago36:19

36:19

In an absolute coincidence, during International Women's Month Meg Remy (U.S. Girls) and Grace Glowicki join me on The Film Scorer Podcast! Our primary focus is the film Dead Lover, for which Grace is director, co-writer, and lead actress and Meg provided most of the score. As such, we talk about the film itself, the music (and how Meg and Grace wo…

1
Conclave: Catholic Camp 1:25:45

7M ago1:25:45

1:25:45

Get your cigarettes out for this one - we're talking Conclave! Austin, Henry, and Michael talk the intersection of humanity and religion, the campiness of this film, pope names - and more! Enjoy! Join the SHOW ME THE MEANING! LIVESTREAM every Tuesday at 5 PM PST on the Wisecrack 2 channel! https://youtube.com/@wisecrack_2 Follow us on Twitter! @aus…

1
Babygirl vs. May December: Giving and Taking 1:12:23

7M ago1:12:23

1:12:23

We got another cage match: Babygirl vs May/December! Austin is joined by Wisecrack's Amanda! They get into age gap films, the philosophy of the male gaze, the role of eroticisim in this era of films, and more! Join the SHOW ME THE MEANING! LIVESTREAM every Tuesday at 5 PM PST on the Wisecrack 2 channel! https://youtube.com/@wisecrack_2 Follow us on…

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Rihards Zalupe Scores Flow 46:12

7M ago46:12

46:12

Rihards Zalupe joins The Film Scorer Podcast! Rihards' latest score is for the Oscar and BAFTA nominated animated film Flow, which he co-composed with the film's writer and director Gints Zilbalodis. As such, Rihards and I spend much of our conversation talking about the score, including creating themes or specific sonic palette choices for each of…

1
Aftersun: We Got Daddy Issues 1:27:53

7M ago1:27:53

1:27:53

The best movie for a cry (if you got daddy issues). Austin is joined by Producer Henry for a chat on Aftersun! They get into realizing the frailty of our parents, the nature of memory and music, some narrative structure of the film - and more! Enjoy! Join the SHOW ME THE MEANING! LIVESTREAM every Tuesday at 5 PM PST on the Wisecrack 2 channel! http…

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Awards Season 2025: Best Original Scores at the BAFTAs and the Oscars 13:47

8M ago13:47

13:47

The BAFTAs air on February 16 and the Oscars on March 2. I'd never consider myself a big awards season guy, but I love that it's the one time of year where film music is widely celebrated and has a little spotlight, if only briefly. As such, here's a little peek into the six nominated scores between the two awards. I've also done interviews on two …

1
Hypernormalisation Explains EVERYTHING Going On Right Now 1:05:39

8M ago1:05:39

1:05:39

Austin is again joined by Wisecrack's very own: Michael Burns! Join the convo on the movie that explains EVERYTHING that is happening politically right now. We get into where Hypernormlisation originated from, our changing views on the Occupy movement, a Patti Smith-Sam Shepard play - and more! Join the SHOW ME THE MEANING! LIVESTREAM every Tuesday…

1
Will The Brutalist Be Remembered? 1:22:13

8M ago1:22:13

1:22:13

Today Austin is joined by Wisecrack's very own: Michael Burns! Raymond is out shooting his movie. Join the convo as they get into the commodification of art (both in the film and by the director himself), the concepts of home explored in the epilogue, some "PTA-ish" notes that the film could have used - and more! Enjoy! Join the SHOW ME THE MEANING…

1
Nosferatu: The Consequence of Repression 1:46:01

8M ago1:46:01

1:46:01

Nosferatu. Raymond returns. Henry takes the mic. Join the crew as they talk the merits of this adaptation, the messages around desire and sexuality, viewing this film as a western, and more! Enjoy! Join the SHOW ME THE MEANING! LIVESTREAM every Tuesday at 5 PM PST on the Wisecrack 2 channel! https://youtube.com/@wisecrack_2 Follow us on Twitter! @a…

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Film Score Recap: April Through June 2024 27:33

8M ago27:33

27:33

Although we've just entered 2025, this series is deep in the middle of 2024. The months of April, May, and June released some of my favorite scores of the year (feel free to guess which) as well as arguably the most popular score of the year in Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's Challengers, and plenty more scores, both big and small. I also noticed t…

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Dune: Part Two - Is Revolution In Art Possible? 1:49:09

9M ago1:49:09

1:49:09

Lisan al-Gaib! Austin and Raymond get into Dune: Part Two this week! How much of this film is aesthetic versus substance? What does it say about power structures in our mythos? Does this film oversimplify revolution? Join us as we ask those questions! Join the SHOW ME THE MEANING! LIVESTREAM every Tuesday at 5 PM PST on the Wisecrack 2 channel! htt…

1
Bryce Dessner (The National, The Revenant, The Two Popes) Scores Sing Sing 27:09

9M ago27:09

27:09

In a quick 1-2 punch after talking with Daniel Blumberg (The Brutalist), Bryce Dessner (The National, The Revenant, The Two Popes) joins The Film Scorer podcast! Bryce released two scores last year, for the films Sing Sing and We Live In Time. However, Bryce and I were under a tight time constraint and so had to pick and choose what we chatted abou…

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Covering Our Best Films of 2024 1:48:41

9M ago1:48:41

1:48:41

Happy New Year! Austin and Raymond get into their best films of 2024. What makes a film a "best" film? Was it your experience of watching the film? The performances? The craft? Because it was made by Sean Baker? And stick around until the end for our best performances of the year! Here are the films we get into! Raymond's Top 5: I Saw the TV Glow F…

1
Daniel Blumberg Builds The Brutalist 40:35

9M ago40:35

40:35

Much to my dismay, The Brutalist is not an industrial grindcore band. Nonetheless, I feel compelled to talk about it. As such, composer Daniel Blumberg joins the show! It should be no surprise, then, that we spend much of our time talking about his BAFTA and Academy Award winning and Golden Globe nominated score to Brady Corbet's 3.5 hour epic, whi…

1
Donna McKevitt 44:53

9M ago44:53

44:53

Composer Donna McKevitt joins The Film Scorer Podcast! Donna is someone that I've chatted to here and there over the last few years, so it was a treat having her on the show and finally getting the chance to "meet" her. Her latest scores are for The Swimming Diaries and My Name is Alfred Hitchcock, two very different documentaries and very differen…

1
The Wild Robot: Technology Will Not Save Us 1:40:12

9M ago1:40:12

1:40:12

Roz! Today we cover The Wild Robot (dir Chris Sanders)! We get into narrative issues that both give this movie colonial undertones and undermine the themes it's trying to explore, the robotic emotional journey it takes the audience on, some philosophy on technology and the hierarchy of life - and more! Enjoy! Join the SHOW ME THE MEANING! LIVESTREA…

1
The Angel 47:51

10M ago47:51

47:51

The Angel (Boiler Room, Kidulthood) joins The Film Scorer! Angel's latest score is for the crime thriller Heist 88, which came out last year but her score only released last month. As such, we spend much of our conversation talking about the score, including the hybrid palette, influences from Chicago's 1980s club/house music scene, and getting int…

1
Anora: A Mature Fairytale 1:33:16

10M ago1:33:16

1:33:16

Well, well, well, we finally saw it! This week, we cover Anora (dir Sean Baker)! Join us as we get into Sean bakers process, the performances he got out of his actors, Mikey Madison’s incredible show of force, a little detour into the institution of marriage, that last scene - and more! Enjoy! Join the SHOW ME THE MEANING! LIVESTREAM every Tuesday …

1
Heretic: You Can't Hide Horny 1:32:13

10M ago1:32:13

1:32:13

We're covering HERETIC (dir Scott Beck, Bryan Woods) today! We're walking right past the shallow religious interpretation of this film, and taking a swing at a more provocative take: this movie is about sex. And does it even do a good job of being about it? Join the SHOW ME THE MEANING! LIVESTREAM every Tuesday at 5 PM PST on the Wisecrack 2 channe…

1
Gladiator II: Sans Gravitas 1:26:47

10M ago1:26:47

1:26:47

On my signal!! Join us for our chat on GLADIATOR II (dir. Ridley Scott). Was this movie worth the wait? And for that matter, who was waiting for it...? We get into why these lega-sequels feel empty, the relevance of Gladiator II within today's sociopolitical situation, how this film served its star-studded cast - and more! Enjoy! Join the SHOW ME T…

1
Wilbert Roget, II 45:07

10M ago45:07

45:07

In the latest episode of The Film Scorer podcast I'm joined by Wilbert Roget, II (Star Wars: Outlaws, Helldivers 2, Mortal Kombat). While Wilbert is best known for his work scoring video games, including recently receiving a Grammy nomination for Star Wars: Outlaws, our focus is on something a little different. Wilbert has just made his first foray…

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John Hughes Comfort Views 1:53:47

10M ago1:53:47

1:53:47

Autumn: the time of cozy movies and (un)comfortable nostalgia! In this CAGE MATCH episode, we pit The Breakfast Club against Planes, Trains & Automobiles to explore the autumnal film. What makes a film cozy? What is the philosophy behind Thanksgiving (hint: capitalism)? How can we associate John Hughes with Reagan era films? We get into these quest…

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The Zone of Interest: The Evil of Banality 1:55:42

11M ago1:55:42

1:55:42

The crew is joined by recurring guest Mallory Blair to talk Jonathan Glazer's THE ZONE OF INTEREST! Starting off with the worst take of all time on this film, this conversation ranges from the filmmaking techniques within, similar Holocaust films, materialism and other philosophy lessons, the very obvious comparisons to the events unfolding in Gaza…

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Kris Bowers Scores The Wild Robot 25:59

11M ago25:59

25:59

Season 5 of The Film Scorer Podcast continues to pick up steam as Kris Bowers (Bridgerton, Green Book) joins the show! The Academy Award winner and nominee (who was just nominated for a Grammy for his score to The Color Purple a few days ago) recently scored the hit animated film The Wild Robot. As such, Kris and I spend much of our conversation ta…

1
Alex Garland's Civil War: Vagueness, Violence, Boring 1:31:02

11M ago1:31:02

1:31:02

The guys cover CIVIL WAR (dir. Alex Garland) on this one, and it gets heated! But does it get heated because the film is hot garbage? Join the guys as they attempt to find out what this movie is trying to say through its vagueness, violence, philosophy, and potential to be a good film. Enjoy! Join the SHOW ME THE MEANING! LIVESTREAM every Tuesday a…

1
Movie Slasher Showdown 1:49:20

11M ago1:49:20

1:49:20

Happy Halloween! Raymond and Austin - and the stream audience - pit 8 Hollywood Slasher Villains against each other to decide who is the ultimate Slasher Champion. We got Michael Myers v Art the Clown, Jason v Norman Bates, Freddy v Leatherface, and Ghostface v Chucky. Who will win? Take a listen! Along the way, we break down archetypes of the horr…

1
Amelia Warner Scores The Young Woman and the Sea 40:08

11M ago40:08

40:08

Season 5 of The Film Scorer Podcast is here! In the Season 5 premiere I chat with composer Amelia Warner. Amelia's latest score is for the Disney sports biopic Young Woman and the Sea (starring Daisy Ridley), about Trudy Ederle, the first woman to swim across the English Channel. As such, we spend much of our conversation focused on that score, inc…

1
Furiosa: Studio Flop or Furious Masterpiece? 1:26:29

11M ago1:26:29

1:26:29

Start your engines! Austin and Raymond jump into FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA (dir George Miller). The guys get into the mythos of this installment within the larger franchise, the role of fan service in these cinematic universes, concepts of religion and populism in Mad Max villains, and the decency of the heroes within. Enjoy! Join the SHOW ME THE MEA…

1
Season Five Trailer - The Film Scorer Podcast 1:02

11M ago1:02

1:02

Season Five of The Film Scorer Podcast is almost here! The new season launches on Sunday, October 27th, with new episodes continuing every other Sunday after that (more or less). Given the breadth of guests in season three, including Academy Award nominated actor-turned-composer Viggo Mortensen, Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Abels, 2024 Academy Awa…

1
Longlegs vs The Substance: A Pop Horror Cage Match 1:40:22

12M ago1:40:22

1:40:22

Our first cage match! Austin and Raymond have chosen LONGLEGS (dir. Oz Perkins) and THE SUBSTANCE (dir. Coralie Fargeat) to battle it out. Join the crew as they break down these films, from the different ways each director relies on genre expectation, to the iconography within both films - and, of course, a dash of philosophy sprinkled in to cover …

1
Film Score Review III: 'She Dies Tomorrow' by Mondo Boys 4:21

12M ago4:21

4:21

Dipping back into the well again, reaching to September 2020, here's the audio version (cleaned up and shortened) of my review of Mondo Boys' score for She Dies Tomorrow. Again, the audio is still a little rougher but after thirty seconds or so you don't really notice (or at least I didn't as I was editing). There's also a nauseating little cue thr…

1
Cracking Open I Saw the TV Glow 1:30:14

12M ago1:30:14

1:30:14

The Pink Opaque! Raymond and Austin are joined by Mallory Blair to talk Jane Schoenbrun's I SAW THE TV GLOW. Listen along as they peel apart the many layers in this film, from the nuanced trans experience of "cracking open the egg" in the character's self-discovery, to the specificity of Schoenbrun's direction, to the philosophical metaphors we can…

1
We Know What You Watched Last Summer 1:23:12

12M ago1:23:12

1:23:12

For their first episode back, Austin and Raymond are going to be discussing the past summer at the movies, and what the failures and successes of Hollywood can show us about the future of cinema. Join the SHOW ME THE MEANING! LIVESTREAM every Tuesday at 5 PM PST on the Wisecrack 2 channel! https://youtube.com/@wisecrack_2 Follow us on Twitter! @aus…

1
Brooke & Will Blair (The Blair Bros.) Score Rebel Ridge 53:39

1y ago53:39

53:39

Just because the podcast is between seasons and on a brief hiatus doesn't mean that the work stops. To keep me busy, I chatted with Brooke Blair and Will Blair (Blue Ruin, Green Room), the very rare sibling composer duo, about their latest score: Rebel Ridge. Rebel Ridge marks the fifth collaboration between the Blair Bros. and director Jeremy Saul…

1
Film Score Recap: January Through March 2024 23:10

1y ago23:10

23:10

Welcome in the new year (and forget that it's already September) by hearing about some of the best and most notable film scores kicking off 2024, including Dune: Part 2 by Hans Zimmer, Spaceman by Max Richter, and plenty more, both big and small. Remember: the show is still in hiatus between seasons, but hopefully this can hold you over a little bi…