News

Exclusive: Bulldog Film Distribution has picked up the feature Signs of Life for a theatrical release in the UK and Ireland.

Moviehouse Entertainment has also joined the film to handle international sales ahead of the upcoming American Film Market.

The film stars Sarah-Jane Potts as a silent protagonist, and actor David Ganly is her highly vocal foil. The film was predominantly shot using exteriors in southern Europe.

The story centers around Potts’ character who attempts to shift her life by fleeing abroad but, on arrival at her destination, meets with danger. A chance encounter with another solo traveler offers her an unexpected solution and a chain of surprising events unfolds between the two strangers which will either make or break them.

The score is by Oscar-winning composer Anne Dudley who also serves as Producer with Millson and Roger Dudley.

“I wanted to make my first feature completely independently,...

The first ever London Soundtrack Festival is taking place in association with the BFI from March 19-26 2025, headlined by Oscar-winning Lord Of The Rings composer Howard Shore.

He will take part in an in-conversation event with filmmaker David Cronenberg, where they will discuss their collaborations, having worked together on all but one of Cronenberg’s films.

Shore’s further credits include Mrs Doubtfire, Silence Of The Lambs and Martin Scorsese films such as The Departed and The Aviator. A retrospective of the Canadian composer’s work joins events celebrating the likes of Tar and Joker composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, as well as Anna Meredith,...

The films in the running for the 2024 Best Original Score Oscar are “American Fiction,” “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Oppenheimer,” and “Poor Things.” Our current odds indicate that “Oppenheimer” (3/1) will take the prize, followed in order of likelihood by “Killers of the Flower Moon” (4/1), “Poor Things” (9/2), “Indiana Jones” (9/2), and “American Fiction” (9/2).

Just two of the five musicians on this roster are returning contenders, with the first-timer subgroup consisting of Jerskin Fendrix (“Poor Things”), Laura Karpman (“American Fiction”), and Robbie Robertson (“Killers of the Flower Moon”). Robertson, who died last August at age 80, is this category’s eighth posthumous nominee and first since 1977, when Bernard Herrmann earned dual bids for “Obsession” and “Taxi Driver” nearly 14 months after his death. He would be the fourth deceased composer to win an Academy Award, following Victor Young and “Limelight” (1973) duo Raymond Rasch and Larry Russell.

Of the...

Joseph Millson is teaming up with Grammy and Oscar-winning composer Anne Dudley for Signs Of Life. More on that project below.

Joseph Millson, an actor known for his roles in Angel Has Fallen, Casino Royale and I Give It A Year, is set to make his directorial debut with Signs Of Life, a third part in a trilogy of films.

The two previous films, The Magician and Care and both were produced by Millson and his wife Sarah-Jane Potts under their production company MillPotts Productions. Talk about relationship goals!

Unlike The Magician and Care, which were both shorts, Signs Of Life will be a feature film.

“The lead characters from Care and The Magician were the inspiration for the protagonists in Signs Of Life,” Millson said in a press release. “I felt there was still a lot to be said about the current epidemic of heartache and depression, the sheer...

Two songs from “Barbie” are Oscar-nominated, part of a diverse collection of songs and musical scores nominated for the 96th annual Academy Awards.

“What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, and “I’m Just Ken,” by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, were chosen by the 390 voting members of the Academy music branch. Three “Barbie” songs were shortlisted (Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” being the third) but only two can be nominated, per Academy rules.

The “Barbie” songs are already considered frontrunners, and if either number prevails on March 10, the Oscar will go to a pair of songwriters who already have one of those golden statues. Siblings Eilish and O’Connell won for 2021’s James Bond film “No Time to Die,” while Ronson and Wyatt were two of four 2018 winners for Lady Gaga’s song “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born.”

They will compete against Jon Batiste...

Composers including Howard Shore, Patrick Doyle and Daniel Pemberton have taken part.

The World Soundtrack Awards (Wsa), taking place annually at Film Fest Gent, is pairing 25 composers with 25 filmmakers for a short film project called 25 x 2 to celebrate the festival’s 50th anniversary.

Composers including Howard Shore, Patrick Doyle and Daniel Pemberton have composed a short piece of music (1-2 minutes) with many recorded by the Brussels Philharmonic orchestra. Filmmakers Including Terence Davies, Radu Jude, Paul Schrader, Naomi Kawase and Ildikó Enyedi are now creating shorts based on the scores.

The shorts will be presented at this year’s Film Fest Gent,...

Composers including Howard Shore, Patrick Doyle and Daniel Pemberton have taken part.

The World Soundtrack Awards (Wsa), taking place annually at Film Fest Gent, is pairing 25 composers with 25 filmmakers for a short film project called 25 x 2 to celebrate the festival’s 50th anniversary.

Composers including Howard Shore, Patrick Doyle and Daniel Pemberton have composed a short piece of music (1-2 minutes) with many recorded by the Brussels Philharmonic orchestra. Filmmakers Including Terence Davies, Radu Jude, Paul Schrader, Naomi Kawase and Ildikó Enyedi are now creating shorts based on the scores.

The shorts will be presented at this year’s Film Fest Gent,...

Composers including Howard Shore, Patrick Doyle and Daniel Pemberton have taken part.

The World Soundtrack Awards (Wsa), taking place annually at Film Fest Gent, is pairing 25 composers with 25 filmmakers for a short film project called 25 x 2 to celebrate the festival’s 50th anniversary.

Composers including Howard Shore, Patrick Doyle and Daniel Pemberton have composed a short piece of music (1-2 minutes) with many recorded by the Brussels Philharmonic orchestra. Filmmakers Including Terence Davies, Radu Jude, Paul Schrader, Naomi Kawase and Ildikó Enyedi are now creating shorts based on the scores.

The shorts will be presented at this year’s Film Fest Gent,...

William is a highly successful pediatric surgeon, a little uptight but living a good life with his family in London. But from the moment he locks eyes with Anna, standing across the room at a lavish party, he’s doomed. He knows it. We know it. The fun of Obsession, a new four-part erotic thriller from Netflix, lies in watching it all fall down. That, and a whole lot of kinky, animalistic sex.

This is a tale of amour fou, in which lust tramples everything in its path – family, respectability,...

It was announced today that legendary Grammy Award-winning guitarist and two-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Jeff Beck, has passed away at the age of 78. Known primarily for his work with the Yardbirds, Jeff Beck Group, and Beck, Bogert & Appice, Beck was named the fifth best guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone. To call Beck an influential musician would be a ridiculous understatement but there are few artists who have inspired quite like him. His music has been included in countless films, but only a handful have been bold enough to pop the British songster into cameo roles.

It makes sense for Beck to have appeared in a film like the rock mockumentary "A Spinal Tap Reunion: The 25th Anniversary London Sell-Out," but many would be surprised to learn that his first appearance in a narrative feature was in the Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger comedy "Twins.

Is "American History X" empty provocation? Is it apologia for white supremacist gang culture? Is it a profoundly sad document of the tensions dominating '90s Los Angeles? The movie continues to be shocking and troubling as the years pass, from its shootout opening to its brutal, contradictory ending. Tony Kaye's 1998 film (which he would attempt to disown in very public confrontations with New Line Cinema) deals directly with racism and the environment that powers it. Focusing on prejudice from the perspective of racists in the crucible of gang violence was an inspired choice.

The movie's mood is set up by its opening titles, with Anne Dudley's score (sounding like doom; she used strings and a boy's choir to emphasize the neo-Nazis) over grainy, black-and-white images of Venice Beach. There's a suggestion of faded majesty, which point-of-view character Danny Vinyard (Edward Furlong) alludes to in voiceover, claiming "this...

While discrimination in the workforce is improving for women and people of color, there’s still lots of work to be done. Take for example the world of film composers, a field that’s been dominated by men for years, with a few notable exceptions like Rachel Portman, Anne Dudley, Jocelyn Pook, and Lesley Barber. It’s only been in recent years that names like Hildur Guðnadóttir—the first woman to win an Academy Award for a film score since 1997—and Pinar Toprak—the first woman to score a Marvel movie in 2019, after 21 previous films scored by men—are becoming more established.

Continue reading ‘Loki’s Natalie Holt Will Score The ‘Kenobi’ Series, But John Williams Is Returning To Write Obi-Wan’s Theme at The Playlist.

The films in the running for the 2022 Best Original Score Oscar are “Don’t Look Up,” “Dune,” “Encanto,” “Parallel Mothers,” and “The Power of the Dog.” Our current odds indicate that “Dune” (16/5) will take the prize, followed in order of likelihood by “The Power of the Dog” (19/5), “Encanto” (9/2), “Don’t Look Up” (9/2), and “Parallel Mothers” (9/2).

Four of this year’s five composers are previous nominees, with Hans Zimmer standing out from the rest with a dozen bids to his name, the first of which was for “Rain Man” (1989). He triumphed on his second outing for “The Lion King” (1995) and has since earned notices for “The Preacher’s Wife” (1997), “As Good as It Gets” (1998), “The Prince of Egypt” (1999), “The Thin Red Line” (1999), “Gladiator” (2001), “Sherlock Holmes” (2010), “Inception” (2011), “Interstellar” (2015), and “Dunkirk” (2018).

Alberto Iglesias’s bid for “Parallel Mothers” is his fourth in this category. He was first recognized for “The Constant Gardener” (2006) and then for “The Kite Runner...

The Alliance for Women Film Composers (Awfc) has released a statement condemning the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ decision to not broadcast the best original score category live during this year’s Oscar ceremony.

The Academy first confirmed its decision to present several Oscar categories outside of the live March 27 telecast on Tuesday, via a letter from president David Rubin that was sent to Academy membership. The letter explained that these awards will instead be given out an hour prior to the on-camera ceremony, with clips from the speeches being incorporated into the telecast. The other categories aside from score that won’t be awarded live this year are documentary short, animated short, live action short, film editing, makeup and hairstyling, production design and sound. The move generated instant controversy among industry veterans, with the American Cinema Editors guild issuing a public statement condemning the decision.

Awfc’s statement,...

It’s time to have a serious conversation about “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and what it can achieve at the Oscars this year.

Looking at the Oscars shortlists announced on Tuesday, the third chapter in the Tom Holland universe showed up in two categories — sound and visual effects — despite its late release.

Unlike most superhero pics, critical and audience opinion are aligned about the film. “No Way Home” also joined an elite club of only 91 movies to ever earn an A+ CinemaScore, and became the fourth live-action superhero movie to do so, after “The Avengers” (2012), “Black Panther” (2018) and “Avengers: Endgame” (2019).

I’ve never been a pundit who believes in “follow the money” to predict best picture nominees. But, especially in these last two years amid the pandemic, box office “failures” (whatever that means now) are even less of a hindrance for awards campaigns. Still, as exhibited by our favorite web-slinger,...

Documentary

Channel 4 in the U.K. have commissioned Flicker Productions to produce “Football Trolls” (working title), an hour-long documentary on the relationship between social media, racism and soccer, hosted by former Newcastle and Tottenham midfielder-turned BT Sport pundit Jermaine Jenas. The commission comes amid outcry about racial abuse suffered by England players Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka following England’s loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final. Many Black players in the English Premiere League have suffered targeted, racial abuse on social media for years.

“This film is incredibly important to me and something I’ve been working on for a while. there has been an ongoing conversation surrounding racism and football for as long as I can remember, and the reactions to the Euros has been heart-breaking,” said Jenas in a release. “I’ve felt sick to my stomach reading the comments and chants and promise...

For just a moment, as a particularly sepulchral stretch of Anne Dudley‘s liturgical score plays over a solemn black screen emblazoned with the words “inspired by real events,” you might think Paul Verhoeven‘s gone and gotten serious on us, and that “Benedetta,” his hotly lusted-after Cannes title is going to be, whisper it, tasteful. About 73 seconds later, little Benedetta, the pious, doted-upon daughter of a wealthy lord who’s on her way to become a nun, performs her first “miracle” and gets a bird to shit magnificently into a guy’s eye — phew.

Continue reading Bless Us ‘Benedetta,’ For Paul Verhoeven Has Sinned [Cannes Review] at The Playlist.

“Everybody’s Talking About Jamie,” the adaptation of the popular West End musical, has been acquired by Amazon Studios and will now be released this fall on the streamer instead of in theaters.

“Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” comes from New Regency, Film4 and Warp Films, and 20th Century Studios was meant to release the movie as early as last year, but the release was delayed due to Covid-19. Amazon will now drop it on September 17.

The film stars newcomer Max Harwood as Jamie, a teenager who finds local fame when he pursues dreams on stage and becomes a loud and proud drag queen. Richard E. Grant also stars along with Sarah Lancashire, Lauren Patel, Shobna Gulati, Ralph Ineson, Adeel Akhtar, Samuel Bottomley, with Sharon Horgan.

Jonathan Butterell directs “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” from a screenplay and lyrics by Tom MacRae and songs by Dan Gillespie Sells. The score is composed by Sells and Anne Dudley.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, the New Regency-Film4-Warp Films feature adaption of the West End hit musical, will now debut exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on Sept. 17 in over 240 countries and territories.

The pic, which came to Disney via the Fox merger due to New Regency’s attachment, was originally set for a theatrical release a few times under the 20th Century Studios label, but the pandemic upended that with Disney ultimately pulling the LGBTQ+ release off the calendar.

Inspired by true events, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie follows Jamie New (Max Harwood), a teenager from Sheffield, who dreams of life on stage. While his classmates plan their livelihoods after they leave school, Jamie contemplates revealing his secret career ambition to become a fierce and proud drag queen. His best friend Pritti (Lauren Patel) and his loving mum (Sarah Lancashire) shower him with endless support,...

“Everybody’s Talking About Jamie,” the film adaptation of the popular West End musical, will debut on Amazon’s Prime Video.

The film was originally set to be distributed on October 23, 2020, by the Disney-owned 20th Century Studios, but Covid scrambled those plans and forced the studio to delay the release. Amazon bought distribution rights for an undisclosed sum. “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” will now premiere on September 17, 2021, in over 240 countries and territories.

During the pandemic, Amazon has snapped up the rights to several movies that were originally intended to debut theatrically, buying the likes of “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” from Universal and “Coming 2 America” and “Without Remorse” from Paramount. Under the leadership of Jennifer Salke, Amazon is trying to release more broadly commercial fare and is moving away from the arthouse movies that it originally focused on, films like “Manchester by the Sea” and “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot.

Benedetta Trailer — Paul Verhoeven‘s Benedetta (2021) movie trailer has been released by Pathé. The Benedetta trailer stars Charlotte Rampling, Lambert Wilson, Virginie Efira, Daphne Patakia, Olivier Rabourdin, Hervé Pierre, Clotilde Courau, Guilaine Londez, Quentin D’Hainaut, Elena Plonka, and Antoine Lelandais. Crew David Birke and Paul Verhoeven wrote the screenplay for Benedetta. Anne Dudley [...]

Continue reading: Benedetta Trailer: Nun Virginie Efira is gifted Miracle Worker but is Plagued by Desires in Paul Verhoeven’s 2021 Movie...

In a year that presents the opportunity for new and diverse voices in the awards race, another one has been added to the mix for best original score. Variety has learned exclusively that neo-classical composer Amelia Warner will helm the music for John Patrick Shanley’s “Wild Mountain Thyme” starring Emily Blunt and Jamie Dornan.

Best known for her work on Haifaa al-Mansour’s “Mary Shelley” in 2018, Warner has dabbled both in music and acting. With roles in “Quills,” “Aeon Flux” and “Winter Passing,” this film marks just her third film composition. Warner was named the breakthrough composer of the year at the 2019 International Film Music Critics Awards.

While the awards season could present a record-breaking number of women nominated in categories like best picture and director, the race for best original score is very limited for female composers. Warner hopes to break through the male-heavy list of contenders that...

Inspired by true events, Twentieth Century Studios’, New Regency’s and Film4’s ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’, a film adaptation of the hit musical, has a handful of first-look images.

Jamie New is 16 and doesn’t quite fit in — instead of pursuing a “real” career, he dreams of becoming a drag queen. Uncertain about his future, Jamie knows one thing for sure: he is going to be a sensation. Supported by his loving mom and his amazing friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight.

(Pictured) Max Harwood as Jamie New and Richard E. Grant as Loco Chanelle. © 2020 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

The film stars newcomer Max Harwood, Sarah Lancashire, Lauren Patel, Shobna Gulati, Ralph Ineson, Adeel Akhtar, Sam Bottomley, with Sharon Horgan and Richard E. Grant.

(Pictured) Max Harwood as Jamie New. © 2020 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

The stage production’s director,...

Composer Hildur Guðnadóttir’s Sunday night Oscar win completed her clean sweep of top show-biz awards over the past five months.

The Icelandic-born, Berlin-based cellist-composer won for her dark and disturbing “Joker” score. She also won the BAFTA on Feb. 2, the Critics Choice award on Jan. 12, the inaugural Society of Composers & Lyricists award Jan. 7, and the Golden Globe on Jan. 5, all for “Joker.”

She preceded those with an Emmy for the HBO miniseries “Chernobyl” on Sept. 15 and a Grammy for the soundtrack of that score on Jan. 26.

“It’s been overwhelming at times, I’m not going to lie,” she told Scl Oscar reception attendees on Saturday, just hours before her Academy Award victory.

Such a sweep may be unprecedented for a film and television composer. Michael Giacchino appears to come the closest, with an Oscar, Grammy, BAFTA and Critics Choice award for “Up” all in less than two months...

After becoming the first solo female composer to win a Golden Globe for original score, Iceland native Hildur Guonadottir became the third solo woman to ever win an Oscar in the category, thanks to her haunting music for “Joker” — a gender-related feat that was 22 years in the making. She also is just the ninth female ever nominated for Best Musical Score, earning one of the 11 bids – the most for any 2019 release — for the comic-book-inspired drama starring Joaquin Phoenix.

The first female to compete for a musical score Academy Award was Angela Morley, who collaborated with Douglas Gamley to adapt Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe‘s music for 1974’s “The Little Prince.” She would get a second chance with the Sherman Brothers with her adapted score for 1977’s “The Slipper and the Rose.” Marilyn Bergman would become the first-ever female winner in 1983 along with husband Alan Bergman and Michel Legrand,...

Hildur Guðnadóttir became only the fourth woman to win an Academy Award for a film score, and the first since 1997, as she walked away with honors for her “Joker” music Sunday night.

“To the girls, to the women, to the mothers, to the daughters, who hear the music bubbling within, please speak up. We need to hear your voices,” she said in accepting the award.

Iceland-born, Berlin-based Guðnadóttir represents a rare case of a composer being brought in before shooting to provide original music. She composed a theme for Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker character after reading the script, and the actor danced to the sound of her electro-acoustic cello on-set.

Backstage, Guðnadóttir said to write her music, she tries to picture what the character is going through. In the case of Phoenix’s “Joker,” he was “a man who was going through this excruciating journey,” she said. “I tried to...

Seriously, someone get Hildur Guðnadóttir a Broadway musical Asap. The “Joker” composer won the Best Original Score Oscar on Sunday, which means she’s checked off three-fourths of the Egot in five months and is just missing that darn Tony.

Guðnadóttir, who already netted the Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice and BAFTA for “Joker,” took home an Emmy in September and a Grammy last month for her other haunting 2019 score — for HBO’s “Chernobyl.” She was the odds-on favorite to win the Oscar over 15-time nominee Thomas Newman (“1917”), who’s still has never won, two-time winners Alexandre Desplat (“Little Women”) and Randy Newman (“Marriage Story”), and five-time champ John Williams (“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”).

With the Oscar in the bag, Guðnadóttir is set up to become the first person to complete the Egot by winning the awards in the order of the acronym. And since she won the first three so quickly,...

It hasn’t been a banner year for the Academy’s Music Branch. The Best Original Song category was marred by the disastrous “‘Glasgow’ Snubbing of 2020,” and the Best Original Score category has proven to be similarly dull and unadventurous. Where is Daniel Lopatin’s cosmically neurotic accompaniment to “Uncut Gems?” Or Alex Weston’s arch, contrapuntal, and heartbreaking score for “The Farewell?” What about the soul-stirring synth opus that Dan Levy wrote for “I Lost My Body,” or the bittersweet and playfully helpless orchestrations that Jung Jae-il contributed to “Parasite” (music so vital that it achieves a mutually symbiotic relationship with the film for which it was written)? Sigh.

Instead, the Academy defaulted to a set of old standards, as the five composers nominated for Best Original Score have now earned a grand total of 99 nominations between them. Yes, ninety-nine. And when you consider that “Joker” composer Hildur Guðnadóttir...

Surely no composer can be said to have exploded on the 2019 film scene more than Hildur Guðnadóttir: Emmy-winner for the miniseries “Chernobyl,” Golden Globe winner for “Joker” and now Oscar-nominated for that film, all in less than four months.

The cellist-composer is a breakthrough artist in multiple ways: First, she is a female film composer whose work has garnered global attention; second, she is very much a citizen of the world, born in Iceland, based in Germany, working in both Europe and the U.S.; and third, her “Joker” music reminds filmmakers of the value of enlisting a composer early, even at the script stage, still a rarity.

Asked about her meteoric rise, she is quick to remind us that she’s “been doing film music for almost 20 years, so it’s been a long time coming.” She released her first solo album in 2006, scored her first feature (“The Bleeding House...

After becoming the first solo female composer to win a Golden Globe for original score, Iceland native Hildur Guonadottir is the ninth woman Oscar-nominated in the Best Musical Score category for her work on “Joker,” earning one of the 11 bids – the most for any 2019 release — for the comic-book-inspired drama starring Joaquin Phoenix.

The first woman to compete for a musical score Academy Award was Angela Morley, who collaborated with Douglas Gamley to adapt Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe‘s music for 1974’s “The Little Prince.” She would compete a second time with the Sherman Brothers with her adapted score for 1977’s “The Slipper and the Rose.” Marilyn Bergman would become the first-ever female winner in 1983 along with husband Alan Bergman and Michel Legrand, for Barbra Streisand‘s “Yentl.”

Two more Oscar-nabbing woman composers would follow: Rachel Portman for 1996’s “Emma” and Anne Dudley for 1997’s “The Full Monty.” Lyn...

“Joker” composer Hildur Guðnadóttir became only the fifth woman in Oscar history to be nominated in the original score categories during Thursday’s nominations announcement.

The Icelandic cellist has been on a winning streak, taking home Golden Globe, Critics Choice and Society of Composers & Lyricist awards in recent days. Her music for the comic-book villain, to which star Joaquin Phoenix danced as it was being played on the set, has been much discussed in the industry.

Her nomination was the seventh for a female composer writing an original dramatic score: Ann Ronell was nominated in 1945; Rachel Portman three times, winning for “Emma”; Anne Dudley, who won for “The Full Monty” in 1999; and Mica Levi, nominated for “Jackie” in 2010. Angela Morley was nominated twice in the 1970s for adaptation scores, a category that has been discontinued.

Guðnadóttir was the only newcomer in the category.

John Williams received a record 52nd Oscar...

“1917” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” were the big winners at the 2020 Golden Globes. The Sam Mendes-directed World War I drama took home big wins for Best Picture Drama and Best Director, while Tarantino’s beloved “Hollywood” dominated all films with three wins: Best Picture Comedy, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Brad Pitt. But Todd Phillips’ controversial comic book film “Joker” also had a major awards night, nabbing two prizes for Best Actor Drama and Best Original Score. The film’s Globes total was greater than other heavy-hitters like “Marriage Story” (one win for Laura Dern amid a ceremony-topping six nominations) and “The Irishman” (shut out amid five nominations).

With two wins, “Joker” is now the most awarded comic book film in Golden Globes history. Joaquin Phoenix’s acting win is the second time a performer has won a Globe for playing the Joker. Heath Ledger...

Only seven women have been nominated in the original score categories at the Oscars: Lynn Ahrens, Marilyn Bergman, Anne Dudley, Micachu, Angela Morley and Rachel Portman. Three — Bergman, Dudley and Portman — turned those nominations into victories. Bergman won in the now-defunct Original Song Score category back in 1984 for “Yentl,” sharing the prize with lyricist-husband Alan Bergman and composer Michael Legrand. Portman prevailed in 1997 for “Emma,” while Dudley won the following year for “The Full Monty.”

“Joker” composer Hildur Guðnadóttir could well be the first female contender for Best Original Score since Micachu, who was nominated in 2016 for “Jackie.” Before that, it was Portman who was last nominated – in 2000 for “Chocolat.” Guðnadóttir just won an Emmy for her score to the limited series “Chernobyl.” Portman picked up this same prize in 2015 for “Bessie.”

Guðnadóttir would be the fifth-ever Icelandic Oscar nominee. Friðrik Þór Friðriksson was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film...

Joaquin Phoenix has swallowed up most of the attention for “Joker,” but another aspect of the Warner Bros. film has managed to impress moviegoers: the original score. Composer Hildur Guonadottir was honored with the Best Soundtrack award at the Venice Film Festival for her work on “Joker,” and now she is in the hunt to score her first Oscar nomination.

Should “Joker” earn that original score bid, it would be only the seventh comic book film to do so in Oscar history, following “The Mask of Zorro” (1940), “Superman” (1978), “Dick Tracy” (1990), “Men in Black” (1997), “The Adventures of Tintin” (2011) and last year’s winner “Black Panther.” It would be the first nomination in this category for a film based on characters in the Batman universe, with even “The Dark Knight” failing to score a bid in 2008. This would suggest a bias against such films, so “Joker” would seemingly be at a disadvantage.

Quick. Name a female film composer. Right… a woman.

Who? Fanny… Mendelssohn? No sorry, she was Felix’ sister and pre-dated the cinema industry by about two generations.

The fact is, you may not know any by name. Because while women in the entertainment industry have made historic gains in representation both on and off camera, the percentage of film composers who are women has remained dismal. According to a study published Wednesday by USC Annenberg’s Inclusion Initiative, female composers worked on just 1.4% of the 100 top-grossing films for each of the last 12 years. And the last woman to win an Oscar for a movie score was Anne Dudley for 1997’s “The Full Monty” — more than two decades ago.

It’s a sad statistic for any industry, let alone one that prides itself on diversity.

Also Read: Women Nabbed More Lead Roles in Top 2018 Films - But Still Less Than a...

Elle

Blu-ray

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

2017 / Color / 2.40:1 widescreen / Street Date March 14, 2017

Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny, Charles Berling.

Cinematography: Stéphane Fontaine

Film Editor: Job Ter Burg

Written by David Birke

Produced by Saïd Ben Saïd and Michel Merkt

Directed by Paul Verhoeven

Michèle Leblanc, glamorous entrepreneur of a successful video game company, is the calm at the center of many storms. Her son’s girlfriend has given birth to another man’s child, an employee is stalking her with anime porn and her botox-ridden mother is betrothed to a male prostitute.

In the face of all this outrageous fortune, Michèle remains cool, calm and collected, even in the aftermath of her own harrowing sexual assault.

Elle, the new film from the Dutch provocateur Paul Verhoeven, begins with that already infamous assault, our heroine struggling under the weight of her attacker while an unblinking cat perches nearby, watching.

Before Hollywood takes the spotlight this weekend, the film world turns its eyes to France for the annual Cesar Awards. Presented by the French Academy, this year’s nominees represent a distinct blend of international favorites, festival standouts and homegrown hits.

Paul Verhoeven’s “Elle” led this year’s nominees, scoring 11 nominations for Verhoeven as Best Director, lead actress Isabelle Huppert, Best Adapted Screenplay and a trio of other acting awards.

Read More: ‘Elle,’ Isabelle Huppert, Xavier Dolan Nominated in France’s Cesar Awards

The evening’s winners at Paris’ Salle Pleyel featured a variety of upsets and sure things. Huppert, going into a busy weekend in the States, won her category. In a pair of surprises, Xavier Dolan and Gaspard Ulliel both won their respective categories for Dolan’s “It’s Only the End of the World.” Houda Benyamina’s debut feature “Divines” also won big, taking home prizes for Best First Film,...

Sean Wilson Mar 16, 2017

From Total Recall and RoboCop through to Turkish Delight and Flesh+Blood, we look at the musical scores of Paul Verhoeven films...

The Netherlands' arch-provocateur and filmmaker extraordinaire Paul Verhoeven is back in cinemas right now with Elle. A characteristically confrontational and provocative thriller, it spins a rape-revenge storyline into a mordantly funny, blackly comic and off-kilter odyssey, and has garnered an Oscar nomination for extraordinary lead Isabelle Huppert in the process.

See related The Maze Runner 3: Dylan O’Brien seriously injured on set Maze Runner 3 release now delayed, Dylan O’Brien still not back

It's exactly what we've come to expect from a veteran director who's done it all, having made jaws drop in both Europe and Hollywood - but beneath Verhoeven's love of excess and shock tactics lurks real artistry, and nowhere is this more evident than in the remarkable run of film scores...

France’s film community congratulated Isabelle Huppert on her Oscar nomination, adding yet another to her growing list of accolades for her performance in “Elle.” The French Academy announced its nominees for what Americans call the “French Oscars” on Wednesday morning. “Elle” received 11 nominations in total, including best film and best director for Paul Verhoeven.

Following in a close send was Francois Ozon’s “Frantz,” which garnered 10 nominations, and Bruno Dumont’s “Slack Bay,” which received nine. Xavier Dolan received a best director nomination for “It’s Only the End of the World.” Actors Vincent Cassel, Gaspard Ulliel, and Nathalie Baye were all nominated for their work in Dolan’s film as well.

Read More: Oscars 2017 Surprises and Snubs: Amy Adams and ‘Weiner’ Out, Mel Gibson and ‘Passengers’ In

The Cesars have little import on the Oscars, though there is often some crossover. The French Academy did recognize Kenneth Lonergan...

Micachu (Courtesy: Daniel Bergeron Photography)

By: Carson Blackwelder

Managing Editor

When it comes to the world of composing for films, it’s most definitely a man’s world — but this year there’s one woman who is a part of the conversation: Mica Levi, a.k.a. Micachu. Let’s get to know the 29-year-old talent that is garnering Oscar attention this year for working on Jackie and see where this talent fits into Academy Awards history.

Micachu, the daughter of two musicians who began writing and playing music at the age of four, is an English multihyphenate — singer, songwriter, composer, and producer — best known for creating experimental music in the band Micachu & The Shapes. The Surrey native has released six mixtapes, six albums (two of which were soundtracks — more on those later), and, while at Guildhall School of Music & Drama, even wrote an orchestral piece for the London Philharmonic Orchestra...

A total of 145 scores were recently announced as being eligible for this year’s Academy Award, with everything from perceived frontrunner “La La Land” (Justin Hurwitz) and “Jackie” (Mica Levi) to outliers like “Sausage Party” and “Elle.” The final five will be nominated on January 24. In the meantime, avail yourself of this Spotify playlist featuring selections from 110 of the eligible scores — as well as the full list of every eligible score.

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The Abolitionists,” Tim Jones, composer

“Absolutely Fabulous The Movie,” Jake Monaco, composer

“The Accountant,” Mark Isham, composer

“Alice through the Looking Glass,” Danny Elfman, composer

“Allied,” Alan Silvestri, composer

“Almost Christmas,” John Paesano, composer

“American Pastoral,” Alexandre Desplat, composer

“The Angry Birds Movie,” Heitor Pereira, composer

“Anthropoid,” Robin Foster, composer

“Armenia, My Love,...

In case you didn’t notice last week, a number of categories had their ranks thinned out by the Academy. Well, in that regard, I’m here to help. Yes, AMPAS thinned the herd in Best Original Score, Best Original Song, and Best Foreign Language Feature. They also managed to include a handful of snubs, as always is the case. Those will be listed in just a moment, but definitely study these lists, as there are Oscar hints to be found within. For now though, these are just the remaining titles fighting it out for nominations. Take a look and be sure to see how it all impacts predictions going forward. Below you will see the 145 films in Original Score that are still eligible, the 91 tunes in Original Song, and the nine in Foreign Language Feature that remain in play. There were no real Song snubs, but notably Score has eliminated presumed nominee Arrival,...

Maren Ade's Toni Erdmann won five European Film Awards Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

The 89th Academy Awards Oscar Best Foreign Language Film shortlist has been revealed.

From Norway, The King’s Choice, Erik Poppe, director; Denmark, Land Of Mine, Martin Zandvliet, director; Germany, Toni Erdmann, Maren Ade, director; Iran, The Salesman, Asghar Farhadi, director; Sweden, A Man Called Ove, Hannes Holm, director; Canada, It’s Only The End Of The World, Xavier Dolan, Australia, Tanna, Bentley Dean and Martin Butler, directors; Switzerland, My Life As A Zucchini, Claude Barras, director; Russia, Paradise, Andrei Konchalovsky, director.

Julieta director Pedro Almodóvar is hopeful for his composer Alberto Iglesias. Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Gianfranco Rosi's Fire At Sea (Fuocoammare) Italy's Oscar submission is one of the nine documentaries that has been shortlisted for Best Documentary.

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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 145 scores from eligible feature-length motion pictures released in 2016 are in contention for nominations in the Original Score category for the 89th Academy Awards.

The eligible scores along with their composers are listed below, in alphabetical order by film title:

“The Abolitionists,” Tim Jones, composer

“Absolutely Fabulous The Movie,” Jake Monaco, composer

“The Accountant,” Mark Isham, composer

“Alice through the Looking Glass,” Danny Elfman, composer

“Allied,” Alan Silvestri, composer

“Almost Christmas,” John Paesano, composer

“American Pastoral,” Alexandre Desplat, composer

“The Angry Birds Movie,” Heitor Pereira, composer

“Anthropoid,” Robin Foster, composer

“Armenia, My Love,” Silvia Leonetti, composer

“Assassin’s Creed,” Jed Kurzel, composer

“Autumn Lights,” Hugi Gudmundsson and Hjörtur Ingvi Jóhannsson, composers

“The Bfg,” John Williams, composer

“Believe,” Michael Reola, composer

“Ben-Hur,” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders, composers

“Bilal,” Atli Ӧrvarsson, composer

“Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” Mychael Danna and Jeff Danna,...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has announced the 145 scores eligible in the Best Original Score category, includeing work from “Jackie” and “La La Land.” The latter film, a musical directed by “Whiplash” helmer Damien Chazelle, picked up the Los Angeles Film Critics Association’s award for Best Music earlier this month; “Jackie” was the category’s runner-up. Notably absent, meanwhile, are “Arrival” (which just landed a Golden Globe nod), “Manchester by the Sea” and “Silence.”

Read: ‘La La Land’: Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling’s ‘City of Stars’ Duet Will Sweep You Off Your Feet – Listen

Justin Hurwitz composed and orchestrated the “La La Land” score, while “Jackie” marks “Under the Skin” composer Mica Levi’s second silver-screen effort. Decades after becoming one of the world’s most renowned film composers, Ennio Morricone won last year’s Oscar for his work on Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight.

These are challenging times for any filmmaker who doesn’t want to be told what to do. Chasing a slice of the Hollywood studio pie almost always brings compromise, and many foreign-born directors return to their home countries and assemble independent film and television projects.

That was the path of Dutch-born Paul Verhoeven, whose career began in his own language with “Soldier of Orange” and the Oscar-nominated “Turkish Delight.” From there he forged an A-list career that included “Basic Instinct” (which played competition in Cannes) “RoboCop,” “Total Recall,” “Starship Troopers,” and, yes, “Showgirls.” His last Hollywood movie was “Hollow Man” with Kevin Bacon in 2000.

When Verhoeven could no longer find material that suited him, he went back to Holland. His 2006 Dutch World War II drama “Black Book” (Sony Pictures Classics) starred Carice Van Houten, before she joined “Game of Thrones,” and was shortlisted for the foreign Oscar.

Now he has...

These are challenging times for any filmmaker who doesn’t want to be told what to do. Chasing a slice of the Hollywood studio pie almost always brings compromise, and many foreign-born directors return to their home countries and assemble independent film and television projects.

That was the path of Dutch-born Paul Verhoeven, whose career began in his own language with “Soldier of Orange” and the Oscar-nominated “Turkish Delight.” From there he forged an A-list career that included “Basic Instinct” (which played competition in Cannes) “RoboCop,” “Total Recall,” “Starship Troopers,” and, yes, “Showgirls.” His last Hollywood movie was “Hollow Man” with Kevin Bacon in 2000.

When Verhoeven could no longer find material that suited him, he went back to Holland. His 2006 Dutch World War II drama “Black Book” (Sony Pictures Classics) starred Carice Van Houten, before she joined “Game of Thrones,” and was shortlisted for the foreign Oscar.

Now he has...

Faced with the reality of a Trump presidency, the Academy is doubling down on its Diversity Initiative. Already, the film industry is supplying more than the usual number of Oscar contenders boasting women and people of color, including the crafts.

Will voters be in the mood to send a post-Election inclusion message? You bet. The biggest impact could occur in the cinematography race, where only one person of African descent has ever been nominated (British-born Remi Adefarasin for “Elizabeth”), and no women. Cinematographer James Wong Howe, nominated seven times, won two Oscars, and Peter Pau one (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), while 10 other Asians have been nominated in that category. The last four cinematography winners are Latino, including Claudio Miranda (“Life of Pi”) and three-time winner Emmanuel Lubezki (“Gravity,” “Birdman,” “The Revenant”).

After being overlooked for “Selma,” Bradford Young has a second opportunity to become the first African-American nominee for his poetic imagery in “Arrival,...

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Anthony Horowitz's Crime Traveller deserves to be better remembered in the history of British sci-fi...

The 1990s are Doctor Who's lost decade. Although the eponymous Timelord found a brief home with Paul McGann's American pilot in 1996, the revival was never picked up. So began an even longer winter on the long road to 2005's regeneration under Russell T. Davies with Christopher Eccleston. The rest, as they say, is history.

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You’ve never seen a rape-revenge fantasy quite like “Elle,” not least because the rape, revenge and fantasy components of that subgenre have never been quite so fascinatingly disarranged. Knowingly incendiary but remarkably cool-headed, and built around yet another of Isabelle Huppert’s staggering psychological dissections, Paul Verhoeven’s long-awaited return to notional genre filmmaking pulls off a breathtaking bait-and-switch: . Sony Pictures Classics boldly scooped the U.S. rights for this many-layered provocation, the commercial returns of which may be enhanced by a flame-war of heated journalistic thinkpieces left in its wake. Whatever the upshot of those, the film itself — perhaps the greatest of Verhoeven’s storied career — is bracingly resistant to essentialist conclusions.

“Shame isn’t a strong enough emotion to stop us doing anything at all,” Michèle (Huppert) spits at her best friend Anna (Anne Consigny) midway through “Elle” — a jolting observation that can be applied to so...