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Song of the Day: Frankenstein (“The Tower”) [YouTube link], composed by Alexandre Desplat, is central to the creation scene in this 2025 film, directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and the Oscar-nominated Jacob Elordi as the Creature. Critics have been divided in their assessment…

Song of the Day: Advise & Consent (“Heart of Mine”), music by Jerry Fielding, lyrics by Ned Washington, is heard from a jukebox in a gay bar in this controversial star-packed 1962 film, directed by Otto Preminger. The film is based on Allen Drury’s 1959 political novel. The song is…

Song of the Day: Ben-Hur (“Reminiscences”), composed by Miklos Rozsa, is from my all-time favorite film score. This Best Picture won 11 Oscars, a record tied but never beaten. As I wrote in last year’s “Sacred Cinema” series, this 1959 epic might have won 12 Academy Awards, if Oscar-winning director…

Song of the Day: The Long Walk (“Main Theme”) [YouTube link] comes from the first score composed by Jeremiah Fraites of The Lumineers. Fraites also composed the underscore to “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere” (2025). This 2025 dystopian thriller is based on a 1979 Stephen King novel (written by the…

Song of the Day: The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (“End Credits”) [YouTube link], composed by David Shire, closes out this gritty 1974 thriller set in the NYC subways. With a fine ensemble cast that includes Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, and Martin Balsam, this version of the 1973 Morton…

Song of the Day: Robots (“Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe”), composed by Barry White, has been used as source music in many films, including “Cookie” (1989), “Blast from the Past” (1999), “Down to You” (2000), “National Security” (2003), “Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!” (2004), and this 2005…

Song of the Day: La La Land (“Another Day of Sun”), music by Justin Hurwitz, lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, is the jazzy ensemble choreographed number that opens this 2016 musical, starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. This is just one of the highlights from the Oscar-winning score.…