Notablog

Song of the Day: Ben-Hur (“Entr’ Acte”) [YouTube link], composed by Miklos Rozsa, opens the second act of this spectacular 1959 film epic, which won 11 Oscars, a record tied by “Titanic” (1997) and “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” (2003), but never surpassed. This cue features…

Song of the Day: Secrets Beneath the Floorboards (“Kiss Me”) [link], composed by my friend Michael Gordon Shapiro, can be heard in this 2023 Lifetime movie thriller (its original title was “House of Lies“). The suspenseful film and score keep you on the edge. This cue provides tender relief.

Song of the Day: The Magnificent Seven (“Soundtrack Suite”), composed by Elmer Bernstein, is from the masterful 1960 film that was a Western-reimagining of Akira Kurosawa‘s 1954 Japanese classic, “Seven Samurai“. With a wonderful ensemble cast, this film spawned three sequels, a television series, and a 2016 remake. And the…

Song of the Day: The Awful Truth (“My Dreams Are Gone with the Wind”), music by Ben Oakland, lyrics by Milton Drake, is from this 1937 screwball comedy. The film, based on a 1922 play by Arthur Richman, earned Leo McCarey a Best Director Oscar—though in his acceptance speech, McCarey…

Song of the Day: Saltburn (“Murder on the Dance Floor”) features the words and music of Gregg Alexander and Sophie Ellis-Bexter, on whose 2001 album, “Read My Lips” this song first appeared. The dance track was used to dark comedic effect in the final scene of this lurid 2023 thriller,…

Song of the Day: The Sand Pebbles (“Soundtrack Suite”) was composed by Jerry Goldsmith, for this epic Robert Wise-directed 1966 war film, starring Steve McQueen. The Oscar-nominated score is an emotive backdrop to the film’s love, violence, and heartbreak. Goldsmith won only one Oscar (for “The Omen“), despite 18 lifetime…

Song of the Day: Jaws (“Soundtrack Suite”) [YouTube link], composed by John Williams, is one of only five scores for which the maestro won an Oscar. That’s 5 wins out of 54 Oscar nominations, the most held by any living artist, second only to Walt Disney in Oscar history (who…