66 episodes
Settling the Score Jon & Andy
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- TV & Film
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4.9 • 247 Ratings
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Join Jon and Andy as they explore the world of film music, one score at a time. Each episode is an in-depth discussion of a classic film score: what makes it tick, how it serves the movie, and whether it's, you know, any good. It's a freewheeling, opinionated conversation with an analytical bent, richly illustrated with musical examples. No expertise required.
The series began by tackling “100 Years of Film Scores," the AFI's list of (purportedly) the 25 greatest scores in American cinema history, and now draws from a broad range of distinguished scores old and new.
Jonathan Dinerstein writes music for film and television in Hollywood. Andy is a pianist and music director. They've been chatting together about movie music for 20 years.
Support the show at Patreon.com/SettlingtheScore.
Join the conversation on Twitter @ScoreSettlers.
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2024 Oscars Special
It’s time again for Jon and Andy to strip away the phony tinsel of Hollywood and find the real tinsel underneath, as they consider this year’s Oscar nominees for Best Original Score. Is it possible that our hosts are feeling less cranky this year? What are some different ideas these movies have for using music to fill time? And, did you notice that this episode is still shorter than two of these five nominated films?
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The Conversation
Come and eavesdrop on Jon and Andy discussing David Shire’s score for the 1974 surveillance mystery drama The Conversation. What does Shire's solo piano music express about the main character? How are the themes of the movie embodied in its world of sound? And, will Fred Flintstone be a good father?
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Name That Score! 2
Surprise! It’s time for a break from the bucket: Jon and Andy look back at all the scores they’ve talked about since the end of the AFI list, and Andy puzzles Jon with another needle-drop quiz. Can Jon remember all this music? Can you remember it better than Jon? And, like, what have our hosts even been talking about this whole time?
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How to Train Your Dragon
This time Jon and Andy train their attention on John Powell’s score for the 2010 animated fantasy adventure How to Train Your Dragon. Just how many themes does this score have? Might their meanings change with repeat viewings? And, what rhythmic pattern will Jon finally let Andy talk about?
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There Will Be Blood
In this episode Jon and Andy drink up Jonny Greenwood’s score for Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2007 period drama There Will Be Blood. How does Greenwood’s music seem to get so deeply inside your head? What lines can be drawn between it and his work for Radiohead? And, is either of us even close to getting the Daniel Plainview voice right?
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The Day the Earth Stood Still
This time Jon and Andy land their spaceship in the middle of Bernard Herrmann’s score for the 1951 sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still! How strongly was Herrmann committed to musical otherness? What peculiar instrumentation did he use to achieve unearthly sounds? And, have we finally cracked Gort's secret alien robot code?
Customer Reviews
Wonderful! (And, a model podcast!)
Is there a podcast better than “Settling the Score?” It would be enough to admire Jon and Andy for their wit and erudition: they know and sincerely love the material, and bring their training and experience to bear on each film with a conversation that’s always thoughtful, enlightening, unexpected, and effervescently fun. And it would be enough to admire how well they speak to a broad audience, never alienating the simple enthusiast who’s here because they love the themes from Star Wars, while still offering something extra to those of us who can spot a 13/4 time signature or the Lydian Mode. But what singularly distinguishes “Settling the Score” is how PREPARED they are, approaching each episode with the thoughtfulness, care, and determination of a feature film. They arrive with thoughts for discussion, clips ready to share, and careful research into the topic and its distant references, and they turn in a spectacularly well-produced show every time. They know when a point needs illustration, and when a contentious opinion needs air, and they turn every encounter into a tight, well-paced, delightful salon. My rating: fifteen stars out of five. To quote the hosts, “Good enough?” Hands down, better. Just great. Pick your favorite movie from the list, and jump in there!
Best Soundtrack Podcast, without question
The Settling the Score guys have the best combination of passion, knowledge, and dry humor to accompany and encourage my lifelong love of film music. Because they are themselves musicians, they have an uncanny ability to articulate exactly why music is or isn’t working, without alienating the untrained. As a musician myself, I have enjoyed the analysis as more than surface-level and I especially appreciate that they aren’t only choosing scores they love to gush over, but simply scores that promote interesting conversation. This is, in fact, my favorite podcast, period.
Chicken Soup for the Score Lover’s Soul
Had to exit Twitter as I just couldn’t take it anymore, but wanted to say it’s so good to see another episode drop in my feed. Listening now. You guys are the best in the score conversation game and it’s ALWAYS a welcome treat to get a new episode. Thanks much to you both.
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