The Score

The Score The Score is a weekly celebration of music in film. The Score airs Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm PT o
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This week on The Score, host Edmund Stone takes us on a musical ride with a show all about trains. So climb aboard and p...
09/27/2023

This week on The Score, host Edmund Stone takes us on a musical ride with a show all about trains. So climb aboard and prepare to enjoy music from 'The Great Train Robbery,' 'Murder on the Orient Express,' 'Snowpiercer,' 'How the West Was Won,' and more.

All Aboard! 🚂

09/23/2023

Do you prefer the music from the Harry Potter film series or Lord of the Rings? Tell us when you make a gift to support The Score and All Classical Radio at allclassical.org.

Hosts Edmund Stone and John Pitman are sharing YOUR results today in a special three-hour fundraising edition of The Score from 2:00 - 5:00 PM PT. Listen in Portland at 89.9 FM or from anywhere in Middle Earth and beyond at allclassical.org.

The healing arts cover a lot of ground – and a great many movies, too. For The Score's 800th broadcast, host Edmund Ston...
09/21/2023

The healing arts cover a lot of ground – and a great many movies, too. For The Score's 800th broadcast, host Edmund Stone will treat listeners outside of Portland, OR, to music from films featuring medical professionals.

Whether the heroes (and occasional antagonists) are doctors, nurses or therapists, we exist because of their skills, so we're spotlighting movies where medicine, in all its forms, is front and center. Enjoy music from 'Something the Lord Made,' 'Outbreak,' 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,' Spellbound, and more.

Did you know The Score's Edmund Stone played a pirate in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993)?!?He's dusting off his ...
09/17/2023

Did you know The Score's Edmund Stone played a pirate in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993)?!?

He's dusting off his puffy shirt and eye patch TODAY for another special three-hour edition of The Score, during All Classical Radio's Music Builds: Fall Fundraiser. Edmund and co-host John Pitman are getting a head start on International Talk Like a Pirate Day, with swashbuckling tunes and music inspired by the high seas.

Join us at 2:00 PM PT at 89.9 FM in Portland or from anywhere in the world at allclassical.org.

09/16/2023

September 16th is officially Batman Day!

Listeners in Portland, OR, can join us for a special three-hour edition of The Score with Edmund Stone and co-host John Pitman at 2:00 PM PT. They'll be donning their masks and capes to share all your favorite superhero music, during All Classical Radio's Music Builds: Fall Fundraiser.

Join us at 89.9 FM in Portland or worldwide at allclassical.org. While you're there, please make a gift to support this locally-produced program and all the music on All Classical. THANK YOU!

Genius: we take inspiration from it, we learn from it, we admire it. This week for listeners outside of Portland, OR, Ed...
09/13/2023

Genius: we take inspiration from it, we learn from it, we admire it. This week for listeners outside of Portland, OR, Edmund Stone shares music from films that feature these marvels of humanity, including 'The Theory of Everything,' 'Sherlock,' 'Oppenheimer,' and much more.

Brush up on your flashcards, then join us for The Score!

September is here, and host Edmund Stone is taking you back to school in style with a show about teachers and students t...
09/06/2023

September is here, and host Edmund Stone is taking you back to school in style with a show about teachers and students that make learning look - and sound - amazing. Enjoy music from 'Dead Poets Society,' 'The Great Debaters,' 'Mr. Holland’s Opus,' and more.

Don't be late for The Score! 🍎 📏

This week on The Score, one of the mysteries of the mind. Host Edmund Stone takes a look at one of Hollywood’s favorite ...
08/30/2023

This week on The Score, one of the mysteries of the mind. Host Edmund Stone takes a look at one of Hollywood’s favorite psychology-related plot devices: split personalities, or as they are better referred to, Dissociative Identity Disorders. Enjoy music from films with tour-de-force performances and multi-faceted soundtracks, including 'Split,' 'Black Swan,' 'Jekyll and Hyde,' 'Shutter Island,' and more.

Join us this weekend for The Score!

Do you remember sitting around your family's radio or just hearing about your ancestors doing so? This week, host Edmund...
08/23/2023

Do you remember sitting around your family's radio or just hearing about your ancestors doing so? This week, host Edmund Stone takes you back in time with great music from films that got their start on the radio! Join us for music from 'The Lone Ranger,' 'Sherlock Holmes,' 'The Saint,' 'Superman,' and more.

Since the dawn of humanity, we have lifted our eyes to the stars — wondering, hoping, and dreaming. In 1959, America too...
08/16/2023

Since the dawn of humanity, we have lifted our eyes to the stars — wondering, hoping, and dreaming. In 1959, America took on the challenge of fulfilling these wonders, hopes, and dreams, creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

This week, host Edmund Stone celebrates six and a half decades of NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration with music from 'The Right Stuff,' 'Apollo 13,' 'Hidden Figures,' 'Good Night Oppy,' and more. Blast off with us, this weekend on The Score! 🚀

Music has the power to change your mood, your heart - and maybe even the world. This week, host Edmund Stone shares some...
08/11/2023

Music has the power to change your mood, your heart - and maybe even the world. This week, host Edmund Stone shares some uplifting, inspiring music from films that will make you feel good. Music from 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' 'Akeelah and the Bee,' 'The Kings Speech,' and more just might have you believe things can change for the better.

And The Edmund goes to... 🏆 This week, host Edmund Stone emcees the premiere of The Edmunds, an award show that’s all fo...
08/04/2023

And The Edmund goes to... 🏆

This week, host Edmund Stone emcees the premiere of The Edmunds, an award show that’s all for fun and fun for all! Enjoy music from films in delightfully different “Best of” categories, including Best Cameo, Best Scream, Best Use of Food, Best Use of Made-up Science, and more.

Cheer on your favorites, and join us for the first annual Edmund Awards on The Score!

Welcome to blockbuster season! Hollywood is scrambling to get back in its blockbusting groove as it wrangles strikes by ...
07/28/2023

Welcome to blockbuster season! Hollywood is scrambling to get back in its blockbusting groove as it wrangles strikes by actors and writers. As a result, the offerings are lighter than usual, but there are some big movies to tempt you back to the theaters. This week, host Edmund Stone shares music from 'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1', 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,' 'Barbie,' and more.

Life in plastic, it's fantastic! Join us this weekend for The Score.

'Oppenheimer'A Movie Review by Edmund Stone  How do you go about telling the most terrifying story about war, raw humani...
07/24/2023

'Oppenheimer'
A Movie Review by Edmund Stone

How do you go about telling the most terrifying story about war, raw humanity, genius and political mire?

Christopher Nolan tackles this brilliantly in his truly stunning Oppenheimer. Three hours may sound like a long film but when you are seeing it, in its diamond-sharp non-linear editing, you will not just feel that time is fleet, but that the film is actually taking you back in time, as seen through the tortured genius of Robert J. Oppenheimer.

Nolan doesn’t waste your time telling the story you know - that Oppenheimer was the “Father of the Atomic Bomb” and the weapon he and his team created killed hundreds of thousands of people and is “credited” with ending Japan’s participation in the Second World War. That is, of course, at the core of the awful history, but Nolan’s retelling of the story is done through the extraordinary cinematography of Hoyta van Hoytema’s capture of the exquisite turmoil of genius portrayed through the face, particularly the eyes, of Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer. The knife-edged cheek bones of Oppenheimer, his calm but haunted eyes, hide the inner workings of the man’s mind and his raw human needs. The performance is extraordinary, understated and powerful.

Blending with this is a recurring motif of Oppenheimer mentally visualizing atoms splitting, chain reactions firing, memories of things from the man’s past and nightmare images of the future he was creating. This is as close to actually seeing inside Oppenheimer’s mind as one might ever get, a glimpse of genius told by a genius.

The film darts back and forth between color and a black and white technique specifically developed for IMAX viewing of this movie. The storyline glides between the tumultuous personal relationships of Oppenheimer with the despicable politics of Lewis Strauss, the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. The movie has an amazing cast, each of whom morphs so well into their roles they are barely - if at all - recognizable as the thespians they are. Emily Blunt portrays Oppenheimer’s wife Kitty and fills the character with a transcendent depth. Florence Pugh is Jean Tatlock, Oppenheimer’s mistress, an incendiary device of an altogether different kind. Robert Downey, Jr. plays a vindictive and petty Strauss with every fiber of his being. Matt Damon is Lt. General Leslie Groves who oversaw the creation of the Pentagon and the Manhattan Project. There is Kenneth Branagh as Neils Bohr, Tom Conti as Albert Einstein
 the A-List goes on, and it’s marvelous.

The scenes where director Christopher Nolan shows us Trinity - the actual test detonation of the bomb - are nail-biting and the visuals of the explosion will burn the images of tension, fear, hope and horror in your mind.

Ludwig Goransson’s wall-to-wall music is the perfect accompaniment to the exceptional dialogs and the human and scientific drama, never stepping on the action but deepening the meaning of the scenes.

We do not always know our history, and we rarely, if ever, know the real people who are the creators of the things that define our civilizations, our politics and ultimately, our lives. Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a watershed film, not just as it is his first biopic, or that it features a new filming technique, or has an extraordinary cast. It is a film that takes history and makes it human. From the dark interplay between science and politics to the searing interplay of the lives of the very real people whose lives are being put on the screen, it is a different way of telling a story. This is the stuff cinematic history is made of.

Whatever you call them - Mermaids, Mermen, or simply Merbeings - Merfolk have held a special allure for thousands of yea...
07/21/2023

Whatever you call them - Mermaids, Mermen, or simply Merbeings - Merfolk have held a special allure for thousands of years. This week on The Score, host Edmund Stone invites you to take the plunge into the fascinating realm of these aquatic beings with music from films including 'Aquaman,' 'The Shape of Water,' 'Luca,' and more.

Be a part of their world, this weekend on The Score! 🌊 🧜

From the Justice League to the Su***de Squad, DC Comics has a fantastic array of heroes and villains - and a cinematic l...
07/13/2023

From the Justice League to the Su***de Squad, DC Comics has a fantastic array of heroes and villains - and a cinematic lineup of movies to match. This week on The Score, host Edmund Stone ventures into films inspired by the World of DC Comics with music from the Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman films, and more.

Suit up, then join us this weekend for The Score!

'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One' Movie review by Edmund Stone I think the real Mission: Impossible for To...
07/11/2023

'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One'
Movie review by Edmund Stone

I think the real Mission: Impossible for Tom Cruise, a.k.a. Ethan Hunt and his cohorts of the IMF team, is to top THIS Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, the latest in the action-espionage films.

The first of two parts of a craftily told spy thriller, the movie has a long run-time - more than two and a half hours - but it speeds by on a stream of non-stop action and adrenaline. And boy, did the blockbuster season need it. In an otherwise mostly lackluster summer, The Impossible Mission Force runs full tilt into action and danger. Every moment is tautly edited, and gorgeous globe-trotting locations draw you into the life-and-death world of an IMF agent. Add to that Cruise doing all his own stunts - which include driving a motorcycle off a cliff and landing on a runaway train - and you’ve got a film that’s visually addictive.

And I haven’t even gotten around to the plot yet. Without giving away too much, the storyline is refreshingly different and utterly chilling. A rogue artificial intelligence is an antagonist in this one, an enemy so au currant that the boundaries between truth and fiction start to blur - both for the IMF and for the audience.

At the core of the film is the back story of Ethan Hunt, how and why he got into the IMF in the first place. Director Christopher McQuarrie artfully tied this, the seventh in the series of Mission: Impossible films, back to the first one, directed by Brian DePalma, from 1996. A recurring theme is that Hunt’s past is coming back to haunt him. The storyline ties the many excellent ensemble characters together and adds cohesion to the entire series of films - rare for a franchise with this long of a history. Returning IMF members Benji Dunn, played by Simon Pegg, and Luther Stickwell, portrayed by Ving Rhames, add witty levity throughout - when they’re not saving a teammate or the world, that is. New characters appear, too, rounding out an “impossibly” great cast. Haley Atwell plays Grace, a highly skilled thief who is more than a match for Hunt.

Lorne Balfe’s riveting score is always present, as is the happy familiarity of the original Mission: Impossible TV theme from 1966, written by Lalo Shiffrin. Yet Balfe’s score never gets in the way or detracts from the intensity of that we are enjoying. It only adds to each second of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One.

Thrills and action, brilliant writing, great music, extraordinary sets, and a phenomenal cast add up to what is likely the best Mission: Impossible film yet, and, thus far, the best movie of the season. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to get into a theater and see it in the biggest format you can.

This week, host Edmund Stone presents a whip-cracking mix from all five Indiana Jones movies, including some dazzling hi...
07/05/2023

This week, host Edmund Stone presents a whip-cracking mix from all five Indiana Jones movies, including some dazzling hidden gems, all scored by the great John Williams. Grab your fedora and settle in for music from Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Temple of Doom, The Last Crusade, The Crystal Skull and the final film of the legendary franchise, The Dial of Destiny.

"See" you this weekend for The Score.

'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' A film review by Edmund Stone.Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a fun, fo...
07/03/2023

'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny'
A film review by Edmund Stone.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a fun, fond farewell to a favorite action hero and a franchise that started over four decades ago.

The story is set in 1969, and Jones is retiring from teaching. The world has changed, and the archeologist/treasure hunter has too. But when his goddaughter, Helena, shows up in his final class, it isn’t to wish him well; it’s to get him to help her find an ancient artifact that has the power to change the world - and the past. How could he resist?

It’s a plot that feels familiar - hunting for something with mystical powers before the bad guys get to it - and that is part of what makes this an entertaining adventure; it’s more of what fans have always loved. The film is a blazing, non-stop adventure packed with chase scenes, exotic locales, and plenty of tantalizing lore. There are old friends, old enemies, time travel, mysterious artifacts, and of course, music by John Williams. The score is replete with leitmotifs for characters, and whiffs of the famous Raiders March make their appearance too. There is the familiar, and there are also a few changes. This is the only Indiana Jones film not directed by Steven Spielberg - he is in his producer role on this one.

Much has been made of the “de-aging” of Harrison Ford for the film. The cutting-edge technology uses actual footage of Ford to create a believable version of Jones in the flash-back scenes. But it is in the scenes set in the “current” year of 1969 that we see Jones/Ford as an older man, one still up to the challenge of galivanting across the continents to save the world - all while never losing his Fedora. If you grew up watching these films - and a couple of generations have - there’s something both familiar and oddly comforting about that.

The Dial of Destiny has taken the best bits that audiences loved from the previous four movies and woven them into a great plot. For Indy fans, this is the movie you’ve been waiting for.

This week on The Score, host Edmund Stone continues his two-part celebration of American history, as seen through the ca...
06/28/2023

This week on The Score, host Edmund Stone continues his two-part celebration of American history, as seen through the cameras of Hollywood. Explore the post-World War II era and even venture into the future! Enjoy music from 'West Side Story,' 'Apocalypse Now,' 'Minari,' 'The Martian,' and more.

Join is this weekend for The Score!

'Asteroid City ' A film review by Edmund StoneIf you’re a Wes Anderson fan, you will probably really like 'Asteroid City...
06/23/2023

'Asteroid City '
A film review by Edmund Stone

If you’re a Wes Anderson fan, you will probably really like 'Asteroid City.' If you are new to the quirky style of the director, this movie might leave you wondering what the heck you just saw. And you may just find yourself thinking you ought to see it a second time to make sense of it - and you just might enjoy it too.

'Asteroid City' has a spectacular, all-star cast, and it is clear they all had a fantastic time acting in this film. Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Edward Norton, Margot Robbie, William DeFoe, Tilda Swinton
 and so many more. Anderson has wrangled together many other actors who have been in some of his earlier films, lending an offbeat but undeniable synergy to the cast.

Vignettes of the various actors are curiously stitched together - in Wes Anderson fashion - and as usual for his unusual style, it works. The young actors are excellent in their roles. Jake Ryan gets the most kid-screen time and deserves it. It’s not his first Anderson movie, and it likely will not be his last - that’s a good thing.

The movie is told in narrative, in the form of a play that has been turned into a movie and flickers back and forth between a stage play and cinema. The setting is pure Wes Anderson - sparse, bright, daringly unreal. The infinitesimally small desert town of Asteroid City exists only because an asteroid impacted there millions of years ago, making it, apparently, the perfect location for a stargazing event. It’s around the late 1950s, before the Space Race but at a time when the curiosity of space and the inundation of pulp fiction sci-fi are burgeoning. A group of extraordinarily intelligent teens and their parents are thrown together in a hastily cobbled space cadet/stargazer/geek camp.

The movie has a number of laugh-out-loud moments, sight gags, and even more oddball set-ups that will make you first laugh, then think. The score by Alexandre Desplat is buried beneath 1950s pop songs, but strings together the scenes giving them coherence among the orchestrated Anderson chaos.

If you’re looking for a movie that will have you questioning small-town American reality, this is it. Chock-a-block with allegory, metaphor, and stars galore, it’s quite entertaining. And disorienting. It’s Wes Anderson, all that’s to be expected.

Celebrate America’s birthday with a dazzling musical depiction of some of the highlights of our history, as seen through...
06/21/2023

Celebrate America’s birthday with a dazzling musical depiction of some of the highlights of our history, as seen through the cameras of Hollywood. From pre-colonial days as depicted in 'The New World,' to the Civil War in 'Glory,' through the westward expansion in 'Dances With Wolves,' and even life in the post-World War II era with music from 'The Best Years of Our Lives.'

Join us this weekend for the first of a two-part series on The Score!

The magic of cinema creates worlds we can only dream of. But some theme parks have found a way for fans to interact with...
06/16/2023

The magic of cinema creates worlds we can only dream of. But some theme parks have found a way for fans to interact with those celluloid adventures.

This week, host Edmund Stone brings the vacation to you with music from films that have inspired amusement park rides - and vice versa - including 'Star Wars,' 'Harry Potter,' 'Tomorrowland,' and more.

Join us this weekend for a wild ride on The Score. And let us know in the comments what is your favorite theme park ride!

'Elemental'A film review by Edmund StoneDisney Pixar’s new release, ‘Elemental,’ is a brightly colored metaphor. Wrapped...
06/15/2023

'Elemental'
A film review by Edmund Stone

Disney Pixar’s new release, ‘Elemental,’ is a brightly colored metaphor. Wrapped up in Pixar’s always marvelous animation, it is a story that - while it should be told - can seem rather heavy-handed in the telling.

It’s an allegory for racial and societal inequities, as told from the perspective of first-generation Americans, as represented by Fire, whose families sacrificed everything to make a better life in the US. The challenge of threading the proverbial needle between honoring one’s culture and history and embracing one’s potential and future is represented in this case by the elements - Fire, Water, Earth, and Air.

There are plenty of contemporary cultural issues brought to animated life in the movie. The privileged Water beings live in elegant high-rises and easily flow throughout the metropolis of Element City where everything has been built around their needs and wants. The Fire beings, on the other hand, are sequestered in an outlying part of the city that is cramped and noisy, and in disrepair. Throughout Element City, there are signs saying “No Fire Allowed.” It depicts an uneasy and inequitable coexistence between factions. The storyline is an old one - Wade, a young Water being, and Ember, a young Fire being, meet and eventually fall in love, overcoming their differences. But it is told from a refreshing perspective, and it’s visually delightful.

There are plenty of trademark Pixar visual gags and dazzling colors, and the collective elements get to romp on the screen in anthropomorphized creations. There are also some lessons infused that are powerful: Wade has had a life of privilege and floats (literally as well as proverbially in this case) from job to job, unable to find his path. Ember’s future seems to be carved out for her, running her parents’ business when they retire. Neither is happy, and each has something to learn from the other before they can achieve happiness.

I think children will love this bright and beautiful depiction of elements as living beings, and the storyline is told in such a way that kids will be able to both enjoy and understand the film. Kids of all ages - and that includes adults - can enjoy this and maybe, just maybe, start to see things from a different perspective. In true Disney - which owns Pixar – fashion, precisely the sort of thing that can lead to their much-loved happily ever after ending.

Can't get enough of The Score? Then you're in luck! Tune in to All Classical Portland today at 2:00 PM PT for a super-si...
06/11/2023

Can't get enough of The Score? Then you're in luck! Tune in to All Classical Portland today at 2:00 PM PT for a super-sized fundraiser edition with co-hosts Edmund Stone and John Pitman.

No...that is not John pictured with Edmund. That is the premier Spock impersonator, SPOCK ON EARTH! Today, John and Edmund are sharing music from both 'Star Trek' and 'Star Wars,' with a friendly competition to see which series has the most enthusiastic fans.

Join us at 89.9 FM in Portland or from anywhere in the galaxy at allclassical.org. While you're there, make a gift and let us know which space-themed series is your favorite.

Listeners in Portland, OR, today are in for a special treat during All Classical Portland's June Fundraiser: an EPIC thr...
06/10/2023

Listeners in Portland, OR, today are in for a special treat during All Classical Portland's June Fundraiser: an EPIC three-hour edition of The Score! Join co-hosts Edmund Stone and John Pitman from 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM PT for an unforgettable trip to the movies.

Edmund and John are celebrating everyday heroes and superheroes, including the real Captain Philips and Patch Adams, plus, your favorite superheroes like Thor and Wonder Woman! Tune in at 89.9 FM in Portland or from anywhere at allclassical.org.

Listeners outside of Portland, OR, this week will hear an all-new Western-themed episode of The Score! For more than a c...
06/08/2023

Listeners outside of Portland, OR, this week will hear an all-new Western-themed episode of The Score! For more than a century, tales of the wild west were everywhere in popular culture: novels, radio, TV, and films. As tastes changed, the Western faded from the big screen but has recently come galloping back with a fresh take on the genre.

Host Edmund Stone invites you to saddle up for music from 'The Power of the Dog,' 'Django Unchained,' 'Concrete Cowboy,' and more. đŸ€ 

Set a course for adventure! Join us for music from films featuring the sailing ships of old. Be on the bridge with 'Mast...
06/01/2023

Set a course for adventure! Join us for music from films featuring the sailing ships of old. Be on the bridge with 'Master and Commander: Far Side of the World,' brave the open ocean with 'Kon Tiki' and feel the salt air with 'The Sea Hawk,' and more.

Enjoy great nautical music from great nautical tales this weekend on The Score! ⚓ 🌊

Everybody gets their start somewhere... even heroes and villains! This week's show features films that tell the origin s...
05/24/2023

Everybody gets their start somewhere... even heroes and villains! This week's show features films that tell the origin stories of some of Hollywood’s most popular icons. Host Edmund Stone shares music from 'Star Trek,' 'Black Widow,' 'Batman Begins,' and more.

Join us this weekend for The Score!

They’re so bad, they’re good! Good fun to watch on the screen, that is. This week we take a look and a listen to the foi...
05/17/2023

They’re so bad, they’re good! Good fun to watch on the screen, that is. This week we take a look and a listen to the foils and fall guys of cinematic antagonists: the Evil Sidekicks. Prepare for Mr. Smee from 'Hook,' Bellatrix Lestrange from 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,' the Orcs from 'The Lord of the Rings,' the Minions from . . . 'Minions,' and more.

Take a walk on the dark side this weekend on The Score!

Movies magically connect us to the people we love, especially our mothers. In preparation for Mother's Day, we asked The...
05/11/2023

Movies magically connect us to the people we love, especially our mothers. In preparation for Mother's Day, we asked The Score's listeners to share memories of going to the movies with their moms. This week, guest host All Classical Portland's Warren Black shares YOUR stories!

Join us this weekend for an assorted box of musical treats, including 'Westside Story,' 'Julia & Julia,' and more on The Score! 💐 đŸŽ¶

It’s time to “level up” the fun and adventure with movies inspired by video games. This week, host Edmund Stone has musi...
05/04/2023

It’s time to “level up” the fun and adventure with movies inspired by video games. This week, host Edmund Stone has music from 'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,' 'Tetris,' 'The Angry Birds Movie,' and more.

Are you game? 🎼 Join us this weekend for The Score!

'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3'A film review by Edmund StoneIf you’ve seen the previous ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,’ you’...
05/01/2023

'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3'
A film review by Edmund Stone

If you’ve seen the previous ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,’ you’ll need to see this one too. You know going in that GotG Vol. 3 is the final part of the trilogy, and Marvel’s beloved band of intergalactic superhero oddballs is going to tie up a lot of story lines and loose ends. With that said, this review is spoiler free.

Over the years we’ve gotten to know the Guardians - how they got to be who and what they are. Gamora, Nebula, Drax, Mantis, Groot and of course Peter “Star-Lord” Quill, have all told their stories. In this film, we at last get to hear the origin story of one of my personal favorite characters - Rocket, the wise-cracking brains of the troupe. It’s probably the most powerful back story Marvel has ever told in its long history of comic-to-film characters.

Over the years we’ve grown very fond of the Guardians. They fight the baddest bad guys in the universe, they fight with each other, and they ALWAYS have each other’s backs. What’s not to love? The storyline made me realize just how much I like them
 and how much I’ll miss them.

Marvel went all out on this one. The film checks every box for a superhero blockbuster: the special effects are truly outstanding, the sets and costumes are eye-popping visual treats. The action sequences are fantastic. It has a great storyline, humor, and character development that adds a lot of depth to the wrap-up of this trilogy. For a ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ fan, this is must-see. If you can see it in IMAX, so much the better.

But it also has its flaws. Gamora’s back from the dead - that’s not a spoiler, she’s on the promotional posters - but exactly how that came to be isn’t explained well and is a plot device that leaves a hole you can pilot a starship through. I suggest that you just suspend belief for a bit. If you can accept a sentient tree with a seriously limited vocabulary as someone you’d love to hang out with, that shouldn’t be too hard. The music by John Murphy and the sound effects are wall-to-wall, sometimes to the point of overwhelming the dialog. Still, that’s what you would expect from the finale of a superhero franchise, all the characters are back together, old nemeses are there as well, and it’s as big and bold as it can be.

In addition to the good guys, some familiar bad guys, and a cadre of lesser stars in the Marvel pantheon, there’s a new super villain, one that is worse than any they’ve thrown at the Guardians before. He makes the Universe-snapping Thanos look compassionate by comparison. The High Evolutionary is an excruciatingly evil villain, and it’s his actions that create some of the most emotionally painful and heart-wrenching parts of the movie. While those dark elements added a seriousness to the mission of the Guardians and bring them closer together than ever, they felt like a punch to the gut, and created moments that are not for younger or more sensitive movie-goers.

‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ is a well-crafted, thoughtful end to a fun intergalactic romp. Throughout the entire film you truly feel that the Guardians have grown into a wonderfully weird, loving and loyal family that puts the “fun” in dysfunctional. Knowing this is the end of the franchise makes it a bit sad to say goodbye to them, but Marvel created a story that has gripping drama, dazzling special effects, and is also emotionally satisfying. Throughout the film we learn more about each of the characters, and at its conclusion we know they’ve learned a lot about themselves, too. It’s like saying goodbye to an old friend. The good news is, you can see them again and again, and you don’t have to leave the planet.

Discovery, reward, adventure. Cracking mysteries and solving puzzles. It’s all part of the allure of treasure hunting. T...
04/26/2023

Discovery, reward, adventure. Cracking mysteries and solving puzzles. It’s all part of the allure of treasure hunting.

This week, host Edmund Stone shares a treasure trove of music from movies about pillagers, pirates, opportunists, and archeologists. Enjoy music from films like 'The Mummy,' 'Pirates of the Caribbean,' 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,' and more. X marks the spot, this weekend on The Score.

This week, a show that's bound to keep you on the edge of your seat. Host Edmund Stone shares music from great suspense ...
04/19/2023

This week, a show that's bound to keep you on the edge of your seat. Host Edmund Stone shares music from great suspense thrillers, including classics like 'The Maltese Falcon' and 'Vertigo,' to more recent fare like 'Get Out' and 'Power of the Dog.'

Join us this weekend for The Score!

This week, host Edmund Stone is telling tales about storytelling. Nestle into a comfortable chair and enjoy music from f...
04/12/2023

This week, host Edmund Stone is telling tales about storytelling. Nestle into a comfortable chair and enjoy music from films featuring “stories within stories,” such as 'Three Thousand Years of Longing,' 'Out of Africa,' 'Life of Pi,' and many more.

"See" you this weekend for The Score!

Movies magically connect us to the people we share them with, including our mothers. For this year's Mother's Day episod...
04/07/2023

Movies magically connect us to the people we share them with, including our mothers. For this year's Mother's Day episode, we're asking YOU to share memories of going to the movies with your mother or the maternal figures in your life.

🍿 Host Edmund Stone recalls his mother taking him out of a showing of 'The Wizard of Oz' when he was a wee lad (and shrieking with terror at the flying monkeys).

🍿 All Classical Portland host Brandi Parisi recalls how her grandmother used to take her to slasher films (when she was too young to get in by herself).

🍿 Guest host All Classical Portland's Warren Black recalls seeing 'The Bridges of Madison County' with his mother when he was in his 30s (in retrospect he would have chosen something a little less awkward...).

What's your mom-at-the-movies story? Share it in the comments below, and you may hear your story during our 'Mother Knows Best' episode on Mother's Day weekend!

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The Score with Edmund Stone

Produced by All Classical Portland in Portland, Oregon, The Score with Edmund Stone is a weekly celebration of music in film. With timely box office tie-ins, carefully crafted talk-sets, memorable musical elements and enticing weekly themes all woven together, coupled with expert production aesthetics, The Score is an unparalleled exploration of the musical experience that makes film such an indelible activity.

Your host Edmund Stone is a classically trained Shakespearean actor from England whose background includes a variety of stage and screen roles. With deep connections to Hollywood and the classical music community, Edmund is the ideal host for this weekly foray into the world of film and music.

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This Saturday at 9am on The Score with Edmund Stone: Disney Through the Decades: Animation

For more information on all our KCME special programs, visit: https://www.kcme.org/programs/special-programs/
Spring has finally sprung and in celebration of the season of renewal we’re reveling in some “springy” music this week on The Score! Bring on the budding flowers and baseball with films such as 'The Secret Garden,' 'Mary Poppins Returns,' 'Field of Dreams,' and more. đŸŒ· ⚟

Join us TODAY, Saturday at 2:00 PM PT at 89.9 FM or anywhere in the world at allclassical.org.
Anything can happen! 🍿 🎬 It's time for another LIVE edition of The Score with Edmund Stone and co-host John Pitman, as part of our Spring fundraiser.

Join us at 89.9 FM in Portland or anywhere in the world at allclassical.org.

If you love this program, please consider making a gift to All Classical Portland today to support this locally produced content.
Give online at https://bit.ly/GIVESPRFB22 or by calling 888-899-5722. Thank you!
The Score's Edmund Stone contributed an article to the Local Lore newsletter on the influence that folk music has had on film and television. You can read it now at the Portland FolkMusic Society website: portlandfolkmusic.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=748368&module_id=474559

Join us this and every weekend for the Score on All Classical Portland!
It's almost time for The Score! If you love this program, please consider making a gift to All Classical Portland today to support this locally produced content and our community focused service.

Give online at https://bit.ly/GIVESPRFB22 or by calling 888-899-5722.
As part of our Spring Fundraiser, The Score's Edmund Stone will be joined by John Pitman for a special THREE HOUR LIVE EDITION featuring some of their all-time favorite film scores.

Listen in Portland at 89.9 FM, or from anywhere in the world at allclassical.org.
This month on The Score, it's all about HOLLYWOOD! Last week, we heard music from some of the most notable families in Hollywood’s music department! This week he honors a few notable crooners.
Photo by De'Andre Bush on Unsplash
Twas the night before Christmas and all throughout Portland, listeners gathered 'round for a reading by Edmund!

The Score's Edmund Stone is here to brighten up your holiday weekend with his rendition of 'Twas The Night Before Christmas.' Hear the full poem as well as recent holiday themed episodes of The Score at thescore.org.
Get into the Halloween spirit with these spine-tingling readings of Edgar Allen Poe classics by The Score's Edmund Stone. 🎃
Congratulations on your 700th episode. I have enjoyed the program for years.
Cheers to The Score with Edmund Stone on reaching the 700th episode mark! That’s over 700 hours of some of our favorite movie and music magic. đŸŸ đŸ„‚

Drop your favorite celebratory emojis in the comments to help us celebrate this milestone, and tune in today at 2:00 PM PT on 89.9 FM or allclassical.org for The Score!
As we sprint to the finish line of our Fall Fundraiser, we are exited to bring you another TWO HOUR all-time-favorites edition of The Score with Edmund Stone and co-host John Pitman.🍿Let's go to the movies together at 🎬2pm PT for the film music you love.

Tune in from anywhere in the world at allclassical.org, and while you're there, make a gift in support of The Score and All Classical Portland to help us reach the finish line!
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