Sound of Cinema

Prehistoric Cinema

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

To mark the latest release in the Jurassic Park franchise, Jurassic World Rebirth, Matthew Sweet looks at music for films set in prehistoric times, or...

Walter Murch

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet talks to film editor, sound designer and director Walter Murch about working on Apocalypse Now, the Godfather films, The Conversation, B...

Mythical Creatures

25 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet is on the hunt for mythical creatures on the big screen. Tune in to escape reality, as we explore film music that transports you to fant...

Unusual Instruments

25 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet looks at unusual instruments used in film scores such as the Cristal Baschet which is a favourite of Cliff Martinez in scores such as Dr...

The Telephone

25 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet dials in, with a playlist of film music inspired by a phone call. Hold the line for classics including Scream, The Conversation and Dial...

Slumdog Millionaire composer - A.R. Rahman

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet is joined by multiple award-winning composer A.R. Rahman to explore his extraordinary career in film music, including his best-known sco...

Joe Hisaishi

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet celebrates the life and work of Studio Ghibli composer, Joe Hisaishi. Tune in for some of his most beloved music, with classic soundtrac...

Hans Zimmer on the concert platform

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This special episode of Sound of Cinema features an exclusive interview with the legendary film composer and record producer, Hans Zimmer.Hosted by Ma...

Wallace & Gromit and the music of Aardman Animations

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Evil penguins, chickens on the run and the mischievous sheep of Mossy Bottom Farm. Enter the unique musical world of Aardman Animations as Matthew Swe...

And the Beat Goes On: percussion in film

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet bangs the drum for the inventive ways films use percussion. There's Tan Dun's taiko masterclass of a score in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dr...

100 years of Ron Goodwin

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet celebrates the centenary of legendary film composer Ron Goodwin - famous for his scores for Where Eagles Dare, 633 Squadron, The Battle ...

Bafta Film Awards 2025: Soundtrack highlights

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet celebrates the film highlights of the year with a focus on the recently announced 2025 Bafta winners. He speaks exclusively with the win...

Warsaw Concertos – Film music from Poland

20 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet speaks to actor and director Jesse Eisenberg about using Chopin's music in his latest film "A Real Pain" - the story of two cousins tour...

Wolf Hall and Period Music in Film

05 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet talks to composer Debbie Wiseman about using period music in films. For the TV series Wolf Hall, Debbie wrote original music in a period...

Maria Callas and opera in films

05 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With the Maria Callas biopic starring Angelina Jolie in cinemas, Matthew Sweet speaks to Maria director Pablo Larrain. The talk about working with Ang...

Four trombones and a mandolin? Small but mighty soundtracks

25 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Defying the convention of massive orchestral scores, Matthew Sweet looks at films that embrace the intimacy of chamber music including: the Syrian-ins...

Alfred Hitchcock

11 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From the driving energy of North By Northwest to the iconic string stabs of Psycho, music is an integral part of what makes Alfred Hitchcock's films s...

A celebration of German film

04 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As part of Radio 3's European Road Trip, Matthew Sweet explores some of the best soundtracks in German cinema.To listen on most smart speakers just sa...

Music from films themed around the Vatican

02 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What is the sound of Papal Rome? Matthew Sweet explores the music of films set in and influenced by the Vatican. From Morricone's melancholy oboe in T...

Comfort films

02 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Presenter Matthew Sweet cosies up with the soundtracks of films that bring comfort to those dark, wintry nights…From the life-affirming joy of Studi...

Christmas Film Scores

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hop on board the Polar Express! Matthew Sweet's unwrapping the greatest Christmas film soundtracks. We'll be walking in the air with Howard Blake's Sn...

Cinematic Presidents

30 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In cinema, US presidents have been portrayed as heroes, villains, great leaders who unite the world and hopeless puppets who are the butt of jokes. In...

The Roman Empire

16 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With the release of Gladiator II in cinemas, Matthew Sweet brings us the music of the Roman Empire - as told by Hollywood - from Alex North's scores f...

Hollywood composer Marc Shaiman

31 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sleepless In Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, The Addams Family, Hairspray, Mary Poppins Returns, Marc Shaiman's music has been a part of our lives for ...

Westerns

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet saddles up to explore the most iconic soundtracks of the Wild West. Traverse the sweeping landscape with music from Western blockbusters...

Cinema Paradiso and the long hot summer

24 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet packs his bags in search of the films that bring back memories of summer - with music from the hot sun of Roman Holiday and Jean de Flor...

An interview with visionary filmmaker and director M. Night Shyamalan

10 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This special episode of Sound of Cinema features an exclusive interview with the visionary filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan, known for his masterful blend...

Actor Kiefer Sutherland on the life and films of his father Donald Sutherland

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With a career spanning 60 years and over 200 films, the late Donald Sutherland was a true acting legend. His son, actor Kiefer Sutherland - best known...

It's all lies! Music for films of deceit and fakery...or is it?

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With the release of Fly Me To The Moon - in which Scarlett Johansson wants to fake the moon landing - Matthew Sweet uncovers the films in which fakery...

Composer of The Watched - Abel Korzeniowski

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet in conversation with Abel Korzeniowski, the composer of Ishana Night Shyamalan's supernatural horror film The Watched. We'll hear about ...

First Women

08 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet showcases film scores about female firsts and cinematic examples of outstanding achievements by women, and he chats to composer Amelia W...

Cannes Film Festival

25 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cannes is one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. In this week’s Sound of Cinema, Matthew Sweet catches up with journalist and film...

Planet of the Apes

25 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With the release of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Matthew Sweet hails cinema's greatest apes. From King Kong to Gorillas In The Mist, apes have p...

The Ex Factor

27 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From the new Zendaya film "Challengers", to "Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind", every breakup brings its own challenges. Matthew Sweet brings the i...

Real Lives and the musical world of cinema biopics

13 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With the release of the biopic about Amy Winehouse, Back to Black, Matthew Sweet explores the stories of lives that have been told on the silver scree...

Denis Villeneuve, director of Dune Part 2, the biggest Sci-fi movie of the decade

09 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Sci-fi sequel Dune 2 is one of the most hotly awaited films of the decade. As part of the build-up to tomorrow's Sound of Cinema Day, which antici...

Stephen Warbeck

17 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet in conversation with the Oscar-winning composer of Shakespeare in Love, Stephen Warbeck.

Kris Bowers

27 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The American composer of TV's Bridgerton, The Green Book, Chevalier and King Richard - Kris Bowers, joins Matthew Sweet to talk about his music for th...

Survival films

20 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet musters all his resourcefulness to bring us the music of the best modern survival films as Jodie Comer tackles rising water and raising ...

Spielberg and Williams

30 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet celebrates 50 years of one of cinema's greatest collaborations - that of director Steven Spielberg and his composer of choice, John Will...

Laura Karpman

11 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Laura Karpman is best known for her work composing the soundtracks for The Marvels, and the Disney+ series Ms Marvel and What If… She joins Matthew...

Hammer

28 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This weekend sees the relaunch of Hammer Studios and the release of a new telling of the Dr Jekyllstory, starring Eddie Izzard. Matthew looks back on ...

First Dates

21 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What was your experience of a first date at the cinema? Presumably you arrived together - but did you leave separately? Matthew Sweet listens to liste...

George Fenton

30 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet's guest this week is the composer George Fenton. His breakthrough came with Richard Attenborough's biopic Gandhi, since then he's scored...

Family Films

23 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Of all the genre titles the 'family film' is perhaps the trickiest to define. Its intention, clearly, is to entertain and appeal to the whole family -...

Zoomorphia

19 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From the Life of Pi to The Jungle Book; His Dark Materials to Wolverine, Matthew Sweet features film music shaped by the fantastical idea of humans as...

Think Pink

29 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Following the release of Greta Gerwig's Barbie, Matthew Sweet considers cinema's fascination with the colour pink. Many films adopt a colour code to ...

Destroyer of Worlds

22 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With the appearance of the eagerly anticipated new Christopher Nolan biopic about Oppenheimer, Matthew Sweet turns his attention to film scores bent o...

Stunt Films

15 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With the release of the new Tom Cruise Mission: Impossible film - Dead Reckoning Part 1 - Matthew Sweet focuses on stunt scenes in movies. Carefully ...

The Elements

08 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The film Elemental is released this week with a score by Thomas Newman. Matthew looks at how the elements, earth, air, fire and water have been portra...

The world of director Wes Anderson

24 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With the appearance this week of Wes Anderson's latest film, Asteroid City, Matthew Sweet looks back at one of Hollywood's most distinctive auteur dir...

Films that made an impression

17 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For the 400th episode of Sound of Cinema, Matthew Sweet hears from listeners about the films that changed their lives, including West Side Story, On t...

Chevalier and cinema's ear on the past

10 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jordan Peele films 'Get Out,' 'Us,' and 'Nope' composer Michael Abels discusses his latest project ‘Chevalier’, the story of the real life Joseph ...

David Lynch

27 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In a rare interview, the iconic film director David Lynch talks to Matthew Sweet about one of the most celebrated collaborations in cinema history: be...

Hallyu - The South Korean Wave

20 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There has been an explosion in the global popularity of contemporary South Korean culture, often referred to by the Chinese word Hallyu - meaning Kore...

The Crowded Planet

13 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Music for film reflecting cinema's engagement with the idea of an over populated planet prompted by the release this week of Chie Hayakawa's Japanese ...

Folk music in films

29 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

To mark midsummer weekend, Matthew Sweet dons his finest handmade knitwear to bring us the folk-inspired soundtracks from films that embrace the old w...

The Earth

22 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet marks Earth Day with a look at screen music composed to celebrate the natural world. He is joined by composer Sarah Class, who has writt...

Dracula

15 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With the release this week of Chris McKay's new film Renfield, Matthew Sweet looks back at the many appearances of Dracula on our screens and at the m...

John Debney

25 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

John Debney, composer of scores for films such as Elf, Jetsons: The Movie, Hocus Pocus and Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, joins Matthew Sweet...

1997

11 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On Oscars weekend, Matthew looks back on the 70th Academy Award Ceremony, to date the most watched ever Oscars. What was it about the films of 1997 th...

Rampage!

25 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mark Mothersbaugh's score for the new film Cocaine Bear is the inspiration for this week's programme with Matthew Sweet, who looks at music for films ...

Volker Bertelmann

18 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With the Baftas this weekend and the Oscars imminent, Matthew Sweet meets the German composer/pianist Volker Bertelmann (aka "Hauschka"), the nominate...

Discover the world of film composer Hildur Guðnadóttir

10 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew is joined by award-winning Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir to talk about her screen music, including her scores for Tár and Women Tal...

Cinema with Dad

28 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet explores listeners' experiences of going to the cinema with their Dads and contemplates Steven Spielberg's new autobiographical movie Fa...

Decadence

21 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With the current release of Justin Hurwitz's new score for 'Babylon' in cinemas, Matthew Sweet looks at the theme of decadence in the movies through e...

Second Chance

31 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

During the period of New Year resolutions Matthew Sweet looks at music for films which offer the opportunity of a "second chance", including 'It's a W...

Avatar and Simon Franglen

17 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With the appearance this week of James Cameron's long awaited sequel to Avatar - The Way Of Water - Matthew Sweet meets its composer, Simon Franglen, ...

The Romance of Horror

26 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Monsters, spooky atmosphere, terrifying effects, but horror is also a genre exploring ideas about relationships, as Matthew Sweet explains with music ...

Michael Nyman

19 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With the remastered cinematic and digital re-release of The Draughtsman's Contract, marking forty years since it first appeared, Matthew Sweet looks b...

Tom Holkenborg

17 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet talks with the wildly successful, classically trained Dutch composer Tom Holkenborg, a.k.a. Junkie XL, a star of club electronica, video...

And then there were nuns!

29 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The world of the convent has given rise to some interesting and varied cinema - Black Narcissus, Agnes of God, Two Mules for Sister Sara, and not leas...

Lorne Balfe

22 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet in conversation with Lorne Balfe, the prolific, Grammy-winning composer of films ranging from Mission Impossible: Fallout to Churchill. ...

Vaughan Williams and film

15 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Vaughan-Williams was very progressive and open minded with regard to the role of the film composer and the merit of the film score. He was keen to “...

Widescreen

08 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet looks back on the story of widescreen cinema, on some of the films designed especially for it and looks at the impact that the idea has ...

You'll never leave

24 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With the release of the Florence Pugh film Don't Worry Darling featuring a new score by John Powell, Matthew Sweet looks at film music inspired by tho...

Lalo Schifrin

20 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lalo Schifrin, composer of classic jazz-infused scores for Mission Impossible, Bullitt and Dirty Harry - Matthew Sweet looks back on his career and mu...

The Connoisseurs

13 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With the release of a new film inspired by the art of wine tasting and the true story of a Zimbabwean team of professional sommeliers, 'Blind Ambitio...

Stranger Things about the Eighties

30 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What was it about the 1980s setting that proved so distinctive and right for the hit television series Stranger Things? Matthew Sweet reflects on the ...

Bill Conti

16 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hollywood composer Bill Conti joins Matthew to talk about his career and music for film, which has included scores for James Bond, The Karate Kid and,...

Viking gods

09 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Giacchino's new score for 'Thor - Love and Thunder' sets Matthew Sweet thinking about the movie appearances of the ancient gods of the Vikings...

Sound of Vangelis

25 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet talks to the composer Daniel Pemberton about the extraordinary output of the late Vangelis, of one of film music's best known composers....

Star Trekkin'...

18 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet marks the 40th anniversary re-release of 'Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan' with music for the film franchise by Jerry Goldsmith, James H...

Stop Motion

11 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

From King Kong to Jason and the Argonauts to Wallace and Gromit, Matthew Sweet looks back at animating the inanimate and the role that music plays in ...

Wings

28 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With the arrival of the much anticipated sequel to Top Gun' with us, Matthew turns his thoughts to film music that explores our skyborne aspirations. ...

Lesley Barber

21 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Canadian composer Lesley Barber talks to Matthew Sweet about her career in film and about writing music for films such as Manchester by the Sea and Ma...

The Multiverse

14 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With the release of Michelle Yeoh's new film 'Everything Everywhere All at Once', Matthew Sweet features music for movies that engage with the science...

Cabaret

30 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's 50 years since the appearance on screen of John Kander and Fred Ebb's musical Cabaret, and an iconic point in the film career of Liza Minnelli. M...

The Music of Nicolas Cage

23 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a new film, with music by Mark Isham, in which actor Nicolas Cage not only appears but plays the part of hi...

Bruce Broughton

16 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew meets Bruce Broughton, Hollywood composer of Silverado, The Young Sherlock Holmes and Lost in Space, for a look back at his career in film mus...

Feast

09 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The subject this week is food as Matthew examines big screen kitchens and lavish gourmet meals to mark the release of a movie about Julia Child and a ...

Germaine Franco and Encanto

26 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet talks to Germaine Franco, the first female composer to score a Disney animated feature, 'Encanto', which is nominated for best Original ...

Everybody Wants to Be a Cat

19 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet ponders the relationship between cinema and cats and features some of its best film feline scores including Roy Webb’s ‘Cat People’...

The Modern TV Score

12 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With the arrival of the big budget series for TV and streaming, scoring has undergone a transformation in recent years. Matthew focuses on writing sco...

The Wit to Woo

26 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With Joe Wright's new film out, inspired by the fictional Cyrano de Bergerac and with a score by Bryce and Aaron Dressner, Matthew looks at films that...

Bruce Broughton

19 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

'Young Sherlock Holmes', 'Silverado', 'Tombstone', 'Lost In Space' are just a few of the films scored by Matthew Sweet's guest, the Hollywood composer...

Agatha Christie

12 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With the release of the latest adaptation of Death on the Nile, Matthew marks the portrayal on screen of Agatha Christie's famous detectives Hercule P...

Motherhood

29 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet focuses on the theme of motherhood with a selection of music for the screen that's inspried by the release of Pedro Aldomovar's latest f...

Nathan Johnson

22 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Sweet talks to composer Nathan Johnson about his music for films including his score for Guillermo del Toro’s neo-noir film Nightmare Alley ...

It's a Scream!

15 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With the release of the fifth film in the ‘Scream’ franchise this week, boasting a new score from Brian Tyler, Matthew Sweet foregrounds that whil...