Director Stephen Frears; Lennon-McCartney of Mock Movie Music

Celebrated director Stephen Frears (The Grifters, High Fidelity, The Queen) talks about his new movie Tamara Drewe and his comfort level working in the independent film world. After two failed attempts at Hollywood studio movies (Hero and Mary Reilly) the indie film director says he retreated to a more sensible place, saying the large budgets had a paralyzing effect on him. Then we meet the Lennon-McCartney of mock rock movie songs. Dan Bern and Mike Viola are the songwriting team of many tunes sung by the fictitious lead rock stars in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and Get Him to The Greek. Both movies were produced by Judd Apatow who hired Bern and Viola to write lyrics that worked on a humor level but were also good songs.

Today's Banter Topics:

TV ratings update

Moving the Oscars air date

The value of Michigan film incentives

Songs that Dan Bern and Mike Viola wrote for Walk Hard:

There's A Change A'Happenin (Dan)

Hey Mr. Old Guy (Dan)

The Mulatto Song (Mike and Dan)

Royal Jelly (Dan)

Farmer Glickstein (Dan)

Who Wants to Party (Mike/Dan)

Have You Heard the News (Dewey Cox Died) (Dan)

(I Hate You) Big Daddy (Mike)

A Life Without You (Is No Life At All) (Mike)

Beautiful Ride (Mike/Dan)

Block Hard (Mike/Dan)

Darling (Mike)

Dear Mr. President (Mike/Dan)

For Christmas The People Want Cox (Mike/Dan)

Hole In My Pants (Mike/Dan)

Ladies First (Mike/Dan)

Let Me Hold You Little Man (Mike/Dan)

Sir Ringe The Marshmallow Elephant (Mike/Dan)

Weeping On The Inside (Mike/Dan)

Walk Hard All-Star Version (Dan)

Songs that Dan Bern and Mike Viola wrote for Get Him to The Greek:

Riding Daphne (Dan)

Little Bird (Mike)

African Child (Mike)

I Am Jesus (Mike/Dan)

The Clap (Mike/Dan)

Furry Walls (Mike/Dan)

Searching For A Father In America (Mike/Dan)

Yeah Yeah Oi Oi (Dan)

Banner image: Stephen Frears (R) on the set of Tamara Drewe with actor Luke Evans