The Playlist

Q&A: Steve Coogan & Rob Brydon Talk 'The Trip,' Differing Improv Styles And Their Onscreen Personas

By Christopher Bell
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April 27, 2011 2:24 AM
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1 Comment

This world loves bickering buddies. From Laurel and Hardy to Jay and Silent Bob, there's plenty of fondness for comedies built around caustic and amusing back-and-forths between two people that, at the drop of a hat, either want to kill each other or cuddle. Michael Winterbottom, the man responsible for "Welcome to Sarajevo" and the harshly-and-unjustly-criticized "The Killer Inside Me," saw gold in the relationship between his star Steve Coogan ("24 Hour Party People") and friend/comedian Rob Brydon and amplified their personalities for "Tristam Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story." The result was a riot, and things went so well that the three reunited for "The Trip," a BBC2 series and movie.

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Review: 'Fast Five' Keeps Enough Fuel In This Aging Franchise To Still Be Fun

By Drew Taylor
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April 27, 2011 2:06 AM
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11 Comments

It's sort of amazing how dexterous the "Fast and the Furious" franchise has been. Originally conceived as a kind of hot rod version of "Point Break," directed by the perpetually midlife crisis-gripped Rob Cohen, complete with a trashy title lifted from an ancient American International Pictures cheapie, it has evolved over the years, with each successive sequel equipping the original concept of a sturdy undercover cop (Paul Walker) who flirts with the dark side of underground car racing (led by Vin Diesel) with new flourishes. John Singleton helmed the sequel, "2 Fast 2 Furious" and turned it into a live action anime (for better or worse it was a stylistic precursor to the Wachowskis' "Speed Racer"), while current franchise shepherd Justin Lin crafted a nifty "American Graffiti"-style one-off in "Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift," before returning all the principles to the series for the back-to-basics revenge mode of "Fast & Furious."

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Milos Forman To Tackle First Financial World Scam Artist In 'Ponzi's Scheme'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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April 27, 2011 1:45 AM
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3 Comments

It's been quite a while since we last heard from legendary director Milos Forman. His last effort was the not-so-well received "Goya's Ghosts" way back in 2006 but it looks like the man behind "One Flew Over's The Cuckoo's Next," "Loves Of A Blonde," and "Amadeus" isn't done yet and pushing eighty years old, he's still looking to make another run behind the camera, with an interesting take on the financial crisis dramas that seems to be pouring out of Hollywood.

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Great Job, Movie Critics: 'Atlas Shrugged' Producer Scrapping Plans For Pt. 2 & 3, Blames Reviews

By Oliver Lyttelton
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April 27, 2011 1:32 AM
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34 Comments

God damn, we love writing about "Atlas Shrugged." Even more than "Twilight"-related stories, or the persistent commenter who insists that Scarlett Johansson is the product of stolen DNA, nothing brings out the frothing-at-the-mouth zealots like stories about the long-awaited, independently-produced adaptation of Ayn Rand's magnum opus. Self-financed and distributed by millionaire businessman John Aglialoro, the film was rushed into production to prevent the rights from lapsing, with a decidedly D-list cast and crew, but it did have relevance on its side: with the Tea Party movement, who are perhaps more in step with Rand's beliefs than any major political movement in decades sweeping the nation, could the film find itself becoming a runaway hit? Would we spend the next few years writing about the second and third installments of Aglialoro's dream project?

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An Intervention For Jeremy Renner, As He Signs On To 'Ice Age 4,' His 327th Franchise

By Oliver Lyttelton
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April 27, 2011 1:16 AM
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16 Comments

Jennifer Lopez, Wanda Sykes, Drake, Aziz Ansari and Keke Palmer Also In CastThe following is the transcription of a speech made by Barry Langford, Jeremy Renner's oldest friend, in a private room at the Sona, on North La Cienega Blvd last night.

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Fox Planning Post-Apocalyptic 'Zorro' Reboot, Because Fuck It, They Might As Well

By Oliver Lyttelton
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April 27, 2011 1:00 AM
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3 Comments

1998's "The Mask Of Zorro" is, all things considered, a pretty solid action-adventure movie. Not a classic, by any means, but as far as old-fashioned swashbucklers go, it was zippy fun, with about the right blend of action, laughs and romance. Sony clearly hoped that the film would turn the classic folk hero created by Johnston McCulley into a new franchise, but it took them seven years to get a sequel together, and when it arrived, 2005's "The Legend of Zorro" was a mere shadow of the original.

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Watch: Anna Faris Falls In Love, Mid-Season Replacement Sitcom Style, In 'What's Your Number'

By Oliver Lyttelton
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April 26, 2011 12:54 PM
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5 Comments

As It Turns Out, Martin Freeman & Anthony Mackie Are Also In The Cast Anna Faris is an extremely talented comedienne. There's no denying that. Ever since her early appearances in the "Scary Movie" franchise, she's shone, even with material that's generally far beneath her. But every time it looks like she's heading for the A-list -- the surprise success of "The House Bunny," for instance, or demonstrating her range in "Brokeback Mountain" -- the next few projects tank, and she's reduced to playing straight woman to talking CGI animals in "Yogi Bear."

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New 'Terminator' Film With Arnold Schwarzenegger Officially Attached Goes Out To Studios For A Deal

By Kevin Jagernauth
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April 26, 2011 11:56 AM
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13 Comments

Well, he's back. On the heels of his stupid looking animated show "The Governator," and with rumblings of Ji-Woon Kim’s "Last Stand" and Antoine Fuqua’s "The Tomb" as possible new projects, Arnold Schwarzenegger is returning to the franchise that made him a star in a new installment in "The Terminator" series.

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Watch: Jon Hamm Steals Latest Red Band Trailer For 'Bridesmaids'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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April 26, 2011 11:17 AM
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2 Comments

Yet another trailer for the upcoming ensemble comedy "Bridesmaids" has landed and we might be fatigued if weren't for the fact that indeed the film is just that good.

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