The Playlist

Weekend Box Office: 'Battle: Los Angeles' Invades Theaters And Takes $36 Million

By Gabe Toro
|
March 13, 2011 4:40 AM
|
4 Comments

Get those royalties to Johan Johannsson. It was the ad campaign for “Battle: Los Angeles” that helped this starless experiment hit number one. Showcasing disaster movie footage with that doc-film veirsimilitude to Johannsson’s over worldly drone certainly had an affect on moviegoers, as the film took the top spot at the box office with a solid $36 million. The film should be a sure thing for $100+, and if it has legs, even more. Sony reports the budget figure is $70 million, which smells like bullshit, but if it’s true, this weekend is good news all around. Unless you like good movies and hate bad ones, because this movie sucks the chrome off a fender.

More:

Madonna's Daughter Lourdes To Play Younger Version Of Abbie Cornish In 'W.E.'

By Simon Dang
|
March 13, 2011 3:02 AM
|
1 Comment

Film Eyeing Premiere At The Venice Film Festival This FallDuring its production, rumor had it that Madonna's daughter, Lourdes, had been cast in her mother's picture in an unknown role. While it was reportedly debunked at the time, the casting turned out to be true with star Abbie Cornish revealing the famous offspring will play a younger version of her own character, Wally Simpson.

More:

New Poster Arrives For 'Hesher' Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rainn Wilson & Natalie Portman

By Simon Dang
|
March 13, 2011 1:39 AM
|
0 Comments

With its screening at this year's SXSW just around the corner, a nifty new poster has been unveiled for Spencer Susser's twisted grief drama "Hesher" starring the exciting trio of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rainn Wilson and Natalie Portman.

More:

J.K. Simmons To Provide Narration For Jason Reitman's 'Young Adult'

By Simon Dang
|
March 13, 2011 1:18 AM
|
3 Comments

Worried by the distinct lack of J.K. Simmons in the casting for Jason Reitman's upcoming Diablo Cody-scribed feature "Young Adult"? Well, fear not, as it looks like a reunion is back on the cards with Simmons set to provide his vocal talents for narration in the film.

More:

SXSW Review: ‘Terri’ Is Another Enjoyable But Slight Coming-Of-Age Indie

By Cory Everett
|
March 12, 2011 9:59 AM
|
0 Comments

The following is a reprint of our review from Sundance.

More:

SXSW: Duncan Jones Calls 'Mute' His 'Don Quixote' & Talks About His Next Cityscape Sci-Fi Project

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
March 12, 2011 9:58 AM
|
1 Comment

Calls His Next Film "Big Sprawling Fun"SXSW is underway which means we'll be spending the next week or so in Austin catching movies, talking with talent and trying to find space for beer and BBQ somewhere in the there. The festival kicked off last night with Duncan Jones' highly anticipated follow-up to "Moon," the time looping thriller "Source Code." It was received quite well from audiences who hit the screening last night and today and the director and cast ran the press gauntlet answering questions about the film. Naturally, with news arriving just before the festival that the director's long-gestating dream project "Mute" was headed the graphic novel route, the helmer fielded questions about the film as well as plans for a big, expansive follow-up to "Source Code."

More:

SXSW Review: 'Insidious' Is A Haunted House Movie That Leaves Us Cold

By Drew Taylor
|
March 12, 2011 7:53 AM
|
10 Comments

The following is a reprint of our review from the Film Comment Selects series.

More:

Watch: Smoky & Husky Voiced Teaser For 'Conan The Barbarian'

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
March 12, 2011 7:20 AM
|
6 Comments

If you don't know the name Jason Momoa, you probably soon will. THR reports that movie theater industry folk are set to give the actor (a somewhat premature) CinemaCon Rising Star Award on March 31. Clearly, they think this guy has got the goods and they'll be hoping his mane of hair and big muscles will be a draw when "Conan The Barbarian" opens later this year.

More:

Mark Ruffalo To Play Jazz Pianist Joe Albany In 'Low Down'

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
March 12, 2011 6:37 AM
|
2 Comments

A lot of people did a double take when longtime indie stalwart Mark Ruffalo signed on to play The Hulk in "The Avengers" last year. Had the thespian turned his back on his indie roots? Was this a new, more mainstream geared Ruffalo that was emerging? Nah, didn't think so. Once Ruffalo is done going green this summer, he'll slide back into a smaller pic and one that once again finds the actor dipping his toes in new water.

More:

'Super 8' Teaser Poster Arrives, Continues The Film's Excellent Marketing

By Cory Everett
|
March 12, 2011 6:26 AM
|
2 Comments

Try Not Craning Your NeckYesterday we got a longer look at J.J. Abrams secretive "Super 8" with the first full trailer for the film that revealed a bit more of the story. And now, the film's teaser poster has arrived and you can check it out below.

More: