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Spike Lee Won't See 'Django Unchained,' Says "American Slavery Was Not A Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western"

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • December 23, 2012 10:08 AM
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  • 108 Comments
News
To say that Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained" will be divisive is perhaps an understatement. At The Playlist, we ran three reviews to highlight the varying opinion our staff had on the film, and with the movie hitting theaters this week that chatter is only to increase. But getting the ball rolling on what is surely to be some lively debate in many quarters is Spike Lee, who has declared he will be not be seeing the movie at all.
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More: Spike Lee, Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino

Watch: New Trailer For 'Girls' Season 2, Time Magazine Names Lena Dunham Coolest Person Of 2012

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • December 23, 2012 9:29 AM
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  • 1 Comment
Television
It's hard to argue that in 2012, there were few people on television (Charlie Sheen aside perhaps, but for different reasons) who were as talked about as "Girls" writer/actor/producer Lena Dunham. The brainchild behind HBO's breakout hit show, Dunham has had a tremendous year all around and Time Magazine has taken notice. They've named her The Coolest Person Of The Year.
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More: Television, TV News, Lena Dunham, Girls, Film Trailers

Watch: NBA Ad Directed By & Starring Spike Lee

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • December 22, 2012 11:47 AM
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  • 1 Comment
News
While Spike Lee's directing career in both features and documentaries ensures him a place in cinematic history, his legacy will also involve his groundbreaking advertising work. One could argue that Nike would not be the brand it is today without Lee's iconic ads with Michael Jordan for his patented Air Jordan sneakers, and over the years, the helmer has lent his touch to spots for Levi's, Converse, Jaguar and much more. And now he's at it for the NBA.
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More: Spike Lee

'Guardians Of The Galaxy' Narrows Search For Star-Lord To Jim Sturgess & Zachary Levi

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • December 22, 2012 11:33 AM
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  • 14 Comments
News
The lives of one of these two guys is going to change dramatically. Last month it emerged that Marvel was taking a look at a battery of actors to take the lead in their upcoming "Guardians Of The Galaxy" including Joel Edgerton, Jack Huston, Lee Pace, Eddie Redmayne, Jim Sturgess, Garrett Hedlund, James Marsden and Sullivan Stapleton. Now, one of those people has survived the cut, with one other new face now joining the greatly reduced shortlist to play Peter Quill.
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More: Guardians Of The Galaxy, Jim Sturgess, Zachary Levi

Watch: Samantha Barks Sings "On My Own" In Latest 'Les Miserables' Trailer Plus New Featurette

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • December 22, 2012 11:06 AM
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  • 2 Comments
News
You want to know how popular "Les Miserables" is? Not only is it the biggest advance ticket seller this Christmas, it has broken the previous record held by "Sherlock Holmes." So yes, a lot of people will be going to see the epic musical next week, but in case you need an extra nudge to get off the couch and go, another trailer has arrived.
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More: Les Miserables, Film Trailers

Watch: 'Inception,' 'Black Swan' & More Get Spoofed In Awful Trailer For 'Scary Movie 5'

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • December 22, 2012 10:46 AM
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  • 8 Comments
News
This is what a tax write-off looks like folks. While the "Scary Movie" franchise to date has been mind-bogglingly successful, with the last entry earning $90 million at the box office, for this latest installment (without series lead Anna Faris) it seems the Weinsteins have lost all interest is producing another hit, and mostly just want to keep the brand going. Cheap, featuring a bunch of no names along with cameos from the likes of Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan and Katt Williams who will be using the paycheques to pay any past or future lawyers fees, the new trailer for "Scary Movie 5" shows how low the bar the go.
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More: Film Trailers, Scary Movie 5, Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan

Watch: New Scene From 'Django Unchained' With Commentary From Quentin Tarantino & New Trailer

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • December 22, 2012 10:22 AM
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  • 0 Comments
News
With Christmas landing on Tuesday this year, it's a big opening day for a handful of films, but given that it's coming midweek, studios are giving just an extra little push and reminder, before audiences settle in for the holidays. Perhaps the hardest sell of any movie arriving in theaters is the slavery/western epic "Django Unchained" from Quentin Tarantino, but a couple of intriguing new looks from the movie have arrived.
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More: Django Unchained, Film Trailers, Quentin Tarantino

Review: Age & Illness Test Love In Michael Haneke's Unflinching 'Amour'

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • December 22, 2012 9:19 AM
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  • 3 Comments
Reviews
Michael Haneke makes it clear from the opening of the film exactly where he's going in "Amour." Kicking off with a literal bang, a team of police officers force open the door of a flat in France, and with masks over their mouths, they walk around the apartment, open the windows and finally find what they're looking for. A dead body, respectfully surrounded by flowers, lays in a bed. And in pure Haneke fashion, this is when he throws up the title card for "Amour," a movie that is, to put it simply, two hours of an elderly woman slowly dying.
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More: Amour, Michael Haneke, Reviews, Review, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert

For Your Consideration: 5 Directors Who Deserve Oscar Nominations This Year

  • By The Playlist Staff
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  • December 21, 2012 5:40 PM
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  • 56 Comments
Features
Unlike Best Picture, the Best Director category at the Academy Awards is still only made up of five slots, and it's tough to crack in there, especially as nominees are usually aligned with the Best Picture nominees. More than almost any other category, the merits of a film's direction can sometimes be overlooked in favor of the helmer of the best-liked film, rather than the one who did the most surprising, boldest and impressive work of the year.
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More: Features, Best Of 2012, 2012: The Year In Review, Paul Thomas Anderson, Christopher Nolan, Joe Wright, Jacques Audiard, Sarah Polley, The Amazing Race, For Your Consideration

What Are You Seeing This Weekend? 'This Is 40' & 'Jack Reacher' Are 'On The Road' At 'Zero Dark Thirty'

  • By Emma Bernstein
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  • December 21, 2012 5:21 PM
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  • 6 Comments
News
Well folks, today is the Mayan Apocalypse, the official end of the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar -- which doesn't sound so bad -- and, possibly, the world as we know it, which sounds pretty terrible. If we're all still here tomorrow (or tonight, for that matter), there is a delectable spread of filmic morsels on this weekend's menu. The latest Judd Apatow feature, Tom Cruise's new moody thriller, the first direct cinematic adaptation of Jack Kerouac's most famous work, and Kathryn Bigelow's second venture into modern warfare will grace the nation's silver screens, and we would encourage you to indulge where possible. So, toast the end of planet Earth while you tell us what you hope you'll be seeing in the comments section below. It probably wouldn't hurt to knock on wood or rub a rabbit's foot too. No, seriously: we really want to see "Gangster Squad" next year.
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More: This Is 40, Jack Reacher, The Guilt Trip, Zero Dark Thirty, The Impossible, On The Road, Barbara, Not Fade Away, No Rest For The Wicked, Amour, Django, Monsters Inc.

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