The Playlist

The obsessives' guide to contemporary cinema via film discussion, news, reviews, features, nostalgia, movie music, soundtracks, DVDs and more.

Interviews

Discuss: With Electro, Rhino & Green Goblin, Is 'Amazing Spider-Man 2' Promising Villain Overkill?

By Gabe Toro
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March 2, 2013 2:10 PM
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16 Comments

News

Since “Batman Begins,” superhero films have upped the ante as far as casting legit names to act out action-packed costumed melodramas for mass audiences. But it’s hard to say we’ve seen anything like the upcoming sequel to “The Amazing Spider-Man,” which last week added Oscar winner Chris Cooper to a cast that includes Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Shailene Woodley and Dane DeHaan as well as fellow Oscar winners Sally Field and Jamie Foxx and former nominee Paul Giamatti. That would be a whole lot of acclaim for a small indie film, but it’s also the sort of prestige unheard of for a mega-blockbuster that was received coolly by critics and diehards.

By Kevin Jagernauth
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February 27, 2013 2:25 PM
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3 Comments

News

As if "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" couldn't be more stuffed with characters, with Jamie Foxx already on board as Electro, and Paul Giamatti as Rhino, here comes yet another. Yep, Green Goblin is coming to the franchise that has since given up claiming it will be "the untold story."

By Kevin Jagernauth
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July 9, 2012 4:47 PM
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1 Comment

News

Two of our fave grizzled actors have joined a couple of upcoming flicks, so read onward to see who will growl in what....

By Oliver Lyttelton
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June 14, 2012 2:01 PM
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5 Comments

Features

Ten years and one day ago, Doug Liman was an independent director with a couple of critical favorites behind him. Ten years and one day ago, Matt Damon was the promising writer/star of "Good Will Hunting" who's seemingly squandered his potential on a string of questionable choices, kept on the A-list only by his presence in "Ocean's Eleven." Ten years and one day ago, the spy genre was increasingly tired, with the Bond movies moving into new levels of ridiculousness (that year's "Die Another Day" would introduce Madonna and invisible cars to the series).

By Edward Davis
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October 19, 2011 3:09 AM
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4 Comments

While the multiplexes increasingly become a place to house event movies and continue to enable the infantilization of moviegoers' taste -- 3D spectaculars, toy franchises, Michael Bay movies, etc. -- HBO is happy to write checks for big name talent.

By Oliver Lyttelton
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September 13, 2011 4:00 AM
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3 Comments

Say what you like about Robert Redford's directorial efforts (like, for instance, that "Quiz Show" aside, they very closely replicate the experience of watching paint dry. Underwater), but he knows how to stack a film with a cast of ringers. Even a film as dull as his recent "The Conspirator" was able to attract names like James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Kevin Kline, Tom Wilkinson and many more, mainly drawn by the opportunity to work with one of the all-time great movie stars.

By Oliver Lyttelton
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June 18, 2011 3:31 AM
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1 Comment

It's not been a banner year for The Playlist's inner child. We've been spoiled in recent years, admittedly, but even the better kids flicks of the year so far, like "Rango" and "Kung Fu Panda 2," seem aimed at adults more than children, drawing on the Western and martial arts genres, but neglecting the sense of inner wonder that's so necessary, leaving "Super 8" as the only film that's really scratched that particular itch.

By Kimber Myers
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January 20, 2011 4:04 AM
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2 Comments

“The Company Men,” aka “The Supposed Problems of Unsympathetic Rich People” or “Good Actors Stuck in a Mediocre Movie,” tries to be timely, but it’s as out of touch as Pat Buchanan. It aims for “Up in the Air”-level relevance and poignancy with its plot centering on layoffs at a New England company, but it’s more likely to garner yawns than tears. What’s worse is that this isn’t a substandard movie with an equally substandard cast. Instead, first-time feature director John Wells has somehow managed to attract top-level talent Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, and Maria Bello (and Kevin Costner).