The Playlist

A Dozen New Photos Of Brit Marling, Ellen Page & Alexander Skarsgard In 'The East'

By Cain Rodriguez
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May 17, 2013 3:30 PM
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1 Comment

News

It’s a testament to the talents of Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling -- the writer/director and lead star of the Sundance hit, "The Sound of My Voice" -- that their indie thriller doesn’t look too out of place with its competition, especially during the crowded months of summer. The stylish thriller hits theaters at the end of the month, and a dozen new photos have arrived online via Fox Searchlight.

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Exclusive: New Images From Thriller 'The East' Starring Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgård & Ellen Page

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 9, 2013 2:13 PM
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6 Comments

The East, Alexander Skarsgard, Brit Marling

News

With "Sound Of My Voice," director Zal Batmanglij, and co-writer and star Brit Marling, delved into the world of infiltration, exploring the repercussions of going down the rabbit hole and what happens when expectations are upended, and sympathies to cult behavior start to emerge. And it seems to be a theme that fascinates them as their latest collaboration in the upcoming thriller "The East" also dives into similar territory.

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Watch: The Unexpected Is The Advantage In New Trailer For 'The East'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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April 25, 2013 1:55 PM
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3 Comments

News

The risk of going undercover (especially in the movies) is that you can go so deep that you can't come up again. And that threat forms the crux of "Sound Of My Voice" director Zal Batmanglij's latest tale of infiltration, "The East." Only this time, it's coming with a zeitgeist-worthy twist.

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New Photos Of Brit Marling, Ellen Page & Alexander Skarsgård In 'The East'

By Edward Davis
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April 20, 2013 10:35 AM
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7 Comments

News

Actor/writer Brit Marling and director/writer Zal Batmanglij -- the creative team behind the smart little indie "The Sound Of My Voice" -- are just getting started, but their sophomore effort is about to arrive and it's hopefully the second chapter in a long line of collaborations. The duo employ genre elements and then turn them on their sides with an independent, character-driven perspective and the results, so far, have been certainly worthwhile. The premise of their latest, "The East," is super intriguing as well and centers on an operative for an elite private intelligence firm (Marling) who is tasked with infiltrating an anarchist group known for executing covert attacks upon major corporations. However, personal conflicts arise when she integrates into the group and begins to fall for one of its charismatic members.

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Ellen Page Gets Behind The Camera To Make Directorial Debut 'Miss Stevens,' Anna Faris To Star

By Kevin Jagernauth
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February 7, 2013 6:08 PM
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1 Comment

News

Having logged time with everyone from blockbuster filmmakers like Christopher Nolan and uh, Brett Ratner, to indie directors such as Jason Reitman and Zal Batmanglij, it looks like Ellen Page is taking a nod from "Whip It!" helmer Drew Barrymore, and taking a turn in the director's chair.

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Anna Paquin, Ellen Page & Shawn Ashmore Return For 'X-Men: Days Of Future Past'

By Gabe Toro
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January 26, 2013 4:03 PM
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2 Comments

News

Well, it looks like the gang's all here. Rumors ran rampant that Bryan Singer's "X-Men: Days Of Future Past" would be bringing back a number of the series' more well-known characters, with Hugh Jackman confirmed to appear alongside Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan. But Bryan Singer has confirmed via Twitter that, not only are they looking to bring back as many cast members as possible from the original trilogy, but that Brett Ratner's lambasted "X-Men: The Last Stand" is definitely canon.

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We Don't Care How Rich You Are: Chilling First Trailer For 'The East' With Brit Marling, Ellen Page & Alexander Skarsgard

By Kevin Jagernauth
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January 21, 2013 1:14 PM
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4 Comments

News

Cults, rituals and underground movements were explored in Zal Batmanglij's unjustly overlooked "Sound Of My Voice," and this year he returns to the Sundance Film Festival with collaborator Brit Marling for "The East," another picture exploring those similar themes. And following its premiere in Park City over the weekend, Fox Searchlight is using the buzz to drop the first teaser trailer for what looks like an equally gripping experience.

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Sundance Review: 'The East' Is A Divisive, But Stylish Thriller & Worthy Companion Piece To 'Sound Of My Voice'

By Cory Everett
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January 20, 2013 10:25 PM
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2 Comments

Reviews

The first images in "The East" – the new thriller from Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling, the team who made last year's underrated cult thriller "Sound Of My Voice" – are grainy footage of intruders breaking into someone's home juxtaposed with images of seagulls covered in oil. We are told through voiceover that this is the home of a CEO whose company was responsible for dumping millions of gallons of oil into the ocean.

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Sundance Review: Lynn Shelton's 'Touchy Feely' Flirts With Greatness, But Proves Too Listless & Frustrating

By Rodrigo Perez
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January 20, 2013 9:45 AM
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0 Comments

Reviews

There's a strange and opaque energy coursing through the veins of Lynn Shelton's languid fifth feature-length effort, "Touchy Feely." It's a little mysterious, to the film’s moody credit, and it’s a little unavailable and removed, to its detriment. Lead actress Rosemarie DeWitt admitted, "I didn't really understand the character when I read the script," in the post Sundance Q&A. "But then I told her I didn't understand her either," Shelton explained. And not only does this sentiment ring true, it’s this mild inscrutableness that muddies this often compelling, occasionally sublime, but ultimately uneven family drama about energy, connections (missed or otherwise) and healing.

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Ellen Page To Star In Apocalyptic 'Into The Forest'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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January 10, 2013 3:49 PM
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11 Comments

News

Ellen Page has been keeping it pretty low key lately. Since "Inception" in 2010, she's only had a couple of other feature films, James Gunn's low-fi "Super" and last summer's Woody Allen jaunt "To Rome With Love," but fans will be seeing more of her in 2013. In fact, at Sundance starting next week, the actress has roles in two films, Lynn Shelton's "Touchy Feely" and Zal Batmanglij's thriller "The East" and it looks like she'll be keeping busy.

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