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The Playlist
The obsessives' guide to contemporary cinema via film discussion, news, reviews, features, nostalgia, movie music, soundtracks, DVDs and more.Interviews
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Greta Gerwig Talks 'Frances Ha' & Working With Noah Baumbach -
Joel Edgerton On 'Wish You Were Here,' 'Jane' Drama & More -
James Gray On 'The Immigrant,' 'The Gray Man,' 'The Lost City Of Z' And More -
Brit Marling Talks 'The East' & Espionage Thrillers -
Nicolas Winding Refn Discusses 'Only God Forgives -
Justin Lin Talks 'Fast Furious 6' & The Influence Of Altman -
Interview: Noah Baumbach Talks 'Frances Ha' -
Ben Wheatley Talks 'Sightseers,' Violence & More -
Mark Romanek On 'One Hour Photo' & Leaving 'Cinderella'
The Playlist
Gus Van Sant Talks Taking Over 'Promised Land' From Matt Damon, The Film's "Spy Scene" & Much More
- By Drew Taylor
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- January 4, 2013 10:48 AM
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- 3 Comments
Gus Van Sant has always been a director who is hard to pin down, veering from insanely small-scale, personal works like "Elephant" and "Paranoid Park" to larger scale entertainments like "Finding Forrester" and his admirable-if-unsuccessful "Psycho" remake. This week, his charming eco-drama "Promised Land" opens, which casts his "Good Will Hunting" co-writer Matt Damon as an operative from a natural gas company who travels to a small, financially struggling Pennsylvania town to woo them to sell the drilling rights to their land. But his efforts run up against an environmentalist, played by John Krasinski (who co-wrote "Promised Land" with Damon), who tries to alert the citizens to the dangers they might face with the "fracking" process. It's not as showy as most of the movies grabbing for Oscar gold, but it's a solid, well-intentioned drama, beautifully, almost impressionistically directed by Van Sant.
Gus Van Sant Writing A Hollywood Set Superhero Movie
- By Kevin Jagernauth
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- November 28, 2012 6:42 PM
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- 1 Comment
From a shot-by-shot remake of "Psycho," to the pilot of the recently canceled "Boss," to low budget wonders like "Elephant," to Oscar success stories like "Good Will Hunting" and "Milk," the career of Gus Van Sant has been anything but safe and predictable. And just when we thought we had the director all figured out, he's gone ahead and thrown another curveball.
Watch: Jon Hamm & Adam Scott Star In 'The Greatest Event In Television History' With Paul Rudd, Gus Van Sant & More
- By Kevin Jagernauth
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- October 15, 2012 10:24 AM
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- 0 Comments
Maybe we should watch Adult Swim more often instead of going to bed early, but thankfully we live in the wonderful world of YouTube. Late last Thursday night, the network aired "The Greatest Even In Television History" and featuring a gallery of our favorite people, and while it's a pretty awesome concept, it's even better because it lives up to the promise.
Taylor Lautner To Produce & Star In Gus Van Sant's Next Film
- By Kevin Jagernauth
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- November 2, 2011 2:18 AM
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- 20 Comments
While this might seem totally out of nowhere, there were clues bubbling up that the unlikely duo of Taylor Lautner and Gus Van Sant would be working together. There was a very minor controversy recently when in an interview with Australia's GQ magazine, Lautner related that he had a dinner meeting with Van Sant and "Milk" screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, prompting the publication to bizarrely ask if either of them hit on him. Obviously, not exactly the brightest thing to say, and the matter made the blog rounds and then went away, but it looks like that dinner date has borne some very real cinematic results.
Watch: Clip From James Franco's 'My Own Private River' With Outtakes From 'My Own Private Idaho'
- By Kevin Jagernauth
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- September 22, 2011 7:56 AM
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- 0 Comments
Mia Wasikowska Reveals Gus Van Sant Cut A Silent Version Of 'Restless'While we may not always understand every artistic endeavour taken on by James Franco -- like his attempt at a music career -- but we have to say this one does interest us.
Gus Van Sant Talks Ben & Matt's Unfinished Post-'Good Will Hunting' Project, 'Restless' & More
- By Gabe Toro
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- September 16, 2011 8:51 AM
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- 0 Comments
Eclectic Filmmaker Talks James Franco, 'My Private Idaho,' Dennis Hopper & His New Coming-Of-Age RomanceThe title of Gus Van Sant’s latest picture, “Restless” might as well describe the director himself. Genre-hopping, making movies for both the Hollywood system and himself, and long a fixture on the indie film scene, he’s undoubtedly one of the most significant American filmmakers working today. His lastest is a far cry from his more experimental entries like "Gerry," "Last Days" or even the "Psycho" remake, tackling the story of two teens in love even as one of them suffers from terminal cancer. It's yet another new direction for Van Sant and one that will likely land him new fans while giving longtime followers of the director something else to discuss and consider as part of his eclectic filmography.
Gus Van Sant Says He's Still Working Out How To Make 'The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test'
- By Oliver Lyttelton
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- September 16, 2011 1:32 AM
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- 3 Comments
But 'Restless' Helmer Was Never Going To Direct Artist Drama 'The Golden Suicides'Gus Van Sant is not an easily predictable director. His films are always instantly identifiable, but can vary between experimental, difficult pictures like "Gerry" and "Last Days," to more nakedly commercial fare like "Finding Forrester," and, occasionally, as in "To Die For" and "Milk," a sweet spot in between. His latest, "Restless," is another left turn, a quirky teen romance from a first time screenwriter, Jason Lew, that stars Henry Hopper, son of Dennis, and "Alice in Wonderland" lead Mia Wasikowska.
Review: Gus Van Sant's 'Restless' A Sappy Misfire From A Director Capable Of So Much More
- By Drew Taylor
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- September 14, 2011 8:30 AM
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- 3 Comments
Gus Van Sant has long been fascinated by young people – the way they interact with each other, the way they move, the way they emote, and, most importantly, the way they die (or at the very least face their mortality head-on – you could even lump his interesting, if aimless, "Psycho" remake in there). But he's never dared to make a movie as self-indulgent, pointless, mushy, and boring as "Restless," one that borrows heavily from movies much better than it ("Harold & Maude," "Love Story," "An American Werewolf in London," countless French New Wave flicks), and fails to leave even the slightest impression, beyond the thought of never, ever, ever wanting to see it again.
Cameron Crowe & Gus Van Sant Both Passed On Brian Epstein Biopic 'The Fifth Beatle'
- By Kevin Jagernauth
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- June 8, 2011 9:01 AM
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- 0 Comments
Stage Musical & Graphic Novel Also In The WorksWait, this is a story about who isn't a directing a movie? And while that's a bit of reversal on the who's-joining-what-project news, when it's two names like this it's hard to ignore and its pretty damn interesting.
Cannes Review: Gus Van Sant's 'Restless' Is An Endless Number Of Quirks Searching For A Movie
- By Kevin Jagernauth
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- May 13, 2011 11:00 AM
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- 6 Comments
Easily the first hard flop of the Cannes Film Festival, the warning signs were there but perhaps we didn't pay them much mind. If everything had gone according to the original plan, "Restless" would have already come and gone in theaters and never hit the Croisette. And that probably would have been the better for everyone involved. Instead, a rightfully nervous Sony scuttled a planned January release and shuffled the film over to their indie division Sony Pictures Classics to handle. Kudos for them for getting the film into the opening slot of the Un Certain Regard section of the festival, because after seeing it, that must have been nothing short of a coup.
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Recent Comments
It's the second time you guys do this, Alberto Iglesias is not the composer on the movie,
same, I enjoyed this very much, classic Miike. I think Hideaki Ito did very well in this movie. Art
@PCHONGOR: if by "faux Panavasion" you mean "anamorphic", no. Wall-E quite
Critics know fuck all about the medium. Drew McWeeny once blamed the poor sound in his Hobbit
This is the most condescending piece of writing I've read in years. Dave and Glass have
I liked the solid script, the solid performances, the well motivated villan, but barely made it
With the possible exception of Mulan, none of Disney's princess movies are feminist or
it's as good a day as any to find something to bitch about.
1. Feels way too much like one long Lego commercial, but "21 Jumpstreet" was awesome, so
He pleaded with him for like 10 minutes, that was a long scene, and when he had to do it, he broke