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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
The Best & Worst Of 'Man of Steel'
- By The Playlist Staff
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- June 17, 2013 4:34 PM
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- 95 Comments
If you listen to the internet -- and that’s always a precarious thing to do -- Warner Bros. “Man Of Steel” is either the worst movie of all time or the best movie of all time and of course, nothing in between (and lord there’s been some kicking and screaming by people who disagree with one another). It’s either all due Zack Snyder inability to direct or David Goyer’s (and to an extent Christopher Nolan’s) writing genius. Granted some Playlisters did not like this movie much and some of it thought it was decent-to-ok, but we’d still like to think there’s a middle ground to be found when looking at this latest Superman movie (in fact, we’re happy to say our original review does just that).
Mixed Reviews Greet 'Man Of Steel' As It Prepares To Fly Into Theaters
- By Kevin Jagernauth
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- June 11, 2013 11:04 AM
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- 8 Comments
If you were anywhere near the internet late last night, you're probably saw social media light up as the first reviews for the Zack Snyder-directed, Christopher Nolan-produced "Man Of Steel" hit the web. This was just a couple of hours after the news arrived that Snyder and screenwriter David S. Goyer were going to return for a fast-tracked sequel, and while a billion dollars remains the benchmark the movie has to reach to be a success, it should be noted that after product/promo tie-ins alone (of which there are over 100, take that "The Internship") the picture has already banked $170 million. But wait, what's the verdict on the actual movie?
Review: 'Man Of Steel' Directed By Zack Snyder, Starring Henry Cavill, Amy Adams & Michael Shannon
- By Charlie Schmidlin
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- June 10, 2013 11:00 PM
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- 22 Comments
In the opening scenes of Zack Snyder's “Man of Steel,” the planet of Krypton announces itself with the director's customary visual smorgasbord: canyons bathed in stark golden light, frenzied aerial battles for the planet's future, and a host of CGI creatures and machinery zipping around. It is a garish, worrying sight, saved finally by silence, as a mother laments her son's future on Earth. “We'll never see him walk,” Lara Lor-Van (Ayalet Zurer) quietly says to her husband, Jor-El (Russell Crowe, solid throughout his considerable role). The line connects, both actors retrieving the film from gaudy chaos for a moment of humanity; the child departs, leaving his parents to their planet's fate. Thankfully, down on Earth, we proceed to see him walk, run, and then fly in Snyder's impressive, bold take on the Superman mythology -- one that strains under its helmer's indulgent action tendencies, but succeeds on heart where brawn will not.
Watch: 2 New Clips & TV Spot For 'Man Of Steel' Featuring General Zod & Faora
- By Jason McDonald
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- June 7, 2013 9:38 AM
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- 1 Comment
We’re officially a week away from the “Man of Steel” flying into theaters and I couldn’t be more thrilled. How the final product will turn out is still up in the air, but I have to say that this has been a fine promotional run for Warner Bros. I haven’t seen a single bit of footage or trailer that has dissuaded me from seeing this film on June 14th. Speaking of which, we have the latest TV spot and two new clips which you can view below.
Watch: Zod Takes Center Stage In Final, Action-Packed 'Man Of Steel' Trailer
- By Oliver Lyttelton
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- May 22, 2013 8:30 AM
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- 3 Comments
This summer, an awful lot is riding on Warner Bros' "Man Of Steel," with the studio pinning their hopes for a Marvel-style cinematic universe on Zack Snyder’s “Man Of Steel” reboot. Following the same blueprint they used for Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” films, the studio is ramped up their viral marketing campaign yesterday to deliver a new Zod-centric trailer that opens with a pretty creepy message directly from the Kryptonian psychopath himself.
Jeff Nichols Goes Sci-Fi To Direct His First Studio Movie, Once Again Reteams With Michael Shannon
- By Kevin Jagernauth
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- May 8, 2013 10:42 PM
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- 3 Comments
It was only a matter of time before the major studios came sniffing around "Shotgun Stories," "Take Shelter" and "Mud" director Jeff Nichols. In fact, they already have, with the helmer shortlisted last year for "Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes," but now he's finally inked his first studio deal and he's bringing a trusted friend with him.
Watch: Superman Flies With Lois Lane, Alien Ships, Zod & More In New 'Man Of Steel' TV Spot
- By Kevin Jagernauth
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- May 6, 2013 2:17 PM
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- 4 Comments
While we're still a way off from anything on the verdict for the actual movie, the marketing for "Man Of Steel" continues to be the best of the summer so far. Everyone on the Warner Bros. team is leaning on selling an epic experience and this latest TV spot is now different.
Review: 'The Iceman' Starring Michael Shannon Is A Tired Take On The Mob Flick
- By Oliver Lyttelton
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- April 30, 2013 7:06 PM
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- 3 Comments
Are we living in a post-gangster movie age? From the early talkies to the Oscar-winning success of “The Departed,” the genre has been ever-popular and responsible for seminal films from “White Heat” and “The Godfather” to “Goodfellas” and “Pulp Fiction.” But one struggles to think of a standout film in the genre since Scorsese's Oscar winner, with memorable mobsters now coming from television rather than the movies. We’re sure that someone will come along and give the form new life one of these days, but that reinvention of the wheel doesn’t come from Ariel Vroman’s “The Iceman,” which is decent enough, but fails to cover ground that hasn’t already been covered many times before.
You Can Go Ahead And Add Michael Shannon To The List Of Actors Cut Out Of 'To The Wonder'
- By Kevin Jagernauth
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- April 30, 2013 3:37 PM
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- 2 Comments
By now, Terrence Malick's tendency to enlist lots of big name stars to come hang out his sets, only to subsequently cut them out of the movie, is as legendary as his press shyness. In fact, we devoted a whole feature to that very topic. And his latest film, the divisive "To The Wonder" -- listen to our podcast about it here -- is no different. While the finished movie pivots around four characters played by Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams and Javier Bardem, there were a handful who worked on the movie, in both big and small parts, that were ultimately cast aside including Rachel Weisz, Barry Pepper, Amanda Peet, Michael Sheen and Jessica Chastain. And now, you can add one more to that list.
Review: Deeply Felt, Thrilling 'Mud' Shows Director Jeff Nichols & Matthew McConaughey At The Top Of Their Games
- By Erik McClanahan
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- April 25, 2013 11:58 AM
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- 0 Comments
It all starts with a beautifully surreal image: a decrepit boat resting comfortably in the branches of a tree. The young boys who find it want to use it, make it their own. But on this particular river island in Arkansas, they are not alone. It's not long before they encounter Mud (Matthew McConaughey, sporting a large snake tattoo and a chipped front tooth a la Jim Carrey in "Dumb & Dumber"), who's not only the namesake of Jeff Nichols' brilliantly constructed, emotionally satisfying genre deconstruction, but also the film's hero and anti-hero.
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Recent Comments
I thoroughly enjoyed it. I feel the "old sport" catchphrase was 100% necessary. The
I liked Brave way more than Up - Pixar's worst in my opinion (haven't seen Cars 2)
Reg: your comment on Zack Snyder's name. I am somewhat inclined to believe that as well. Except
I saw that one on it´s release back then in Germany at age 14....and you can be sure that this is
Damn.... May he rest is peace. He was a MAGNIFICENT actor.
"...with a complete lack of progression to the narrative." "This man is not our
im not a grammar nazi in the slightest but dear lord can someone read over these posts just once
I totally disagree, the movie really wasn't spectacular. IT HAS NOTHING to do with Christopher
What kind of fucked bullshit is this?.....oh wait....I said it....
"The are no WORST Pixar films . . . . there are some that are not as wonderful