The Playlist

Review: 'Rock of Ages' Is Anything But a Good Time

  • By Kimber Myers
  • |
  • June 13, 2012 3:09 PM
  • |
  • 5 Comments
"Rock of Ages" will make you want to raise your arms...and then immediately plunge your fingers into your eyeballs for salvation (you can go back for seconds to rescue your ears). "Hairspray" helmer Adam Shankman directs this movie that will finally kill the '80s nostalgia that continues to plague us if we're lucky and will further root karaoke performances and bar jukeboxes in that hairspray-choked decade if we're not. We've had a sub-par version of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" stuck in our head since we saw it, and we wouldn't wish this fate on anyone, except perhaps the development heads at Warner Bros. As much as everyone keeps trying to make Julianne Hough a star, Steve Perry she is not (though admittedly she is cuter).

Paul Giamatti, Garret Dillahunt & Sarah Paulson Join '12 Years A Slave'

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
  • |
  • June 5, 2012 2:50 PM
  • |
  • 8 Comments
Update: Variety adds that Paul Giamatti and Sarah Paulson have also joined the film. Giamatti will play Freeman who "takes possession of the slaves upon their arrival in New Orleans" while Paulson will be Michael Fassbender's jealous wife.

Hold Onto Your Mullets, A Discography Of New Pics From 'Rock Of Ages' Turn It To 11

  • By Benjamin Wright
  • |
  • May 31, 2012 9:25 AM
  • |
  • 1 Comment
If you still have Def Leppard’s Pyromania album on heavy rotation and prefer Jefferson Starship to Jefferson Airplane, then there’s a pretty good chance you’re excited for the upcoming musical adaptation, “Rock Of Ages.” An ode to the days of hair metal and tight leather pants, “Hairspray” helmer Adam Shankman has cooked up a tale of a small town girl (livin’ in a lonely world) and a city boy who fall for one another on the Sunset Strip, all while in pursuit of their Hollywood dreams. Some of us here at The Playlist have secretly been anticipating the film’s June release, and with a cast consisting of Russell Brand, Julianne Hough, Alec Baldwin, Malin Akerman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mary J. Blige, Bryan Cranston, Will Forte, and of course Tom Cruise doing his best Tim Cappelo interpretation, who can blame us?

First Pic Of Kevin Spacey In David Fincher's 'House Of Cards'; Andre 3000 As Jimi Hendrix In 'All Is By My Side' & Many More

  • By Cain Rodriguez
  • |
  • May 29, 2012 11:40 AM
  • |
  • 0 Comments
Hope you rested your eyeballs over Memorial Day weekend, because a whole batch of new images have arrived giving you a peek at what's hitting the big and small screen in the next little while.

Cannes Review: David Cronenberg's 'Cosmopolis' Is Both An Excellent Adaptation & A Rich, Complex Character Study

  • By Simon Abrams
  • |
  • May 25, 2012 8:12 AM
  • |
  • 12 Comments
"Cosmopolis," an adaptation of Don DeLillo’s typically provocative novel of the same name, is the first feature film since 1999's "eXistenZ" that filmmaker David Cronenberg has directed and scripted. This in part explains why "Cosmopolis" is such a triumph: it’s both an exceptional adaptation and a remarkable work unto itself.

Watch: Tom Cruise Sings Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead Or Alive" In New 'Rock Of Ages' Trailer

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
  • |
  • April 2, 2012 8:29 PM
  • |
  • 5 Comments
Love or fame? That's the big question a mustaciohed Paul Giamatti poses to newcomer Diego Boneta in "Rock Of Ages," Adam Shankman's big hairspray filled '80s musical. And based on that sentence, you should already know if your down with this movie or not, without having to watch the trailer.

Mia Wasikowska To Star In Adaptation Of 'Madame Bovary'; Paul Giamatti Also Eyeing Role

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
  • |
  • March 30, 2012 2:02 PM
  • |
  • 4 Comments
Oh boy, another musty dusty literary adaptation? Even with our girl Mia Wasikowska (who is in danger to becoming the young go-to girl for period movies with "Jane Eyre" and "Albert Nobbs" under her belt), we can't say we're overly excited. Though, this film could turn out to be something a bit different.

Watch: First Teaser For David Cronenberg's 'Cosmopolis' With Twilight Star Robert Pattinson Is Seriously Impressive

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
  • |
  • March 22, 2012 5:09 AM
  • |
  • 36 Comments
After the rather staid costume drama of "A Dangerous Method," a film that failed to embrace the kink promised in the premise of an sado-masochistic affair between Jung and a former patient, many started to wonder: had David Cronenberg gone soft? The filmmaker has been steadily moving into more mainstream territory, but generally managed to keep a little of the transgressiveness that made his name with films from "The Brood" to "Crash." But with the Keira Knightley/Michael Fassbender drama? Not so much.

SXSW '12 Review: Weird & Sometimes Confusing 'John Dies At The End' Is Still An Odd & Engaging Genre Treat

  • By John Lichman
  • |
  • March 13, 2012 10:59 AM
  • |
  • 1 Comment
The problem addressing fans of “Midnight” films and wacky horror can succinctly be found in the opening of Don Coscarelli's “John Dies At The End.” It involves axe handles, zombies, mutant leeches, axe heads, hardware store trips and answering a dead man as to whether or not the axe in question is the same that killed him. Confused? If you are, then you don't want to stick around. If you're too overjoyed that the spiritual successor to Sam Raimi has appeared, you're in luck.

DreamWorks Animation Set Paul Giamatti, Samuel L Jackson & Just About Everyone Else In Hollywood To Join Ryan Reynolds In 'Turbo'

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
  • |
  • February 24, 2012 11:19 AM
  • |
  • 0 Comments
They may still not have the prestige of arch-rivals Pixar, but things have been looking up over at DreamWorks Animation of late. Once the home of poor CGI fare like "Shark Tale" and "Bee Movie," recent years have seen a new emphasis on quality rather (or at least in addition to) big names. 2010's "How To Train Your Dragon" was their best film to date, and last year even sequels "Puss In Boots" and "Kung Fu Panda 2" displayed more artistry than "Cars 2" did, picking up Oscar nominations for their trouble. 

Email Updates

Latest Tweets

Follow us

Recent Comments