The Playlist

Cannes Review: 'Seduced And Abandoned' Enjoyably Explores The Surreal World Of Film Financing

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 19, 2013 10:45 AM
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4 Comments

Reviews

It's hardly any surprise for people who follow film news (or read this site) that cinema, at least as far as the major Hollywood studios go, is mostly a dead art. With a shift toward four-quadrant, brand pushing, sequel spawning blockbusters, the days of the $50 million drama are a distant memory. And so here comes James Toback's "Seduced And Abandoned," described by the director as an "uncategorizable" film that finds him teaming with Alec Baldwin, as they set their cameras on the movers and shakers (financially speaking) in the movie biz, while talking to filmmakers and actors about their craft, moviemaking, and much more.

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Watch: First Footage From James Toback & Alec Baldwin's Cannes Documentary 'Seduced & Abandoned'

By Cain Rodriguez
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May 16, 2013 2:45 PM
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1 Comment

News

While this weekend sees the release of yet another Hollywood blockbuster, the global film industry at large has descended upon the South of France for the Cannes Film Festival. While most of us will never get to experience the festival ourselves, “Seduced and Abandoned,” a new documentary premiering this weekend at the Croisette, will explore the festival from the point of view of filmmakers and we our first look at the trailer.

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Steve Martin & Alec Baldwin Eye 'Trading Places' Meets 'Grumpy Old Men' Comedy

By Kevin Jagernauth
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October 4, 2011 6:57 AM
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0 Comments

It looks like old pals, "Saturday Night Live" rivals and Oscar co-hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin are going to make another movie together.

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Who Were The Winners And Losers Of The Summer Of 2011?

By Oliver Lyttelton
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August 30, 2011 4:08 AM
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24 Comments

As the summer winds die down with a flat and uninspired whimper, the realization sets in: the summer of 2011 was for the birds. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" was the last major tent-pole to open, followed by sleeper hits like "The Help" and the not-so-successful R-rated action comedy, "30 Minutes or Less." Many had forecast that the overstuffed summer would prove disastrous, with Jon Favreau predicting that, "There’s not a weekend where there won’t be teeth on the floor," but ironically it's Favreau's film that proved to be one of the biggest box-office disappointments. Financially, films did very well with three billion-dollar blockbusters – “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,” “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”-- helping the industry set a summer box-office record and nearly rebound from a horrible start to 2011 (Currently, 2011 revenue is running only 4 percent behind 2010, but in March, things were looking grim – 19% lower than the year previous).

Warren Beatty's Secret Project Is A Howard Hughes Film; Alec Baldwin, Jack Nicholson Circling Roles

By Edward Davis
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June 22, 2011 12:04 PM
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8 Comments

Other Actors Eyeing The Project Include Andrew Garfield, Annette Bening, Shia La Beouf, Evan Rachel Wood and Rooney MaraFile under 'very intriguing development': after more than a decade away from directing (with 1998's underrated political satire "Bulworth"), last week it was reported that 74-year-old Warren Beatty would be returning to Hollywood, helming a new untitled comedy for Paramount. Playlist writer Sam Price, perhaps a little cynical that evening, posited the question: is anyone going to care? Are his best days behind him?

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First Look At Russell Brand & Alec Baldwin In 'Rock Of Ages' Is Amazing/Terrifying

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 31, 2011 5:53 AM
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2 Comments

Looks like Alec Baldwin is going to be in "Rock of Ages" after all. After reports surfaced earlier in the month that the actor was leaving the upcoming musical "Rock of Ages" for undisclosed reasons (some said there was a personal matter he needed to attend do), it looks like everything is hunky dory.

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Adam McKay Wants Jeremy Renner & Rob Riggle For Football Movie, Maybe Now Called 'Three Mississippi'

By Edward Davis
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May 26, 2011 7:56 AM
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0 Comments

Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner and by the looks of it out there, agents, PR folks and news leakers have already left for the weekend so let's rewind to something we missed earlier in the week while we're all lamenting the fact that a horrible sequel is set to gross over a $100 million this weekend, sadly.

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Woody Allen's Rome-Set Pic Has Working Title Of 'Bop Decameron,' Based On Boccaccio's Novellas

By Oliver Lyttelton
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May 11, 2011 1:21 AM
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9 Comments

Allen & Roberto Benigni Confirmed To Be Taking Acting Roles In Project Woody Allen's latest, "Midnight in Paris," unspools in Cannes tonight -- in fact, its screening to the press on the Croisette is already over. And we're cautiously optimistic. While Allen's recent London and New York excursions have varied from the disappointing ("Whatever Works," "You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger") to the disastrous ("Scoop," "Cassandra's Dream"), but when he ventured to more exotic climes, for "Vicky Christina Barcelona," the prolific writer-director ended up producing his best work in years, and the promising trailer for the Paris-set picture suggests it's firmly in the same groove.

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Alec Baldwin Decides Not To Do 'Rock Of Ages'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 10, 2011 9:26 AM
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0 Comments

Second only to "Hunger Games" with endless casting announcements, director Adam Shankman hasn't been able to stay off Twitter or turn down interview requests for "Rock Of Ages," his big haired '80s musical movie which seems to have been casting forever. But it looks like he's lost a cast member instead of adding one.

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