The Playlist

Ben Affleck Has Options: 5 Of His In-Development Projects That He Could Do Next (Sorry, 'Justice League')

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
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  • October 12, 2012 12:15 PM
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  • 4 Comments
This time a decade ago, Ben Affleck was approaching the nadir of his career. 2002 might have seen him star in two well-regarded hits, "The Sum of All Fears" and "Changing Lanes," but the following year saw him headline three disappointments, "Daredevil," "Gigli" and "Paycheck," followed up the next year by the equally dreadful "Jersey Girl" and "Surviving Christmas."

Review: Ben Affleck's '70s-Flavored 'Argo' Is A Terrifically Suspenseful & Entertaining Thriller

  • By Rodrigo Perez
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  • October 11, 2012 5:07 PM
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  • 5 Comments
Ben Affleck's third feature-length film, the terrifically suspenseful dramatic thriller "Argo," is the second picture to use Warner Bros.' 1970s logo in 2012. And like "Magic Mike," the Soderbergh film that employed the same logo earlier this year, it's an augur of what's to come, announcing a tone, mood and millieu that is imported straight from that era. Sporting a love for movies on his sleeve, Affleck's film gives nods to the smart, entertaining and engaging thrillers from the '70s -- "All the President's Men," "Three Days of the Condor," et al. -- and playfully with B-movie science-fiction pictures of the era without ever trying to lean too hard into any specific homage.

Bryan Cranston Talks Supporting Ben Affleck In 'Argo'; Says He Has No Idea How 'Breaking Bad' Will End

  • By Edward Davis
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  • October 10, 2012 1:17 PM
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  • 1 Comment
Last night at Peggy Siegal's "Argo" soiree in Manhattan, celebs and news luminaries were out in full force to celebrate director Ben Affleck's latest, a politically intriguing thriller and Hollywood satire based on true life events in the late '70s that were only declassified by the CIA 15 years ago.

Ben Affleck Says 'Whitey Bulger' Project With Matt Damon One More Picture Away; Talks Anxieties Of Making 'Argo'

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • October 10, 2012 12:01 PM
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  • 1 Comment
"I thought if I could just execute this, even in the most straight down the middle way, I have the possibility of creating a movie that's really unique," Ben Affleck told us last night at the star-studded and swanky Peggy Siegal party for Warner Bros.' "Argo." "With really strong creative partners, I could so something that I'm really proud of. And to be honest with you, I feel this movie is better than anything I've even been involved with in my life."

Ben Affleck Reveals How Kevin Smith’s 'Red State' Inspired 'Argo' & More

  • By Benjamin Wright
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  • October 9, 2012 5:26 PM
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  • 7 Comments
“The movie was fake. The mission was real,” is a tagline you’ll see printed across a blue-hued photo of Ben Affleck that’s gracing movie theaters and city streets across America this week for "Argo." The film tells the true story set against the backdrop of the Iranian revolution that follows CIA "exfiltration" specialist Tony Mendez, who develops a dangerous plan to free six Americans who have found shelter at the home of the Canadian ambassador – all under the guise of a film crew shooting a B-Level sci-fi picture. Thankfully the film that they’ve made about the events surrounding the fake film isn’t as flimsy as the one in the latest from multi-hyphenate actor and director Ben Affleck, with our man on the scene at Telluride calling the film “a terrifically suspenseful and entertaining thriller."

10 Highlights Of The BFI London Film Festival Line-Up

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
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  • October 4, 2012 11:00 AM
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  • 1 Comment
The early months of fall are pretty much stacked with film festivals. From the end of August, when Venice and Telluride kick off the season, to the prestigious and star-studded selections at Toronto and New York in September and October, to the increasingly important AFI and Rome film festivals, globe-trotting cinephiles could happily go back to back from the late summer pretty much up to Christmas hopping from one festival to another.

Watch: 6 Clips From Ben Affleck's 'Argo' Set Up The Story Plus A Character Poster For Bryan Cranston

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • October 1, 2012 4:13 PM
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  • 1 Comment
As we head into October, the Oscar race is still pretty wide open, but after a few frontrunners have emerged, and contending right alongside "Life Of Pi" and "Silver Linings Playbook" as big pieces of entertainment offering a little bit more as well, is Ben Affleck's "Argo."

The 10 Best Films To See In October

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
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  • October 1, 2012 3:00 PM
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  • 4 Comments
After an unusually rewarding September, that featured critical and audience favorites like "The Master," "Looper," "End Of Watch," "Dredd," "The Perks Of Being a Wallflower" and "Arbitrage," October has arrived, but things aren't letting up. Sure, the box office is likely to be dominated by Liam Neeson cracking heads in "Taken 2," but there's plenty more to see when you look a little further afield. Below, you'll find ten of the best options over the coming month. Let us know what you're looking forward to most in the comments section.

25 New Photos From Ben Affleck's Thriller 'Argo'

  • By Rodrigo Perez
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  • September 27, 2012 7:34 PM
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  • 2 Comments
Ben Affleck's third feature-length effort "Argo" is like three movies in one. It's a thriller, a political drama, and even a Hollywood satire. The fact that it seamlessly mixes in the latter -- the comedy and near-absurdity of a fake Hollywood production -- with the grave and somber do-or-die drama of American citizens trapped in Iran during the late 1970s Islamic revolution, is a testament to just how good of a director Affleck has become. We raved about the film in Telluride. It's gripping, entertaining and funny, a slam dunk of a crowd-pleaser and yet a smart and engaging thriller in the classic '70s mold (see "All The President's Men," "Three Days Of the Condor" and the like; yes, it's very much in the spirit of that filmmaking). Here's the synopsis.

3 Character Posters & New Image For Ben Affleck's 'Argo'

  • By Cain Rodriguez
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  • September 25, 2012 12:20 PM
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  • 2 Comments
What a difference five years makes. Ben Affleck has gone from a talk show punchline to being one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood (Warner Bros. has pretty much offered all of their major projects to him). Next month sees the release of his third directorial outing -- with himself as the lead for the second time -- with the highly buzzed “Argo,” and the studio has released a set of character posters and a new still for the film.
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