The Playlist

The obsessives' guide to contemporary cinema via film discussion, news, reviews, features, nostalgia, movie music, soundtracks, DVDs and more.

Interviews

What Are You Seeing This Weekend? 'Killing Them Softly' Looking To Take A 'Collection,' Hopefully It Won't Be A 'Silent Night'

By Emma Bernstein
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November 30, 2012 3:48 PM
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4 Comments

News

Even the heartwarming and familial atmosphere of Thanksgiving can't last forever. Or longer than a few days, it seems. Last weekend's prevalent buoyancy - marked by an animated fairy world, a triumphant teenage army, and CG zoo animals - is eschewed this week in favor of violent real world problems. Enter hitmen, war criminals, mass murderers, vengeful robots, inescapable vanity, failed careers, and a sadistic Santa Claus (just to keep things seasonal). What blood-spattered rage-fest will you be attending? Tell us in the comments below!

By Gabe Toro
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November 29, 2012 5:57 PM
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0 Comments

Reviews

Sometimes a life has to wash its hands of its best attributes in order to move on. So it goes for Lachlan (Robert Carlyle), the protagonist of “California Solo.” Doing modest work for a farmer’s market slightly off the grid, Lachlan’s youthful good looks have abandoned him, his wiry frame now dedicated to lifting barrels of radishes instead of strumming guitars. The days of starring in Brit-rock band The Cranks have been left behind, and Lachlan now nurses mysterious wounds from a career that ended in tragedy. When invited to celebrate his band’s legacy, he says, “I don’t do anything like that anymore.” Prompted further, he tersely says, “Anything interesting.”

By Kevin Jagernauth
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September 25, 2012 10:57 AM
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3 Comments

News

For more than two decades, Robert Carlyle has been a familiar face in projects on both sides of the ocean, becoming one of the most reliable players on TV and in the movies. Of course, he's likely best known for playing the deliciously deranged Begbie in "Trainspotting," but roles in "28 Weeks Later," "The Full Monty," "Angela's Ashes" and more have solidified him as a true talent. And while it's not often that we seem him in a lead role, when the opportunity arises it's likely one worth checking out, and you'll get a chance soon with "California Solo."