The Playlist

Joseph Gordon-Levitt Says His 'Hesher' Character Was Loosely Modeled After Metallica's Cliff Burton

By Leah Zak
|
May 12, 2011 9:50 AM
|
1 Comment

Plus Director Spencer Susser & Star On Their Unique Central CharacterAs far as family dramas go, “Hesher” is somewhat of a different breed. The story of a father and young son suffering the recent loss of their wife and mother, things seem to take a turn for the worse, when TJ (the son) accidentally brings an anarchist metal head into his grandmother's home and his family's life. While we weren't taken by “Hesher” as a whole, this writer found the film’s namesake, and chaotic center, to be one of the more fascinating characters introduced on screen in a while – and certainly another card to add to the stack of notable performances from Joseph Gordon-Levitt. We recently sat down with the actor, as well as "Hesher" writer/director Spencer Susser to hear more about the philosophy and creation of this unconventional addition to your typical family drama.

More:

Interview: Spencer Susser Talks The Birth of 'Hesher,' Accidentally Getting Into Sundance

By Drew Taylor
|
May 11, 2011 5:23 AM
|
0 Comments

Also Reveals 'Star Wars'-Assisted Birth Of Australia's Blue Tongue Films Collective While watching the bizarrely confrontational "Hesher," opening this Friday in limited release and starring an electric Joseph Gordon-Levitt (alongside Natalie Portman and Rainn Wilson), you might think to yourself -- who the hell made this thing?

More:

Review: Even Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Natalie Portman Can't Save The Oddly Off 'Hesher'

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
May 10, 2011 10:54 AM
|
2 Comments

The following is a reprint of our review that ran during the 2010 SXSW Film Festival.

More:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tommy Lee Jones, John Hawkes & More Go For Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln'

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
May 5, 2011 10:54 AM
|
12 Comments

Hal Holbrook, James Spader, Tim Blake Nelson, Bruce McGill & Joseph Cross All CirclingHoly shit. Daniel Day Lewis and Sally Field were announced in tiny little drips of information, but the faucet on Steven Spielberg's dream project "Lincoln" is on full blast with a massive cast angling for parts.

More:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt Talks 'Looper' & Navigating The Crumbling Industry With hitRECord

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
May 3, 2011 4:05 AM
|
2 Comments

And Yes, He's Excited For 'The Dark Knight Rises," But No, He Can't Talk About ItJoseph Gordon-Levitt seems to have tossed the Hollywood playbook right out the window. Where most child actors struggle to define themselves once their programs go off the air, the former "3rd Rock From The Sun" star bucked the trend by taking challenging roles in indie films like "Mysterious Skin," "Brick," "The Lookout" and of course, "(500) Days of Summer." The industry finally sat up and took notice of his mainstream potential, as he snagged the villain role in "G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra" and as Arthur in last year's "Inception." But not only that, the actor has made a name for himself in the media sphere with hitRECord, his collective production company which is truly doing something unique in terms of giving a voice and creative space online for artists around the world.

More:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Marion Cotillard Locked For 'The Dark Knight Rises' But Not As Who You Think

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
April 19, 2011 6:03 AM
|
21 Comments

It was only a matter of time before Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard were confirmed for Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises," but the real surprise here is that the roles are quite different than what had been rumored for the past couple of months.

More:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt To Play The Holiday Killer In 'The Dark Knight Rises'

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
March 20, 2011 2:24 AM
|
21 Comments

Update: So, was Variety wrong? Entertainment Weekly reports that Joseph Gordon-Levitt will not play Alberto Falcone (a.k.a. the Holiday Killer). Which site do you believe? Probably time to let more casting speculation begin.

More:

Juno Temple Headed To Gotham City For 'The Dark Knight Rises,' Joseph Gordon-Levitt Confirmed

By Gabe Toro
|
March 18, 2011 12:58 PM
|
12 Comments

The cast for "The Dark Knight Rises" continues to grow. Variety today confirmed that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is signed on for the superhero sequel, reuniting him with "Inception" director Christopher Nolan. Joining Gordon-Levitt in today's announcements is Juno Temple, the indie star of "Kaboom" and the upcoming "Cracks," who is said to be circling a role in the megablockbuster.

More:

SXSW Review: Even Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Natalie Portman Can't Save The Oddly Off 'Hesher'

By Drew Taylor
|
March 14, 2011 5:20 AM
|
1 Comment

In the immortal words of C&C Music Factory, "Hesher," a dark comedy/drama concoction from co-writer/director Spencer Susser, is very much a thing that makes you go "hmmmm." This might not be a bad thing (to tell you the truth we're still parsing through our thoughts on the film), but it certainly exists – it's the kind of movie you're thinking about days after you've seen it, whether you want to or not.

More:

New Poster Arrives For 'Hesher' Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rainn Wilson & Natalie Portman

By Simon Dang
|
March 13, 2011 1:39 AM
|
0 Comments

With its screening at this year's SXSW just around the corner, a nifty new poster has been unveiled for Spencer Susser's twisted grief drama "Hesher" starring the exciting trio of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rainn Wilson and Natalie Portman.

More: