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The Playlist
The obsessives' guide to contemporary cinema via film discussion, news, reviews, features, nostalgia, movie music, soundtracks, DVDs and more.Interviews
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Greta Gerwig Talks 'Frances Ha' & Working With Noah Baumbach -
Joel Edgerton On 'Wish You Were Here,' 'Jane' Drama & More -
James Gray On 'The Immigrant,' 'The Gray Man,' 'The Lost City Of Z' And More -
Brit Marling Talks 'The East' & Espionage Thrillers -
Nicolas Winding Refn Discusses 'Only God Forgives -
Justin Lin Talks 'Fast Furious 6' & The Influence Of Altman -
Interview: Noah Baumbach Talks 'Frances Ha' -
Ben Wheatley Talks 'Sightseers,' Violence & More -
Mark Romanek On 'One Hour Photo' & Leaving 'Cinderella'
The Playlist
Review: 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Often Thrills, But Undone By An Underwritten Villain & Thin Story
- By Oliver Lyttelton
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- May 3, 2013 5:44 PM
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- 25 Comments
Cast your mind back four years or so, to stardate early May 2009, and remember a time when J.J Abrams wasn't yet the anointed savior of Hollywood. He had an ever-growing fanbase, and had already been behind at least one bona-fide small screen pop culture phenomenon. But his influence on the big-screen up to that point only extended to a few screenwriting credits, mostly forgotten, a producing credit on disposable sleeper hit "Cloverfield," and directing "Mission: Impossible III," an enjoyable, but somewhat interchangeable entry to the Tom Cruise spy franchise.
Watch: Scotty Hangs On In Clip From 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Plus New Posters
- By Kevin Jagernauth
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- May 1, 2013 5:18 PM
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- 1 Comment
Reviews are starting to roll in from overseas, and the verdict so far on J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek Into Darkness"? Well, it's a success. Sure, there are quibbles here and there but by and large, if you're looking for a good popcorn flick that will appeal both to die hard Trekkers or the average guy looking for a Chris Pine sci-fi action movie, this one delivers. So all Paramount can do at this point is make sure as may people as possible see it.
Watch: The Prime Directive Comes Into Play In First Clip From 'Star Trek Into Darkness'
- By Kevin Jagernauth
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- April 22, 2013 2:00 PM
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- 3 Comments
Ooh, looks like "Star Trek Into Darkness" is getting into some ethical and moral quandaries with the sequel, as the first clip from the movie features J.J. Abrams' never still camera, some distractingly skin tight suits, sweat and oh yeah, Spock's life in crucial danger. Trapped down on an alien planet near a volcano that's about to explode, Captain Kirk must grapple with breaking the Prime Directive in order to save his friend. Will he do it or let Spock die? You can probably figure that one out on your own. The clip also serves a quick way to pretty much include every major cast member, even if just for a couple seconds.
Karl Urban & Minka Kelly Join J.J. Abrams' Robot Cops TV Show 'Human'
- By Joe Cunningham
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- March 13, 2013 1:39 PM
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- 4 Comments
We’ll never be able to comprehend just how he finds the time, but every week it sounds like we’re reading about another J.J Abrams project, so it's very easy to lose track of them all. One of his TV projects -- which formerly went by the title of “Inhuman,” but is now going simply by “Human” – is busy casting its pilot for Fox at the moment, and it looks like Karl Urban will be joining the already-cast Michael Ealy as one of the leads.
Gael García Bernal & Alice Braga Feel 'The Ardor'; Amanda Seyfried & Patrick Dempsey Are 'Wonderful Tonight' & More
- By Kevin Jagernauth
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- November 2, 2012 4:33 PM
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- 0 Comments
Thanks to AFM, the project announcements are coming fast and furious, so we're just gonna drop a few of them in here so we can all catch up...
Watch: New Clip From 'Dredd' Introduces Us To Drug-Filled Housing Project Peach Trees
- By Drew Taylor
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- September 4, 2012 9:22 AM
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- 1 Comment
One of the more admirable aspects of "Dredd," the 3D sci-fi actioner set to be released at the end of the month (after it hits Midnight Madness at TIFF later this week) is how contained it is. It might be a dystopian extravaganza, but the story takes place in just one building – a huge, derelict housing project with the idyllic moniker of Peach Trees. When several murders occur in Peach Trees, the Judges (futuristic investigators given the power of judge, jury and executioner) are sent in. And in a new clip from Digital Spy (courtesy of Hey U Guys), we get to see the Judges (Karl Urban and Olivia Thirlby) enter Peach Trees. It's probably the calmest moment in the whole movie.
Watch: New Clip From Comic-Book Actioner 'Dredd 3D' Takes Us To The Peach Trees
- By Benjamin Wright
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- August 21, 2012 2:19 PM
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- 0 Comments
We were just as surprised as you that our writer on the scene at Comic-Con didn’t completely hate the upcoming revamp of comic book hero Judge Dredd. After a troubled production history and a trailer that reminded us a little too much of this year’s excellent action extravaganza “The Raid: Redemption” (granted, “Dredd” began production long before “The Raid”), we were all but ready to write “Dredd” off as a misfire akin to Sylvester Stallone’s 1995 interpretation of the same anti-hero.
Watch: NSFW Trailer & Images For Thriller 'Loft' With Karl Urban, Matthias Schoenaerts, James Marsden & More
- By Kevin Jagernauth
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- August 8, 2012 12:25 PM
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- 7 Comments
Whatever happened to discreetly getting a hotel room? Or putting a pool table, a big screen TV and a jukebox in your basement, calling it a mancave and inviting your friends over? For the dudes in "Loft," an American remake of a 2008 Belgian film, cheating on their wives requires a serious commitment (unlike their marriages, we suppose), which includes pooling their resources into what one character accurately calls a "fuckpad."
'Dredd' Delivers Justice In New Batch Of Pics Featuring Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby & Lena Headey
- By Kevin Jagernauth
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- July 19, 2012 10:35 AM
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- 1 Comment
It was a roll of the dice to be sure, but it mostly turned out well for Lionsgate, who kicked off Comic-Con last week by screening "Dredd" for enthusiastic geeks. And while we thought the film was mostly empty spectacle, many other folks disagreed, with much of the initial wariness of the film lifting as a result of the screening (though perhaps replaced after that ridiculous slow motion clip landed online).
Comic-Con '12: Thomas Jane & Ron Perlman Unveil Unofficial 'Punisher' Short Film; 'Star Trek 2' Footage Revealed...Kind Of...
- By Cain Rodriguez
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- July 15, 2012 10:41 PM
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- 2 Comments
A brief litle update on various bits and bobs from San Diego over the weekend so here we go...The last time we heard anything about the future of Marvel's "The Punisher" was last fall when Fox committed to a TV pilot that would bring the character to the small screen...and that's about it since then. But Thomas Jane, who played the character in the modestly received 2004 movie, has gone ahead and made his own short film without Marvel approval.
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Recent Comments
R.I.P. - J.G. >>> He didn't starr in "Hemingway & Gellhorn" but in
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The entire movie I could tell that they were going to have superman kill zod in the end, what
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