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Watch: Trailer For Star-Studded Financial Drama 'Margin Call' Arrives

By Oliver Lyttelton
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July 26, 2011 1:04 AM
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2 Comments

Given that it was as significant an event in the world as any in the last century, it's not surprising that Hollywood have finally turned their eye to the 2008 financial apocalypse; even if it's unlikely to bring in the teens, it's inherently dramatic subject matter, and this year has already seen Curtis Hanson's solid "Too Big To Fail," and people like George Clooney potentially eyeing the subject in the near future. Next up is "Margin Call," the starry drama that picked up solid reviews at Sundance this year.

By Oliver Lyttelton
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July 7, 2011 5:55 AM
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8 Comments

On entering adolescence, and discovering that cinema had more to offer than Roland Emmerich and Jackie Chan, this writer's favorite working actor swiftly became Kevin Spacey. The actor had been working for over a decade, converting his theater cred into supporting roles in the likes of "Working Girl," "Henry & June" and "Consenting Adults," but the middle of the 1990s saw him take pivotal roles in a number of the decade's biggest and best cult successes, becoming a by-word for a certain kind of morally ambivalent figure, even while creeping towards stardom in commercial hits like "Outbreak" and "A Time To Kill."

By Oliver Lyttelton
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June 10, 2011 12:00 PM
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1 Comment

We have to admit, we're enormously intrigued by "House of Cards." A remake of the popular BBC series from the 1990s, itself based on a series of books by political insider Michael Dobbs, it marks the reunion of David Fincher, one of the biggest directors around, and Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey, for the first time since "Se7en," and on a TV series, no less. More importantly, it has the potential to be a real game-changer, being the first original series commissioned by streaming giants Netflix, who will air the show exclusively, having committed $100 million to the show, and scheduling it for an unprecedented 26-episode, two season run straight off the bat.

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 13, 2011 8:33 AM
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0 Comments

Just a note: No, this isn't part of the official lineup, but we missed it at Sundance and took a trip into the Cannes marketplace today to catch up with it.

By Oliver Lyttelton
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April 4, 2011 1:04 AM
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1 Comment

We're heading towards a veritable cluster-fuck of foul-mouthed comedies this summer, with "Bridesmaids" already picking up good buzz from SXSW, and "The Hangover 2" following swiftly behind, with "The Change-Up," "30 Minutes or Less," "Friends With Benefits" and "Bad Teacher" bringing up the rear. We've seen glimpses of most of these now, but there's one more in the pack as well, and it might actually be the most promising of them all.

By Oliver Lyttelton
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March 16, 2011 12:58 PM
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3 Comments

The term 'game-changer' gets bandied around a lot, but rarely accurately. "The Matrix Revolutions," for instance, was billed as such. So was "Tron: Legacy," and neither seem to have changed any games, as such. "Avatar" has the most claim to the title, seeing as how it immediately encouraged every other film in town to go 3D, but it was also pretty much a once-in-a-generation phenomenon: "Mars Needs Moms" proved only this weekend that 3D and motion capture in no way ensures any kind of box office success.

By Oliver Lyttelton
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March 4, 2011 2:18 AM
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0 Comments

There have been some interesting debates in the last few weeks as to whether TV has surpassed film as the natural home for grown-up, dramatic storytelling. Scott Rudin told GQ as much a few weeks back, telling Mark Harris that "...for all those people who spent years trying to get movies made at all the companies that are now gone, there's now one place to work where you can get respectfully treated and fairly judged... HBO."

By Gabe Toro
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December 16, 2010 10:32 AM
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0 Comments

In case you needed a primer on what a lobbyist is, “Casino Jack” has got you covered. Based on the rise and fall of disgraced Washington man-about-town Jack Abramoff, the comedy-drama explains with great detail and full color exactly what a lobbyist does, what sort of influence they wield and their reputation amongst the Beltway set. Director George Hickenlooper’s outlook is, of course, that these people are cockroaches. Whether he’s correct or not is irrelevant to the content of the film itself. But between you and me, yes, he is.

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Watch: Trailer For Star-Studded Financial Drama 'Margin Call' Arrives

The Essentials: 6 Kevin Spacey Performances

Robin Wright In Negotiations To Join Kevin Spacey In David Fincher's Netflix Series 'House of Cards'

Cannes Review: 'Margin Call' A Compelling 24-Hour Slice Of The Start Of The Economic Collapse

First Look At Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston & Colin Farrell As The 'Horrible Bosses'

Netflix Enters Original Content World By Backing David Fincher/Kevin Spacey Series 'House of Cards'

David Fincher & Kevin Spacey Teaming For TV Remake Of British Series 'House of Cards'

Review: 'Casino Jack' Showcases A Broken System With Irreverent Glee But An Unfocused Eye

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