The Playlist

Director Jeff Nichols Talks 'Mud,' Writing For Matthew McConaughey & The Ending Of 'Take Shelter'

By Drew Taylor
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April 30, 2013 11:04 AM
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8 Comments

Interviews

Last weekend, "Mud," a charming story about a couple of young kids who help an escaped murderer (played by Matthew McConaughey), opened in limited release. The movie is the third feature written and directed by Jeff Nichols, who made a splash with his gritty debut "Shotgun Stories" and then followed through on that initial promise with "Take Shelter," a wry psychological thriller that starred Michael Shannon (who also appears the director's other two features). "Mud" continues along the path that the earlier movies established – they're all hardscrabble genre films to one degree or another, set in a Deep South so tangible you can practically reach out and squeeze the hanging Spanish moss.

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What Are You Seeing This Weekend? 'The Big Wedding' of 'Mud' & 'Pain & Gain' To Be Held In Theaters

By Emma Bernstein
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April 26, 2013 1:45 PM
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4 Comments

News

The spirit of adventure is strong for this weekend's slate of releases. We begin with the nostalgic and beautiful 1950s-era actioner about Thor Heyerdahl and his raft voyage across the Pacific Ocean -- exploring, so exciting! But there are also expeditions of a tamer, more modern sort. Michael Bay will be returning to the silver screen with loud music and 'roided-up robbers. Matthew McConaughey gets a boat stuck in a tree. An assassin must expose corrupt American government officials and rescue a pretty CIA analyst, set to the tune of flying bullets and explosions (oddly, Bay didn't direct this one). Also, a young couple embarking on the age-old expedition of marriage. So cinephiles, if you're feeling daring -- lace up those boots, mark out the route, pack your GORP and let us know in the comments how you plan to spend your weekend in Adventureland.

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Review: Deeply Felt, Thrilling 'Mud' Shows Director Jeff Nichols & Matthew McConaughey At The Top Of Their Games

By Erik McClanahan
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April 25, 2013 11:58 AM
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0 Comments

Reviews

It all starts with a beautifully surreal image: a decrepit boat resting comfortably in the branches of a tree. The young boys who find it want to use it, make it their own. But on this particular river island in Arkansas, they are not alone. It's not long before they encounter Mud (Matthew McConaughey, sporting a large snake tattoo and a chipped front tooth a la Jim Carrey in "Dumb & Dumber"), who's not only the namesake of Jeff Nichols' brilliantly constructed, emotionally satisfying genre deconstruction, but also the film's hero and anti-hero.

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Exclusive: Jeff Nichols Talks John Carpenter-Esque 'Midnight Special,' Wants To Make 'Tremors'-Style Film & More

By Drew Taylor
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April 23, 2013 3:00 PM
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7 Comments

Interviews

Yesterday we sat down with Jeff Nichols, the talented indie filmmaker behind "Shotgun Stories," "Take Shelter," and this week's "Mud" which stars Matthew McConaughey in another great post-career resurgence performance (more from our interview later this week). While we had him, we couldn't help but ask about an upcoming project he's already teased – a John Carpenter-esque chase movie called "Midnight Special." Nichols talked at length about the movie, its tone and mood, and what is compelling him to make it as well. The director also discussed "Mud" and a laundry list of projects and genres he'd like to tackle. And given his output thus far, there's little reason to doubt he'll achieve them all.

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10 Must-See Films To Watch This April

By Drew Taylor
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April 5, 2013 11:47 AM
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6 Comments

Features

As the weather starts to warm and the flowers bloom, so too does the movie slate become increasingly more promising, with a whole host of springtime movies that will surely thaw the snowy remnants of winter. After a surprisingly robust March that saw the likes of “The Place Beyond the Pines” and “Spring Breakers,” April has even more killer selections to make your spring that much warmer.

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New Pics Of Matthew McConaughey & Reese Witherspoon In 'Mud' Plus French Poster

By Kevin Jagernauth
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April 1, 2013 4:29 PM
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1 Comment

News

So, where are we in the Matthew McConaughey renaissance? Well, we've seen the man turn the tide of public perception and expectation so far in Richard Linklater's "Bernie," William Friedkin's "Killer Joe," Lee Daniels' "The Paperboy" and Steven Soderbergh's "Magic Mike." Up next is the AIDS drama "The Dallas Buyer's Club," and if all goes well, Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar." But before both of those, McConaughey has yet another unique indie on the way.

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New Photos & SXSW Mondo Poster For 'Mud' Starring Matthew McConaughey

By Joe Cunningham
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March 6, 2013 5:28 PM
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0 Comments

News

The Matthew McConaughey renaissance continues (or as he has been calling it in interviews, “a McConaissance” – no, seriously) and we’ll see him next in Jeff Nichols’ highly anticipated third feature “Mud.” The movie played at Cannes last year and Sundance a few months ago, and it gets its theatrical release on April 26th, and as it heads to SXSW we’re getting a look at two new pictures and a Mondo poster.

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Grimy Matthew McConaughey Is Packing Heat In Poster For Jeff Nichols' 'Mud'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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February 4, 2013 4:29 PM
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0 Comments

News

If there has been one constant over the course of Matthew McConaughey's comeback trail, it's that all of his characters have been pitched to varying degrees of grimy, scuzzy or dirty. He's played the hair slicked Mick Haller in "The Lincoln Lawyer," the sleazy hitman in "Killer Joe," the perma-sweaty Dallas in "Magic Mike" and now he lives up his name as the titular "Mud."

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Watch: First Trailer For Jeff Nichols' 'Mud' Starring Matthew McConaughey & Reese Witherspoon

By Kevin Jagernauth
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January 16, 2013 1:36 PM
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4 Comments

News

To say that we're rooting for Jeff Nichols would be an understatement. The helmer has delivered two great films so far, early into this career, "Shotgun Stories" and "Take Shelter." With the buzz growing around his name, he was able to snag Matthew McConaughey to star in his latest effort "Mud." After after premiering last spring at the Cannes Film Festival, the movie is ready to come home and make a U.S. premiere very soon at the Sundance Film Festival.

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George Clooney's 'Monuments Men' Gets Oscar-Ready Release Date; Spring Set For Malick, Almodóvar & More

By Kevin Jagernauth
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December 7, 2012 4:23 PM
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4 Comments

News

Well, duh. A WWII story with a cast that includes Daniel Craig, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray, Jean Dujardin, John Goodman, Matt Damon Hugh Bonneville, and Bob Balaban, George Clooney's "Monuments Men" (which he'll also take a role in) is now slated for a "Hey-pay-attention-to-me-awards-season" date of December 20, 2013.

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