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? 'Lincoln' & 'Skyfall' Will Have 'A Royal Affair' In Theaters

By Emma Bernstein
|
November 9, 2012 4:56 PM
|
1 Comment

News

With Washington’s elections concluded, we cinephiles can now return our focus to the much more critical campaign ahead of us: the race toward the Oscars. Steven Spielberg releases his bait this weekend in limited release, a number of festival darlings (and stinkers, incidentally; but, hey, everything needs a little balance) hit the big screen, and one of Hollywood’s most time-tested blockbuster franchises gets its 23rd installment. Get your voting cards ready, folks!

By James Rocchi
|
November 8, 2012 6:31 PM
|
1 Comment

Reviews

Curiously squandering an immensely talented cast, Todd Rohal's "Nature Calls," written when the writer-director lived in Austin, had more humor and humanity and life in its 10-minute post-screening talk here at SXSW than it showed in its previous 98-minute running time. Starring Patton Oswalt and Johnny Knoxville as brothers -- in a clear refutation of all we know about genetics -- "Nature Calls" pits Oswalt's dedicated scoutmaster, eager to take his scoutmaster father on one last camping trip, against Knoxville's black sheep son. You can imagine this premise leading to all kinds of hilarity.

By Edward Davis
|
September 20, 2012 2:25 PM
|
2 Comments

News

It might be unkind to call "Nature Calls" an unfortunate-looking comedy with a cast of odds and sods actors, but sometimes you just gotta call 'em as you see 'em. And as much as we love Patton Oswalt and comedy ace-in-the-hole Rob Riggle (so good in "Step Brothers"), this picture directed by Todd Rohal (the well-received "The Catechism Cataclysm" and "The Guatemalan Handshake") does not look great.

By James Rocchi
|
March 10, 2012 10:37 PM
|
4 Comments

Reviews

Curiously squandering an immensely talented cast, Todd Rohal's "Nature Calls," written when the writer-director lived in Austin, had more humor and humanity and life in its 10-minute post-screening talk here at SXSW than it showed in its previous 98-minute running time. Starring Patton Oswalt and Johnny Knoxville as brothers -- in clear refutation of all we know about genetics -- "Nature Calls" pits Oswalt's dedicated scoutmaster, eager to take his scoutmaster father on one last camping trip, against Knoxville's black sheep son. You can imagine this premise leading to all kinds of hilarity.

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
March 8, 2012 12:59 PM
|
0 Comments

News

Making his leading indie debut in the dark "Big Fan" and then stepping out to star opposite Charlize Theron in "Young Adult," you might be surprised to learn that seasoned comic Patton Oswalt has yet to topline a comedy. But all that will change at SXSW this weekend when "Nature Calls" premieres. Directed by Todd Rohal ("The Catechism Cataclysm," "The Guatemalan Handshake"), and executive produced by David Gordon Green, the film boats a stellar comic lineup -- Johnny Knoxville, Rob Riggle, Maura Tierney, Patrice O'Neal, Darrell Hammond -- and that combination of leading a comedy and working with a strong ensemble was what attracted Oswalt to the film.