The Playlist

The obsessives' guide to contemporary cinema via film discussion, news, reviews, features, nostalgia, movie music, soundtracks, DVDs and more.

Interviews

Summer Movie Photos: 'Before Midnight,' 'The Heat,' 'Prince Avalanche,' 'Bling Ring' & More

By Cain Rodriguez
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May 1, 2013 10:36 AM
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0 Comments

News

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so here’s 28,000 (not really) courtesy of stills from movies that run the gamut from highly anticipated sequels to smaller indie fare. Head on down below and get yr eyeballs ready.

By Kevin Jagernauth
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April 2, 2013 3:44 PM
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5 Comments

News

Yes, while they do have some original stuff on the way -- "The Good Dinosaur," "The Inside Out" and The Untitled Movie about The Día de los Muertos" (read up on'em here), today reminds us that sometimes it's all C.R.E.A.M. at Pixar. Earlier today we got the release date locked down for "Finding Dory" aka "Finding Nemo 2" and now, a movie that was originally going to be fill bargin bins on DVD, is now trying to prove it's multiplex material.

By Ken Guidry
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February 28, 2013 12:55 PM
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1 Comment

News

When Disney first announced that there was going to be a spin-off to everyone’s least favorite Pixar franchise (“Cars”), the news wasn’t particularly exciting, or surprising, for that matter. The "Cars" franchise rakes in billions of dollars in merchandise sales, so we could be getting "Cars"-related movies for the rest of our lifetime. Well, a new theatrical trailer for the spin-off “Planes” has arrived online, leaving you to decide for yourself whether or not it’ll be worth seeing with your kids this summer.

By Drew Taylor
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December 21, 2012 3:31 PM
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3 Comments

News

Well this is somewhat surprising: “Planes,” the direct-to-video spin-off of Disney/Pixar’s “Cars” films, is now getting a wide theatrical release next summer. It will hit theaters on August 9th, alongside Neill Blomkamp’s Matt Damon-led sci-fi extravaganza “Elysium” and “We’re the Millers,” a comedy starring Jason Sudeikis and Jennifer Aniston that is being directed by “Dodgeball” helmer Rawson Marshall Thurber. “Planes” was originally supposed to debut on home video in the fall (a European theatrical release was always planned). The movie is either really, really good or must be tracking really, really well with the guys in Disney Consumer Products. Either way, it’s coming.

By Kevin Jagernauth
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August 22, 2011 6:54 AM
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2 Comments

Well, D23 has come and gone, and with Disney's insistence on controlling the message suffocating any spontaneity and excitement -- coupled by a distinct lack of any real news other than some details about the new Pixar films -- the event was a bit of let down. However, Disney/Pixar did let a couple more morsels spill regarding the previously announced "Toy Story" short that will precede "The Muppets."

By Jeff Otto
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August 21, 2011 3:11 AM
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1 Comment

Disney’s D23 Showing Strong On The Animation SideThis morning Disney rolled out a large slate of announcements as part of its D23 Fan Expo, which the mouse house hopes will develop into their answer to Comic-Con. And considering the Saturday sellout at the Anaheim Convention Center, they might really be onto something. The nearly three-hour presentation was heavy on animation and the presence of Pixar and Disney Animation Studios head John Lasseter.

By Kevin Jagernauth
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June 13, 2011 8:49 AM
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3 Comments

Remember the glory days when Pixar stood as the antithesis of the sequel churning, money hungry folks like Disney and DreamWorks? Well those times are long gone. With "Cars 2" on the way, and "Monsters University" on the horizon, Pixar movies are now brands that need to be exploited, and now under the Disney banner, the slow descent to banality has begun.

By Kevin Jagernauth
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February 18, 2011 3:20 AM
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5 Comments

Diluting the brand much? One of the great things about Pixar when they first came onto the animation scene is that they abandoned the very practices that watered down the once mighty Disney. Story came before merchandising, and more importantly, the up-and-coming studio didn't diminish their quality features by churning out sub-standard straight-to-video features. Until now. With Pixar now firmly under the Disney umbrella, the merchandising machine is going into overdrive and with good reason. "Cars" alone brings in literally billions a year thanks to branding; last year, combined with box office and merchandising "Toy Story 3" brought in $10 billion. That's no small potatoes.