The Playlist

5 Reasons Why You Must See The Hilariously Dark & Twisted 'Sightseers'

  • By Rodrigo Perez
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  • May 10, 2013 2:45 PM
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  • 0 Comments
5 Reasons: 'Sightseers'
Caravanning into theaters this weekend in limited release is Ben Wheatley's "Sightseers." It’s easily one of the best films of the year so far and perhaps more importantly one of the most enjoyable. Our review of the film from Cannes last year affectionately dubbed it "Natural Born Campers," and that's pretty apt. A pitch-black road-trip comedy (or at least that's one of many ways to describe it), "Sightseers" centers on Chris and Tina, two misfit lovers taking a sightseeing trip through rural England, but during their voyage, Chris (Steve Oram) starts to show his psychopathic true colors once he crosses paths (and becomes incensed) with society’s various annoying boobs: the careless litterer, the obnoxiously loud party girls, the pedantic asshole, etc.

What Are You Seeing This Weekend? 'Gatsby' & 'Peeples' To Attract Lots Of 'Sightseers' But Generate Little 'Aftershock'

  • By Emma Bernstein
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  • May 10, 2013 2:23 PM
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Some weekends are just perfect for dishing out oodles of death and destruction. This one, for instance, brings us a theater schedule that features all manner of gory violence and evil plotting, followed by some good old-fashioned, cold-blooded killin' sprees. We have revenge-hungry assassins, period piece murder, vacationing serial killers, natural disaster fatalities, and a deadly hang-gliding accident. Plus, the Williams Sisters totally kill it on the tennis court. And there's always the chance that David Alan Grier might off Craig Robinson for trying to wed his daughter in the latest "Tyler Perry Presents" movie. Frankly, the debut of B-grade bloodbath "No One Lives" could not be better timed, its title capturing the mood and material of this release slate with judicious pith. With that in mind, we'd like to know, dear readers: which homicidal stories pique your debauched interest? Or will you be hanging with F. Scott Fitzgerald instead? Tell us in the comments below!

Review: Ben Wheatley's 'Sightseers' - Or 'Natural Born Campers' - Is A Black-Comedy Holiday Hoot

  • By James Rocchi
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  • May 9, 2013 5:07 PM
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  • 1 Comment
After "Down Terrace" and "Kill List," midnight-movie manqués and buffs in the know were wondering what director Ben Wheatley would do next; the answer is, apparently, make you laugh until you sound like a hole in the side of an airplane. "Sightseers," starring and written by Steve Oram and Alice Lowe, starts as Chris (Oram) and Tina (Lowe) embark on a camping tour of Britain, various caves and pencil museums and heritage sights -- a nice, relaxing trip for a couple in their third month of going out. Things go off the rails early, though, at a streetcar museum where Chris is incensed by a litterbug…and, later, distractedly backs over the man and kills him.

Interview: Ben Wheatley Talks The Dark, Twisted & Hilarious 'Sightseers,' Says 'Freakshift' Is Next & Casting Soon

  • By Jordan Hoffman
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  • May 8, 2013 3:57 PM
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  • 1 Comment
Ben Wheatley, Sightseers
After a very successful run on the festival circuit Ben Wheatley's dark and somewhat ghastly comedy “Sightseers” is finally making itself available to theater-goers in hip cities and VODers across the country. It is, in my opinion, the most assured work from the British director of “Kill List” and “Down Terrace”, a very funny vacation-comedy about pair of social misfits/lovebirds visiting mundane historical sites and leaving a trail of corpses in their wake. Written by its co-stars Alice Lowe, Steve Oram and Wheatley's frequent collaborator (and wife) Amy Jump, “Sightseers” also boasts an executive producer stamp from Edgar Wright.

Watch: "This Is Not My Vagina!" Exclusive Clip From Ben Wheatley's 'Sightseers'

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • May 8, 2013 11:22 AM
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  • 1 Comment
A movie that recently made the list of The Playlist's 15 Most Anticipated Indie Films Of The Summer, and one that we've been singing the praises of since it premiered last year at Cannes (read our review), Ben Wheatley's "Sightseers" might be the most twisted road trip movie you're likely to see this year. But it may be one of the funniest too, delivering death and mayhem with a thick dose of dark, black humor all finely tuned by Wheatley.

The Playlist's 15 Most Anticipated Indie Films Of The Summer

  • By Jessica Kiang
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  • May 7, 2013 11:58 AM
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  • 6 Comments
The Playlist's 15 Most Anticipated Indies Of The Summer
So perhaps the blockbusting sturm und drang of “Iron Man 3” has you slavering for more KA-BLAMMO, in which case our Most Anticipated Summer Blockbusters is the article for you. If, however, you're already getting a slight tension headache at the prospect of weeks upon interminable weeks of tentpole releases and the din of clashing opinions that attends the redistribution of billions of dollars of wealth, never fear. The gods of counterprogramming have been especially kind this year, and there's a wide selection of upcoming, smaller-budgeted, lesser-distributed gems in which the only things that collide are intersecting lives, the only ticking time bombs are repressed emotions, the only things that break are hearts, and the only things that blow up are grandiose expectations, right in some sad sack's face. You are also much more likely to get some full-on nudity.

Watch: Go On A Hellbent Holiday With The U.S. Trailer For Ben Wheatley's 'Sightseers'; 'A Field In England' Sets U.K. Date

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • April 9, 2013 10:19 AM
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  • 0 Comments
We know we've droned on and on about Ben Wheatley for the past forever, and certainly the man's neverending stream of projects always keeps us on the tip of our toes. But for most of you out there, the only exposure you've had to the filmmaker has likely been through "Down Terrace" or "Kill List," and while there has been much ink spilled over "Sightseers," it spent most of 2012 on the festival circuit. Well, it's finally coming to theaters in the U.S. and a new trailer is here promising something truly unique at the movies.

'Skyfall,' 'The Hobbit' & 'Sightseers' All Big Winners At 2013 Empire Awards

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
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  • March 25, 2013 10:01 AM
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  • 1 Comment
Thought the awards season was long done? Not quite. Last night saw the 18th annual Jameson Empire Awards, presented annually by the UK film magazine, the biggest in the world, and one of the largest such ceremonies to have their winners voted for by the public. This year, there's been a big push for more recognition for the ceremony, with probably the starriest and glitziest evening in recent memory, and we were there last night to see the winners revealed.

Lincoln Center’s Film Comment Selects Festival Includes New Films From Takashi Miike, Michel Gondry, Ben Wheatley & More

  • By Drew Taylor
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  • January 26, 2013 12:53 PM
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  • 0 Comments
The Film Society of Lincoln Center, which is responsible for the highly regarded New York Film Festival, also peppers the entire calendar year with exciting mini-festivals, including, in February, their Film Comment Selects Festival, built around oddball choices from the Society’s Film Comment magazine. This year’s lineup emphasizes its eclectic collection of varying tastes within the magazine, with editors and contributors selecting a wide array of movies, including new features by Takashi Miike, Michel Gondry, Ben Wheatley, and a retrospective comprised of two oddball Howard Zieff movies.

'Berberian Sound Studio' Wins Four British Independent Film Awards, 'Broken' Takes Best Film Prize

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
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  • December 9, 2012 5:58 PM
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  • 1 Comment
If you want to play a fun game, spent tomorrow morning walking through London's Soho playing a trumpet and a kettle drum. That's because this evening saw this year's British Independent Film Awards being given out at what's become, over the years, one of the drunkest and most debauched evenings in the awards season in the calendar (last year, including the host, Chris O'Dowd, who was hammered from pretty much minute one).

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