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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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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March 20, 2013 10:43 AM
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News

We're all for high concept movies, particularly when it comes to animation which lends itself to fanciful stories, but this writer at least is still struggling to figure out "Turbo." In short: it's about a snail who gets super-powered with nitrous oxide, busts out of the snail racing circuit (huh?) to compete at the Indy 500 (wha?). Okay, but this better have more than slow motion jokes...oh wait...

By Drew Taylor
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December 21, 2012 2:50 PM
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3 Comments

News

2013 looks to be a particularly exciting year for feature animation, with new efforts from almost all the major animation houses, some hotly anticipated sequels (hello, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2”), features from some of our favorite filmmakers (Chris Sanders, Hayao Miyazaki) and even a brand new Disney princess movie (“Frozen,” which from everything we’ve heard is going to be ah-mah-zing). One of the bigger question marks for the 2013 slate, though, has been “Turbo,” DreamWorks Animation’s story of a speed-racing snail.

By Drew Taylor
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September 10, 2012 2:35 PM
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1 Comment

News

With 20th Century Fox recently picking up the distribution duties for DreamWorks Animation's films (following a profitable relationship with Paramount Pictures that ended somewhat sourly), it was all but a matter of time before the studio announced (via Hollywood Reporter) a fuller slate of movies for the partnership, but this is unprecedented – an ambitious, 12-movie schedule that includes three and sometimes four movies a year, including not one but two "How to Train Your Dragon" sequels and a new paranormal-themed movie starring Seth Rogen.

By Drew Taylor
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August 20, 2012 2:18 PM
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3 Comments

News

It's an interesting time for animation at Paramount. For many years they were the sole distributor of DreamWorks Animation's animated product. After this fall's "Rise of the Guardians" though, that will no longer be the case, leaving DreamWorks to fend for itself (the studio is still figuring out what it's going to do but it's looking like Sony will probably distribute, starting with Chris Sanders' caveman romp "The Croods") and Paramount to look for fresh animated product, following its Best Animated Feature win for last year's "Rango." Well, the studio is releasing more details about its next phase of animation. Oh, and DreamWorks released a new photo from its movie about an F-1 racing snail. Whew.

By Oliver Lyttelton
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February 24, 2012 11:19 AM
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News

They may still not have the prestige of arch-rivals Pixar, but things have been looking up over at DreamWorks Animation of late. Once the home of poor CGI fare like "Shark Tale" and "Bee Movie," recent years have seen a new emphasis on quality rather (or at least in addition to) big names. 2010's "How To Train Your Dragon" was their best film to date, and last year even sequels "Puss In Boots" and "Kung Fu Panda 2" displayed more artistry than "Cars 2" did, picking up Oscar nominations for their trouble.

By Drew Taylor
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February 23, 2012 12:37 PM
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2 Comments

News

A brand new poster for Disney/Pixar's forthcoming feminist fairy tale "Brave," debuted over at the film's official iTunes trailer page (via Coming Soon). It's a brilliant combination of various aspects of the film that have been teased via various promotional images – our heroine, Merida (Kelly Macdonald), a tangle of red hair atop her head, virtuously clutching her bow, a string of mystical glowing stones, and a fearsome bear in the background (keep in mind the movie was originally, more creatively called "The Bear and the Bow"). It's a moody and fierce image and it's enough to keep us excited (while we try to forget about all that creative in-fighting that went on during the film's rocky production). On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, however, is a teaser image for DreamWorks Animation's "Turbo" (via First Showing).

By Kevin Jagernauth
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April 1, 2011 10:16 AM
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2 Comments

Ryan Reynolds is no stranger to playing a superhero. As Deadpool he was the best part of the otherwise wretched "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," he's Hal Jordan in the upcoming "Green Lantern" and he was the imaginary Captain Excellent in "Paper Man." And while he's not quite a superhero in "Turbo," a freak accident still gives his character an enormous ability.