The Playlist

Ex-CIA Director Leon Panetta Approves Of 'Zero Dark Thirty,' Says Torture Was Not 'Critical Element' To Bin Laden's Capture

By Charlie Schmidlin
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February 5, 2013 9:42 AM
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6 Comments

News

Kathryn Bigelow's “Zero Dark Thirty” is an absolute compendium of blink-and-you'll-miss-them acting roles, from the narratively vital (Joel Edgerton) to the completely jarring (John Barrowman, what?). One of the most essential, though, comes from James Gandolfini as then-CIA director Leon Panetta, and the man himself has recently thrown some insight -- and kudos -- toward Bigelow's drama.

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BAFTA Unveils Great Illustrated Designs For Best Picture Nominees 'Argo,' 'Les Misérables,' 'Life Of Pi,' 'Lincoln' & 'Zero Dark Thirty'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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January 30, 2013 2:02 PM
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3 Comments

News

The Oscars aren't the only major awards ceremony in February that will attract movie stars and airheaded red carpet commentators in equal measure. Across the pond, the BAFTAs will hand out their trophies a couple weeks earlier, and attendees will get something nice too, just for showing up.

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Michael Moore Defends 'Zero Dark Thirty' As Kathryn Bigelow Makes The Cover Of Time Magazine

By Ken Guidry
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January 25, 2013 12:07 PM
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4 Comments

News

It has been just over a month since “Zero Dark Thirty” first appeared in theaters, and two weeks since its nationwide release, and the debate regarding the film’s depiction of torture continues to rage on. This, of course, means that everyone wants to put their two cents in regarding the controversy, ranging from the director herself to a variety of politicians. Now, documentary filmmaker Michael Moore has decided to share his thoughts regarding the film.

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Watch: Kathryn Bigelow Defends 'Zero Dark Thirty' Torture Scenes On 'The Colbert Report' Plus Featurette On The Compound

By Charlie Schmidlin
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January 24, 2013 12:40 PM
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5 Comments

News

If the prolonged controversy surrounding Kathryn Bigelow's depiction of torture in “Zero Dark Thirty” has for most neared an apex of tolerance, it's still staggering to think about the stress levels likely coursing through the director as she debates it. It must have been a welcome interlude then when during her long press tour she recently sat down for an entertaining and insightful chat with Stephen Colbert to discuss the film's heated debate.

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Discuss: Does Having 'Mama' & 'Zero Dark Thirty' At The Top Of The Box Office Make Jessica Chastain A Movie Star?

By Oliver Lyttelton
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January 22, 2013 12:05 PM
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26 Comments

Features

As has been commented on by more than one person in the last day or two, this weekend's box office chart contains an impressive feat. Both the number one movie, the Guillermo Del Toro-produced horror "Mama," and the number two film, Kathryn Bigelow's much-lauded "Zero Dark Thirty," feature the same actress in the lead role -- Jessica Chastain.

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'Amour' & 'Rust And Bone' Top London Critics' Circle Awards

By Kevin Jagernauth
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January 20, 2013 3:50 PM
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1 Comment

News

With the focus this weekend on Park City with the Sundance Film Festival now in full swing, it might be easy to forget we're still in the midst of the awards season. And even though we're nearing the finishing line, with the Golden Globes already handed out, and a few more major guild awards and the Indie Spirits to come before the Oscars are awarded, critics circles are still getting their two cents in. And the latest to hand down their verdict on the year in film of 2012 are from the U.K., with the London Critics' Circle Awards honoring their winners today. And a big favorite of the season made a considerable impression.

Box Office: Jessica Chastain Dominates With 'Mama' & 'Zero Dark Thirty,' 'The Last Stand' Flops

By Gabe Toro
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January 20, 2013 1:03 PM
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1 Comment

Box Office

Jessica Chastain: A-List star? Following a Best Actress Oscar nomination for "Zero Dark Thirty," the leading lady stars in the top two films at the box office despite a fairly crowded weekend. Cheapie horror film "Mama" blew away a couple of newcomers to open strong at the top spot, followed by the second weekend of Kathryn Bigelow's Best Picture nominee, both movies showcasing the actress in very different roles. It's not enough that Chastain's films would finish 1-2, but rather that in the horror picture, she plays an ineffectual goth surrogate mother, and in the military thriller, she assumes the role of a government-approved dealer of death. Swank, thy name is Chastain. Not Hilary Swank, though, don't get it twisted.

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Kathryn Bigelow Issues Statement On Torture In 'Zero Dark Thirty,' Talks Topic With David Letterman, Peter Travers & Much More

By Charlie Schmidlin
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January 17, 2013 11:03 AM
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2 Comments

News

Now that “Zero Dark Thirty” has gone into wide release, moviegoers finally have the opportunity to understand the film’s awards season buzz, the subsequent debates stemming from its measured depiction of U.S.-led torture, and lastly, just how egregiously wrong-headed those arguments actually are. Still, Kathryn Bigelow kept a straight face up until Oscar nominations were announced, but now she’s taken to the press circuit to make her opinions on the issue as overt as they’ve ever been.

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Kevin Jagernauth's Favorite Films Of 2012

By Kevin Jagernauth
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January 14, 2013 12:01 PM
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7 Comments

News

2012 is so two weeks ago, right? Well, forgive my tardiness, but I was doing my best to catch up with as much as possible before putting this list together, but even then some films missed out. "Once Upon A Time In Anatolia," "Compliance," "Sleepwalk With Me," "Nobody Walks," "No" and a handful more...I wish I could have seen them, but it just didn't happen.

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Box Office: 'Zero Dark Thirty' Targets Top Spot, 'A Haunted House' Scares Away 'Gangster Squad' For #2

By Gabe Toro
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January 13, 2013 12:08 PM
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7 Comments

Box Office

While Annapurna Pictures backed a number of ambitious films this year including John Hillcoat's bootleggin' “Lawless,” Paul Thomas Anderson's challenging “The Master” and Andrew Dominik's bitter “Killing Them Softly,” the financial rewards were far less than expected. But Megan Ellison's production company has kicked off 2013 strong with Kathryn Bigelow's “Zero Dark Thirty” grossing a solid $24 million in its first weekend of wide release after selling out independent theaters in the last two weeks. After scoring five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Sony timed this expansion perfectly, and the film laid the smackdown on a couple of strong competitors.

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