If you find a slightly strange Hollywood premise recurring through film history — as we often do on this genre-hopping podcast — chances are we should look closely at how it plays on our fantasies. After all, what kid doesn’t dream of being, well, big?  From “Big” (1988) to “13 Going on 30” (2004) to the latest DC Comics adaptation “Shazam!,” movies in which children magically hit adulthood overnight are almost inherently aiming for mass appeal as they engage in two separate, sentimental dialogues: Kids, don’t go growing up too fast now; adults, give a little love to the child within. 

Continue reading I Wish I Was ‘Big’: ‘Shazam!’ Is The Latest Instant-Adulthood Comedy [Be Reel Podcast] at The Playlist.

Normally, the first week of September is a quiet one in theaters, but this year, something sort of special is happening. For the first time, two true American icons, among the biggest movie stars we’ve ever had, are brought together, with two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks (who was the first person to win back-to-back awards since Spencer Tracy) uniting with director/screen legend Clint Eastwood for “Sully,” a biopic of the pilot who landed a stricken plane on the Hudson on January 15, 2009.

Continue reading The 10 Best Tom Hanks Performances Ever at The Playlist.

'Tetris' Movie In The Works, While '80s Comedies 'Real Genius' & 'Big' Are Becoming TV Shows

Continue reading ‘Tetris’ Movie In The Works, While ’80s Comedies ‘Real Genius’ & ‘Big’ Are Becoming TV Shows at The Playlist.