For a generation of moviegoers, there was little more related with the 4th of July — that most American of holidays — than President Thomas J. Whitmore’s (Bill Pullman) epic and thoroughly rousing climactic speech from “Independence Day” (which benefits from some copious paraphrasing of  Dylan Thomas’ “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night”). But by now, it’s safe to say that director Roland Emmerich has successfully tarnished the legacy of his 1996 classic with his insipid, confusing, and rather boring follow-up “Independence Day: Resurgence” (not to mention the handful of Brexit politicians crassly parroting the sentiment, ignorant of the irony of their doing so).

Continue reading Celebrates America’s Favorite Holiday: The 4th Of July at The Playlist.

The grand irony is that it’s Canada Day and we’re writing a 4th of July feature, not to mention that two key Playlisters are Canucks (for shame, you hosers). And yes, we lament that one of us (Rodrigo!) wasn’t able to write a 10,000-word appreciation essay of “Strange Brew,” but such is the complex paradox that is The Playlist. And there’s always next year, eh?

As we approach July 4th weekend, it’s time for the usual: BBQs; beer; fireworks; American flags; blind patriotism; and perhaps, in some corners of the country, some kind of desperate hope that Donald Trump doesn’t destroy this country that many of us have called their adopted home.

Continue reading 11 Of The Best Movies To Watch On The Fourth Of July at The Playlist.

Live by the sword of megastardom, die by the sword of megastardom: the accepted wisdom about Tom Cruise, our most enduring movie star of the past three decades is that recent years have tarnished his once-gleaming brand. His association with Scientology, his high-profile divorces and the aura of something manufactured about his offscreen romances, and most of all a string of box office disappointments (grading on the steep curve by which a film that can take $350m worldwide can be a disappointment) have all combined to make it seem like he’s past his sell-by date.

Continue reading Tom Cruise: The 10 Best & 5 Worst Performances at The Playlist.