All it takes is one mention of the phrase “found footage” to elicit a reaction typically leaning in the direction of an eye roll. For decades, this genre, once brimming with promise, having produced now-classics ranging from the likes of “Cannibal Holocaust,” “The Blair Witch Project” and “Cloverfield” has worked its way into an oversaturated avalanche crushed under the weight of countless imitators and slew of “Paranormal Activity” follow-ups.

Continue reading ‘Late Night With The Devil‘ Review: Vintage Late Night Horror Stumbles In Its Execution at The Playlist.

In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo stays up late to discuss the film “Late Night with the Devil” with producer and star David Dastmalchian (“The Dark Knight,” “The Suicide Squad.” The film follows a fledgling late-night host (Dastmalchian) who decides to invite some spooky guests on his struggling 70’s late-night show to boost ratings—unleashing evil in front of the whole world.

Continue reading ‘Late Night With The Devil’: David Dastmalchian On His Horror Hit, ‘The Dark Knight,’ ‘Oppenheimer,’ & More [The Discourse Podcast] at The Playlist.

The premise of IFC Film’s new found-footage horror thriller, “Late Night With The Devil,” is simple but effective. A live television broadcast in 1977 goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the nation’s living rooms. Written, directed, and edited by Australian siblings Cameron and Colin Cairnes (“Scare Campaign”), the film made its world premiere at the 2023 South by Southwest Film Festival.

Continue reading ‘Late Night With The Devil’ Trailer: David Dastmalchian Stars In IFC’s New TV-Broadcast-Gone-Wrong Horror at The Playlist.

Stephen King horror films and his macabre I.P. have always done well in Hollywood— “The Shining,” “Carrie,” “Firestarter,” “Misery,” “Cujo,” “Pet Sematary,” and more—but there’s no denying a new King resurgence has happened in the last fifteen years with a lot of remakes (“Firestarter,” “Carrie,” “Pet Sematary”) some of them incredible successful (the “IT” franchise), some sequels to classic works (“Doctor Sleep”), and much-anticipated adaptations that didn’t quite work (“The Dark Tower”).

Continue reading ‘The Boogeyman’ Trailer: A New Stephen King Adaptation Comes To Life Thanks To The ‘A Quiet Life’ Writers at The Playlist.

“A great man doesn’t seek to lead; he is called to it,” Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) says somberly to his son Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), in Denis Villeneuve’s dynastic epic space odyssey “Dune.” The Duke speaks to duty, purpose, and destiny, but the words are laced with burden and uncertainty for Paul, seemingly undecided about his future. When Villeneuve (“Sicario,” “Prisoners”) once spoke about making “Dune” as a “’Star Wars’ for adults,” he wasn’t kidding.

Continue reading ‘Dune’: Denis Villeneuve Crafts A Spellbinding Arthouse Blockbuster Odyssey About Destiny & Betrayal [Venice Review] at The Playlist.

Anyone that has read Frank Herbert’s “Dune” knows just how difficult it can be to get through. For every person that absolutely adores the sci-fi classic, there are probably dozens that started it and never finished because of just how dense the prose can be at times. “Dune” has more in common with a philosophy book than it does “Star Wars.” And that is largely why adaptations of the novel have failed in the past.

Continue reading ‘Dune’: David Dastmalchian’s “Advice” Is To Read The Book First Before Seeing Denis Villeneuve’s Film at The Playlist.

How do you make a superhero film for a multi-billion-dollar corporation feel like a personal endeavor? (please refrain from laughing at least until the very end) For filmmaker James Gunn that’s leaning into the two, sometimes contradictory elements of your personality, excavating the tension from that juxtaposition and letting it all bleed into your story. Gunn’s two sides—the vulgar and the empathetic—are perhaps best evinced in the 2018 Twitter scandal that saw the director fired from Marvel’s “Guardians Of The Galaxy” franchise (and then rehired a year later): a crass, disgusting pedophile joke from years ago (exploited on social media for political gain), and the inclusive, compassionate person Gunn had become on Twitter, mature and wise enough to accept the fate of his then-firing.

Continue reading ‘The Suicide Squad’: James Gunn Inspires The DC Universe With Gnarly Irreverence, Superhero Subversion & A Big Beating Heart [Review] at The Playlist.

Now that Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” has hit (some) theaters and seemingly underwhelmed some audiences and critics, the next big anticipated sci-fi epic of the year is easily Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune.” Based on Frank Herbert’s sci-fi novels of the same name, David Lynch made a “Dune” movie in 1984, but it’s one of his famous flops, and suffice to say it didn’t come near the franchise potential Hollywood always hoped it would have.

Continue reading ‘Dune’ Trailer: Timothée Chalamet Faces His Greatest Fear In Dennis Villeneuve’s Spicy New Space Epic at The Playlist.

If you’re a diehard fan of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi masterpiece, “Dune,” the news that a new director is attempting to bring the novel to the big-screen probably fills you with trepidation. Even though adaptations can’t change the source material, fans of “Dune” have seen filmmakers try, and fail, to fully realize the scope and story that Herbert’s novel features. But according to one of the actors in the upcoming “Dune” adaptation, director Denis Villeneuve is going to stay true to the source material, and thus, best all other attempts.

Continue reading ‘Dune’ Actor Says Denis Villeneuve’s Upcoming Adaptation Is “Absolutely True” To Frank Herbert’s Novel at The Playlist.

First, we have to say that we love David Dastmalchian. He’s an incredible actor that is able to morph into whatever character he’s asked to become in a film. Whether it’s the creepiest of creepers in “Prisoners” or the hilarious Russian sidekick in the two ‘Ant-Man’ films, Dastmalchian is aces in just about everything he lends his talents to. But there’s really no way to talk about his next role without a bit of a snicker.

Continue reading Polka-Dot Man Fans Rejoice! ‘Ant-Man’s’ David Dastmalchian Cast As Villain In James Gunn’s ‘The Suicide Squad’ at The Playlist.

Actor David Dastmalchian is one of those guys that you’ve seen in a million films but probably never could remember his name. He’s appeared in “The Dark Knight,” “Prisoners,” and the two ‘Ant-Man’ films for Marvel Studios. Needless to say, he’s an accomplished actor. What film fans probably don’t realize is that he’s also a screenwriter, and his latest film “All Creatures Here Below” is about to hit theaters next month.

Continue reading ‘All Creatures Here Below’ Trailer: David Dastmalchian & Karen Gillan Star In The Intense Crime Thriller at The Playlist.

Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s stars are heading to the small screen. Fans will next see Karen Gillan (“Guardians Of The Galaxy) and David Dastmalchian (“Ant-Man“) in the independent drama, “All Creatures Here Below.” For this film, the pair will forgo the superhero genre for an intimate, intense film. 

READ MORE: Toronto International Film Festival: 22 Most Anticipated Movies

Gillan and Dastmalchian will play Ruby and Gensan, a young couple on the run.

Continue reading ‘All Creatures Here Below’ Trailer: Karen Gillan & David Dastmalchian Are Lovers On The Run at The Playlist.

A broken home. A leather couch. July of 1999, sixth months before the anticipated “Y2K” hysteria that disturbed the oncoming millennia. Abbie (Joshua Burge), sitting on a sun-dried leather couch, attempts to drink an entire gallon of half-spoiled milk as part of another “challenge” given to him by his brother Cam (David Dastmalchian).

On the verge of vomiting, Abbie wants to give up (again), but being glued to the television screen playing Nintendo dampens the pain that comes alongside his brother’s challenges.

Continue reading ‘Relaxer’s Vulgar Minimalism Is Absurd, Self-Depraved & Brilliant [SXSW Review] at The Playlist.