Maybe it’s time to let the old ways of this almost-finished decade die, yeah? But it wouldn’t be complete without our deep dive into the best soundtracks and scores of the 2010s. It’s admittedly somewhat weird and difficult to do. Scores and soundtracks are different beasts; one original musical written for a film that gives it its emotional shape—often the secret MVP of a movie—and the other more of a mixtape, but when well-curated and used next to picture, can be just as deadly and help craft what we know as the visual and aural transcendence that’s known as cinema when it’s at its best.

Continue reading The Best Soundtracks & Scores Of The Decade [2010s] at The Playlist.

Next week, the first of the big fall film festivals kicks off, in which hordes of international journalists will surely threaten to sink the 11km-long sandbar island that is the Lido di Venezia. The Venice Film Festival is always bracketed with the boutique-y Telluride Film Festival and the behemoth Toronto International Film Festival, and there is famously significant competition between the three for premieres and high-profile titles. But Venice has certain advantages: it comes first on the calendar; it has a long, venerable and glamorous history; and… it’s in Venice.

Continue reading The 20 Most Anticipated Films Of The 2016 Venice Film Festival at The Playlist.

It’s hard to think of a film score debut in the past few years more electrifying, singular and flat out fantastic than Mica Levi‘s work on “Under The Skin.” Jonathan Glazer‘s film itself defies easy description, which surely would’ve presented a challenge to anyone taking on the score, but surely it was a higher mountain to climb for someone delivering their first film score. But Levi, whose day job is playing in Micachu & The Shapes, went above and beyond, creating an aural accompaniment to the movie as unique as the film itself.

Continue reading ‘Under The Skin’ Composer Mica Levi Scoring Pablo Larrain’s ‘Jackie’ Starring Natalie Portman at The Playlist.

This morning, TIFF has unveiled their Platform slate, the only part of the festival’s lineup where titles compete for $25,000 prize. I’ll leave that to the jury members, because all I know is that the bounty of goodies headed to Toronto is already starting to make my eye twitch.

Among the big movies slated to make a splash next month north of the border is Pablo Larrain‘s “Jackie” starring Natalie Portman which will be making its North American Premiere, and Barry Jenkins‘ highly anticipated “Moonlight” which will be making its International Premiere. 

Continue reading Pablo Larrain’s ‘Jackie,’ Barry Jenkins’ ‘Moonlight’ And More Added To TIFF 2016 Lineup at The Playlist.

The Venice Film Festival is always one of the highlights of the film-going year, and the line-up announced this morning for its 73rd installment, which kicks off next month, suggests that that’ll certainly be the case again, and that Cannes more and more faces some stiff competition from its waterbound competitor.

Venice has sometimes risked being overshadowed by TIFF by the U.S. press at least, but after a killer run of premieres in recent years including big Oscar-players like “Gravity,” “Birdman” and “Spotlight,” it’s attracting big-ticket movies as well as the usual great selection of world cinema that it’s always displayed.

Continue reading New Films By Terrence Malick, Derek Cianfrance, Mel Gibson, Denis Villeneuve Lead 2016 Venice Film Festival Line Up at The Playlist.

While next week marks the official unveiling of the first wave of titles hitting the Toronto International Film Festival and Venice Film Festival this fall, some early word has arrived about the latter.

Variety reports that Venice has scored the World Premiere of two high profile titles coming this fall: Tom Ford‘s “Nocturnal Animals” starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Amy Adams, and Denis Villeneuve‘s “Arrival” also starring Adams.

Continue reading Tom Ford’s ‘Nocturnal Animals’ & Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Arrival’ Head To The Venice Film Festival at The Playlist.

Let’s be honest, this summer movie season has been kind of a bummer. “Captain America: Civil War” got things off to a pretty good start, but since then, the big blockbusters — “X-Men: Apocalypse,” “Alice Through The Looking Glass,” “Warcraft,” “Independence Day” — have mostly been painful to sit through. And even the better wide releases, like “The Nice Guys,” “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping” and “The Neon Demon,” have mostly done poorly with audiences.

Continue reading 50 Films We Hope To See At The 2016 Fall Festivals at The Playlist.

Premature Oscar Predictions: The 2017 Best Picture Academy Award Contenders

Continue reading Premature Oscar Predictions: The 2017 Best Picture Academy Award Contenders at The Playlist.

Oscars 2017? New Look At Natalie Portman In Pablo Larrain's 'Jackie'

Continue reading Oscars 2017? New Look At Natalie Portman In Pablo Larrain’s ‘Jackie’ at The Playlist.

Watch: Clips From TIFF Entries 'A Late Quartet,' 'Perks Of Being A Wallflower,' 'Arthur Newman' And 'Jackie'

Continue reading Watch: Clips From TIFF Entries ‘A Late Quartet,’ ‘Perks Of Being A Wallflower,’ ‘Arthur Newman’ And ‘Jackie’ at The Playlist.