While audiences griped this summer about the wealth of underwhelming sequels, this weekend, franchise entries took the top three spots at the box office. C’est la vie, and as long as moviegoers keep going to them, Hollywood will keep making them.

Certainly, in the case of “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” Tyler Perry‘s audience has not tired one bit of his comic character. While critics may scoff and hold their nose, Perry is laughing all the way to the bank.

Continue reading ‘Jack Reacher’ Knocked Out By ‘Madea,’ While ‘Moonlight’ Is Magnificent In Limited Release [Box Office] at The Playlist.

The superficial argument hanging over any discussion of Justin Kelly’s “King Cobra” will sadly, wastefully, frustratingly fall within the orbit of classification: is the film, a true crime yarn that unfolds against a porn industry backdrop, itself an example of pornography? A pruder audience member may respond in the affirmative, citing its graphic (but not explicit) sex scenes, but this is a pretty phony baloney idea. Neither Kelly nor “King Cobra” actually care about the sex; they’re both more interested in the abstract, with the people involved in the sex, and the interpersonal dramas that spark between them and eventually lead to murder most foul.

Continue reading ‘King Cobra’ Starring James Franco Is A True Crime Trifle [Review] at The Playlist.

READ MORE: It’s Boys Gone Wild In Red Band Trailer For Hazing Drama ‘Goat’ With James Franco

Directed by Justin Kelly (“I Am Michael“) and featuring the intriguing/odd cast of James Franco, Christian Slater, Garrett Clayton, Keegan Allen, Molly Ringwald, and Alicia Silverstone, the story follows a young man who becomes a star in the burgeoning world of web porn, but money and ambition cause all sorts of problems.

Continue reading James Franco, Christian Slater, Molly Ringwald & More Dive Into The World Of Gay Porn In Trailer For ‘King Cobra’ at The Playlist.