After forty years in show business, what else is there left for Nicolas Cage to do? At his best — for thirty years, in fact — the actor nimbly toed the line between blockbuster action hero and fully committed dramatic performer. Often aware of his onscreen habits and lampooned for his onscreen vocal and physical excesses, Cage intermittently played those expectations for greater dramatic tension and pure comedy. During the 2010s, when he appeared to take any role thrown his way — roles many interpreted as being beneath his talents — it was difficult to envision a scenario when he could come back (not that he ever left). 

But after the unhinged “Mandy,” the aesthetically sumptuous “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse,” and the aching tragedy of “Pig,” Cage appears to be back (not that he ever left).

Continue reading ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’ Review: A Triumphant Comeback For Nicolas Cage, Who Also Never Left [SXSW] at The Playlist.

What new is there to say about Nicolas Cage at this point in his career? As an actor, he’s a chaotic force, indulgent in a way that deserves an adjective all its own: Cage-ian. However, he’s also a prolific workhorse, dedicated to his craft in ways other actors aren’t. He seemingly never turns down a script, no matter how ludicrous its premise. Is it genius? Insanity? Only one thing is for certain: it’s Nicolas Cage.

Continue reading ‘The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent’ Red Band Trailer: Nicolas Cage Plays Himself In His Most Meta Movie Yet at The Playlist.

2021 marks another year of Nicolas Cage’s unflagging commitment to star in virtually any film his agent offers him. And par usual, Cage brought his idiosyncratic A-game to each film that starred him. This year was a particularly vibrant crop of Cage performances: “Wally’s Wonderland,” “Prisoners Of The Ghostland,” and “Pig” (which some think earns the actor an Oscar nom).

READ MORE: ‘The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent’: Here’s Your First Look At Nic Cage As Nic Cage With Pedro Pascal

As always, though, the Cage train keeps on rolling, and next year brings four more films to his expansive catalog.

Continue reading ‘The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent’ Trailer: Nic Cage Stars As Undercover Nic Cage In April at The Playlist.

If you’re a person of a certain age, you probably remember the release of the Nintendo Entertainmen System, aka the NES. More so than the Atari or any other video game console of that era, the NES was the most revolutionary thing to happen to kids…ever. Or at least that’s what it felt like. And that feeling is all over the trailer for the new Christmas film, “8-Bit Christmas.”

READ MORE: Fall 2021 Movie Preview: 60+ Must-See Films

As seen in the trailer, “8-Bit Christmas” tells the story of a young boy and his quest to get the NES for Christmas, even though his parents have forbidden it from being a part of their home.

Continue reading ‘8-Bit Christmas’ Trailer: Neil Patrick Harris Stars In This Nostalgia-Filled Christmas Story Hitting HBO Max This Month at The Playlist.

It’s been eighteen years since Lana & Lilly Wachowski‘s last installment in “The Matrix” series premiered. And for those of you who remember, “The Matrix Revolutions” was a critical dud despite grossing over $400 million worldwide. However, have mixed reviews ever stopped Hollywood filmmakers from returning to tired franchises well after their cultural relevance expires? Of course not.

READ MORE: Fall 2021 Movie Preview: 60+ Must-See Films

So, flash-forward to 2021, and Lana Wachowski has brought Neo, Trinity, and others back from the dead: “The Matrix: Resurrections” is set to hit theaters and HBO Max this December.

Continue reading ‘The Matrix: Resurrections’ Trailer: Neo, Trinity & More Return In Lana Wachowski’s Latest Matrix Sequel This December at The Playlist.

While Lucasfilm has had many celebrated animated shows in the past, it only feels like just right now—ever since the Disney Investors Day event where they announced 10 new projects—that Disney is really trying to turn their $4 billion investment into a bigger cultural juggernaut in the way Marvel is. That means a wave of new live-action shows, some movies getting back on their feet and exploring new ways to give “Star Wars” new life.

Continue reading ‘Star Wars: Visions’ Trailer: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Alison Brie, David Harbour, Henry Golding & More Join The Voice Cast at The Playlist.

For years, it was reported that Warner Bros. was desperate to figure out a way to continue the ‘Matrix’ franchise. And eventually, it was announced the studio was able to snag one Wachowski, Lana to be specific, to write and direct the fourth film in the sci-fi film series. But outside of Lana Wachowski’s involvement and a cast that includes Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Ann Moss, and others, not a lot is known about “The Matrix 4.

Continue reading Neil Patrick Harris Describes Lana Wachowski’s Relaxed ‘Matrix 4’ Filming Process: “She Made It Feel Very Intimate” at The Playlist.

All it takes for career rehabilitation is one key role and nailing the part. After decades of work in light sitcoms (“How I Met Your Mother”), Neil Patrick Harris found such rejuvenation when he was cast as one of the antagonists in David Fincher’s “Gone Girl,” playing the part of a manipulative, stalker-y ex-boyfriend. And now he’s found what we can presume is his next meaty role, joining the cast of Lana Wachowski’s “Matrix 4.”

READ MORE: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Cast In Lead Role In Lana Wachowski’s ‘Matrix 4’

Harris joins Keanu Reeves, Carrie Anne Moss, and “Aquaman” and “The Get Down” star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who was announced as one of the movie’s leads last week.

Continue reading ‘Matrix 4’: Neil Patrick Harris Joins The Cast at The Playlist.

Back in 2004, Paramount attempted to start a new children’s film franchise with “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.” The film, which starred Jim Carrey as the evil Count Olaf, had a massive budget and failed to score big at the worldwide box office. Thus, the franchise was dead. Then back in 2017, Netflix revived the franchise for a brand-new series on its streaming service, and apparently, it’s been thriving.

Continue reading ‘Series Of Unfortunate Events’ Final Season Teaser: Popular Netflix Series Ends Its Run On New Year’s Day at The Playlist.

Winter might be cruel, but Netflix‘s “A Series Of Unfortunate Events” may be even crueller. The streaming giant scored a melancholy and darkly humorous hit with the first season, bringing Lemony Snicket‘s woeful tales of the Baudelaire orphans to winning life. Bleak, yet brimming with heart and humor, the series hit all the right notes. Now it’s back for a second season, where the Baudelaires will once again have to protect their lives and save their fortune from the clutches of Count Olaf.

Continue reading ‘A Series Of Unfortunate Events’ Season 2 Trailer: Look Away From This Dire Tale at The Playlist.

Book to movie or television adaptations are never easy. Translating the page to the conventions of another artist medium often means that compromises need to be made. However, “A Series Of Unfortunate Events” is an exception to the rule. The Netflix show perfectly captured the spirit of the books by Lemony Snicket, and all their weird, darkly comic, and surreal edges. The first season was a surprising treat, and now the next batch of episodes are around the corner.

Continue reading ‘A Series Of Unfortunate Events’ Season 2 Teaser: The Nightmare Returns at The Playlist.

The Bingeworthy Breakdown is an occasional look at new TV shows. An estimated 500 scripted seasons of TV will air in 2017, and to help you sort the wheat from the chaff, we’re going to look at the first episodes of the most notable of these to help you work out whether it’s worth tuning every week for them, waiting to binge later, or using the time to finally catch up on “Carnivàle” or whatever else you’ve been waiting for.

Continue reading Bingeworthy Breakdown: Should You Be Watching Netflix & Lemony Snicket’s ‘A Series Of Unfortunate Events’? at The Playlist.

In light of Netflix planning to double the number of its original shows next year, with 31 presently on the slate, the binge-watching phenomenon is in no danger of expiring. And now I have an extra reason to finish up “The Crown,” because “Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events” arrives next month, and it looks pretty damn good.

READ MORE: ‘Stranger Things,’ ‘Bloodline,’ ‘Preacher’ & The Problems Of Plotting & Pacing In Peak TV

Based on Daniel Handler‘s darkly humorous series of books, the story follows the helpless yet whip smart Baudelaire orphans who are taken in by their evil Count Olaf, who desires their inheritance.

Continue reading New Trailer For Netflix’s ‘Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events’ Promises No Happy Endings at The Playlist.

‘Tis the season for family get togethers, but we’re sure no one’s relatives will be as odious as Count Olaf. He’s the guardian of the ill-fated and orphaned Baudelaire children in the darkly funny and deliciously devilish “A Series Of Unfortunate Events” book series. The books by Daniel Handler have been adapted before, in the not particularly well received Jim Carrey vehicle in 2004. But now, a dozen years later, Neil Patrick Harris takes on the part played by Carrey, and the actor is excited about the opportunities the role affords for switching gears, as Count Olaf dons disguises to try and swindle the kids out of their inheritance.

Continue reading Count Olaf Is Up To No Good In The New Trailer For Netflix’s ‘Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events’ at The Playlist.

Watch: Neil Patrick Harris' Opening Oscar Monologue, 'Birdman' Spoof, Plus The Best Picture Nominee Title Sequences

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Get Ready For A Lot Of 'Gone Girl' Jokes: Neil Patrick Harris To Host 2015 Oscars

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Continue reading ‘Gone Girl’ Author Gillian Flynn Penning First Season Of David Fincher’s HBO Show ‘Utopia’ at The Playlist.

“Not Just A Demon”: Ben Affleck & Cast Of ‘Gone Girl’ Talk Working With David Fincher At NYFF

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Review: David Fincher's 'Gone Girl' Starring Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Tyler Perry, Neil Patrick Harris, Kim Dickens & More

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Watch: 6 Clips And New Images From Seth MacFarlane's 'A Million Ways To Die In The West'

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Watch: First Full Trailer For David Fincher's 'Gone Girl' Starring Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike & More

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Neil Patrick Harris Talks Shooting Technical, Explicit Sex Scene In David Fincher's 'Gone Girl'

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Watch: Seth MacFarlane & Charlize Theron Find 'A Million Ways To Die In The West' In First Red Band Trailer

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Tyler Perry, Kim Dickens, Patrick Fugit And Carrie Coon Added To Cast Of David Fincher's 'Gone Girl'

Continue reading Tyler Perry, Kim Dickens, Patrick Fugit And Carrie Coon Added To Cast Of David Fincher’s ‘Gone Girl’ at The Playlist.

Review: 'The Smurfs 2' Starring Neil Patrick Harris, Katy Perry, Anton Yelchin & Brendan Gleeson

Continue reading Review: ‘The Smurfs 2’ Starring Neil Patrick Harris, Katy Perry, Anton Yelchin & Brendan Gleeson at The Playlist.