With NBCUniversal in the process of closing their $3.8 billion acquisition of DreamWorks Animation, there is some boardroom talk of who will be running what, and how. Basically, executives are jockeying for jobs. But whatever happens, NBCU is buying into a company that contains valuable brands, and a talent pool to help them realize their own projects. And they are going to utilize both.

THR reveals that among the first orders of business in this new corporate union is to get the already teased continuation of the “Shrek” series, “Shrek 5,” into cinemas in 2019, along with Edgar Wright’s developing “Shadows.”

The latter has been in the works for years, and was originally titled “Me and My Shadow,” with Bill Hader and Josh Gad attached for the leading voice roles.

Continue reading ‘Shrek 5’ & Edgar Wright’s Animated ‘Shadows’ Aiming for 2019 Release at The Playlist.

The Exterminating Angel
The Spanish surrealist Luis Buñuel held more outward-disdain for the Bourgeois class in his pinky then Whit Stillman has ever had in his whole body, and he makes no attempt to hide it in yet another weird, extremely dark social commentary.

Continue reading More February Criterion: Buñuel, Cassavetes And Lean at The Playlist.

The set was touted as being six black and white foreign films that were semi-accessible (but not mainstream enough to be universally scorned by true buffs) and able to save you the time and money of toiling away at film school, since it was essentially film school packaged in a box.

Continue reading February Criterion Releases: Essential Art House Volume II at The Playlist.