Spread Archives - The Playlist

Weekend Box Office- ‘District 9’ Scores A Ten, ‘G.I. Joe’ Rolls Snake Eyes

Gabe Toro — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 16:21:00 +0000

Stop the presses. An actual good, interesting movie debuted at #1 this summer. “District 9” seemed to come out of nowhere about two months ago, sans an attention-getting ad campaign or a major in-advance teaser trailer. Let this be a model for marketing people in Hollywood- a late-inning full court press isn’t the worst strategy. Audiences were probably intrigued by the cryptic ads selling the aliens, but there’s something to be said about the continued drawing power of Peter Jackson, who no doubt many people probably think directed this.

Continue reading Weekend Box Office- ‘District 9’ Scores A Ten, ‘G.I. Joe’ Rolls Snake Eyes at The Playlist.

In Theaters: ‘District 9,’ ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife,’ ‘Ponyo’

Rodrigo Perez — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:37:00 +0000

Despite the late summer dumping-ground doldrums being upon us, there are a few interesting options this weekend to save us from the oppressive August heat, humidity and this generally lackluster movie month. Luckily, Hollywood has the whole family covered too; sci-fi action for the gents, time-traveling romance for the ladies, Disney Channel nonsense for the kiddies, and even a dose of Jeremy Piven for your creepy uncle.

In Wide Release: The buzz on the low budget “District 9” has been building steadily for months and should be good enough to put it on top of “GI Joe” in it’s second week.

Continue reading In Theaters: ‘District 9,’ ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife,’ ‘Ponyo’ at The Playlist.

‘Push’ Tops The Sundance Film Festival’s Biggest Prizes

Rodrigo Perez — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:11:00 +0000

If you haven’t noticed already, the Sundance Film Festival is a wrap. “An Education” might have been the film attracting all the buzz and headlines at Sundance, but it’s the drama “Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire,” starring actress Mo’Nique (no seriously), that topped the Festival’s big prizes.

Not only did the film win the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and the Dramatic Audience Award, Mo’nique’s performance as a horrendously cruel mother to an obese, illiterate girl struggling in Harlem earned her a Special Jury Prize (our Sundance contributors called this one immediately too – they loved it).

Continue reading ‘Push’ Tops The Sundance Film Festival’s Biggest Prizes at The Playlist.

Sundance Report: A Hot ‘Education’ And A ‘Winning Season’ Sell

Rodrigo Perez — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:13:00 +0000

The hotly touted breakout film of Sundance ’09 is not one of the name films. It’s a smaller dramedy called, “An Education” that studios, buyers, bloggers, journos and audiences have been going nuts for. Naturally, the film sold, but not to Fox Searchlight, which seemed to be in close-to-final negotiations on the film. Instead Sony Pictures Classics bought the film according to Variety, which apparently came rife with drama when CAA sellers deemed Searchlight‘s bid too low.

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Sundance Watch: ‘Y Tu Mama Tambien’ Boys Are Back, John Cazale Appreciated; More…

Rodrigo Perez — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:18:00 +0000

Sundance 2009, which runs January 15 – 25, is just around the corner and things are starting to already heat up with lots of PR outlets trying to generate buzz by giving different publications exclusives.

– First off Sony Pictures Classics has already sealed-the-deal and acquired, the pre-Sundance screening of the reteaming of “Y Tu Mama Tambien” homeboys, Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal for the Spanish-language comedy “Rudo y Cursi,” directed by Carlos Cuaron (Alfonso Cuaron’s younger brother and the writer of ‘Tambien’ and Cuaron’s earlier screwball-ish comedy, “Sólo con tu pareja”; it’s great, btw).

Continue reading Sundance Watch: ‘Y Tu Mama Tambien’ Boys Are Back, John Cazale Appreciated; More… at The Playlist.

Potential Sundance ’09 Film Line-Up?

Rodrigo Perez — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:42:00 +0000

At the tail end of this Michael Cera/Sundance article, THR notes some films that might appear at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009.

They include: a raunchy Ashton Kutcher’s comedy called, “Spread,” (Anne Heche appears to be the female love interest) a ’60s coming-of-age story titled “An Education” starring Emma Thompson, Rosamund Pike and Peter Sarsgaard, Shana Feste’s lost-child drama “The Greatest” (Pierce Brosnan with Susan Sarandon) and Antoine Fuqua’s cop drama “Brooklyn’s Finest” that stars Jesse Williams, Don Cheadle, Wesley Snipes, Ethan Hawke and Lili Taylor The documentary side will likely showcase Nicholas Kristof ‘s “Reporter,” R.J.

Continue reading Potential Sundance ’09 Film Line-Up? at The Playlist.