For most television and film fanatics, Kyle MacLachlan is best known—or at least, most familiar—for his turn in David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks” as Agent Dale Cooper (and others, the longer you get into the series). Beyond that, MacLachlan has had a varied career over the decades that has led him from multiple genres and formats and, depending on the filmmaker, genres within genres. In his latest outing, he rejoins his “Hamlet” co-star Ethan Hawke and director Michael Almereyda for the unique biopic, “Tesla.” 

READ MORE: ‘Tesla’: Ethan Hawke Stars In This Inventive Biopic [Sundance Review]

In “Tesla,” MacLachlan plays Thomas Edison with an engaging amount of restraint in a film that pushes narrative barriers.

Continue reading Kyle MacLachlan Talks Working With Ethan Hawke In ‘Tesla’ & The Odds Of More ‘Twin Peaks’ [Interview] at The Playlist.

We’ve somehow made it to the end of the summer without the release of any blockbusters or tentpole films in theaters and, all things considered, it was the right decision.

Even still, there have been plenty of great films to enjoy or discover regardless of theatrical releases being put on hold, and August offers up the same level of variety through streaming services, virtual theaters, and on-demand offerings. From a new Seth Rogen comedy that is as odd as anything the actor has ever done to a timely documentary about racism in America and the impossibly real release of “The New Mutants,” August is nothing if not eclectic in its release scheduling.

Continue reading 11 Films To See In August: ‘American Pickle,’ ‘New Mutants,’ ‘Project Power’ & More at The Playlist.

Filmmaker Michael Almereyda and Ethan Hawke go way back. Almereyda directed Hawke in the 2000 version of “Hamlet,” the 2014 version of “Cymbeline” (also a Shakespeare adaptation). Almereyda’s films have been getting a more and more experimental and abstract lately, and he’s been on a bit of a creative tear (“Majorie Prime,” “Experimenter“), and he continues in this vein with “Tesla,” a movie that follows brazen visionary Nikola Tesla as he undergoes a long rivalry with Thomas Edison and reunites him with Ethan Hawke.

Continue reading ‘Tesla’ Trailer: Ethan Hawke Plays Visionary Inventor Nikola Tesla For Director Michael Almereyda at The Playlist.

“No sparks,” says a taciturn Nikola Tesla (Ethan Hawke), showing the prototype of his revolutionary induction motor to potential investors. “No sparks?” they harrumph through mutton-chop whiskers in wood-paneled rooms. Then when he flicks the brassy switch on his invention and – pardon the engineering jargon – the doodad spins amid tightly coiled copper gizmos, producing none of the mini-lightning bolts or fizzing static they expect, they say again this time with breathless awe: “No sparks!”

But that which was a source of wonder in the candlelit New York City parlors of late 19th century is a drawback in the cinema of the early 21st. 

Continue reading ‘Tesla’: Ethan Hawke Stars In This Inventive Biopic That Doesn’t Quite Generate Sparks [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.

The 2019 Sundance Film Festival is upon us and we’re feeling good about most of our Most Anticipated 2020 Film feature predictions; many of the films with early February release dates are indeed making Sundance premieres (“Wendy,” “Downhill,” etc.). This year feels rich already, with new films by Dee Rees, Josephine Decker, Miranda July and many, many more.

READ MORE: Sundance 2020 Lineup Revealed: Films By Josephine Decker, Miranda July, Viggo Mortensen & More

But let’s get to some quick first looks, shall we?

Continue reading Sundance First Look: Anne Hathaway in Dee Rees’ Latest, Miranda July’s ‘Kajillionaire,’ Riley Keough In ‘Zola’ & More at The Playlist.