The American Society of Cinematographers announced their 2022 nominees this morning and it was good news for Sci-Fi fans. Over six categories projects such as “Dune,” “Foundation,” “Titans,” “Snowpiercer,” “Superman & Lois” and “The Nevers” earned nominations. Of course, it’s the film nods that will get the most attention.

READ MORE: “Belfast,” “Only Murders in the Building” and “Succession” lead 2022 SAG Awards nominations

Greig Fraser‘s work on “Dune” was nominated in the Feature Film category alongside Bruno Delbonnel for “Tragedy of Macbeth,” Dan Lausten for “Nightmare Alley,” Ari Wegner for “The Power of the Dog” and Haris Zambarloukos for “Belfast.” Additionally, the Spotlight category saw Ruben Impens recognized for “Titane,” Pat Scola for “Pig” and a very deserving Adolpho Velos for “Jockey.”

On the television side, other nominees included James Laxton for “The Underground Railroad,” Ben Richardson for “Mare of Easttown,” David Garbett for “Sweet Tooth” and Adam Bricker for “Hacks.”

Some of the snubbed film contenders that will be looking to crack the Oscar field include “The French Dispatch,” “West Side Story,” “Cyrano” and “No Time To Die,” among others.

Continue reading ‘Dune,’ Nightmare Alley,’ ‘Belfast’ Earn 2022 ASC Awards nominations at The Playlist.

Even in the context of a zoom interview, it’s hard to fathom why there are so few television and film credits on Kathryn Hunter’s resume. A staple of the British theater world, she won an Olivier Award three decades ago, has has a transfixing presence that is almost impossible to ignore. And likely the primary reason Joel Coen decided to cast her as the Witches in his interpretation of “The Tragedy of Macbeth.”

READ MORE: “The Tragedy Of Macbeth”: Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand are fearless in Joel Coen’s adaptation [NYFF Review]

Hunter’s performance is arguably the best in a cast that features Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand and Brendan Gleeson.

Continue reading Kathryn Hunter Kept The Witches At A Boil For ‘Tragedy of Macbeth’ [Interview] at The Playlist.

The USC Libraries announced the nominees for the 34th USC Scripter Awards this morning and it was perhaps the most genre-based group of honorees ever. “Dune,” “Station Eleven” and “WandaVision” earned nominations in both the film and television categories. The Scripter is given to the best adapted screenplays in said fields and, unlike other awards, honors the author of the original material as well.

READ MORE: 2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations [Complete List]

Somewhat of a precursor to the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar, this year’s other film nominees are “The Lost Daughter,” “Passing,” “The Power of the Dog” and “The Tragedy of Macbeth.” The rest of the recognized television projects are “Dopesick,” “Maid,” and “The Underground Railroad.”

The Libraries also announced that Barry Jenkins will receive the USC Libraries Literary Achievement Award for his contributions to cinematic storytelling, including his work adapting the 2017 Scripter winner “Moonlight” and the 2019 finalist “If Beale Street Could Talk.”

It should be noted that only English-language adaptations are eligible for the Scripter.

Continue reading ‘Dune,’ ‘Lost Daugther’ & ‘WandaVision’ Among 2022 USC Scripter Awards Nominees at The Playlist.

Not only does “The Tragedy of Macbeth” feature two of the biggest actors on the planet, Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand, but the film is directed by Joel Coen, one of the best filmmakers working today. But as seen in the new Making-Of featurette, “The Tragedy of Macbeth” isn’t relying solely on the two actors and the director to make the film memorable. 

Continue reading ‘The Tragedy Of Macbeth’: Watch The New Making-Of Video About How Joel Coen Crafted His Awards Contender at The Playlist.

While the fact that Joel Coen has ventured off by himself to craft the new Apple TV+ film, “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” might be surprising to some, considering he worked the past 40-ish years alongside his brother Ethan, that doesn’t mean there’s any sort of bad blood between the two brothers. That said, Joel Coen does admit that he would have never had the chance to make ‘Macbeth’ if he continued his relationship with Ethan.

Continue reading Joel Coen Wouldn’t Have Made ‘Macbeth’ If He Was Still Working With Ethan Coen at The Playlist.

William Shakespeare, the Bard himself, needs no introduction. Nor, arguably, does Joel Coen, who has been one of American cinema’s great voices for almost forty years with his brother Ethan. A Coen take on a Shakespeare play, though, especially one of his best, deserves to be unpacked.

READ MORE: Joel Coen & ‘The Tragedy Of Macbeth’ Cast On Adapting Shakespeare, Streaming Services, & More [NYFF]

After its highly successful world premiere at the New York Film Festival in September (read our review of it here), “The Tragedy Of Macbeth” makes its way to theaters later this month.

Continue reading ‘The Tragedy Of Macbeth’ Trailer: Denzel Washington & Frances McDormand Are Haunted In Joel Coen’s Bleak Shakespearean Take at The Playlist.

We celebrate the movies at this time of year, and in the wild rush to praise directors and actors for all that nifty directing and acting they did over the last 365 days, we all tend to forget that cinema is about more than just two sets of people. Just read Twitter. Who’s naming anyone other than auteurs and stars? How many times has Steven Spielberg’s name come up? How many times has Janusz Kamiński’s?

Continue reading The Best Cinematography Of 2021 at The Playlist.

The New York Film Critics Circle announced their annual year-end honors, giving an awards season boost to one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year, Ryusuke Hamaguchi‘s “Drive My Car.” Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog” took three honors including Best Director, Best Actor (Benedict Cumberbatch), and Best Supporting Actor (Kodi Smit-McPhee). For those paying attention, it’s worth noting the NYFCC’s top pick hasn’t won the Oscar for Best Picture since “The Artist” 10 years ago, but every winner has been nominated in the category.

Continue reading New York Film Critics Circle Choose ‘Drive My Car’ As Best Film at The Playlist.

Spotting and scrutinizing movie posters this year has felt brand new – like seeing the world with fresh eyes as we rush back into cinemas and can once again place faith in the pictures we see, knowing we will, finally, slowly, be able to bookmark these promises with a trip to the cinemas once more. That’s not to say we’re totally out of the woods yet – rather that there is simply more hope and excitement rather than just longing and loneliness as there was when we made this list this time last year. 

Right now, we celebrate – the colors, the emotion, the unexpected thrills and bold statements filmmakers are once more making with the first images we see of the movies we will so soon fall in love with.

Continue reading The Best Film Posters Of 2021 at The Playlist.

It speaks to the month’s quality that to kick things off there’s the release of Jane Campion’s beauty, “The Power of the Dog,” starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst on Netflix following a limited theatrical run last month. December is positively overwhelming in titles to discover both big and small, from independent darlings that have danced the festival circuit all year to the latest – and last – Marvel film of the year, the much talked about “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”

We couldn’t even fit everything about to release on the below list (see reviews in each link) where applicable).

Continue reading 19 Films To See In December: ‘Nightmare Alley,’ ‘Don’t Look Up,’ ‘Tragedy Of Macbeth’ & More at The Playlist.

One of the most anticipated films of the year was already seen earlier this year: “The Tragedy of Macbeth” by writer/director Joel Coen (going solo for the first time without Ethan Coen), made its world premiere at the New York Film Festival to much acclaim (read our review). Starring Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Corey Hawkins, Brendan Gleeson, and Harry Melling, the film is a stark, but fierce black and white adaptation of Shakespeare’s famous play about murder, ambition, madness, wrathful cunning, greed and guilt; a cautionary tale about the lust for power.

Continue reading ‘The Tragedy Of Macbeth’ Trailer: Denzel Washington & Frances McDormand Retell Shakespeare’s Darkest Moment For Joel Coen at The Playlist.

There is a common refrain being heard around Hollywood these days and it’s not one that will make the Academy happy (and, no, it’s not about an Academy Museum which has only three floors of exhibits). As more and more AMPAS members screen this year’s crop of Best Picture contenders – and, granted, they are barely getting started – many are verbalizing their concern over the Academy’s decision to stick with 10 nominees this year.

Continue reading The Great Hunt For 10 Best Picture Nominees Continues [Contender Countdown] at The Playlist.

The current lowdown on the Adapted Screenplay category will sound very familiar to a number of other races this awards season. There are just three or four likely locks for a nomination, Jane Campion‘s adaptation of Thomas Savage‘s novel, “The Power of the Dog,” Maggie Gyllenhaal’s adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s “The Lost Daughter,” Tony Kushner’s adaptation of the original stage play for “West Side Story” and, maybe, Sian Heder’s English adaptation of the French film “La Famille Bélier” for “CODA.

Continue reading Adapted Screenplay Oscars 2022 Predictions & Contenders at The Playlist.

Whenever Frances McDormand brought up the notion of her husband and frequent collaborator Joel Coendirecting her in her dream role of Lady Macbeth, he demurred – bluntly. “He said absolutely not,” she recalled; “I had no interested in theater,” he explained, and that was that. 

READ MORE: ‘The Tragedy Of Macbeth’: Denzel Washington & Frances McDormand Are Fearless In Joel Coen’s Bleak, But Thrilling Adaptation [NYFF Review]

“Doing something on the stage where there’s one sort of visual metaphor for the whole thing, which is a stage set, and that’s what you’re looking at – that’s not the way my brain works,” Coen said.

Continue reading Joel Coen & The ‘Tragedy of Macbeth’ Cast On Adapting Shakespeare, Streaming Services, & More [NYFF] at The Playlist.

The plot for “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” adapted from William Shakespeare’s classic play, is almost too familiar to waste space for explanation. Even so, the basic premise sees Lord Macbeth (Denzel Washington), a well-respected soldier, spurred by three witches’ prophecy and the aspirations of his wife, the Machiavellian Lady Macbeth (Frances McDormand), transfixed by an ambition for the Scottish crown.

Continue reading ‘The Tragedy Of Macbeth’: Denzel Washington & Frances McDormand Are Fearless In Joel Coen’s Bleak, But Thrilling Adaptation [NYFF Review] at The Playlist.

When it was announced that Joel Coen was going solo to direct his first feature film without his brother Ethan Coen, with “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” people were surprised. Did this mean the end of the Coen Brothers, one of the best filmmaking duos of all time? Or was this just a one-off project that would act as a placeholder until the duo could combine forces once again?

Continue reading ‘Tragedy Of Macbeth’: Joel Coen Talks About The “Weird” Situation Of Making A Film Without His Brother at The Playlist.

“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.” Just as the witches anticipate Macbeth’s arrival at their heath, so too do audiences await the world premiere of Joel Coen‘s “The Tragedy Of Macbeth” at the New York Film Festival later this week. The new film debuts on the opening night of the festival’s 59th iteration; there’s nothing quite like a gloomy tale of murder, madness, and corruption to kick off proceedings.

Continue reading ‘The Tragedy Of Macbeth’ Trailer: Something Wicked This Way Comes For Denzel Washington & Frances McDormand On Dec 25 at The Playlist.

One of the few positive things the pandemic has done for movie buffs is left us with an onslaught of leftover 2020 titles held for this year’s fall festival circuit. Case in point: the 59th Annual New York Film Festival. 

READ MORE: NYFF 2021 Exclusive Trailer: Take A Peek At The Acclaimed Films Coming To The Upcoming Event

Most all of the major works by revered world cinema directors—many of which have premiered at other fests already— have some kind of presence at NYFF.

Continue reading New York Film Festival 2021: The 17 Most Anticipated Films at The Playlist.

Trust us when we say we hope there’s a day when the words pandemic and COVID-19 are never written on the pages of this website again, specifically in any intros to any features. However, the reality is that the collective disruption of 2020 was difficult, and it made 2021’s release schedule something of a log-jammed shitshow. That Delta variant could play havoc with things too, but we’re all starting to learn to live with a world that’s in flux. 

READ MORE: The Best Films Of 2021, So Far

All that said, the delays of 2021 have had their pluses.

Continue reading Fall 2021 Movie Preview: 60+ Must-See Films at The Playlist.

Without a doubt, one of the biggest films coming later this year is the highly-anticipated drama, “The Tragedy of Macbeth.” Not only does it feature the debut of filmmaker Joel Coen as a singular director (Ethan Coen is not attached), but it has one of the strongest casts of 2021, led by Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand. This film has Oscar written all over it, right?

Continue reading ‘The Tragedy Of Macbeth’ First Look: Joel Coen’s Film Starring Denzel Washington & Frances McDormand To Premiere At NYFF at The Playlist.

Apple TV+ is still in its toddler stage of development. The newborn/infant stage was rife with lackluster reviews, not-so-great viewership, and a general feeling of disinterest by the greater public. But recently, thanks to the critically acclaimed TV series “Ted Lasso” and major exclusive films like “Cherry” and “Greyhound,” Apple’s streaming service has become a legit contender in the Streaming Wars.

Continue reading ‘Macbeth’: Apple TV+ Makes An Awards Play With Joel Coen’s Film Starring Frances McDormand & Denzel Washington at The Playlist.

Continue reading Producer Scott Rudin Removed From New Films From Joel Coen, Alex Garland & More After Abuse Allegations at The Playlist.

It’s been quite a while since we last heard any updates on Joel Coen‘s first movie without brother Ethan, “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” but we’re finally getting some news, and it will have cinephiles very excited.

READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2021

In a recent episode of cinematographer Roger Deakins‘ podcast, Team Deakins, costume designer Mary Zophres revealed that cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel shot “The Tragedy of Macbeth” entirely in black and white.

Continue reading Joel Coen Shot ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth,’ Starring Denzel Washington And Frances McDormand, In Black And White at The Playlist.

I’m not telling you anything you don’t know. Aside from the election result, Trashfire 2020™ was a shitty year. And a weird and disorienting year thanks to COVID-19 and having to shelter-in-place, quarantine, and social distance from one another blah, blah, blah coronavirus f*cked us hard. Movies certainly took it in the teeth this year, and especially the theatrical industrial complex, which feels like it’s on its last legs. But regardless of what happens next for theaters, people are going to continue making and releasing movies.

Continue reading The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2021 at The Playlist.

The pandemic is awful, obviously, but there have been some highlights inspired by it. One of those highpoints is Team Deakins, the podcast that legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins—known for his work with the Coen Brothers, Martin Scorsese, and Denis Villeneuve, among many others—started with his wife and digital workflow consultant James Ellis Deakins. Their podcast has included many guests that the Deakins have worked with including Sam Mendes, John Crowley, and Denis Villeneuve.

Continue reading Joel Coen Talks Switch To Digital Filmmaking, Hating Orson Welles & His New Fave Filmmaker: Andrey Zvyagintsev at The Playlist.