Gus Van Sant has one of the more interesting filmmaking careers in modern Hollywood. From his breakout film, “Drugstore Cowboy,” he would go on to direct some of the most beloved films (“Good Will Hunting,” “Milk”) to some of the most polarizing (“Elephant,” “Psycho” remake). Basically, you can’t really pin him down as an artist.

Continue reading Gus Van Sant Says He Was Offered ‘G.I. Joe’ In The ‘90s & Almost Cast Matt Damon In ‘To Die For’ at The Playlist.

To watch Nicole Kidman in Gus Van Sant’s black-comedy/thriller fusion “To Die For” is to understand how a combination of ruthless ambition and careless vapidity can spawn a self-absorbed media landscape that leads to the likes of, say, Megyn Kelly and Laura Ingraham—personalities for whom attention is more important than integrity. Twenty-five years after “To Die For” was released in the United States to rapturous reviews from praiseful critics, Kidman’s alluring villainy remains integral to the film’s portrait of a wicked woman willing to seduce and scheme her way to professional success.

Continue reading ‘To Die For’ At 25: The Fame Chasing In Gus Van Sant’s Drama Is As Toxic As Ever at The Playlist.

To dust off a tried-and-true turn of phrase that’s been employed since the early days of Hollywood: goddamnit, there’s just something special about Joaquin Phoenix. Since the beginning of his career, Phoenix has graduated from playing scumbags, bad guys, and memorable bit players to veritable leading-man status. He’s also been nominated three times for an Oscar (for “Gladiator,” “Walk the Line,” and “The Master”) and, somehow, never won.

Continue reading The Essentials: Joaquin Phoenix’s 12 Best Performances at The Playlist.

This week sees the release of “Ghost In The Shell,” but you could be forgiven for mistaking it for something that came out twenty years ago. It comes from a British commercials director, has a William Gibson cyberpunk aesthetic, features among its cast Takeshi Kitano and the break-out star of “Three Colors Blue,” Juliette Binoche, and has little-to-no sensitivity towards the debate over cultural appropriation.

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25 Must-See Movies About The Media

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The Essentials: The 5 Best Nicole Kidman Performances

Continue reading The Essentials: The 5 Best Nicole Kidman Performances at The Playlist.