In a night where three awards resulted in ties and a ton of winners didn’t show up, the Critics Choice Association handed out the 2020 Critics Choice Awards top honor, Best Picture, to “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.”  “Joker’s” Joaquin Phoenix took Best Actor while Renee Zellweger won Best Actress for “Judy.”  Bong Joon Ho and Sam Mendes tied for Best Director for “Parasite” and “1917” respectfully.

Continue reading “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” Wins Best Picture At Critics Choice Awards at The Playlist.

Six days.  That’s it. Today, Thursday, January 2 through Tuesday, January, 7.  Six full days for members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to vote for the nominees for the 2020 Oscars.  This rare shortened season has been a knockout in many regards. Fewer controversies this year (so far, at least), but the barrage of campaigning has been hard to ignore.  And, as always, there is nervousness all around.

As we noted earlier this week if any film is likely to have an Oscars “comeback” in terms of key nominations its Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women”.

Continue reading Seven Perplexing Questions As Six Days Of Oscars Voting Begins at The Playlist.

2019 cinema was, in a word, chaotic. Dreams were dashed, franchises fractured, box offices bungled. Some of the most anticipated films of the year – “The Goldfinch” for art nerds, “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” for nerd nerds – yielded catastrophe. Festival favorites like “The Souvenir” and “Clemency” seem doomed to awards-season silence, while Korean Cannes winner “Parasite” won the box office and some nominations.

Continue reading Lena Wilson’s Top 10 Films Of 2019 at The Playlist.

If my top 75 films of the decade list demonstrated anything it’s that I’m a sucker for cinema that sticks with you.  That’s what made 2019 individually a hard year to pull a top 10 for.  It’s not that there weren’t good films, it’s that as well made as many of them were, they didn’t necessarily feel like all-timers.  Well, except for “Parasite,” of course.

On the other hand, “1917,” “Marriage Story,” “The Irishman,” “Little Women,” “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” and “Knives Out,” just to name a few, are all well-acted and smartly crafted pieces of cinema, but will they demand another viewing just a few years from now?

Continue reading Gregory Ellwood’s Top 10 Of 2019: ‘Parasite,’ ‘I Lost My Body,’ ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’ at The Playlist.

Happy Holidays to you and yours. This season brings forth time-honored traditions of attempting to take it easy at work to spend time with loved ones, and compiling the year-end “Best Of” list and debate online whether or not it’s been a good year for movies.

READ MORE: The 100 Best Films Of The Decade

I’m speaking generally, of course. There are two firmly-held beliefs I have when it comes to making a “Best Of” list that you could tattoo on my forehead, carve on my tombstone, etc.

Continue reading Ryan Oliver’s Top 25 Films of 2019 [Video] at The Playlist.

Everything-is-epic culture has transformed film trailers over the last few years. What used to be a commercial for a movie has now changed into a mini-event. Now, we get the teaser, the teaser for the teaser, the teaser trailer, the full trailer, the NSFW trailer, and the extended trailer. But here, we are paradoxically, hypocritically, contradictorily complaining about marketing, but also celebrating the art that’s sometimes part of it—at least the non-promotional aspect of it, if you can separate that from the product.

Continue reading The Best Movie Trailers Of 2019 at The Playlist.

History was made today as the Art Directors Guild awarded Disney Plus and Lucasfilm’s “The Mandalorian” its first guid nomination as the 2020 Art Directors Guild Awards were announced.  On a day that saw Apple TV Plus land its first Golden Globe nods, it’s significant how quickly the new streaming players are making a mark this awards season.  Also noteworthy was a nomination in the Contemporary Film category for Bong Joon Ho’s “Parastite,” a rare nod for a non-English language film which demonstrates how the NEON release is resonating throughout the industry.

Continue reading ‘The Mandalorian,’ ‘Parasite,’ ‘Euphoria’ Earn 2020 Art Directors Guild Awards Nominations at The Playlist.

In the Always On™ age, first impressions are everything. When a movie receives its Sundance premiere in January— but often won’t reach audiences until many months later— reviews are important. However, posters are arguably just as crucial. If you’ve got a good poster, your audience is halfway into purchasing tickets. Some one-sheets are elusive, remembering that simplicity is key and bright colors are good at distracting contemporary viewers with a short attention span.

Continue reading Best Movie Posters Of 2019 at The Playlist.

Choices were certainly made as the New York Film Critics Circle determined their year-end awards bestowing Best Film to Netflix’s “The Irishman.” The Martin Scorsese drama took the same honor from the National Board of Review just one day earlier.  In a slight surprise, Best Director went to brothers Benny and Josh Safdie for A24’s “Uncut Gems.”  

Antonio Banderas and Lupita Nyong’o landed much needed Oscar assists taking Best Actor for Sony Picture Classics’ “Pain & Glory” and Best Actress for  Universal Pictures’ “Us,” respectively.

Continue reading ‘The Irishman’ Wins Best Picture & Best Supporting Actor From NYFCC at The Playlist.

As much as people say, “You’re your own worst enemy!” it’s never been truer than for the protagonists of “Gemini Man” (2019), “Fight Club” (1999), and “Us” (2019). Whether through movie-science cloning, mental illness or oppressive class structures (with a healthy dose of late capitalism in all three), this week, the Be Reel guys are looking at movies that pit protagonists against literal manifestations of themselves. 

Continue reading My Own Worst Enemy: ‘Gemini Man,’ ‘Us’ & The 20th Anniversary Of ‘Fight Club’ [Be Reel Podcast] at The Playlist.

It wasn’t that long ago that I foolishly said that the “Sonic the Hedgehog” trailer release was perhaps the biggest marketing faux pas the film industry has seen over the last year. While that trailer featured a divisive design for the lead character, the fundamentals were there for a fun children’s film. All that was needed is a little tinkering with the main character, which the director said is happening and the studio is delaying the film to make it right.

Continue reading Jordan Peele Approves Of ‘Cats’ & ‘Us’ Mash-Up As Fans Can’t Stop Combining Disturbing Musical Trailer With Horror Themes at The Playlist.

Coming into 2019, all eyes were on Jordan Peele and his sophomore horror film, “Us.” After the box office and critical success of “Get Out,” which earned Peele an Oscar, many wondered if he’d be able to do it again with his newest feature. And while we don’t know if awards consideration is upcoming, we do know that the box office was even bigger for “Us,” and Peele proved that he’s more than capable of creating creepy horror films.

Continue reading Contest: Win A Prize Pack Including Blu-Ray Copies Of Jordan Peele’s ‘Us’ & ‘Get Out’ at The Playlist.

OK, so we’re in June and basically, we’re at the midway point of 2019. What’s the year like been so far for the cinema? Well, if you’re paying attention to Film Twitter, at this very moment, you will find a lot of writers justifiably griping about 2019’s summer movie season after bombs and flubs like “Dark Phoenix,” “Men In Black: International,” “Godzilla: King Of The Monsters” and the like, but one, barely-even-started season of blockbuster, a year does not make.

Continue reading The Best Films Of 2019… So Far at The Playlist.

Made for a more modest $100 million, and more family-friendly than most (though still PG-13), Warner Bros.’ “Shazam!” singlehandedly won the box office this weekend. Striking lightning with $53.4 million domestically and $158 million total worldwide, “Shazam!” bested the competition internationally too, but the numbers certainly aren’t as high as recent box office superhero properties. “Shazam!” put up “Green Lantern”-like numbers and came in 55th on Box Office Mojo’s list of the highest opening superhero films of all time.

Continue reading ‘Shazam!’ Leads The Weekend, But It’s Not Quite As Super An Opening As Most [Box Office] at The Playlist.

If you’ve seen “Us” by now (and box office numbers would suggest many have), then you’re probably aware that Lupita Nyong’o plays two characters in the film. One is a loving mother that is trying to protect her family. The other, named Red, is the doppelganger that terrorizes the family. And one of the defining ways to tell them apart is how Red’s voice is very unique. Nyong’o recently explained her inspiration for the strange vocal pattern she uses as Red, but that explanation got her in some hot water.

Continue reading Lupita Nyong’o Apologizes To Folks Offended By Her Evil Character’s Voice In ‘Us’ at The Playlist.

Maybe it’s the fact that Disney live-action remakes don’t have the same “special” feeling they once had? Perhaps, it’s just that people weren’t interested in a live-action remake of a rather sad almost-80-year-old film featuring an elephant in a circus? Whatever the case, Disney’s new “Dumbo” debuted at the top of the box office, but didn’t quite soar like the Mouse House was expecting.

Pulling in $45 million domestically, “Dumbo” fell well below expectations and turned in one of the worst live-action remake performances for Disney yet.

Continue reading Tim Burton’s ‘Dumbo’ Can’t Live Up To Disney Expectations With Disappointing Debut [Box Office] at The Playlist.

**Spoilers for Jordan Peele’s latest film ‘Us.’ You’ve been warned.**

Without a doubt, “Us” is a film that benefits from being watched multiple times. After the twist ending, writer-director Jordan Peele almost demands that the audience go back and rewatch the film to catch all the complexities and hints that not everyone is who you think they are. But with all the discussion over the themes of the film, as well as the twists and turns, people really aren’t talking about the religious themes shown in the film.

Continue reading Jordan Peele Breaks Down Religious Themes Of ‘Us’ & Calls His Latest A “Dark Easter” Film at The Playlist.

Jordan Peele has done it again. After the massive, breakout success of his first feature film as writer-director, “Get Out,” Peele went even further into the horror genre with his latest, “Us.” And judging by the first weekend’s ticket sales, it would seem that Peele is destined to put himself up there with some of the biggest names in filmmaking. But as he described in a recent panel, he’s not willing to follow the typical, industry-approved standards, now that he’s found success.

Continue reading Jordan Peele Says He’s Not Going To Use White Males As His Leads: “I’ve Seen That Movie” at The Playlist.

**Spoilers for Jordan Peele’s “Us.” You’ve been warned.**

If you’ve seen “Us,” the latest horror film from writer-director Jordan Peele, you’re probably left with many questions. The trailers and marketing for the horror film are great teases for “Us,” but they sure don’t cover everything the filmmaker throws at you over the run-time. And while you are probably on the hunt for the answers to all those questions that you left the theater left, it doesn’t appear that Peele is going to give you everything you want.

Continue reading ‘Us’: Lupita Nyong’o & Jordan Peele Talk The Unlikely Inspiration For Red’s Unique Voice at The Playlist.

There are certain filmmakers that carry a name that is so trusted that it almost doesn’t matter what the film is going to be about, the director’s name is good enough to spark ticket sales. Some examples of this include James Cameron, Christopher Nolan, and of course, Steven Spielberg. But now, it’s safe to add Jordan Peele to that list. And no, that’s not hyperbolic.

Continue reading Jordan Peele’s ‘Us’ Scares Up Incredible $70 Million Opening Weekend As ‘Captain Marvel’ Approaches $1 Billion [Box Office] at The Playlist.

**Slight spoilers ahead for the latest film from filmmaker Jordan Peele, “Us,” which hits theaters this weekend. You’ve been warned**

First and foremost, Jordan Peele’s latest film, “Us,” is an unabashed horror film. Unlike “Get Out,” which can find itself sitting more comfortably in the psychological thriller genre, “Us” goes full-on horror, with the inclusion of its very own “monsters” in the form of the Tethered.

Continue reading Jordan Peele Reveals The Political & Social Message Of ‘Us’ As Well As His Surprising Cameos In The New Film & ‘Get Out’ at The Playlist.

Following the runaway smash success of his directorial debut “Get Out,” awards season acclaim, Oscar nominations (including a Best Original Screenplay win), and the creation of the mooted “social horror” genre, filmmaker Jordan Peele returned at the just-wrapped SXSW Film Festival with his new film”Us.”

An ambitious follow-up horror, “Us” is not for the faint of heart. Employing the social horror design again, Peele pushes the envelope even further, mines some “Twilight Zone” terrain and explores uncharted territory, as he uses a divided America as the catalyst for a fight between the have and have nots, and what happens when the lines between the two begin to blur.

Continue reading Jordan Peele Talks ‘Us,’ Horror Tropes & The One Scene That’s Described As ‘The Shining’ Meets ‘Moonlight’ [Interview] at The Playlist.

This probably goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway – Jordan Peele is a smart guy. And no, that’s not because he is responsible for one of the best psychological thrillers/horror films of the last decade with “Get Out,” but because the man just gets it. He understands how to play the studio game, and uses it to his advantage in ways that many just don’t do.

Continue reading Jordan Peele Says He Accepted A Modest Budget For ‘Us’ Because He Didn’t Want The Studio “F–cking With My Story” at The Playlist.

In Jordan Peele‘s “Us,” Zora Wilson (Shahadi Wright Joesph) asks her family, “Are we just going to ignore the world’s problems?” after reading a conspiracy theory-like headline about fluoride in the water. After a pause, the radio changes to “I Got 5 On It” by Luniz, prompting the Wilson family to pivot on the topic and sing along and discuss the song’s meaning, because let’s face it, it’s inarguably more “fun” to deconstruct a beloved ’90s hip-hop hit than to bring down the mood with talk about politics, racism, fake news or environmentalism.

Continue reading Jordan Peele’s ‘Us’ Is An Eerie & Muddled Examination Of A Fractured America [SXSW Review] at The Playlist.

It’s been interesting to see Austin and the SXSW Festival explode over the years. Not only has film and music grown, but the festival’s become a trailblazer for tech, interactive, comedy, sports, and much more; SXSW just keeps expanding. Throughout it all, however, the festival has shown very-few-to-no growing pains which is astonishing considering all the expansion. Moreover, the film festival committee and programmers haven’t lost sight of what they do and have continued to deliver their eclectic mix of crowd-pleasing, raucous comedies, and mainstream efforts mixed in with under-the-radar, about-to-breakthrough indies, breakout documentaries and so much more.

Continue reading SXSW Film Festival Preview: 16 Movies To See at The Playlist.