Long before he directed “Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy,” a movie that shaped the sensibility of 2000’s screen comedy to an immeasurable degree, Adam McKay was already schooled in the art of making people laugh. As a young man, the Denver-born McKay cut his teeth at venerated Chicago comedy institutions, like Second City, IO, and Upright Citizens Brigade. McKay then went on to audition for “Saturday Night Live,” where he failed to make the cut as a cast member.

Continue reading The Essentials: The Films Of Adam McKay at The Playlist.

Plenty of ink has been spilled on the evolution (or, depending on who you’re talking to, de-evolution) of Adam McKay, who has gone from the “Saturday Night Live” writers room to the auteur of such likably goofy Will Ferrell vehicles as “Anchorman” and “Talladega Nights” to the Oscar-winning purveyor of message movies like “The Big Short” and “Vice.” His critics—and there are plenty of them,—have accused McKay of committing the ultimate crime for a comic artist: taking himself too seriously, inhaling his own press clippings, and deeming himself not merely the co-creator of Ron Burgundy, but a somber thinker and social commentator.  

Continue reading ‘Don’t Look Up’ Review: A Smug, Glib Miscalculation From Adam McKay at The Playlist.

Like many brilliant women throughout cinema history who toil in obscurity before eventually being recognized for their greatness, it took some of us a while to notice Amy Adams. After all, Adams wasn’t always enjoying the kinds of starry, awards-friendly roles she is now more or less synonymous with. For some time, Adams was competing for screentime with male co-stars who happened to be comedy icons (“Talladega Nights”) and getting cast in such illustrious parts like “Gorgeous Woman” in mid-tier farces (“Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny”).

Continue reading Amy Adams: The Essential Performances at The Playlist.

As is pointed out in the new trailer for the Quibi docuseries, “Big Rad Wolf,” you couldn’t go anywhere during the 2000s without seeing an American Apparel ad. And you probably remember those clothing ads for their surprising lack of, well, clothing.

READ MORE: ‘The Expecting’ Trailer: Mary Harron Directs Quibi’s Horror Series About A The World’s Worst Pregnancy

And as seen in the trailer, that attitude and swagger are all due to the leadership of Dov Charney, the CEO and founder of the clothing empire.

Continue reading ‘Big Rad Wolf’ Trailer: VICE Teams With Quibi For A New Docuseries About The Rise & Fall Of American Apparel at The Playlist.

With a cast list that includes Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, and Timothée Chalamet, you may expect the upcoming film “Don’t Look Up” to be a prestige drama that is clearly setting its sights on awards season dominance. However, as Adam McKay recently explained to Insider, his upcoming Netflix film, “Don’t Look Up,” isn’t a drama. Not even close.

Continue reading ‘Don’t Look Up’: Adam McKay Needed To Make A Comedy Next Because ‘Vice’ Was His “Bleakest” Project To Date at The Playlist.

Among millennial men, actors like Adam Driver and Robert Pattinson get the most notice for assembling impressive, eclectic résumés. But Jesse Plemons stealthily ranks among these giants, even if his contributions receive less publicity and media attention. At 32, Plemons boasts a filmography that’s as impressive as it is varied across film and television. On the silver screen, he’s established himself as one of his generation’s most reliable characters working with greats like Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Thomas Anderson.

Continue reading Jesse Plemons Reflects On ‘El Camino,’ Acting Opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman In ‘The Master’ & More [Interview] at The Playlist.

As an actor, you have to imagine that there’s added pressure when you sign on to portray a real-life person when that inspiration is actually alive and well. Who knows what they might think of it? Maybe, such as the case with Taron Egerton and Elton John, the pop star loved the actor’s performance in “Rocketman.” However, apparently in the case of Christian Bale and Dick Cheney, the former Vice President wasn’t a fan of the former’s performance in “Vice.”

Speaking to Yahoo, while out promoting his new film “Ford v Ferrari,” where the actor portrays another real-life person, Bale told the story about how he found out that Cheney was not impressed by “Vice.” In fact, according to Bale, the former VP didn’t have much positive to say at all.

Continue reading Christian Bale Says Dick Cheney Called Him “A Dick” For His Performance As The Former VP In ‘Vice’ at The Playlist.

Christian Bale is a great actor, there’s no doubt about that. But perhaps his performances are best remembered for the insane physical transformations he goes through. Daniel Day-Lewis may have spent a night in jail for a role, but Christian Bale ate nothing but tuna and apple for “The Machinist” and then went and literally became Batman. Well, it appears he’s either getting tired of leaving NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” in shame with his quicker and more radical weight losses, or it’s taking a toll on him.

Continue reading Christian Bale Says He’s Done Gaining Weight For Roles, So Now You Can Do It Instead at The Playlist.

Annapurna started off in 2011 as a mechanism for Megan Ellison, daughter of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, to invest in and produce films she felt passionate about. Film such as “Zero Dark Thirty,” “Her,” “American Hustle,” “Foxcatcher,” “The Master,” “Sausage Party” and “Spring Breakers,” among others.  Not all of them were financial successes, but enough were.  And they led to a slew of Oscar nominations including four Best Picture nominations.  

Continue reading Can Annapurna Survive Its Current Financial Woes And Avoid Bankruptcy? at The Playlist.

Odds are, if you are an American that went to school in our public school system, you’ve been exposed to the time-wasting traditions of “Schoolhouse Rock!” That’s not to say that “Schoolhouse Rock!” is a bad product, as it’s actually pretty incredible and worthy of anyone’s time. But, it was also used by teachers in public school that just wanted to have some quiet time at their desk while an animated series taught their students the ins and outs of math, science, and of course, government.

Continue reading ‘Vice’: Watch The “Breathtaking” Musical Sequence That Adam McKay Cut From His Dick Cheney Biopic at The Playlist.

The Make-Up and Hairstyling Guild handed out their 2019 Awards on Saturday night and two of the three Academy Award nominees, “Vice” and “Mary Queen of Scots,” both had good nights.  “Vice” took home Best Period and/or  Character Makeup and Best Special Effects Makeup in a Film.  “Mary Queen of Scots” took the Best Period and/or Character Hairstyling while “Crazy Rich Asians” won the honor for Contemporary Hairstyling.

The other Oscar nominee, “Border,” did not make the guild cut likely because it was a foreign language film.

Continue reading ‘Vice,’ ‘Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Look Pretty At Make-Up and Hairstyling Guild Awards at The Playlist.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts revealed the winners of the 2019 BAFTA Awards on Sunday and it crowned a frontrunner for the Best Picture Oscar, “Roma.”  Alfonso Cuaron’s autobiographical drama took Best Film over “The Favourite” which dominated the rest of the proceedings.

“Roma” also won Best Director (Cuaron) as well as Film Not in the English Language (Foreign Language Film) and Best Cinematography.  Along with the DGA honor for Cuaron, it nudges the Netflix release into pole position for Oscar’s top prize.  

Continue reading ‘Roma’ Wins Best Film As ‘The Favourite’ Dominates 2019 BAFTA Awards at The Playlist.

This year’s Berlin Film Festival has announced its Berlinale Special and Competition programs and there are some clear highlights worth mentioning, which means that this year’s line-up is one of the more interesting in recent years.

Obviously, the big name showing in Germany this year is Adam McKay’s “Vice.” Though it’s already in the middle of its US theatrical release and deep into Oscar season, the Dick Cheney biopic will premiere out of competition at the festival.

Continue reading ‘Vice,’ ‘Amazing Grace,’ & More Added To 2019 Berlin Film Festival at The Playlist.

You’ll have to look online to hear who won early in the show, but if “Green Book” or “The Favourite” takes it, Best Picture is way up in the air. “Bohemian Rhapsody” should take it because of John Ottman‘s work in helping shape the “director-less” movie together, but the flashy “Vice” from Oscar-winner Hank Corwin (“The Big Short”) could win as well.  [Updated Feb. 12]

Predictions
1.

Continue reading 2019 Best Film Editing Oscars Predictions at The Playlist.

Still stunned “Mary Queen of Scots” made it with that terrible white makeup on Queen Elizabeth, but it’s got a punchers chance of taking the Oscar. More likely to win is “Vice” for the epic transformation of Christian Bale into Dick Cheney. [Updated Feb. 12]

Predictions
1. “Vice” – Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney
2. “Border” – Göran Lundström and Pamela Goldammer
3.

Continue reading 2019 Best MakeUp & Hairstyling Oscars Predictions at The Playlist.

If you care, the 2019 Critics Choice Awards were handed out tonight. The annual event where the venerable Broadcast Film Critics Association dolled out their honors in order to keep getting those screeners every year and plush interview slots.  And, thankfully for broadcast network the CW, they nominated enough stars in each category that at least some big names showed up.

Oh, and did you know they tell some nominees the night before they haven’t won so they don’t have to show up if they don’t want to?  

Continue reading ‘Roma,’ ‘Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ & ‘The Americans’ Top 2019 Critics Choice Awards at The Playlist.

With less than two full days of Oscar nomination voting left, many contenders have pushed the pedal to the metal in order to ensure they land as many member votes as possible.  Saturday night saw likely nominees such as Alfonso Cuaron accepting awards at the LAFCA film awards and even more will be on hand for the Critics Choice Awards Sunday night in Santa Monica (actually how many big names show up remains to be seen).  

Continue reading Brad Pitt Celebrates ‘Beale Street’ As Oscar Campaigning Goes To The Wire at The Playlist.

The Make-up Artists and Hairstyling Guild announced the nominees for the union’s 2019 awards and there were few surprises.  “A Star is Born,” “BlacKkKlansman,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Mary Poppins Returns,” “Mary, Queen of Scots,” “Vice” and “Crazy Rich Asians” all earned multiple theatrical nominations while “Aquaman” was a surprise nominee in the Special Effects category.

READ MORE: “Vice” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” easily make Oscar’s Makeup & Hairstyling shortlist

On the television side, work from “Westworld,” “Saturday Night Live,” “American Horror Story: Apocalypse,” “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Empire” were all recognized in numerous categories.

Continue reading ‘Aquaman,’ ‘Vice,’ ‘Empire’ Earn 2019 Make-up Artists & Hairstyling Guild Awards Nods at The Playlist.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts announced the nominees for the 2019 EE BAFTA Awards early Wednesday morning and their clear cut favorite was Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Favourite.”  The Fox Searchlight and Film 4 production earned 12 nods including Best Film, Director (Lanthimos), Lead Actress (Olivia Colman), Original Screenplay and two Supporting Actress nods (Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz), among others.  “Roma” landed seven nods including Best Film, Best Director (Alfonso Cuaron), Original Screenplay (Cuaron) and Editing (Cuaron), among others.

Continue reading ‘The Favourite’ Leads All 2019 BAFTA Awards Nominees With 12 at The Playlist.

After what turned out to be a tumultuous Golden Globes, a slew of guild nominations were revealed over the past 36 hours and even with less than a week to go until final Oscar ballots are submitted thinks look “slightly” clearer.  And as one prominent awards consultant is prone to say about Oscar, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

At the front of the pack is still Bradley Cooper’s “A Star is Born.”  I know it must not seem that way after the Globes, but as we must, here’s another reminder that what the 88 members or so of the HFPA decide to anoint is not what 8,000 plus members of the Academy are prone to repeat.  

Continue reading Newsflash: Bradley Cooper’s ‘A Star is Born’ Is Still Your Oscar Frontrunner at The Playlist.

Early buzz on Adam McKay’s “Vice” was that the Christian Bale-starring film was going to easily be in the Best Picture conversation almost immediately. And while the film has its fair share of awards season love, “Vice” has also become a lightning rod for debate among film fans and critics. However, no matter what you think about the Dick Cheney biopic, you can’t deny that McKay really swung for the fences with his film.

Continue reading Adam McKay Says ‘Vice’ Musical Scene & Black And White Young Dick Cheney Short Film Will Be Part Of Blu-Ray at The Playlist.

Presumably, you’re still reeling from last night’s Golden Globes Awards winners, chosen by aliens, errr, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Yes, it was a strange night with the musical, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” somehow not entered into the Musical Or Drama category winning Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Actor – Drama for Rami Malek over the presumed winner “A Star Is Born.

Continue reading Writers Guild Awards Nominees Include ‘Black Panther,’ ‘Green Book,’ ‘Eighth Grade’ & More at The Playlist.

If you’re going to count the number of directors who went from very broad, silly, mainstream comedies to respected, dramatic Oscar contenders, the list is small and arguably only contains Mike Nichols who admittedly never made anything as ludicrous as “Step Brothers.” So, with this in mind, it’s been rather remarkable to see director Adam McKay’s transformation from “Anchorman” director to a filmmaker who’s likely going to earn back to back Oscar Best Picture nominations with his last two films, “The Big Short” and “Vice” (possibly a Best Director nod too).

Continue reading Adam McKay & Gus Van Sant Talk ‘Vice’ & The “Unearned Confidence Of The Mediocre White Guy” at The Playlist.

2018 superlatives are almost done, though again, you’ll have to excuse some of us who are late and get our assignments done in the New Year. Indiewire, as you may have seen in the list of Edgar Wright and Guillermo del Toro’s Best Films of 2018 Top 10 lists, has amassed an impressive list of 52 filmmakers putting together their picks of the best movies of 2018, which we covered yesterday.

Continue reading 2018 Top 10 Filmmaker Hot Takes: Love For ‘Venom,’ ‘Solo’ & ‘The House That Jack Built’ at The Playlist.

The weekend after the Christmas holiday is an odd one for the box office. Outside of a couple of new films debuting on the actual Christmas holiday, the top 10 is largely the same as last weekend, with many of the films only dropping marginally or gaining a little bit versus seven days ago. So, needless to say, “Aquaman” is still the big story, outside of a few special December 25th films.

Continue reading ‘Aquaman’ Hits $750 Million Worldwide On Its Way To An Inevitable $1 Billion at The Playlist.