Maybe it’s time to let the old ways of this almost-finished decade die, yeah? But it wouldn’t be complete without our deep dive into the best soundtracks and scores of the 2010s. It’s admittedly somewhat weird and difficult to do. Scores and soundtracks are different beasts; one original musical written for a film that gives it its emotional shape—often the secret MVP of a movie—and the other more of a mixtape, but when well-curated and used next to picture, can be just as deadly and help craft what we know as the visual and aural transcendence that’s known as cinema when it’s at its best.

Continue reading The Best Soundtracks & Scores Of The Decade [2010s] at The Playlist.

Welcome to another edition of Over/Under Movies, the podcast where we discuss films that we feel are undervalued in some way, shape, or form.

READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2019 We’ve Already Seen

On our year-end extravaganza, I’m joined by Oktay Ege Kozak and Erik McClanahan to reflect on 2018. Not much else can be said about how strong the cinematic output was for the year, so we’ll avoid it entirely and tell you about the films that we thought flew under-the-radar, whether it was critics it didn’t connect with them, or went unnoticed by the public at large.

Continue reading Over/Under Movies Puts 2018 To Bed With The Year’s Best Underseen Films [Podcast] 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.

It was the weekend movie insiders had talked about for months: the box office weekend leading into Christmas with five, wide-release major studio films all coming out at the same time; six if you count Disney releasing “Mary Poppins Returns” early on a Wednesday. So, the battle was on, Warner Bros.’ “Aquaman,” Paramount’s “Bumblebee,” Universal’s “Welcome To Marwen,” and, eventually the addition of STX‘s “Second Act” with Jennifer Lopez.

Continue reading ‘Aquaman’ Splashes Down To Rule The Holidays, Crosses $500 Million Worldwide [Box Office] at The Playlist.

As the Awards Season Hot Take Machine revs up, get ready to see a lot of conflicting opinions about “Vox Lux.” Once you see the movie, which our own Jessica Kiang called “actively, chewily unboring,” you’ll no doubt have some questions. Is Brady Corbet’s pop star picture intentionally, deliciously vapid and pretentious, or is it simply intolerable? Has lead Natalie Portman found her best role yet, or is she the lone shining light in an otherwise head-scratching film?

Continue reading Natalie Portman & Brady Corbet On ‘Vox Lux’: “It’s Almost Impossible To Go Far Enough” at The Playlist.

As the year races to a close, we’re all on the verge of killing each other, at least on Film Twitter. Everyone’s ornery as we sprint to make those deadlines, but before we declare war on one another, remember we still have inspiring and movie music to celebrate and soothe us. In crafting this piece over the years – Best Soundtracks and Scores – we’ve discovered it’s one of the most soothing, one of the best balms of the end of the year.

Continue reading The 20 Best Film Soundtracks & Scores Of 2018 at The Playlist.

Director Bradey Cobert’s “Vox Lux” is something of a bone of contention around these parts and arguably Film Twitter as well. Following strong reviews during the film festival circuit, the Natalie Portman-starring movie began taking it in the teeth when a deeper swath of North American critics saw the film. While it’s fresh on Rotten Tomatoes currently (barely, 61% and falling which soon means rotten), the discourse around the film is polarizing and generally lands on a love/hate relationship with the film.

Continue reading Listen: Stream Full ‘Vox Lux’ Soundtrack Sung By Natalie Portman With Music By Sia & Scott Walker at The Playlist.

On this episode of Adjust Your Tracking, Joe and I search for meaning in the thematic concerns of two surprisingly connected films from different times. We look at the new movie, “Vox Lux,” starring Natalie Portman and directed by actor turned serious auteur Brady Corbet (“The Childhood Of A Leader,” discussed on AYT #135), and compare it to my HOLD UP of “25th Hour” by Spike Lee.

Continue reading In ‘Vox Lux’ & Spike Lee’s ’25th Hour,’ Real-World Tragedies Are Boldly Weaved Through Fictional Narratives [AYT Podcast] at The Playlist.

It’s been three weeks now with the top three films dominating the box office. “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” “The Grinch,” and “Creed II” have steadily kept those top three spots, providing for what would seemingly be a boring month at the box office, at least narratively. But yet, here we are, and there’s plenty to talk about including outstanding audience retentions holds for all the films in the top 10 especially family fare (“The Grinch,” “Instant Family,” ‘Ralph’ and ‘Fantastic Beasts’ all showing impressive holds from last week).

Continue reading ‘Aquaman’ Makes Waves In China As ‘Mary Queen Of Scots,’ ‘Vox Lux,’ & ‘Ben Is Back’ Debut [Box Office] at The Playlist.

We can probably thank Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper for this, but since we are officially in the musical drama section of fall film season, we now have yet another music video featuring a performance that might be the highlight of the film. This time, instead of the aforementioned Ms. Gaga and Cooper, we have Natalie Portman performing a Sia-written song from her upcoming film “Vox Lux.”

READ MORE: Brady Corbet’s Impressive ‘Vox Lux’ Showcases Larger Than Life Performance From Natalie Portman [Venice Review]

The song, titled “Wrapped Up,” much like “Shallow” from “A Star is Born,” serves as the pivotal song/moment in “Vox Lux.” Don’t worry, we’re not going into spoilers for the film (and the music video thankfully avoids those as well, so it’s safe to watch), but when you see Portman’s character Celeste perform “Wrapped Up” for the first time, it’s a truly touching moment in the face of tragedy.

Continue reading ‘Vox Lux’: Natalie Portman Does Her Best Sia Impression In New Music Video at The Playlist.

Due to the alternate, dystopian timeline we’re all currently dragging ourselves through, 2018 both felt hilariously long but also like it was speeding past us, particularly during these last few months. This is driven further home when you remember “Black Panther” was released this year before the 2018 Academy Awards. With the end of the year upon us, there’s an embarrassment of riches at the multiplex as studios compete to get that holiday vacation uptick with seemingly more than usual blockbuster titles making their debut.

Continue reading 17 Films To Watch In December at The Playlist.

It wouldn’t be an awards season without at least one quality Natalie Portman performance, right? After receiving some strong reviews coming out of the Venice Film Festival earlier this year, “Vox Lux” looks to be the film that enters the actress firmly into awards consideration.

In the latest trailer for the film, we finally get a chance to really see what Portman and writer-director Brady Corbet have up their sleeves for their upcoming musical drama.

Continue reading ‘Vox Lux’ Final Trailer: Natalie Portman Is A Pop Star Born From Tragedy With Songs Written By Sia at The Playlist.

Natalie Portman is on track for yet another successful year. The actress has been given rave reviews for her turn as a fierce pop star in Brady Corbet‘s “Vox Lux,” which premiered at the 2018 Venice Film Festival. In our review by Jessica Kiang, which you can read here, Portman’s turn is described as a “like-it-or-loathe-it-you-cannot-ignore-it performance (I love it, for the record).” 

READ MORE: Brady Corbet’s Impressive ‘Vox Lux’ Showcases Larger Than Life Performance From Natalie Portman [Review]

Portman is one of the most consistent actresses in Hollywood today.

Continue reading The Many Faces Of Natalie Portman [Watch] at The Playlist.

Despite being a serious acting force for decades now, the next year could be the biggest in the illustrious career of Jude Law. With his latest film “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” just hitting theaters with a massive opening, and his first foray into superhero filmmaking with the upcoming “Captain Marvel,” the actor seems to be at the top of his game. But in a new interview, he talks about one film that he finished that probably won’t be released — Woody Allen’s “A Rainy Day in New York.”

For those not aware, Law stars opposite Selena Gomez, Timothée Chalamet, Diego Luna, Elle Fanning, Liev Schreiber, Rebecca Hall, and many more in Allen’s latest film.

Continue reading Jude Law Says It’s A “Terrible Shame” Woody Allen’s ‘Rainy Day’ Is Shelved Amid Controversy at The Playlist.

Watch out Lady Gaga. Natalie Portman is on the scene.

Although “A Star is Born” is still firmly planted in the minds and hearts of nearly everyone in America, it appears as if the upcoming musical drama “Vox Lux” might find itself in the role of the dark horse when it comes time to nominate the best films of 2018.

Continue reading ‘Vox Lux’ Trailer: Natalie Portman Attempts to Nab Another Oscar in the Upcoming Musical Drama at The Playlist.

Natalie Portman is one for three at the Oscars, but if NEON has anything to say about it, she’ll be batting .500 come Spring. After a strong showing at Venice TIFF, NEON is positioning “Vox Lux” for an aggressive awards season push, setting its limited release for December 7th (with a wider rollout in the two weeks to follow). The film will face stiff competition from other female-fronted awards contenders opening in that span, including Margot Robbie’s “Mary Queen of Scots” and Julia Roberts’ “Ben Is Back,” setting up a great awards season line-up of perennial favorites.

Continue reading ‘Vox Lux’: Neon Sets Awards Season Release For Natalie Portman Music Drama at The Playlist.

“Interesting” is such a polite, lukewarm, colorless word. And given that Brady Corbet‘s arrestingly ambitious “Vox Lux” is about as polite, lukewarm, and colorless as Natalie Portman reimagined as a foulmouthed Ariana Grande sporting a spangled catsuit and a God complex, it is scarcely adequate here. But it does speak to the great strides that Corbet has made since his debut, “The Childhood of a Leader,” which went similarly hell-for-leather at its grandiose agenda, but for quite long periods managed, noisily and show-offily, not to be that interesting at all.

Continue reading Brady Corbet’s Impressive ‘Vox Lux’ Showcases Larger Than Life Performance From Natalie Portman [Venice Review] at The Playlist.

Natalie Portman, one of the most accomplished actresses of her generation, will now enter the world of music. Previously, Portman has played a mentally ill ballerina and a First Lady. Now, she will play a musician in the upcoming drama “Vox Lux” directed by Brady Corbet. 

Admittedly, Natalie Portman has dabbled into her musical talents before. Portman has proven her killer rap skills on “Saturday Night Live” as many of us know.

Continue reading ‘Vox Lux’ Teaser Trailer: Natalie Portman Plays A Rising, Bowie-Like Pop Star at The Playlist.

It’s that time of year again: the madness that is the fall film festival season is upon us and the first festival up to bat, as usual, is the Venice Film Festival.

The Lido, as its affectionately known, kicks off on Wednesday, August 29 and the festival is turning 75 years old. It’s an excellent milestone and many are looking back. In fact, the Hollywood Reporter just wrote a piece about the fact how “how the once-struggling event has transformed itself into an essential appointment on the awards-season calendar.”

It’s true, big time players and many Oscar Best Picture winners have debuted there including Alfonso Cuaron‘s “Gravity,” “Spotlight,” Alejandro G.

Continue reading Venice Film Festival Preview: 20 Most Anticipated Movies at The Playlist.

When you make a musical, no matter what the subject, a majority of the quality rests on the back of the music heard in the film. And when you take a look at filmmaker Brady Corbet’s upcoming musical drama starring Natalie Portman, titled “Vox Lux,” it’s clear that the quality of the music heard is going to go a long way to how people enjoy the finished product.

Continue reading Sia & Scott Walker Providing The Music For Natalie Portman Musical Drama ‘Vox Lux’ at The Playlist.

Yesterday, we talked about how some of the smaller films at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival could potentially be lost in the shuffle as this year’s event is dominated by the sheer amount of star power on display. We already knew that some of the biggest names in filmmaking will have debuts at TIFF this year, with awards contenders being presented left and right. But even a couple week’s before TIFF kicks off, the fest is still adding some big names to the program.

Continue reading TIFF Adds Premieres Of Natalie Portman’s ‘Vox Lux’ And Isabelle Huppert’s ‘Greta’ at The Playlist.

This year’s Venice Film Festival might have the most stacked lineup ever seen at an event like this. With huge filmmaking names like the Coen Brothers, Alfonso Cuaron, Luca Guadagnino, and even Orson Welles, Venice looks to be the fall festival that will feature some of the biggest awards contenders this year. And now, as we approach the August 29 opening day, we are starting to get some first looks at some of the most high-profile films featured at the event.

Continue reading Natalie Portman’s Musical ‘Vox Lux’ Headlines First Looks At Upcoming Venice Films at The Playlist.

After Cannes surprised many with a selection of newer or less familiar names over the A-list auteurs that often make up the line-up, it’s been keenly anticipated by festival watchers that Venice was due for a big one. The early-fall festival, which has traditionally been a kick-off to awards season, has gained serious cred in recent years by premiering awards heavyweights like “Gravity,” “Birdman,” “Spotlight,” “La La Land” and “The Shape Of Water,” but even aside from that it’s long been one of our highlights of the calendar, with a line-up that often proves more interesting and satisfying than that of the Croisette.

Continue reading Coens, Cuaron, Lanthimos, Orson Welles Lead Insane 2018 Venice Film Festival Line-Up at The Playlist.

Of all the films premiering this fall, perhaps the most highly-anticipated is none other than actor Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut, “A Star is Born.” The film, which is scheduled to hit theaters later this year, has been building buzz since before anyone has even seen the footage. Coming out of CinemaCon, the film was universally praised and many people started to use the word “Oscar” when describing the project’s potential.

Continue reading ‘A Star Is Born’ To Premiere At Venice; Films From The Coen Bros, Rick Alverson, Brady Corbet, & More Reported To Join Line-Up at The Playlist.

We’ve been so excited for “Vox Lux,” that after it was announced in 2016, it immediately leaped to our 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2017. As you probably guessed, the movie didn’t arrive, and in fact hasn’t even gone in front of cameras. However, it’s about to start rolling, but not without a major casting switcheroo.

Natalie Portman will be replacing Rooney Mara in Brady Corbet‘s film. 

Continue reading Natalie Portman Replaces Rooney Mara In Musical ‘Vox Lux’ at The Playlist.