Next month, J.K. Simmons is returning to the big screen in “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” reprising his iconic role of J. Jonah Jameson as part of the mainstream Marvel Cinematic Universe. He will also be back as Jim Gordon soon in the HBO Max movie “Batgirl” after briefly playing the DCEU character in “Justice League.” However, Simmons is still doing non-genre work with Aaron Sorkin’s “Being The Ricardos” on the horizon and is reflecting on how his career got a second wind thanks to a young filmmaker taking a chance on him.

Continue reading J.K. Simmons Says He Was “Flabbergasted” To Return As Jim Gordon & Credits Jason Reitman For Landing ‘Whiplash’ Role at The Playlist.

The future is streaming. No matter if you’re one of the people that is a diehard cinema-goer, there’s just no way to look past the fact that many films that would have gone to theaters are now being sent directly to streaming. And with streaming films getting Oscar noms and Peak TV still at its, uh, peak, being on a streaming platform isn’t the worst thing in the world. One person who has thought a lot about the idea of streaming versus theatrical release is none other than Blumhouse founder Jason Blum.

Continue reading Jason Blum Calls ‘Whiplash’ A “Disaster Theatrically” & Says The Days Of Low-Budget Dramas In Theaters Are Over at The Playlist.

While current Best Director Oscar winner Damien Chazelle certainly didn’t invent the whip-pan, he’s made it a trademark of his first three films, as shown in this video essay from Alejandro Torriggino. A whip-pan, a rapid horizontal movement of the camera, can imbue a scene with a frenzied, kinetic energy and can also give the audience a more exact understanding of the blocking of the characters in a scene than a more traditional cut would.

Continue reading Look At ‘La La Land’ Helmer Damien Chazelle’s Love of Whip-Pans at The Playlist.

It’s a big week, gang. The Sundance Film Festival is still going strong, with more hotly-tipped movies set to premiere, while tomorrow sees one of the biggest events of the film year, with the announcement of this year’s Oscar nods, where Kenneth Lonergan’s “Manchester By The Sea,” one of the biggest hits of last year’s Sundance, is expected to be one of the most nominated films.

Continue reading The Sundance Film Festival’s 20 Biggest Oscar Success Stories at The Playlist.

Damien Chazelle’s “Whiplash” and Darren Aronofsky‘s “Black Swan” are more similar than not. Both stunning, masterfully accomplishments on their own, these two awards contenders equally celebrate what YouTube video editor Lessons From the Screenplay dubs “The Obsessed Performer” in his latest video essay, “Whiplash vs. Black Swan — The Anatomy of the Obsessed Performer.” Not only do they share a similar premise, involving two performers providing the ultimate sacrifice for their art, but the ways in which these two interconnect — unbeknownst and seamlessly — to each other provides a fruitful double billing worth exploring.

Continue reading Obsession Fixates Itself Through’Black Swan’ & ‘Whiplash’ at The Playlist.

Ah, swear words! We’re taught from such a young age to abstain from using profane language that the desire to use it becomes almost inherent the older we get. An f-bomb here, a slip of the tongue there, these words have been cultivated to be an important part of our modern day vernacular, no matter how taboo they’ve been considered historically.

In film, swear words are the difference between a PG-13 or an R-rating; they’re the unforgettable final line muttered by a scorned Rhett Butler in “Gone With The Wind,” or in a whirlwind performance by Ben Kingsley in Jonathan Glazer‘s terrific “Sexy Beast.” In a new video essay from Now You See It, we learn more about the aesthetics of cursing in film.

Continue reading The Art Of Cursing In Cinema at The Playlist.

Watch: 6-Minute Video Essay Explores The Parallels Between ‘Whiplash’ And ‘Black Swan’

Continue reading Watch: 6-Minute Video Essay Explores The Parallels Between ‘Whiplash’ And ‘Black Swan’ at The Playlist.

Watch: Supercut Reel Of Final Shots From 'Spring Breakers,' 'Tree Of Life,' 'Drive,' 'Inception,' 'Enter The Void,' And More

Continue reading Watch: Supercut Reel Of Final Shots From ‘Spring Breakers,’ ‘Tree Of Life,’ ‘Drive,’ ‘Inception,’ ‘Enter The Void,’ And More at The Playlist.

Watch: 9-Minute Video Essay Breaks Down The Raucous Finale Of 'Whiplash'

Continue reading Watch: 9-Minute Video Essay Breaks Down The Raucous Finale Of ‘Whiplash’ at The Playlist.

Christopher Nolan's Favorite Sequence From His Movies Is The Airplane Kidnapping Scene From 'The Dark Knight Rises'

Continue reading Christopher Nolan’s Favorite Sequence From His Movies Is The Airplane Kidnapping Scene From ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ at The Playlist.

Watch: Gorgeous Supercut Puts Together The First And Final Frames Of Films From Kubrick, Malick, Fincher, And More

Continue reading Watch: Gorgeous Supercut Puts Together The First And Final Frames Of Films From Kubrick, Malick, Fincher, And More at The Playlist.

Watch: Original Short Film Version Of 'Whiplash' Starring Oscar Winner J.K. Simmons

Continue reading Watch: Original Short Film Version Of ‘Whiplash’ Starring Oscar Winner J.K. Simmons at The Playlist.

The 6 Biggest Surprises Of The 2015 Oscar Ceremony

Continue reading The 6 Biggest Surprises Of The 2015 Oscar Ceremony at The Playlist.

2015 Academy Awards: 'Birdman' Wins Best Picture, Best Director & 4 Awards Total

Continue reading 2015 Academy Awards: ‘Birdman’ Wins Best Picture, Best Director & 4 Awards Total at The Playlist.

What Sundance Means To The Oscars, And Which Films From This Year's Fest Could Be Awards Season Players

Continue reading What Sundance Means To The Oscars, And Which Films From This Year’s Fest Could Be Awards Season Players at The Playlist.

'Birdman' Flies Away With SAG Awards, 'Downton Abbey' & 'Orange Is The New Black' Take TV Trophies

Continue reading ‘Birdman’ Flies Away With SAG Awards, ‘Downton Abbey’ & ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Take TV Trophies at The Playlist.

Watch: Celebrate The 2015 Best Picture Oscar Nominees With This Montage

Continue reading Watch: Celebrate The 2015 Best Picture Oscar Nominees With This Montage at The Playlist.

Now That We Know The Nominees, Who's Going To Win The Oscar For Best Picture?

Continue reading Now That We Know The Nominees, Who’s Going To Win The Oscar For Best Picture? at The Playlist.

'Guardians Of The Galaxy' Director James Gunn Reveals His Favorite Movies Of 2014

Continue reading ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’ Director James Gunn Reveals His Favorite Movies Of 2014 at The Playlist.

'Gone Girl,' 'Boyhood' & (Surprisingly) 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' Score 2015 Writers Guild Nominations

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PGA Best Picture Nominees Include 'Birdman,' 'Foxcatcher,' 'American Sniper'; 'Selma' & 'Inherent Vice' Snubbed

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Oscar Buzz: Who's Looking Good In The Original & Adapted Screenplay Races?

Continue reading Oscar Buzz: Who’s Looking Good In The Original & Adapted Screenplay Races? at The Playlist.

ACE Eddie Awards Nominees Include 'Boyhood,' 'Gone Girl,' 'Inherent Vice,' 'Whiplash,' 'True Detective' & More

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Kimber Myers' Top 10 Films Of 2014

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Charlie Schmidlin's Top 10 Films of 2014

Continue reading Charlie Schmidlin’s Top 10 Films of 2014 at The Playlist.