Marshall Shaffer, Author at The Playlist

‘Jurassic World Dominion’ Review: Colin Trevorrow’s Latest Is Unapologetic Nostalgia Executed Skillfully & Shamelessly

June 8, 2022 3:00 pm

Colin Trevorrow’s return to the director’s chair for the (alleged) final installment of the 'Jurassic' saga opens with a fake NowThis video. The zippy edit splices together footage from what Jeff Goldblum’s Dr...

‘Crimes Of The Future’: Viggo Mortensen Initially Wanted A Smaller Part, Léa Seydoux On Cronenberg’s World [Interview]

Marshall Shaffer

June 5, 2022 10:32 am

Features, Interviews, News

David Cronenberg’s new film “Crimes Of The Future” asks its audience to go on quite a journey to the dystopian future. The film’s most quotable line, “surgery is the new sex,” only scratches the surface. Amids...

Scott Speedman On’ Crimes Of The Future,’ ‘Sharp Stick’ & Taking Risks [Interview]

Marshall Shaffer

June 3, 2022 12:25 pm

Interviews, News

The summer of Scott Speedman is incoming. Fans of the “Felicity” star will get to see a new side of the actor across two indie films that will feel like a distinct change of pace for those familiar with his st...

‘Hustle’ Review: Adam Sandler’s Got Game In Boilerplate Basketball Flick

Marshall Shaffer

June 2, 2022 9:00 pm

News, Reviews

Fans of the Sandman know it’s often feast or famine when the comedic superstar steps away from his traditional juvenile humor. The highs are high, and the lows are low. For every “The Meyerowitz Stories,” ther...

‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ What We Learned From Watching The New Trailer

Marshall Shaffer

May 3, 2022 12:00 pm

News

After many years of incremental delays, director James Cameron finally looks ready to deliver the goods on his long-awaited sequel to “Avatar.” It’s been something of a running gag among film fans that the mov...

‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ Review: This Speedy Sequel Zooms Past What Makes The Series Special

Marshall Shaffer

April 4, 2022 1:35 pm

News, Reviews

Not to put too fine a point on it, but “Sonic The Hedgehog 2” really cannot be the swan song for the great Jim Carrey. One of the great comedic careers of recent years cannot end on such a whimper. The star is...

‘After Sherman’ Review: Jon-Sesrie Goff Offers a Cinematic Prayer For & By South Carolina [True/False Film Festival]

Marshall Shaffer

March 9, 2022 1:45 pm

Festivals, News, Reviews

Native sons and daughters of the American South have offered many a meditation on the soil where their lineage was replanted. But the observations and insights of documentarian Jon-Sesrie Goff form something t...

‘2nd Chance’ Review: Ramin Bahrani’s First Documentary Muddles Its Metaphor [True/False Film Festival]

Marshall Shaffer

March 9, 2022 1:31 pm

Festivals, News, Reviews

Lest there be any lingering doubt, director Ramin Bahrani intones in narration over his first documentary feature “2nd Chance” that this is a metaphor for America. This isn’t particularly surprising given that...

‘Mr. Landsbergis’ Review: Sergey Loznitsa Chronicles Lithuania’s Journey To Freedom [True/False Film Festival]

Marshall Shaffer

March 8, 2022 10:08 am

Festivals, News, Reviews

At a whopping 246 minutes, Sergey Loznitsa’s feature documentary “Mr. Landsbergis” spans a duration longer than some non-fiction miniseries that pop up on streamers now. When looking at the film in totality, i...

‘Uncharted’ Review: Tom Holland’s Charms Can’t Keep This Adventure On Course

Marshall Shaffer

February 15, 2022 9:02 am

Features, News, Reviews

Sony’s feature film “Uncharted” may have its origins in a PlayStation game, but the real inspiration comes from a more analog source: jet-setting adventure flicks of decades past. The film’s script, the produc...

Author Marshall Shaffer