Thompson on Hollywood

Cannes Review: 'Inside Llewyn Davis' Is Vintage Coens

Festivals

There is a moment in “Inside Llewyn Davis,” the new Coen brothers film that stormed the Palais Saturday, when the owner of Manhattan's Gaslight club circa 1961 asks Davis what he thinks of the four Irish sweater-clad singers performing. Davis, a struggling folk singer with an edge, ponders the question. “I like the sweaters,” he says.

By Tom Christie
|
May 19, 2013 8:41 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

Mediocre SNL Season Finale Well-Hosted by Ben Affleck As Several Regulars Depart the Show (CLIPS)

Video

By Maggie Lange
|
May 19, 2013 7:49 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

Weekend Trailer Watch: 'A Touch of Sin,' 'The Young and Prodigious Spivet,' and 'Jimmy P.'

Video

By Maggie Lange
|
May 19, 2013 7:27 PM
|
1 Comment

More:

Arthouse Audit: 'Frances Ha' Debuts Strong With Sold Out Shows in NY and LA

Box Office

After a weak spring dominated by three indie hits that went wide quickly, "Frances Ha" stands out a potential arthouse success. This film could stay in limited release for a while, unlike quick-breaking multiplex players "The Place Beyond the Pines," "Mud" and "Spring Breakers," which will all likely pass the $15-million mark. Coming on the heels of decent starts for "Stories We Tell" last week in New York, and "What Maisie Knew," and ahead of the anticipated big performance for "Before Midnight" opening next Friday, specialized numbers look to improve to decent levels--even if so far nothing has risen to the levels of last May's major successes "Moonrise Kingdom" and "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel."

By Tom Brueggemann
|
May 19, 2013 4:25 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

Weekend Box Office Top Ten Is Strong, Led By 'Star Trek Into Darkness,' Which Pulls In Smaller Audience than Last Film

Box Office

At long last, for the first time this year the box office top ten marked a bump up from last year, thanks to three big performers taking in most of the gross. The top 10 this weekend came to about $158 million. Last year, which saw two disappointing openings ("Battleship" and "The Dictator" followed weak "Dark Shadows"), came to $134 million. "Star Trek Into Darkness" leads the way--while nonetheless failing to meet high expectations--and "Iron Man 3" and "The Great Gatsby" continue to draw audiences. This is an important achievement after a weak 2013 so far.

By Tom Brueggemann
|
May 19, 2013 1:03 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

Cannes: Coens Make A Splash with 'Inside Llewyn Davis' (TRAILER)

Festivals

The Coens made a splash Saturday night with the gala premiere of "Inside Llewyn Davis." The film, with a stunning awards-worthy performance by Oscar Isaac, follows a singer/-songwriter as he attempts to make a go of it in the burgeoning folk music scene of New York's Greenwich Village in the early '60s. Backed by upbeat reviews, distributor CBS Films, producer Scott Rudin and Oscar strategist Cynthia Swartz will make an awards push for the film (here's Variety, Indiewire, THR, Awards Daily).

By Brian Brooks
|
May 19, 2013 12:45 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

ACLU to 'Modern Family': Let Cam and Mitch Tie the Knot

News

Americans love Cam and Mitch, from Barack and Michelle Obama to Anne and Mitt Romney. The two men aren't just the funniest duo on ABC's hit sitcom "Modern Family," they're easily the most visible fictional gay couple in the U.S--and perhaps the nation's most visible gay couple, period. Along with their adoptive daughter, Cam and Mitch are funny, engaging and relatable: the perfect manifestation of the show's title.

By Jacob Combs
|
May 18, 2013 5:19 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

'Star Trek into Darkness' Falling Short in Crowded Market

Box Office

J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek Into Darkness" (Paramount) grossed $22 million yesterday, for a total of $35.5 million since its IMAX-only debut on Wednesday (other theaters were added Thursday). This fell short of the almost $27 million that Abrams' 2009 reboot took in its initial Friday (after $4 million on its first day), so overall it is still ahead. But it looks less likely to equal the earlier film's total of $79 million through its first weekend.

By Tom Brueggemann
|
May 18, 2013 4:19 PM
|
3 Comments

More:

Cannes Fest Diary 2: Dull Coppola, Brilliant 'A Touch of Sin'

Reviews

I began the search for a room in Cannes quite late. I checked hotels.com, home to “Cheap Hotels, Discounts, Hotel Deals and Offers,” which is why I was a bit taken aback when my first offer was for a week at the Carlton for $52,000. What I wound up with was not quite the Carlton; it’s more of a bed with walls adjacent, a former maid’s quarters located on the ground floor of a very large complex; any resemblance to a prison cell, known or unknown, is entirely a coincidence.

By Tom Christie
|
May 18, 2013 12:46 PM
|
3 Comments

More:

Variety Takes a Hatchet To Warner Bros. Movie Chief Jeff Robinov

News

It had to happen sooner or later. New Variety editor Claudia Eller has taken off the gloves and run a tough story about once rock-solid studio Warner Bros. which has been under management duress of late. Ex-L.A. Times staffer Eller is one of three editors in charge at the Penske-owned Variety; she runs film coverage, while Cynthia Littleton supervises TV and Andrew Wallenstein manages all things Digital.