Thompson on Hollywood

Avatar's Cameron, Shutter Island's Lehane and Transformers' Murphy Talk, Mirren Wins Rome

All the hours James Cameron spent with The New Yorker's Dana Goodyear did not yield the results the director must have hoped for. The 11,000-word profile takes the easy angle on the director--he's an asshole control freak who eats his crew for breakfast. I am so tired of this cliche. The piece digs into many delicious details of the director's career and hard work on Avatar. (And Fox is still trying to hold the media to a fake mid-200-million figure--it's far more.) But while Cameron is certainly demanding and is putting Fox through the ringer yet again, he puts his ass on the line each time.

By Anne Thompson
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October 26, 2009 12:52 PM
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Downsizing: Hollywood Goes on a Permanent Diet

The studio glory days are over, and everyone knows it. Diminishing expectations and returns are the new normal. (Here's Disney chief Robert Iger's gloomy take.) Palpable anxiety is everywhere as the game of corporate musical chairs keeps removing one chair after another. Folks are scrambling to hang on to the good jobs, knowing there will be fewer of them.

By Anne Thompson
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October 26, 2009 9:40 AM
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Gervais to Host Golden Globes

While some folks have been pushing Brit comic Ricky Gervais of The Office fame for Oscar host, he seems perfectly cast for the more internationally flavored and casual (and fun) Golden Globes. He'll be great at playing the room, and he's quick on his feet. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association will telecast its 67th Golden Globes Awards on Sunday, January 17 on NBC. The show has gone on without a host since 1995.

By Anne Thompson
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October 26, 2009 6:23 AM
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#LFF: London Calling

After the Precious screening Friday evening I wandered off into the night and eventually found my way back to the May Fair Hotel off Berkeley Square. I walked down Regent Street, London's Madison Avenue, and was impressed by The Gap display window for LFF opener The Fantastic Mr. Fox. The crisp fall weather is fair and breezy with the occasional drizzle, not too cold.

By Anne Thompson
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October 26, 2009 3:45 AM
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Bloggers Disclosure Rules Redux

J. Sperling Reich of Showbiz Sandbox interviewed critic James Rocchi, journo Michael Giltz and me about the controversy surrounding the FTC blogger disclosure rules. The topic of junkets got quite heated. Here's the post that ignited quite a reaction on this blog.

By Anne Thompson
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October 25, 2009 3:37 AM
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#LFF: Precious Scores in London, Chicago

Anyone wondering about a Precious backlash need only sit through the movie with an audience. The movie plays, people. It won the audience prize at the Chicago Film Fest, and scored at its London Film Fest gala as well.

By Anne Thompson
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October 24, 2009 10:58 AM
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Oscar Talk, Episode 7: Amelia, Precious, Awards Circuit

Fresh off the plane from LA to London, in advance of my London Film Fest activities, I got on Skype with In Contention's Kris Tapley for our weekly kudocast. We went deep on what went wrong with Amelia, what's going right with Precious, the plethora of awards-worthy but small-scale projects from Sony Pictures Classics (from Coco Before Chanel and An Education to Moon, The Damned United and The Last Station), films that will struggle to get plucked for viewing from Academy voters' DVD piles, and the start of awards season with the Gotham nominations and the Hollywood Film Festival.

By Anne Thompson
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October 24, 2009 10:04 AM
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Amelia: When Biopics Go Bad

What went wrong with Amelia?

By Anne Thompson
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October 23, 2009 4:11 AM
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London Film Fest: Coming Up

I'm off to the London Film Festival for a few days. It's my first time covering this fest, and I'm going because they're flying me over. Friday night, they're screening Precious. Gabourey Sidibe is the only one going at this point. Lee Daniels, who is profiled in this Sunday's NYT Magazine, is sick, and may not make it for his Master Class on Saturday.