Thompson on Hollywood

The Flixster Effect: 2 Billion Movie Ratings

Call it the Flixster Effect.

By Anne Thompson
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October 12, 2009 7:16 AM
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3 Comments

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Weekend Read: 2012 Clips, FIND Conference, FTC Blog Rules, Polanski Culture Clash

Filmmaker Magazine reports from this weekend's FIND conference. So does Screen.

By Anne Thompson
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October 12, 2009 5:13 AM
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Where the Wild Things Are: Too Costly to Succeed?

Where the Wild Things Are pushes my buttons.

By Anne Thompson
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October 12, 2009 2:17 AM
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29 Comments

Girl with Dragon Tattoo Gets U.S. Release

As I speed through the second installment of the late Swedish author Steig Larsson's global bestseller, the Millenium Trilogy, Music Box Films is considering a U.S. release of the Swedish crime thriller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which has grossed almost $100 million worldwide to date. (Here's Variety's review. The trailer is on the jump.)

By Anne Thompson
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October 11, 2009 11:13 AM
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First Award Screeners: Anvil, Trucker

The first screener to the Academy membership Anvil! The Story of Anvil went out Thursday, right before an industry screening at the WGA attended by the likes of Steve Zaillian, Robert Culp, Edward James Olmos and Cameron Crowe. Oscar campaigning is a good thing. But the documentary branch of the Academy nominates its "short" list of fifteen, then the final five. Anvil, while well-reviewed and arguably far from just a music doc, has a lot to overcome. Here's my current assessment of the doc Oscar race.

By Anne Thompson
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October 9, 2009 12:53 PM
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Weekend Must-Sees: The Damned United and An Education

Weekend Must to Avoid:Couples Retreat Tomatometer 11 % Metascore 24 The notion of Swingers Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau reuniting for a vacation on Bora Bora may seem appealing, but run as fast as you can from this turkey. Making audiences suffer through couples therapy, among other things, was a bad idea.

By Anne Thompson
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October 9, 2009 11:22 AM
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Oscar Talk, Episode 5: An Education, Hosts, Best Actress

In Episode 5 of Oscar Talk, In Contention's Kris Tapley and I discuss possible hosts and producers for the Oscarcast, the strength and weakness of the Best Actress category, and whether Peter Sarsgaard should be considered lead or supporting actor for An Education, which opens Friday.

By Anne Thompson
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October 9, 2009 8:25 AM
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Four Ways to Build a New Open Infrastructure

Digital pioneer Lance Weiler joins the fray with a modest proposal for how the film industry should embrace innovation as it faces the digital future:

By Lance Weiler
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October 9, 2009 3:42 AM
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India Picks Surprise Oscar Submission: Harishchandrachi Factory

Only three Indian films have been nominated for the best foreign film Oscar: 1957's Mother India, Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay in 1988, and Lagaan, in 2001. This year's choice was a surprise, from 40-year-old rookie director Paresh Mokashi: Harishchandrachi Factory, the story of India's first feature film. Made in 1913, Raja Harishchandra was directed by Dadasaheb Phalke, the D.W. Griffith of Indian cinema.

By Anne Thompson
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October 8, 2009 12:30 PM
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Talking European Award and Oscar Docs

The European Film Academy and the European culture channel ARTE announced their nominated documentaries today. The winner will be presented at the 22nd European Film Awards Ceremony on Saturday, 12 December, in Bochum, Germany.