Thompson on Hollywood

2 or 3 Things I Learned at NYFF Opening Night

During my 20s in Manhattan, I looked forward to the New York Film Festival every September, when there was a nip in the air; it brought the start of the fall season. Here's what I learned at the 47th NYFF opening night:

By Anne Thompson
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September 26, 2009 8:10 AM
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Who Should Play Barbie?

Of course we don't even know what take Universal will have on its live-action movie based on Mattel's 50-year-old Barbie doll. Will it be a broad family comedy? What period? Tone? Mattel's sixteen animated videos sold 75 million units worldwide. Now they're gearing up a movie based on the universally recognized girl toy.

By Anne Thompson
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September 26, 2009 5:37 AM
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Top Ten Trailers of the Week

Visible Measures tracks the most-watched online film trailers each week. They chart unreleased films that are within ten weeks of general release. More often than not, the most-watched trailers measure audience interest in movies most likely to succeed.

By Anne Thompson
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September 26, 2009 4:24 AM
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Penn and Teller Go to the Bees

Horrifying YouTube clip of Penn and Teller unleashing hordes of stinging, real bees. The cameraman is protected. They are not.

By Anne Thompson
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September 26, 2009 4:15 AM
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Ortenberg Leaving Weinsteins

Tom Ortenberg has left the Weinstein Co. eight months after he joined them. The Weinsteins gave the story to Deadline Hollywood Daily.

By Anne Thompson
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September 25, 2009 12:22 PM
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Reviews: Surrogates, Capitalism: A Love Story, Coco Before Chanel

Leonard Maltin reviews three new movies opening this week:

By Leonard Maltin
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September 25, 2009 4:02 AM
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Rotten Tomatoes Lists the Worst of the Worst

Rotten Tomatoes has collected their reviews and collated the worst-of-the-worst films of the 21st century. Whiteout---how many of Joel Silver's films are on this list, I wonder?---ranks at number 100. What's number one? Check out the lowest Tomatometers of the decade. All of the films on this year's list scored below an 8% Tomatometer score; the top 14 all have 0%. Twelve Oscar-winners starred in a "worst" film: Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro star in two. The comedy genre outpaces any other on the list, with 35. 2002 was the worst year of the decade, with 16 worst movies. Carmen Electra starred in more worst films, six, than any one else.

By Anne Thompson
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September 25, 2009 2:21 AM
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Fall Fest Update, Clooney, Burton, Von Trier, Weinsteins

Festival News:The AFI Festival has selected as its opener Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox, based on the Roald Dahl book. The fest takes place October 30 - November 7, 2009 in Hollywood. The movie is yet another George Clooney vehicle coming out this fall (along with Up in the Air and The Men Who Stare at Goats). The bad news: the star has to promote them all.

By Anne Thompson
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September 24, 2009 8:27 AM
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Denmark Submits Terribly Happy; Remake in Works

It's that time of year when one after the other, countries around the world submit their best choice for Oscar contention in the foreign film category. Only five will be nominated. (Last year 67 films were entered.) The latest submission comes from Denmark, which has chosen Henrik Rubin Genz's droll cop film noir Terribly Happy (Frytgtelig lykkelig). The international hit won six Bodil Awards out of seven nominations. Oscilloscope will release the film in North America.

By Anne Thompson
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September 24, 2009 6:49 AM
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Variety Makes Changes

Variety is undergoing some major changes. Some are a factor of the venerable trade paper's adjustment to the challenging advertising economy. In the past year, the company has trimmed down in size over several rounds of layoffs which saw the departures of not only me but hard-driving daily editors Michael Speier and Kathy Lyford. Both were well-paid, high-level execs with years of newsroom experience. Speier moved briefly to The Wrap (which also picked up ex-Variety TV editor Joseph Adalian) but Speier is leaving in order to run internal publications at Disney.