Thompson on Hollywood

Now and Then: Making Sense of Miranda July

Reviews

I am not a Miranda July hater. "Me and You and Everyone We Know" (2005) felt almost painfully fresh to me — I'd never seen anything like it. It had, in offbeat colors and patterns, a preternatural understanding that love and sex vibrate on wavelengths we can't quite see or hear, only sense.

By Matt Brennan
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January 30, 2012 12:46 PM
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SAG Awards Favor 'The Help,' 'The Artist'

Awards

The big upset of the night at the SAG Awards was Best Actor going to Jean Diujardin over George Clooney. The SAG ensemble prize for "The Help" was no surprise. Of the four Oscar nominations for the film, three were for performances. The SAG wins for Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer for "The Help" will repeat on Oscar night, as will Christopher Plummer's for "Beginners."

By Anne Thompson
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January 29, 2012 10:21 PM
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Review: HBO, David Milch and Michael Mann's 'Luck' Pilot Promises More than It Delivers

Television

"Luck" is a world that David Milch knows well. His self-described addiction to the track is legendary, both as a prodigious better and an owner. He once had a horse headed for the Derby who, like a horse in the pilot, broke down (in life, after the Louisville plane tickets had been booked).

By Terry Curtis Fox
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January 29, 2012 5:53 PM
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Weekend Box Office: Oscar Contenders Update

Box Office

The weekend after the nominations resulted in the leading contenders grossing around $30 million total, on par with recent years despite there not being one single film that boosted the total. Rather, the wealth, in varying degrees, was spread around a number of films, with “The Descendants” gaining the most.

By Tom Brueggemann
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January 29, 2012 5:22 PM
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Immersed in Movies: Editing 'The Descendants,' from Clooney to Ozu

Awards

If "The Descendants" has a wild card in beating "The Artist," the front runner, for best picture, it's the George Clooney factor. He elevates the dramedy written and directed by Alexander Payne to cathartic heights.

By Bill Desowitz
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January 29, 2012 4:24 PM
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Santa Barbara Performer of the Year and Oscar Front-Runner Viola Davis Seeks Roles "You Can Sink Your Teeth Into"

Awards

At the height of awards season, at the 27th Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Myrlie Evers-Williams, widow of slain Civil Rights activist Medgar Evers, presented actress Viola Davis with the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award Friday,

By Anne Thompson
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January 29, 2012 3:08 PM
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Weekend Box Office: Liam Neeson Indie 'The Grey' Freezes Out Three Wide Openers

Box Office

With three new wide releases hitting the marketplace this weekend, along with a bevy of expanded Oscar runs, Open Road’s “The Grey” froze out the competition as it took the top spot with an estimated $20 million. The health of the marketplace overall remained robust as the total for all films this weekend was around $126 million, up some 15% from the comparable session a year ago and marking the fourth consecutive up frame at the boxoffice.

By Brian Fuson
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January 29, 2012 1:06 PM
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DGA Award Winner 'The Artist' Continues its Winning Roll

Awards

Michel Hazanavicius took home the DGA Feature Film Award for "The Artist" Saturday night. The DGA also awarded winners in nine other categories during the 64th Annual DGA Awards Dinner at Hollywood & Highland in Los Angeles. Historically the DGA winner not only goes on to win best director but best picture at the Oscars.

By Anne Thompson
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January 29, 2012 3:30 AM
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Sundance Award Winners: 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' 'The Surrogate,' 'House I Live In,' 'Invisible War'

Festivals

It couldn't have gone any other way. The standout film of Sundance 2012, "Beasts of the Southern Wild," took home the Sundance grand jury prize, along with a cinematography award for Ben Richardson.

By Anne Thompson
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January 28, 2012 11:43 PM
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Sundance Eulogy from Bingham Ray's Poker Partners

Festivals

Here's the Bingham Ray Sundance Eulogy, which was read at the Sundance Closing Night Awards by choked-up Fest Director John Cooper, from his poker partners Ben Barenholtz, Eamonn Bowles, Tom Prassis, Arnie Sawyer. Good job guys, it made me cry yet again.