Thompson on Hollywood

Sundance Awards: Both Ryan Coogler Drama 'Fruitvale,' Doc 'Blood Brother' Nab Grand Jury and Audience Awards UPDATED

Festivals

At the Sundance Film Festival Awards ceremony on Saturday, director John Cooper broke down in tears. Why? Because it was such a damned fine festival, where so many filmmakers were discovered and lauded. We are in a sweet zone for indie cinema, and Sundance helped to make that so.

By Anne Thompson
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January 27, 2013 1:43 PM
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Weekend Box Office Top Ten: Weak Openers Led by 'Hansel and Gretel'

Box Office

Things picked up on Saturday after poor box office performance Friday due to Eastern weather. But it was still a weak result overall, with the Top Ten down about 25% from last weekend (even without major football competition) and about $6 million under last year (which saw a slight bump for two new Oscar nominees).

By Tom Brueggemann
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January 27, 2013 1:26 PM
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PGA Awards: 'Argo' Wins Big, Plus 'Sugarman,' 'Homeland,' 'Modern Family'; Tributes to Weinsteins, Abrams & Working Title

Awards

"Argo" is on a roll. Ben Affleck's movie won again at the Producers Guild Awards, setting the tone for the weeks leading to the Oscars as one of statistical chances. Without also receiving a Best Director Oscar nomination, four other films have won the PGA's top prize ("Driving Miss Daisy," "Apollo 13," "Moulin Rouge," and "Little Miss Sunshine").

By Sophia Savage
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January 27, 2013 3:34 AM
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Weekend Box Office Preview: Weak Openers, 'Silver Linings' Holds Strong

Box Office

Did you look at the movie ads this weekend and decide maybe it was a good time to stay home? Apparently you weren't alone. Three new openings failed to spark much interest, and combined with other post-Christmas releases that got whatever attention they deserved on their first few days, business collapsed last night. Recent weekends bolstered by the lingering strength of late 2012 releases masked real concerns that box office might be going south again after a decent holiday period. Is this just the dog days of January, or do these results suggest a troubling year ahead?

By Tom Brueggemann
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January 26, 2013 2:07 PM
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Best of the Week: Sundance in Full Swing, First Look at 'Inside Llewyn Davis' Trailer, Cinematographers Janusz Kaminski and Claudio Miranda Talk

News

The best stories of the week from TOH!

By TOH!
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January 25, 2013 7:35 PM
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Oscar Talk: 'Argo' vs. 'Lincoln,' PGA, DGA, SAG Predicts, Sundance Recap

Awards

Kris Tapley and I go toe to toe in this week's post-Sundance, pre-PGA, SAG and DGA Oscar Talk.

By Anne Thompson
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January 25, 2013 4:52 PM
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Michael Moore, In Defense of 'Zero Dark Thirty' - A Movie 'About How We Don't Listen to Women'

News

There comes a point about two-thirds of the way through 'Zero Dark Thirty' where it is clear something, or someone, on high has changed. The mood at the CIA has shifted, become subdued. It appears that the torture-approving guy who's been president for the past eight years seems to be, well, gone.

By Michael Moore
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January 25, 2013 3:12 PM
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Weekend Preview: Critics Hating on 'Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters' and 'Movie 43'; Indie 'Supporting Characters' Best Bet

Reviews

Stars in duds is the theme of this weekend. "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters," starring Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton, and "Movie 43," starring Emma Stone, Hugh Jackman and Kate Winslet (among many others), both have atrocious Tomatometer scores...

By Beth Hanna
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January 25, 2013 2:59 PM
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Immersed in Movies: Exploring 'ParaNorman' VFX

Features

In addition to its best animated feature Oscar nomination, the stop-motion "ParaNorman" has also distinguished itself with a few VFX noms from the Visual Effects Society. It's a testament to both "ParaNorman's" individual accomplishment in pushing verisimilitude and Laika's commitment to transcending the limitations of stop-motion...

By Bill Desowitz
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January 25, 2013 2:57 PM
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Linklater, Hawke and Delpy Return to Sony with "Before Midnight'

News

John Sloss did the right thing. The Cinetic Media chief was pacing the second floor of Zoom in Park City Monday night as his annual Sundance Film Festival party raged around him. He was weighing the offers that had come pouring in for "Before Midnight," the third film in Richard Linklater's trilogy about Celine and Jesse, who first met 18 years ago in "Before Sunrise," and reignited their romance nine years ago in "Before Sunset," which nabbed an Oscar nomination for Adapted Screenplay.