Thompson on Hollywood

CASTING WATCH: Stellan Skarsgard and Hiroyuki Sanada Join Firth, Kidman, Jeremy Irvine in Jonathan Teplitzky's 'The Railway Man'

News

More board the train as Stellan Skarsgard and Hiroyuki Sanada join Oscar-winners Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman, as well as up-and-comer Jeremy Irvine in Jonathan Teplitzky’s "The Railway Man."

By Maggie Lange
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April 27, 2012 11:55 AM
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KiD CuDi Samples "Attack the Block" in his Latest Track, Plus "Hunger Games" Anthem

News

Smooth hip-hop stylist KiD CuDi samples lines from the 2011 British sci-fi comedy "Attack the Block" in his latest track "Hook Me Up With Some More of This Whiskey." The movie's fast and funny style matches nicely with CuDi's sound (listen and download here). KiD CuDi also appears on the soundtrack for "The Hunger Games" (listen below). The intense song "The Ruler & the Killer" masterfully blends CuDi's distinctive sound with the movie. Our ears are perked for more cinema collaborations from the singer.

By Maggie Lange
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April 27, 2012 11:52 AM
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Downtown Film Festival LA 2012 Dates: July 6 - July 13

Festivals

Downtown Film Festival Los Angeles (DFFLA)'s fourth independent cinema showcase will be held July 6 through July 13. The organizers invite filmmakers to submit their features, shorts, and documentaries to the fest.

By Maggie Lange
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April 27, 2012 11:50 AM
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Sundance London: Robert Redford Talks Music and Fighting Tentpole Studios at Launch

Festivals

In Park City, Utah, Sundance founder Robert Redford often prefers to keep a relatively low profile while the festival is in full swing. That certainly wasn’t the case in the UK today, which marked the inaugural Sundance London Film and Music Festival. Redford was a prominent presence throughout the day, in keeping with Sundance’s need to project itself – if only over four days – in a new market.

By David Gritten
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April 27, 2012 8:22 AM
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Produced by Conference Announces 2012 Programming

Festivals

The fourth annual Produced By Conference is assembling its 2012 program. The forum covers film, television and digital industries and topics, features award winning filmmakers and and will be hosted this year by Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, CA. Registration begins here on April 30.

By Sophia Savage
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April 26, 2012 9:57 PM
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Review: Cusack and McTeigue's 'The Raven' Does Not Live Up to Literary Promise

Reviews

Since his ‘90s heyday, John Cusack has seemed plagued by a never-ending struggle to find roles that fit his watchable talents with anything resembling snugness. Where he once made funky-weird blockbusters like "Con Air," bringing his patented brand of wry, whip-smart detachment to the outlandishness unfolding before his eyes,..

By Matt Mueller
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April 26, 2012 9:15 PM
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Tribeca Film Festival Awards Go To 'War Witch,''Una Noche,' 'The World Before Her'

Festivals

The 11th annual Tribeca Film Festival revealed the winners of its competition categories Thursday. This year’s festival presented 89 features and 60 short films from 46 countries; the programmers were led by Tribeca’s Chief Creative Officer Geoff Gilmore, new Artistic Director Frederic Boyer, and Director of Programming Genna Terranova.

By Anne Thompson
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April 26, 2012 9:14 PM
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CinemaCon in 3-D: Scorsese and Ang Lee and Oscar Contender 'Life of Pi'

Box Office

At this point, the folks at Twentieth Century Fox don't need to promote Ridley Scott's "Prometheus." So co-chairmen Tom Rothman and Jim Gianopulos ran through the summer and fall slates--diverse, something for everyone, etc--and saved the big guns for something new they hadn't promoted before: Ang Lee's 3-D epic "Life of Pi" (November 21).

By Anne Thompson
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April 26, 2012 3:48 PM
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Sean Penn's Peace Summit Award Acceptance Speech: Haiti, Systemic Moral Corruption, A Sacred Debt

Features

On April 25, Sean Penn accepted the Peace Summit Award at the twelfth annual Nobel Peace Laureate's World Summit in Chicago. The award was given to him by Nobel Peace Laureate president Mikhail Gorbachev and Mr. Udo Janz. His Holiness The Dalai Lama was also present. Penn's acceptance speech is below:

By Sophia Savage
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April 26, 2012 2:52 PM
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Immersed in Movies: Aardman's Peter Lord Talks 'Pirates'

Features

Stop-motion is back again this year with three animated releases: Aardman's "The Pirates! Band of Misfits" (opening tomorrow), Laika's "ParaNorman" (Aug. 17), and Tim Burton's "Frankenweenie" (October 5). And what I've seen of all three, the bar has been significantly raised technologically to keep up with CG...