Thompson on Hollywood

Academy Governors Elect Hawk Koch as New AMPAS President

News

Good-bye to Tom Sherak, who leaves behind his unpaid job as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, as he has served his full nine years as a Governor. And hello to a new AMPAS president as Tuesday night the Board of Governors elected veteran producer Hawk Koch ("Gorky Park," "Source Code") for his first term.

By Anne Thompson
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July 31, 2012 11:44 PM
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One Day with Chris Marker, Film Essayist and Influencer

Features

One day, sometime deep in the last millennium, I had the good fortune to be on the receiving end of a phone call from the filmmaker Jean-Pierre Gorin telling me not to make any plans for the next day, and if I had plans, to cancel them. Why, I asked. Because, he said, we’re going to visit Chris Marker. That was all he needed to say.

By Howard Rodman
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July 31, 2012 4:29 PM
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Steve James' Sports Doc 'Head Games' Coming to Theaters this September [Trailer]

News

Steve James' documentary "Head Games" has been acquired by Variance Films for a September 21 release. James ("Hoop Dreams," "The Interrupters") looks at the concussion crisis in American sports, and asks the question, “How much of you are you willing to lose for a game?” "Head Games" is inspired by the events in football star and WWE wrestler Christopher Nowinski's book of the same name, and features interviews with him, Bob Costas, Cindy Parlow Cone and Keith Primeau, among others. Trailer and synopsis below.

By Sophia Savage
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July 31, 2012 4:28 PM
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New Poster for Stop-Motion 'Toys in the Attic,' English-Language Version Stars Whitaker, Cusack & Elwes

News

Hannover House's English language version of stop-motion Czech film "Toys in the Attic" is heading to theaters September 7. The film, voiced by Forest Whitaker, Joan Cusack and Cary Elwes, and directed by Jiri Barta, was the grand prize winner at the New York International Children's Film Festival. Check out the newly released poster and synopsis below:

By Sophia Savage
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July 31, 2012 4:27 PM
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Science Goes to the Movies, from 'Frankenweenie' Science Fairs to Science on Screen Grants for Indie Theaters

News

Theaters and distributors are figuring out innovative ways to make movies into events, from non-profit cinemas to the mighty Mouse House. Science is the lure for both the burgeoning Science on Screen program and Disney's "Frankenweenie."

By Sophia Savage
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July 31, 2012 4:26 PM
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RESULTS: TOH! Best Foreign Films of All Time - The Italians Win with 'Bicycle Thief' & '8½'

Blogs

As of 10am Tuesday, here are the winners of our TOH! Best Foreign Films of All Time Parts One (pre-1960) and Two (post-1960). Disagree? Go ahead and continue voting for your favorites. Below are the top five in each category. France is a clear winner, with four titles across the list of ten, and two winners for the late great Francois Truffaut! However Italy took #1 in both categories (trailers below). Viva Italia!

By Anne Thompson & Sophia Savage
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July 31, 2012 1:28 PM
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Bardem Brightens New 'Skyfall' Trailer with Badass Blond Locks

Video

It's tough to follow Daniel Craig as James Bond opening the 2012 Summer Olympics with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Nonetheless, at least the latest international trailer for Sam Mendes' take on Bond, "Skyfall," features badass Javier Bardem.

By Sophia Savage
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July 31, 2012 1:16 PM
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'Seven Psychopaths' Among 60+ New Titles Added to Toronto Lineup; Classics Include Hitchcock, Polanski & Rossellini

Festivals

The Toronto International Film Festival adds sixty new films to its previously announced titles, including titles in the Documentary, Midnight Madness, Vanguard, Kids and Cinematheque programs, as well as the ten films from Mumbai playing in City to City. Still not listed in the official line-up is Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master," which reportedly has a slot. Count on Harvey Weinstein to seek yet another splashy headline after holding out for solo stories on Venice.

By Anne Thompson & Sophia Savage
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July 31, 2012 12:26 PM
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The View from China Part One

Features

After a week in Russia, I headed for Kunming, the capital of the southwest province of Yunnan, China, where my daughter Nora has been teaching English in a rural village near Lincang. With a population of over 6 million, Kunming doesn't scrape into the Top 20 biggest cities in China (topped by Shanghai and Beijing, both over 20 million).

By Anne Thompson
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July 31, 2012 6:26 AM
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Pablo Larraín's 'Post Mortem' Coming to DVD August 24, Second Piece in 'Tony Manero,' 'No' Trilogy

News

Now that Chilean director Pablo Larraín's most recent film "No," a likely Oscar submission, was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics in Cannes and will show in Toronto, the director's 2010 film "Post Mortem" will be released on Blu-ray and DVD by Kino Lorber on August 24.