Thompson on Hollywood

Weekend Recap: Coppola's 'Charles Swan' Trailer, Jon Hamm's Next Comedy, and 'Homeland's Damian Lewis Sings 'White Wedding'

News

- The trailer for Roman Coppola's high-style comedy "A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III" (here and below) features Charlie Sheen, Bill Murray, and Jason Schwartzman sporting a major Afro. It's clear that working with Wes Anderson has had a strong influence on Coppola's second feature. - Jon Hamm is considering starring in "Epic Fail," a Kevin Costello written comedy about a high school teacher who attempts to fake some heroism by hiring two of his students to stage a kidnapping of his wife.

By Maggie Lange
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December 3, 2012 7:00 AM
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Things I Learned on the Oscar Party Circuit

Awards

It's been quite a week. Oscar parties are in full swing. This is the period when Oscar campaigners are trying to get their films seen, circulate their talent. Quentin Tarantino showed his final cut of "Django Unchained" to the Directors Guild Saturday to two standing ovations, while Peter Jackson finally unveiled "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" over the weekend in both super-sharp 48 fps and 24 fps (which is how I saw it Sunday). He'll be making appearances this week.

By Anne Thompson
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December 3, 2012 6:26 AM
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Arthouse Audit: 'Beware of Mr. Baker' Best Opener as 'Silver Linings Playbook' Leads Expanding Films

Box Office

Yet another initially successful NY opening of a doc about a performer ("Beware of Mr. Baker") competes with important expansions of several major awards contenders across the country. "Silver Linings Playbook" kept at about the same level of theaters as last week, and held quite well. While both "Hitchcock" and "Anna Karenina" took many more theaters, performing at a solid specialty level, neither has as optimistic prospects as "Silver Linings Playbook."

By Tom Brueggemann
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December 2, 2012 3:47 PM
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Weekend Box Office Top Ten: Pitt's 'Killing' Opens Softly, Holdovers Soar

Box Office

On what is usually one of the slowest weekends of the year-- post-Thanksgiving, when adults are holiday shopping--moviegoers flocked to a wide variety of strongly performing holdovers. The top ten grossed around $100 million, up a strong 40% from last year.

By Tom Brueggemann
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December 2, 2012 1:00 PM
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Haneke's 'Amour' Leads European Film Awards, Wins Film, Director, Actor and Actress

Awards

The European Film Award winners have been announced, with Michael Haneke's "Amour" cleaning up in the four main categories: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Best Actress (Emmanuelle Riva). Full list below.

By Beth Hanna
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December 1, 2012 5:03 PM
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Saturday Box Office Preview: Weekend Dominated by Holdovers

Box Office

A strong group of Oscar contending/older audience films led to a surge in what is usually the dead post-Thanksgiving weekend. With the same top five films as last weekend (although the final order might be slightly different), the top ten films Friday night grossed about 50% better than last year.

By Tom Brueggemann
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December 1, 2012 4:08 PM
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'This is 40' Review and Round-Up: Judd Apatow and Crew Deliver Pain and Laughs

Reviews

With "This is 40," Judd Apatow's fourth feature film as a writer-director, the prolific producer ("Girls," "Pineapple Express," "Freaks and Geeks") has never been more in control of his medium. This relationship comedy returns to Pete and Debbie, the Los Angeles married couple introduced in "Knocked Up" (Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd). It's tight, concise, hilarious, painful and spot-on accurate.