Thompson on Hollywood

Industry Gives Hollywood Film Festival Free Pass

I am surprised by the film industry and the media's continued willingness to give a free pass to entrepreneur Carlos de Abreu's Hollywood Film Festival, a cannily constructed facade which honors stars, filmmakers and craftspeople and lines the pockets of de Abreu.

By Anne Thompson
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October 19, 2009 12:31 PM
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Tree of Life Will Not Open in 2009

Writer-director Terrence Malick's long-awaited family drama about grief, The Tree of Life, will not be released by year's end. Apparition had tentatively scheduled a December 25 release for River Road's 50s period film, which stars Sean Penn and Brad Pitt. But Apparition chief Bob Berney says that a year-end opening was "wishful. It's definitely not going to come out this year." That's because it won't be finished in time.

By Anne Thompson
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October 15, 2009 7:16 AM
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Vanity Fair New Establishment Favors Editor Cronies

The one year that I covered the Hollywood side of the Vanity Fair New Establishment List, I found that the final list reflected less accurate reporting than who was a possible cover subject or socialized with editor Graydon Carter. This year the nasty economy allowed VF to trim some familiar names while the Hall of Fame protects some Carter cronies.

By Anne Thompson
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September 3, 2009 8:16 AM
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Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds Opens Strong

Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds opened strong Friday night, raking in an estimated $14.3 million. (We'll see how it holds.) Reviews were mixed, 69 on Metacritic. Richard Corliss, Roger Ebert and Jim Hoberman were thumbs up on this cinephile's fantasy, while Ken Turan, David Denby and Manohla Dargis were thumbs down on the slow-paced, often ridiculous alternative take on history. Here's New Yorker blogger Richard Brody and LA Weekly's Tarantino Q & A.. UPDATE: Looks like a $37-million opening, and great opening overseas, too. The film performed similarly to last weekend's District 9.

By Anne Thompson
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August 23, 2009 2:36 AM
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Tracking Brad Pitt, EW Fall Movie Preview, The Wizard of Oz

There are two schools of thought among online sites. Increase your traffic measurements via page views by creating as many clickable pages as possible. Which means everybody is creating photo galleries with captions and lists that force you to click on every page. It drives me crazy. Good news: AOL Moviefone--a huge site--has changed its tune. Now they're seeking lingering readers who stay and immerse themselves on the site. (They're picking up my occasional post, btw.)

By Anne Thompson
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August 20, 2009 6:51 AM
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Who Should Star in Harvey?

Now that Tom Hanks is no longer in the running for Steven Spielberg's remake of the Universal classic Harvey--because he was understandably leery, I hear, of the inevitable comparisons with James Stewart in the original role--who could pull this off? Hanks is probably too close to Stewart on some level--people have been comparing them his entire career. The role should be played by a warm and likable man who can convince us that he is talking to a six-foot rabbit. That means a top-notch actor who can hold the screen and pull in audiences. Here's my list: vote! And write in anyone you think I've overlooked.

By Anne Thompson
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August 17, 2009 11:28 AM
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Inglourious Basterds Premiere: Jolie & Pitt

Given that I'd already seen Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds twice, I blew off the L.A. premiere in favor of a family birthday dinner at El Cholo (Nora and Jake made red velvet cupcakes with white frosting). Luckily, there was plenty of other coverage. UPDATE: Here's Marc Malkin. And yes, Angelina wore black leather.

By Anne Thompson
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August 11, 2009 6:00 AM
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Inglourious Basterds: Recut, Nine Clips

Quentin Tarantino's recut of Inglourious Basterds is one minute longer than the Cannes version, and much improved. It's a gorgeous movie with a great eclectic soundtrack crammed with everything from Ennio Morricone to a brilliant use of David Bowie's "Putting Out the Fire." (Trivia question: what movie debuted that song?)

By Anne Thompson
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August 9, 2009 1:52 AM
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Risky Business: Comic-Con Comes of Age

Post-Twilight, Comic-Con comes of age. And yet, it can be risky to chase after that fan buzz. Memorable duds in Hall H include The Spirit and Zathura. When a movie isn't working, the fans sniff it out. But when it does--300 and Superman Returns are vivid examples--they turn up to see the movie in droves. How it plays in theaters is another matter. Watchmen was a hit in Hall H last year--but the good buzz didn't guarantee a wide appeal commercial movie.

By Anne Thompson
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July 21, 2009 6:45 AM
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Pitt Chased Wired Cover

Brad Pitt graces the cover of Wired Magazine's August issue, which just arrived in my morning mail. (The mag hits newstands July 21, and will post on Wired.com Thursday night after E.T.'s broadcast break.) He's frowning at wearing a bluetooth headset, and the coverline reads "With advice from Inglourious Basterd Brad Pitt"---about all the mention his new movie receives in the magazine.