Thompson on Hollywood

HBO's Accidental Feminism, From Lena Dunham's Hannah Horvath to Laura Dern's Amy Jellicoe

Features

With the recent finale of the second season of “Girls,” and the “Enlightened” season finale still resonating in my mind, I’ve been thinking more and more about the characters from both shows. The upcoming new season of “Veep” is only a few weeks away, too, and, even though it’s a more stylized comedy half-hour, it’s another example of what I’ve come to think of as HBO’s inadvertent nod to feminist sensibilities; these three shows have female protagonists who are far from lovable -- but we love them. What’s going on here?

By Julia Chasman
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March 21, 2013 11:37 AM
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Farewell to HBO's Under-Appreciated 'Enlightened'

Television

The reaction on the Twittersphere was immediate and noisy to HBO's announcement that it was killing the critically praised but underwatched tragi-comedy "Enlightened," starring Laura Dern (who won a Golden Globe for her turn as sunny but frustrated corporate employee Amy Jellicoe), Mike White (creator of the series), Luke Wilson, Timm Sharp and Diane Ladd.

By Beth Hanna
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March 20, 2013 2:04 PM
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'Top of the Lake' Recap 1: A Brilliant Beginning to Jane Campion's Dark, Deep and Dreamlike Mystery

Television

“Top of the Lake,” the new Sundance Channel miniseries created, written and directed in part by Jane Campion, is a masterfully twisty creation that floats just out of the reach of comfortable comprehension. Its characters, united in the search for a missing girl against an ominous backdrop of awesome scenery and local misogyny, move through scenes that are at once anchored in the real and yet have a dreamlike quality.

By Beth Hanna
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March 18, 2013 11:41 PM
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Trailer Watch: 'Game of Thrones' Will Have a 'Beast' of a Third Season

Television

I am not alone in eagerly awaiting the arrival of "Game of Thrones" Season Three on March 31. The new trailer has landed, titled "The Beast." Clearly, just as the first two seasons were jampacked with astonishing deaths and horrifying betrayals, Season 3 will continue to deliver all the expected shocks.

By Anne Thompson
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March 18, 2013 2:26 PM
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'Girls' Recap 10: Saving the Worst for Last

Television

If last week’s episode dealt with body horror (ass splinters! lodged Q-tips!), this week’s episode deals with the horror of finishing things. Hannah struggles -- but not too hard -- with wrapping up her barely inchoate manuscript, while “Girls” struggles with capping off its second season in a coherent, consistent fashion. It fails.

By Beth Hanna
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March 18, 2013 12:30 AM
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EW's 'Games of Thrones' Season 3 Feature Promises 'Shocking Deaths! Wild Weddings!'

News

"Game of Thrones" fans are champing at the bit for the third season of their beloved fantasy saga to come back to HBO (March 31). EW's preview promises tabloid-worthy twists and thrills. Just as the first two seasons were jampacked with astonishing deaths and horrifying betrayals, Season 3 will continue to deliver all the expected shocks.

By Maggie Lange
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March 14, 2013 6:39 PM
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SXSW 2013: ‘Bates Motel’ Preview a Few Cuts Under Its Pre-‘Psycho’ Potential

Festivals

“Who’s gonna rent a room in the rape/murder hotel?” smokin’ hot Norma Bates (Vera Farmiga) rhetorically asks her introverted son Norman (Freddie Highmore) after a grizzly scene has just unfolded in their creaky house. Based on the first episode of “Bates Motel,” which was unveiled March 11 at SXSW, a number of clunkily-drawn characters will probably swing by the infamous rest-stop, less in the service of true creepiness and more for generic thrills.

By Beth Hanna
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March 11, 2013 11:46 PM
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The Industry: Bad Habits of the Entertainment Media

Features

A lot of loss this month. Time Warner is shedding its magazines. Variety is saying goodbye to its daily edition. And Yahoo is finally losing the jerk-off rule that allowed so many people to work from home in the first place. But the more things change, the more they stay the same.

By J.J. Hunsecker
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March 11, 2013 6:09 AM
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Justin Timberlake Takes Starry SNL to Season Ratings High (VIDEO)

Television

The opening monologue of Justin Timberlake's fifth turn hosting SNL started with the premise that the multi-talented charmer was now inducted into the "five-timers club" for people that have hosted the show on five or more occasions (linked below).

By Maggie Lange
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March 11, 2013 2:28 AM
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New Insight from David Fincher on 'House of Cards'

Interviews

"House of Cards," David Fincher's diabolically watchable big-budget foray into Netflix programing, is ground-breaking in its presentation. But the show stands on its own apart from its much-hyped release plan. (CAA reveals the numbers behind the series here.)