Thompson on Hollywood

Indie Spirits Preview: Back to Beach with Host McHale; Oscar Nominees Favored to Win; Hudson Talks

It's back to the beach in Santa Monica (amid threats of rain) for the 26th edition of the Independent Spirit Awards, which are voted on by some 5000 members of Film Independent, and take place the Saturday before the Oscars. It won't be hard for first-time host Joel McHale (The Soup, Spy Kids 4, see video below) to improve on last year's Eddie Izzard, who phoned in his duties without seeming to have much sense of the smart indies in the room during 2010's one-off move downtown to LA Live. Former R-rated hosts John Waters, Sarah Silverman and Rainn Wilson honed in on the right vibe for this crowd. Here's the list of presenters.

By Anne Thompson
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February 26, 2011 2:42 AM
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Oscar Watch: The Real Black Swan, Co-Host Franco Rehearses, Does Santa Barbara Q & A, Recites Byron

Never has one movie inspired more men to put on makeup and tights: see Johnny Knoxville at the Critics' Choice Awards and Jim Carrey on SNL, below. And here's the latest incarnation, The Real Black Swan: Lionsgate used Madea to promote Tyler Perry's latest, Madea's Big Happy Family (April 22).

By Anne Thompson
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February 1, 2011 6:20 AM
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Weekend Box Office: Hopkins' The Rite Beats Statham's The Mechanic; Oscar Pix Go Wide

Thriller The Rite, starring Anthony Hopkins in chew-the-scenery mode, topped yet another depressed weekend box office, reports Anthony D'Alessandro:Winter continued to freeze turnstiles as total domestic receipts amounted to an estimated $106 million, off 15% from the same frame last year when 2009 carry-over Avatar was still scorching the chilly season. Warner Bros./New Line’s Anthony Hopkins exorcist thriller The Rite evoked $15 million at No. 1, a number that’s in line with studio projections, but a far cry from the boffo bows of the Oscar-winner’s prior horror-thrillers. Elsewhere, Jason Statham’s remake of the 1972 Charles Bronson film The Mechanic passed $11.5 million, besting CBS Films’ $7-$9 million estimate, but it went toe-to-toe with Sony holdover The Green Hornet for third place.

By Anne Thompson
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January 30, 2011 5:36 AM
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BAFTA Nominations Analysis: The King's Speech Reigns

The BAFTA Awards, the British equivalent of the Oscars, have announced their nominations, dominated, natch, by Tom Hooper's The King's Speech with fourteen. The film presumably has already made a strong showing on Oscar ballots which were due last Friday.

By Anne Thompson
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January 18, 2011 5:30 AM
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At the Critics' Choice Awards: Winners Are Social Network, Inception, Firth, Portman, Leo, Bale

Paramount had a good night at the Broadcast Film Critics Associations's Critic's Choice Awards Friday night, winning three prizes for The Fighter, including best ensemble, supporting actress (Melissa Leo) and supporting actor (Christian Bale), a young actress award for Hailee Steinfeld for True Grit and doc prize for Waiting for Superman.

By Anne Thompson
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January 15, 2011 6:18 AM
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Oscar Race Questions: Nomination Ballots Due January 14

There are several unknowns as we hurtle toward the end of balloting for Oscar nominations January 14. (Here's the schedule.) What we do know: the race for best picture is still between The King's Speech and The Social Network, the popular heart-tugger vs. the more cerebral critics' fave (see the votes at Gurus 'o Gold). Both sides are campaigning hard: both Weinstein Co. and Paramount are throwing Oscar parties this week. (My full Oscar Predicts Chart is here.)

By Anne Thompson
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January 6, 2011 5:00 AM
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USC Scripter Nominations Lift Winter's Bone, Ghost Writer

The USC Scripter Award nominations are in. This award, which is voted on by a jury of industry critics, filmmakers, academics and screenwriters (including me), is given to films that are based on a literary source (anything original is not eligible, nor was Toy Story 3). It is a window into the adapted screenplay Oscar category, in other words.

By Anne Thompson
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January 6, 2011 2:27 AM
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Producers Guild Top Ten Heralds Oscar Contenders The Town, True Grit

The Producers Guild top ten could very well be the Oscar list. They include 127 Hours, Black Swan, Inception, The Fighter, The Kids Are All Right, The King's Speech, The Social Network, The Town, Toy Story 3 and True Grit. The Town is the biggest surprise; left out are indie hopefuls The Ghost Writer, Winter's Bone, Another Year, The Way Back and Blue Valentine as well as Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island.

By Anne Thompson
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January 4, 2011 3:44 AM
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Oscar Talk: Late December Openings, Frontrunners, WGA and Oscar Music, DGA Predicts

In Contention's Kris Tapley and I weigh the impact of year-end releases on the Oscar race. Will Another Year's Lesley Manville squeak into best actress contention, is Nicole Kidman hurt by the weak performance of Rabbit Hole? And what about frontrunner Natalie Portman's new pregnancy? What would it take to push Biutiful's Javier Bardem or I Am Love's Tilda Swinton into the race?

By Anne Thompson
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December 31, 2010 5:11 AM
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Christmas Greetings from the Francos: Grandma Franco Fires Back at 127 Hours Avoiders

Obviously, Fox Searchlight is trying to confront head-on the issue of squeamish moviegoers not wanting to see 127 Hours, which features James Franco as hiker Aron Ralston hacking off his arm. They've deployed the "I Kept My Eyes Open for 127 Hours" campaign, and now Franco (showing his usual canny promo instincts) posts a video interview with his grandmother on Funny or Die: