Thompson on Hollywood

Arthouse Audit: VOD Vet 'John Dies at the End' Scores, 'Quartet' Builds

Box Office

The contrast between the fevered buying at the just completed Sundance and the pace of business, particularly for new openings, at specialized theaters was fairly stark this weekend. Among those new films reporting grosses, each opened in only one city (two in New York, one in Los Angeles), all getting a least some sampling among initial viewers.

By Tom Brueggemann
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January 27, 2013 4:19 PM
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Arthouse Audit: 'Amour' and 'Quartet' Thrive in New Expansions

Box Office

While distributors ponder how much to spend on new films showcased at Sundance, the business of opening and playing off previous acquisitions continues, with most of the success coming from higher-level films from top companies, particularly those in the middle of the Oscar race.

By Tom Brueggemann
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January 21, 2013 11:01 AM
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Weekend Preview: Catch Up on Oscar Viewing, Plus 'Gangster Squad,' 'Clandestine Childhood,' 'Quartet' and 'Struck by Lightning'

Reviews

Per usual, January is not a fertile ground for strong new movies. Arrivals this weekend will be fighting for attention amidst the Oscar chatter. Dustin Hoffman's delightfully escapist "Quartet," which had an-Oscar qualifying run, leads the pack at 78% Fresh. Despite its abundance of movie stars, the post-Aurora-delayed "Gangster Squad" is failing to impress most critics.

By TOH!
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January 11, 2013 11:58 AM
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Review Roundup: Dustin Hoffman's 'Quartet' is Genial Escapist Fun

Reviews

Dustin Hoffman's genteel directorial debut "Quartet," starring Maggie Smith and a legion of other notable Brit actors as members of a musicans' retirement community, will play best for music-loving Anglophiles who enjoy the company of wily and entertaining British seniors. Yet again, Dame Smith steals the show as a proud aging diva who arrives with no idea how much she wounded the husband she once jilted during her more playful days at the top of the opera world. Tom Courtenay is her courtly swain, while Billy Connolly and Pauline Collins chew up the scenery as the remaining members of a once-famous quartet.

By Anne Thompson and Beth Hanna
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December 5, 2012 3:26 PM
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'Downton Abbey' Renewed for Fourth Season; Boosts Dockery and Stevens Film Careers

News

Before American audiences have seen even one episode of the much-anticipated "Downton Abbey" Season 3 (finally premiering on PBS on January 6), news comes that the successful show has been renewed for a fourth season on Britain's ITV. Season 3, which recently aired its finale in the UK, averaged a series ratings high there with 9.7 million viewers.

By Beth Hanna
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November 23, 2012 3:20 PM
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Trailer Watch: Maggie Smith is a Retired Singing Diva in Dustin Hoffman's 'Quartet'

Video

The trailer for Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut, "Quartet," has arrived. Maggie Smith stars as a former prima donna (in the literal and figurative sense) ruffling a few feathers at a home for retired opera singers...