Thompson on Hollywood

CinemaCon in 3-D: Scorsese and Ang Lee and Oscar Contender 'Life of Pi'

Box Office

At this point, the folks at Twentieth Century Fox don't need to promote Ridley Scott's "Prometheus." So co-chairmen Tom Rothman and Jim Gianopulos ran through the summer and fall slates--diverse, something for everyone, etc--and saved the big guns for something new they hadn't promoted before: Ang Lee's 3-D epic "Life of Pi" (December 21).

By Anne Thompson
|
April 26, 2012 3:48 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

Clip Watch: Classic Tintin Stop-Motion Animation from 1947, En Francais

As a frame of reference for those of you eagerly awaiting the Jackson/Spielberg The Adventures of Tintin, which opened well in Europe this week, here's the first black-and-white stop-motion part of what some folks grew up on in Europe: Tintin and Snowy (or Milou) in Claude Missone's Le crab aux pinces d'or (The Crab with the Golden Claws, 1947). It's frame for frame the same as Herge's comic book of the same name.

By Anne Thompson
|
October 30, 2011 8:39 AM
|
0 Comments

More:

Butler, Worthington & McConaughey Set for CG 3-D Thunder Run: True Story from Baghdad Front Lines

As Marc Forster's biopic Machine Gun Preacher stumbles at the box office and Ralph Fiennes' upcoming Shakespeare drama Coriolanus is more likely to play for the Academy crowd than general audiences, Gerard Butler is heading back toward action fare. He's set to star with Sam Worthington and Matthew McConaughey in Iraq war movie Thunder Run, a CG 3-D action-thriller from macho director Simon West (Con Air, Tomb Raider, The Mechanic).

By Anne Thompson and Sophia Savage
|
October 27, 2011 6:21 AM
|
4 Comments

More:

Fall/Holiday Preview: Four Films to Get Animated About, Especially Tintin

Bill Desowitz considers the Fall/Holiday seasons animated features, The Adventures of Tintin, Puss in Boots, Arthur Christmas and Happy Feet Two. Which have the right stuff to join Rango as an Oscar contender?It's obviously been a terrific week for Steven Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin, given the mostly positive reviews coming out of Europe timed to the October 26 international release. And judging by the stunning new trailer and the footage I've already seen, the experiment seems to have paid off well for Spielberg and producing partner Peter Jackson. In fact, Tintin could very well turn out to be the performance capture game-changer for animation that we've been expecting, feeding off the momentum from Weta's innovative work on Avatar and Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

By Bill Desowitz
|
October 21, 2011 5:44 AM
|
1 Comment

More:

Cameron Unveils Titanic 3-D Footage for April 2012 Release, Talks 3-D, Exploration, Avatar

James Cameron loves 3-D. He’s believed in it from the beginning—in fact, he’s personally responsible for the entire industry’s move toward 3-D, I was reminded at a Popular Mechanics high-rise lunch in Hearst Tower before Cameron accepted one of the magazine’s 2011 Breakthrough Awards (video of his Q & A, which digs into the Avatar sequels, and acceptance speech is below). Even though everyone told him and inventor Vince Pace that 3-D filmmaking was impossible, they rigged two HD cameras together “and figured it out,” he said, proving that it could be done. Thus they changed the entertainment industry, for better or worse. (Here’s my interview with Cameron about his love of science and exploration for the magazine.) Now he and Pace are testing new sophisticated servo-controlled light 3-D shoulder cameras for shooting sports and concerts, “serving broadcasters on a global basis,” Cameron said.

By Anne Thompson
|
October 20, 2011 6:26 AM
|
9 Comments

More:

Adventures of Tintin Early Reviews are Mixed: Delightful, Dazzling, CG Wizardry, Vidgame Action

Reviews

Despite his stellar review, TOH! London critic Matt Mueller says there are a few drawbacks to Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson's The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn. An "almost bombastically annoying" John Williams score, for one, creepy close-ups of Tintin are thankfully few, and a "ridiculously frantic and breathless pace" join what some other critics aren't so impressed with. But there are many fans, which should help Tintin reel in an impressive global box office (October 26 overseas, December 21 in the US).

By Sophia Savage
|
October 17, 2011 6:34 AM
|
1 Comment

More:

Review: Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin: Secret Of The Unicorn

Reviews

Our London film critic Matt Mueller reviews The Adventures Of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn, which left him out of breath. The film opens overseas starting on October 26; you'll have to wait until December 21 stateside.

By Matt Mueller
|
October 16, 2011 5:08 AM
|
5 Comments

More:

Oscar Talk: Spielberg's War Horse, My Week with Marilyn's Michelle Williams, Scorsese's Hugo

In this week's Oscar Talk Kris Tapley and I debate Simon Curtis's My Week with Marilyn, which I saw at the New York Film Festival and the Weinsteins have moved to Thanksgiving. "You see a lot working behind those eyes," says Tapley. We agree Williams will make the top five for best actress.

By Anne Thompson
|
October 14, 2011 4:12 AM
|
6 Comments

More:

NYFF Early Reviews for 3-D Hugo: Cinephiles Are Delighted by Scorsese's Love Letter to Film

The reason that Paramount screened Martin Scorsese’s work-in-progress 3-D Hugo as the New York Film Festival's Monday night’s mystery screening, without completed effects or a final score (by Howard Shore) is that it’s a cinephile’s dream. The NYFF audience couldn’t have been a more receptive crowd.

By Anne Thompson
|
October 11, 2011 4:36 AM
|
1 Comment

More:

My Week in New York: Hugo, War Horse, Turin Horse, Parties, Marilyn, Book of Mormon

Monday night's mystery screening of Martin Scorsese's work-in-progress 3-D Hugo (featurette below) marks my last screening at this year's New York Film Festival. The reason that the movie was shown without completed effects or a final score (by Howard Shore) is that it's a cinephile's dream, and the NYFF audience couldn't have been a more receptive crowd. While the movie should work with families over the Thanksgiving holiday, and producer Graham King (nervously pacing in the rear of the theater as ushers passed out 3-D glasses) assured me that they wouldn't have shown the film if the movie wasn't going to finish on time, Paramount wanted to build buzz for the film via the festival and this was the only way to do it.