Thompson on Hollywood

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
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October 17, 2011 6:34 AM
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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
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October 16, 2011 5:08 AM
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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
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October 14, 2011 4:12 AM
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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
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October 11, 2011 4:36 AM
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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.

By Anne Thompson
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October 11, 2011 4:22 AM
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Werner Herzog Talks 'Into the Abyss,' Looks "deep into the heart of ourselves" (video)

Features

One reason that Werner Herzog's docs are so compelling and entertaining is that his powerful personality is all over them, commenting, narrating, querying. Herzog's docs, as lauded as they are, are often overlooked by the Oscar documentary branch, which nominated while Encounters at the End of the World but did not recognize Grizzly Man, Into the Abyss and Cave of Forgotten Dreams (which was not screened in 3-D). (Michael Moore cites these oversights in his successful quest for changing the Academy rules.) "It's not easy to figure out how the system works," says Herzog. "It doesn't give me sleepless nights. This one is more what they think the documentary is supposed to be. It's so straightforward. No radioactive albino crocodiles. No commentary."

By Anne Thompson
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October 3, 2011 8:18 AM
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Sony to Stop Funding 3-D Glasses, Pixar's Unkrich to Blog As He Directs Unknown New Film

Just when 3-D seemed to be gaining respectability, Sony has notified theater owners that it will stop paying for RealD 3-D glasses starting in May of 2012.

By Maggie Lange
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September 28, 2011 5:09 AM
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Box Office Scandal: Circuit Dealing Pervades Small Towns, Flagship vs. Century Theatres

In a David vs. Goliath face-off, indie-owned Flagship Theaters recently won an appeal in its crusade against Cinemark’s Century Theatres. Does the age-old practice of circuit dealing — an unethical way for chain exhibitors to muscle studios — still persist? Anthony D’Alessandro digs further into this taboo topic: What is circuit dealing, exactly? It’s a predatory film booking practice whereby multiplex chains strong-arm studios for product in a specific market. If a studio decides to book with the competition in a given community, usually a Mom-and-Pop venue, then the exhibitor will threaten to bar that film (or future films) from playing the entire chain.

By Anthony D'Alessandro
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September 27, 2011 11:38 AM
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Geeking Out with Cameron at the 3D Summit: Titanic, Avatar, Theme Parks

This week, in his Immersed in Movies column, Bill Desowitz talks to James Cameron at the 3D Summit. Don't try to convince James Cameron that 3-D is faltering. He's still a true believer, despite some recent 3-D blowback. He laughed if off as growing pains and negative media spin at the 3D Entertainment Summit this week at the Hollywood & Highland Center, but said it's nothing that can't be fixed with a change of perception and better 3-D authoring and presentation.

By Bill Desowitz
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September 23, 2011 5:14 AM
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Avatar Gets Prime Disney Parks Real Estate; Pandora Lands in Harmony with Nature

Avatar is getting some prime real estate at Disney theme parks thanks to a long-term agreement between Fox, filmmaker/environmentalist James Cameron and studio that will surely result in prime paychecks for all.