Thompson on Hollywood

TV Over Movies: from Mildred Pierce and Nurse Jackie to Shameless and Justified

Reading the papers Friday morning, I realized that I'm more interested in Camelot, The Kennedys, The Borgias, Mildred Pierce and the American version of Scandinavian hit The Killing than the new movie reviews. It turns out that I can skip Camelot and The Kennedys, which earned lousy notices. And I'm already watching Todd Haynes' gorgeously-mounted HBO mini-series Mildred Pierce, which is well-acted by Kate Winslet, Melissa Leo, Guy Pearce and Mare Winningham, but judging from the draggy first two episodes, didn't need to be stretched to five installments. And David Ulin's review made me want to go back to my fave James Cain paperbacks, which I read in my 20s. Time to make a pitch to my book group.

By Anne Thompson
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April 1, 2011 6:29 AM
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Weiner and AMC Make Mad Men Pact

Raise high the roof beam, carpenters! AMC, Lionsgate and Mad Men showrunner Matthew Weiner have made their deal to extend his contract for as much as $30 million if it goes to three seasons. He will remain in charge of the lucrative show starring Jon Hamm as Madison Avenue ad exec Don Draper. Variety's Cynthia Littleton has the details:The sides came to a compromise on the running time issue by settling in allowing the show to run at its standard 47-minute length for each season premiere and season finale. The 11 episodes in between will run 45 minutes, but Weiner will have the option of delivering a 47-minute version to be made available on VOD and ultimately on DVD. (There's also been chatter about Lionsgate cutting a deal with Netflix for streaming rights to "Mad Men.")

By Anne Thompson
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March 31, 2011 12:07 PM
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Mad Men vs. Advertising: Weiner, AdAge and the Greatest Movie Ever Sold

Mad Men has been all over the news, from showrunner Matthew Weiner's contract dispute with AMC to disputes about how advertising should be used on the show. Isn't Mad Men about advertising? Sure. But that doesn't mean Weiner should sacrifice his creative integrity.

By Sophia Savage
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March 31, 2011 6:00 AM
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Video Watch: Mad Men's Jon Hamm

For those of you mourning the loss of AMC summer series Mad Men (still mired in negotiations and pushed back to 2012), herewith for your delectation, some Jon Hamm hits. Here are some choice Don Draper quotes. And more videos are below.

By Anne Thompson
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March 30, 2011 6:49 AM
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Mad Men Tug-of-War Delays Show to 2012: Who Should Give In?

Last week Jon Hamm warned ominously that we probably won't see another Mad Men until 2012. AMC confirmed that Tuesday, although it has ordered more episodes from Lionsgate. That's way too long: the show has run over the past four summers.

By Anne Thompson
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March 29, 2011 8:46 AM
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Zombies Rule the Earth, from Walking Dead to 28 Months Later

As zombies become the new vampires, and AMC's The Walking Dead launches Halloween, the dystopian 28 Days Later franchise shows no sign of slowing down.

By Anne Thompson
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October 13, 2010 1:06 AM
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Director Lynn Shelton Talks AMC's Mad Men, MTV's $5 Cover Seattle

Seattle-based indie director Lynn Shelton (Humpday) directed the latest Mad Men episode. She talks to TOH film critic Tim Appelo, who admires her style.Mad Men hit big this week with “Hands and Knees,” Episode 410, thanks to the last director you’d ever expect: Seattle’s Lynn Shelton, 45, a TV debutante and micro-indie autodidact who never went to film school. A stage actor from 11 to twentysomething, Shelton won Slamdance at 41 with her theatre satire and chick flick We Go Way Back. Todd Haynes and Ira Glass became fans. So did Mad Men main man Matt Weiner, who hired her the same day her Mike Leigh-style (and Judd Apatow-like) improvised 2009 bromance Humpday won an Indie Spirit Award. “I just couldn’t believe my luck,” says Shelton. “I went around for two entire months with a gigantic goofy smile on my face, hugging anyone who would let me.”

By Tim Appelo
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September 29, 2010 8:17 AM
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AMC Adds New Crime Series to Strong Line-Up

AMC, with 26 Emmy nominations, continues to bolster its strong line-up--led by Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Rubicon and the upcoming The Walking Dead---by adding a new series. Wednesday the cabler green-lit 13 new one-hour episodes from Fox and exec producer and showrunner Veena Sud (Cold Case) of crime drama The Killing (which will be retitled). The pilot, directed by Patty Jenkins (Monster), was based on producer Mikkel Bondesen's hit Danish procedural Forbrydelsen.