Thompson on Hollywood

Oscar Watch: Milk Scores

Milk is far better than I was expecting it to be, even after reading Todd McCarthy's positive review. It had been described to me as small, political, an acting vehicle for Sean Penn. It's far more than that.

By Anne Thompson
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November 3, 2008 5:21 AM
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Oscar Watch: Scott Thomas Leads Actress Field

When it comes to this year's Oscar race, don't believe everything you read. So many movies haven't been seen yet, from Revolutionary Road and The Reader to Doubt and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I hear Kate Winslet, Meryl Streep and Cate Blanchett are all strong Best Actress contenders, but until we see the films...everyone's talking through their hat.

By Anne Thompson
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October 22, 2008 4:33 AM
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Toronto Watch: Wrestler Screens Well

Buyers packed into Toronto's Elgin Theatre Sunday night for the North American premiere of Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler, which arrived at the Fest with a Golden Lion from the Venice Film Festival. Aronofsky tried to cool the crowd down, saying, "There's no way we're going to live up to that hype. It's a gentle, small film." French sales company Wild Bunch believed in the film, he said, and if any North American buyer "is interested, I have a phone number for you afterward."

By Anne Thompson
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September 7, 2008 7:36 AM
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Toronto Watch: Actresses Weisz, Hawkins, Williams Will Pop

Given the hundreds of movies unspooling in Toronto, key press in LA and NY are getting a head start on some of the screenings that will get piled up there. It's impossible to see everything.

By Anne Thompson
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August 27, 2008 5:38 AM
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AFI Tributes Beatty; Clinton, Fonda and Nicholson Show

Yes, Jack Nicholson showed up after the Laker game, slightly hoarse, to honor his bud, Warren Beatty, at the 36th annual AFI Life Achievement fete. Count on Beatty, 71, to attract smarter-than-average tributes. "You drag me in with all these politicos," said Nicholson, who earned an Oscar nomination for Beatty's historic drama Reds. "I'm representing all the fair-weather friends you have in the city who went to the Lakers game."

By Anne Thompson
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June 13, 2008 5:47 AM
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Avatar's James Cameron Talks 3D

Variety tech wonk David S. Cohen conducts an in-depth interview with James Cameron about something he knows a little bit about: 3D. An early believer and innovator in the technology that looks to revolutionize the way many movies are made, Cameron expounds at length. (He reveals some tech details on his next 3D effort, the long-awaited Avatar, due in 2009.) Here's a sampling of their email exchange:

By Anne Thompson
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April 11, 2008 6:05 AM
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Batman's Nolan Talks Dark Knight and Ledger

Summer 2008 is jam-packed with movies vying for screens every weekend from the start of May through Labor Day. Pamela McClintock lays out the stakes.

By Anne Thompson
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March 9, 2008 6:51 AM
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Oscar Watch 2008: Kate and Leo, Not Boleyn Girls

I'm so glad the Oscar season is over that the idea of professional Oscar watchers already predicting next year's awards makes me feel, well, tired. But this is their life, 24/7, while I move on to such mundane annual rituals as the ShoWest exhibitor convention in Las Vegas.

By Anne Thompson
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February 27, 2008 8:09 AM
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Post-Oscar Wraps: Cody, Madonna, Show Review

There's a bunch of post-Oscar stuff on the web today, including this classic shot of Diablo Cody on the morning after. (Other folks are dredging up dated old Cody photos she'd probably rather forget.) I too was moved by her honest emotion on Oscar night. There's also a video spoof of Cody which I decided not to post because I didn't think it was funny. UPDATE: The A.P. details the Cody backlash. I'm glad to hear she's lying low for the foreseeable future.

By Anne Thompson
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February 26, 2008 8:12 AM
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Oscar Party Circuit

After filing my various stories, I repaired to the Governor's Ball, where Pink Martini brought a welcome zest to the black-tie affair. At the tables decorated with cut-glass lamps and red roses, the winners and losers were chowing down on Wolfgang Puck's lobster, macaroni and cheese, and baked potatoes and caviar.