Thompson on Hollywood

Gilles Jacob: Author, Cannes President, Raconteur, Lover of Cinema, One-Time Champion of Trier

Festivals

Twenty-seven hours after he and Thierry Fremaux announced the films in the Official Selection at Cannes this year, Gilles Jacob convened two handfuls of journalists for a pleasingly intimate [read : elbow-to-elbow] promotional luncheon at "La Mediterranée." The restaurant, across the street from Jacob's publisher, Flammarion, figures in a memorable scene in Orson Welles' "F for Fake" and none other than Jean Cocteau designed the plates.

By Lisa Nesselson
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April 29, 2013 1:28 PM
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Book Review: Debbie Reynolds' Messy Life Makes 'Unsinkable' Memoir Readable

Reviews

Written by Debbie Reynolds and Dorian Hannaway, “Unsinkable,” a memoir of Debbie Reynolds’ messy life after middle age overtook the bubbly teenager who spent decades starring in MGM musicals, is not a good book, but it’s worth reading.

By Aljean Harmetz
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April 2, 2013 12:32 PM
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Los Angeles Times Reveals Program for 18th Annual Festival of Books

Festivals

The Los Angeles Times has published the program for its 18th Annual Festival of Books, which runs on the USC Campus the weekend of April 20-21. The lineup boasts over 400 notable literary personalities, celebrity chefs, political experts and other public figures who will entertain attendees with panels, discussions, debates and performances.

By Ryan Lattanzio
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March 25, 2013 6:27 PM
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Relativity Producing Pablo Escobar Story 'Silver or Lead' with Spanish Director Enrique Urbizu

News

Relativity Media has taken rights to a script about the manhunt for cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar, called "Silver or Lead." The original draft is from Michael Kane, while Piers Ashworth's screenplay will serve as the basis for director Enrique Urbizu.

By Sophia Savage
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March 6, 2013 2:34 PM
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Andy Goddard to Direct Adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's 'The Blunderer'

News

Andy Goddard will direct "The Blunderer" for Ted Hope and Christine Vachon's Killer Films and Sierra Pictures, who will also finance. The film is an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's 1954 novel, penned by by Susan Boyd. Boyd's husband, screenwriter William Boyd, is exec producing.

By Sophia Savage
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February 22, 2013 3:48 PM
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Obit: Author Donald Richie Boosted Japanese Cinema

News

Donald Richie, who spent more than 60 of his 88 years in Japan and introduced the English-speaking world to post-World War II Japanese cinema, died February 19 in Tokyo. He is best known for his writings on the great Japanese directors Akira Kurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu.

By Aljean Harmetz
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February 19, 2013 10:07 PM
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BBC Adapting Tolstoy 'War and Peace' Mini-Series, Slated for 2015

News

The BBC has commissioned a six part mini-series adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace"...

By Sophia Savage
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February 18, 2013 1:18 PM
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'Perks of Being a Wallflower' Joins Usual Suspects for Six USC Scripter Award Nominations

Awards

"Perks of Being a Wallflower" joins usual suspects "Argo," "Beasts of the Southern Wild," "Life of Pi," "Lincoln," and "Silver Linings Playbook" as contenders for the 25th annual USC Libraries Scripter awards. Usually five films are nominated, but this year a tie resulted in six nods.

By Anne Thompson and Beth Hanna
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January 15, 2013 11:22 AM
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FINALLY! The Answers--and Winners--for David Thomson's 2012 Impossibly Hard Quiz

Reviews

"Is it too hard?" David Thomson asked me when he submitted his 2012 Impossibly Hard Quiz (to accompany his new Hollywood history, "The Big Screen"). I jumped into the rabbit hole for a few queries and thought if I gave it enough time I'd be able figure them out. Did I have that time? No. And when Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule quiz master Dennis Cozzalio abandoned ship early on I should have known something was wrong.

By Anne Thompson
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December 13, 2012 8:15 PM
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Lena Dunham vs. Gawker: Don't Post My $3.7 Million Book Proposal UPDATE

News

UPDATE: Lena Dunham's legal team has subsequently had the 60-page proposal, which was originally published on Gawker, taken offline. The below lines from the proposal still appear on the Gawker site.