Thompson on Hollywood

WATCH: Michael Cera's Directorial Debut 'Brazzaville Teen-Ager' Premieres on YouTube (VIDEO)

Video

YouTube comedy collective JASH premiered Canadian actor Michael Cera's directorial debut "Brazzaville Teen-Ager," a dramatic short film that represents a slight -- keyword: slight -- departure from the "Arrested Development" star's endearingly awkward shtick.

By Ryan Lattanzio
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April 23, 2013 2:23 PM
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Review Roundup: Michael Bay's 'Pain & Gain' Is a Soulless Macho Farce

Reviews

I had the misfortune of seeing Michael Bay's "Pain & Gain" at CinemaCon, which Paramount mystifyingly screened to the nation's exhibitors, who tend to be a conservative family-oriented bunch who are always begging the studios to release less R-rated fare. Don't get me wrong.

By Anne Thompson
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April 23, 2013 2:05 PM
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Now and Then: 'Veep' and Why We Need Satire Right Now

Television

Satire and solemnity are tense bedfellows, and in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings -- after the flags of nations stiffened in the white smoke of the blast, after the dead began to be named, the wounded tallied, the innumerable stories of bravery recounted -- you might say the latter is the order of the day, and you would be right.

By Matt Brennan
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April 17, 2013 2:35 PM
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Now and Then: Cary Grant, The Man from Dream City, Revisited (CLIPS)

Features

My own fever dream of Cary Grant takes place between cities, sitting down for a Gibson with Eva Marie Saint on a moving train somewhere in Middle America. Headed "North by Northwest," he's at his sexiest then, temples just flecked with gray, tanned and almost ageless. He's not just the recipient of her advances: he's asking for it.

By Matt Brennan
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April 10, 2013 2:03 PM
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Now and Then: Quentin Dupieux's 'Wrong' Exposes the Limits of Surrealism

Reviews

Drafthouse Films, the distributor of Quentin Dupieux's bizarre new film, "Wrong," describes the French director and electronic musician (stage name: Mr. Oizo) as "one of the world’s most fearless cinematic surrealists." The surreal does indeed seem to be Dupieux's preferred register, but this leads me to a trickier question. Should we care?

By Matt Brennan
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March 26, 2013 3:21 PM
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Tina Fey Talks Her Post-'30 Rock' Career, 'Admission,' and Oscar Hosting

Interviews

A few weeks ago I went to see Tina Fey's latest movie "Admission" (March 22) on the same night that I watched the last episode of her seven-year NBC sitcom "30 Rock." Fey is a fascinating example of a pioneering woman who has become hugely successful while playing inside the box of what men can handle without being threatened.

By Anne Thompson
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March 13, 2013 4:28 PM
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Louis C.K. Returns to HBO with Exclusive Hour-Long Standup 'Oh My God'

News

Three-time Emmy winner Louis C.K. is doing his fourth stand-up special for HBO on April 13. "Louis C.K.: Oh My God" is an hour-long exclusive presentation of an all-new performance before a live audience at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix.

By Beth Hanna
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February 28, 2013 2:57 PM
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Melissa McCarthy and Husband Ben Falcone to Helm Road Trip Comedy 'Tammy'

News

Melissa McCarthy is set to direct herself in "Tammy" alongside her husband and co-writer Ben Falcone. The comedy centers on a woman who, after losing her job and realizes her husband is a cheater, hits the road with her fouled-mouthed grandmother.

By Sophia Savage
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February 7, 2013 3:53 PM
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Comedy Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone Launch Important Studios

News

Trey Parker and Matt Stone have launched a production company, Important Studios. The company's value is estimated at $300 million, thanks to boffo revenue coming in from "The Book of Mormon" and "South Park," now in its 16th season.

By Beth Hanna
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January 14, 2013 1:45 PM
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Now and Then: 'Enlightened,' HBO's Masterpiece of Heartbreak

Reviews

"Enlightened" opens with Amy Jellicoe (Laura Dern) gag-sobbing in a bathroom stall, mascara streaking down her cheeks in mournful black rivulets. Like the rest of Season 1 of HBO's masterpiece, which returns for Season 2 on Sunday at 9:30, it isn't all that funny. But to call "Enlightened" simply a comedy is unjust: it's a symphony of regret.