Thompson on Hollywood

Now and Then: In Political Films, Reality Trumps Fiction

Reviews

"The Ides of March," George Clooney's latest directorial effort, promises by its very title a mixture of danger, betrayal, and warped power. What we get, though, is more disquisition than thrill ride, a technically sound but ultimately unfeeling film about the cynicism of modern politics.

By Matt Brennan
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January 23, 2012 4:39 PM
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Millennium Gets 'A Little Bit of Heaven' with Kate Hudson and Gael Garcia Bernal; Watch the Trailer

News

Kate Hudson vehicle "A Little Bit of Heaven" has gone to Millennium Entertainment for North American distribution through "a multitude of platforms" (including VOD April 3, and a theatrical release starting May 4).

By Sophia Savage
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January 17, 2012 2:57 PM
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Video: Brad Pitt Laughing Himself into Tears in Moneyball Outtake

Video

You can often tell while watching a movie if the cast had any fun shooting it. The joy most (if not all) of us feel watching "Moneyball" must have something to do with this:

By Sophia Savage
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January 16, 2012 1:01 PM
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Watch: 'Friends with Kids' Trailer Features 'Bridesmaids' Cast Plus Westfeldt, Scott, Burns & Fox

Video

Jennifer Westfeldt's "Friends with Kids" has a familiar-faced trailer hitting the web. It stars Westfeldt, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Adam Scott, Chris O'Dowd, Edward Burns and Megan Fox. TOH! caught the film at Toronto; Westfeldt ("Kissing Jessica Stein, Ira & Abby") is a better filmmaker than she is a movie star...

By Anne Thompson & Sophia Savage
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January 12, 2012 12:50 PM
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HBO Debuts Gervais & Merchant's 'Life's Too Short'; Warwick Davis Stars as Fictionalized Version of Himself

Television

HBO's "Life's Too Short" will debut 10:30pm, February 19. The faux documentary, from "The Office" creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, stars Warwick Davis ("Willow," "Harry Potter") as a fictional version of himself (he helped to create the series): A has-been little person trying to make his way back to the spotlight. He runs a talent agency ("Dwarves for Hire"), serves as vice chairman of a small peoples' society and gets advice from Gervais and Merchant (playing themselves). Stars, from Johnny Depp to Steve Carell, will cameo in each episode.

By Sophia Savage
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January 9, 2012 3:52 PM
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Kevin Spacey Talks 'Margin Call,' 'Richard III' and Fincher's 'House of Cards'; Silent Boardroom Clip

Awards

So where is "Margin Call" in the awards derby? Roadside Attraction's surprise hit of the fall season (86 % on Rotten Tomatoes) offers a new indie distribution paradigm as it reached consumers simultaneously via both VOD and theaters ($5 million gross).

By Anne Thompson
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January 5, 2012 1:57 PM
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Now and Then: Why The Descendants Should Win Best Picture

Reviews

"The Descendants" starts slow, muddied by voiceover and unclear intentions. But it soon sneaks up on you, deepening — ripening, really — until it achieves something approaching wisdom.

By Matt Brennan
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December 30, 2011 2:55 PM
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Now and Then: For Woody Allen, the Place is the Thing, from Manhattan to Midnight in Paris

Reviews

When asked about Woody Allen's New York, critics often cite the glorious black-and-white Gershwin cinepoem that opens “Manhattan” (1979). I’ve always been partial, though, to the rough magic of Diane Keaton’s terrible driving in “Annie Hall” (1977). (See clips below.)

By Matt Brennan
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December 19, 2011 12:16 PM
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WATCH: More on Kristen Wiig's Global Ban on Breathing

Blogs

Who doesn't love Kristen Wiig? Here is Funny or Die's addendum to A Global Ban on Breathing and Other Initiatives from Clinton Foundation's Bickering Celeb Division.

By Sophia Savage
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November 18, 2011 2:34 AM
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AFM: Cary Elwes' Directorial Debut Goes to K5 Int'l, Stars Bana & Huston as Elvis & Nixon

News

Benaroya Pictures, who financed and produced Margin Call, have sold Elvis & Nixon to K5 International for international distribution. Cary Elwes is directing the comedy, starring Eric Bana (Elvis Presley) and Danny Huston (Richard Nixon), from a script he wrote with Joey Sagal and Hanala Sagal. Michael Benaroya and Holly Wiersma are producing, and Bana's Pick Up Truck banner is serving as exec producer. The film is set to shoot in Shreveport and Los Angeles. Synopsis is below.