Thompson on Hollywood

I'm Still Here Reviews: Fascinating, Hilarious, Genuinely Hated, Nucleus of Truth

It shouldn't need an introduction by now (Variety calls it the "most publicly prominent piece of performance art ever"), but The Playlist provides a useful Idiot's Guide To I'm Still Here (which premiered at Venice and opens Friday) in the intro the their own review: "The 'is this a joke' aspect of the entire affair was perhaps best typified on the much-watched bizarro appearance on the Late Show With David Letterman where the celebrity mumbled meekly throughout and the talk show host mocked Phoenix for barely being mentally present. I'm Still Here is a document of that lost-in-the-wilderness period directed by Phoenix's brother-in-law Casey Affleck in his feature-length debut."

By Sophia Savage
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September 9, 2010 6:59 AM
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Fox Picks Up Scorsese's Letter To Elia, HBO Grabs Lebowitz Doc

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is acquiring Martin Scorsese's A Letter To Elia, which played well in Venice and Telluride. The documentary chronicles the life and work of legendary (and controversial) director Elia Kazan. The film is included in Fox's November 9 DVD release: The Elia Kazan Film Collection. Scorsese shares director credit with Kent Jones.

By Cameron Carlson
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September 8, 2010 3:42 AM
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Telluride Review: Errol Morris Goes for Laughs with Tabloid

Telluride critic Tim Appelo was surprised that documentarian (blogger/tweeter) Errol Morris's latest, Tabloid, is well, funny. Having spent some time with the man, he can be quite witty, as are his famous Oscar shorts. Dark humor informs all his films, even his dead-serious docs Fog of War and Standard Operating Procedure. I can't wait to see Tabloid in Toronto, where I'm scheduled to talk to Morris, and he is scheduled to dialogue with another seriously funny filmmaker, Werner Herzog.

By Anne Thompson
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September 6, 2010 11:48 AM
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Venice: Joaquin Phoenix is Not Here

Rookie director Casey Affleck is playing out his hand on the bizarre Joaquin Phoenix documentary I'm Still Here, which debuted in Venice Monday to rousing applause, and is still inspiring huge debate. What the hell is Phoenix doing? Committing career suicide? Creating an indelibly accurate portrait of a miserable depressed self-medicating and deluded actor? Doing an Andy Kaufman-type performance piece, egged on by Affleck?

By Anne Thompson
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September 6, 2010 6:53 AM
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HBO Acquires Toronto Fest Doc Precious Life

Israeli documentary Precious Life marks an early pre-Toronto Film Festival sale as HBO acquires U.S. rights. Directed by Israeli broadcaster Shlomi Eldar and produced by Ehud Bleiberg and Yoav Ze’evi, Precious Life tells the story of a four-month-old Palestinian boy from Gaza who lacks an immune system and requires a bone marrow transplant. This can only be done in an Israeli hospital. As his doctor pleads for help, Israeli journalist Shlomi Eldar decides to document this complex drama about Israeli and Palestinian doctors’ attempt to save the kid's life.

By Anne Thompson
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August 31, 2010 10:13 AM
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SnagLearning Expands Classroom Boundaries

SnagFilms announces SnagLearning, a platform of 125 documentary films that will serve as engaging education tools for students in nearly every middle and high school classroom. CEO Rick Allen calls it a "natural extension" of SnagFilms, which launched two years ago; "teachers have championed our slate of films, which students can stream for free as a means of supplementing their learning. As classrooms stretch their boundaries, SnagLearning will be there – at home or in school – to serve our ever growing community of teachers, students and parents.”

By Sophia Savage
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August 26, 2010 7:44 AM
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New Orleans Films Louis and The Big Uneasy Screen on Katrina Anniversary

It's unheard of for a movie to play one night in five cities before it's finished and before it has a distributor. But nothing about Louis--which inspired widely divergent reactions at a recent Beverly Hills screening--is what you'd call normal. Also marking the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, radio host/writer/actor Harry Shearer's searing expose The Big Uneasy hits theaters August 30 for one night only.

By Anne Thompson
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August 25, 2010 11:22 AM
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The Future of Digital Distribution: A Mini Documentary

The Future of Digital Distribution, a mini-documentary from Game Industry TV, now available here (and below), goes deep into how the online availability of music, film, TV and video games are revolutionizing the way society digests its plethora of media. With commentary from reporters, analysts, Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, Disney Interacting Studios GM Graham Hopper (and others), the topics range from the growth of online purchasing, direct distribution channels changing the relationship between content creators and their consumers, and how social networking will continue to influence the entertainment world.

By Anne Thompson
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August 25, 2010 1:23 AM
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TCA: HBO Unveils New Material from Scorsese, Lee, Mann, Haynes and Milch

Saturday's HBO panel at TCA was full of news on much-anticipated projects from Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Michael Mann, Todd Haynes and David Milch. Amy Dawes reports:A new slate heavy on cross-over cinema talent and enlivened by the antics of wild card talents like Carrie Fisher and Spike Lee was presented late Saturday by HBO, clearly the big dog at the cable portion of the TCA press tour, to finish out the biannual event.

By Amy Dawes
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August 8, 2010 12:59 PM
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TCA: Lennon Hearts New York in Upcoming PBS Doc

John Lennon’s passionate attachment to New York City during the last years of his life is among the themes of LENNONYC, a new PBS doc that will debut Nov. 22 as part of the public broadcaster’s American Masters series. Amy Dawes caught Yoko Ono's introduction at the television critics association press tour in Beverly Hills.