Thompson on Hollywood

Mamma Mia! Review: Escapist Musical for Dark Times

As a fan of movie musicals, Meryl Streep and the hunky stars playing her trio of ex-lovers, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard, I was eagerly looking forward to Mamma Mia! The Movie.

By Anne Thompson
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July 8, 2008 7:39 AM
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Dark Knight Review: Nolan Talks Sequel Inflation

Finally, I would have preferred to see The Dark Knight in 35 mm, not IMAX. (I will go see it again when it opens July 18.) While the sequences that were shot with giant cameras were stunning at the IMAX venue--especially the deep detailed helicopter shots over Gotham and the amazing car/truck chase filmed in Chicago's freeway tunnels--I found the movie overwhelming. My brain starts to shut down when it gets over-pixillated, and this film goes on for two and a half hours. (Here's Justin Chang's review.)

By Anne Thompson
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July 6, 2008 7:35 AM
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Westerns Top 100 List Sucks: Shane Number One

Check out this list of top 100 westerns of all time from the Western Writers of America. They should be ashamed of themselves for these woeful rankings.

By Anne Thompson
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July 2, 2008 7:31 AM
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Wanted Leads Off LAFF

The LA Film Fest opened with the premiere Thursday night of Universal's Wanted, followed by a Westwood block party. Spirits were high, because the smart director's showcase played.

By Anne Thompson
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June 20, 2008 6:16 AM
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Incredible Hulk: Let's Set Record Straight

The real question when looking at The Incredible Hulk--given all the sturm-and-drang in the media about Edward Norton--is what did he contribute to this movie?

By Anne Thompson
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June 13, 2008 1:31 AM
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Knightley Starring in My Fair Lady Remake?

As far as I'm concerned, the 1938 Pygmalion starring Wendy Hiller and Leslie Howard is far better than the terrible 1964 My Fair Lady movie adaptation of the Lerner and Loewe Broadway smash musical. The movie got by on Rex Harrison and the great music, barely. It was one of those cases where Hollywood insisted on casting a star--Audrey Hepburn, who was voiced by Marnie Nixon--instead of Broadway sensation Julie Andrews, who went on to score in the blockbuster movie musicals Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music instead!

By Anne Thompson
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June 6, 2008 7:32 AM
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Cannes Watch: Indiana Jones

I saw it coming. Ever since Paramount announced that Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Kingdom of the Crystal Skull would not screen for anyone before its May 18 unveiling at Cannes (in advance of its worldwide launch May 22), I felt that Spielberg and Co. might be setting themselves up. The anticipation of this film is too great, the pressure for information is wrecking havoc on the internet. As the NYT reports, several exhibitor screenings have added to the din surrounding this film. So far the PR strategy has been to dole out interviews to press who have not yet seen it; Vanity Fair, EW, the LAT and others have played ball.

By Anne Thompson
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May 12, 2008 4:31 AM
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Twilight MySpace Teaser Trailer Clicks Over 2 Million Views

Summit Entertainment is doing cartwheels. That's because they're already in production on a movie, Twilight, based on the first book in a trilogy vampire saga by book phenom Stephenie Meyer.

By Anne Thompson
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May 8, 2008 5:28 AM
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Summer Begins: Iron Man, Speed Racer, and Superheroes

Let the summer games begin. The LAT's Ken Turan takes on summer blockbuster syndrome, while The Huffington Post addresses summer superheroes.

By Anne Thompson
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May 1, 2008 5:48 AM
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Iron Man: Downey and Favreau Rock

I managed to convince Paramount to show me Iron Man earlier this week, and grabbed director Jon Favreau for a phone interview from the European leg of his round-the-world press tour, from Paris to Rome to the London Premiere. Here's my Iron Man column, which even explains why Samuel Jackson and Hilary Swank aren't in the movie.