Thompson on Hollywood

Richard Burton & His Diaries, 'The Great Actor Who Hated Acting'

Features

In The Great Actor Who Hated Acting, The New York Review of Books' Finton O'Toole looks at the late great Richard Burton. A new book, "The Richard Burton Diaries," delves in to the actor's mind and musings through his extensive personal diaries, published now for the first time. O'Toole recalls Burton's career, his life with Elizabeth Taylor, his impoverished youth and the traps of fame and alcohol as he ventures through the diaries and considers the insight they provide into Burton's psyche. Not only did Burton hate acting, he hated himself. O'Toole compares him to James Tyrone of Eugene O'Neill's "Long Days Journey Into Night," positing that both may be among the great twentieth century tragedies. Check out some highlights from O'Toole's review (which includes portions of Burton's diary entries) below:

By Sophia Savage
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November 29, 2012 7:00 AM
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The Black List's New Site Finds 'McCarthy' Screenwriter Justin Kremer a Home at CAA

News

A month into its new online service allowing screenwriters to have their work read, reviewed and (potentially) pursued, the Black List announces its first success story. After submitting his script to the Black List site "out of sheer curiosity," writer Justin Kremer has signed with CAA.

By Sophia Savage
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November 19, 2012 1:36 PM
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Hollywood Machine Generated $47 Billion for LA County in 2011

News

A report issued Friday by the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. finds that Hollywood was able to generate $47 billion in economic output in L.A. county in 2011, accounting for 8.4% of the area's total output.

By Beth Hanna
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November 16, 2012 1:13 PM
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Forbes Lists Highest Paid Celebs Under 30: Music's Women and 'Twilight' Stars Reign

News

Young women dominate Forbes' list of the Highest Paid Celebrities under 30, with six spots on the top ten, four of which are in the top five. It's music divas Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Adele joining top earning actress Kristen Stewart.

By Sophia Savage
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July 13, 2012 2:11 PM
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The TOH! Addendum to E!'s 100 Best Things in Pop Culture

Features

E! has compiled a list of the 100 Best Things in Pop Culture. It's a pretty broad spectrum that includes some things we'd sooner include on a list of the Worst Things About America, Those Responsible for The Degradation of Our Culture, Reasons Why I'm Moving Into a Cave, et cetera. But let's focus on the positive...

By Sophia Savage
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July 10, 2012 4:02 PM
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Kristen Stewart Is Forbes' Highest Earning Actress in Hollywood; Plus Diaz, Bullock, Jolie, Theron, Parker, Streep, Wiig & Aniston

News

Thanks to "Twilight" and "Snow White and the Huntsman," Kristen Stewart tops Forbes' list of Hollywood's highest earning actresses...

By Sophia Savage
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June 20, 2012 12:37 PM
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The Paramount Picture: 116 Stars, from Indiana Jones, Captain Kirk, Jack Dawson and Ethan Hunt to Aurora Greenaway, Danny Zuko, Benjamin Button and The Godfather

Features

The Paramount Picture at Vanity Fair (where you can access close-ups of the faces) celebrates the studio's 100 years with 116 of its "greatest talents ever to work at the studio." Can you match the stars with their iconic studio roles? Tom Cruise fed the studio for decades, from "Top Gun" through "Mission Impossible"...

By Anne Thompson
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June 12, 2012 1:44 PM
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Barry Diller Gives $30 Million to Motion Picture & Television Fund

News

By Sophia Savage
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June 5, 2012 1:52 PM
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Career Watch: Will Smith, Still on His Throne?

Features

Music-TV-film superstar Will Smith did not mark his return to the box office (after a four year hiatus) with a bang, but it wasn't a crash either. "Men in Black III" knocked "The Avengers" off its top spot, and while it's no disaster, it finished the weekend short of expectations. It's better than expected, but only because the bar with "MIB2" had been set so low. While the landscape has changed and movie stardom doesn't mean what it once did, it's undeniable that Smith is one of our last remaining beloved stars, with a string of successful dramas, comedies, action movies and thrillers. He's been in the public eye for the majority of his life, and has yet to dance on Oprah's couch. Does anyone not love Will Smith?

By Sophia Savage
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May 29, 2012 4:22 PM
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Los Angeles Film Fest Announces Panels & Conversations, Keynote Speaker Chris McGurk

Festivals

The Los Angeles Film Festival (June 14-24), which will open with Woody Allen's "To Rome with Love" and close with Steven Soderbergh's "Magic Mike," has booked Cinedigm's Chairman and CEO Chris McGurk as its keynote speaker. The LAFF also reveals its schedule of Coffee Talks, Poolside Rants, Spotlight on the Craft, panels and conversations.