Thompson on Hollywood

Six Things I Learned at the Maryland Film Festival, from the Indie Marketing Gap to Upcoming Divine Doc

Festivals

To get some answers to the myriad questions facing filmmakers these days, directors Joe Swanberg ("V/H/S"), Craig Zobel ("Compliance") and Rachel Grady ("Detropia") hosted the fest's second annual one-day film conference, attended by a stimulating mix of knowledgeable filmmakers, exhibitors, distributors and journalists.

By Anne Thompson
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May 14, 2012 12:34 PM
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Arthouse Audit: 'Marigold Hotel' Still Torrid Amid Weak Specialty Field

Box Office

The strong expansion for "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" was marked by a dramatic jump from 27 to 178 theaters, with an estimated PSA (per screen average) of $13,000 or better (likely) for the weekend. Quick expansions for a film like this aren't typical, and the configuration here doesn't offer easy comparisons.

By Tom Brueggemann
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May 13, 2012 3:55 PM
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Arthouse Audit: 'Marigold' Is 'Avengers' for Seniors, 'First Position' and 'Bernie' Score

Box Office

While it didn't have 24-hour shows at some locations, and didn't set any records, just as "The Avengers" raised the bar for 2012 wide-release films, Fox Searchlight's "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" is showing the best results for specialized/older audience films since 2011's late-year openings.

By Tom Brueggemann
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May 6, 2012 1:43 PM
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'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' Producers Release Swedish 'Wallander' In Theaters

News

Music Box Films isn't missing a trick. Having been the only distributor sharp enough to acquire the three-part edited-for-movies version of the original "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" series, the distributor is now releasing in theaters the first episode of the second season of the original Swedish "Wallander" TV series.

By Anne Thompson
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May 4, 2012 6:20 PM
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Now and Then: On Film, America's Culture of Violence

Reviews

The most terrifying 80 minutes I've spent in my career as a film critic were those spent watching "Elephant," in which even the rhythmic click-click-click of photographic negatives being shaken in chemicals brought me the edge of what I can bear.

By Matt Brennan
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May 1, 2012 6:14 AM
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Seattle Int'l Film Festival: Complete 2012 Lineup Includes Anderson, Shelton, Winterbottom, Meireilles, Polley

Festivals

The longest festival in the US, the Seattle International Film Festival boasts a record 24 world premieres for its 38th edition running May 17 - June 10, unspooling a total of 273 features and 187 shorts representing 75 countries. Among the films, 180 are currently without distribution.

By Sophia Savage
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April 30, 2012 5:20 PM
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IN THE WORKS: Endgame and FilmDistrict To Partner on Pastor Brothers Sci-Fi Thriller 'Selfless'

News

Producer/financeer Endgame Entertainment and indie distributor FilmDistrict have acquired the rights to “Selfless,” a sci-fi script by Spanish writer-directors Álex and David Pastor (“Carriers”). Endgame Entertainment's James D. Stern and FilmDistrict’s Peter Schlessel will produce with Ram Bergman, who produced Rian Johnson’s “Looper” and “The Brothers Bloom" (Summit), both backed by Endgame ("An Education," "Every Little Step"), which will co-finance with the film's stateside distributor FilmDistrict.

By Anne Thompson
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April 30, 2012 5:14 PM
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Arthouse Audit: The Weekend is 'Bernie''s, 'Sound of My Voice' is Weak, 'Elles' Gets Boost from NC-17

Box Office

An incredible 20 films premiered in limited runs in NY or LA this weekend (including three on Wednesday). While most were branded by festival play, few boasted much pre-opening coverage. Only "Bernie" wielded much box-office muscle --while "Headhunters" also showed signs of early strength.

By Tom Brueggemann
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April 29, 2012 3:44 PM
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Now and Then: Old-School Horror Is All in Your Head

Reviews

The most innovative thing about writer-director Ti West's "The Innkeepers" (on DVD today) is how low-fi it plays. The gore is minimal, the music restrained, the body count limited. Call it the rebirth of the classic American horror picture.

By Matt Brennan
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April 24, 2012 7:20 AM
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Roadside Acquires Sci-Fi Thriller 'Branded' for September Release

News

Forget SKYNET or The Matrix. The real villain in our world is marketing, says Ignition Creative's Jamie Bradshaw, who co-wrote, directed and produced Roadside Attraction's upcoming sci-fi dystopian thriller "Branded" with Alexander Doulerain of Russia's Networks TNT.