Thompson on Hollywood

Whither Women Film Critics? Study Says 78% of Film Critics Are Male, 22% Female

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Yet another fascinating if depressing report from Martha M. Lauzen looks at, among other things, the percentages of women film critics as compared to their male counterparts. The numbers don't lie: In Spring of 2013 (i.e. right now), 78% of top critics (as defined by guidelines laid out by Rotten Tomatoes, below) are male, with only 22% female. The essay goes on to look at three perceptions about gender in popular film criticism, and then the realities.

By Anne Thompson and Beth Hanna
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May 24, 2013 2:44 PM
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Casting Watch: Angelina Jolie May Play Her Late Mother, Actress and Charity Founder Marcheline Bertrand, in Biopic

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Following last week's news that Angelina Jolie underwent a preventative double mastectomy to drastically lower her likelihood of breast cancer, it has been announced that Jolie will play her mother, actress and charity founder Marcheline Bertrand, in a biopic based on her life. Bertrand died in 2007 at age 56 to cancer, and Jolie sites the traumatic loss of her mother as a reason behind her recent medical procedure.

By Beth Hanna
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May 21, 2013 3:34 PM
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Best of the Week: Cannes Begins, Interviews, Reviews, News and More

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The top stories of the week from TOH!

By TOH!
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May 17, 2013 8:24 PM
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In the Works: David O. Russell to Direct Leonardo DiCaprio's JFK Conspiracy Thriller 'Legacy of Secrecy,' Robert De Niro On Board

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Long-gestating JFK assassination conspiracy film "Legacy of Secrecy" is reportedly finally coming to fruition, with director David O. Russell at the helm. First announced in 2010 by Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way banner, the film centers on FBI informant Jack Laningham and on Mafia kingpin Carlos Marcello (to be played by Robert De Niro), who confided to Laningham that he ordered the hit on Kennedy.

By Beth Hanna
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May 17, 2013 2:26 PM
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Drink Like Don Draper and Philip Marlowe (If You Dare) with the Cocktail Chart of Film and Literature

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Popchart Labs is highlighting a ridiculously fun bit of wall decoration: The Cocktail Chart of Film and Literature. The crisp light blue poster features the signature drinks (and recipes!) of some of our favorite literary, film and television (anti-) heroes and heroines. A few highlights include Don Draper's Old Fashioned, Philip Marlowe's Gin Gimlet, Daisy Buchanan's Mint Julep and, er, Hannibal Lechter's Chianti.

By Beth Hanna
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May 17, 2013 1:41 PM
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Image Entertainment Snaps Up 'Winnie Mandela' Starring Jennifer Hudson; Up Against Weinsteins' 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom'

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Image Entertainment has picked up all US rights to "Winnie Mandela," starring Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson as Nelson Mandela's long-time partner. The film, which is written and directed by Darrell J. Roodt from Anne Marie de Preez Bezdrob's biography, is slated for a fall 2013 release, which puts it up against the Justin Chadwick/William Nicholson biopic "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom," starring Idris Elba in the title role and "Skyfall" star Naomie Harris as Winnie (November 29, limited).

By Beth Hanna
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May 16, 2013 1:27 PM
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Cannes: Scarlett Johansson to Direct Adaptation of Truman Capote's Near-Lost Novel 'Summer Crossing'

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Scarlett Johansson has signed on to helm an adaptation of Truman Capote's near-lost novel "Summer Crossing," which centers on a teenage debutante who falls in love with and pursues a Jewish parking attendant instead of traveling to Paris in the summer of 1945. This will be Johansson's first feature as a director.

By Beth Hanna
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May 16, 2013 12:42 PM
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The Other Cannes: What's For Sale at the Market? Hathaway, Timberlake, Troubled 'Jane' and a Bollywood Remake of 'Rambo'

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As the Cannes Film Festival begins its 11-day run, the Cannes Market is busily bombarding foreign buyers with a host of films -- some completed, some only exist as footage, some don't exist at all and may never come to fruition. First up, films boasting big names like Anne Hathaway, Justin Timberlake and Kate Winslet. Meanwhile, "Jane Got a Gun" struggles to convince buyers. Plus, a Bollywood remake of "Rambo"!

By Beth Hanna
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May 15, 2013 2:38 PM
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James Franco Reviews Luhrmann's 'Great Gatsby,' Calls Out Negative Reviewers as 'Hypocrites'

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Insatiable multi-tasker James Franco is back at film criticism again, and this time has a few words to impart on Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby," which opens the Cannes Film Festival today before the film's European roll-out. Franco's a fan, and calls out the critics who "ravaged the film for not being loyal to the book [as] hypocrites." Highlights below.

By Beth Hanna
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May 15, 2013 1:49 PM
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IMDb Releases Top Ten List of Most Popular Cannes Competition Films, Quentin Tarantino Dominates

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As the Cannes Film Festival gets underway today, IMDb has released its list of the 10 most popular films to have been screened in competition for the Palme d'Or, based on user votes. Unsurprisingly, Quentin Tarantino makes a good showing on the list, dominating in the top three spots with 1994's "Pulp Fiction" 2009's "Inglourious Basterds" and 2005's "Sin City" (for which he's credited as "special guest director" following Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez).