Thompson on Hollywood

'Amour' Auteur Michael Haneke Talks Riva and Trintignant, Death of 35 mm UPDATED

Interviews

Michael Haneke's "Amour" has been nominated for five Oscars: Best Picture, Directing, Actress, Foreign Language Film and Screenplay. This comes after scooping up awards from such year-end critics groups as the New York Film Critics Circle, and tops off a stellar year that began with the film winning the Palme d'Or in Cannes last May.

By Anne Thompson
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February 15, 2013 1:06 PM
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Alex Gibney Reacts to Pope Resignation, Talks HBO's 'Mea Maxima Culpa,' Exposing Institutional Protector the Catholic Church UPDATED (VIDEO)

Interviews

One of the villains in documentarian Alex Gibney's takedown of the Roman Catholic Church, "Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God," is the Pope, who February 11 announced his plan to resign at age 85. Did his long-term role --as Cardinal Ratzinger and Pope Benedict XVI--in covering up pedophile priests contribute to this decision?

By Anne Thompson
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February 12, 2013 2:07 PM
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Academy Unveils 2013 Oscar Poster Featuring Every Best Picture Winner from 1927-2012

Awards

The Academy unveils its newest poster in celebration of the 85th Academy Awards on February 24. English artist Olly Moss collaborated with Gallery1988 to create a poster that features Oscar statuettes from each year of the the award show's history...

By Sophia Savage
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February 12, 2013 2:03 PM
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'Skyfall' Wins Cinematographers Award

Awards

Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC, was honored by the American Society of Cinematographers Sunday for feature film "Skyfall," beating out current awards frontrunner Claudio Miranda for "Life of Pi." Other winners at the 27th ACE awards ceremony include TV's "Game of Thrones," "Hunted," "Wilfred" and "Great Expectations."

By Anne Thompson
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February 11, 2013 12:38 AM
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State of the Oscar Race, Reading the Oscar Nominees Lunch Tea Leaves (VIDEO)

Awards

As of Friday, February 8, Academy members can vote for the Oscars, right up to February 19. Many have already received their paper ballots, and three have anonymously revealed their votes to the LA Times. All they reveal is that this year, more than most, the race is wide open and hard to call. "It's the best collection of movies in 90 years," says Harvey Weinstein...

By Anne Thompson
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February 8, 2013 3:32 PM
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Oscar Talk: 'Argo' Wins DGA

Awards

On this week's Oscar Talk Podcast, Kris Tapley and I discuss the state of the race post-DGA win for "Argo," the Academy Nominees Luncheon, rank the animated shorts, and more. Kris is gung-ho all the way on "Argo," while I argue that in many categories including Best Picture and Director, this race is too close to call.

By Anne Thompson
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February 8, 2013 12:00 PM
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WATCH 'Adam and Dog': Exclusive Animated Oscar Short

Video

Korean Minkyu Lee's Oscar-nominated animated short, "Adam and Dog," which won the Annie for best animated short last year, is available online.

By Bill Desowitz
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February 8, 2013 11:48 AM
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'Life of Pi' Continues Tech Surge at Visual Effects Society Awards

Awards

The big winner at the Visual Effects Society Awards with four wins was VES visonary award-winner Ang Lee's "Life of Pi," which clearly had the support of the room at the Beverly HIlton Tuesday night. Another big winner was "Brave," which swept the four top animation categories. As for star presence, although Harrison Ford presented the life achievement award to veteran VFX master Richard Edlund, who met him 37 years ago on the first "Star Wars," and Oscar nominee Naomi Watts presented the evening's last awards, to best animated VFX to "Brave" and live action VFX to "Life of Pi," the star of the evening with this group was presenter Andy Serkis of Gollum fame.

By Anne Thompson
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February 6, 2013 4:29 PM
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Oscar Watch 'How to Survive a Plague': From a Tale of Disease, a Primer for Empowerment

Features

David France didn't set out to make a film about the AIDS crisis. He didn't even set out to be a filmmaker. Speaking to me from Los Angeles on the afternoon before the Directors Guild of America Awards—for which he was nominated for his first documentary, "How to Survive a Plague"—France told me that the project (also nominated for the documentary feature Oscar) grew out of his feeling that a crucial chapter of the history of AIDS in America had been lost. That story, he knew from personal experience, was one of activism and empowerment, one that had changed the United States forever. France wanted to bring it back.

By Jacob Combs
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February 6, 2013 2:53 PM
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'Avengers' Cast to Present at the Oscars

Awards

Marvel isn't missing a promo trick, nor is the ever-youth-audience-chasing Oscar telecast. "The Avengers" cast members Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo will present on-stage at the Oscars on February 24.