anne thompson Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Discuss: Are These The Top 25 Directors Working Today?
Filed under: Fandom », Steven Spielberg », Quentin Tarantino », Peter Jackson », Lists »
I just love a good list, I really do. You can't tear me away from those Top 100 AFI specials, so for me, there is no such thing as a bad list -- even if I disagree with it. Because, isn't that half the fun of talking about movies in the first place? EW has just released a list of the top 25 active directors (which I guess was a nice way of saying 'no dead guys allowed'), and there are a few surprises, but luckily they haven't gone crazy and pronounced Joel Schumacher as the misunderstood auteur of our time. So who did make it to the top of the heap? Well, it's the usual suspects: Spielberg, Scorsese, Tarantino, Soderbergh, and The Coens rounding out the top ten. But there are some nice surprises to the list as well, like Judd Apatow, Jon Favreau, and Ron Howard (whose directorial talents don't always get the respect they should).
But, we film geeks love a good debate, and Anne Thompson has started us off with some passionate commentary on EW's choices; including a slap on the wrist for their habit of relegating directors of a certain age, gender, or race to the top 50 -- I told you she was feisty. So even though I think EW got it right most of the time, I am going to have second Thompson when she says, "their order does not compute." I like Zak Snyder as much as the next girl, but I'm not sold that he deserves the #16 spot on the list when P.T. Anderson is at #22, and Woody Allen didn't even crack the top 25.
Well, ladies and gentlemen start your engines; what do you think of EW's list? Are there any glaring errors? And if you had make a list of the best and worst working directors today, who would you nominate?
Sound off below....
Discuss: Is it Time for Edward Norton to Direct?
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy », Fandom »
Over at Thompson on Hollywood, the ever-astute Anne Thompson has a great analysis of what really happened with Edward Norton's involvement in writing the script for The Incredible Hulk, what ended up on the cutting room floor during post-production, thanks to Marvel's final cut rights, and why the WGA didn't end up granting him script credit. It's an interesting look at the behind-the-scenes details of how these things work in Hollywood. Thompson says, in part:
Norton mostly changed dialogue, filled in gaps of motivation and developed character. For example, the scenes in Brazil about finding a serum in the Amazon to cure him, and Banner's emails with Tim Blake Nelson, were Norton adds. Marvel agreed to shoot Norton's script.
The Exhibitionist: 3D No Longer the Theater Owner's Best Friend
Filed under: Exhibition », Home Entertainment », Columns »
Is Digital 3D really the future (and savior) of movie theaters and moviegoing? Or is it, like theatrical releases in general, merely a preview of what's to come out soon on home video? As much as I have championed the new technology -- with some exception -- and touted it as a sort of new hope for the exhibition industry, I have had some minor doubts that I've been trying to hide away and ignore. But it may finally be the time to acknowledge and address the facts: Digital 3D is not here to save cinemas and it isn't exclusively the future of movie going. It's the future of movie watching as a whole. And since we're already prone to choosing our living rooms to auditoriums, it's mostly the future of home viewing.
There have been 3D processors available for your home theater for years, courtesy of Sensio, which I actually wrote about way back in 2006. However, the expenses required to equip your home with the technology were enough that it didn't seem too threatening. And such products aren't exactly that well known, probably for that reason that they aren't reasonable for the masses. Meanwhile, the new 3D technology for cinemas has since been given a whole lot of exposure, mainly because they are available or are becoming available all over the globe. 3D movies are also more expensive than regular movies, but they're still relatively affordable to just about anyone. So, obviously in the last two years, it has been easy to forget about Sensio and go on being excited about Real D and the other companies making Digital 3D equipment for movie theaters.
Film Blog Group Hug: The 2007-Is-Almost-Over Edition
Filed under: Film Blog Group Hug », Lists »
It's been awhile since we've had a little film blog group hugging action around here. Today it's cold and snowing here, so what better way to put off cleaning house and baking lasagna for our Boxing Day party than to cozy up under a quilt with a cup of hot tea and some of my favorite film bloggers? As 2007 wanes away and Sundance looms near, I thought I'd pop by some of my favorite film blogs to see who's doing any writing this holiday weekend.Before taking a well-deserved break for the holidays, hard-working film blogger Karina Longworth at Spout Blog put up this thought-provoking piece on whether Disney wants to turn your daughter into a whore. As Karina points out, Barbara Ehrenreich's recycled rant on the evils of all things Disney is well past-due. I was getting into arguments about Disney back when I was doing time in mom's clubs when I did the stay-at-home-mom gig for a few years; the "We're raising our kids gender-neutral," granola-crunching, feminist hippy mamas in Seattle and parts elsewhere have had Disney in their crosshairs for years.
My favorite line from Ehrenreich's piece: "One's sexual inclinations--straightforward or kinky, active or passive, heterosexual or homosexual--should be free to develop without adult intervention or manipulation. " Riiiiiiiiight. If you raise your kids in a bubble unexposed to any society whatsover, perhaps. Kids are products of their social communities whether they grow up in the favelas of Brazil or in a high-rise overlooking Central Park, and trying to mold their little minds with the androgyny of gender-neutrality is no less manipulative than allowing your daughter to dress up like a pretty princess. Bratz, though, is another story. I hate those damn dolls with a passion previously reserved for Barney. If anyone's trying to shallow-fy and whore out our daughters, it's the evil geniuses behind those Bratz dolls. At least the Disney Princesses don't have lips that look like they had an unfortunate experience with a silicone injection. Anyhow.
More group hugs after the jump ...
Indie Film Blog Group Hug: The Fox Screening Kerfuffle and Harry Potter Embargo-Breaking
Filed under: Comedy », Documentary », Drama », Foreign Language », Horror », Independent », Film Blog Group Hug », Lists », Cinematical Indie »
Time once again for our weekly Indie Film Blog Group Hug, wherein we check in with other film blogs around the internet to see what other folks are writing about. One of these days, I want to throw a big party at my house and have all the other film bloggers from around the world converge in my living room to wax eloquent about all things film-related over chips and salsa, taquitos and icy-cold margaritas. Wouldn't that be a blast? In the meantime, the Group Hug will have to suffice ...Oh, and by the way, fellow cinephiles, if you have a film blog I don't know about (or even if you've previously submitted your blog and I haven't covered it in a while), drop me a line at kim(at)cinematical(dot)com to point me your way.
- Over on The Hot Blog, David Poland writes about whether it means anything that Fox pulled out of Comic-Con, and ponders the whole sticky-wicket issues of which critics get into sceenings when, which leads to a discussion of embargoes, which then gets into the whole kerfuffle surrounding the Baltimore Sun and NYT breaking embargo on the lastest (and last) Harry Potter tome. And somehow, he manages to tie it all together in a way that actually makes sense ...
- ... Meanwhile over at Hollywood Elsewhere, Poland's sometime-rival Jeff Wells commentates nicely (I think) on Poland's piece and offers up his own take on the whole Fox-pulls-out-of-Comic-Con-Does-That-Mean-The-Simpsons-Movie-sucks thing.
- Apparently everyone the Baltimore Sun and NYT have everyone thinking about all things Potter this week, as both Anne Thompson, Matt Dentler, and
Karina Longworth** (great minds thinking alike) have posts up about the Harry Potter embargo-breaking, too. - Strange Culture is already thinking Oscars ... in July! That's right, RC is already positing that Roger Deakins will be nominated for an Oscar for cinematography -- and that's probably a pretty good guess. Any early bets on other Oscar noms?
- Indie Film Nation, which runs some nifty podcasts about all things indie, has a fascinating interview up with Richard Moore, the director of the Melbourne International Film Festival. Good stuff. While you're already over there, check out last week's interview with Goetz Weber, CEO and co-founder of inDPlay.
- Checking out what's going down over at Twitch, Kurt has a little post up {via just about everyone on the planet, so this is obviously old news to everyone but me -- figures) about the possibility that one of my favorite films ever, John Carpenter's They Live, might -- that's might -- be made into a series for the Sci-Fi channel. They live is great political satire wrapped up as a fun horror flick, and I agree with Kurt -- it's never been more relevant than it is now. Keep your fingers crossed -- if it does ever get made, that's one series that's getting set to record on my DVR, baby. Don't forget your special sunglasses ...
Harvey Weinstein Calls Luc Besson a "Has-Been"
Filed under: Independent », Celebrities and Controversy », Distribution », The Weinstein Co. », Cinematical Indie »
Here are some of the words Harvey Weinstein is using to describe his critics: jealous; disgruntled; has-been. The first two, you may have assumed, refer to the many people criticizing the ability and financial stability of The Weinstein Co. The latter, though, is directed at an internationally respected filmmaker, Luc Besson. The comment was in response to Besson's claim that TWC mishandled the American release of his animated film Arthur and the Invisibles. Weinstein says he'll give the "has-been" $1 million if he can prove that Arthur actually cost $85 million, as Besson claims. So, once again, a film industry dispute turns into a messy blame game, battled with egos rather than brains (and here, I thought Weinstein actually believed Arthur failed because audiences are not used to films that feature both animation and live-action).But Weinstein could never be personally apologetic for his company's failures. Then he wouldn't be Harvey Weinstein. And it has become a regular thing for him to tell reporters, such as Variety's Anne Thompson, how everyone else is wrong about The Weinstein Co. Despite the obvious, which has been easily noticed by all of us following the film business, Weinstein continues to claim that TWC is doing just fine. Sure, most criticisms are speculative, but mostly they are reasonably so. According to Thompson, rumors are floating around that the Weinstein brothers could lose TWC to its investors; either they will be forced to sell the company or merge with a studio. She also questions TWC's chance for independent success given that even Dreamworks was unable to survive on its own.
Still, Weinstein feels secure in the future of TWC, stating to Thompson that the only thing it's missing is a "glamorous theatrical hit." And he seems hopeful about this summer's release of SiCKO, as well as next year's slate of in-house productions like The Great Debaters, Crossing Over and The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. According to Weinstein, anyone who is doubtful about TWC making it is either a jealous competitor, probably some exec just trying to look cool, or a disgruntled former employee. Considering Weinstein has already surprised me once this year, with his almost personally apologetic reaction to the disappointment of Grindhouse ("We obviously didn't do it that well."; "We didn't educate the South or Midwest."; "We missed the boat." -italics mine), I will just have to be open-minded about the possibility of him turning TWC's reputation around.
The Rocchi Review: Online Film Community Podcast -- with Special Guest Anne Thompson of Variety
Filed under: Cannes », Newsstand », Movie Marketing », Cinematical Indie », The Rocchi Review: Online Film Community Podcast »
Do the trades really focus on business at the expense of show? Do people now get what you mean just by saying you're a "blogger?" And what killed Premiere dead -- and why isn't there a glossy, mass-market movie magazine in America? The Rocchi Review, our bi-weekly look at the online film community, is joined this week by Variety's Anne Thompson -- a veteran journalist, commentator and blogger -- and Anne and I talk about all the topics above, and much more. You can download the entire podcast right here -- and we hope you enjoy.
Mourners for Premiere Magazine Debating All-Time Best Covers
Filed under: Critical Thought », Celebrities and Controversy », Fandom », Newsstand », Home Entertainment », Movie Marketing », Lists », Columns », Images »
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Who are these people who are mourning the loss of Premiere Magazine? I honestly don't get it, and I'm a guy who subscribed to Premiere for well over ten years. I have a strong memory of reading, cover-to-cover, the issue with Nicholson, Cruise and Moore on the cover, promoting the release of A Few Good Men way back in 1993, so I know whereof I speak. Look people, Premiere was entirely dependent on studio support in order to get its celebrity one-on-ones, which meant it hardly ever said anything negative or off-topic about anyone, except for this one time when they did a piece on The Govenator grabbing women's asses, so let's not pretend that they were our last best hope for movie journalism or something. They were Movieline with a better ad sales department. Also, in the age of blogging, everything they came to press with was almost two months old.
Anyway, over at Anne Thompson's blog, she's looking at the magazine's gallery of covers. My truckload of Premieres from the last fifteen years or so is carefully stored away in an attic in North Carolina, but the easy-to-access online gallery brings back a lot of memories. The June 2002 Natalie Portman futuristic nipple shirt cover is a keeper. Kirsten Dunst with short hair and backless dress from July-August 2004, also nice. Going way back to 1992, there's a weird one for Batman Returns, with Michael Keaton pointing a hitchhiking thumb towards the set of the movie he's apparently filming. Another good one from December 1992, with Gary Oldman out of costume for Dracula. The March 1995 cover is devoted to Cutthroat Island -- you gotta love that. Similarly, there's a Whitney Houston cover from January 1997, back when everyone thought she was going to be a movie star. There's an inexplicably shirtless and soaking wet Brad Pitt cover from November 1997 -- the less said about that the better. And the last one I'll mention, Gwyneth Paltrow from February 1998, with her hair done up like a little girl and her thumb in her mouth. Okay, maybe Premiere wasn't all bad.
Premiere Shuts Down: Does it Spell the Beginning of the End for Long-Form Movie Writing?
Filed under: Newsstand », Obits », Cinematical Indie »
Over at Variety, Anne Thompson wrote an excellent piece yesterday on Premiere Magazine ceasing publication, and how it's getting harder and harder to find places to publish long-form movie journalism. Space for writing of any decent length about film has all but disappeared from most mainstream print publications, and the proliferation of movie writing on the Web has made it harder for print pubs about movies to continue to exist, Thompson says. Part of the issue is that readers who have grown accustomed to the tendency on websites and blogs to write shorter posts with less commentary have less interest in (and patience for reading) longer, more thoughtful pieces about film.
Here at Cinematical, we have always supported longer reviews than readers will typically find at places like People or Newsweek, where real estate for more in-depth film coverage is hard to come by. Our regular reviews tend to run around 1,000 words, with fest reviews typically clocking in around the 500-750 word range. This gives our writers a lot more room to delve into things like the history of a genre as it relates to a given film, or to compare a particular film with previous works by the same director, or even to just talk about things like how the editing or cinematography or production design affect the film overall.
Thompson on Hollywood Debuts at Variety
Filed under: Deals », Executive shifts », Newsstand », Cinematical Indie »
Just a couple weeks ago or so, film journalist Anne Thompson, former Deputy Film Editor over at The Hollywood Reporter, jumped ship to Variety (along with editor Cynthia Littleton). Now Thompson has settled into her new digs as a deputy editor, writing a weekly column and a daily blog -- Thompson on Hollywood. Kicking things off, Thompson ran a piece on how the success of 300 "could rewrite the rules of comic book movies". On her new blog, Thompson writes about the 19-member writer's co-op that's formed at Warner Bros., how Showest in Las Vegas was and how the highlight of the fest was Hairspray, and other such Hollywood goodies.It's good to see Thompson up and running so quickly on Variety, which seems to be making a move towards more web-based and blogging efforts, perhaps to reach a greater audience outside the industry. Variety scored well in snagging Thompson (I bet some folks at The Hollywood Reporter were seriously irritated at losing her). She's a savvy journalist who does her homework, busts her butt covering great inside topics I'd otherwise probably never read about, and has succeeded in achieving remarkable credibility among other film journalists and Hollywood industry folks. Thompson's smart, savvy writing will be a welcome breath of fresh air over at Variety. We here at Cinematical welcome her to her new gig, and look forward to reading her future words of Hollywood wisdom.
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