The News: All-Positive Friday!

Bruce Vilanch prepares for the apocalypse (Photo illustration: D. Fith)

By S.T.VanAirsdale

As per tradition, some of today's more upbeat movie news of note from around New York:

--I guess this is what you call "backhanded positive" (it's been that kind of week) but the powers that be at the mildly restructured Tribeca Film Festival pledged this week to pare down its 2008 line-up by as much as 25 percent from this year. "We realize our audience is getting a little overwhelmed by all of our titles," Tribeca half-boss Nancy Shafer told the Hollywood Reporter, which went on to describe the fest's hopes for more marketplace viability. But the TFF '07 premieres snapped up Thursday -- Randall Miller's middling Nobel Son (by Freestyle Releasing) and Alex Holdridge's terrific sleeper In Search of a Midnight Kiss (by IFC) -- only confirm the afterthought that Tribeca is to distributors guarding their checkbooks for Cannes and Toronto. I've said it before, I'll say it again: Play to your base, TFF. Empire is so Sept. 10.

--Just when you thought nothing good could come of a Writer's Guild strike, The Times notes today that an extended work stoppage could keep awards-show quip-tard Bruce Vilanch away from the TelePrompTer. “People who complain about the humor on awards shows should wait to see what they’re like without writers,” he told Michael Cieply and Brooks Barnes. Except that feels like all we've seen for the last 20 years. Here's your picket, Bruce; off you go.

--Subbing for Nathaniel R at The Film Experience Blog, guest writer Piper has a hot and bothering (and sure, thought-provoking) entry about the dynamics of the on-screen kiss. Come for the Dirty Harry analogy, stay for George and Mary.

Posted at November 2, 2007 8:51 AM