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Dick Pope, the esteemed British cinematographer who received Academy Award nominations for his exquisite work on “The Illusionist” and Mike Leigh‘s “Mr. Turner,” has died at the age of 77. His death was confirmed by a publicist on his final film, Leigh’s “Hard Truths.”

“Hard Truths” producer Georgina Lowe shared the following statement: “On behalf of Mike, the team at Thin Man Films, and the cast and crew who worked regularly with Dick on our films for over 30 years, I wanted to say what a privilege it has been to have collaborated with him. His work, both with us, and on the eclectic collection of films he shot over his impressive career, was extraordinary. We have lost a friend and will miss him so much.”

Born in Bromley, Kent, in 1947, Pope became obsessed with still photography as a child and published some of his pictures in local papers as a teenager.

The Criterion Channel is closing the year out with a bang––they’ve announced their December lineup. Among the highlights are retrospectives on Yasujiro Ozu (featuring nearly 40 films!), Ousmane Sembène, Alfred Hitchcock (along with Kent Jones’ Hitchcock/Truffaut), and Parker Posey. Well-timed for the season is a holiday noir series that includes They Live By Night, Blast of Silence, Lady in the Lake, and more.

Other highlights are the recent restoration of Abel Gance’s La roue, an MGM Musicals series with introduction by Michael Koresky, Helena Wittmann’s riveting second feature Human Flowers of Flesh, the recent Sundance highlight The Mountains Are a Dream That Call To Me, the new restoration of The Cassandra Cat, Lynne Ramsay’s Morvern Callar, Wong Kar Wai’s The Grandmaster, and more.

See the lineup below and learn more here.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Terry Gilliam, 1988

An American in Paris, Vincente Minnelli,...

The July lineup at The Criterion Channel has been revealed, most notably featuring the new Wong Kar Wai restorations from the recent box set release, including As Tears Go By, Days of Being Wild, Chungking Express, Fallen Angels, Happy Together, In the Mood for Love, 2046, and his shorts Hua yang de nian hua and The Hand.

Also among the lineup is a series on neo-noir with Body Double, Manhunter, Thief, The Last Seduction, Cutter’s Way, Brick, Night Moves, The Long Goodbye, Chinatown, and more. The channel will also feature a spotlight on art-house animation with work by Marcell Jankovics, Satoshi Kon, Ari Folman, Don Hertzfeldt, Karel Zeman, and more.

With Jodie Mack’s delightful The Grand Bizarre, the landmark doc Hoop Dreams, Orson Welles’ take on Othello, the recent Oscar entries Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time and You Will Die at Twenty, and much more,...

Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSAbove: Monte Hellman and his dog Kona. Monte Hellman, cult director of The Shooting (1966), Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) and Road to Nowhere (2010) has died. Hellman spoke with Notebook on several occasions about his films, decrying the committee-designed quality of new films while staying true to his own long-held principles: "I am aware of continually breaking rules." Léos Carax's first English-language film, the musical Annette, will be opening the 74th Cannes Film Festival on July 6th. The film will simultaneously be released in French cinemas. Two other Cannes titles have also been announced, having been selected for last year's postponed edition of the festival: Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch and Paul Verhoeven's Benedetta. Steven Soderbergh is undertaking the overwhelming creative task of staging this year's Oscars ceremony. As Soderbergh says, the project is "the walking...

By Allen Gardner

The Samurai Trilogy (Criterion) Director Hiroshi Inagaki’s sprawling epic filmed from 1954-56 is an early Japanese Technicolor masterpiece, rivaling the scope of filmmakers like David Lean and Luchino Visconti. Toshiro Mifune, Japan’s greatest actor, stars as real-life swordsman, artist and writer Musashi Miyamoto, following his growth from callow youth to disciplined warrior. The three films: the Oscar winning “Musashi Miyamoto,” “Duel at Ichijoji Temple,” and “Duel at Ganryu Island” are an incredible story of human growth, tender love and sublime, blood-soaked action. Not to be missed. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Interviews with translator and historian William Scott Wilson; Trailers. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.

The 39 Steps (Criterion) Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 story of spies, conspiracies and sexual tension put him on the map on both sides of the Pond. Robert Donat stars as an innocent thrust into a deadly plot alongside a cool blonde (Madeleine Carroll...

Greg Kinnear is set to present at the 2012 Student Academy Awards as are Mena Suvari, Cuba Gooding, Jr.and Laura Dern, reports the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The 39th Annual Awards will take place on Saturday, June 9, at 6 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater and are hosted by Tom Sherak, the Academy President. Kinnear was last seen in Jill Sprecher's comedy crime pic "Thin Ice" with Billy Crudup and Alan Arkin, and is in post-production for Craig Zisk's "The English Teacher" alongside Lily Collins, Julianne Moore and Michael Angarano. Academy Award-nominated Dern (1991's "Rambling Rose") is up next in Paul Thomas Anderson's drama "The Master," alongside Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joauin Phoenix and Amy Adams, which opens October 12th this year.

Greg Kinnear is set to present at the 2012 Student Academy Awards as are Mena Suvari, Cuba Gooding, Jr.and Laura Dern, reports the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The 39th Annual Awards will take place on Saturday, June 9, at 6 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater and are hosted by Tom Sherak, the Academy President. Kinnear was last seen in Jill Sprecher's comedy crime pic "Thin Ice" with Billy Crudup and Alan Arkin, and is in post-production for Craig Zisk's "The English Teacher" alongside Lily Collins, Julianne Moore and Michael Angarano. Academy Award-nominated Dern (1991's "Rambling Rose") is up next in Paul Thomas Anderson's drama "The Master," alongside Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joauin Phoenix and Amy Adams, which opens October 12th this year.

Rating: 3.0/5.0

Chicago – Over a decade ago, Jill & Karen Sprecher made waves on the indie scene with “Clockwatchers” and “Thirteen Conversations About One Thing” but then virtually disappeared. They’re back with another arthouse piece, a “Fargo”-esque black comedy called “Thin Ice,” starring Greg Kinnear, Billy Crudup, Alan Arkin, and more. The strong ensemble makes the relatively weak script (as presented…more on that later) easier to take as the film skates over some treacherous rough patches but never falls through.

Mickey Prohaska (Kinnear) is a jerk (and it’s the complete lack of a likable or relatable protagonist that is one of the film’s biggest drawbacks). He’s an insurance salesman who uses lies and deceit to scare people into buying policies they don’t need. And he rips them off whenever possible. In one of the first scenes in the film, he sleeps with a drunk girl at a casino conference,...

Title: Thin Ice Director: Jill Sprecher Starring: Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup, Lea Thompson, Bob Balaban, David Harbour A kind of mash-up, slightly more poker-faced version of some of the same snowy ethical dilemmas faced in “A Simple Plan,” “Fargo” and “The Ice Harvest,” crime dramedy “Thin Ice” delivers a winning, if rather drolly underplayed, black comedy that tosses its protagonist into a pit of moral quicksand, and then chronicles his flailing attempts to extricate himself. Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear) is a small-time Wisconsin insurance salesman whose ability to coast on his looks and smooth-talking charisma seems to have finally hit an end. With his business struggling and attempts at reconnecting with...

Back To The Future star Lea Thompson has her crafty cat to thank for her new movie as scheming Greg Kinnear's wife in comedy thriller Thin Ice - because she would never have met the film's writer/director if her pet hadn't been scouring the neighbourhood for food scraps.

The actress was on the hunt for a really challenging movie role when Jill Sprecher called to say she had the actress' cat.

Thompson explains, "I have a cat called Stinky Pete and he is a slut. He goes to everybody's house and pretends he's got no house and he's hungry.

"My neighbour, Jill Sprecher, called me up and said, 'We have your cat'. We went to see them and get my stupid cat for the fourth time that week and I recognised that Jill was this director that I really admired.

"She said, 'We're doing this movie and there's a part; I wonder if you'd be interested in it.' So Stinky Pete, the cat, got me the job. He will be getting (top cat food) Fancy Feast from now on. We got a crate of it. And catnip!"...

When the screenwriters of “Thin Ice” finally play their hand and reveal their film’s obvious twist ending, that dumb plot point almost eclipses all the other lousy things that came before it. But make no mistake, “Thin Ice” is nothing if not consistently lousy. Set in frigid Kenosha, Wisconsin, the film follows Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear), a shifty and increasingly desperate insurance salesman as he tries to con his way to a tropical vacation. Mickey is the leader of a parade of unlikable, uniformly histrionic and very unfunny characters. Living and being around the residents of Kenosha is nightmarish, but not in the humorous, neo-noir-inflected way that director Jill Sprecher (“Thirteen Conversations About One Thing”) and her co-writer Karen Sprecher want us to think. Both Mickey and the secondary characters that sparsely populate “Thin Ice” test the dramaturgical guideline that dictates you don’t need to like a...

New clips from Thin Ice, starring Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup! Also in the cast of the indie comedy drama are David Harbour, Bob Balaban, Lea Thompson, Michelle Arthur, James Detmar, Jennifer Culbert, Chris Carlson and Jennifer Edward-Hughes. Helmed by Jill Sprecher, who scripts alongside Karen Sprecher, the story follows Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear), a small-time insurance agent looking for a way to jump-start his business, reunite with his estranged wife (Lea Thompson) and escape the frigid Wisconsin weather. This self-proclaimed master of spin believes that salesmanship is about selling a story — all he needs is a sucker willing to buy it. He hits pay dirt with a lonely retired farmer (Alan Arkin) who is sitting on something much bigger...

New clips from Thin Ice, starring Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup! Also in the cast of the indie comedy drama are David Harbour, Bob Balaban, Lea Thompson, Michelle Arthur, James Detmar, Jennifer Culbert, Chris Carlson and Jennifer Edward-Hughes. Helmed by Jill Sprecher, who scripts alongside Karen Sprecher, the story follows Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear), a small-time insurance agent looking for a way to jump-start his business, reunite with his estranged wife (Lea Thompson) and escape the frigid Wisconsin weather. This self-proclaimed master of spin believes that salesmanship is about selling a story — all he needs is a sucker willing to buy it. He hits pay dirt with a lonely retired farmer (Alan Arkin) who is sitting on something much bigger...

New clips from Thin Ice, starring Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup! Also in the cast of the indie comedy drama are David Harbour, Bob Balaban, Lea Thompson, Michelle Arthur, James Detmar, Jennifer Culbert, Chris Carlson and Jennifer Edward-Hughes. Helmed by Jill Sprecher, who scripts alongside Karen Sprecher, the story follows Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear), a small-time insurance agent looking for a way to jump-start his business, reunite with his estranged wife (Lea Thompson) and escape the frigid Wisconsin weather. This self-proclaimed master of spin believes that salesmanship is about selling a story — all he needs is a sucker willing to buy it. He hits pay dirt with a lonely retired farmer (Alan Arkin) who is sitting on something much bigger...

In Thin Ice , the new dark comedy from Jill Sprecher ( Clockwatchers ), Greg Kinnear plays Mickey Prohaska, a Wisconsin insurance salesman who thinks he's scored when he's introduced to a crotchety retired farmer named Gorvy Hauer, played by Kinnear's Little Miss Sunshine co-star (and Oscar winner) Alan Arkin. At first, he's just happy selling Gorvy a needless insurance policy but then he discovers the old man has been storing an old violin that may be worth thousands of dollars. The film also stars Lea Thompson as Mickey's estranged wife (and boss) and Billy Crudup as Randy, the volatile and temperamental locksmith who discovers Mickey's plot and decides to cut himself into the scam. The film's distributor Ato Pictures has provided ComingSoon.net with an exclusive clip from the...

Title: Thin Ice Director: Jill Sprecher (‘Thirteen Conversations About One Thing,’ ‘Clockwatchers’) Starring: Greg Kinnear, Bill Crudup and Alan Arkin Con artists are usually portrayed as being ruthless and conniving in films, and aren’t often featured as the main protagonist with whom audiences can relate to. But Mickey Prohaska, the conman in director-co-writer Jill Sprecher’s new crime drama-comedy, ‘Thin Ice,’ is surprisingly both endearing and deceitful. Greg Kinnear was well-cast as the scheming, sympathetic small-town Wisconsin insurance agent, who will do anything to get what he wants, while genuinely caring for those who have positively impacted his life. ‘Thin Ice’ follows Mickey as he’s looking for a way to jump-start...

Ato Pictures will release the indie Thin Ice in theaters February 17, which stars Greg Kinnear, Lea Thompson, Alan Arkin, and Billy Crudup. We have a new contest lined up and we're giving away a Tough Duck Knit Hat, which is worn by Alan Arkin in the film, a Thin Ice poster signed by the cast, and a $25 Fandango gift card. These prizes will certainly go fast, so enter this contest today.

Winners Receive:

Alan Arkin's Tough Duck Knit Hat

Thin Ice poster signed by the cast

$25 Fandango gift card

Here's How To Win!

Just "Like" (fan) the MovieWeb Facebook page (below) and then leave a comment below telling us why these prizes must be yours!

If you already "Like" MovieWeb, just leave a comment below telling us why these prizes must be yours!

Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear) is a small-time insurance agent looking for a way to jump-start his business,...

In Thin Ice, the new film from writier/director Jill Sprecher, Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear) and Randy Kinney (Billy Crudup) are what you would call an extremely mismatched pair. One is a mild-mannered insurance agent just trying to make a living and provide for his family, while the other is a locksmith who is the textbook definition of "unstable" and prone to very violent outbursts. What kind of violent outbursts are we talking about? Just check out our exclusive new clip from the upcoming film, which you can see below. In the scene, the film's two main characters sit down together for a meal at a restaurant when Randy decides to explain a bit about his past. Unfortunately, the felon doesn't seem to comprehend the notion of too much information. Set in the frozen land of Kenosha, Wisconsin, the story of Thin Ice finds Mickey between a rock and a...

2 clips from Jill Sprecher's Thin Ice, starring Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup. Ato Pictures distributes the dark comedy written by Karen and Jill Sprecher, which finds theaters on February 17th. The cast also includes David Harbour, Bob Balaban, Lea Thompson, Michelle Arthur, James Detmar, Jennifer Culbert, Chris Carlson and Jennifer Edward-Hughes. Pic is rated R for language, and brief violent and sexual content. Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear) is a small-time insurance agent looking for a way to jump-start his business, reunite with his estranged wife (Lea Thompson) and escape the frigid Wisconsin weather. This self-proclaimed master of spin believes that salesmanship is about selling a story — all he needs is a sucker willing to buy it. He hits pay dirt with a lonely retired farmer (Alan Arkin) who is sitting on something much bigger than an insurance commission. But Mickey’s attempt to con the old man...

2 clips from Jill Sprecher's Thin Ice, starring Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup. Ato Pictures distributes the dark comedy written by Karen and Jill Sprecher, which finds theaters on February 17th. The cast also includes David Harbour, Bob Balaban, Lea Thompson, Michelle Arthur, James Detmar, Jennifer Culbert, Chris Carlson and Jennifer Edward-Hughes. Pic is rated R for language, and brief violent and sexual content. Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear) is a small-time insurance agent looking for a way to jump-start his business, reunite with his estranged wife (Lea Thompson) and escape the frigid Wisconsin weather. This self-proclaimed master of spin believes that salesmanship is about selling a story — all he needs is a sucker willing to buy it. He hits pay dirt with a lonely retired farmer (Alan Arkin) who is sitting on something much bigger than an insurance commission. But Mickey’s attempt to con the old man...

2 clips from Jill Sprecher's Thin Ice, starring Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup. Ato Pictures distributes the dark comedy written by Karen and Jill Sprecher, which finds theaters on February 17th. The cast also includes David Harbour, Bob Balaban, Lea Thompson, Michelle Arthur, James Detmar, Jennifer Culbert, Chris Carlson and Jennifer Edward-Hughes. Pic is rated R for language, and brief violent and sexual content. Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear) is a small-time insurance agent looking for a way to jump-start his business, reunite with his estranged wife (Lea Thompson) and escape the frigid Wisconsin weather. This self-proclaimed master of spin believes that salesmanship is about selling a story — all he needs is a sucker willing to buy it. He hits pay dirt with a lonely retired farmer (Alan Arkin) who is sitting on something much bigger than an insurance commission. But Mickey’s attempt to con the old man...

Director Jill Sprecher has amassed an all-star cast, including Greg Kinnear, Billy Crudup, Alan Arkin, Bob Balaban, and the great Lea Thompson for her upcoming crime comedy Thin Ice, which hits select theaters this February. The story finds a small-time insurance agent getting conned by a conman while trying to sell a valuable violin. We have an exclusive clip, which sees Greg Kinnear and Bob Balaban arguing over the exact worth of this antique musical instrument. Check it out below.

Click to watch Exclusive: Not for Sale!

Thin Ice comes to theaters February 17th, 2012 and stars Greg Kinnear, Billy Crudup, Lea Thompson, Alan Arkin, Bob Balaban, Michelle Arthur, David Harbour, Katie Wahlquist. The film is directed by Jill Sprecher.

Here is the first trailer for Jill Sprecher’s Thin Ice, starring Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup, David Harbour, Lea Thompson and Bob Balaban.

Check out the trailer below. Fans of The Coen brothers’ film Fargo will definitely want to see this one.

About Thin Ice:

Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear) is a small-time insurance agent looking for a way to jump-start his business, reunite with his estranged wife (Lea Thompson) and escape the frigid Wisconsin weather. This self-proclaimed master of spin believes that salesmanship is about selling a story — all he needs is a sucker willing to buy it. He hits pay dirt with a lonely retired farmer (Alan Arkin) who is sitting on something much bigger than an insurance commission. But Mickey’s attempt to con the old man spins out of control when a nosy, unstable locksmith (Billy Crudup) with a volatile temper dramatically ups the stakes,...

“Thin Ice” premiered at 2011’s Sundance Film Festival under the name “The Convincer.” The Greg Kinnear/Billy Crudup-starrer got some good reviews at the time, but the less kind notices called it the “poor man’s ‘Fargo,’” which sounds about right by the look of the trailer. The dark comedy features Kinnear playing a down-on-his-luck insurance man who resorts to fraud in order to get some more cash. Crudup finds out about the scheme and blackmails Kinnear. There are also murders and hi-jinks and ultimatley, it all feels a bit more “Ice Harvest”-esque than deserving of ‘Fargo’ comparisons. Jill Sprecher (“13 Conversations About One Thing,” TV’s “Big Love”) directed the film, which she co-wrote with her sister, Karen Sprecher. Alan Arkin is always a treat so it's nice to see him here (and he seems to get along with Sprecher as he was also part of her '...

Trailer and poster for Thin Ice, starring Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup. Jill Sprecher, who scripts alongside Karen Sprichter, directs the dark comedy which opens via Ato Pictures on February 17th. Also in the cast are David Harbour, Bob Balaban, Lea Thompson, Michelle Arthur, James Detmar, Jennifer Culbert, Chris Carlson, Jennifer Edward-Hughes. The film is rated R for language, and brief violent and sexual content. Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear) is a small-time insurance agent looking for a way to jump-start his business, reunite with his estranged wife (Lea Thompson) and escape the frigid Wisconsin weather. This self-proclaimed master of spin believes that salesmanship is about selling a story — all he needs is a sucker willing to buy it. He hits pay dirt with a lonely retired farmer (Alan Arkin) who is sitting on something much bigger than an insurance commission. But Mickey’s attempt to con the old...

Trailer and poster for Thin Ice, starring Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup. Jill Sprecher, who scripts alongside Karen Sprichter, directs the dark comedy which opens via Ato Pictures on February 17th. Also in the cast are David Harbour, Bob Balaban, Lea Thompson, Michelle Arthur, James Detmar, Jennifer Culbert, Chris Carlson, Jennifer Edward-Hughes. The film is rated R for language, and brief violent and sexual content. Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear) is a small-time insurance agent looking for a way to jump-start his business, reunite with his estranged wife (Lea Thompson) and escape the frigid Wisconsin weather. This self-proclaimed master of spin believes that salesmanship is about selling a story — all he needs is a sucker willing to buy it. He hits pay dirt with a lonely retired farmer (Alan Arkin) who is sitting on something much bigger than an insurance commission. But Mickey’s attempt to con the old...

Trailer and poster for Thin Ice, starring Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup. Jill Sprecher, who scripts alongside Karen Sprichter, directs the dark comedy which opens via Ato Pictures on February 17th. Also in the cast are David Harbour, Bob Balaban, Lea Thompson, Michelle Arthur, James Detmar, Jennifer Culbert, Chris Carlson, Jennifer Edward-Hughes. The film is rated R for language, and brief violent and sexual content. Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear) is a small-time insurance agent looking for a way to jump-start his business, reunite with his estranged wife (Lea Thompson) and escape the frigid Wisconsin weather. This self-proclaimed master of spin believes that salesmanship is about selling a story — all he needs is a sucker willing to buy it. He hits pay dirt with a lonely retired farmer (Alan Arkin) who is sitting on something much bigger than an insurance commission. But Mickey’s attempt to con the old...

Speaking briefly, ‘Greg Kinnear and Billy Crudup swindle Alan Arkin in Wisconsin.’ Directed by Big Love producer Jill Sprecher, Thin Ice might be twisted suspense comedy, but it’s rather a cold, hard drama, which co-stars Lea Thompson (Mickey’s wife), David Harbour and Bob Balaban. Well, in Wisconsin-set indie titled Thin Ice Kinnear (As Good as [...]

Continue reading Trailer and Poster for Murder Drama Thin Ice on FilmoFilia.

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Ato Pictures has unveiled the trailer for "Thin Ice" crime drama, starring Greg Kinnear, Billy Crudup, Alan Arkin and Lea Thompson. Check it out below. Plot: Mickey Prohaska (Kinnear) is a small-time insurance agent looking for a way to jump-start his business, reunite with his estranged wife (Thompson) and escape the frigid Wisconsin weather. He eventually comes across a lonely retired farmer (Arkin) who is sitting on something much bigger than an insurance commission. But Mickey's attempt to con the old man spins out of control when a nosy locksmith (Crudup) with a volatile temper dramatically ups the stakes. The new movie is directed by Jill Sprecher (Clockwatchers) and is set to hit theaters on February 17th, in limited release. Trailer: If you cannot see the player, click here.

Greg Kinnear, Billy Crudup, Alan Arkin, and Lea Thompson star in Jill Sprecher's twisted suspense comedy Thin Ice, which hits select theaters this February. The first trailer and poster have arrived. Check them out below.

Thin Ice comes to theaters February 17th, 2012 and stars Greg Kinnear, Billy Crudup, Lea Thompson, Alan Arkin, Bob Balaban, Michelle Arthur, David Harbour, Katie Wahlquist. The film is directed by Jill Sprecher.

A morally ambiguous Midwesterner trying to make a quick buck. A devious get-rich-quick scheme comically thwarted by a random act of violence. Snow — lots of snow. Before you run off to watch Fargo again, be sure to check out the trailer for Thin Ice, a Jill Sprecher-directed comedy that reunites a down-on-his-luck Greg Kinnear with his Little Miss Sunshine costar Alan Arkin. In the film — which hits select cities on Feb. 17 — Kinnear plays Mickey Prohaska, a crooked insurance agent who thinks he’s struck gold when he hears that Arkin is sitting on a (very) small fortune. His simple...

[1] We first heard about Jill Sprecher's Thin Ice when Greg Kinnear, Billy Crudup, and Alan Arkin signed on to star almost two years ago [2], back when it was still titled The Convincer. But the film hasn't drawn much attention since then; even after it premiered at last year's Sundance, I don't remember hearing much about it. After seeing this sharp new trailer, though, I'm happy to be reminded of its existence. In what sort of looks like Fargo-lite without aping the Coen Bros. too closely, Kinnear plays Mickey, a down-on-his-luck insurance agent in Kenosha, Wisconson. He stumbles across an opportunity to make some shady money off of one of his customers (Arkin), who's unaware of the true value of one of his possessions. Unfortunately, Mickey makes the mistake of involving an unpredictable ex-con (Crudup) in his exploits, and from there things quickly spin out of control. Watch the trailer after the jump.

Greg Kinnear has pulled off some excellent performances when playing a man dealing with stressful personal and professional issues. As Good as it Gets and Little Miss Sunshine are both fine examples of that. Coming soon to (some) theaters is a film that has him knee deep in trouble. Thin Ice is categorized as a comedy, however based on this trailer, it looks like .dark comedy. might be a slightly more fitting description. Directed by Jill Sprecher, Thin Ice stars Kinnear as Mickey Prohaska, an insurance agent who.s trying to get his business going. Money troubles, including maxed-out credit cards appear to be a problem for the man. And then an opportunity arrises, which may turn out to be more trouble than it.s worth. Check out the trailer below, courtesy of iTunes, to get a better idea of where the story is going. In addition to Kinnear, the...

"You better not be screwing with me." Ato Pictures debuted the official trailer in high def on Apple today for a crime drama called Thin Ice co-starring Greg Kinnear and Billy Crudup, as well as Alan Arkin, Bob Balaban and Lea Thompson. This Wisconsin-set indie is essentially a Coen Brothers snowy/icy murder drama, but without the Coen Brothers touch, instead with Crudup and Kinnear. I was thinking it might even be a black comedy, but it's not really that either, just a cold, hard drama. Thin Ice premiered at Sundance last year and is just being released now. I'm not that keen on it, but give the trailer a look anyway. Watch the official trailer for Jill Sprecher's Thin Ice, in high def via Apple: You can also download the official Thin Ice trailer in High Def on Apple A Wisconsin salesman's search for a rare musical instrument...

One of the blandest films I saw last year at Sundance was Thin Ice, then-titled The Convincer. Riding the edge of mediocrity for nearly the entire runtime, Greg Kinnear and Alan Arkin’s Little Miss Sunshine reunion left a lot to be desired. One can watch our video review here, but in the meantime Jill Sprecher‘s drama will now be getting a limited release this year and the first trailer has arrived on Apple.

Unfortunately it spoils the main plot turn in the film, so look no further if you are going to check this one out. Other than that, the story of a high-priced antique violin getting in the wrong hands was just not that interesting. Billy Crudup is funny in his supporting role, but is mostly wasted as we focus on other subplots. Cap it all off with a contrived twist ending and this was a frustrating watch.

HollywoodNews.com: 2011 Hollywood Film Festival Honors “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” Lubezki, Mirrione, and Murakami

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, Editor Stephen Mirrione, Production Designer James Murakami and Visual Effects Supervisor Scott Farrar will be honored at the Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony.

The 15th Annual Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Awards, presented by Starz, have announced that Academy Award nominated cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki will be honored with the “Hollywood Cinematographer Award,” Oscar-winning editor Stephen Mirrione will be presented with the “Hollywood Editor Award,” Academy Award-nominated production designer James Murakami will receive the “Hollywood Production Designer Award,” and Paramount Pictures’ “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” and Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Scott Farrar will receive the “Hollywood Visual Effects Award” at the festival’s Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony.

The gala ceremony will take place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on October 24, 2011.

The announcement was made today by Carlos de Abreu,...

Jill Sprecher's comic thriller, "The Convincer," has lost a lot since it premiered at Sundance seven months ago. The film lost its original title; it's now called "Thin Ice." The film lost its editor, Stephen Mirrione, who won an Oscar for his work on "Traffic." The film lost its composers, Emmy-winner Alex Wurman and Grammy-winner Bela Fleck. And it has lost its filmmakers, writer-director Jill Sprecher and her sister/co-writer Karen ...

Expect this upcoming Fall season to be a pivotal first for the two-year old Ato Pictures. With Pawel Pawlikowski's The Woman in the Fifth and Dominik Moll's The Monk both expected to make their North American first looks at Telluride/Tiff, the disturb co. will have a Sundance preemed black comedy hitting theatres around the same time. Gist: Formerly going by the title of "The Convincer", Thin Ice reunites Greg Kinnear with Little Miss Sunshine co-star Alan Arkin and this becomes a second outing for Arkin with director Jill Sprecher -- who worked with the veteran actor a decade back on her sophomore film that followed her debut, 1997's Clockwatchers. This pits a financially troubled insurance agent (Kinnear) against a frigid Wisconsin backdrop, and worse yet, the moral dilemma brought about by a valuable violin. Worth Noting: Between feature films, the Sprecher sisters produced television's Big Love and...

Back in March, Deadline broke the story that Ato Pictures was near a deal to acquire Us rights to The Convincer, the Karen Sprecher-directed dark comedy that made its debut at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. The distributor has changed the title to Thin Ice, but has just confirmed the deal. Here's the official announcement: New York, NY (July 19, 2011) – Ato (Art Takes Over) Pictures announced today that it has acquired U.S. theatrical rights to Thin Ice (formerly titled The Convincer) starring Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup, Lea Thompson, David Harbour and Bob Balaban. Thin Ice is a thriller about an insurance agent (Kinnear) looking for a way to jump-start his business, reunite with his estranged wife (Thompson) and escape the frigid Wisconsin weather. This self-proclaimed master of duplicity believes that salesmanship is all about selling a story — all he needs is a sucker willing to buy it. He...

U.S. theatrical rights to Jill Sprecher's Sundance thriller "Thin Ice" (formerly titled "The Convincer") have been picked up by Ato Pictures. The film, starring Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup, Lea Thompson, David Harbour and Bob Balaban will be released this fall. Full release follows: Ato (Art Takes Over) Pictures announced today that it has acquired U.S. theatrical rights to "Thin Ice" (formerly titled "The Convincer") starring Greg Kinnear, Alan ...

Chicago – It’s easy to forget just how good of an actor Matthew McConaughey can be with the right vehicle. He delivered what may be his best performance to date in Jill Sprecher’s 2001 multi-character drama “Thirteen Conversations About One Thing,” in which he played a slick lawyer whose unbreakable self-esteem is shattered by a sudden crisis of conscience.

Over the past decade, McConaughey has chosen projects that seem designed to ignore the promise he sported in his earlier work. An assortment of forgettable romantic comedies have required him to do little more than fulfill the role of charismatic eye candy. What’s striking about McConaughey’s triumphant comeback effort, “The Lincoln Lawyer,” is the fact that it casts him as a lawyer not unlike the one he played in “Thirteen Conversations,” or for that matter, 1996’s “A Time to Kill.” Perhaps it’s the tension of a courtroom that...

Jeff Danna has taken over scoring duties on the crime drama The Convincer. He is replacing Alex Wurman who had completed a score for the film that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. The movie is directed by Jill Sprecher (Thirteen Conversations on One Thing) and stars Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup and Lea Thompson. The film follows a desperate insurance salesman whose scheme to get a hold of a rare violin leads to unforeseen consequences. Deadline reported in March that Ato Pictures is a wrapping up a domestic distribution deal for the drama, but no announcement has been made since and The Convincer is still awaiting a release date.

Danna is having a busy year with two other feature projects coming up. As reported in April, the composer is also scoring Pascal Laugier’s mystery thriller The Tall Man starring Jessica Biel and the action thriller...

2011 Sundance Film Festival review of The Convincer - Greg Kinnear and Alan Arkin butt heads in playful scam comedy. Kinnear and Arkin make a funny pair in con artist comedy ‘Convincer' (3 out of 5 stars) All eyes are focused on Wisconsin these days due to the Green Bay Packers winning Super Bowl Xlv and returning the Vince Lombardi to Green Bay. Arriving in perfect tandem with the Wisconsin hoopla is The Convincer, the latest movie from director and Wisconsin daughter Jill Sprecher and a playful hybrid of past art-house favorites Fargo and The Usual Suspects. Recently debuting in the Premieres section of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, Jill and her sibling co-writer Karen Sprecher reunite Little Miss Sunshine co-stars Greg Kinnear and Alan Arkin for a playful con artist comedy that makes the most out of their likable leads as well as a satisfying, climactic twist...

2011 Sundance Film Festival review of The Convincer - Greg Kinnear and Alan Arkin butt heads in playful scam comedy. Kinnear and Arkin make a funny pair in con artist comedy ‘Convincer' (3 out of 5 stars) All eyes are focused on Wisconsin these days due to the Green Bay Packers winning Super Bowl Xlv and returning the Vince Lombardi to Green Bay. Arriving in perfect tandem with the Wisconsin hoopla is The Convincer, the latest movie from director and Wisconsin daughter Jill Sprecher and a playful hybrid of past art-house favorites Fargo and The Usual Suspects. Recently debuting in the Premieres section of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, Jill and her sibling co-writer Karen Sprecher reunite Little Miss Sunshine co-stars Greg Kinnear and Alan Arkin for a playful con artist comedy that makes the most out of their likable leads as well as a satisfying, climactic twist...

Reviewed by Jeremy Mathews

(from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival)

Directed by: Jill Sprecher

Written by: Jill Sprecher and Karen Sprecher

Starring: Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup, Lea Thompson and Bob Balaban

There’s no son of a bitch quite like Mickey Prohaska. The insurance salesman played by Greg Kinnear in “The Convincer” lies constantly, treats everyone like dirt and never passes up a chance to screw someone over. When the random drunk woman he sleeps with during a convention robs his room, he not only hides what happens but belittles the hotel manager and accuses the housekeeping staff of theft. So he isn’t a character who evokes much sympathy when his scruple-less little scheme goes terribly wrong. It’s no less than he deserves.

All it takes to push Mickey to do something wrong is for an opportunity to present itself. The film is structured like a domino course,...

Reviewed by Jeremy Mathews

(from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival)

Directed by: Jill Sprecher

Written by: Jill Sprecher and Karen Sprecher

Starring: Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup, Lea Thompson and Bob Balaban

There’s no son of a bitch quite like Mickey Prohaska. The insurance salesman played by Greg Kinnear in “The Convincer” lies constantly, treats everyone like dirt and never passes up a chance to screw someone over. When the random drunk woman he sleeps with during a convention robs his room, he not only hides what happens but belittles the hotel manager and accuses the housekeeping staff of theft. So he isn’t a character who evokes much sympathy when his scruple-less little scheme goes terribly wrong. It’s no less than he deserves.

All it takes to push Mickey to do something wrong is for an opportunity to present itself. The film is structured like a domino course,...

Rating: 2/5

Director: Jill Sprecher

Writers: Jill Sprecher, Karen Sprecher

Cast: Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup, Lea Thompson

How much trouble could a little violin cause? We find out just how as the off-beat film The Convincer takes us on a ride through the viewpoint of slightly shady insurance salesman, Mickey (Greg Kinnear), as he attempts to sell a policy to retiree Gorvy (Alan Arkin) and discovers a much bigger payday in the process.

Read more on Sundance 2011 Review: The Convincer…...

With Jill Sprecher‘s The Convincer, Greg Kinnear and Alan Arkin reunite on the independent film scene after achieving success with Little Miss Sunshine. Unfortunately, the results are nowhere near the same. Kinnear plays a despicable insurance salesman who uncovers an antique violin worthy of a heft sum. The violin’s owner (Arkin) installs a security system at his house thanks to locksmith Randy Kinney (Billy Crudup). After a tedious first act filled with generic voice-over, things get interesting when Crudup (who steals nearly every scene) kills a neighbor with Kinnear as an accomplice. The initial shock wears out quickly though and the film heads into Coen-wannabe area as Kinnear gets himself into deeper and deeper trouble. The twist ending feels rushed and contrived, making for a disappointing explanation. Dan Mecca and I recorded a video reaction with our expanded thoughts below.

E-mail Jordan Raup here. Follow him on Twitter...

Filed under: Movie News, Sundance Film Festival, Cinematical

Celeb Sightings

Above: Elmo and his puppeteer, Kevin Clash. Cee-Lo has a drink. Demi Moore's festival look. Isabella Rossellini smiles. Kate Bosworth wears earmuffs. Orlando Bloom signs autographs. Lea Thompson dines with Jill Sprecher. Christopher McDonald reads 'The Trial.' Elizabeth Banks, Paul Rudd and Rashida Jones have a chat.

Our Coverage

Jenni Miller chats with Eva Green, star of one of Sundance's sci-fi romances, 'Perfect Sense.'

Want to see Kevin Smith rant for yourself? His auction video is right here.

Laura Prudom shares three things you should know about Elizabeth Olsen.

Eric Snider interviews Ed Helms about 'Cedar Rapids' and dreaming about sex with Sigourney Weaver.

Erik Davis asks: Is the 'Silent House' marketing a sham, or does it even matter?

Christopher Campbell reviewed 'Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times' and...

Filed under: Movie News, Sundance Film Festival, Cinematical

Celeb Sightings

Above: Elmo and his puppeteer, Kevin Clash. Cee-Lo has a drink. Demi Moore's festival look. Isabella Rossellini smiles. Kate Bosworth wears earmuffs. Orlando Bloom signs autographs. Lea Thompson dines with Jill Sprecher. Christopher McDonald reads 'The Trial.' Elizabeth Banks, Paul Rudd and Rashida Jones have a chat.

Our Coverage

Jenni Miller chats with Eva Green, star of one of Sundance's sci-fi romances, 'Perfect Sense.'

Want to see Kevin Smith rant for yourself? His auction video is right here.

Laura Prudom shares three things you should know about Elizabeth Olsen.

Eric Snider interviews Ed Helms about 'Cedar Rapids' and dreaming about sex with Sigourney Weaver.

Erik Davis asks: Is the 'Silent House' marketing a sham, or does it even matter?

Christopher Campbell reviewed 'Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times' and...