· Jane Campion's Oscar-probable Bright Star, which sold before the festival began and had a release date (Sept. 18) by the time today's press screening was out, has found a few fans in Cannes. Chief among them is likely Peter Bradshaw, writing in the Guardian: "Campion has put herself in line for her second Palme d'Or here at the Cannes film festival with a film which I think could be the best of her career." Eric Kohn led the vocal minority at indieWIRE: "This might sound horribly simplistic, but Jane Campion's Bright Star desperately needs a sex scene." Campion doesn't seem to care much either way, just as long as you don't call her John Keats/Fanny Brawne romance a "biopic." Got it?
· The press have also had a look at Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock, which didn't feel quite the love. "Spit it out -- it's a letdown," wrote Jeff Wells. "I've talked to a few critic friends since the 4:30 screening got out and all but one are feeling and saying the same." More to follow on this one for sure.
· /film points us to a clip montage from the festival's opening night, in which snippets of 14 films -- including Star, Woodstock and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus -- are viewable for the first time.
· Martin Scorsese is staying busy: First with his restored Red Shoes presentation, and today with the news that his World Cinema Foundation has lined up new exhibition avenues, including with new-media distributors The Auteurs. Not afterward, Scorsese dropped by the American Pavilion to name the facility's conference center in Roger Ebert's honor.
· If you happen to be the one of the press conference atendees asking filmmakers if they have a message for your home country, Xan Brooks wants to strangle you.
· Hey! Who invited Tara Reid? (Link NSFW)