A short work week didn't necessarily make for any less work at Movieline HQ, where midterm report cards were issued, political skirmishes ensued, radical mood swings were outlasted, and all the news that was fit to print -- which is to say, in a slow summer news week, everything -- made our pages. Check out the highlights below, and drop back by on Saturday and Sunday for box-office updates and more reports as movie-culture event warrant. Have a great weekend!
· As predicted, Transformers: Dark of the Moon burned up the holiday weekend like a $200 million roman candle.
· Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher rattled something of a right-wing hornets nest. Oscar no doubt awaits.
· Many thanks to this weekend's illustrious interviewees Liv Tyler, Michael Rapaport, Seth Gordon, Verge designee Lyndsy Fonseca and Bridesmaids' $160 million man Paul Feig.
· Despite product-placement time travel and pushing the Gorilla Technology Envelope, critics lustily relieved Zookeeper of its entertainment duties.
· Daniel Radcliffe turned into Robert Pattinson. Maybe?
· Movieline at the Midpoint brought the first six months of 2011 into crystalline perspective.
· Stephen Lang needed cheering up.