The Croods
Dino, I don’t think we’re in Bedrock anymore. I went to The Croods expecting an update of The Flintstones – and got something else entirely. What we have here is a stylish and sophisticated work of animation.
Dino, I don’t think we’re in Bedrock anymore. I went to The Croods expecting an update of The Flintstones – and got something else entirely. What we have here is a stylish and sophisticated work of animation.
In the Movie Bible according to Michael Bay, this movie’s director, the first – maybe only – commandment is this: Thou shalt do everything to excess or thou shalt not bother doing it at all.
Here is a quote from this film, spoken by Tom Cruise’s character, Jack Harper. It gives you an idea of what we’re dealing with: “If we have souls, they're made of the love we share. Undimmed by time, unbound by death.”
The plot is a bit preposterous and some of the violence is way, way over the top, but this is actually a well made, if copycat movie. It will remind you of so many others – the original Die Hard comes to mind – but the movie does get you thinking about the kind of decisions the President (or, in this case, the ‘acting President’) has to make – and for the first time in a very long time, I actually liked Gerard Butler in a role.
Mud is a tale of elemental things -- falling in love, and putting your faith in others, and spending summer days with your best friend when you’re fourteen years old.
Like the paintings Pierre-Auguste Renoir created, this is a movie filled with visual splendor.
Submissions are now open for this year’s Moët British Independent Film Awards, which will be held on December 8. Nominations will be announced on November 11.
In 2012 Bart Layton picked up the The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director for The Imposter, Broken took home the coveted Best British Independent Film, Andrea Riseborogh won Best Actress for Shadow Dancer, while Toby Jones (Best Actor) and Peter Strickland (Best Director) won for their work on Berberian Sound Studio.
Starting in 2014, the Göteborg International Film Festival will be presenting a new award in memory of the cinematographer Sven Nykvist who worked with Ingmar Bergman and Roman Polanski among others.
Welcome to Digital Cinema Report 2.0. Starting with this issue the completely redesigned magazine now delivers daily updates, videos, direct links to social media, and easier access to the thousands of articles in our archives. Our redesign coincides with a turning point in the motion picture business. The digital cinema era has reached a plateau and while many see this as the end of something it is in reality just the beginning of fulfilling the promise that all the new technology has to offer – the beginning of the New Cinema era. When we launched Digital Cinema Report more than a decade ago 35mm film still dominated the motion picture industry and the Internet was just emerging as a cultural force. That has all changed and the New Cinema takes advantage of all the digital tools now available to make films and programs that are a genuine part of the social fabric, sometimes even in the conception, funding and development stages. The result is a growing number of events, movies, and documentaries that have powerful, personal and cultural messages. Last year’s The Invisible War is a perfect example. Made for less than a million dollars and nominated for many major awards, including the Oscar, it is a very important film.
Despite the long odds against them, the low budgets, the uncertainty about commercial success, independent filmmakers consistently deliver movies that are compelling and entertaining. The stories are unique and personal, and the acting from new and established actors alike is often better that what you normally see at the cineplex. Yet too few people have the chance to enjoy these films. Here are what I thought were the twelve best independent movies of 2012.