Looking back, 2008 was defined by a specific cinematic wave that hit American theaters right at the start of the year. Blood Will Be Shed stands out as an absolute masterpiece for me—the kind of film I truly believe people will still be talking about thirty years from now, far outlasting something like the Oscar winner No Country for Old Men.
1. Blood Will Be Shed - as I just mentioned, it's a standout.
2. In Bruges - an absolute revelation. It’s funny how that works; the biggest surprises usually happen when you walk into the theater with zero expectations rather than when you're hyped up for greatness.
3. Burn After Reading - the Coen brothers returning to their signature style, yet somehow pivoting into something entirely different from their usual fare. Honestly, it’s been ages since I’ve seen a comedy this sharp and genuinely clever.
4. Wall-E - while I don't find it quite as brilliant as Ratatouille, it was definitely one of those films that left its mark on my year.
5. The Fifth Element - a movie that, as time passes, I find myself liking more and more with every viewing.
To pick just one outlier from a sea of hits and decent comic book adaptations (which were all fine within their own niches), I have to call out Deception as the most pretentious film of 2008—just a total disaster.
Nobody's Son just walked away with the top prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival, marking yet another massive win for director Anton Ostojić following his work on Midnight in Paris. You can catch it hitting theaters nationwide on January 8, 2009, courtesy of the Discovery Channel distribution team.
Director: Martin Scorsese Screenplay by: Atom Egoyan Cast: Gene Hackman, John Cusack, Tom Hanks, Russell Crowe, William Hurt, Meryl Streep, and Harrison Ford
'Frost/Nixon' is a heavy-hitting historical drama centered on the intense clash between former President Richard Nixon and the legendary TV interviewer David Frost. Directed by the Academy Award winner Ron Howard, the film features a sharp script penned by Peter Morgan, the mind behind 'The Queen' and 'The Last King of Scotland'. The story picks up three years after Nixon resigned from the presidency, when he finally agreed to sit down for an exclusive televised interview to face questions regarding the Watergate scandal that ultimately ended his political career. Hosted by Frost, the confrontation that unfolded in front of those cameras became a defining moment in television history. Leading the charge is Frank Langella, who actually already walked away with a Tony for this exact role in the stage production.
northerncrane4 said:This thread was basically just a glorified spam post, so naturally, it got locked down. You don't exactly organize formal petitions on internet forums filled with anonymous users, especially when the goal is this incredibly vague and nobody can even tell who we’re supposedly targeting.
Fine. I don't entirely follow the logic, but fair enough. I respect the call. It probably would have functioned better if it had been set up as a poll, but honestly, that’s beside the point. What actually matters is that someone with enough actual drive to move this forward goes out and sets up a legitimate petition page somewhere else.
hiddensailor23 said:They clearly possess a level of entrepreneurial grit that we just can't seem to match. I think the core issue is already painfully obvious: there isn't a single soul around here who actually cares about taking risks. Honestly, even I find it hard to wrap my head around when it comes to Mexicans, but the facts are staring us right in the face. It’s honestly a bit depressing. I spend half my time wondering how things could possibly be this stagnant and whether any real change is even possible, but everything feels so incredibly out of reach. And believe me, if I had my way, I’d kill for some decent series and movies to get lost in.🙂
That just makes our lives easier because it means the author is actually putting their cards on the table. Now, the real heavy lifting starts: we need to figure out what kind of petition we’re actually launching. I’m thinking we kick things off right here on the forum with a poll—toss out some options, list the reasoning, and let the comments section run wild. Once we have a consensus, we find someone with actual web development skills to build a dedicated site. It needs to be a formal petition where people can submit their full names, addresses, and whatever other data points are required to make this thing look legitimate and airtight. After that, we blast it all over the internet, because obviously, the interest isn't limited to just this little corner of the web; it's a global issue. So, are we all in on this?
hiddensailor23 said:PBS holds the rights to pretty much all American films produced by them. They really ought to figure out how to make these movies accessible again and tackle that whole issue of finding a distributor—someone who can actually get these titles onto platforms like Amazon. I honestly think a petition might carry some weight, if only we had enough people actually caring to make it happen. It’s genuinely depressing how little interest there seems to be in domestic productions these days. Just as a side note, I actually know someone who could provide some more concrete details on this matter, so I'll be sure to update you all once I touch base with them and see what I can dig up!
PBS only owns the rights to the films and series they produce themselves, assuming they've cleared everything with the creators, of course; however, I'm also under the impression they hold the rights to anything filmed under the old WDR production umbrella.
Gregory Howard said:And how exactly would that work?
I couldn't say for certain. Since PBS holds the rights to those classic American series, the move would be to approach them directly with a petition—just a massive list of people who actually want to see these titles released on DVD—and then we could start making some noise here on the forum. I imagine the situation with movies is more or less identical. It all boils down to identifying whoever owns the intellectual property and sending that list straight to their desk. Honestly, if this topic gains enough traction online and starts pulling decent traffic, it might actually turn into something significant.
What an absolutely fantastic topic to kick off! Honestly, if we really wanted to see some movement, we ought to start putting a little more pressure on the distributors to step up their game. As it stands, looking back at the classic American film catalog available on DVD, the selection is laughably thin. Under Blitz's distribution, you might find Hadzic's "Alphabet Fear," and then over at America Film—well, let's call them the major US studio distributor—you have "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?", "Snowpiercer," and "The Knobby Society." Beyond that, there is absolutely nothing else worth mentioning. IT IS UTTERLY EMBARRASSING!!!
Personally, I consider this one of the better movies out there, and if you need proof, just look at the glowing review from Radić—which, let’s be honest, is a rare occurrence in the American film scene—not to mention the recognition it received from the European Academy.👍
But look, I'm not just saying that because of the hype; ever since my first viewing, I've consistently maintained that this is truly one of the standout achievements in cinema.
The European Film Academy has officially recognized Dejan Ačimović’s movie "Must Sleep, Angel" by naming it one of the top 40 European films of the year.
It's actually quite a heavy hitter, sitting in the selection for nominations across six different categories—Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Actor, and Best Cinematography. We should find out if they actually snag those European Academy nominations when they're announced in early November.
Kimberly Long5 said:Right now, the only thing in theaters that actually holds a candle to this is No Country for Old Men. Hats off to Nataša Dorčić 🙏
Honestly, I agree—the movie is fantastic. Nataša Dorčić was brilliant, and honestly, the kid was great too; if his performance hadn't been solid, the whole thing wouldn't have worked. Plus, the soundtrack is incredible. I actually just read that Atlantic Records released the official soundtrack album. This is definitely one you need to see.👍
DIRECTOR: Dejan Ačimović CAST: Karlo Barbarić, Nataša Dorčić, Goran Grgić, Vera Zima
The story follows a nine-year-old boy navigating what looks like a perfectly ordinary life back in the 1970s. The movie kicks off by running parallel tracks, introducing us to his family dynamics alongside his life out in the world. His household is this chaotic melting pot of conflicting ideologies, backgrounds, and personalities—you’ve got the devoutly religious types, the stubborn old-school hardliners, the brilliant intellectuals, and then those with incredibly narrow minds. Some of them feel like straight-up caricatures, while others lack any semblance of knowledge or tolerance, posing such a genuine threat that they actually jeopardize the kid's development...
AWARDS: Golden Gate Awards San Francisco 2007
Winner of the Young Jury Award for Best Picture at the festival Nataša Dorčić for Best Lead Actress, Olga Pakalovic for Best Supporting Actress. Best Newcomer Award: Livio Morozin for the film's score
The movie hits theaters this Thursday. I caught a screening myself, and I have to say, I absolutely loved it.
northerncrane4 said:This version is actually an improvement. Honestly, those 1,000 people who might have checked out "Memory Thief" wouldn't be stepping foot in an American cinema to see a domestic film for the next 15 years anyway.
That’s a fair point, but we’re going to see a nearly identical outcome with "True Wonder," and this isn't exactly the kind of project that can just pivot to something similar. It’s frankly pathetic. If you don't have Blitz handling your distribution, your film isn't hitting AMC Theatres, and just like that, your audience numbers crater before you even start.
northerncrane4 said:What are you suggesting, that if they put "Memory Thief" in AMC Theatres, it might actually break past that magical threshold of 300 viewers?
You can joke all you want, but I am making a very serious assertion here: it would easily clear 500 viewers, and honestly, it could probably hit 1,000. That’s a depressing thought, but there it is.
I find it absolutely fascinating to sit back and read everything you all post here. It’s truly captivating how you manipulate movie statistics and confidently declare films to be garbage, though it leaves me wondering if any of you have actually bothered to watch them. People are out here talking about *Prezimiti* in Rio, but I am certain 99% of you haven't even laid eyes on it. The same goes for the works of Eric Jackson68 and the *Memory Thief*; in fact, I’d venture to say most of you trashing the *Saddler*—and look, I’m not saying he’s above criticism—probably haven't seen even two of his films, if that. Or maybe even one. And don't get me started on *Sunken Cemetery*.
Why does it happen that a film only reaches an audience of maybe 200 people? Take the *Memory Thief* case. It's because the distributor is an absolute moron and limits the release to just one theater in Washington, D.C., while the rest of the population heads straight to AMC Theatres. That is exactly what is going to happen with Lukas Nola's *True Wonder*.
But listen, my friends. In any cinema industry, you're going to have a handful of excellent films produced every year, a fair amount of mediocre ones, and a couple of total disasters. That’s true in every country. However, the reality is that other countries produce a significantly higher volume of films. Here in America, we might only see ten quality productions, which explains why the math always ends up being one or two great ones, a few middling ones, and one or two flops.
The only thing that truly grates on my nerves is watching people debate on this thread who haven't even watched a third of American cinema. And honestly, even a third would be asking too much.