Last we heard from the prickly pen of Noah Baumbach, he had joined forces with Ben Stiller to bring us Greenberg. The chronicle of a man who resolved to do nothing, insult everyone, and miraculously seduce Greta Gerwig, as lovable grumps go it certainly pushed the envelope. What has the Baumer been up to of late? Why, reuniting with Stiller on Madagascar 3, released this week. Here’s the skinny on the alternative’s alternative to Wes Anderson.

While the London Film Festival is getting under-way elsewhere in the capital, there’s a much more intimate celebration of film occurring elsewhere. Hidden away in the depths of East London is the 3 Mills film studio, which has become something of a home-from-home for stop-motion animation, and has attracted its share of big live action film-makers too, in recent years. They’re hosting a four-day event to celebrate their output.

This is literally the best idea ever.

Last year the 53rd London Film Festival kicked off with the massively successful caper Fantastic Mr Fox. We’re pleased to announce that the selectors are staying savvy this year, choosing Mark Romanek’s Never Let Me Go to open the proceedings.

If ‘kidult’ films are the latest trend in Hollywood, Where the Wild Things Are would be at a Kate Moss level of cool, as the hype surrounding it demonstrates. But this is one movie that lives up to its press – the sumptuous visuals, amazing costumes and edgy soundtrack create an amazing and unique cinematic experience. There’s not as much in it for the kids as some parents might like, but the lack of family-friendly formulaic storytelling is also what makes it great.

All it took was one weedy little wizard-nerd to make children’s book adaptations the new Hollywood holy grail. Suddenly, studios are scrambling over each other in their quest to create the coolest, most visually stunning, and (most importantly) highest-grossing new book-turned-film. But is this new trend really making kids the kings of the big screen? Or is it just creating a bunch of overly-thought-out tat that’s too advanced for kids, too weird for adults?