Why can't I be Mr. Black?

November 8, 2005 4:49 PM

Empire Online's 50 Greatest Independent Films
I had no idea The Terminator was an independent film but they explain (a little) how they choose the movies as being made with "an independent spirit".

And if you think they got some wrong or missed the boat entirely, let 'em know. I, for one, wholeheartedly agree with #1, though I'm sure some of you will not.
posted by fenriq (98 comments total)

With all due respect to Monty Python and despite my dislike of the film in so many ways, The Passion of Christ and Life of Brian should be flipped.
posted by my sock puppet account at 4:56 PM on November 8, 2005

fenriq, for what it's worth, I totally agree with you about #1!
posted by WaterSprite at 4:59 PM on November 8, 2005

the only film i have a problem with that made the list was lone star. a rather boring film to say the least. happy to see pink flamingos and blood simple on the list, but no red rock west. must be an oversight.
posted by brandz at 5:01 PM on November 8, 2005

Oh come on! The Passion of The Christ is a perfect choice. It is THE symbol of American Protestant values: swimming pools of gore, no titties. Watching the audience watch the movie was the movie. It was subversive, and yet, not.
posted by basicchannel at 5:02 PM on November 8, 2005

[this is british]

Made my way up the 40s and down the top 10, and I can't say I've found any bad apples yet. Which, I guess, makes me ineligible for commenting.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:03 PM on November 8, 2005

An object lesson in how to shoot at speed, this smashes the stereotype of the talky, heavy European indie.

True. And yet, it's still a shitty film.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 5:07 PM on November 8, 2005

A decent list. Good to see a few titles there that I didn't expect would be included.

But...Sideways and Happiness, while good, are way overrated and Withnail & I should have been higher. I haven't seen a good few of these so this will be useful..
posted by fire&wings at 5:08 PM on November 8, 2005

Cube kinda sucked but...why are these all American or British? Did I miss the few that aren't?
posted by hototogisu at 5:12 PM on November 8, 2005

Is it to early to say that "any list that doesn't include director x" is incomplete?

Since "terminator" is up there I would at least balance it with "Himmel Uber Berlin", "the goalie's hesitation at the penalty kick", and "A Clockwork Orange" for starters.

-geez.
posted by tzelig at 5:19 PM on November 8, 2005

we've qualified all entries by ensuring they were made with what we consider to be an independent spirit.

Not true "Indies" one and all, but I still love the list. #1 Reservoir Dogs? Yes. "So, YOU, are part eggplant."
posted by snsranch at 5:26 PM on November 8, 2005

On preview, tzelig: Hmm, good point.
posted by snsranch at 5:29 PM on November 8, 2005

Cube kinda sucked but...why are these all American or British? Did I miss the few that aren't?

Bad Taste and Mad Max aren't.

So while I'm here... Bad Taste over Mad Max??? Get real!
posted by pompomtom at 5:30 PM on November 8, 2005

why are these all American or British? Did I miss the few that aren't?

Run, Lola, Run is German (and shitty; did I mention that it's a shitty overrated film?)(Why yes, yes I did.).
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 5:32 PM on November 8, 2005

Cube is Canadian. Does that still count as not American?
posted by Simon! at 5:41 PM on November 8, 2005

No Taxi Driver?
posted by boo_radley at 5:42 PM on November 8, 2005

Meet the Feebles over Bad Taste, anyway. Not that Bad Taste isn't great. Lone Star is great, but Secret of Roan Inish is better.

Isn't "YOU are part eggplant" from True Romance? (Also great).

I'd suggest others, but I'm not sure what qualifies as "indie". (How to Get Ahead in Advertising? Penn and Teller Get Killed? Ok, I guess I will suggest some others after all)
posted by jlub at 5:43 PM on November 8, 2005

I'll take both Cube and Run Lola Run over the truly shitty Mad Max. Most people who love that film don't seem to be able to recall enough of it to convince me that they've actually watched it. It's just a pop culture reference, now.

And Lone Star was horrible.
posted by dreamsign at 5:43 PM on November 8, 2005

meh. The top ten makes me want to vomit. This is such a BLOCKBUSTER VIDEO's TOP 10 "indie" MOVIES
posted by stenseng at 5:49 PM on November 8, 2005

I liked Lone Star
posted by my sock puppet account at 5:49 PM on November 8, 2005

Hal Hartley?
posted by birgitte at 5:50 PM on November 8, 2005

I'll take both Mad Max and Run Lola Run over the truly shitty Cube. Most people who love that film don't seem to be able to recall enough of it to convince me that they've actually watched it. It's just a pop culture reference, now.

And Reservoir Dogs was horrible.
posted by bradth27 at 5:51 PM on November 8, 2005

I liked Cube 2: Hypercube
posted by my sock puppet account at 5:54 PM on November 8, 2005

I am so glad that THX-1138 is on that list. I'd put it on the list for Walter Murch's sound montages alone.
posted by digaman at 5:54 PM on November 8, 2005

No Godard? Truffaut? Any French New Wave? Hell, Bergman ran his own film company, didn't he? So very little from the Sixties, where the real roots of American indie film lie. This is the film equivalent of a kid who thinks Nirvana invented punk.
posted by argybarg at 5:54 PM on November 8, 2005

i'm mostly ok with the top 10, but Sideways? i had high hopes for that movie, but god was it boring. i would put that waaay at the back and move up something like Memento or El Mariachi
posted by quin at 6:03 PM on November 8, 2005

Cute, but Cube a pop culture reference? I would think that most people would have to hear of it, first.

And I'll recount the plot if you like. :)
posted by dreamsign at 6:07 PM on November 8, 2005

Seriously though, Meet the Feebles is leaps and bound better than Bad Taste, but that is just my opinion.
posted by eecue at 6:10 PM on November 8, 2005

Yeah and wtf, cube? That movie was total crap.
posted by eecue at 6:11 PM on November 8, 2005

No Man Bites Dog? Come on now!
posted by eecue at 6:12 PM on November 8, 2005

I totally agree with A Clockwork Orange, tzelig. I would put Zentropa on my top 10 list. I liked that Life of Brian was on there. I would've placed Being John Malkovich higher on the list. Eraserhead, too.

I didn't really care for Reservoir Dogs but I understand it's impact. Same with Evil Dead. I loved Evil Dead 2 so much, Evil Dead is kind of depressing for me. Nonetheless, I can totally see its value on this kind of list.

And The Usual Suspects? Ick. That movie was predictable and boring and if I could stand watching it again, I'm sure I could find plenty more to complain about.

Other than that, the list has given me a few ideas of what to rent in the future. Thanks, fenriq.
posted by effwerd at 6:20 PM on November 8, 2005

I'm just happy that Dark Star is on there.
posted by brundlefly at 6:20 PM on November 8, 2005

I am a little shocked now that I've read the supposed reasoning for the order. What was achieved relative to monetary constraints? El Mariachi should be a lot higher.
posted by dreamsign at 6:27 PM on November 8, 2005

Some will bleat that this is an easy, obvious choice, while others will say

Hard to believe he's talking about Reservoir Dogs there. "Obvious choice?" I guess from a 90s and beyond indie-aesthetic, it could be called "an important film", but really, it's a campy movie with some funny one-liners, but it's ultimately forgettable and very overrated. Particularly when you compare it with the absolute masterpieces in this list.

Thanks for posting this, fenriq!
posted by psmealey at 6:39 PM on November 8, 2005

Sorry, but Withnail & I is quite possibly the world's most overrated film.
posted by zardoz at 6:44 PM on November 8, 2005 [1 favorite]

Sideways is so agressively average it made my gums bleed.
And why are films automatically considered "indie" (loathsome term) if they're not born-in-the-USA?
posted by signal at 6:47 PM on November 8, 2005

You can't give props to the influence of Reservoir Dogs without mentioning City on Fire, from which it stole many scenes and images.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.
posted by fungible at 6:51 PM on November 8, 2005

Yeah brundlefly, I'm pleased to see Dark Star up there as well. I love the bits where they have to convince the bomb not to blow up. "Let there be light!"
posted by JHarris at 7:08 PM on November 8, 2005

Ah, a Canadian flick, a German flick (I didn't even see Lola there the first time), and an Australian one...I mean, I know all those Asian languages look funny and hard to parse, what with all the squiggly lines and all, but it can't be that hard to find a few Asian movies better than Mad fucking Max.

stenseng and argybarg are dead on.
posted by hototogisu at 7:13 PM on November 8, 2005

Cube kinda sucked but...why are these all American or British? Did I miss the few that aren't?

Well, Cube is Canadian...
posted by solid-one-love at 7:17 PM on November 8, 2005

Ah, YourFavourite(Indie)MovieSucksFilter.

I recall lots of Mad Max. Solid film about love, loss, and revenge set amidst humanity's/politician's greed and near-sightedness.

Meet the Feebles is soooo better than Bad Taste. If anyone hasn't seen Feebles, and is appreciative of black humour, definitely make the effort to check it out.

I quite liked Run Lola Run, but the Cube (even though I'm Canadian) was a pain to watch. It had it's moments, but it didn't work out for me. Zentropa (Europa) had similar pacing issues to Cube, but it kinda work in its favour as a quasi-period piece.

True Romance > Resevoir DOgs
posted by PurplePorpoise at 7:29 PM on November 8, 2005

No "Window Water Baby Moving"? No "Sirius Remembered"? No "Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome" or "Scorpio Rising"?

Nothing by Stan Brakhage or Kenny Anger?

It's all commercial films?

What bullshit.
posted by orthogonality at 7:30 PM on November 8, 2005

No Godard? Truffaut? Any French New Wave? Hell, Bergman ran his own film company, didn't he? So very little from the Sixties, where the real roots of American indie film lie. This is the film equivalent of a kid who thinks Nirvana invented punk.

Yes, I agree completely--and with orthogonality, too. Lost in Translation is hardly indie or great. Where are all the good movies?

No "Window Water Baby Moving"?

I think that "Window Water Baby Moving," "Mothlight," and "The Dante Quartet" are the three most amazing things I have ever seen projected on a screen. There's my top three right there.
posted by josh at 7:39 PM on November 8, 2005

What was achieved relative to monetary constraints? El Mariachi should be a lot higher.

Eh, there's a bit of mythology around el Mariachi and the whole $7,000 budget thing.... Once the studio bought the flick they pumped around $40,000 into it to fix the sound, color correct, etc.

Not to knock the film (it is impressive), but that budget was not $7,000.
posted by brundlefly at 7:43 PM on November 8, 2005

Reservoir Dogs is so bad I never even saw it. Maybe someday, but I really didn't like Pulp Fiction all that much; I don't think Quentin and I are on the same page... er, frame.

My gripe with the list (nice post, by the way) is that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was a great bad movie, whereas Night of the Living Dead was just kind of stupid. (Now Dawn of the Dead was a marvelous, wonderful, terrific bad movie.) No way Night is in the Top 10 while Chainsaw is way back in the 40s.

I saw the two for the first time together, in fact, 25 years ago on Halloween at the University of Washington, a triple-bill that included Freaks. Chainsaw stole the show; during one part a kid in the row behind me even started throwing up. And five years after that, I ended up living on the same island in Maine as the guy who played Leatherface. A poet, of all things, and born in Reykjavik, of all places! A nice guy, in fact.

Two more things about the list — Mad Max was really poor, while The Road Warrior could (should?) have been Top 10. And I'm with effwerd, I would've placed Being John Malkovich [a lot] higher on the list.
posted by LeLiLo at 7:52 PM on November 8, 2005

From my girl Marcy, a more personal list of ten essential indies. More women directors, too.
posted by muckster at 8:12 PM on November 8, 2005

No animation? Only one documentary, and it's Roger and Me?
posted by box at 8:20 PM on November 8, 2005

The Brakhage DVD that came out not so long ago makes for oddly compelling background imagery everytime my housemates and I throw a party...
posted by hototogisu at 8:22 PM on November 8, 2005

Slacker should have been rated higher than #20 in my opinion, as it spawned, along with sex, lies, and videotape, a resurgance of independent film in the nineties. The "blue people/smurfs/krishna" conversation is one that never gets old, and the "we have been on the moon since the 50's" guy is such a great universal wacky-small-town-guy archetype.
posted by olbiadle at 8:25 PM on November 8, 2005

lelilo: I agree with you on Mad Max v. Road Warrior. But what's not to like about Night of the Living Dead?
posted by brundlefly at 8:26 PM on November 8, 2005

As much as I loved Memento, Christopher Nolan's first film Following is the better true indie film. Made for 5,000 pounds over the course of a year with a borrowed camera, and a damn good film regardless of budget.
posted by chris24 at 8:30 PM on November 8, 2005

Regen Joris Ivens
posted by ubi at 8:37 PM on November 8, 2005

Reservoir Dogs is so bad I never even saw it.

Well that's fair and thoughtful.
posted by basicchannel at 8:40 PM on November 8, 2005

Cube! Eww. But then OMG Blood Feast! Empire list, you had me at 47.
posted by jennyb at 8:40 PM on November 8, 2005

I loved Cube. Also, Amores Perros is Mexican, and definitely worth watching. Don't let my love of Cube steer you away from it.
posted by MillMan at 8:56 PM on November 8, 2005

I second THX-1138. And Scorpio Rising - shoulda.

Can't say I'm a big Donnie Darko fan. I liked it, just not impressed.

I enjoyed Reservoir Dogs. Not sure about #1 though.
posted by Smedleyman at 9:02 PM on November 8, 2005

The Brakhage DVD that came out not so long ago makes for oddly compelling background imagery everytime my housemates and I throw a party...

Uh, you guys go through the whole thing? Isn't the autopsy film, while a compelling and stark essay on the physicality of death, a wee bit of a buzzkill?
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 9:05 PM on November 8, 2005

.why are these all American or British? Did I miss the few that aren't?

The link seems to be MeFi'ed right now, but in addition to the ones mentioned above, City of God is Brazilian (and a damn fine film).
posted by Ufez Jones at 9:12 PM on November 8, 2005

PinkStainlessTail: I have some incredibly bizarre friends. To be fair though, I doubt we've made it through the whole thing...

I saw a guy here with the Donnie Darko arm-date-marker thing actually tattooed on his arm...now I'm all for tattoos, but it wasn't *that* good of a movie...

City of God was ridiculously good...so much better than many of the things better ranked than it...the list is cool and all, considering I know very little about film and haven't seen half of these, but it kind of makes you wonder how they picked 'em...
posted by hototogisu at 9:16 PM on November 8, 2005

why are films automatically considered "indie" (loathsome term) if they're not born-in-the-USA?

Because "independent" is short for "independent of the major Hollywood studios."
posted by kindall at 9:39 PM on November 8, 2005

what's not to like about Night of the Living Dead?

I thought it was just a bunch of people I didn't care for, trapped in a house. Not nearly as interesting as a giant guy — part of a definitely disfunctional family — who dressed up in a leather mask like a cow, and hit people in the head with a sledgehammer after they walked up a little metal ramp. Then chainsawed them into rump roasts and sirloins.

When the Living Dead came back to wreck an entire shopping mall in the same director's Dawn of the Dead (and in full color, no less), it spoke much more to my genetic need to consume and then hold on to my possessions. Plus I thought it was a lot funnier.

”Reservoir Dogs is so bad I never even saw it.”... Well that's fair and thoughtful.

I was a movie reviewer for seven or eight years a few decades back, and I think that's the best one-line review I ever wrote!
posted by LeLiLo at 9:53 PM on November 8, 2005

Yeah I kinda dig Brahkage and the like but I think its completely reasonable to confine the list to actual features, when I think of Indie films I don't think of art films, I think of (mostly) narrative features. The difference might not be technically correct but I think it's suitably functional.

Re: Playing By Brahkage at parties the second disk would be fine I think since it's mostly hand painted stuff and a few (notable) exceptions but nothing as killjoy as "the act of seeing with one's own eyes" Also the best party movie is "On Any Sunday"
posted by I Foody at 10:12 PM on November 8, 2005

I've spent this entire thread trying to remember how The Cube ends and I can't. It's driving me crazy.

Two indie films I do recommend are Dream With The Fishes and The Favor, the Watch and the Very Big Fish
posted by fshgrl at 10:12 PM on November 8, 2005

"independent of the major Hollywood studios." - True, but the list begins by noting that Hollywood films have big stars, big budgets, and wide release. I'd say that description fits a few of these, such as Reservoir Dogs.
posted by QuietDesperation at 10:32 PM on November 8, 2005

i doubt all your commitments to sparkle motion.
posted by dopamine at 11:35 PM on November 8, 2005

I read this as Iraq's 50 greatest independet films. Now that'd be worth reading.
posted by snoktruix at 11:56 PM on November 8, 2005

Great. Empire Terminator top 10 Mean Streets Reservoir Dogs!

If there's one thing Independent Films are good for, it's showcasing action films, a genre which has always had a difficult time gaining any audience in our culture, as we are pathologically tuned in to the arts, and so-called "thinking" movies.
posted by nervousfritz at 12:03 AM on November 9, 2005

I'm sure you were all desperate to hear my take on which of these films were plain-old excrutiating pap.

Cube
Buffalo 66
Blair Witch Project

Now you know.
posted by herting at 12:08 AM on November 9, 2005

this is an advertising feature first and a serious list second.

The films are very samey (lots of horror and violence) which appeal to the demographic which the carmaker want to BUY THEIR CAR.

Orthogonality got it right.
posted by johnny novak at 12:44 AM on November 9, 2005

personally glad Clerks was in there.

(sits back down to watch clerks x dvd box set)

(argh no wait, rushes out the door - late for work!)
posted by 13twelve at 1:14 AM on November 9, 2005

This list felt like "top 50 films not made in a Hollywood studio that you've heard of or seen." My God. A lot of these are star-studded affairs by people with a lot of money to burn. It would've been more interesting if they did a list of the top 10 films made by maxing out the director's credit cards.
posted by graymouser at 1:48 AM on November 9, 2005

Like clerks?

(made it to work only 5 mins late woo!)
posted by 13twelve at 2:12 AM on November 9, 2005

13twelve -

Yeah, Clerks and a few other films on the list would qualify. But the thing is - there are probably such films that are out there, are really good and still obscure, that could benefit from mentions in a list like this. If the authors believed in actual independent film, Reservoir Dogs wouldn't be the "greatest independent movie ever made," and no way in hell would Terminator or Passion of the Christ be on the list.
posted by graymouser at 2:19 AM on November 9, 2005

What? The list doesn't have on it? And it has ? This list is clearly crap!
posted by antifuse at 2:45 AM on November 9, 2005

Jesus antifuse, learn to preview!

That should be "doesn't have <insert movie that nobody has heard of so I can get movie geek cred>" and "has <movie that people actually liked>" :)
posted by antifuse at 2:46 AM on November 9, 2005

antifuse -

Cute. I didn't name any actual films, because I wasn't objecting to "this list didn't have x." It was banal because it was a list of films people already liked and not a list bringing attention to films that are really independent, made by enterprising directors armed only with their credit cards. As it stands, it's a list that lets people say "ooh, I like independent films" and doesn't even try to challenge them.
posted by graymouser at 3:43 AM on November 9, 2005

So, YOU, are part eggplant. -- True Romance (the best scene in the movie, IMHO).

I'd change around a few, maybe substitute a couple, but the list is generally pretty good.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 4:35 AM on November 9, 2005

OK:
What? The list doesn't have The Commitments on it? And it has anything by the most obnoxiously overrated director in the history of the universe, Quentin Freaking Jerome Tarantino? This list is clearly crap!
posted by Finder at 5:02 AM on November 9, 2005

There should be 'Law of Desire' _ pedro Almodovar and
a John Cassavetes 'Gloria' or 'A Woman Under the Influence'.
And a Hal Hartler 'Trust' preferably.
posted by dprs75 at 5:17 AM on November 9, 2005

Not sure if this has already been said, but I love the writing they do at Empire. It seems so clear that they _love_ movies. Great post.
posted by bullitt 5 at 7:54 AM on November 9, 2005

Warner Independent Pictures

I guess people seem to think that indie just means "arthouse" or "cult-appeal".
posted by Pretty_Generic at 8:04 AM on November 9, 2005

Their self-justification for "Reservoir Dogs" should have stopped after pointing out it's influence. AFAIAC, in no sense did the film actually drive change the way that they claim. Tarantino was picking up on existing trends. Perhaps it catalized the retro-chic, uber-ironist hyper-violent trends that have dominated popular entertainment since then, but I maintain strenuously that if it hadn't been Tarantino and RD, it would have been somebody else. All of the elements they cite can be traced to other films as well, and most of them can be put together into other single films. For example, I'd argue that Luc Besson has him beat solidly in most of the counts that they cite.

RD gets panned roundly and soundly by a lot of people and it doesn't deserve that. It's a legitimately good filem -- a great example of minimalist filmmaking. But it is heavily over-rated, mostly by people who want to bless their taste for violence with the imprimatur of "art."
posted by lodurr at 8:04 AM on November 9, 2005

People who pan Mad Max, AFAICS, can't see past the bad dialog dubbing that they gave it for the American market. And I hear people trashing "the sound track" when what they really object to is the heavy-handed mixing.

Is it a great film? Not really. But in its un-dubbed form, it's good solid story-telling.
posted by lodurr at 8:20 AM on November 9, 2005

'Killing Zoe' seemed to resonate a little better than Resevoir Dogs for me - but I've got to thank NetFlix for the free RD DVD with their initial promotional offer that I promptly canceled. THX NF!

I didn't see any Spike Lee - wasn't 'Jungle Fever' produced on his maxed out credit cards, or was it 'Do the Right Thing'?

Wim Wender's isn't given the credit he's due - he seems to be the antitheses to QT. The Technicolor screen is definitely wide enough for all that's in between.

Let's state the obvious desire that independent films should also mean independant of not only major Hollywood funding, but any major media funding.
posted by tzelig at 8:50 AM on November 9, 2005

tzelig, "She's Gotta Have It" was #16.
posted by teleskiving at 9:25 AM on November 9, 2005

City of God was the best movie on that list. Simply wonderful.


I liked Cube Zero.
posted by graventy at 9:42 AM on November 9, 2005

I agree with the sentiment that City of God should have been rated higher. I would have put it in the top 10. The movie is entertaining, thoughtfull, and wonderfully shot.

I'm sad to see nothing from Kubrick on that list. While I know he couldn't be considered indy on account of the way they were funded, I think one of his early films like Paths of Glory, or even some later ones, considering his falling out with the Hollywood mainstream after Sparticus.

A Clockwork Orange deserved to be on there instead of The Terminator.

As for the number one, I saw Resevoir Dogs so long ago that I can't really give a reliable indication of whether it truly deserved to be there. That said, from what I remember, I think it is a pretty solid piece of indy film. I don't know if it deserves #1, but that's a pretty hard call anyways.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 10:05 AM on November 9, 2005

Second on Man Bites Dog. So few serial killer comedies these days. And why so little love for Withnail and I! "Of course he's the f**king farmer, stop saying that!"
posted by Gilbert at 11:12 AM on November 9, 2005

Independent means "not created by a studio."

So why the hell is THX-1138, produced by Warner Bros., on the list?

Lucas's Star Wars movies were independently produced, but not THX-1138.
posted by NortonDC at 11:16 AM on November 9, 2005

thanks teleskiving - I missed it.
posted by tzelig at 11:29 AM on November 9, 2005

No Dogme films? Or Babette's Feast whilst we're in Denmark?

Nothing French?!? Any Three Colours? 37°2 le matin/Betty Blue? Nikita? and a fair few less obvious ones too.

How come Lola is the only German film when Mostly Martha (which I've just found out is going to be remade with Catherine Zeta Jones in the starring role - oh whoop-de-doo) and Good Bye Lenin are nowhere?

Repo Man? Razorback? Go? Human Traffic

And so forth...

(Was Go an indie? Tip: Pair it up with Human Traffic? for a fun drug/club evening.)
posted by i_cola at 1:05 PM on November 9, 2005

I love "Dark Star" so much. Nice to see that in there. "Withnail and I"... well, obviously.

I bloody HATE Tarantino, though. All of it. All of him. And his entire family. And anyone who looks like him.
posted by Decani at 3:13 PM on November 9, 2005

They put Cube on there and snub Darren Aronofsky's Pi? (insert Dean Scream) I can't believe that.
posted by my sock puppet account at 3:45 PM on November 9, 2005

Not a big Tarantino fan, either. He's getting better though...
posted by brundlefly at 4:24 PM on November 9, 2005

Man, I didn't even notice that Pi wasn't on there. That's weak.

Dark Star is like, the best space comedy no one as seen.
posted by graventy at 7:13 PM on November 9, 2005

Mostly Martha (which I've just found out is going to be remade with Catherine Zeta Jones in the starring role - oh whoop-de-doo)

1) What? Huh? No!

2) You know who's missing? You know what is so shocking, so impossible to conceive, that I'm only noticing it now? THERE IS NOT A SINGLE FUCKING WERNER HERZOG FILM ON THAT LIST. The man made all his early features with a stolen camera. What could be more indie?
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 7:19 PM on November 9, 2005

THERE IS NOT A SINGLE FUCKING WERNER HERZOG FILM ON THAT LIST.

Agreed. Should be.

---

What's that one film? The one about the cowboys eating pudding?
posted by Smedleyman at 1:07 AM on November 10, 2005

I'm disappointed that Pink Flamingos is so low. She went off script to eat dog shit and if that's not indie cred, I don't know what is.
posted by cl at 8:44 AM on November 10, 2005

Smedleyman: Brokeback Mountain
posted by brundlefly at 4:41 PM on November 14, 2005