I don't know what "independent film" means. At a time when the
Weinsteins are trying to extricate themselves from Disney, it seems an appropriate question to ask. There are Indie films (non-industry money) that are
supposed to imitate fancy hollywood films, there are new studios being opened outside of LA by Wealthy Christians in Denver hoping to convert through
CS Lewis movies and there are
Garden State,
Lost in Translation,
Eternal Sunshine etc. which are like other Hollywood films: have stars, and studio money but are marketed as "Independent Films." What makes these independent? Finally, and seemingly too infrequently, there are privately financed and self-distributed unusual films like
Assisted Living which despite their
obvious merits and the
critic's adoration are presumably ignored by the studios, blasted by the brain-numbing
EW and distributed instead by the two young first-time
filmmakers
Why can't we see more non-hollywood and non-hollywood espousing independent ART on the screen? Why do we let every other multi-million dollar romantic comedy be sold to us as "indy" just because it has a quirky soundtrack or aesthetic sensibility. What can we do about it? I'm going to the movies. You?
posted by tallbuildings
on Apr 15, 2005 -
30 comments
Rabbit Proof Fence is a movie about Australia's "
stolen generation," the 100,000 Aboriginal and "half-caste" children kidnapped between 1910 and 1970 and raised in institutions, as part of a policy to "breed out" their Aboriginal blood and integrate them into white society. The
movie is the true story of three girls who ran away and walked 1500 miles back home. Molly, the oldest one, walked it again years later when they captured her and her children. Here's a
teacher's guide (pdf) based on the gov't report about the stolen generation. (book by Molly's daughter
Doris Pilkington, movie soundtrack by
Peter Gabriel. It's getting a lot of press despite its low profile -- go support your local indie theater)
posted by fotzepolitic
on Feb 11, 2003 -
13 comments
Low or no budget horror films. They're awful, and oh so enticing (prolly 'cause they can be awful, amusing, and sometimes really good).
How do you do
special effects on no budget? Boggles the mind. As Halloween as it gets, the independant film makers and horror officiandos have their own
portal. Crawl down these
haunted corridors at your own risk.
posted by Wulfgar!
on Oct 31, 2001 -
7 comments
Ghost World is made into a movie. The comic on which it is based is by
Daniel Clowes, an "alternative" comics author of some fame. I think I'm just a bit shocked that, of all comics, a movie would be made about ... well, anything by Daniel Clowes. Starring Steve Buscemi and
Thora Birch from American Beauty. (Thanks to
URB magazine (print) for the tip and
Memepool for the Clowes interview pointer.)
posted by moz
on Jun 25, 2001 -
9 comments
