good indie films

[Apotheosis]

The United States of Leland

Goodbye Lenin

Run Lola Run

Requiem for a Dream



Will add more when I get time (and these are movies that weren't necessarily popular mainstream)

[StrayRogue]

I wouldn't call those last two indie films at all.

My personal faves are:

The Idiots

Festen

[Apotheosis]

well, when I say indie, i really mean, umm, niche films, or films where most of america isn't going to see.

[StrayRogue]

Heh, you mean None-Hollywood films then.

[peam]

The Dancing Outlaw.
Dancing Outlaw II: Jesco Goes To Hollywood.

[4a6c1]

:heart: Conceiving Ada.

That movie made me paranoid about intelligent machines.

Goodbye Lenin was a movie I thought would be good. Then I realized it was completely and utterly unwatchable. The Grey Zone was a good one though.

- Arkans

[Latrinsorm]

I liked Goodbye Lenin. :(

I don't really know what constitutes an indie film, but the Cowboy Bebop movie roxx0red my sox.

[Apotheosis]

goodbye Lenin was really a great insight into what was going on in East Germany around the time of the reunification..

Naturally, there's an entertaining element to it (to make it watchable for a western audience), but it does provide at least one reasonable perspective of the incident.

[Sylph]

RESEVOIR DOGS

INTERMISSION

SLC PUNK

etc.

[Apotheosis]

SLC PUNK for teh win..

ALSO:

When We were Kings (muhammad ali documentary)

Dead Alive (for teh cult zombie phreakz)

Alive (based on a japanese comic, not the one where people eat each other after a plane crash)

Friend (or friends) - Great south korean film about 4 boys growing up in the 'gangsta' life, subtitled or over-dub only.

[OreoElf]

Goodbye Lenin was good

Clerks
Blade Runner
:heart:Bubba Ho-tep:heart:
SLC punk was already said
Napoleon Dynamite (It was indie originally and took off :P)
City of God
Saved
Pieces of April

[4a6c1]

??How have I not seen Goodbye Lenin??

Adding something. Boondock Saints. That movie was hot. Indie tho? Idunno.

[Fengus]

Way of the Gun.


Boondock Saints was pretentious garbage and was not good, unless your idea of a good time is going to church. I could go on, but it sours my tougue, lousy.

Napoleon Dynamite was either boring as shit or brilliant, depending on wether those actors were intentionally acting stilted.

[Back]

Originally posted by JihnasSpirit
??How have I not seen Goodbye Lenin??

Adding something. Boondock Saints. That movie was hot. Indie tho? Idunno.

Wondering how I missed Goodbye Lenin (http://www.sonyclassics.com/goodbye/flash.html) myself.

I thought Boondock Saints had style, and promise, but lacked in character and story.

Run Lola Run I thought was great. Awesome soundtrack too.

How do you define an indie these days? Low-budget? Foreign? Under publicized? I don’t know since so many top name actors seem to be doing indies now... its hard to tell.

[Back]

Oh, PS.

I rented Napolean Dynamite and turned it off half-way through. I mean, some things were funny, but I just could not identify with any of the chars.

Pi (3.14159265) was an interesting indie. All the other movies I can think of are foreign.

[Edited on 6-22-2005 by Backlash]

equilibrium

[crazymage]

Equilibrium wasnt really indie, but it kicked so much ass.

well fengus said movies people havent seen

[Back]

Ah, heres one...

Shadow of the Vampire (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0189998/trailers). Its one of those indies with top-name stars.

[edited to change link for cross-platform viewing]

[Edited on 6-22-2005 by Backlash]

[Mistomeer]

Originally posted by Yswithe

Run Lola Run

I love that fucking movie.



Requiem for a Dream


Ass to ass...

[Flurbins]

Happiness of the Katakuris
Battle Royale

Maybe not indies, but most people haven't seen them.

[4a6c1]

Best Indie Anime: Darkside Blues.

Meh. When I saw Run Lola Run it frusterated me. Maybe I just need to watch it again.

Napoleon Dynamite was so funny. I quote it all the time and nobody knows what the hell I'm talking about.

"eeuuhhhhgghh. Ediot!"


Originally posted by Fengus
Boondock Saints was pretentious garbage and was not good, unless your idea of a good time is going to church.


Yezzzzz! Boondock Saints is pretentious with the most perfect mix of guns and religion. :heart:

Ironic tho, going to church *is* fun for me. ;)

[Toxicvixen]

Thursday - Not to be confused with Friday.

[OreoElf]

Best Indie of all time

Harold and Maude

[Back]

Harold and Maude (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067185/trailers)

Definitely a good flick.

Damn, IMDb (http://www.imdb.com) is an awesome site.

[Edited on 6-23-2005 by Backlash]

[OreoElf]

:heart:Backlash:heart:

Its been my fav since I was 12ish?
Every time I use a fake trick dagger to pretend suicide in GS I think of Harold.

[SpunGirl]

Harold and Maude? I fucking LOVE you guys. The poster of it (a wedding present) is hanging up in my living room. I originally watched it when I was a kid because of the Cat Stevens soundtrack, but man, what a good story.

Also, not really indie (not sure, anyway), but has anyone ever seen Two Girls and a Guy? It has a cast of like... five people. It takes place all in one spot, and it's like 99% dialogue. One of the best movies ever, IMO.

Definitely not indie, but older and I bet most people haven't seen it: Paint Your Wagon. Love that movie.

-K

[Sean]

Originally posted by Fengus
Way of the Gun.


After they do the man dance with Sarah Silverman this movie flops in my opinion. I just never really thought it was a good movie.

[OreoElf]

I forgot to add ....

Best in Show
The Mighty Wind
Waiting for Guffman
Being John Malkovich
High Fidelity (Course I really love anything with :heart: John Cussack in it)
A Clockwork Orange
Go

I think fear and loathing in las vegas has been said

[SpunGirl]

Go and High Fidelity were great movies. Jack Black was the best character in HF, IMO. Also, Whale Rider was good... but don't watch it if you're sleepy.

-K

[Back]

Walking through Border’s yesterday reminded me of a great indie director. Jim Jarmusch. The first one of his I saw was The New World. Then Mystery Train and Night on Earth.

Now this reminded me of another great indie flick, Nadja. Crazy vampire flick set in contemporary NY. I did not know it, but the director of this film directs Deadwood on HBO.

[Fengus]

There are lots of ideas about what it is to be an independent film. Naturally, any sort of non-mainstream popularity that gets noticed by mainstream becomes co-opted by mainstream, this is true of mass markets as well as mass producers. Meaning, once everyone knows it, watches it or likes it, its mainstrean, and once Hollywood endorses it, its mainstream. Or once you see a 2M dollar ad campaign, know that it already has been mainstream.


Personally I consider an independent film to be one where the production is independent. That is, not funded by a major producer and directed and written by a sole entity.

I believe this to be the best definition because it embodies the concept of "independant". Being independant is the only way a purity of vision and story can be created. Thats not to say the director doesn't have to make compromises, because generally they do, due to low budget, but the director won't sacrifice whats important like dialog, story and character development since those are always pretty cheap.

On the flip side you also see some of this independence given to major names like Spielberg, but this is only becauce the studios know they will create something for the mass market, in other words their soul is already totally owned by the studio. Basically you are going to see special effects and the spectacle of what it is to spend lots and lots of money. Its typically all visual appeal, handsome and sexy characters, simple to follow plots and tidy endings. I like those movies too, but its the difference between reading a comic book and reading a novel.


At any rate, because of its nature there should be no consensus of what a good independent film is. If we did all agree Blah was a good movie then thats a pretty good clue that Blah was not independent.



Oh yeah, Backlash, good picks, I like many Jim Jarmusch films. Ghost Dog was another of my favorites, but I'm impartial to teh subject matter as I have a keen interest in japanese swordmanship and The Blind Samurai series.

[4a6c1]

I liked Nadja. Even though it was a bit redundant and ermm...artsy. It confused me enough to keep me interested. :)

[Nilandia]

If foreign films count, put Lagaan on the list. Indian film, nominated for best foreign film Oscar and extremely well made in my opinion. Heck, I'm watching it now.

Don't ask me how it does it, but it crosses so many genres and you never notice the time passing. Not to mention that there are a bunch of secondary characters and they all are dynamic and have their own personalities.

One of my favorite movies of all time. If you ever get a chance, watch the DVD of it with English subtitles. The video subtitles aren't as good.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0282674/

I'll shut up now. The movie's just SO good. If you guys are interested in any of the music from the movie, lemme know and I'll send you some.

Nilandia