Some Independent Films I Love

 I have to say, I was born for loving independent film. My generation did not float in on the tide that was the French New Wave. 

Nope.

Instead, we founded our first indie with Kevin Smith's delicious yuckfest, Clerks.

But, me? Me? I was ahead of the curve. Totally ahead of the curve. I liked Starbuck's before there was one even close to my house. I had drive my little VW Bug all the way into Cherry Creek to indulge in a mocha.

And to also escape? 

The Aztec Theater. A delicious art house movie theater slapped every rando title it could to be edgy and fascinating and all that. 

But they still had popcorn. 

And coffee. 

And I could watch LGBT themed titles without fear in at atmosphere that wasn't seedy or treated poorly. In fact, when I could go, LGBTQ+ newspapers were always free for the taking. This was long before there was an internet. It was a different world. The AIDS crisis had been raging, I was young and couldn't identify, completely what it was that I was yearning for, and, in the end, there was a good movie.

Mostly.

And independent movie is just that. Someone made a movie. Rarely do they have a studio to distribute the title, but sometimes they do, should they make to Cannes or Sundance festivals and get adopted. These films deal with themes and topics that the mainstream doesn't necessarily wish to address for whatever reason. That would include LGBTQ+ topics. Violence. Racism. The films are sometimes films about minorities, made by minorities. Sometimes they deal with expression or don't follow conventional western plot structures or are merely character studies. They are frequently folded in with documentaries and forieign film. 

The Oscars lie before us. I found last year's was so interesting, being I could watch the titles at home, when I was relaxed and easily distracted. This lead to a very different emotional experience. It's important to note, being the kinds of films these are, yes, they seem to deal with fringe themes and, yes, being who I am, there's more than a few LGBTQ titles on the list. 

But use this to enhance your viewing experience and to, yes, expand your mind. I think you won't be disappointed. 

Kick-Ass

I, for some reason, enjoyed this movie in complete defiance of its central theme. That heroes are violent, period. They complete violent acts. They destroy homes, people, lives. 

And yet, because the film is so completely made, with strong protagonists and delicious villains, it became just as engaging and fun as any MCU picture. 

It's weird that way. 

It's novel approach leads to a novel experience. I recommend it.

Kung Fu Hustle

This was an interesting one. Most films out of Hong Kong probably could be considered an indie title, but here? The filmmaker, Stephen Chow, was not considered mainstream, even by China's martial arts standards. He took the skill of Jet Li, the comedy of Jackie Chan, and made an absurdist title that involves a violent "Ax" gang (axes? Why not?) and takes every kung fu trope and instead of playing it forward, emphasizes it to the nth degree. If you can throw a punch throw a person into a wall, why not take most of the building down?

These exaggerations get bigger and bigger and the film becomes a gleeful joy from beginning to end. I wasn't sure about going to pay for it. My husOtter was new to martial arts titles. But I had to taken him to another title, "Hero" by Jet Li, which is, truly, a dance movie, filmed with motion combined with aesthetics. It was breathtaking. 

And boring. 

And he actually liked it. I knew if he could digest that title? Perhaps it was time to move up the food chain to truly wonderful fights. 

Kung Fu Hustle fit the bill.

Amelie

One thing that mainstream cinema sells?

Violence. Every film is filled with conflict. Verbal. Physical. Emotional. 

What if a polite little French film took the protagonist in a different direction. I was torn between this or another title that is quite similar, "Chocolat" about people finding their way in a world hellbent on destroying itself. Here? We have the young lady of the title returning items she find in a hole in a wall of her apartment and, slowly, changing the world of the people who discover the lovely items. 

Is there dark parts?

Actually yes. But because of the brevity, it balances nicely and makes for a film that carries audiences in a completely different direction than expected. The tone is light and, in the end, joyful. 

Pink Flamingos

This is the only film on this list I encourage you to actively avoid. Unless, of course, you are of strong physical constitution. 

This film is vile.

And that's the funny part.

See, movies don't have to make you happy. They probably do, but they don't have to. Art, in and of itself, is merely there. You bring to it your own personal visions and thoughts and that interaction is the purpose. John Waters is an artist. And his art is like Andy Warhol's. Andy saw art in the mundane. John saw that art doesn't have to match the couch. 

He made movies that were not horror. 

But are horrific. 

He made movies that were disgusting.

But are hilarious. 

The ironies and mocking of social status and profoundly idiotic norms are slapped across the screen with all the depth of a high school AV club making a class project. He just didn't care. Everyone does their own thing in front of the camera. There's deeper issues, but you won't get to them, because the images are so bizarre and seemingly random, you'll be too busy wondering if your popcorn might return. 

It is true, delicious, absurd-ism. His female lead is the incredible personality that is the drag queen Divine. All of his movies have her. All of his movies are in Baltimore. 

And there's a lot of poop. 

You've been warned. 

But the indie title (if you watched the trailer, you'll see that they don't actually play scenes from the midnight movie, it is THAT bad of a movie) is just that-showing things you'd never see in a movie. 

Reservoir Dogs

I will always give credit to the power of the writer. Like John Waters, Quentin Tarantino didn't care what you think. He thought about the story, the characters, and their interactions. He made movies that were, truly, a remake of every genre that came before it. Often violent, completely thick with story, and massively dialogued, these titles were mesmerizing. 

His art started here. 

He took an action movie and made it into something I had never seen. An entire action title in one room. The bullets fly, for sure; blood is spewed, but, alas, the story carries the real conflict. Everything that he did in the mainstream, he did here, first, in this dark, small, comedic title about a jewelry heist gone wrong and someone is a cop in the group. 

But it doesn't rely on chase scenes or special effects. The acting and the story take center stage, and, by the end, you, like everyone else, is unsure where the tale is going. 

Not a single trope to be found; and if there is a trope? It's used hilariously. 

For example, if someone gets shot, there's not just blood. 

THERE'S GUSHING BLOOD.

It has to be seen to be believed. 

Little Miss Sunshine

The 'talkie' emphasis that is an indie movie is what brings us to the screen, but the majority tend to be those titles that take themselves too seriously, to dramatically, trying to impress the crowd with their self endowed importance.

Lofty and upright goals, nothing wrong, but sometimes preaching to the choir isn't something I want or need to see.

Then there's this tasty little title. Slapped together with powerhouse plays from Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, and Alan Arkin (he won a well deserved Oscar for his small role), this a crowd pleaser that wasn't meant to be. A nasty look at how modern expectations have left the concept of reality behind, a family takes a road trip to a beauty pageant for their daughter. 

And every comedic note lands. This isn't mocking the leads. The leads, here, aren't bright, but they're not stupid at all. The world is just bad for this lovely family and they deserve more. In the end, they get back at the class warfare, but not without cost. 

You'll crack up the whole way. Watch Steve Carell in a small, terrific supporting role, also Oscar worthy.

Moonlight

Three short films about coming of age that I, to this day, watched, sight unseen when it was released. 

And went slack jawed. A naturalistic film, almost a character study, this film was not what I expected. It tells a tale that literally no one knows, about growing up as an African American/black man in America. The pacing is lanquid, organic, with bursts of violence that makes us personally feel the outrage. 

I had no idea where it was going, but there was so much honesty in the presentation, I almost felt like I was intruding on a private life and, in the end, I believe that is what the filmmaker was going for. Dark corners, secret conversations, personal questions are slapped on the screen and...

...you see why it won Best Picture. An INCREDIBLE piece of filmmaking. 

Not one of the studios wanted it. It's too natural, to deep. 

And that is exactly why it was so excellent. 

Blair Witch Project

Horror is great. If you make it hokey, it just goes right to Netflix and people will still watch it. Special effects are easy to make, too. Story? Suspense? 

That's the hard stuff. 

This movie used the new medium at the time, the internet, to create a discussion about a 'legend' that never happened, and, after six months, released this 'documentary' about some found footage in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. 

About some college kids making a documentary about said legend, the fearsome "Blair Witch." 

No soundtrack, just clips of the film, the performers improvise the dialogue and the filmmakers take their time to slowly introduce nightmarish imagery into their nightmarish camping trip. 

There's no blood. There's no cut throats. 

And it was all on a shoestring budget.

Nightmare fuel. 

HIGHLY recommend.

Clerks

Here's another one that Hollywood didn't know how to market. And brought me to this genre in the first place. Wickedly sarcastic, it became a voice for Generation X and their identity, an obvious dig on not being able to find jobs, find a foothold in the culture at large. 

And resulting in comedic angst. 

I could not stop watching. Kevin Smith made the movie on his own credit cards, going with the cheaper black and white, and filmed after completing his job in the actual convenience store he worked at, at the time. He made more than a movie, he put independent movies on the map. Many of my peers ran out to see the film, cracking up with every joke as if it was personally made for them. His future films are a bit more random, but I found his true skill is in his writing. These titles are filled with zinger after zinger after zinger to the point that only repeated watching will clear up everything. I still can't help hoping that his best is yet to come, but he's done something that even John Waters couldn't.

He made indie movies cool. 

There.

There you go. 

I needed to break in a new keyboard, a new laptop and you're seeing the results. I've been wanting to write more and here you go. Not my best, but it's out there and I'm trying to write a bit more. 

Besides, the Oscars are on their way. 

I have to get emotionally ready, ya know?

Peace.