Independent films

SuperH · Post by **SuperH** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 5:50 am

oh snap i was like, how did so many posts happen so fast?

Why did i never see this convo before?

... after looking at the timestamp again, it's from 2k2, ok. That explains it.

Uhh, anyway, hollar back for indies.

Begotten
Tetsuo the Iron Man
Ichi the Killer (is that indie? or is it mainstream in japan?)

And to answer the first post and poll, I love indie movies because they tend to be more surreal than regular movies, and surreal is where it's at.

jetbaby · Post by **jetbaby** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 7:13 am

How can you simply say "indie" as a genre. That's about as stupid as the new-age obsession with "indie music" as it's own genre. Doesn't matter if you are actually INDEPENDANT or not, but you get the tag 'cause it's hip. Independent movies span genres just as well as Hollywood, only using (typically) a smaller budget and less big name actors.

Franz Schubert · Post by **Franz Schubert** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 7:37 am

Yeah, I was watching IFC the other day, and Apocalypse Now was on... I guess technically it's an indie film lol.

Though to get back on topic, why would you want to watch an indie movie, when you could watch... King Arthur!

Jimmyjay86 · Post by **Jimmyjay86** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 3:54 pm

There is a definite difference between a studio financed film and a film financed independently. That is the dictionary definition of an independent film. If you have suckled from the tit of the Hollywood machine all of your life, I don't expect you to know the difference. For the convenience of the cinematically deprived, Hollywood always has a formula that is followed in every movie - a film must contain a love story, there must be well recognized star in the leading role, overblown and expensive special effects must be used, leave room for a sequel, and the film must have a happy ending. See Robert Altman's "The Player" for a day-in-the-life of a Hollywood studio.

By contrast, an independent film typically works with the director's idea as done by himself. He doesn't have to please a cadre of producers and rewrite the script to please an entire marketing approved film viewing audience. This doesn't mean that all independent movies are great but there is a lot more truth to them than any other film. Some of the indies even have a hard time breaking free of the Hollywood archetype. Independent films tend to have a viewpoint which is unique and a story that is refreshing to see regardless of the genre. While Hollywood budgets are wasted on talentless big name actors and tiresome special effects that are the same from one movie to another, indie movies spend their budgets on things that matter to the creation of a great film.

Kashluk · Post by **Kashluk** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 4:09 pm

Wasn't 'Requeiem For A Dream' a Hollywood film?

Jimmyjay86 · Post by **Jimmyjay86** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 4:18 pm

Kashluk wrote:Wasn't 'Requeiem For A Dream' a Hollywood film?

No, Arnofsky would doubtfully ever be produced by a hollywood studio. It was distributed by Artisan which distributes alot of independent and foreign films.

Kashluk · Post by **Kashluk** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 4:19 pm

Well, I guess then your theory is water-proof. Just checking.

Jimmyjay86 · Post by **Jimmyjay86** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 4:28 pm

FYI, Artisan Films which has since been bought by the Canadian Lion's Gate Films has recently distributed Fahrenheit 9/11. I would call them the antithesis of Hollywood.

S4ur0n27 · Post by **S4ur0n27** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 1:28 pm

Speaking of indie movies, in Montreal we have this www.fantasiafest.com festival which is pretty awesome. It's packed with indie movies from around the world and super productions from Korea, Thailand, and some other countries we rarely get to see their movies.

I'm gonna see Sword in the Moon on Wednesday, and I'm trying to get some tickets for Takeshi Miike's new movies, Gozu and One Missed Call.

SuperH · Post by **SuperH** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 2:01 pm

I still gotta see Visitor Q and that other one, uh, Audition, that was it.

Anyway, speaking of Artisan, I just watched Pi last night. That was hot shit, grainy b&w photography is the way to do film.

Reminded me of Tetsuo.

S4ur0n27 · Post by **S4ur0n27** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 5:34 pm

Haven't seen Visitor Q either, but Audition is hot stuff, although it's less gory and much more of a deep psychological thriller.

His movies are a pain to rent around here, and I still haven't found Tetsuo anywhere.

SuperH · Post by **SuperH** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 9:57 pm

I must've gotten Tetsuo at the right time, the DVD I got was cheap, then it jumped to like 50 bucks and now you can only get the VHS on Amazon. I donno, bizzaro.

There's a place sorta near me, in Buffalo, that rents foreign movies and stuff, problem is he's got "legal" DVD's that are properly region encoded - for asia and crap. I don't have a region free DVD player so it's useless.

I donno, I might buy Visitor Q and Audition sometime, everyone says they're good.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 3:20 am

Audition is fucked right the hell up. I've heard Ichi is even worse, though.

I desperately want to see Tetsuo on DVD. Fucking Amazon.

S4ur0n27 · Post by **S4ur0n27** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 7:45 pm

Ichi is different. It's not realistic at all, and not very serious.

SuperH · Post by **SuperH** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 4:04 pm

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ance&s=dvd

Two used and new from 14.99, I would very, very highly suggest a quick pickup.

I noticed it the other day, since I've been on a crazy outta control underground japanese movie hunt, for other films by Tsukamoto, Tetsuo's director.

He's got this 40 minute short film called Adventures of Electric Rod Boy, similar in style to tetsuo supposedly but in color.

His very first short though is called Phantom of Regular Size, of which Tetsuo is actually a remake. Problem is, it was never actually released in any form ever, not even in japan. Which sucks.

He's also in Ichi the Killer, the bodybuilder Jiiji who controls Ichi, that's him. What a damned cool guy.

S4ur0n27 · Post by **S4ur0n27** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 7:50 pm

Ooh, good to know.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 2:21 am

SuperH, is your av from Tetsuo?

SuperH · Post by **SuperH** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 2:23 am

Yeap, it's the Metal Fetishist / Director, mister Shinya Tsukamoto.

S4ur0n27 · Post by **S4ur0n27** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 4:08 am

I def needs to see that movie.

Anyone seen Visitor Q? I've yet to do so myself.

Kashluk · Post by **Kashluk** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 4:54 pm

I dunno if Korean movies count as 'indie', but I suggest you give "MUSA - the warrior" a try. It was a rather good battle/action/history flick. Not even combat's been badly overdone - no flying people and crouching dragons on this one.

Duck and Cover

Independent films

Do you like indie movies?