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Fun Stuff => ENJOY => Topic started by: MrBlu on 16 Jul 2009, 06:31

Title: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: MrBlu on 16 Jul 2009, 06:31
So, I'm doing this thing where I wanna watch a new movie with some friends every week. This Sunday, it'll be City of God, next Sunday it'll be my turn with my favorite movie, "Pump Up The Volume". I want to be able to bring a movie that they've not seen before, so I'm more inclined to Indie/older films, so I'm asking you guys for help in what I should get ahold of.

So far, I'm looking at "Rushmore" (1998), but which cool movies do you guys like?

Also, these are people that I don't think something like Repo would go over well with.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Yayniall on 16 Jul 2009, 07:22
Science of Sleep.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: MrBlu on 16 Jul 2009, 07:45
Oooooh yeaaaah I remember that. Thanks!
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Inlander on 16 Jul 2009, 07:46
The Science of Sleep is not that good. Michel Gondry is a fine director but a screenwriter he is not. I'd recommend Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind instead.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Be My Head on 16 Jul 2009, 08:54
Videodrome!

VIDEODROME!!
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Cartilage Head on 16 Jul 2009, 10:27
 Fear(s) of the Dark.

 Scanners.

 Riki-Oh.

 These are good, slightly lesser-known movies that would be fun among groups.

Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: imapiratearg on 16 Jul 2009, 10:32
The Science of Sleep is not that good. Michel Gondry is a fine director but a screenwriter he is not. I'd recommend Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind instead.

I didn't think the Science of Sleep was bad, but Eternal Sunshine is much better.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: MrBlu on 16 Jul 2009, 10:48
Keep them coming please. =D I'll check out Eternal Sunshine.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Reed on 16 Jul 2009, 11:11
I really enjoyed I Heart Huckabees
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: allison on 16 Jul 2009, 11:26
Videodrome!

VIDEODROME!!

FUCK THAT SHIT
I watched that in my film class and it was ridiculous. My prof said it is the seminal work that the industry associates with Toronto (that being where it is filmed/set).

Universal scored the rights this year to remake it. Oh that will be a trainwreck.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: KvP on 16 Jul 2009, 11:47
I really enjoyed I Heart Huckabees
I don't dislike this movie but it is varsity level indie film. It's easy to hate. Mark Wahlberg is somehow really good in it.

Watch: Brick, The Brothers Bloom (which came out recently and I don't think is on DVD), The Thing (John Carpenter version), Memento, Primer, Narc, etc.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Yayniall on 16 Jul 2009, 13:23
Braindead.
Peter Jackson goodness.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: scarred on 16 Jul 2009, 13:59
Brick, Memento

Oh, good lord, yes.

Other good ones include:

Humpday
Wristcutters: A Love Story
Dear Zachary
Donnie Darko [Director's Cut]
Me And You And Everything We Know
American Beauty
Fargo
Once
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: De_El on 16 Jul 2009, 15:02
Watch Jules and Jim!
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Nodaisho on 16 Jul 2009, 15:05
If you ever need to put them to sleep, try Stalker, Solaris, or just about anything Tarkovsky made.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Scandanavian War Machine on 16 Jul 2009, 15:06
i came into this thread to recommend Primer, which i just recommended to Kieffer in his thread, only to find KvP had beaten me to it.

get Primer. it is an awesome movie.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Be My Head on 16 Jul 2009, 15:22
If you ever need to put them to sleep, try Stalker, Solaris, or just about anything Tarkovsky made.

Very true this. I found 2001 A Space Odyssey and Barry Lyndon more action packed than Solaris.

To be fair though, Solaris didn't make me want to gouge my eyes out waiting for the movie to be over; unlike "Synecdoche, New York".

I second the recommendation of Memento, that was really good.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Dimmukane on 16 Jul 2009, 15:37
No, for sleep, watch Satantango. 
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Nodaisho on 16 Jul 2009, 16:48
So if I found it fascinating, but would likely fall asleep if I watched it when I was the least bit tired, what does that make me?

I've actually only seen parts of it, I can't find a video store near me that carries the damn thing.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: a pack of wolves on 16 Jul 2009, 17:01
FUCK THAT SHIT
I watched that in my film class and it was ridiculous. My prof said it is the seminal work that the industry associates with Toronto (that being where it is filmed/set).

Universal scored the rights this year to remake it. Oh that will be a trainwreck.

Look on the bright side, at least there is absolutely no chance it will be worse than Cronenberg's original. The only film he's ever made I feel I could genuinely recommend to someone is A History Of Violence, which manages to actually be significantly better than the comic it's based on. I'd hoped that meant he was finally turning into the good director he'd sometimes threatened to be but then he made Eastern Promises, possibly the worst film of his career (and when we're talking about the man who made Existenz, that's saying something).

Stalker is basically the litmus test of whether or not you are a good or a bad person

This is enormous amounts of correct.

It's OK to potentially fall asleep in a Tarkovsky film if you're just a very sleepy person, but it is still a warning sign that underneath everything you might be a serial killer or something. You might want to look into that.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Nodaisho on 16 Jul 2009, 17:08
What about Camera, for Cronenberg? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQlQgzRyBfY

From what I can tell, if I don't fall asleep, my reaction will probably be similar to that of someone completely stoned, that general zoned out and "Whoa..." feeling. If I could just find a copy of the damn movie. I've read the short story (pretty long short story), played both games, and I still can't find the movie.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: scarred on 16 Jul 2009, 17:41
Il Cinema Paradiso

Oh holy shit I completely forgot about this one. Absolutely one of the most beautiful movies ever made. Ever. Ever ever ever. Period.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Dimmukane on 16 Jul 2009, 17:49
I caved and bought the Kino version of Stalker on Amazon for 30$ for my birthday.  You might be able to get it on Netflix, that's probably really the only way you could rent that movie.  In any case, I'm pretty sure Tarkovsky or Bela Tarr films are not what the OP had in mind. 
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Yayniall on 16 Jul 2009, 18:30
This Is England.

Quote
Lovely, lovely, love you for that, that's fucking great. A proud man, learn from him; that's a proud man. That's what we need, man. That's what this nation has been built on, proud men. Proud fucking warriors! Two thousand years this little tiny fucking island has been raped and pillaged, by people who have come here and wanted a piece of it - two fucking world wars! Men have laid down their lives for this. For this... and for what? So people can stick their fucking flag in the ground and say, "Yeah! This is England. And this is England, and this is England."
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Dimmukane on 16 Jul 2009, 18:32
Yeah, that's a good one.  Stephen Graham is fucking phenomenal in that, considering his only other major role was in Snatch.  The kid (Turgoose, I think?) ain't half bad, either.  Might as well bring up Trainspotting.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: scarred on 17 Jul 2009, 01:03
Oh, that reminds me, there was a preview for a smart-looking British farce that I saw recently.

In the Loop (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQrqMkCuHqA)
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: SirJuggles on 17 Jul 2009, 02:02
Cashback?  I highly enjoyed it, not sure what the prevailing feeling on it is.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: LittleKey on 17 Jul 2009, 02:05
I second the recommendation for Once. It's one of my favorite movies ever.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: rynne on 17 Jul 2009, 06:35
Dark City -- Psychological sci-fi, like following year's The Matrix with less SFX kung-fu and more noir.

Brazil -- Terry Gilliam's excellent dystopian epic.  Watch the original cut, not the re-cut with the different studio-mandated (read: shitty and stupid) ending.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas --  The confluence of Terry Gilliam, Hunter S. Thompson, and Johnny Depp forms a perfect storm of psychedelic mayhem.

Raising Arizona --  IMO, this is second only to The Big Lebowski (which I'm assuming you've seen already 'cause it's great) in the Coen's comedy oeuvre.

Bubba Ho-Tep -- Bruce Campbell plays an aged Elvis who teams up with JFK to fight a mummy terrorizing a nursing home.  What's not to like?

Coffee and Cigarettes -- A collection of b&w vignettes where famous folks shoot the shit over the titular substances.  Some of the shorts suck, but the good pairings (e.g., Tom Waits/Iggy Pop, Jack White/Meg White, Alfred Molina/Steve Coogan, RZA/GZA/Bill Murray) make it worthwhile.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Scandanavian War Machine on 17 Jul 2009, 10:15
^listen to this person. seriously.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Be My Head on 17 Jul 2009, 13:05
The Big Lebowski is an overrated piece of crap. I laughed out loud maybe once throughout the entire thing.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Yayniall on 17 Jul 2009, 13:25
Obviously you're not a golfer.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: MrBlu on 17 Jul 2009, 17:02
If you ever need to put them to sleep, try Stalker, Solaris, or just about anything Tarkovsky made.

Very true this. I found 2001 A Space Odyssey and Barry Lyndon more action packed than Solaris.

To be fair though, Solaris didn't make me want to gouge my eyes out waiting for the movie to be over; unlike "Synecdoche, New York".

I second the recommendation of Memento, that was really good.
Guys, guys. Good movies. Pretty please?
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: michaelicious on 17 Jul 2009, 17:49
Raising Arizona --  IMO, this is second only to The Big Lebowski (which I'm assuming you've seen already 'cause it's great) in the Coen's comedy oeuvre.

This movie has probably my favourite chase scene of any movie ever.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: MrBlu on 18 Jul 2009, 15:35
Dark City -- Psychological sci-fi, like following year's The Matrix with less SFX kung-fu and more noir.

Brazil -- Terry Gilliam's excellent dystopian epic.  Watch the original cut, not the re-cut with the different studio-mandated (read: shitty and stupid) ending.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas --  The confluence of Terry Gilliam, Hunter S. Thompson, and Johnny Depp forms a perfect storm of psychedelic mayhem.

Raising Arizona --  IMO, this is second only to The Big Lebowski (which I'm assuming you've seen already 'cause it's great) in the Coen's comedy oeuvre.

Bubba Ho-Tep -- Bruce Campbell plays an aged Elvis who teams up with JFK to fight a mummy terrorizing a nursing home.  What's not to like?

Coffee and Cigarettes -- A collection of b&w vignettes where famous folks shoot the shit over the titular substances.  Some of the shorts suck, but the good pairings (e.g., Tom Waits/Iggy Pop, Jack White/Meg White, Alfred Molina/Steve Coogan, RZA/GZA/Bill Murray) make it worthwhile.
Oh wow, Bubba Ho-Tep sounds like gold.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Yayniall on 18 Jul 2009, 16:52
I watched Bubba Ho-tep.
I think it was good.
I can't quite remember.
JFK's black IIRC.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Aurjay on 19 Jul 2009, 19:27
I second a lot of these films but for something older try.

Holy Mountain- Alejandro Jodorsky(sp?) 70's cult classic. interesting cinematography http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZQ5CJR1Lh4

Meet the Feebles: Peter Jackson's 1st film. Imagine Jim Henson muppets on crack... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yrI01TOlOE

Suburbia: the older one from the 80's. Penelope Spheeris movie about punk kids squatting in a closed minded town. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxbzzkCfBnw

Romper Stomper: Russell Crowe earlier movie and he doesnt actually suck. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXa-nAYdjrk

Warriors: just cuz its cool as hell... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV4cgs-bPic

Clockwork Orange: figured someone would of already suggested this one by now. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igwIR7rDPQc&feature=related

The Last Dragon: Bruce Leroy fights Sho'nuff...which is nuff said. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFzuxgivmQ8

all of those are from the 80's or later...hope you enjoy

Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: FIXDIX on 19 Jul 2009, 22:24
Oh oh, Once Were Warriors. Movie about urban Maori life and domestic violence.

Also The Vengence Trilogy by Park Chan-wook. First movie being Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, second Oldboy and last Lady Vengeance.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Trevlordyte on 19 Jul 2009, 22:36
Fellini's Satyricon

Brazil http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi4256891161/ (http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi4256891161/)

Pi

Any film by David Lynch would be good too.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: De_El on 19 Jul 2009, 22:59
I really do love Oldboy, but Lady Vengeance is not very good.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: dancarter on 23 Jul 2009, 03:52
Dark City -- Psychological sci-fi, like following year's The Matrix with less SFX kung-fu and more noir.

Have you seen the the remastered Director's Cut?  It's delicious.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Ikrik on 23 Jul 2009, 04:17
I really do love Oldboy, but Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is not very good.

Look.  I made it better.  Lady Vengeance is spectacular, the only problem with it is the fact that the story is hard to follow, it's easy to get confused.  Mr. Vengeance has way too much going on and it's not very well structured. 

Brazil is great but so is The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.  It's got the great charm of Gilliam and happens to be fine the way it is. 

Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: De_El on 23 Jul 2009, 12:34
You think? I thought the brilliance of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance was that it was all so dead-pan; little to no fanfare, things just happen. I never felt like it was too busy or cluttered, nor did I feel there was anything wrong with its structure. The thing that killed Lady Vengeance for me was really the fact that its style was so similar to Oldboy, and yet it was so, so...unimpressive. Uninspiring, nigh on predictable and boring. The fact of how mediocre it felt in contrast to how awesome Oldboy is made it impossible for me to like.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: rynne on 25 Jul 2009, 05:02
Dark City -- Psychological sci-fi, like following year's The Matrix with less SFX kung-fu and more noir.

Have you seen the the remastered Director's Cut?  It's delicious.

Man, I have not.  It sucks, my awesome local video rental place shut down last year---I'm sure they would've had that cut in stock, but alas, the only rental place in my town now is Blockbuster.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: variable_star on 25 Jul 2009, 11:52
Dark City -- Psychological sci-fi, like following year's The Matrix with less SFX kung-fu and more noir.

Have you seen the the remastered Director's Cut?  It's delicious.

Is the Director's Cut that much different? I'm a major fan of this film, but I haven't seen that version yet.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: dancarter on 27 Jul 2009, 18:17
It's completely remixed, the video has been completely overhauled and cleaned up, and it's 11 minutes longer.  it laso includes n. gaiman's review of the original theatirical cut.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Ikrik on 27 Jul 2009, 19:06
-> De_El

I think that Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance was the weakest in the trilogy.  The main reason I didn't like it was because the characters were absolutely impossible for me to connect with.  A main character who's deaf and mute?  I believe that that is so difficult to work with and I didn't think that Park Chan-Wook was experienced enough at that time to really deal with it.  The story was, alright, but I didn't like it.  I loved the cinematography in it and the scenery and locations used I thought were awesome. 

Lady Vengeance was, for me, a superior movie.  It has a good story, it's very tight, very well paced, great characters.  The feel is similar to Oldboy but I think that it separates itself enough that it doesn't feel the same. 

In the end they're both great films but they boil down to personal preference.  They're both worth a watch.  I own all 3.  And I'll watch them all again next month when I get my box of dvd's back from my friend. 
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Dimmukane on 27 Jul 2009, 20:36
I'll weigh in on that debate, I also own all three. 

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is the weakest.  As Ikrik said, having a deaf/mute character is kind of hard to get around.  His motives don't feel as valid as everyone else's because he's not the one saying them.  Because of that, the movie feels slower than it actually is.  That, and a couple plot points felt slightly shoehorned in.  Other than that, the cinematography is just as good as in the other three; Park just doesn't use as much color correction.

Oldboy is still my favorite.  If it weren't for Choi Min-Sik, it probably wouldn't have been my favorite.  Storywise, not considering the performances of the actors, Lady Vengeance is a little more poignant.  The lead being reunited with her daughter and all the parents getting their own retribution is a little more moving than a man bent on the destruction of his captor.  However, the buildup and climax of Oldboy was executed damn near perfectly and the actors did a great job.  Plus it was mad stylish.

My complaints with Lady Vengeance are that the little girl's song on the way out to the school kind of yanks you out of the movie for a bit.  Some of the performances were a little forced, and it is kind of hard to ignore the similarities between it and Oldboy.  Park Chan-Wook sure likes his Vivaldi.  If you can watch the last two several months apart so that they're not at the front of your mind it's easier to enjoy them as seperate movies.  It basically is Oldboy Lite, but there's nothing wrong with that; but it'll stick out if you're used to watching ultra-stylistic/violent movies for not being as intense.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Cartilage Head on 29 Jul 2009, 08:51
Gummo.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: FruitKat on 29 Jul 2009, 13:51
For good indie films there are a few from New Zealand that I could recommend:

Once Were Warriors - This one has already been mentioned but is an AMAZING film, very very depressing but highly recommended.

In My Fathers Den - A mystery thriller about a son returning to a small town in New Zealand from being a war journalist and getting caught up in his past. Stand out performance by a young actress called Emily Barclay, I think she was around 18 when this was filmed and is really great.

Eagle vs. Shark - Cutesy indie comedy. Stars Jemaine Clements who is a total jerk. People liken it to Napoleon Dynamite, but I think it is much better. Still awkward, just better.

Otherwise I don't know, any Wes Anderson films? Bottle Rocket? If you liked Amelie you should watch A Very Long Engagement. I am not sure if it is "indie", but for some reason I completely overlooked it for a while, it really is a beautiful film.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: rynne on 29 Jul 2009, 14:17
Eagle vs. Shark - Cutesy indie comedy. Stars Jemaine Clements who is a total jerk. People liken it to Napoleon Dynamite, but I think it is much better. Still awkward, just better.

It is very similar to Napoleon Dynamite in that Jemaine Clement's character has the same awkward personality as Jon Heder's.  It's different (and better, IMO) in correctly portraying that awkwardness not as endearingly quirky, but annoying and horrible. 
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: FIXDIX on 03 Aug 2009, 22:11
Sorry to post in a thread that hasn't had any movement for a while but these came to mind to me just today

Delicatessen
La Cite des Enfants Perdus (The City of Lost Children)
Neco z Alenky (Alice)
And anything by The Quay Brothers. Preferbly The PianoTuner of EarthQuakes and Street of Crocodiles.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Harun on 03 Aug 2009, 22:38
Gigantic - riyl Zoey Deschanel, John Goodman playing a smartass, seemingly random moments of violence involving the main character and a psychopathic homeless Zach Galifianakis, main characters who take shrooms and go on spirit walks with their family, and Chinese baby adoptions.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: ImRonBurgundy? on 04 Aug 2009, 02:04
The Room is certainly an "or indie" film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ4KzClb1C4
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: Spenser on 07 Aug 2009, 11:18
Any movie that zooey deschanel has done lately seems to be a pretty indie comedy.

Gigantic

The Grocer's Son

Visioneers


Mumblecore can be okay. If you like mumblecore you might like these:

The Puffy Chair

Hannah Takes the Stairs

Baghead
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: a pack of wolves on 07 Aug 2009, 12:35
And anything by The Quay Brothers. Preferbly The PianoTuner of EarthQuakes and Street of Crocodiles.

Fuck. Yes. Those guys also get enormous respect for basically bringing Jan and Eva Svankmajer's work to UK audiences.
Title: Re: Good and/or Indie films.
Post by: FIXDIX on 07 Aug 2009, 18:28
Much love to more crazy surrealist animators if anyone has any suggestions.

One I finished watching not long ago with my girlfriend is Waking Life. Lucid dreaming and philiosphiocal talkings? Oh shit yes. Also might as well mention A Scanner Darkly as well.