What movies are you watching?

[LoathedVermin72]

That kind of stuff hardly even counts as indie anymore. Wasn't This is Where I Leave You like a legit, studio release with a big-name cast?

[tragabigzanda]

Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.

[Jorge]

Yes, that's what I'm saying. It's manufactured to elicit an "indie" feel, hence "fake-indie".

[LoathedVermin72]

They all suck, big or small. Everything sucks.

[tragabigzanda]

Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.

[LoathedVermin72]

I don't think the stories and characters are the problem. It's the attitude behind the films. It's the style. It's the striving for an aesthetic. And I'm not talking about the "fake indie" stuff, I'm talking the actual indie stuff everyone seems to love lately. It's boring as hell, and feels phony and labored to me.

[E.H. Ruddock]

I don't think the stories and characters are the problem. It's the attitude behind the films. It's the style. It's the striving for an aesthetic. And I'm not talking about the "fake indie" stuff, I'm talking the actual indie stuff everyone seems to love lately. It's boring as hell, and feels phony and labored to me.

Every indie film just needs to cast Scoot McNairy and they'll be fine

[Jorge]

I just watched over 30 independent movies from all over the world a few weeks ago. There's no discernibly consistent "attitude" towards the films; there's a hodgepodge of rich and varied styles and influences, particularly from Western Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Canada. I might understand if you're strictly talking about American indie-- I might ask you to point to specific examples -- but there's a lot of vitality and ambition and joy in today's international indie landscape.

[LoathedVermin72]

I just watched over 30 independent movies from all over the world a few weeks ago. There's no discernibly consistent "attitude" towards the films; there's a hodgepodge of rich and varied styles and influences, particularly from Western Asia, Latin America and Canada. I might understand if you're strictly talking about American indie-- I might ask you to point to specific examples -- but there's a lot of vitality and ambition and joy in today's international indie landscape.

It's very possible a lot of those don't get much visibility in the American discussion about this stuff, and thus, I don't get directed to them. Maybe you're right. I'm highly skeptical, but maybe. But I've tried a lot of the lauded/talked about foreign movies lately (Force Majeure, Hard to Be a God, Gueros, Horse Money), and almost never even finish them.

[Jorge]

It's very big of you to admit that a bunch of movies you haven't seen or heard of could maybe -- you're highly skeptical, but maybe -- be good.

Spoiler: show

This post sounds harsher than its intent as a lighthearted chide it so here's a heart gross I feel like Joey now

[VinylGuy]

It's very big of you to admit that a bunch of movies you haven't seen or heard of could maybe -- you're highly skeptical, but maybe -- be good.

Spoiler: show

This post sounds harsher than its intent as a lighthearted chide it so here's a heart gross I feel like Joey now

Hearts? You used to be mean...what happened?

[LoathedVermin72]

It's very big of you to admit that a bunch of movies you haven't seen or heard of could maybe -- you're highly skeptical, but maybe -- be good.

Spoiler: show

This post sounds harsher than its intent as a lighthearted chide it so here's a heart gross I feel like Joey now

Heh. I've just been burned so many times that I'm bitter. And, to be honest, it's not like our tastes seem all that similar, so it would not be surprising to me that movies you think are interesting wouldn't do much for me.

[Jorge]

Yeah it's true I keep forgetting you have garbage taste.

[Jorge]

See, VinylGuy, it's still me!

[E.H. Ruddock]

jorge did you get that movie I sent you on Facebook?

[Jorge]

I saw that you sent something but I'm ignoring it.

[Jorge]

No, I haven't looked at it yet.

[LoathedVermin72]

Yeah it's true I keep forgetting you have garbage taste.

Now you know how I feel!

[VinylGuy]

See, VinylGuy, it's still me!

[BurtReynolds]

They all suck, big or small. Everything sucks.

I think part of the problem is they all seem to focus on millennial or younger Gen Y characters who all seem to have a minor crisis of conscience, or are at the sort of crossroads that feels really vital to the 23-year old experiencing the event, but completely unimportant to everyone else. Those characters were interesting in the mid-90s, because they went against the sorts of Hollywood characters we were used to seeing. But now everyone is super naval-gazey and self-reflective, and I have no interest in those people in real life, nor do I want to see them portrayed on screen.

agreed