Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

In her defense, she's been doing these since before there was a problem.

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

Over-quirk has invaded television as well.

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

Because of my job, I recently had to watch eight foreign indie films from as many different countries (Belgium, Germany, Chad, Mexico, Iran, France, Russia and some Kurd place). Only one was deliberately quirky--and could probably succeed here with its outrageous politically incorrect humor (the two lead characters are in wheelchairs and are big pains-in-the-asses to everyone they meet on their "road trip"). The others were all deadly dull and dealing with the problems of poor slobs in those countries who just didn't interest me. Talk, talk, talk, trudge through the landscape, trudge, trudge, trudge...who cares? I mean, I grew up in an era when indie films still looked and behaved like, y'know, movies? I'm talking about things like Robert Downey's PUTNEY SWOPE (1969), John Avildsen's JOE (1970), and Melvin Van Peebles' SWEET SWEETBACK'S BADASS SONG (1971). Anyone remember those? They weren't boring. If JOE was about "ordinary people," they were still a bit larger than life. (I believe that JOE's title character was the inspiration for Archie Bunker.)

You know what was a big indie hit a few years after those? John Carpenter's ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13! Not an ounce of "quirk" on the screen. Of course the indie filmmakers of yore got coopted by Hollywood and got replaced by all these mealy-mouthed types who are making the JUNO's and LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE's of today.

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

I like them. :) Didn't someone come up with some weird name to cry about them a while back like mumblecore or something?

Nevermind, I guess Mumlecore is a different, but I heard it used derisively.

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

Nick & Norah has been mentioned a couple of times in this thread. It is not an independent movie.

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

I think it's because people are using "indie" as a genre now. Sort of like how "indie" music doesn't really have anything to do with record labels anymore, it's a sound.

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

I hate this idea so much. Every time someone sends me a song with the genre marked "indie" I change it to something else.

If we're going to discount Nick and Norah, technically you should discount Little Miss Sunshine too. That movie cost $10m and had studio backing, not to mention a host of stars.

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

I get it that Mann is some kind of movie God here in this forum, but Miami Vice? The guy has been downhill since The Insider & I don't want to debate that, I've seen all the posts here by people stating that Public Enemies is their most anticipated film of the summer, I know I'm wrong. But that wasn't the point of picking those 3 films. I just picked 3 films that everyone here this summer has been drooling over that all look like generic Hollywood tripe to me, & my original point was that there are a few of us that are glad there are indie films & lesser known films being released even in the middle of summer. I know that very few if any will agree with me, it's just my opinion.

And I always spell Hairy Potter that way, I like to see how long it takes someone from Hogwarts to get all upset about it & correct me.

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

Yeah, that's funny in the same way the Zodiac Killer thought misspelling stuff was funny.

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

People will support quirky indie movies. People will not support stuff like Ballast or Wendy and Lucy.

Shit, the former doesn't even have a DVD release yet.

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

Independent films are still alive and well, and doing great films.

'In Bruges' and 'Let the right One In' are more than proof of that. There are plenty of other examples even in the last few years.

That said the "we're quirky for the sake of being quirky" does get to be a bit much.

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

You're talking about indie films that get major studio distribution, right?

I think that's a biased sample.

I recently bought a DVD of this very new indie film:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/aprilshowers/

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

I am neither a Mann obsessive or a Harry Potter fan, I was just saying, as a general rule, Mann's movies are likely to be better than Bay's, and I just thought "Hairy" Potter was funny.

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

Well, because they're not independent films. There was a brief sliver of time where someone could make a film with very little money and no stars, but if it was any good there was a chance it would be distributed and seen. I don't think that exists anymore. The studios put out movies that sort of copy the "quirk" from actual indie films from 15 years ago and of course the result is watered-down gutless sitcoms.

To put it in some perspective, Pulp Fiction (which I love) is a 30 million dollar Disney film with several A-list stars and it's popularly considered the epitome of independent film. That's how nearly non-existent independent film actually is.

Saying Juno is edgy is like saying David Faustino is a legit gangsta rapper.

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

Dude, Gran Master B is the real deal :)

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

I thought Pulp Fiction cost $8 million to make. Or is that $30 million in today's dollars?

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

It's $11.8m in today's dollars.

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

You're insane. -ohbfrank-
You're forgiven. :lol:

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

To clear up some topics:

Little Miss Sunshine cost $8 million to make. Fox Searchlight purchased it for $10.5 million at Sundance. Rule of thumb: Fox Searchlight rarely produces films in-house unless your name is Danny Boyle.

Pulp Fiction cost $8.5 million to make and was financed by Miramax/Disney themselves.

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

I'm not really sick of quirk, but I am tired of the quirky family. It's almost an immediate turn off now.

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

His point wasn't that there isn't a quality stream of movies coming out, or indy movies, or movies that cater to different tastes than the average moviegoer or summer blockbuster, but simply that there is now a slew of movies coming out with a "manufactured" feel to them that attempts to convey an "indy" feel without having any real substance or entertainment value.

Happens quite frequently. After the success of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction there were a ton of copycat indy-esque crime dramas that came out (their budgets betrayed their production values), with none of the wit or intelligence of Tarantino's movies.

Again, he is not saying he doesn't enjoy indy movies. or that there is a lack of good indy movies. Merely that more copycat movies are becoming tiresome. But that's always been a problem in the movie industry.

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

What we really need are more quirky indie movies about pregnancy.

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

I think both Sessa & Mallet make good points & probably agree on the major issue of wanting GOOD movies regardless of whether they are "indies" or studio-produced fare.

To me, Mallet was just saying the same as Doc Mabuse: They (and lots of us) are tired of films that are "quirky for the sake of being quirky"...the exact phrase that was in my mind while reading through this thread.

Sessa seems to take umbrage of painting all indies with a wide, negative brush stroke...which I don't think Mallet was doing. Like Sessa, all of us want to see original stories told in creative ways. In that regard, we can be thankful that indie producers/directors do exist who will take chances.

I thought "Miss Sunshine" was WAY overrated & far too predictable. I loved "Lars & the Real Girl"...it had an original groove & solid story that I enjoy (although some may have thought it predictable). Just a matter of taste, I guess.

It's nice to see a balance. The occasional multi-million dollar blockbuster can be just as enjoyable on a different level. In a perfect world, indie films would have the same production values as studio films, while the latter would take more risks & show more originality. Guess it's harder to take risks when huge $ (and entire careers) are at stake. Just ask Michael Cimino.

Like atlantamoi, I am really sick of the "quirky family" genre. To me, the most original thing for an indie film to do right now would be to show a FUNCTIONAL family. Heck, if they wanted to really be daring, they might even show them going to church (Lars did). To me, the genre has grown so stale that you can spot the stereotypes a mile away. Don't know if the writers/directors include all the quirks because it's cache right now, don't know how to create interesting conflicts (without screaming over the dinner table), or are simply drawing from their personal experiences...but it's grown old.

Being redundant, it's all a matter of taste. I loved Life Equatic, liked Wristcutters, found S. Darko completely forgettable. Couldn't stand "I [heart] Huckabees". Loved Napoleon Dynamite. I can understand the aversion to 'quirkiness' that seems forced as if it's a requisite for any independent film. Also the "smart" dialogue, it works in films such as Juno but gets old quickly when others want to copy earlier successes by having the characters talk in rapid-fire punchlines. A few people do that in real life, but not many.

I like indie films that aren't constrained by suits looming overhead or focus groups to decide endings or pressure on writers to leave things open for sequels. Films such as "The Hired Hand" or "Near Dark", for instance...or the entire genre of "cult classics" that depart from the mainstream simply because they want to tell a good story in the best way possible without trying to impress the audience with the "hipness" or cleverness of the filmmakers.

At least, I think that's what Mallet was saying, and I don't think Sessa would disagree at all.

Can't we all just get along? -wink-

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

You mean like "Junior"?

Re: I'm sick of indie quirk
 

Mallet & I agreed on quite a bit (except for his lack of taste not liking Garden State -wink- )

But creekdipper completely misses what my contention was with the original post in this thread.

It was just these two lines by Mallet:

"the only way an indie film gets recognized is if it's quirky or kooky in some way."

&

"What happened to indie movies that actually took chances?"

The first quote he states as a fact, which isn't true, there have been serious indies in the past years that have been nominated for mainstream Oscars. And the second I was just pointing out that there are a lot of indie films made recently that very, very much take chances. But you have to sometimes seek them out, & not wait for MTV or Entertainment weekly to tell you what indie movies to see.