The best independent movies ever made?

JT Lauderdale Sat, Jan 20, 2007 at 10:15 AM EST

How about Bandwagon? I treat for music lovers and indie lovers alike.

Sat, Jan 13, 2007 at 09:40 AM EST

I agree Darko is more of a mainstream film made to look indie. I'm suprised nobody mentioned that the Evil Dead is a great indie horror film.

Fri, Jan 12, 2007 at 05:48 PM EST

Donnie Darko is a poor mans indie film - meaning its an indie-like film for pop or mass consumption that is not really indie at all. Its budget was like 4 million. I liked the movie, but did not think it was great or better than a dozen other indie films. My worst gripe with it is the director shoves everything down your throat without living much to the imagination. This is why so many people - the unsophisticated pop culture - love this movie and claim its the greatest indie -

Primer, Buffalo 66, Araki's Teen Triology are some cool indie flicks. Slacker is a classic (it made indie cool) but I admit hard to sit through.

Connor Thu, Sep 15, 2005 at 12:57 AM EST

Donnie Darko, Great Movie.

Violet Sat, Sep 10, 2005 at 01:25 PM EST

All I have to say is Thank God for the lack of Napoleon Dynamite on that list. I might shoot something if I hear the title just one more time. I agree that Donnie Darko should be on there, but number 2 is farfetched considering it just gained press so recently. Agreed, RHPS is the first cult film and deserves a spot.

joanne Fri, Sep 9, 2005 at 08:11 PM EST

Any word on CMJ film festival this year they always have the best Indie previews

Guin Fri, Sep 9, 2005 at 07:28 PM EST

I thought Lost in Translation was far superior to Sideways, both in terms of execution and in terms of influence. Don't get me wrong--they were both good films, but undeniably Lost in Translation was the original of the two films. I know the entire point of Sideways is supposed to be its simplicity, but to reward it over Lost in Translation's artistry seems wrong.

Where was Bottle Rocket? That deserved to be somewhere. Rushmore should have been, at the very least.

Chris Fri, Sep 9, 2005 at 02:29 PM EST

First off, I was extremely pleased to see Monty Python's Life of Brian at a much more respected position than The Passion and to see rarely seen first try by Danny Boyle Shallow Grave on the list.

I concur that Oldboy should be on the list, but if any indie film was criminally robbed of a spot on the so-called Top 50, it's Irreversable. To be honest, I have only seen two scenes of this movie, but they were, to say the least, doozies and the most plot essential. Any movie with enough gall to show a room full of people such squirm-inducing violence and molestation (I believe EW's Owen Gleiberman correctly called Monica Bellucci's performance "heroic") deserves high recognition. If you can find a store willing to rent it to you, don't hesitate.

EP Sato Fri, Sep 9, 2005 at 01:19 PM EST

Anyanka- Great point on RHPC. That movie practically started the whole cult movie thing.

Also, is This is Spinal Tap on that list? That is one of the first MOCK-umentaries ever, and that genre has spurned some great immitators in tv and film

Danielle Fri, Sep 9, 2005 at 01:17 PM EST

I know eveveryone gets all excited knocking the list, but i thought it included some great choices

-Sex, lies, and Videotape (a real classic)
-Night of the living dead (sheer genius considering it was made for like 500 bucks)
-Grosse Point Blank (not sure if it's independant, but a great movie-cusak's best perhaps-nonetheless)
-Amores Perros (any one into independant and foreign film should see it)
-Swingers (is this not just a classic kind of American film)

I could go on...
No one will ever agree, but i respect what they chose and most of them have really good arguments to be included

Danielle Fri, Sep 9, 2005 at 01:11 PM EST

Tracye,

Clerks was #4 on the list

anyanka Fri, Sep 9, 2005 at 11:39 AM EST

Rocky Horror Picture Show. How the hell is the terminator indie?>

Freddie Fri, Sep 9, 2005 at 11:24 AM EST

You are way off the mark on Donnie Darko, Ref. Just because you didnt understand it doesnt mean it was a bad script. I wouldnt call it the greatest indie film of all but definitely top ten. Also, why didnt you include your indie picks instead of just bad mouthing a good movie?

Tracye Fri, Sep 9, 2005 at 11:16 AM EST

Yea, this list sucked.

Umm how can you even have a list without any Kevin Smith movies? Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy??????

Where was Pulp Fiction? I know Resevoir Dogs is supposed to be the greatest thing every created(I mean they did walk awfully slow) but )Pulp Fiction didn't need two gallons of blood to make a statement, so in my book it was much better film.

I also really like
I Like it like that.
Hollywood Shuffle
Oldboy
Twin Falls Idaho.

EP Sato Fri, Sep 9, 2005 at 10:55 AM EST

Agreed that Pi or Requiem of a Dream should be there.

Also, where the Hell is Halloween? It was a low budget horror movie and it launched all sorts of careers.

On that same tip, I appreciate that Badass is there, but Dolemite was a much more interesting and better written blacksploitation flick. What is more, Rudy Ray Moore made several sequels. All we ever got from Mario Van Peebles were his talentless kids.

Lock Stock and 2 Smoking Barrells, Snatch, Sexy Beast or Layer Cake should be there, as these British indy films were amazing. I'd go for Lock Stock since it was first.

Bubba Ho Tep should also be on that list or at least Phantasm (same director and writer), but all the other names that popped into my head made it there somehwere or another.

As for all the horror movies on the list, it's the easiest way to make an indy film that gets noticed. Unless you have the luck of landing an amazing and established star (Buffalo '66, Donny Darko), or can write something so good people can't help but love it (Swingers), then horror is the way to go!

Josh Fri, Sep 9, 2005 at 10:54 AM EST

Sideways is not an Independent movie it was fully financed by Fox Searchlight and didn't have to get picked up at a festival. I am pretty sure Grosse Pointe Blank isn't either

memyselfi Fri, Sep 9, 2005 at 10:35 AM EST

i was annoyed that "pi" wasn't on their list. that film is fantastic, the closest thing i've seen in a contemporary movie to a real nightmare: black and white and fuzzy and disorienting and scary.

Herbert West Fri, Sep 9, 2005 at 10:30 AM EST

Requiem for a Dream (a work of art)
You Can Count On Me
The Re-Animator
May (watch May, its a hidden gem)

ref Fri, Sep 9, 2005 at 10:23 AM EST

Donnie Darko is terribly overrated, I think it had good acting, but the actors had a bad script to work with. There is a lot of ideas thrown around in the movie, but the writer/director really doesn't even understand what he's talking about. He tries to pull off this trick ending, but it really doesn't work on any level. Heck, the first Matrix or Vanilla Sky had more going on in terms of concept. I wouldn't mind Donnie Darko so much if the people that go on and on about it would just admit that it's not a great movie.