THE Independent and Foreign Film Thread

[Teresa]

Just remembered Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

I suppose it would be considered a musical. It's campy, & some may think it's strange but it has great, funn music! I'm sure many of you have seen this movie.

very bizarre movie. we enjoyed it. made me think of another: Party Monster with Macaulay Culkin - I was blown away by his performance.

Party Monster (2003) is a drama/dark comedy that details the rise and fall of infamous New York party promoter Michael Alig. The movie stars former child star Macaulay Culkin as the drug addled "King of the Club Kids". Also in the film are Seth Green as the flamboyant and slightly smarter James St. James, Dylan McDermott as Alig's boss/father figure Peter Gatien, Chlo? Sevigny as Alig's girlfriend/gay hag Gitsie, Wilmer Valderrama as his onetime boyfriend DJ Keoki, Wilson Cruz as drug dealer/Club Kid wannabe Angel Melendez, and Marilyn Manson as Christina, a transsexual member of Alig's entourage. A number of real life club kids appeared as extras, including fashion designer Richie Rich and David LaChapelle's transsexual muse Amanda Lepore.

The film is based on St. James' novel Disco Bloodbath, and details his friendship with Alig, which fell apart as Alig's drug addiction worsened, and ended after he murdered Melendez and went to prison. A 1998 documentary on the murder, also called Party Monster, was used for certain elements of the film.

Party Monster made its world premiere at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. Though the film never became a mainstream hit, it has become a cult classic, and many club parties with the "Party Monster" theme were started in several major cities.

 

[Cil]

Liked Hedwig.
Never saw Party Monster, but Tootsie's post reminded me of
Igby Goes Down, a Holden Caulfieldesque slice-of-life quirky relative movie with Kieran Culkin,which in turn reminded me of another slice-of-lifer,
You Can Count On Me with Mark Ruffalo and Laura Linney, which for me, as a sister with two brothers, is one of my favorite portrayals of brother/sister relationships, and it further reminded me of
The Squid and the Whale, which was a vicious, often hilarious, sometimes very touching look at divorce among the intelligentsia of New York.

 

[Teresa]

these all sounds great cil! I love this thread. a lifetime of movies to catch... "slice of life" movies are very different - usually very insightful.

 

[Rudyjohn]

Oh I forgot about Party Monster. I've put it in my queue. And what a perfect segue to Igby Goes Down. LOVED that one. Kieran is a much better actor than McCauly, imo.

And speaking of parties, a great one is Party Girl with Parker Posey. Such a funn movie to watch! Brings back lots of memories of being young, self-centered, carefree & single.

Here's another good one, The Slaughter Rule with Ryan Gosling and David Morse.
Set in frigid, rural and lonely Montana, we watch a sad, lonley teen whose father has recently died. Morse befriends Roy, sees a lot of himself in the teen, gains his trust, then their friendship touches ever so slightly on more than male bonding. Also, If anyone misses the cold and snow, this is the movie to watch! Brrrrrrrr. Soundtrack is wonderful too. Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Jay Farrar, Vic Chestnutt. Not your run of the mill music.

Another Ryan Gosling movie, The Believer. Won the Sundance Film Festival award of the year. This is a very, very powerful movie.
IMDB Plot Summary for The Believer -

"The Believer" explores a Jewish student's private journey to understand the meaning of Judaism in his life. Set in New York City, the Plot follows a morally confused young adult struggling with the conflict between his beliefs and his heritage. "The Believer" examines themes of religion, family, and self-loathing. It is a psychological examination into the forces of intolerance, both on the individual and society as a whole.

 

[Cil]

Have adjusted my Netflix queue! Thanks Johnrudy.
I had just read an interesting interview with Ryan Gosling, and had wanted to rent The Believer but had forgotten the title. Gosling is so much more than The Notebook. I'd like to see his latest, HalfNelson, but may have to wait for the DVD for that one.
Thank goodness for Netflix.
Another slice-of-lifer is Me And You And Everyone We Know. But I will add a caveat to this one: it's a little out there. I don't know quite how to describe it.

 

[Rudyjohn]

Have adjusted my Netflix queue! Thanks Johnrudy.
I had just read an interesting interview with Ryan Gosling, and had wanted to rent The Believer but had forgotten the title. Gosling is so much more than The Notebook. I'd like to see his latest, HalfNelson, but may have to wait for the DVD for that one.
Thank goodness for Netflix.
Another slice-of-lifer is Me And You And Everyone We Know. But I will add a caveat to this one: it's a little out there. I don't know quite how to describe it.

I'm so glad you listed Me and You &... because I could not remember the name but my husband I both loved it! And you're right, if you ever tried to explain it, no one would ever give it a try. Every time we pass it on the rack when we're browsing the video store, we both always giggle! So cute.

And as far as Ryan Gosling goes, you notice I've never mentioned The Notebook. It was so out of character for him, disappointing. Not nearly as complex as he can be. And you know he's the long shot at winning best actor at the Oscars. But that's ok, because then we'd never see anymore creative, complex movies with him. It's never the same once they've won.

Be sure to let me know what you think about The Believer. You won't be able to stop thinking about it after you see it.

 

[Mermaid]

Cool movie website--www.imdb.com

 

[drunkkenartist]

Just remembered Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

I suppose it would be considered a musical. It's campy, & some may think it's strange but it has great, funn music! I'm sure many of you have seen this movie.

What an incredible movie! I was in shock! So I watched it again!

Here's one more indy about the Iraq war worth educating yourself with-
"Uncovered: The War on Iraq"
The updated version of this controversial documentary...which takes you behind the walls of the U.S. government as CIA, Pentagon and Foreign Service experts addresss the government's reason for launching the "preemptive" war on Iraq in 2003.

There's not much that I didn't already know, but I keep up with all this from all my friends that are still in, both active and civil service. Watch it, then have your friends watch it.

Thanks,
dka

 

[Mermaid]

Film Noir
Rififi Black and white from the 1950s, it's a jewelry heist caper. It starts off really slow--the first part of the movie is all about fleshing out the characters and nothing much happens. And then the action starts and once it gets going, there's no stopping it. It's mezmerizing watching the chain of events unfold. The ending was brutal in a way you don't much see anymore in movies.

 

[Cil]

Film Noir
Rififi Black and white from the 1950s, it's a jewelry heist caper. It starts off really slow--the first part of the movie is all about fleshing out the characters and nothing much happens. And then the action starts and once it gets going, there's no stopping it. It's mezmerizing watching the chain of events unfold. The ending was brutal in a way you don't much see anymore in movies.

When you watch Rififi, you see how so many later heist movies took from it.
Mermaid, how did you like that corny song and dance number? Cracked me up.