Ah, Independence Day.
It conjures up visions of brave men who boarded a British ship and dumped crates of tea into the Boston Harbor to protest taxation without representation. Or it conjures up visions of Will Smith fighting aliens and a big space ship in the summer blockbuster of the same name. Either way, you get the idea.
Independence Day. It’s a day to celebrate all facets of life that are independent: independent countries–Bosnia, Croatia, Azerbaijan; independent women–Thelma & Louise, Xena: Warrior Princess, Charlie’s Angels; and, of course, independent feature films.
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With that in mind, we polled the staff here at Hollywood Global HQ, and found out what our workforce’s favorite independent films of all time are. Don’t agree with our selections? Write us with your pick and we’ll post the best selections in this space.
| David Keith, Art Director & Sandi Landewski, Administrator |
| Clerks |
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The trials and tribulations of a New Jersey convenience store clerk and his best friend, a video store employee. |
| David’s reason why: |
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The most fascinating use of (perverse) language that I have ever heard. |
| Sandi’s reason why: |
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Any movie that can take a scene from the Star Wars trilogy and apply it to real life and have it make perfect sense is worthy of praise! |
| Guylaine Cadorette, Writer |
| Repo Man |
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A down and out young punk gets a job working with a seasoned repo man, but what awaits him in his new career is a series of outlandish adventures revolving around aliens, the CIA, and a most wanted ’64 Chevy. |
| Guylaine’s reason why: |
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Otto Maddox, aliens, flying cars and a kick-ass soundtrack featuring Black Flag, The Circle Jerks and the Plugz! |
| Jorge Padron, Senior Graphic Designer |
| Kids |
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As Telly discourses on the pleasures of deflowering underage girls, he and his best friend Casper tool around New York City’s East Side, steal, smoke dope, and eventually make their way to an all-night party, where Telly bags another virgin and Casper gives up his humanity altogether. |
| Jorge’s reason why: |
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An gritty, realistic, inside look at city kids’ lifestyles. |
| Jason Alcorn, Senior Writer & Scott Turner, Producer |
| Trainspotting |
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Set in an underbelly of Edinburgh the city fathers never dreamed of, this is the story of Mark and his so-called friends–a bunch of losers, liars, psychos, thieves and junkies. |
| Jason’s reason why: |
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One of the most visually pleasing nightmares I can recall; the camera repeatedly finds its way into just the right spot to cause you to flinch without wanting to look away. |
| Scott’s reason why: |
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An incredibly authentic dialogue and characters plus an amazing soundtrack which is as much a part of the film as the dialogue. The best mix of comedy, drama and pathos. |
| Kit Bowen, Movies Writer |
| sex, lies, and videotape |
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An old college friend re-enters the lives of a married couple and causes them to re-examine their relationship. |
| Kit’s reason why: |
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The film launched the Sundance Film Festival and quite simply started the current indie craze. |
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| Adriane Rosen, Interactivity Manager |
| The Blair Witch Project |
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Three student documentary filmmakers venture into Maryland’s Black Hills to discover the truth behind the myth of the Blair Witch–and never return. The only trace of their disappearance comes one year later when their film footage, documenting their final terrifying days, is found. |
| Adriane’s reason why: |
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It was creative and a different approach to a horror movie. It made me feel like I could go out and make a movie. |
| Christina Pompa, Photo Editor |
| Slam |
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Blending conventions of fictional and documentary cinema, a story about the prison relationship between a rapper and a teacher that inspires the former to improve conditions on the streets of Washington DC. |
| Christina’s reason why: |
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I enjoyed this movie because it was different from the run-of-the-mill movies that are put out today. There was room for character development, and it spoke to the heart and mind. It is the kind of movie that you remember. The filmmaker achieved his goal by giving the audience a lesson to be learned. |
| Leigh Johnson, Senior Director of Production/Publisher |
| Cinema Paradiso |
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Set in a small Sicilian village, the story depicts three stages in the life of an avid film lover. |
| Leigh’s reason why: |
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There has never been a more beautifully made and moving film about film; every scene is a well-wrought reflection of a life lived–or not–in the shadows and spotlight of the cinema. For those of us who eat, sleep and breathe movies, it’s got to be at the top of the list. |
| Noah Davis, Senior Writer |
| Fargo |
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Jerry Lundegaard is a car salesman in Minneapolis who has gotten himself into debt and is so desperate for money that he hires two thugs to kidnap his own wife. The scheme collapses when the thugs shoot a state trooper and two innocent bystanders in rural Minnesota, drawing local Police Chief Marge Gunderson into her first homicide investigation. |
| Noah’s reason why: |
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It shows maturity and mastery of form in balancing the plainspoken and the brutal. Darkly funny and chilling, it’s a a true classic. |
| Erika Gimenes, Writer |
| Central Station |
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A lonely former schoolteacher, Dora, ekes out a living writing and mailing letters for illiterate passersby in Rio’s Central Station. Dora’s lonely existence is shattered when one of her clients, a young mother, is killed outside the station–her child, Josue, is left behind, devastated. |
| Erika’s reason why: |
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It smacks reality right on your face. The film shows how hard it is to be poor in a third world country. The misery, pain and struggle of the Brazilian people in the “favelas” of Rio is so real it’s almost eerie. |
| Robert Sims, News Editor |
| Reservoir Dogs |
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Six unacquainted professional criminals are brought together by a veteran thief to execute an intricately planned diamond robbery. |
| Robert’s reason why: |
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The crime caper that every up-and-coming director tries, but fails miserably, to imitate. Quentin Tarantino’s directorial debut still hits you like a shotgun blast to the head. It’s quick, smart and uncompromising. And you’ll never hear Stuck in the Middle With You again without thinking of Michael Madsen, a razor blade and one very scared cop. |
Whatever your independent preferences are, Hollywood.com wishes you a happy Fourth of July. We’ll leave a Roman candle burning for you.
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