Before the launch of my new column here at Flickering Myth, I thought I’d better introduce myself. When I’m not Emma Farley, contributor to Movie Magic, Talking Pictures, The Digital Fix and Suite101, I blog under the name ‘filmgeek’ over at Final Cut. If you’ve ever read my reviews and features you’ll know that rom-coms and high school flicks are my guilty pleasure but over the last year I’ve developed more than a passing interest in independent cinema. I charted the rise and fall of Miramax for an independent study module in my final semester at university and I’m concerned about what the future holds for independent filmmakers (you can read more about thoughts on indie cinema on Suite101).
In an era where cinemagoers are obsessed with blockbusters, CGI and 3-D, what does this mean for those who want to make personal, thought-provoking films? With this column I hope to remind you of the under-the-radar films you might otherwise miss. Each week I’m going to talk about a new indie in production, a new release (cinema or DVD), an actor, a director and discuss a film you might have missed. Of course, part of the beauty of independent cinema is that it covers a range of genres and time periods and a lot of big name actors and directors have dabbled with low-budget productions. You’ll also probably find out soon enough that I tend to ramble on a bit about my favourite films, actors and directors and so I’ll probably write a few ‘special’ posts about such topics.So that you’ve got an idea about what to expect, I thought I’d dedicate my first post to a few top tens (in no particular order – I would agonise over that for hours!). If you think I’m missing out on anything, please post some recommendations. I’m always looking to discover a new indie gem. In the mean time, I am determined to catch up on more films by Jim Jarmusch and Spike Lee, see sex, lies and videotape and Reservoir Dogs and delve into the careers of the likes of PT Anderson, Todd Haynes, Alexander Payne and Todd Solondz.
Favourite indies1. The Descent
2. Lars and the Real Girl
3. You Can Count On Me
4. My Life Without Me
5. Donnie Darko
6. The Station Agent
7. Clerks
8. Garden State
9. Before Sunrise/Sunset
10. The Blair Witch Project
Favourite indie directors
1. Wes Anderson2. Coen Bros
3. Richard Linklater
4. Kevin Smith
5. Quentin Tarantino
6. Martin Scorsese
7. Michel Gondry
8. Noah Baumbach
9. Woody Allen
10. Sofia Coppola
Favourite indie actors1. Philip Seymour Hoffman
2. Mark Ruffalo
3. Paul Schneider
4. Catherine Keener
5. Laura Linney
6. Maggie Gyllenhaal
7. Zooey Deschanel
8. Peter Sarsgaard
9. Paul Dano
10. Patricia Clarkson
As I don’t live near a particularly good cinema and I’m quite cut off from film festivals, most of my indie film viewing is done on DVD so I rely on blogs and other websites to inform me of unmissable indies. Hopefully his column will do the same for some of you.
Be sure to check back next Sunday for the launch of Indie-Credible.
Emma Farley a.k.a. filmgeek
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