Independent film is neither independent nor film. Discuss.
But while you’re thinking that through lemme tell you about REAL indie film:
I went out to a screening of my friends’ (and new producing partners’) film American Cannibal at Galapagos art space here in Brooklyn the other night. It’s a doc about the making of a reality TV show and premiered at Tribeca last year. The Monday night crowd numbered somewhere around 15 to 20 at the most. There was a loud, obnoxious, not-so-funny stand-up comedy show going on in the next room while the filmmakers and I tried to meet about our upcoming project and not watch their film for the four thousandth time. The film-watching audience drank beer and enjoyed and stuck around for an interesting Q&A afterward. Now when’s the last time Scorcese experienced some dumpy-assed theatre with a meager yet passionate showing for one of his films like that!? Hunh!? Now THAT’S independent! (AUTHOR’S NOTE: if you’re reading this Mr. Scorcese please note that I’m just playing the role of indie maverick and I really do love your work and think you rock and really could use financing for my next film so don’t take any of this seriously and be sure to check out my website www.PlugUglyFilms.com and let’s do lunch at Nobu soon?)
The next evening I went off to the first enstallment of Naked Angels’ Tuesday’s at 9 script reading series which was packed with around 100 desperate and frothing actors being matched up with writers to do cold readings. Some of the material and actors were actually pretty damn good. Very few of these actors are actually working though (hence their presence on a Tuesday at 9). Thanks middle America for loving "Project Next American Jerk Off With No Talent but Nice Tits Who Can Sure Get Drunk on Camera and Act Like a Jackass Bitch of an Idol" so much that narratives have gone the way of the DoDo bird and people with talent are spending more and more time earning money at desk jobs while big name stars take the few roles available to them so they too can work and so brilliant shows like Arrested Development can be cancelled for lack of blockbuster viewership. Not that I’m bitter…
Okay, so let’s get back to the subject at hand: Independent film. Not independent and not film. Discuss.