Anna Bowman is a senior English and telecommunications major and writes 'Film Annalysis' for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. Write to Anna at aabowman@bsu.edu.
Much like the presidential elections, a handful of executives are picking out what millions of people watch every weekend. Does that scare you? It should. Especially because most of the time, they have terrible taste. Yes, they’ve picked out movies like "E.T.," "Star Wars" and "Interstellar," but does that make up for "Allegiant" or "Spiderman 3"?
Normally, I wouldn’t complain, but after seeing "Allegiant" and re-watching some older blockbusters like "Star Trek" and "Edge of Tomorrow," I can’t help but wonder, “Are these directors even trying?” I know it takes a lot to make a movie, but how about a movie that matters?
Here’s where independent films become really important.
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Before we get into it, you might be wondering what exactly an indie film is. Basically, it’s all the good ones. Perhaps you’ve heard of "Frances Ha" "Memento," "Eraserhead," "Eternal Sunshine" for the "Spotless Mind"… even "Juno" was produced independently. And where would we be, as a human race, without "Juno?"
These movies were produced without the funding and control of big studios. Naturally, this is both good and bad:
Pro: There aren’t any studio executives to negatively influence the film.
Con: There is, however, the low, and sometimes frankly sad budget.
Pro: You don’t see the same five faces acting in indie films.
Con: You may see a face or two you don’t like.
Pro: The director has freedom to stay true to the heart of the film.
Con: The heart of the film might suck.
Pro: Indie films are typically more diverse in nature.
Con: That means they don’t get a lot of press.
You get the idea. I would akin indie movies to organic food. They’re grown ethically – without any unnatural preservatives like Tom Cruise or Will Smith, and they don’t worry so much about size. It’s the taste that matters.
So what’s the big deal? Blockbusters and indie films can co-exist, right? Well, independent film companies have changed a lot over the past twenty years to stay competitive. No longer are they running against the big networks, but alongside them, by picking well-known actors to take on parts that used to be reserved for up-and-coming stars. I mean, Woody Allen exploded Diane Keaton’s career when he chose her for the role of "Annie Hall," but now he’s choosing leading ladies that are already famous, like his recent favorite, Emma Stone.
Sure, he, and many others have their reasons… sometimes the movie can only be made if it has a big name backing it, but the distinction between the two film types is becoming increasingly gray.
The heart of the matter is, we, the public, control how well these movies do. We pay to see them. So what if we paid a little extra to see something that’s… actually worth the money?
Keystone Art Cinema is a movie theater located in Indianapolis that has been one of the only locations in Indiana to show indie films for the last forty years. It’s a great place, and for those of you who are legal – it serves alcohol.
I’m just saying, instead of seeing the same old thing at the local AMC, treat yourself to something new and different this weekend. It’s your civic duty.
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