# Movies about making movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 12, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275 "2005-12-12T17:09:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275/21 "2005-12-12T18:32:40Z")
[CQ](http://imdb.com/title/tt0254199/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnx0dD0xfGZiPXV8cG49MHxrdz0xfHE9Y3F8ZnQ9MXxteD0yMHxsbT01MDB8Y289MXxodG1sPTF8bm09MQ__;fc=3;ft=23;fm=1) is about an american screenwriter who sort of accidentally finds himself thrust into the director’s chair of a French science fiction movie that looks like _Modesty Blaze_. It’s pretty uneven, but it has some good scenes, and it looks really nice. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275/22 "2005-12-12T18:35:44Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > The director of our current project strongly recommends this one. Haven’t looked for it yet though. It’s really an accidental masterpiece. Anyone who makes movies should see it and the _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ adaptation done by the kids from Mississippi. The _Raiders_ adaptation is an example of what you can do with no resources and a shitload of determination. _Lost in La Mancha_ is about what happens when a shitload of determination isn’t enough. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275/23 "2005-12-12T18:47:16Z")
I haven’t seen it, but there’s [The Pickle](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0107824/), about the making of a horror film. Same with **[The Independent](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0160403/)**, about a career schlock filmmaker. Other films that include filmmaking include **[The Comic](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0064179/)** (Dick Van Dyck as a silent film star), **[The Aviator](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0338751/)** (a sequence about the making of **Hell’s Angels** ), **[Chaplin](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0103939/)** (showing him making films), and **The Bank Dick** (In one subplot, Egbert Sousé takes over the direction of a movie). ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275/24 "2005-12-12T18:56:12Z")
American Movie [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181288/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181288/) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275/25 "2005-12-12T19:07:00Z")
Don’t forget the hilarious **The Search for One-Eye Jimmy**. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275/26 "2005-12-12T19:08:50Z")
The plot of Mel Brooks’ _Silent Movie_ is about how Mel Brooks was trying to create a silent movie. ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275/27 "2005-12-12T19:49:25Z")
Lost In La Mancha and American Movie are both excellent. I’d also suggest [Burden of Dreams](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083702/), a documentary about the making of Werner Herzog’s **Fitzcarraldo** … which goes nicely with Elanor Coppola’s [Hearts of Darkness](http://www.imdb.com/Title?0102015), the documentary about the making of **Apocalypse Now**. ---
**Author:** ![PsychoWench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9a140/32.png) [@PsychoWench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PsychoWench)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275/28 "2005-12-12T22:05:12Z")
Irma Vep Stardust Memories The Big Picture Sunset Boulevard And I wouldn’t be much of a theatre major if I didn’t try to convince you that Rent can shomehow be included since Mark is making him film the entire time. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275/29 "2005-12-12T22:09:12Z")
> [@PsychoWench](#): > > Sunset Boulevard . Much as it breaks my heart (this is an all-time favorite movie of mine), I have to disagree. It’s about Hollywood, it’s about people who work in Hollywood – but it’s not really about making a movie. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275/30 "2005-12-12T22:20:42Z")
John Waters’ [Cecil B. DeMented](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0173716/). The Blair Witch Project. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275/31 "2005-12-12T22:32:58Z")
American Splendor (Harvey Pekar’s comics, but also the indie filmmakers making a movie about him…). There was an anarchic French black comedy from about ten years ago about a rogue film crew whose director was engineering a series of sensational crimes for them to film – although whether it was for a TV show (a la Network) or a movie, I can’t recall… I tried identifying this by keywords and searches on likely production credits in IMDB, but no dice. Does anybody remember this one? ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275/32 "2005-12-12T22:50:35Z")
Jean-Luc Godard’s [Contempt](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057345/). ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275/33 "2005-12-12T23:13:28Z")
> [@The Scrivener](#): > > There was an anarchic French black comedy from about ten years ago about a rogue film crew whose director was engineering a series of sensational crimes for them to film – although whether it was for a TV show (a la Network) or a movie, I can’t recall… I tried identifying this by keywords and searches on likely production credits in IMDB, but no dice. Does anybody remember this one? [Man Bites Dog](http://imdb.com/title/tt0103905/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnx0dD0xfGZiPXV8cG49MHxrdz0xfHE9bWFuIGJpdGVzIGRvZ3xmdD0xfG14PTIwfGxtPTUwMHxjbz0xfGh0bWw9MXxubT0x;fc=1;ft=22) ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275/34 "2005-12-13T00:05:49Z")
The 1999 film [American Movie](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181288/) is a doc about a no-talent, no-budget filmmaker who realizes that in order to make the movie he wants, he needs to finally finish his horror film to try and raise money for the new venture. Too bad the money-maker is even worse. The filmmakers came under some criticism in some circles at the time, accused of exploiting the unsuspecting protagonist for laughs (the film is quite hysterical), a situation examined in the second segment of Todd Solondz’ film, [Storytelling](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250081). ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275/35 "2005-12-13T00:17:40Z")
> [@The Scrivener](#): > > The Blair Witch Project. ::: shudder ::: Not to hijack, and please don’t take this the wrong way, but no one should ever watch this movie under _any_ circumstances. Even if it’s the only DVD you have - and you’re snowed in a cabin alone in the mountains with nothing but a comfortable couch, a brand new 60" plasma screen, a matching brand new DVD player, a freshly-installed BOSE speaker setup, and a jumbo bag of Doritos. Never. And this is not because the movie is supposed to be scary. - Peter Wiggen ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275/36 "2005-12-13T01:37:43Z")
It’s perhaps better described as a movie about a director avoiding making the movie he’s meant to be working on, but there’s Fellini’s _8 1/2_. Quite a lot of Powell’s _Peeping Tom_ is set on and around the sound stage for the film the central character is working as cameraman on. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275/37 "2005-12-13T01:38:58Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > American Movie [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181288/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181288/) > > Brian You absolutely must see this movie. ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275/38 "2005-12-13T01:47:19Z")
One more thought: I didn’t like it when I saw it years ago, but _Good Morning, Babylon_, by the Tavianis, is set around the filming of _Intolerance_. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275/39 "2005-12-13T01:53:18Z")
…the Peter Jackson masterpeice **Forgotten Silver.** Its a documentary that follow’s Jackson’s quest to tell the story of forgotten filmmaker Colin McKenzie. McKenzie was a movie pioneer, who, before anyone else, filmed the worlds first flight, made the worlds first feature length movie, made the worlds first talkie, and created the epic production of Salome. Brilliant stuff, with McKenzie’s journey seemingly mirroring Jackson’s own. > **[Forgotten Silver (TV Movie 1995) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116344/)** > > Forgotten Silver: Directed by Costa Botes, Peter Jackson. With Jeffrey Thomas, Costa Botes, Marguerite Hurst, Peter Jackson. The film deals with the career of a supposedly forgotten pioneer of international cinema, Colin McKenzie, who was allegedly... Is a “mockumentary”, by the way, but one that is so good that when it screened for the first time in NZ, it fooled most people who saw it. I guessed it was fake when they showed some CSI-style digital enhancement, but most of my fellow Kiwi’s fell for it hook, line and sinker! ---
**Author:** ![Zahava424](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/76d3ee/32.png) [@Zahava424](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zahava424)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275/40 "2005-12-13T02:01:40Z")
Does **Reality Bites** count? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-making-movies/335275.md?page=3)