Forgive me if this has been done before; I don’t recall seeing it. The recent thread What’s Up With Kevin Smith Movies? reminds me that many of my favorite films are, for some reason, those that were made on next to a zero budget. I don’t know, maybe it’s the fact that expectations are lower going in; maybe it’s that many are first films by previously unknown directors, maybe it’s because the filmaker has to be much more clever and cagey with the script when there are no car chases to distract the viewer; hell, maybe it’s that grainy black and white stock that so many cheapo flicks seem to have been filmed with. In any event, here’s my top five no-budget (less than, say, $200K) flicks, in no particular order:
Killing of a Chinese Bookie, The, John Cassavetes, 1976 Eraserhead, 1977, David Lynch Stranger Than Paradise, Jim Jarmusch, 1984 El Mariachi, Robert Rodriguez, 1992 Clerks, Kevin Smith, 1994
I have twice rented a movie called Tape, based on a one-act play ( by I can’t remember who and am currently too lazy to search for it) I won’t go into details, but the first time I saw it I was really impressed. There’s also both versions of Twelve Angry Men. Both of these were filmed(with some short exceptions on the latter) in one room and can’t possibly have cost that much. Of course, neither of these were necessarily original films, both being based on earlier stage plays.
BTW, Tape was directed by Richard Linklater, I dunno who wrote it. Most of Linklater’s movies have been great low budget flicks, or crappy big budget movies.
Hollywood Shuffle Alas, Robert Townsend never lived up to that promise. Clerks El Mariachi Dark Star My Dinner With Andre – its budget’s not listed with the IMDB, but with two characters just talking, it couldn’t have cost very much to produce. It is fascinating.
I’ll put up two that haven’t been mentioned She’s Gotta Have It - Spike Lee’s first and the debut of Mars Blackmon (who Lee gained fame with in early Air Jordan spots) Chan is Missing - by Wayne Wang. A terrific view into Chinese-American culture.
You know what I’ve always wanted to know? Where do all these directors - who claim to have been broke, dropped out of college, living in a ditch smoking crack and eating dog biscuits - get $200,000 for a movie?
I really want to know because I would love to make a movie and I’m not half as broke as they claim to have been but I couldn’t even come close to finding the time or the money to make an independant film. Were they all rich kids or what? Seriously, I would love to know.
Kevin Smith ran up lots of credit cards, borrowed from everyone he knew and sold his comic book collection.
Robert Rodriguez, according to the IMDB “earned most of the $7000 it cost to make El Mariachi by subjecting himself to experimental drug studies.”
Also, “One of the experimental drugs that was tested on Rodriquez was a “speed healer.” He has two divots in his arms as a result of the removed sample.”
Kevin Smith said on his website that anyone could do what he did but that you have to be very confident in your material since if the movie’s a bust you’re up shit creek big time. . .
I just didn’t get Slacker. It bored me stiff, and I had the embarrasing misfortune to actually invite a person to come watch it, thus wasting her time as well as mine.
I also don’t get My Big Fat Greek Wedding. It was a NICE film, very sincere and downplayed. It wasn’t an incredible film, by any stretch. And yet I hear that it’s now the top grossing romantic comedy of all time.
Heh. I forgot about “Night of the Living Dead”. And I really need to get around to seeing that Spalding Gray stuff one of these days. And “Love & a .45”, of course (mmmm, Renee…)
No cite, but I seem to recall an article in one of the film mags, some years back, in which a former friend of Rodriguez claimed that the real cost of El Mariachi was more like $200K. Of course, that would spoil all the fun, so I choose to believe the lower figure.
I’ve seen LOTS of no-budget digital movies in the last couple of years. The real surprise is that there’s no shortage of talent out there. Here are a couple of the best ones that you’ve probably never heard of but should watch if you get a chance.
** The Breathing Show ** A movie set in San Fransisco revolving around two video artists who stage elaborate pranks in the name of performance art. An incredibly well-written and acted movie that cost next to nothing to produce.
** Someday Central ** I think the only place this one has been shown is the Indie Memphis Film Festival, but it should be making the rounds this year. Southern Gothic meets Gabirel Garcia Marquez, only it’s funny.
** The Poor and Hungry ** The story of strange love triangle between a car thief, a two-bit lebian hustler, and a cello player set in Memphis. Directed by the incredibly talented Craig Brewer. One of the best movies of the last five years made for any price.
And of course…
** Slick Lilly vs. The Grand Canyon ** A live action political cartoon in which the two major political parties (the Bankers and the Banksmen) run inanimate objects and abstract concepts for president instead of humans. Starring yours truly as John Q. Citizen, an ordinary guy who is picked at random to ask a question at the presidental debate. With a cameo by the SDMB’s own ** jackalope **
And be on the lookout for…
** Six Days in the Life of Mims ** A rich playboy and his hard drinking friends find out the Rapture is coming and plan an end of the world party to end all end of the world parties. Co-starring ** jackalope ** with a cameo appearance by ** vibrotronica **, this masterpiece will make its premier this summer.
