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6 Responses to “A New Film Movement?”

1. PetalumaFilms says:

   April 23, 2007 at 11:59 am

   DP-
   I’d be willing to bet cash you’ve never seen a Swanberg/Katz/Poyser movie. Cold hard cash.
   The “mumblecore” “movement” is something indie film critics are trying to perpetuate. Those guys are just making movies with their friends. And they’re making good movies as well.
   Don’t get down on the filmmakers and their work for doing their thing, I assure you they aren’t trying to “start a movement.” Maybe if you’d take 90 mins at a film fest to see one of their films and write about them, they’d start to get some traction outside of their circle.
2. David Poland says:

   April 23, 2007 at 12:17 pm

   You would be coughing up the cash, Pet.
   I’ve seen two of the Swanbergs, Katz’ DVD didn’t work in my Mac (unfortunately), and saw Dear Pillow.
   I am more than happy to support young filmmakers and I don’t blame them for the hype. But as I wrote, I haven’t seen the magic. I’ve seen the first steps of filmmakers looking for a voice. Nothing wrong with that. But I haven’t even seen a Mike White in these films, much less a Casavettes.
3. PetalumaFilms says:

   April 23, 2007 at 1:31 pm

   Dah!! I owe ya $5.
   I think the thing you have to remember is, these guys (particularly Swanberg and Katz) aren’t even 25 yet…or maybe they’re like, 26. Each film they do gets better and better.
   Admittedly, I’m close with Swanberg and am friends with Katz BUT…I’ve always watched their films casting aside that friendship and looking at them for what they are. I like the films and although they aren’t perfect, I admire the way they shoot and I love the naturalistic acting style.
   Kat’z QUIET CITY is one of my faves so far this year.
4. movielocke says:

   April 23, 2007 at 1:35 pm

   eh, the filmmakers could care less, the movement label is just a critic construction to make the critics job easier. Once you’ve encapsulated a huge swath of films into a soundbite you’ve permanently reduced the need to think critically about the films within that swath. Then its just the plug and chug madlibs review game.
5. teambanzai says:

   April 23, 2007 at 1:47 pm

   would you count Coppola, Scorsese, and their peers as this type of movement in the 70′s and if so could it be that they seem to abandon their “vision” for safer material as they get older? So these movements happen plodd along for awhile and either disapear or get replaced by the next “thing”.
6. mutinyco says:

   April 23, 2007 at 5:39 pm

   Yeah, I can just see Coppola or Scorsese using the auto features on consumer cameras because they’re admittedly not good cinematographers…