Tammy Bruce: For Your Netflix Queue

For Your Netflix Queue

In case you don't know what to watch, here's a list of what one website thinks are the 50 greatest independent films of all time.

Passion of the Christ made the list, but frankly while brilliantly done, I found the amount of violence put me on overload and eventually made me numb through the film. And there's a French film which should have been on the list but is not: Under the Sand (Sous le Sable) by Francois Ozon released in 2000 and starring Charlotte Rampling. It's about a woman dealing with the disappearance of her husband. Don't let the subject matter put you off--it is a tour-de-force for Rampling, and is the film that revived her career. And yes, I know it's French but I declare certain films can get a special dispensation :)

Put that one of your list, and you'll see why.

Posted by Tammy · April 3, 2006 08:48 PM · Permalink
Hollywood/Films

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Okay, maybe not one of the 50 best films, but Free Enterprise just came out with a Five Year Mission Extended DVD! It's a by-geeks and for-geeks movie about a couple of guys in their late 20's who had grown up in the shadow of the classic Star Trek, and they happen to cross paths with William Shatner (played by William Shatner) and find that their idol has "issues". Lotsa fun for you closeted and not-so-closeted geeks (and you know who you are!).

Posted by: Talkin Horse at April 3, 2006 11:08 PM

Okay, I'm looking at the list...heh, some strong agreement and some strong disagreement. But that's the way it is with these things. Cheers for Donnie Darko, Happiness, THX-1138 (be warned; these films are not necessarily for everyone, and in fact most people should not see Happiness; the humor is pitch black.). At least they don't have Fahrenheit 911, although they do have Moore's earlier opus, "Roger and Me".

Posted by: Talkin Horse at April 3, 2006 11:18 PM

Glad to see "Mad Max" on the list, it's a much deeper film than most people realize and one hell of a thrill-ride with some fantastic cinematography. One rule for this film: ONLY watch the release in the original voice track! The overdubbed version was needless and also detracted from the overall feel of the film.

I'm a bit disappointed that "The Passion" wasn't ranked higher, it's one of the most finely crafted works of cinema I've ever seen, and that's a more than objective veiw point as I'm not a true-to-cannon Christian. I'm a deist, so trust me when I say personal beliefs haven't clouded my feelings on this film. Although, what I believe now, after having seen the film the first weekend it was in release, and in subsequent viewings since, was heavily influenced by the impression the film left on me, my intitial assesment was that it was a most remarkable film, and a true work of art. Like all good art, it made me think, and considering the subject matter, that's an awful lot of thinking.

Opionions may differ, but at the very least, the film should be ranked higher if for no other reason than the fact that no other indie has ever drawn at the box ofice as big as "Passion" did. Most studio flicks haven't drawn like it either, come to think of it.

Was it violent? Sure was, just as violent as what we know of Roman meathods of execution to have been. Personally, I feel that to truely appreciate the sacrifice Christ made, one should see just how brutal his execution was...and then remember he suffered that fate willingly and for the whole of humanity.

Like I said, I'm a deist, I don't believe Christ was God made man. I don't believe that God deals much, if at all, in earthly matters. That being said, I have nothing but the utmost reverence for Christ the man, who was willing to endure so much to impart with us the greatest lesson of them all: WE are each other's salvation. The sacrifices we make for one and other, even if that sacrifice would be our very lives, is what brings about salvation, both for ourselves and for those for whom we make such sacrifices. To me, that is Christ's most important lesson, and the reason that the only day I hold sacred is Good Friday.

I hope that didn't come off as preachy. That wasn't my intent. The film didn't, and I doubt I would have enjoyed it nearly so much, or come away from it with so much, if it were.

Posted by: RagingBullmoose at April 4, 2006 06:05 AM

Not many on that list look very appealing to me.
"The Straight Story" directed by David Lynch is more my kind of indie movie, with Sissy Spacek and Richard Farnsworth. An old man rides his lawn mower hundreds of miles to make amends with his ailing brother.

The only other French film that I like (Tammy is right about "Under the Sand") is Jean Cocteau's 1946 "La Belle et la Bête" (Beauty and the Beast).

Posted by: Tink at April 4, 2006 07:14 AM

Can't believe Rampling made Basic Instinct 2....

Posted by: The Ugly American at April 4, 2006 11:27 AM

I thought Sideways was WAY overrated.

Would gladly replace it with Killing Zoe

Posted by: The Ugly American at April 4, 2006 11:35 AM

"Reservoir Dogs" #1? Really??? Well, glad to see "Life of Brian", "Mean Streets" and "The Usual Suspects" in the Top 10.

Anyone else notice that Harvey Keitel is in pretty much every other film on the list???

Posted by: PeteRFNY at April 4, 2006 12:31 PM

One of my favorites is an Italian film 'Cinema Paradiso' sub-titles and all...I can't remember the filmakers name, but it's worth watching if you can find it...

Posted by: Marie at April 4, 2006 01:30 PM

I've seen 34 of the 50! I am SUCH a geek.

There are some glaring omissions though. They have John Carpenter's Dark Star, which was fun, but way too slow at times. If they were going to go with Carpenter, they should have included Halloween, which was the most successful indy film ever and created a genre of horror movies (the slasher). Plus it still remains incredibly frightening.

Pi needs to be on there. Absolutely brilliant.

Brazil: Best Gilliam flick period, far better the Monty Python ones. Great diatribe against bureaucracies.

Kentucky Fried Movie...need I say more?

Posted by: Joel Schwartz at April 4, 2006 08:28 PM

Ragingbullmoose,

Your commentary is awesome. My favorite film is Mad Max.

I often wonder about the second making of “The Passion”. I did not find the violence to be more than other films in the first. I think the second version Mel Gibson released was less violent and oriented more for children’s viewing. Why was it not received well? What does this say about our culture?

Posted by: Artist for truth at April 5, 2006 05:12 PM

I'm glad to see The Terminator is on the list. It's a top-notch action film that still surpasses most modern day action films.

Posted by: Galactic Overlord-In-Chief at April 5, 2006 08:22 PM

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