SYNOPSICS
The Independent (2000) is a English movie. Stephen Kessler has directed this movie. Jerry Stiller,Janeane Garofalo,Max Perlich,Ted Demme are the starring of this movie. It was released in 2000. The Independent (2000) is considered one of the best Comedy movie in India and around the world.
Documentary look at Morty Fineman, a prolific maker of schlock independent films, who's down on his luck. Actors, directors, and writers, including Ron Howard and Karen Black, comment on his work, we see clips from some of his 427 titles, and we watch Morty try to get financing for a film about a serial killer. He hires his daughter, Paloma, as his business manager. His A.D., the long-suffering Ivan, stays by his side. Morty owes the bank $10 million from his one blockbuster failure. Can he find the financing, or is it time for Morty to retire. Meanwhile, Ivan hooks Morty up with a new film festival, in Chaparral, Nevada. Is this the ticket to renewal?
Same Actors
Same Director
The Independent (2000) Reviews
Bad cinema done with a smile
THE INDEPENDENT (2001) ** Jerry Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, Max Perlich (Cameos: Anne Meara, Ron Howard, Roger Corman, Peter Bogdanovich, John Lydon, Ben Stiller, Andy Dick, Fred Dryer, Jonathan Katz, Fred Williamson, Karen Black, Nick Cassavetes) (Dir: Stephen Kessler) Jerry Stiller has made a fine career for himself as a top-notch character actor and the triumphs of his long-standing marriage with comedy partner Anne Meara. But perhaps it is the past decade particularly for his stint as the bellicose Frank Costanza, the brow-beating, bellowing paterfamilias of Jason Alexander's angry George on "Seinfeld" is what he'll be remembered for after all these years ago. Now he's the lead in this quasi-mockumentary a la "This Is Spinal Tap" meets "The Player" by way of "Ed Wood." Morty Fineman (Stiller), a truly independent filmmaker of questionable taste and lack of skills and talent, is the focus of a documentary film crew shooting the downward spiral of his illustrious career of low, low budget exploitation films the likes of Roger Corman and John Waters but without the knowing wink at the audience. Fineman's downfall is his blind ambition as an artiste whose long-suffering daughter and wind beneath his winds Paloma (Garofalo) has to endure the latest brinks of bankruptcy that has his bank offering to buy out his filmography not for its artistic merit but literally by the pound of celluloid he's burned. Along for the ride is his protégé and gopher Ivan (the gifted character actor Perlich) who desperately attempts a comeback for Morty by investigating every film festival to showcase his ouevre. Naturally not one is interested save for Chaparral, Nevada whose town's main point of business is prostitution. To add insult to injury Fineman winds up working his new offices of his trade outside a dingy motel. Stiller acquits himself nicely as the clueless yet empassioned director of dreck whose specialty is message films of his own political bent via busty babes scantily clad with semi-automatic weaponary touted between their ample cleavage. What works for the film on the whole is the tongue-in-cheek sendup of the industry with its accurate depictions of what bad films look like from shoddy stock footage and badly acted scenes to its so-scary -they -seem -real take-offs of trailers to 1960s and 70s junk films. The use of real-life filmmakers like Howard and Bogdanovich tries to lend a hand to its wink-wink/nudge-nudge insider take/satire send-up by giving it an air of authenticity but by the last third the one-joke gimmick runs out of gas and feels flat. For those who love awful movies and wonder who the heck makes this crap then they have a true hero in Morty Fineman, a man ahead of his times .whenever that was.
Satire Worth Seeing
This sleeper has been overlooked. It is frequently funny with many illustrations of real wit. If you're a fan of indie-flicks, then there's much to enjoy here, not least of which are unexpected cameos by industry names. Plus, despite what others have said, there is a narrative based on the characters' familial relations. That, and quality acting from the leads (especially Jerry Stiller, who'll surprise you with his convincing portrayal) make this satire well-worth watching. I found this on cable and learned it's not been released on DVD. Let's start lobbying for that!
Absolutely hilarious
I saw this at SXSW this year. Absolutely hilarious. Jerry Stiller is possibly at his finest hour playing the lead role in this film. The writing is terrific as is the direction. Garafalo is good, but clearly Jerry Stiller is the laugh-machine here. This could be the Something About Mary of this year, but without as much gross humor (not that I don't like gross humor). Plenty of wacky cameos by: Andy Dick, Ben Stiller, the entire cast of the Ben Stiller Show, Ron Howard, Roger Corman, and Larry Hankin.
Ginger Lynn is my mayor
For the recently-married reviewer who missed the last 20 minutes: that was my 15 seconds of fame as an extra at the "film festival", dammit! The fictional town of "Chapparal, Nevada" is in fact Colfax, California. The theater interior is that of the old-school Colfax Theater. Never before has the subject of venereal disease been dealt with so classily on the silver screen, army stock or not. Jerry Stiller is a mensch and that Ginger Lynn as the Mayor, well... I don't think dialogue was a strong point in her previous film career, know what i mean? Don't miss this one, especially if you like quirky faux-documentary comedies. Really.
Dull? Pointless? Did you see the same film as I did!?
A comedy that consistently amuses, to the point of being laugh-out loud funny - the hilarious inserts of Monty's oeuvre are some of the high-points: The Foxy Chocolate Robot, anyone? Or the Simplex Complex? Or, my fave, the Eco-Angels? Plus, everything comes together for a happy ending. Result! Stick around for the end credits; someone carried out a labour of love in creating 437 film titles for Monty's career.