His Point of View

Recently I have decided to venture into the world of Independent /limited release films, and I must say that I am disappointed in the fact that I have not done so sooner.  Last night I saw one of the best movies I have seen in a long while.  In my mind Full Metal Jacket is the bar when it comes to military movies and I can only think of one other movie (aside from the movie I saw last night) released in the last few years that comes close to the bar, and that film is We Were Soldiers.  Las night I saw the movie titled “The Hurt Locker” which is about a bomb squad team serving in Baghdad.  The movie has no real “stars” (but it does have a few familiar faces) and i think that is the major reason it is not a mainstream film.  If you like war movies this is definitely a must see, you can go to the movie’s official web site to find a theatre near you that is showing this flick.

If you live in the DC metro area you should check out the E Street Cinema, I will be there frequently this summer and fall, as it appears there are several more excellent Indie films to be released this year.  Even if you don’t live near DC you should check out the link to the E Street Cinema to find an affiliated theatre near you, and to read the description of some of the films currently available.  I must add that many of these movies have stepped their game up tremendously… no longer do independent films have that notorious “low budget” appearance.  Many of these films are shot using equipment of similar if not equal caliber to what major studios use. 

If you ever wonder how you can view some of the films that you hear about or read about winning major awards at film festivals such as those in Cannes and Utah ( Sundance Film Festival) you should find your local theatre which shows Independent films.   If you are concerned about prices,  the admission prices at the E Street Cinema are actually cheaper than the major chains in the area (tickets are $10 after 6pm).  Also, for you film producers many of these theatres have events where you can show your works to the public.

It’s time to expand your horizons, let’s go out and seek entertainment instead of being spoon fed the same repeated themes by the major production studios.  

(If you know of some other venues, especially in DC or ATL that show good independent films please let me know)

These are the films I plan to check out in the coming weeks… (sadly it seems that I just missed the Unmistaken Child, as it’s showin gin the DC area ended yesterday…)