Phill Hall on THE HISTORY OF INDEPENDENT CINEMA III
Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Lil Dagover in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
What have been the top foreign influences on American independent filmmaking?
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and the European avant-garde films of the 1920s were a huge influence on U.S. underground filmmakers. The Italian neo-realism in the post-World War II era had a strong impact, primarily because it enabled filmmakers to adopt an obvious low-budget approach — with the caveat that the film was appropriately gritty enough to warrant the glamour-free style.
The 1962 Italian feature Mondo Cane helped to inaugurate the shockumentary filmmaking school that is still with us. More recently, the Dogme school of filmmaking had a flurry of followers on this side of the Atlantic.
Many complain about the low quality of the current crop of American independent productions. Do you find that a fair assessment?
Like I always say: I see an awful lot of films and a lot of awful films. The problem is quality control, since today’s independent filmmaker is usually both the producer and the director (and the screenwriter, for that matter). The indie films of the Hughes-Selznick-Goldwyn era were excellent because the producers maintained quality control. The director could frame the shots and determine where to place the camera, but the producer was on top of the endless details that go into creating a film. Today, most indie films lack that oversight feature. Thus, there is no one to raise a red flag over a problematic performance or deficient script.
For the indie director who is not doing double-duty as the producer, there is also the culture that beatifies directors. This is a mistake, since this enables many directors to become sloppy and self-indulgent with their work. That may explain why so many indie films feel like home movies on steroids.
Ewan McGregor, Jim Carrey in I Love You, Phillip Morris, Sundance 2009’s big media hit
Sundance, SXSW, Slamdance, Los Angeles Film Festival, or … ? In your view, which festival showcases the best selection of independent films?
None. Film festivals are not about showcasing quality motion pictures. They are about making money for their organizers, usually with titles that will bring in a large audience. The major festivals – Sundance, SXSW, even Slamdance – go for star power, because that is what sells tickets. The genuine no-name, no-budget, no-connection indies inevitably wind up in second- or third-tier festivals. Even if these films have peerless quality, they won’t get into the major festivals unless they have connections to the festival organizers or major names attached to the project.
In the last couple of years, there have been many downbeat predictions regarding the future of American independent cinema. What’s your take on that?
A glut of films coupled with fewer places to present them equals trouble. The good news is that direct-to-DVD is no longer seen as an ignoble fate, so many of these films are finding some kind of release. The bad news is that many of these films are stuck in obscurity – major media ignores them and major DVD retailers don’t stock them. Until there are more venues for showing these films, I don’t see how the picture can improve.
And finally, any other book projects in the works?
I have a new book in the works that speculates on what would’ve become of famous Hollywood stars if they had not died prematurely – spanning from Rudolph Valentino to Natasha Richardson, with all points in between. That will be out in late 2010.
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Tags: American Independent Cinema, Books, Classic Movies, Interviews, Mondo cane, Phil Hall, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The History of Independent Cinema
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