Independent Film September 2003 Archive

We have been getting a lot of email about Jürgen's review of "Bowling for Columbine," much of it referring to supposed inconsistencies in Michael Moore's controversial Oscar-winning documentary. Now Moore ... Read More

This week's top new DVD releases include Criterion's two-disc set of Roman Polanksi's 1962 debut "Knife In The Water" and the audience-pleasing breakout import from England, "Bend It Like Beckham."

Two men, one woman, and a sailboat: Roman Polanski's 1962 debut is a taut psychological thriller that earned the Polish director an Oscar nomination and catapulted him onto the world ... Read More

"Like finding Martin Scorsese guest-directing EastEnders:" David Blaine, the publicity hound and magician currently trapped in a box high above London, is being filmed by his friend and enfant terrible ... Read More

Sarah Polley has made a career out of suffering: we've seen her as the only survivor of a terrible accident ("The Sweet Hereafter"), murderous immigrant ("The Weight of Water"), and ... Read More

Deepa Mehta's crossover comedy promises a knowing masala of tinseltown conventions, Hindi-style melodrama, and a winking parody of both. But can "Bollywood/Hollywood" deliver more than just another formula romantic comedy? ... Read More

This week new on DVD: John Malkovich's directorial debut "The Dancer Upstairs" and Alison Anders' indie classic "Gas Food Lodging." Also, Christopher Guest's folk music spoof "A Mighty Wind," murderous ... Read More

2001's "Wet Hot American Summer" made us laugh: Janeane Garofalo gets to be sarcastic, funny, and fall in love with David Hyde Pierce while her sex-obsessed counselors run wild and ... Read More

In his first movie since "Sunshine State," indie auteur John Sayles explores the globalization of the adoption business. His impeccable ensemble cast of expectant mothers includes Maggie Gyllenhaal (left), Marcia ... Read More

It's amazing what rave reviews from some of the country's most esteemed film critics - The New York Times, Roger Ebert, Salon, and yours truly - can do for a ... Read More

Peter Sollett's acclaimed debut, now out on DVD, is an unassuming independent film about teenage love on the sweaty streets of New York's Lower East Side. Marcy reviews.

It's a good week for John Sayles fans: on Friday, "Casa de Los Babys" opens in selected theaters, and in the video stores, you can lay your hands on three ... Read More

The buzz is already deafening, but this time, it's justified: Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation," starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johannson as an odd couple stranded in a luxurious Tokyo ... Read More

With the rise of blogging, movie buffs have taken up writing daily web logs about film. All over the web, anonymous movie addicts, indie filmmakers, New York hipsters, and communities ... Read More

Now celebrating its 28th year, the Toronto International Film Festival rivals Cannes and Sundance as the world's most influential film festival, screening over 300 films from 55 different countries. ... Read More

DVD enthusiasts: this is a great week for epic films. The David Lean Collection will keep you sated for countless hours. New releases also include an early Pedro Almodovar gem ... Read More

Hitler's favorite filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl has died at age 101. Infamous for creating "Triumph of the Will," considered the best propaganda film ever made, Riefenstahl continued to make films until ... Read More

In 1955, Alain Resnais made the first documentary about the Nazi concentration camps. Almost 50 years and literally hundreds of Holocaust movies later, it is still the most devastating film ... Read More

The Toronto Film Festival is already in full swing, but yesterday in Venice, the jury divvied up their awards. Andrej Zvjagintsev received the Golden Lion for "The Return." Takeshi ... Read More

Underage girls spin recklessly out of control in Catherine Hardwicke's shocking debut film starring Nikki Reed, Evan Rachel Wood, and Holly Hunter. Trashy melodrama or genuine 21st century teenage experience? ... Read More

Struggling Maoris, doomed explorers, hot phone sex, sacred sperm, and Joe Stalin's illegitimate love child: this week's best new world and independent DVDs cover a wildly eclectic range of subjects.