Independant Films...But not really

So I just finished watching "Young Adult" with Charlize Theron. It has left a bad taste in my mouth that seems to be all to familiar. It's not really an independent film it's highly produced and directed by Jason Reitman. My response to this film was not really that I didn't like it it's more like it's not what it could have been so it was more disappointing than "a bad film". Which lead me to the thought of many films that are coming out of late that seem to have a "Indie" vibe to them but are as produced and giant budgeted as the next green lit drama. Melancholia a great film, but had the kind of Indie feel too it. Except you had a bunch of great actors in it a multi-million dollar budget and distribution presale. "Oh but it premiered at Cannes", ok so what? Cannes, Sundance, and even Toronto/NYC film festivals have tons of super-produced films for the "Indie" circuit. Don't get me wrong their will always be some unheard of film that blows everybody away with a tiny budget and maybe a "D" list name attached. This is just how things are, Kevin Smith years ago blew people away with Clerks, which today would not even make it in a film festival let a lone get him any recognition. He's said it himself. If he tried to do now what he did then Clerks would never be able to do what it did in today's Indie film world. Basically the kids with the money and toys figured out a way to use Indie Film to reinvent themselves. Got typecasting problems? No worries, reinvent yourself with a fakie Indie Feature that you through some money at and go act really serious at Sundance and watch the offers pour in.  Hey kid that spent all of his life's savings and borrowed beg and stole to try to make a film. F you, you have to actually compete with the studios! (Oh well, just their renamed indie departments, don't tell anybody!!!)

I am always reminded of Comicon, used to be that it was mostly comics, and the celebrities where people in the industry. Now, it's a huge deal with WarnerBrothers, Disney, and giant corps buying up booth space. It actually gets more than local news coverage every year. Yet somewhere in the back of comicon some vendor sits who scrimped to get a booth to preview an online comic. Which brings me to my final point. The internet has saved us again, it's not there yet but the hope exists for distribution. It will happen in my lifetime, the internet will be the place that a movie/show goes first. The money will eventually be worked out and I hope I can carve a part of it out. If not, I will still be able to get my work out there for everybody to see, one way or the other.