A partial tribute to 80's independent filmmaking

[Flick James]

I’ve been finding myself discussing, and to an extent pining for, a number of films from the 80’s.  I went to high school in the 80’s, in the suburbs of Los Angeles, in the shadow of nearby Hollywood.  I discovered independent film in the mid 80’s, and there were so many great ones from that era that existed within the realm of the Reagan era, the time of John Hughes, and Top Gun, and Rocky VI, and Red Dawn, to name a few.  I worked at a suburban multiplex in the local mall.  I attribute an aspect of culture in the 80’s that is akin to the cultural state of America in the 50’s.  Independent films at that time were real standouts.  They were countercultural, and definitely ahead of their time, an influence on the independent film culture that would arise in the 90’s.  Listed is a list of some of my personal favorites of that time. Not all of them were true limited-release indy films, of course. Please feel free to add your own:

Down By Law (1986): Jim Jarmusch.  My first trip from the suburbs to New Beverly Cinema in Hollywood was to see this film.  Amazing.

Stranger Than Paradise (1984): Jim Jarmusch.  I love DBL so much I found out about his first film.

Blue Velvet (1986): David Lynch.  My first Lynch film, also, unusual because it was playing at my suburban multiplex, a bit out of place flanked by the theatres playing Karate Kid II and Pretty in Pink.

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984): W. D. Richter.

Wings of Desire (1987): Wim Wenders.  German film about an angel who falls in love with a mortal woman and becomes mortal himself.  Hollywood ripped it off very badly with City of Angels in 1998.

Withnail and I (1986): Bruce Robinson.  Great British film.  I was starting to get addicted to driving into L.A. for indy films at this point.

How to Get Ahead in Advertising (1989): Bruce Robinson.  Very underappreciated and absurd film about a ruthless ad executive who develops a conscience, but then his ruthless side tries to come back by growing as a separate head.

Full Metal Jacket (1987): Stanley Kubrick.  This film blew my mind when I first saw it on the big screen.

A Prayer for the Dying (1987): Mike Hodges.  I rarely talk to anyone who has seen this film.  Great cast (Mickey Rourke, Bob Hoskins, Liam Neeson), and a simple but touching and engrossing story.

Alice (1988): Jan Svankmajer.  I saw this one when it came out and was both enthralled and revolted by this disturbing stop-motion-animation version of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.  Whether or not I “enjoyed” this film, it certainly had a strong impact.

[Rev. Powell]

Growing up at the same time I had a very similar experience, I loved the alternative films of the 80s, including all of those you mentioned (the ones I've seen).  I don't know if FULL METAL JACKET should count as "independent," since it was released by Warner Bros., but Kubrick's rep was so great by this time that he was allowed to do whatever he wanted, like an independent. 

A few other titles in a similar vein:

THE KING OF COMEDY (1982) & AFTER HOURS (1985): Scorcese's black comedies, there was major studio involvement in these but like Kubrick Scorcese was given carte blanche by the studios to make the films he wanted.

BLOOD SIMPLE (1984) & RAISING ARIZONA (1987):  The Coen brothers early movies pretty much defined the spirit of that "independent film culture" of the 90s.  They're at least it's godfathers.

ROGER & ME (1989): It's a terribly one-sided character assassination of a guy who may not have been that bad after all, but it sure made me laugh (and cry) when I first saw it.  At that time no one realized yet how much of a jerk Michael Moore was. 

THE THIN BLUE LINE (1988): Chilling documentary about police corruption that works like a mystery story. 

No time left to make comments but I should also mention Gilliam's TIME BANDITS (1981), Neil Jordan's THE COMPANY OF WOLVES (1984), HEATHERS (1988), HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER (1986), REPO MAN (1984), SID & NANCY (1986), THIS IS SPINAL TAP (1984), DRUGSTORE COWBOY (1989), HOLLYWOOD SHUFFLE (1987), and many others I'm forgetting.

Not to mention all the great 80s independent B-movies... we'd be here all day.
 

[Flick James]

THE KING OF COMEDY! That should have been on my list.  I also love the parody of the Jerry Lewis/Sandra Berhardt scene that Family Guy did.  Somebody should post a list of all the movies that have been referenced or parodied on Family Guy.  Did I say that?  Okay, I've got some work to do.