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Top 11 Films About Filmmaking Every Filmmaker Should See
I have compiled a list of Films within films, there are many more but these are my favourite 11, I've attached the synopsis & IMDB links {deleted} for the films for you to check them out.

E J's Top 11
1."Living in Oblivion" is a darkly comic, low-budget independent film depicting the making of a low-budget independent film, written and directed by Tom DiCillo and starring Steve Buscemi, Catherine Keener, Dermot Mulroney, Danielle von Zerneck and James LeGros. The film won Tom DiCillo the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. The film was acclaimed by critics, and currently has a score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes IMDB LINK
2. "In The Soup" Tortured by self-doubt, financial ruin, and unrequited passion for his next door neighbor (Jennifer Beals), Aldolfo places an ad offering his mammoth screenplay to the highest bidder. In steps Aldolfo's "guardian angel", Joe (Seymour Cassel) a fast-talking shyster who promises to produce the film but has his own unique ideas regarding film financing. IMDB LINK
3."Bowfinger" is a 1999 comedy cult film directed by Frank Oz. Bowfinger depicts a down-and-out filmmaker in Hollywood attempting to make a film on a small budget with a star who does not know that he is in the film. It was written by Steve Martin, and stars Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, and Heather Graham. Film critics have described Bowfinger as a parody of Hollywood, filmmaking, celebrity and according to many reviews, the group "MindHead" is a parody of the Church of Scientology. Steve Martin has denied that MindHead is based on Scientology, specifically, claiming it to be more a pastiche of various other things he had observed. IMDB LINK
4. "The Independent" Documentary look at Morty Fineman, a prolific maker of schlock independent films, who's down on his luck. Actors, directors, and writers, including Ron Howard and Karen Black, comment on his work, we see clips from some of his 427 titles, and we watch Morty try to get financing for a film about a serial killer. He hires his daughter, Paloma, as his business manager. His A.D., the long-suffering Ivan, stays by his side. Morty owes the bank $10 million from his one blockbuster failure. Can he find the financing, or is it time for Morty to retire. Meanwhile, Ivan hooks Morty up with a new film festival, in Chaparral, Nevada. Is this the ticket to renewal? IMDB
5."American Movie" (1999) - On the northwest side of Milwaukee, Mark Borchardt dreams the American dream: for him, it's making movies. Using relatives, local theatre talent, slacker friends, his MasterCard, and $3,000 from his Uncle Bill, Mark strives over three years to finish "Covan," a short horror film. His own personal demons (alcohol, gambling, a dysfunctional family) plague him, but he desperately wants to overcome self-doubt and avoid failure. In moments of reflection, Mark sees his story as quintessentially American, and it's the nature and nuance of his dream that this film explores IMDB LINK
6. "New Suit" is a contemporary update of the fairy tale "The Emperor's New Clothes." Set in present-day Hollywood, the story concerns a script which does not exist, but nonetheless draws praise and bids from the creative community. IMDB Link
7. "Nobody Wants Your Film" is a film about the making of an independent feature that nobody wants, at least that's what producer/financier Alan Smithee thinks. Nobody Wants Your Film gives a look into what it's like to be on an independent film set and the business dealings that affect the final outcome of that effort. IMDB LINK
8."The Errand Boy" Paramutual Pictures wants to know where all the money is going so they hire Morty to be their spy. Morty works for Mr. Sneak and gets a job in the mail room so that he can have access to the lot. But all that Morty ever finds is that he can cause havoc no matter what he does IMDB LINK
9."The Last Producer" Burt Reynolds plays an aging Hollywood producer. Knowing that he is soon going to die or not to have any more importance, he bets all he has, all his love for the cinema, all his strength, in doing his last movie, his best work, something for which he wants the people to remember him by. IMDB LINK
10. "Tropic Thunder" film crew is in Southeast Asia filming a Vietnam-war memoir. It's early in the shooting, but they're already behind schedule and over budget. On the day an accident befalls the novice director, the cast and crew are attacked by a gang of poppy-growing local drug dealers, except the cast and crew don't realize these aren't actors who are stalking them. The thugs kidnap Tugg Speedman, an actor whose star seems on the decline, and it's up to the rest of the ragtag team to band together long enough to attempt his rescue. But will Tugg want to leave,
11. "Le Fear" Carlos Revalos a 21 times Film Director embarks on his biggest Film yet 'Le Fear' a horror love story with a 3 million pound budget what can go wrong? everything as Carlos hires the worst cast and crew ever to walk on this planet which makes the film a recipe for disaster, Larry Rothschild the executive producer on the film who was promised Brad Pitt which never happened instead he got Leon the pompous Lead actor who walks off set time and time again, Debbie D the hysterical inexperienced glamor model who fluffs her lines over and over, the werewolf wearing a rain coat and who can't speak a word of English and the sparky who is color blind and many more misfits and Carlos has no control of any of them this is Larry's first attempt at investing in a film and no doubt his last. IMDB LINK

A film within a film?

FILMCEPTION!

Does Matinee count (featuring MANT!)?

.LAST HOUSE ON DEAD END STREET (1977)-A ex-con decides to go into the film biz-except he's making snuff films.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEZhOOdMdjM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUGPm-Hzmno
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAW_7xghhkw
Haven't seen this one yet, but I hear it's a film witin a film aithin a film!  :tongueout:

s**t, I can't belive I forgot about this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cNjTdFHL8E

I love the Schwarzenegger version of Hamlet, the trailer of which was in Last Action Hero.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evdkh5yv6gA


Needs to be made!

Dude, Terror Firmer!

Personally, I think it's Kaufman's second best.

Quote from: dean on June 01, 2011, 08:12:12 AM

I love the Schwarzenegger version of Hamlet, the trailer of which was in Last Action Hero.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evdkh5yv6gA


Needs to be made!

Best version of Hamlet ever.  Definitely would be more entertaining. 

There was a play in Hamlet 2.

Quote from: Couchtr26 on June 07, 2011, 12:40:46 AM

Best version of Hamlet ever.  Definitely would be more entertaining. 

Not to hijack the thread with more 'what if Arnie did this type of movie' but I also like the mock trailer at the end of this interview with 'Schwarzenegger'. 

Citizen Kane, Arnie style.  [the clip is in the last minute or so, but the interviews funny too.]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3ENQT3le7k

Not stupendous but Man Bites Dog.  There is quite a bit of insanity in this attack on the media and its hyping up of violence.  There are actually 2 movies within the movie.   :wink:

Bela and Ed Wood watching White Zombie in the film Ed Wood

I wish I could remember the name of this movie. It starts at a drive in. This girl's boyfriend turns into a zombie. Then other people turn into zombies and chase the girl. Music stars and you realize it's a video for this 80's metal band that's on TV. The band is called White Sister and the song is called "(April) Your No Fool." Now if I could only remember the name of the movie it's in.

Quote from: 66Crush on June 10, 2011, 09:38:38 PM
I wish I could remember the name of this movie. It starts at a drive in. This girl's boyfriend turns into a zombie. Then other people turn into zombies and chase the girl. Music stars and you realize it's a video for this 80's metal band that's on TV. The band is called White Sister and the song is called "(April) Your No Fool." Now if I could only remember the name of the movie it's in.

Ahhh....that would be the great Killer Party! Fond memories of watching this when I was younger, and White Sister know how to ROCK!  :wink:

The 1976 comedy "Drive-In" had the film-within-a-film "Disaster '76" playing throughout. From the bits and pieces shown, it was a pretty good spoof.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-GyjABVVWA&feature=related

Thanks, now I'm off to see if Killer Party is on Netflix.

I was disappointed when I learned the disaster flick in Drive-In wasn't real. I loved the "Mant" one in Matinee.

My top meta films
1) Ed Wood
2) Shadow of the Vampire

Would Robert Altman's "The Player" count?

Quote from: AndyC on June 12, 2011, 06:18:53 PM
The 1976 comedy "Drive-In" had the film-within-a-film "Disaster '76" playing throughout. From the bits and pieces shown, it was a pretty good spoof.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-GyjABVVWA&feature=related

Good choice, AndyC. I can remember when this seemed to be on all the time on local TV, and I seemed to remember watching it almost everytime it was on. It was such a fun film to watch, and a surprising good film about the denizens of a town in west Texas, and what happens to many of them, when they get together one weekend night at the local drive-in.

The Stunt Man!  A fugitive stumbles upon a movie set while evading police and winds up getting a job as a stunt man for some WWII movie (I forget what it's called).  It's a pretty strange film that plays tricks on its characters and the viewer.  It's excellent!

How about A Fistful of Yen from Kentucky Fried Movie? That has one of my favorite scenes of all time:

Quote from: BoyScoutKevin on June 18, 2011, 02:31:53 PM

Quote from: AndyC on June 12, 2011, 06:18:53 PM
The 1976 comedy "Drive-In" had the film-within-a-film "Disaster '76" playing throughout. From the bits and pieces shown, it was a pretty good spoof.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-GyjABVVWA&feature=related

Good choice, AndyC. I can remember when this seemed to be on all the time on local TV, and I seemed to remember watching it almost everytime it was on. It was such a fun film to watch, and a surprising good film about the denizens of a town in west Texas, and what happens to many of them, when they get together one weekend night at the local drive-in.

Pretty much the same here. I remember it being on TV a number of times during the 80s, and I'm sure I watched it at least two or three times.

This film parody comes to mind...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYwY7hPuIuw