50. El Mariachi (1992), d. Robert Rodriguez
Robert Rodriguez may be a household name, but back in 1992 he was
an impoverished would-be filmmaker who raised $3,000 of the film's $7,000
shooting budget as a volunteer for experimental drug testing. Shot on
the streets of Coahuila, Mexico without storyboards (Rodriguez had no
crew to show them to), equipment (sound was record with a tape recorder
while most of the 'guns' were water pistols) and quite often actors (many
of the smaller roles were simply passers by), El Mariachi is guerilla
filmmaking at its most inventive. An action movie filmed for the price
of a second hand Ford Fiesta - Michael Bay, you have much to learn.
49. Run Lola Run (1998, Ger.), d. Tom Tykwer
Brilliantly high concept, effortlessly executed by director Tom Tykwer
and kept at breakneck speed by leading lady Franka Potente, this is
one of the very best reasons to bury England's traditional enmity with
the Germans. The story follows three attempts, largely in real time,
by Lola (Potente) to get the 100,000 deutschmarks needed to save her
boyfriend's life. Tykwer basically riffs on the same concept three times,
ratcheting up the tension and building up the pace with each attempt
as the flame-haired Lola uses increasingly inventive means of getting
ahead. An object lesson in how to shoot at speed, this smashes the stereotype
of the talky, heavy European indie.
48. Cube (1997, Can.), d. Vincenzo Natali
Cube is proof - if proof were needed - that you only need simple
concept to make an arresting, interesting film. Taking a small group
of people, a confined space and a heavy dose of sinister mystery, Vincenzo
Natali probes the darker reaches of human nature, placing his unwitting
characters in the ultimate prison: a network of revolving chambers interspersed
with intricate (and oft-fatal) traps. Cube was shot in one-and-a-half
14' by 14' chambers and the director blagged free visual effects from
a Toronto-based company keen to show their support for domestic movie
making. The result is a tense and often terrifying tale, that outshines
and outscares any number of budget-heavy, studio horrors.
47. Blood Feast (1963), d. Herschell Gordon Lewis
Without Herschell Gordon Lewis' low budget gore-fest, there would
be no Halloween, no Evil Dead
et al, and basically half of the '80s video industry would be missing.
This no-budget effort was the birth of splatter. In fact, it's fair
to say that with his entrail packed (however loosely) exploitationer,
marketing guru Lewis opened the abattoir doors for 'meat content' in
films generally – and that includes the likes of ear severing,
and faces melting before the wrath of God. Even if you leave the gore
aside, the film raked in $4 million from a budget of $24,500. Impressive
by any studio outsider's standards.
46. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), d. Tobe
Hooper
With its air of eerie verisimilitude, Tobe Hooper's chilling horror
stands light years apart from the other film based on the gory exploits
of the real-life serial killer, Ed Gein. Shot for around $140,000, with
money allegedly re-routed from the success of runaway porn hit, Deep
Throat, it's Chainsaw's dead-eyed, almost cinema verite
approach that truly unnerves. The dinner scene, where Marilyn Burns
comes dangerously close to having her head smashed in with a hammer,
is the most memorable example of Hooper's edgy approach – something
he would never capture again in a career that has since gone spectacularly
off the rails.
45. Mad Max (1979, Aus.), d. George Miller
Australians love their cars – something Dr. George Miller was well
aware of when he changed careers from physician to filmmaker. Not letting
a paltry budget of $400,000 phase him, he fused the cult American sci-fi
flick A Boy And His Dog with his own penchant for seeing muscle
cars and road bikes moving fast and coming to a scattered end. Acknowledging
a massive thirst for automotive action and raking in more than $100
million, it spawned one superior sequel (still one of the greatest 'real'
action films), which in turn led to dozens of cheap 'post apocalyptic
warzone' straight-to-video jobs.
44. Amores Perros (2000, Mex.), d. Alejandro Gonzales
Inarritu
21 Grams may have grabbed the Oscar headlines, but Alejandro
González Iñárritu perfected his techniques in overlapping
storylines, stunning cinematography and the creative use of car crashes
in this Mexican smash about three separate lives linked together by
one common event. Remarkable for its stellar performances from a cast
previously unknown outside their home country, for taking the fractured
narrative to a whole new level, and for tackling subjects that studios
avoid like the plague – dog fighting, anyone? – this burst
like a firework on the indie world, and acted as a wake-up call to the
US indie scene. You're not the only ones setting the pace now, guys.
43. Shadows (1959), d. John Cassavetes
Inventing American indie cinema before QT was even born, writer-director
John Cassavetes’ debut feature is a rough hewn landmark. Taking
a subject matter that ‘50s Hollywood wouldn’t touch with a
barge-pole — the tensions within a black family arising when a
young woman (Leila Goldoni) starts dating white men — Cassavetes
ignores all the tricks of the mainstream to jazz up his simple story,
instead opting for an almost home movie approach where you are allowed
to get under the skin of the central character. It may seem somewhat
dated now but as both a document of 60s Bohemian New York and the birth
of American indie, this is essential.
42. Swingers (1996), d. Doug Liman
A true indie, this one, given that large sections of
this film – in the casino, and on the highway – were shot
without the proper permits, while director and stars pretended that
the camera was turned off as the cops stood by. But the results of this
largely plotless story of friends rallying round their suddenly single
pal are undeniable. One of the very best buddy comedies out there, embraced
by men the world over as somehow descriptive of their twenties, it's
a perfect example of what happens when that strange alchemy between
cast, crew, script and tone all work perfectly.
41. Dead Man's Shoes (2004, UK), d. Shane Meadows
Most films on this list are here because of the man behind
the camera. In this case, and with no disrespect to Shane Meadows' assured
direction, it's the stunning turn by its star and co-writer, Paddy Considine
that's won it a place. He's the central character, an ex-soldier who
returns to his hometown and brings down a world of pain on the men who
bullied his younger brother. A showcase for a deserving actor, and a
perfect example of the indie sector's ability to tackle storylines that
studios would shy away from, this is one of the finest British films
in years.
40. The Descent (2005, UK), d. Neil Marshall
Howling onto the scene with surprise werewolf hit, Dog
Soldiers, Neil Marshall surpassed himself with this claustrophobic
follow-up that sees six female potholers trapped in the dark, far underground.
Set in the US (where these things more routinely seem to happen) but
shot at Pinewood and on location in Scotland, The Descent is
by far and away the best Brit horror in years. It's achievement is unrelenting
terror - hell, the film wrings out a succession of solid scares before
the film's primary menace is even introduced! Ultimately a simple concept,
this is skillfully executed, with a well-balanced character dynamic
underpinning Marshall's expert grasp of horror filmmaking.
39. The Passion Of The Christ (2004, It./US), d.
Mel Gibson
It almost defies belief that an R-rated, independent
film, shot entirely in two dead languages went on to make $370 million
at the box office. Even more so considering that distributors, mindful
of the inevitable controversy, originally wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot
Roman spear. But Mel Gibson's vision did pay off and despite the bluster
of indignant religious leaders and the righteous smiting of the Lord
(two crew members, including star Jim Caviezel, were struck by lightning
during the shoot) the film succeeded: spreading the gospel and raking
in an ungodly amount of cash for good measure.
38. Grosse Point Blank (1997), d. George Armitage
John Cusack's turn as repentant hit man Martin
Blank marks the single greatest '80s throwback, killer-for-hire rom-com
ever made. You know the story: boy meets girl, boy stands up girl on
prom night, girl's heart is broken, boy becomes professional killer.
It's an age-old tale and, thanks to Cusack's charming killer and a fresh-faced
appearance from Minnie Driver, manages to be both charmingly romantic
(he literally kills for her) and darkly comic. This remains the only
film from screenwriter Tom Jankiewicz and a delightfully different romcom
that stands head and shoulders above its peers - and boasts a more impressive
bodycount to boot.
37. Being John Malkovich (1999), d. Spike Jonze
This film makes the list for one simple reason: it proved,
once and for all, that a film doesn't have to make any sense to be great.
Impossible to sum up in any thirty-second studio pitch - low ceilings,
puppets, and a sinister conspiracy focusing on John Malkovich's brain
and the New Jersey turnpike are all involved. But what's great is that
Charlie Kaufman's insane script, Spike Jonze's delirious direction and
a cast of A-listers playing wackily against type somehow add up to one
of the cleverest, silliest and utterly weirdest films you'll ever see.
36. Buffalo '66 (1998), d. Vincent Gallo
Get it straight - Vincent Gallo doesn't give a f--k what you think
about his movie. It's brilliant, and if you can't see that then it's
your own tough luck. He's so fiercely independent he uses Yes on the
soundtrack. And you know what? He's absolutely right. This film is a
mini masterpiece. Using only a small but highly talented crew and cast,
he bombards us with belligerent, unlikeable characters for 100-odd minutes,
and manages to make the most saccharine of endings - about the power
of love, of all things - appetising. A beautifully balanced debut from
a precocious talent - surely what indie is all about?
35. THX-1138 (1971), d. George Lucas
Before there was 
Star Wars, George Lucas made this dystopian
vision of a future in a galaxy quite close by. Robert Duvall plays the
eponymous THX-1138, a worker in a society where sex is outlawed and
drugs used to control the populace, who rebels and begins the search
for a better life. What's remarkable in this film are the visuals -
the sterile, almost colourless world and menacing robot police provide
a stark backdrop for the increasingly passionate feelings of the central
characters. Lucas' visions may have become bigger and more colourful
as he developed his career, but nothing since has mixed intellectual
debate and action so effectively.
34. The Blair Witch Project (1999), d. Daniel Myrick,
Eduardo Sanchez
The scariest movie ever made? Of course not but you'd
never have known it through the hype that surrounded Blair Witch
upon release. Not bad for a film shot for $35,000 on a camera bought
at Wal-Mart (and subsequently returned for a refund). The film was almost
entirely improvised by the three leads (who were often just as terrified
as the audience) and initially passed off as a documentary, a ruse given
credence by an entirely fictitious web-based backstory. It's far from
the most frightening cinema experience imaginable but an ingenious piece
of creative filmmaking it certainly is.
33. Shallow Grave (1994, UK), d. Danny Boyle
A wave of hype followed this thriller, almost swamping
it under proclamations that the British were coming, that Scotland was
sexy, that Ewan McGregor might do well for himself. Well, that's all
true - but there's more to Shallow Grave than a (temporary) reinvigoration
of British cinema. Danny Boyle's immensely stylish tale of dead bodies,
a suitcase full of money and rampant paranoia is an inspired blend of
pitch-black comedy and bloody violence, held together by career-making
performances and scathing wit. Three central characters this flawed
are a rare sight in American cinema - even in the independent sector
- which, along with the sheer panache of this film, make it a must-see.
32. Two Lane Blacktop (1971), d. Monte Hellman
As much a testament to Godfather of American indie cinema
Monte Hellman (he was the rain check director for at least two films
on this list) as the film itself, this is his best effort behind the
megaphone, and the best of the post-
Easy Rider road movies of the '70s. On
the surface it ticks a lot of cliché boxes - European influence
(Antonioni), absence of dialogue, arcless characters and an unresolved
plot, but rather than coming across as pretentious, it's precisely this
ambiguity - along with the avoidance of simply being a love poem to
the open road - that continues to hold audiences.
31. Pink Flamingos (1972), d. John Waters
Let's get the dog turd out of the way first. Yes, Divine
does wolf down a real live, freshly laid parcel of pooch poo in John
Waters' trashy cult classic, but that's not reason alone for its place
on this list. And it's not just it's rather shoddy production values
either (independent doesn't mean badly made). Instead, Pink Flamingos
is on this list because of the sheer chutzpah of Waters' story - two
families compete with each to see who can be the most disgusting - and
willingness to push back the barriers of tat, taste and what audiences
were willing to tolerate waaaaay back in 1972. Without Waters, we might
never have had the literal flood of jizz/piss/poo jokes that assailed
us all in recent years. Believe it or not, but that's something to thank
him for.
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