Independent Movies - "Tears of the Black Tiger"

Here's one that's sure to interest you - a Thailand indie flick distributed by Magnolia Pictures.

No matter what genre/style/period piece you desire, "Tears of the Black Tiger" (which my brother picked up from - believe it or not - Hollywood Video) is right up the DIY, never-seen-before, "I can't believe this!" kick in the butt that all no-budget filmmakers would find interesting. Why? Well let's start in the order that it took hold on us.

The Cover
How's this for starters: two Taiwanese guys dressed like cowboys and gripping revolvers, ready to kick some butt and take some names. The blown out saturated colors, deep contrast and fun fonts looked like a cross between "Crouching Tiger" and "Death Proof"!

The Origin and Genre
A Tawainese indie action movie? Enough said! To see that Magnolia signed on to something that - right off the bat looks so foreign (figuratively and literally) made me a happy Guam guy.

The Cinematography and Overall Vibe
It was unreal. No, really. Greescreen and stuff. It was definitely different in the sense that the movie seemed to portray a motion picture "play" than an actual "movie", which I thought was refreshing and surprisingly fun to watch. The color palette was strong, vibrant and eye-catching.

The Storyline
It was foreign, so I expected a few things to get lost in translation. There were a lot of musical numbers (one too many I think) and the editing as a whole could've been more discriminatory.

The Actors
Hey...if they're unknowns, then I already like 'em!

Final Thoughts
I can't remember the last time I was so excited to see a movie without hearing or knowing anything about it. For some reason, I just really liked the way this movie stood out and grabbed my attention and interest without ever crossing paths.

At first, I couldn't figure it out. Then it hit me - it was different.

Not knowing anything about it, ever hearing about it or seeing trailers for it actually enticed me to see it! Everything about it was a new experience. I've come across something that made me feel exclusive...like I just stumbled upon a buried treasure.

If you're in the process of a creating something...whether it's a do it yourself low-budget movie, writing a poem, a screenplay, whatever...think about this: will it make the experience unique? What elements make for an interesting piece? Marketing? Star power? Digital effects? A good ol' story? Most people would say that it all depends on the viewer in question.

From what I gather, just make the experience a unique one.