Every year, while compiling my list of the 100 Best Trailers of the Year, I run across some fantastic little indie trailers that pique my interest. Typically, these trailers show a ton of talent limited by a pretty restrictive budget. These trailers are often cut but the director or editor and not shopped out to the big marketing houses for cookie-cutter promotion. While I cannot guarantee that these movies are going to be good, at least from a the prospective of the trailer, it is well worth the shot. With that said, here are the 10 7 Trailers You May Have Missed…
WHITE ON RICE
First up is the movie WHITE ON RICE. This indie comedy could have easily slipped past your radar. However, from the looks of the trailer this is one funny looking indie. Plus it has a nice little cameo by James Kyson Lee (aka Ando from HEROES).
BURMA VJ
This documentary puts a spotlight on the Buddhist monks in Burma and their oppression thanks to the military junta that controls the company. This looks like a pretty intense and explosive doc that will open your eyes to the struggle these monks (and citizens) live with each and every day. If you’ve never heard of this flick and you enjoy intense documentaries, give BURMA VJ a look.
VAN DIEMEN’S LAND
I’ve been fascinated by Van Diemen’s Land ever since I heard U2 sing a song with the same name on their album RATTLE & HUM. It’s not the greatest tune but it was an interesting enough of a title to make a 12-year-old take note. This movie has some amazing cinematography and a whole lot of grit. The film scored well on Rotten Tomatoes and should be worth your time.
ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL
ANVIL! is the only movie on this list that I’ve seen and I readily recommend it to anyone with a pulse. This documentary takes a look at a real life SPINAL TAP and is as entertaining as it is fascinating. If you’ve got an empty slot in your Netflix Queue and you’re looking to see one of the best documentaries of 2009, please give this one a shot.
MUST READ AFTER MY DEATH
Hands down, this is the spookiest indie trailer of the year. Perhaps it’s the fact that this movie is a documentary or maybe it’s the grainy old footage. No matter what the case, MUST READ AFTER MY DEATH gives me chills to see the trailer and has me dying to get spooked out by the movie. If you were floored by movies like CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS, this one looks like a must see.
AFTERSCHOOL
AFTERSCHOOL looks like a cool indie that any group of high school friends could put together in a couple of months and scare the crap out of their classmates. The trailer is a very cool piece of work and landed itself incredibly high on my top trailers list because of that. The reviews are a bit all over the map; however, if you like to test your limits and try something new, this looks well worth the shot.
MYSTERY TEAM
Indie comedies are always a dicey situation. It seems so easy to write a comedy that isn’t funny, to try and write a comedy with zero budget and no recognizable stars is a recipe for failure. This trailer had me in stitches thanks to the dry humor, the goofy characters, the Coen-esque story, and the kick soundtrack. This is definitely a movie to be on the look out for.
Thanks for reading! In case you missed it the first time, check out Part 1 and Part 2 of the Top 100 Trailers of 2009!