Cooler than a Blockbuster Night

Blockbuster stores, megaplexes, and gargantuan vats of butter-soaked popcorn have turned the cinema experience from a cozy cultural happening into a journey into the belly of the beast. An economical beast without a soul, that is. The theaters and festivals that dare to display the reels that can’t score the...

By Raina McLeod

January 29, 2009

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "19274298",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17482312",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482310",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482313",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Blockbuster stores, megaplexes, and gargantuan vats of butter-soaked popcorn have turned the cinema experience from a cozy cultural happening into a journey into the belly of the beast. An economical beast without a soul, that is. The theaters and festivals that dare to display the reels that can’t score the $100 million director are a sort of cinematic Robin Hood — stealing the goods before the bigwigs can get their grubby paws on ’em. Get your piece of the pie at the South Florida Indy Film Festival, a collection of more than 50 entries vying for one of the top 12 spots. Each one is less than 18 minutes, and each genre will be represented, from drama to suspense and of course a bit of comedy, from filmmakers of every origin. You don’t have to be Ebert or Roeper to dissect the plot or characters; the audience (online and live) will decide who receives the cash prize.
Fri., Jan. 30, 2009

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.