Episode 37: The 90's Indie Revolution - David Lynch, Robert Rodriguez, and Richard Linklater

Episode 37: The Indie Film Explosion of the 80s & 90s


We’re changing things up. This week, we ditched the "director of the week" format because it started feeling like bad homework. Instead, we’re picking our favorite standalone indie hits from the 80s and 90s—including the movies that launched the careers of David Lynch, Robert Rodriguez, and Richard Linklater.

From selling your body to medical science to fund a film, to finding a severed ear in a field, we're covering the grit and the weirdness of independent cinema.

Movies discussed in this episode:

Blue Velvet (1986): David Lynch’s neo-noir masterpiece. We talk about Dennis Hopper’s terrifying performance as Frank Booth and why the "joyride" scene was filmed with a stationary car.

El Mariachi (1993): Robert Rodriguez’s $7,000 miracle. How he used clinical drug trials to fund the movie and used a wheelchair as a camera dolly.

Slacker (1990): The "relay-race" film that defined Austin, Texas, and inspired Kevin Smith to make Clerks.

River’s Edge (1986): The bleak "anti-teen" movie featuring a young Keanu Reeves and a very eccentric Crispin Glover.

Is the 90s indie boom the peak of American cinema, or just a bunch of guys with too much free time? Let us know.

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Executive Prodcuers: Felipe Esparza & Lesa Esparza
Producer: Rommel Suniga
Music: Isaak Wintringham

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Hear about Felipe's tour dates, new merch drops & more by signing up @ http://felipesworld.com Felipe Esparza is a comedian and actor, known for his stand-up specials, “They’re Not Gonna Laugh at You”, “Translate This”, and his latest dual-release on Netflix, “Bad Decisions/Malas Decisiones” (2 different performances in two languages), his recurring appearances on Netflix’s “Gentefied”, NBC’s “Superstore” and Adultswim’s “The Eric Andre Show”, as well as winning “Last Comic Standing” (2010), and his popular podcast called “What’s Up Fool?”. Felipe continues to sell out live stand-up shows in comedy clubs and theaters around the country.

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