New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

The landscape for independent films has changed rapidly. On one hand, the opportunity to build a theatrical release has become increasingly difficult, but on the other hand, digital release has given indies a chance to play to a broad national audience at once. Each week, new indie releases will be profiled and because they might not be playing at a theater near you, one highly recommended film available now a click or two away via VOD (whether a new or not quite new release) will be presented for viewing without leaving your computer.

VOD Pick of the Week

Make-Out with Violence
Make-Out with Violence is a genre-bending tale of a boy trying to fulfill his unrequited love for a girl who has risen from the dead. Don’t expect a Warm Bodies, though. It is the summer after high school graduation and a group of friends are trying to deal with the disappearance for their pretty and popular friend, Wendy Hearst. Patrick, who held a long time crush on Wendy finds it particularly difficult to let go , while his fraternal twin brother Carol has been unable to act on his feelings towards Wendy’s best friend, Addy.

The film is narrated by Patrick and Carol’s little brother, Beetle, who observes the goings on. It is Beetle who first finds Wendy’s reanimated corpse strung up between two trees. Patrick brings Wendy back to the house that he is house-sitting for the summer hoping to coax some life out of her. She is a zombie in the technical sense, but she is not like the movie zombies you are used to seeing. Forget about slow or fast, she is unable to stand or walk and moves only in twitches and spasms. Meanwhile, dealing with the loss spurs Carol into action as he decides he can no longer wait and makes it his mission to make Addy his girlfriend before the end of the summer.

The one constant that hangs over the movie is a feeling of longing and the transition from high school. Make-Out with Violence could be somewhat described as John Hughes meets George Romero, but in reality it is unclassifiable as it veers from tone to tone and genre to genre. It is part horror movie, part coming of age movie, part teen comedy, part romance, and part melodrama. The film also features some gorgeous visual compositions and a catchy soundtrack, but Make-Out with Violence deserves a look mainly due to its sheer inventiveness.

Available at Amazon
Available at iTunes
Available at Vudu

New releases for September 6th

Good Ol’ Freda: As a Liverpudlian teenager, Freda Kelly was asked to work for a local band. While she had faith in the band, she had no idea if they would make it. It turned out that the band was The Beatles. There from the beginning, she worked as the band’s secretary for their entire duration as a band with loyalty and dedication. Now, 50 years later, she tells her story in this documentary from director Ryan White.

Hell Baby: The current spate of possession films (along with the classic ones) get a send up from the creators of Reno 911 in this horror comedy. Rob Corddry and Leslie Bibb play an expectant couple who move into a rundown mansion. In addition to the fact that it is a fixer-upper, the house also is under a demonic curse. Only the Vatican’s elite exorcism team can save them.
Available at Amazon
Available at iTunes
Available at Vudu

Populaire: I know what you are thinking: not another movie about speed typing competitions. In 1958 France, Rose is a 21-year-old woman who longs to break free from her destiny of being a housewife. She gets a job at an insurance agency, but she is horrible at her job except for one thing – she can type at an incredible speed. With the encouragement of her charismatic boss, Rose enters the world of speed typing competitions, heading towards the world championships.

Salinger: Shane Salerno directs this documentary (and co-wrote a biography) about the famously reclusive author J. D. Salinger. When Catcher in the Rye became a sensation, Salinger stopped publishing work and retreated from the public eye, meaning very little is known about his private life. With interviews with colleagues and members of his inner circle, Salinger proves to be the most exhaustive look into the author’s life.

Touchy Feely: The VOD Pick of the Week from August 8th about a massage therapist who develops an aversion to human touch has a theatrical release this weekend.
Available at Amazon
Available at iTunes
Available at Vudu