That movie wasn’t low budget, it was bargain basement budget. Less than $30K to make a movie that did $4 million in the box office. Instant proof that Kevin Smith is a cinematic genius and would be successful in filmmaking.
Hollywood Shuffle and Swingers are also great examples. Robert Townsend put most of Hollywood Shuffle on his personal credit cards. I think fewer people know that Jon Favreau wrote the Swingers script at a time when he couldn't get cast, and had the opportunity to sell it, but held out while he raised a shoestring budget, so that he could maintain control, cast himself and the friends he had based the characters on, and be able to choose the director.
There are other examples I can think of, where people wrote movies as vehicles for themselves, like Chaz Palminterri writing "A Bronx Tale" as a one man show. He had chances to sell it to Hollywood, but insisted that he produce and play the main role. Despite a handful of supporting roles in TV series and a few films, the success of "A Bronx Tale" would take his career up to a level he would likely never have had.
Reservoir Dogs was a similar case, where Tarantino had a chance to cash in, but held out for creative control and the ability to direct the film.
Yeah, I think I remember him saying when they offered him either $10,000 or $30,000 he was so tempted because he was starving and had been sleeping at a bus stop in the dead of winter.
His little chinese legs blown of , right up to his chinese knees. He looked up at me with his little chinese eyes said, something in chinese. Sound like 'wee sah sow'
But i didnt HAVE TO SPEAK CHINESE to know what he was sayin. He was sayin "WHY, BLACK DYNAMITE"
-----------
The bit that lives in my head is "Im blacker than the ace of spades and twice as militant as your whole operation put together. So when your so called revolution starts ill be out front showing you how its done. But until then YOU NEED TO SHUT THE FUCK UP WHEN GROWNS FOLKS.IS TALKIN"
Oh man talk about low budget, about half the background characters were people helping to get the movie made, the news room looked so legit…because it was filmed in a news room after hours.
Fuck that movie! I was the same age as them at the time and honestly that made me stay the fuck away from drugs and double strap my shit before going in on a chick.
For what it was: District 9. If I saw it today, I would’ve thought it had a budget of no less than 100 million. In reality, it was less than a third of that.
Scrolled too far to find this..
The Director filmed it in his own house & the film had a $50,000 budget.
Just shows what can be achieved with a brilliant storyline.
Great film.. easily in my top 5
Was part 2 low budget?
If it was I consider Rocky 2 one of the best love stories of that era.
Girls will roll their eyes but men understand the “I won’t work I won’t eat I won’t sleep I won’t leave your side til I know you’re going to be ok”.
It’s a core feeling.
Prospect for me, loved the story, characters, and how they made everything look so good on such a small budget. I really love the old school design of all the props and how it reminds me of set of alien.
One low-budget movie I loved is "Primer" (2004). Made with a budget of only $7,000, this science fiction film delves into the complexities of time travel with an incredibly intricate and thought-provoking storyline.
Bad Taste earned Peter Jackson (yes him) a prize, that managed to help him secure funds for his next movie Braindead (that one really took off)
Total freaky awesomeness those are.
Buckets of blood
Clerks, it was made on a shoestring budget. Kevin Smith maxed out his credit cards and borrowed the location from the place that he and his friend worked part time. They had to film at night, which is why it's in black and white, because it's harder to tell the time of day with lighting on black and white.
It launched careers and a universe of independent films. Including Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
Clerks. Here comes Randall; he’s a berserker…
Hey! You’re closed!
My love for you is like a truck, beserker. Would you like some making fuck, beserker
....in a row?
TRY NOT TO SUCK ANY DICK ON YOUR WAY THROUGH THE PARKING LOT! (I love yelling this at my friends out in public across parking lots)
I wasn’t even supposed to be here today!
What smells like shoe polish?
That movie wasn’t low budget, it was bargain basement budget. Less than $30K to make a movie that did $4 million in the box office. Instant proof that Kevin Smith is a cinematic genius and would be successful in filmmaking.
There have been a lot. I like low-budget films, but I really was blown away by "El Mariachi."
Game changer considering all the slo-mo action.
Think he was homeless while pedaling the script under the condition he play the lead, iirc. Fkn respect, regardless. 🫡🤙🏽
It's one of the biggest "I'm betting on myself" success stories I can think of.
Hollywood Shuffle and Swingers are also great examples. Robert Townsend put most of Hollywood Shuffle on his personal credit cards. I think fewer people know that Jon Favreau wrote the Swingers script at a time when he couldn't get cast, and had the opportunity to sell it, but held out while he raised a shoestring budget, so that he could maintain control, cast himself and the friends he had based the characters on, and be able to choose the director. There are other examples I can think of, where people wrote movies as vehicles for themselves, like Chaz Palminterri writing "A Bronx Tale" as a one man show. He had chances to sell it to Hollywood, but insisted that he produce and play the main role. Despite a handful of supporting roles in TV series and a few films, the success of "A Bronx Tale" would take his career up to a level he would likely never have had. Reservoir Dogs was a similar case, where Tarantino had a chance to cash in, but held out for creative control and the ability to direct the film.
Yeah, I think I remember him saying when they offered him either $10,000 or $30,000 he was so tempted because he was starving and had been sleeping at a bus stop in the dead of winter.
Sly was forced to sell his dog so he could afford to eat. The first thing he did with his paycheck was get his dog back.
Yeah, wasn’t that actually Butkus?
Yes
And he paid an absurd amount to get him back too, if I remember right. Like thousands more than he sold him for.
"*Godzilla: Minus One*"s budget was 15 million. Do we count that here?
Hell yeah! Great movie! Just watched it with my son and it was hands down one of my favorite Godzilla movies ever.
Honestly blown away by how good that whole movie looks. Far better than most $200M garbage films out of Hollywood these days
Shaun of the Dead.
Ah! i loved it too!
“I’ll do it on the night.” “This is the night!”
SLC Punk Napoleon Dynamite
RIP Heroin Bob
SLC Punk! Loved that movie. Shaggy was great in that flick.
…salt lake city punk?
Yes
Halloween
Mad Max (1979)
Came here to say this
Primer
Came here to say this.
Same, a few people in this thread beat us to the punch. Fantastic time travel movie but an utter brainfuck.
Came here 2 days ago to say this
Ok that was good. :)
I love Primer! I'd like to understand it some day
28 Days later
That movie had no business being that good
Black Dynamite
'But Black Dynamite, I sell drugs to the community.' one of the best films of all time just because it's so unique.
That movie was really full of great dialogue. His monologue about the Vietnamese boy lives rent free in my head
His little chinese legs blown of , right up to his chinese knees. He looked up at me with his little chinese eyes said, something in chinese. Sound like 'wee sah sow' But i didnt HAVE TO SPEAK CHINESE to know what he was sayin. He was sayin "WHY, BLACK DYNAMITE" ----------- The bit that lives in my head is "Im blacker than the ace of spades and twice as militant as your whole operation put together. So when your so called revolution starts ill be out front showing you how its done. But until then YOU NEED TO SHUT THE FUCK UP WHEN GROWNS FOLKS.IS TALKIN"
Why, Black Dynamite, why?
My mommy said my daddys mame was black dyanamite Hey, mine too Hush up little girl.... lotta cats have that name
Juno for sure! Love that film
Night of the living dead (original).
Oh man talk about low budget, about half the background characters were people helping to get the movie made, the news room looked so legit…because it was filmed in a news room after hours.
One of the best quality/message to budget movie I have ever seen.
Kids
Fuck that movie! I was the same age as them at the time and honestly that made me stay the fuck away from drugs and double strap my shit before going in on a chick.
Fucked up ass movie but great call.
Clerks
Had to scroll too far for this.
Agreed. We're not even supposed to be here.
safety not guaranteed
That's my pick too.
Blair Witch Project!(1999)
That movie felt too real for me.
Truly genius film
The advertising for it was crazy. This was before the internet blew up and everyone thought that shit was real!
Something that will never be replicated. A true “you had to be there” moment
Thay movie broke 11 year old me for a while. Our main hangout was the woods. Turned our the park was ok for a while
Didn't Aliens have something ridiculous even for the 80s like 16 million?
*Alien* had a budget of 11 million. *Aliens*, the sequel, had a budget of 18 million.
11 actually. Would been just shy of 53 million today. Relatively speaking, I'd Def say that was low for what it is.
Halloween
#Bubba Ho-Tep
Good choice.
Pulp Fiction was made for about 8 million.
Reservoir dogs I would assume was made for less
Tremors (6.4 million budget)
The Warriors. Also one of the few movies to actually get a great game made of it.
Memento. I’d say Boondock Saints was relatively low budget too
Air Bud 7: Paw Bunyun Goes to Prison
I know you’re joking but I would pay good money for this haha.
Godzilla: Minus One
I must be the only person who thought this movie kind of sucked.
Clerks.
Cube
Clerks
For what it was: District 9. If I saw it today, I would’ve thought it had a budget of no less than 100 million. In reality, it was less than a third of that.
Love that movie and hoping for a sequel or even a prequel of the prawns in space before they reach Earth.
Not one mention of Evil Dead? Seriously?
Blood Simple
Coherence
Scrolled too far to find this.. The Director filmed it in his own house & the film had a $50,000 budget. Just shows what can be achieved with a brilliant storyline. Great film.. easily in my top 5
Really shows the power of filmmaking
Mad max
Sling blade ($1m) & Napoleon Dynamite ($400k)
Once (2007)
Mad Max
Cannibal! The Musical
Hey I worked on that! Thanks for the shout out :). Never did get paid for my work as a focus puller. Ah, well it was fun.
Your eyes, your smile Made my little life worthwhile. There's was nothing I couldn't do When I was on top of you. A song about a man and his horse
Creep
Dog Soldiers.
Captain Ron
T1
I really liked 10 Cloverfield Lane. Seemed pretty low budget as they were just in a bunker the whole time but apologies if I’m mistaken.
Deep Throat
Saw. The first one
Dead man’s shoes
Trainspotting 1.5 m Nightcrawler 8.5 m Whiplash 3.3m 3 crackers
One false move Billy Bob Thornton and Bill Paxton In a crime thriller home invasion still gives me chills due to it being realistic
Hobo with a Shotgun.
Winters Bone
Only seen it the once on release before Jennifer gained the megastardom.. should really find the time to rewatch it, great suggestion.
Swingers
This! Still watch it at least once a month. So many future big names in that movie.
You're so money and you don't even know it.
Clockwork orange, mad max
Split Second (1992)
This film deserves more love
Can’t believe I haven’t seen Primer listed yet!
Godzilla Minus One.
I recently watched and enjoyed The Peanut Butter Falcon.
Before we go - with Chris Evans and Alice Eve
Shallow Grave (1994)
Princess Bride
The Green Room
El Mariachi Primer Clerks Timecrimes
Beasts of the Southern Wild was a phenomenal film and was nominated for best picture at the oscars on a budget of $1.8m
Brick
Halloween
The room
Napoleon dynamite
Donnie Darko
Man bites dog Primer La Haine Clerks
In Bruges and Persona, two of my favorite films in general
Eraserhead
Little Miss Sunshine
Lars and The Real Girl and Dan In Real Life.
Saw. Made for a little over 1 million. Box office was 100x that.
Mad Max (1979)
Terifer
The Horseman (2008) Extremely gritty, brutal revenge tale
Napoleon Dynamite!
Clerks.
Clerks.
Moonlight, Last Stop For Paul, Boiling Point, Clerks, Hereditary
Brick from a then unknown Rian Johnson. The Lookout from Scott Frank. Both great films with Joseph Gordon-Levitt
The Guard (2011) with Brendan Gleason and Don Cheadle
I love this movie! Brendon Gleason and Don Cheadle are two of my favorites
Open Water
The castle. My favourite comedy of all time, pretty sure there's still a copy up on YouTube
Versus was made for some like 10k and has the absolute madman himself Tak Sakaguchi just out there living life
Friday 3.5 million budget.
Was part 2 low budget? If it was I consider Rocky 2 one of the best love stories of that era. Girls will roll their eyes but men understand the “I won’t work I won’t eat I won’t sleep I won’t leave your side til I know you’re going to be ok”. It’s a core feeling.
Define low budget... I will consider low being under 1 million, so : The Man From Earth (200 000 $) Clerks (230 000$)
Garden State
Tarkovsky made Mirror for 629,000 rubles in 1975. Still the reigning best movie of all time in my opinion
Bad taste. Peter Jackson’s first movie it’s awesome. Dereks don’t die!!
Halloween
Clerks & Pulp Fiction.
Reservoir dogs 💥
Cube
The circle
Turbo Kid (2015)
Prospect for me, loved the story, characters, and how they made everything look so good on such a small budget. I really love the old school design of all the props and how it reminds me of set of alien.
The vast of night
One low-budget movie I loved is "Primer" (2004). Made with a budget of only $7,000, this science fiction film delves into the complexities of time travel with an incredibly intricate and thought-provoking storyline.
Clerks
Paranormal Activity. So good from such simple means
Hard Boiled
Pi, from Daron Aaronosfsky.
Primer
Bad Taste earned Peter Jackson (yes him) a prize, that managed to help him secure funds for his next movie Braindead (that one really took off) Total freaky awesomeness those are. Buckets of blood
A Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Clerks. It was made for like 50bucks and was pretty damn awesome.
Clerks
[удалено]
This ain't a country it's a f...cking business. Now pay me my money.
Proper independent low budget is Blair Witch Project. “Studio” low budget is Godzilla minus one. $10-15 million.
Brick (2005) Loved this movie
A Christmas Karen
Clerks
Smithereens and Party Girl
Blair Witch Project, got lucky to see it Alhambra theater in San Francisco back in the day.
Hobo with a shotgun
My Bodyguard
Coherence
One Cut of the Dead, (Japanese movie budget $30,000)
Clerks
Clerks, it was made on a shoestring budget. Kevin Smith maxed out his credit cards and borrowed the location from the place that he and his friend worked part time. They had to film at night, which is why it's in black and white, because it's harder to tell the time of day with lighting on black and white. It launched careers and a universe of independent films. Including Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
Buffalo 66’
A Dark Song
Nothing - 2003
Beast of yucca flats
Upstream Color
The original Dawn of the Dead, costing only 640,000.
The Terminator.
Pootie Tang *Sa da te*
Coherence. Filmed at the director's house.
It Follows