Mumblecore: American New Wave or cinematic backwash?

The old saw goes: Children should be seen, not heard. Some young filmmakers, apparently, have a similar regard for actors. Thus was born Mumblecore? Well, not exactly, but this American New Wave of cinema isn’t always intelligible. For a better understanding of this movie-making trend and where it might end, Jeannie Yandel invited me to appear on KUOW Presents to discuss Mumblecore and three of its most notable practitioners. However, if you listen closely — and can count! — you’ll realize I’ve only addressed two. Huh?  

Well, it seems that even in radio, a cutting room floor exists. Were you to sweep it, you might find my musings about the unamusing, downright unbearable filmmaker Joe Swanberg. Responsible — though not yet held accountable — for such self-indulgent excretions as KISSING ON THE MOUTH and LOL, Swanberg epitomizes everything wrong with the method. (At Sundance, I flipped him off from my front row seat when he deigned to equate himself to panel-mate Steven Soderbergh and other Oscar®-winning directors.)

Nevertheless, I am thrilled to offer this abridged class in Mumblecore 101.

For advanced students, click here to watch my FILM RAPs with The Duplass Brothers and Lynn Shelton.

For remedial students, watch this great short film buy the Duplass Brothers: THIS IS JOHN