Mumblecore Explained

Mumblecore
Yearsactive:2002–present
Country:United States

Mumblecore is a subgenre of independent film[1] [2] characterized by naturalistic acting and (sometimes improvised) dialogue, low budgets, an emphasis on dialogue over plot, and a focus on the personal relationships of young adults. Filmmakers associated with the genre include Andrew Bujalski, Lynn Shelton, the Duplass brothers Mark and Jay, Greta Gerwig, Aaron Katz, Joe Swanberg,[1] [3] [4] and Ry Russo-Young. In many cases, though, these directors reject the term.The genre is a mostly American phenomenon.[5] The related term mumblegore has been used for films mixing the mumblecore and horror genres.[6]

Distinguishing characteristics

Naturalism – both in performance and dialogue – is a key feature of almost all mumblecore films.[2] Early mumblecore films tended to feature non-professional actors;[2] however, later films have had more professional actors, including major stars such as Anna Kendrick (Drinking Buddies and Happy Christmas) and Orlando Bloom (Digging for Fire). Some mumblecore films feature a prominent use of improvisation,[2] with the cast sharing script credits, though some, like Andrew Bujalski's films, are mostly scripted.[7]

Mumblecore films are generally produced with a low budget, which has ranged from several thousand to several million dollars as well as low production values. Filming is done in real places, as opposed to studio sets or sound stages. Many of these films are shot digitally, although Bujalski's films have all been shot on film.[8] Soundtracks tend to be limited, or nonexistent.

Mumblecore films tend to revolve around characters in their twenties and early thirties who are usually single, white, and fairly aimless in both their professional and personal lives.[9] Plots are often concerned with difficulties in romantic relationships, exacerbated by the characters' inability to articulate their own desires.

Influences on mumblecore

Films that have been described as influencing, or at least anticipating, the conventions of mumblecore include Girlfriends (1978), Manhattan (1979), My Dinner with Andre (1981),[10] Stranger Than Paradise (1984), Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989),[11] Slacker (1991), Clerks (1994), Go Fish (1994) and Before Sunrise (1995).[12] [13] Directors cited as influences include Michelangelo Antonioni, Eric Rohmer,[14] Andrei Tarkovsky, Gus Van Sant, Richard Linklater, and John Cassavetes.[15]

Reality television, including what one critic called "the spring-break psychodrama of MTV's The Real World, has also been called an influence on mumblecore,[16] as has the 2001 BBC reality-TV-style mockumentary series The Office.

Another often-cited influence on mumblecore is the profusion of cheaper filmmaking technology starting in the early 2000s, such as the Panasonic AG-DVX100 video camera, and desktop video editing software such as Final Cut Pro.[17]

History

Bujalski has been described as the "Godfather of Mumblecore".[18] His 2002 directorial debut, Funny Ha Ha, is generally considered to be the first mumblecore film.[19]

The 2005 South by Southwest Film Festival screened a number of other films that came to be considered part of the mumblecore movement, including Bujalski's second film, Mutual Appreciation; The Puffy Chair, by Mark Duplass & Jay Duplass; and Kissing on the Mouth, by Joe Swanberg.[2] [18] [20] [21] That festival was also the origin of the term "mumblecore": Eric Masunaga, a sound editor who has worked with Bujalski, coined the term one night at a bar during the festival, when asked to describe the similarities between those three films. The term was first used publicly by Bujalski in an interview with IndieWire.[2] Bujalski has downplayed the existence of an organized "movement", however, and stated that he does not intentionally make "mumblecore" films.[22]

Film journalists have also referred to the genre collectively with the terms "bedhead cinema" and "Slackavetes" (a portmanteau derived from the title of Richard Linklater's dialogue-heavy, lo-fi 1990s film Slacker,[2] and the name of independent film director John Cassavetes).

In 2007, the IFC Center in New York City exhibited a ten-film series of mumblecore films, titled "The New Talkies: Generation D.I.Y."[2] The films shown were: Hannah Takes the Stairs, Funny Ha Ha, Kissing on the Mouth, The Puffy Chair, Dance Party USA, Quiet City, Hohokam, Team Picture, Mutual Appreciation, LOL, and Quietly On By, as well as the first season of Joe Swanberg and Kris Williams' web series Young American Bodies and a collection of short films dubbed "Mumbleshorts."

Legacy

Some critics have stated that mumblecore ended around 2010, as the original crop of directors began making films with larger budgets, more diverse storylines, and a more conventional cinematic approach.[23] [24] For this reason, films made since 2010 or so that retain an emphasis on naturalistic dialogue and plot are sometimes referred to as "post-mumblecore". Filmmakers who have been labelled as "post-mumblecore" include Amy Seimetz, Sean Price Williams, Alex Karpovsky, Alex Ross Perry and Kate Lyn Sheil.[25]

Influences on other genres

The big-budget films Magic Mike (2012)[26] and its sequel Magic Mike XXL (2015)[27] have been described as having mumblecore elements due to their use of naturalistic dialogue. Some TV series, including the HBO series Girls (2012), Looking (2014) and Togetherness (2015), and the Netflix series Easy (2017) have been called mumblecore-inspired, or, in the words of one critic, "mumbleshows".

Horror films using mumblecore techniques have resulted in the term "mumblegore."[6] Films that have been described as "mumblegore" include Baghead (2008), The House of the Devil (2009), Entrance (2011), You're Next (2011), V/H/S (2012), The Sacrament (2013), and Creep (2014).[28] [29] Directors associated with mumblegore cinema include Swanberg and Duplass, as well as Adam Wingard, Roxanne Benjamin, Ben Wheatley, the trio Radio Silence, Patrick Brice, Patrick Horvath, and Ti West.

A review of the independent quasi-documentary Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets, in which actors were served real alcohol and filmed interacting in improvised scenes in a recreated dive bar, noted that "the film may be the first-ever in a new 'stumblecore' genre, a risky fusion of indie-mumblecore and on-camera drunkenness."[30]

Outside the United States

Mumblecore has not always been a strictly American phenomenon. Since about 2009, the Berlin Mumblecore movement has had its own manifesto, Sehr gutes Manifest. Berlin Mumblecore is not a reaction to the American hype so much as it is a reaction to the lack of reform in the German public financial support system for the film industry (Filmfoerderung). Crowdfunding is a new possibility to finance movie productions with small and very small budgets independently from restrictions of the German Filmfoerderung.[31]

In 2009, Jette Miller's Austern ohne Schale was screened in Berlin. In 2011, the movies Frontalwatte by Jakob Lass and Papa Gold by Tom Lass were released. The latter won several German film awards. 2012 saw the release of Klappe Cowboy by Timo Jacobs and Ulf Behrens, as well as the award-winning by Axel Ranisch.[32] In 2015, Malte Wirtz Voll Paula! had its theatrical release, having also been produced without film funding.[33] Since then he produced three more Mumblecore Films (Hard & Ugly, Only one day in Berlin, About Rita!) and the media called him one of the most active German directors.[34]

Filmography

List of mumblecore films and television series

List of mumblegore films

External links

Notes and References

  1. Hoberman, J. (August 14, 2007). "It's Mumblecore!". The Village Voice. Retrieved on July 27, 2008.
  2. Lim, Dennis (August 19, 2007). Mumblecore – The New Talkies: Generation DIY. The New York Times. Retrieved on July 27, 2008.
  3. Hubert, Andrea (May 19, 2007). "Andrea Hubert on the latest fad to hit the US indie film scene". The Guardian. Retrieved on July 27, 2008.
  4. Harring, Michael (Sep 29, 2009). "Local Sightings Film Festival: An I-5 Road Trip and Other New Movies Debut ". The Seattle Weekly. Retrieved on Oct 7, 2009.
  5. Web site: Where to begin with mumblecore. British Film Institute. 10 August 2015 . en. 2020-03-08.
  6. Web site: [Defining Mumblegore] Low Budget Found Footage Film CREEP Exemplifies a Lo-Fi Genre]. 2019-06-24. Nightmare on Film Street. en-US. 2019-07-26.
  7. https://www.indiewire.com/article/cinemadaily_bujalskis_beeswax_makes_people_say_mumblecore/ Bujalski's Beeswax Makes People Say Mumblecore, indieWire
  8. Middlegame: An Interview with Andrew Bujalski . Phil . Coldiron . 54 . Cinema Scope . 21 March 2013 . June 18, 2015.
  9. Web site: Shows about nothing: Togetherness and HBO's Sunday night mumblecore block . Emily . Yoshida . The Verge . January 12, 2015.
  10. News: Rudi . Mariella . 'My Dinner With André' at 40: Still Serving Hot Takes . The New York Times . 11 October 2021 . 19 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211023210524/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/11/movies/my-dinner-with-andre-anniversary.html . 23 October 2021 . It became a blueprint for intimate, meandering movies like Richard Linklater’s “Before” trilogy; the navel-gazing mumblecore genre; and semi-autobiographical shows from “Curb Your Enthusiasm” to “Ramy.”.
  11. Web site: sex, lies and videotape at 30: how Steven Soderbergh changed independent cinema. August 19, 2019. the Guardian.
  12. Mumblecore: All Talk? . Film Comment . Amy . Taubin . November–December 2007.
  13. Movie movements that defined cinema: Mumblecore . Empire Online . August 8, 2016.
  14. Web site: 20 Great Mumblecore Movies Every Indie Lover Should See. Edwanike. Harbour. 3 August 2015 .
  15. Web site: Alicia Van Couvering on the "Mumblecore" Movement - Filmmaker Magazine - Spring 2007. www.filmmakermagazine.com.
  16. News: Reality Never Looked So ... Real . Steve . Dollar . . August 17, 2007 . February 26, 2016 . May 3, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080503090634/http://www2.nysun.com/article/60745 . dead .
  17. Accidental Cinema and the YouTube Sublime: An Interview with Joe Swanberg . June 2011 . Brigitta . Wagner . Senses of Cinema.
  18. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/mumblecore--a-genre-worth-shouting-about-1939531.html A Genre Worth Shouting About, The Independent
  19. https://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/cinema/2009/03/16/090316crci_cinema_denby Youth Quake: Mumblecore Movies, New Yorker
  20. https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2010/jan/29/cyrus-mumblecore-sundance Mumblecore meets the mainstream in Cyrus at Sundance, Guardian
  21. https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117981680?refCatId=2500 Mumblecore Goes Mainstream, Variety
  22. News: Mumblecore: 'It was never a unified movement. There was no manifesto'. Gilbey. Ryan. The Guardian. 2013-11-07. 2013-11-14.
  23. News: Everything You Need To Know About Mumblecore Filmmakers Today . Indiewire . July 25, 2013 . Vadim . Rizov.
  24. http://www.dailyfilmdose.com/2010/08/movie-that-killed-mumblecore.html Daily Film Dose: Alexander The Last, The Movie That Killed Mumblecore
  25. 92YTRIBECA'S POST-MUMBLECORE LA DI DA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCED . Nick . Dawson . July 23, 2012 . Filmmaker Magazine.
  26. Web site: ELLE Film Club: Magic Mike . Laura . Davies . ElleUK.com . July 17, 2012.
  27. News: Channing Tatum Slips Into His Sweaty Thong Once More, But the Thrill Is Gone . Rex . Reed . Observer . July 8, 2015.
  28. News: Mumblegore. Nicholson. Amy. Los Angeles Weekly. 2013-11-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20140901063159/http://features.laweekly.com/mumblegore/. 2014-09-01. dead.
  29. 'You're Next': How a group of indie filmmakers produced one of 2013's most terrifying movies. Collis. Clark. Entertainment Weekly. 2013-09-17. 2013-11-14.
  30. News: Film Review: Last Call for Lost Souls — "Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets" . Ezra Haber . Glenn . The Arts Fuse . December 10, 2020. December 10, 2020.
  31. Web site: Acthung Berlin 2012 wrapup: The talks. Berlin Film Central. Berlin News and Indie Film Making in Berlin. 2012-04-24, retrieved in December 2012. Berlin Film Central. 2014-11-24. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141218101945/http://berlinfilmcentral.com/acthung-berlin-2012-wrapup-the-talks/. 2014-12-18.
  32. http://berliner-filmfestivals.de/2012/04/berlin-mumblecore-–-neues-deutsches-independent-kino-aus-berlin Denis Demmerle: Eine neue Schule. In: Berliner Filmfestivals. 2012-04-28
  33. Web site: Das unabhängige Filmemachen. 2017-11-08.
  34. Web site: Programmkino, Filme, Kritiken, Kunstkino, Arthouse-Kino, AG Kino-Gilde. www.programmkino.de.
  35. Web site: 'Hannah Takes the Stairs' and the Coalescence of Mumblecore. 2017-08-22. The Film Stage. 2019-06-15.
  36. Web site: What Was Mumblecore? Part 4: FROWNLAND | The-Solute .
  37. Herrington, Chris (March 6, 2008). "Mumblecore": A new new-wave showcase at the Brooks . Memphis Flyer. Retrieved on August 20, 2008.
  38. Dollar, Steve (July 25, 2008). "Mumblecore Meets Grindhouse in 'Baghead'". The New York Sun. Retrieved on July 27, 2008.
  39. Pais, Matt (July 31, 2008). Search of a Midnight Kiss' review. Metromix. Retrieved on August 20, 2008.
  40. Burr, Ty (May 23, 2008). "It's their scene at Cannes – The Boston Globe". Boston.com. Retrieved on August 21, 2008.
  41. "What I Meant To Say". Filmmaker Magazine. Summer 2008. Retrieved on August 20, 2008.
  42. Web site: REVIEW: Greta Gerwig Is a Mumblecore Prop in "Arthur" . April 8, 2011 . Eric . Kohn . Indiewire . June 18, 2015.
  43. Web site: Bocados de realidad en primera instancia . October 30, 2012 . Marc . Muñoz . El Destilador Cultural . April 8, 2016.
  44. https://movies.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/movies/30mela.html A Short-Term Affair Leads to Big Questions, New York Times
  45. Magnolia gets Shelton's 'Humpday' . . Michael . Jones . January 20, 2009 . January 19, 2009.
  46. Web site: Beeswax Movie Reviews, Pictures – Rotten Tomatoes. 7 August 2009. Rottentomatoes.com. 24 November 2014.
  47. Web site: Daddy Longlegs . Chris . Cabin . May 13, 2010 . Filmcritic.com . June 18, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100516021233/http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/2009/daddy-longlegs/ . May 16, 2010 . dead.
  48. Review: 'Sorry, Thanks'. Harvey. Dennis. Variety. 2009-10-19. 2013-11-14.
  49. Web site: Review: "The Exploding Girl" . March 18, 2010 . From the Front Row . Matthew . Lucas . November 16, 2013.
  50. News: 'Breaking Upwards' . . April 9, 2010 . Betsy . Sharkey . November 16, 2013.
  51. Web site: 8 Mumblecore Films to Scratch Your Rom-Com Itch. Vulture. 19 August 2013 .
  52. Web site: Sundance Review: The Freebie . Film School Rejects . 29 June 2024 . January 27, 2010.
  53. Web site: Short takes: 'Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench,' 'Jews and Baseball,' 'Outside the Law' . Nydailynews.com . November 5, 2010 . 2011-02-23.
  54. Web site: Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench | Film Review . Slant Magazine . October 31, 2010 . Nick . Schager . 2011-02-23.
  55. Web site: Traverse City Film Festival: Tiny Furniture Sweet Talks Traverse City. Piotrowski. Angeline. July 29, 2010. MyNorth. 3 January 2012.
  56. Web site: .: FESTIVALES de Buenos Aires :.. Bafici.gov.ar. 24 November 2014.
  57. Web site: Overlook (2010). YouTube. 2017-01-13.
  58. Too Cool. 7 February 2011. The New Yorker. 24 November 2014.
  59. Web site: [Interview] 'Entrance' Directors Dallas Richard Hallam And Patrick Horvath On Budget, Slashers And Shooting Los Angeles]. Dickson. Evan. DreadCentral. 2012-05-17. 2013-11-12.
  60. Web site: MDMAFILMS. October 17, 2021.
  61. Web site: Indie Spotlight . Daily Dead . September 21, 2014 . Tamika . Jones . March 4, 2015.
  62. Web site: The Color Wheel: Film Review . . November 5, 2011 . Sheri . Linden . November 16, 2013.
  63. Web site: Conversations with Frances Ha: The Intersection Between Sally Rooney's Millennial Fiction and Greta Gerwig's Mumblecore Classic. October 26, 2019.
  64. Web site: Nobody Walks . . Nathan . Rabin . October 18, 2012 . November 16, 2013.
  65. Web site: Sun Don't Shine: Mumblecore With a Gun. Stewart. Henry. L Magazine. 2012-09-12. 2013-11-14.
  66. A GLANCE AT NEWFEST 2012. Osenlund. R. Kurt. Filmmaker Magazine. 2012-07-28. 2013-11-14.
  67. Demon Slayer (Film Review of Ivy League Exorcist: The Bobby Jindal Story). von Busack. Richard. Metro Silicon Valley. 2012-08-01. 2013-11-14.
  68. Drinking Buddies. Kelly. Stephen. Total Film. 2013-10-28. 2013-11-14.
  69. Schmader, David (May 1, 2013). "Festive: Seattle True Independent Film Festival 2013". The Stranger. Retrieved on May 1, 2013.
  70. Swim Little Fish Swim . . Vincent . Ostria . June 3, 2014 . June 3, 2014.
  71. News: High Holidays: 'Happy Christmas' Is a Mumblecore Mess That Tanks in Desperation . Rex . Reed . July 30, 2014 . . June 18, 2015.
  72. Web site: Sulemani Keeda. www.imdb.com.
  73. Web site: Mumblecore Master Joe Swanberg Sets Star-Studded Comedic Anthology Series at Netflix. The Hollywood Reporter. 14 March 2016 . 2019-06-15.
  74. Web site: En attendant Violette. www.allocine.fr.
  75. Web site: Friends, Foes & Fireworks Film Details. IMDB.
  76. Web site: Importance (of us) - Official Trailer (2018). https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/xH3HWVjgPXI . 2021-12-21 . live. September 29, 2017. YouTube.
  77. Web site: Only One Day in Berlin. mubi.com.
  78. Web site: The Christmas Ride (2020) .
  79. News: Freshman Year review – mortifying mumblecore look at a student hookup. The Guardian. 30 September 2021 . Bradshaw . Peter .
  80. Web site: Cinedigm Acquires Microbudget Feature 'Yelling Fire in an Empty Theater' for Streaming on Fandor (EXCLUSIVE) . 18 January 2023 .
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  82. Web site: Parsons. Spencer. Mumblecore and Murder. Austin Chronicle. 29 February 2016.
  83. Web site: 11 Mumblegore Movies You Need To See. Westword.com. 18 January 2016.
  84. Web site: Trujillo. Eduardo. 10 Great Mumblegore Movies That Horror Fans Will Enjoy Watching. Taste of Cinema. 7 June 2015 . 29 February 2016.
  85. Web site: Armstrong. Olivia. Decider Essentials: Top 10 Mumblecore Films to Stream. Decider.com. 2 July 2014 . 17 January 2016.
  86. Web site: Jaime M.. Christley. Kill List. Slant. 31 January 2012 . Slant Magazine.
  87. Web site: Roffman. Michael. The State of Horror Films in 2014: A Roundtable Discussion. Consequence of Sound. 18 September 2014 . 29 February 2016.
  88. Web site: Faraci. Devin. Movie Review: ENTRANCE Is The Worst Kind Of Mumblegore Tedium. Birth.Movies.Death. 29 February 2016.
  89. Web site: Fonte. Bears. HONEYMOON: Leigh Janiak's trip into Male-Dominated Cabin-In-The-Woods Territory. AM-FM. 29 February 2016.
  90. News: BAG BOY LOVER BOY (2014). CULTURE CRYPT. 2018-11-22. en-US.
  91. Web site: Shudder Exclusive: We Go On Review - Arty Horror. www.cgmagonline.com. 22 February 2017 . en-CA. 2018-11-22.
  92. News: The Alchemist Cookbook Blends Mumblecore with Horror. The Stranger. 2018-11-22. en.
  93. News: 'ANOTHER EVIL' (2017) Review Silver Screen Riot. 2017-05-02. Silver Screen Riot. 2018-11-29. en-US.
  94. News: Das Böse im Wald.

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