Frownland [trailer]

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Scott Macaulay reminds that Ronnie Bronstein’s Frownland begins a one-week run at the IFC Center in New York this Friday. More than that, he explains why it’s a must see:

If you’re someone who follows and cares about American independent cinema, you’ve noticed that what passes for independent film today is often markedly different from what we thought of as independent film 20 years ago. In films today, scenes have buttons. Second acts have set pieces. Characters are given “petting the dog” moments to make them more likeable. Films are crafted to appeal to quadrants. In other words, many of them are forced by the brutality of the marketplace to assimilate the same storytelling logic as a studio film. More so than just about anything I’ve seen in the last year, Frownland defies all of this.

I wish I was going to be in town this weekend––I’ve only seen a screener of Frownland, and have been trying in vain for a year to see it on a big screen. Alas, I’ll be at SXSW, where Mary Bronstein’s Yeast premieres on Monday. If you’re in New York and not making the trip to Austin, you can buy Frownland tickets here. And if you’re only familiar with Mary and Ronnie’s work in Butterknife, definitely check out the Frownland trailer above.