History Film / TheIndependent

Creator/JaneaneGarofalo appears as Morty's long-suffering manager/daughter. Jerry's real-life son, Creator/BenStiller, briefly appears in a fake clip from one of Morty's movies. Real life independent filmmakers like Ted Demme, Creator/PeterBogdanovich, [[Film/BlackCaesar Fred Williamson]], Creator/NickCassavetes and even Creator/RogerCorman (a subject of parody in the film's main character) appear as themselves. B-movie actress Creator/JulieStrain, and comedians Creator/AndyDick and Creator/BrianPosehn also have appearances in the film.

Creator/JaneaneGarofalo appears as Morty's long-suffering manager/daughter. Jerry's real-life son, Creator/BenStiller, briefly appears in a fake clip from one of Morty's movies. Real life independent filmmakers like Ted Demme, Peter Bogdanovich, [[Film/BlackCaesar Fred Williamson]], Nick Cassavetes and even Creator/RogerCorman (a subject of parody in the film's main character) appear as themselves. B-movie actress Creator/JulieStrain, and comedians Andy Dick and Creator/BrianPosehn also have appearances in the film.

Creator/JaneaneGarofalo appears as Morty's long-suffering manager/daughter. Jerry's real-life son, Creator/BenStiller, briefly appears in a fake clip from one of Morty's movies. Real life independent filmmakers like Ted Demme, Peter Bogdanovich, [[Film/BlackCaesar Fred Williamson]], Nick Cassavetes and even Creator/RogerCorman (a subject of parody in the film's main character) appear as themselves. B-movie actress Julie Strain, and comedians Andy Dick and Creator/BrianPosehn also have appearances in the film.

''The Independent'' parodies real-life directors of mostly gimmicky and schlocky films, like Creator/RogerCorman and Creator/WilliamCastle, and a variety of different ExploitationFilm genres, and a very specific parody of both ''Billy Jack'' and ''Film/HeavensGate''.

* DownerEnding: Morty's big budget, ''Billy Jack''-esque flop has this: It's a historical epic which ends with the main character finding himself in modern day New York City for some reason, [[spoiler:and, horrified by the modern architecture replacing what he saw as a noble land, [[DrivenToSuicide commits suicide]].]] It's not explained how the character got to a modern time period within the context of the clip, and considering how little competence Morty often displays as a filmmaker, and his pretense of it being [[FauxSymbolism an artistic statement with a lot of meaning]], it probably wouldn't have been explained too well if this were an actual film.

A mockumentary starring Jerry Stiller as Morty Fineman, a independent filmmaker who once had a long running streak of success in making [[ExploitationFilm Exploitation Movies]] (427 of 'em, in fact), but has since fallen on hard times. The film focuses on Fineman's attempts to make a comeback by seeking out the rights to make a biography of a notorious serial killer. This is actually a pretense to seek funding to complete another movie, ''Mrs. Kavorkian''. Things don't go over so well when the serial killer insists that his biography be told as a musical.

!''The Independent'' provides examples of the following tropes:

* ChessWithDeath: One of Morty's earliest films is an army training film about VD, done in the style of ''TheSeventhSeal''. This very event happens in the movie.

''The Independent'' parodies real-life directors of mostly gimmicky and schlocky films, like Creator/RogerCorman and William Castle, and a variety of different ExploitationFilm genres, and a very specific parody of both ''Billy Jack'' and ''Film/HeavensGate''.

* ExecutiveMeddling: Many of Morty's films were subject to this.

* RecycledScript: Morty would often remake the same movie several times in a row, as seen in a montage of ''the exact same scene'' - same actors,same lines, even the same music score - with only minor changes to the set and costumes.

* NumberedSequels: Morty makes a movie awkwardly titled ''World War III II''. He also claims to have invented the Roman numerals sequel thing, and that the producers of ''TheGodfatherPartIII'' and ''[[Film/FridayThe13thPartVIITheNewBlood Friday the 13th Part VII]]'' stole this idea from him.

* ShooTheDog: Parodied in a scene from Morty's movie ''Whale of a Cop''. The in-universe story goes that the movie was scripted as a ''Free Willy'' rip-off, but the producers wanted the whale to be changed to a cop, so we see a scene from the movie where a kid has to let the title character (played by Creator/BenStiller) go "to be with the other cops". The cop is acting like a whale for much of the scene, then stands up and begins exhibiting human behavior...up until the point where he spits water like ''{{Flipper}}''.

Creator/JaneaneGarofalo appears as Morty's long-suffering manager/daughter. Jerry's real-life son, Creator/BenStiller, briefly appears in a fake clip from one of Morty's movies. Real life independent filmmakers like Ted Demme, Peter Bogdanovich, [[BlackCaesar Fred Williamson]], Nick Cassavetes and even Creator/RogerCorman (a subject of parody in the film's main character) appear as themselves. B-movie actress Julie Strain, and comedians Andy Dick and Creator/BrianPosehn also have appearances in the film.

''The Independent'' parodies real-life directors of mostly gimmicky and schlocky films, like RogerCorman and William Castle, and a variety of different ExploitationFilm genres, and a very specific parody of both ''Billy Jack'' and ''Film/HeavensGate''.

Creator/JaneaneGarofalo appears as Morty's long-suffering manager/daughter. Jerry's real-life son, BenStiller, briefly appears in a fake clip from one of Morty's movies. Real life independent filmmakers like Ted Demme, Peter Bogdanovich, [[BlackCaesar Fred Williamson]], Nick Cassavetes and even Creator/RogerCorman (a subject of parody in the film's main character) appear as themselves. B-movie actress Julie Strain, and comedians Andy Dick and Creator/BrianPosehn also have appearances in the film.

* ShooTheDog: Parodied in a scene from Morty's movie ''Whale of a Cop''. The in-universe story goes that the movie was scripted as a ''Free Willy'' rip-off, but the producers wanted the whale to be changed to a cop, so we see a scene from the movie where a kid has to let the title character (played by BenStiller) go "to be with the other cops". The cop is acting like a whale for much of the scene, then stands up and begins exhibiting human behavior...up until the point where he spits water like ''{{Flipper}}''.

* RefugeInAudacity: A lot of Morty's movies.

Creator/JaneaneGarofalo appears as Morty's long-suffering manager/daughter. Jerry's real-life son, BenStiller, briefly appears in a fake clip from one of Morty's movies. Real life independent filmmakers like Ted Demme, Peter Bogdanovich, [[BlackCaesar Fred Williamson]], Nick Cassavetes and even RogerCorman (a subject of parody in the film's main character) appear as themselves. B-movie actress Julie Strain, and comedians Andy Dick and BrianPosehn also have appearances in the film.

* FauxSymbolism: Often exhibited in Morty's movies.

* NumberedSequels: Morty makes a movie awkwardly titled ''World War III II''. He also claims to have invented the Roman numerals sequel thing, and that the producers of ''Film/TheGodfather Part III'' and ''Film/FridayThe13th Part VII'' stole this idea from him.

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: Morty's psychedelic '60s hippie flicks.

''The Independent'' parodies real-life directors of mostly gimmicky and schlocky films, like RogerCorman and William Castle, and a variety of different ExploitationFilm genres, and a very specific parody of both ''Billy Jack'' and ''[[Film/HeavensGate Heaven's Gate]]''.

JaneaneGarofalo appears as Morty's long-suffering manager/daughter. Jerry's real-life son, BenStiller, briefly appears in a fake clip from one of Morty's movies. Real life independent filmmakers like Ted Demme, Peter Bogdanovich, [[BlackCaesar Fred Williamson]], Nick Cassavetes and even RogerCorman (a subject of parody in the film's main character) appear as themselves. B-movie actress Julie Strain, and comedians Andy Dick and BrianPosehn also have appearances in the film.

* {{Sequel}}: Morty makes a movie awkwardly titled ''World War III II''. He also claims to have invented the Roman numerals sequel thing, and that the producers of ''Film/TheGodfather Part III'' and ''Film/FridayThe13th Part VII'' stole this idea from him.

* {{Blaxploitation}}: Morty makes one, called ''[[FoxyBrown Foxy Chocolate Brown]]''.

* ShoutOut: A poster for [[{{Troma}} Lloyd Kaufman]]'s ''Stuck on You!'' appears prominently in this film, noteworthy for being one of the only real Exploitation Movies referenced within the context of this mockumentary about the genre.