A cultural landmark since 1926, known for its mix of English and Spanish-language independent features. Nickelodeon Theater Movie theater Columbia, SC
Giving a platform to those who are just starting to make their mark. A cultural landmark since 1926, known for its
| Section | Content | |---------|---------| | This Month’s Scene | 3 indie films playing in Southern theaters right now | | The Kudzu Report | One overlooked film from 1990–2010 | | Concession Stand Review | Rating the popcorn, beer, or merch of a local indie cinema | | Filmmaker Spotlight | Q&A with a director from Mississippi, Alabama, etc. | | Grade Archive | All reviewed films sorted by grade (A to F) | | | Grade Archive | All reviewed films
Hollywood loves glamour. Southern indie cinema loves the pawn shop. High-grade southern films do not shy away from the economic realities of the post-industrial South: abandoned textile mills, dying strip malls, and the resilience of working-class families. A movie review that focuses on "grade" will scrutinize whether the film uses poverty as aesthetic or as actual narrative weight. A movie review that focuses on "grade" will
) : Solid, high-quality efforts that are worth seeing but may not be considered "essential" or seminal.
Elias sat in the back row, his boots resting on the headrest of a seat that had been broken since the nineties. He was the Grade Scene’s lead critic, a man whose blog was whispered about in film schools from Austin to Atlanta. He didn’t care about "The Industry." He cared about the 16mm grain and the way a Foley artist captured the sound of a breaking heart.