Live Poll: Micro-Budget Movies That Paid Off Big

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Personally I think you should remove titles that had additional funding that puts them above the budget threshold you set.

FYC:
Swimming to Cambodia - Budget $15,000, Box Office $1,000,000
Stranger Than Paradise - Budget $90,000, Box Office $2,400,000
The Endless Summer - Budget $50,000, Box Office $20,000,000
Breathless - Budget $82,000, Box Office $20,000,000
Mad Max - Budget $200,000, Box Office $100,000,000
Lucia - Budget $78,000, Box Office $480,000
Bad Taste - Budget $30,000, Box Office $150,000

FYC I based my decision to include them on primarily two points.

1)  These movies are being shown as a complete films at festivals and wowing audiences at the initial lower budgets. Distributors/Studios that have bought the rights to these completed films and now own them, as such it is their decision to add post-production polish to the film, rather than the film-makers before the film receives a major limited or wide release. Many times it has nothing to do with the end-product (ie converting from 16mm film stock Nolan's The Following that doubled its budget). I chose to use the number that was reflective of the film-makers initial vision and work.

2) I think verifying budgets is a tricky business in the film industry; it is hard enough to get a number you can believe on any film. I often see different reported budgets for the same film. (ie  I used a Mad Max Budget: $300,000 rather than $200,000 you found and placed it in the Low Budget poll). I try to pick the most credible number in these cases. I suspect some the other films may have had post-production work, but it was either not reported or shifted to the marketing budget due the PR value of an underdog story. I think posting the initial budget is the fairest way to put these films on a level playing field, with a note of verified additional work on the completed film in the interest of full disclosure. Likewise, box office can be suspect too especially on older films and pre-internet box office reporting.

Bottom-line, It is not a black-white issue. I tried to avoid the more suspect options and make the best of the imperfect data available often erring on the side of caution, while accounting for any systematic biases.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

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Another Earth (2011)

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Another Earth

Typo: less.than

I like the idea a lot. I'll have to deliberate on my vote.

'Requested edits below in bold:

Micro-budgeted movies are made with a production budget of less than $400,000 US Dollars. These shoestring budgeted movies are often made by aspiring writers, directors and actors. Some are early projects by big budget blockbuster directors and actors before they became stars. Regardless, these micro budget films struck a chord with the moviegoers, showcased incredible talent and became huge box office smashes or found other post-box office success as rental, video sales or streaming hits.

(For verb agreement because "became" in that sentence is past-tense.)

Live poll
http://www.imdb.com/poll/3ItQTG9qxnU/

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Added answer option #32  Dolemite (1975), the micro-budget movie that was the basis for 2020 potential Oscar-nominated Dolemite Is My Name (2019) to answer pool.

Dolemite 1975 | Movie 5.8 (3,967)
Actors: Rudy Ray Moore, D'Urville Martin
Budget: $100,000
Box Office: $12,000,000
Profit %: 11,900%

I just learned what "stan" means. I'm a Stan for my cousin Jessie Pinnick's movie, "Princess Cyd." (streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and The Criterion Channel)

Stephen Cone, Director/Writer, made this Indie masterpiece with 180k in 18 days.......unheard of!

https://filmmakermagazine.com/103275-the-velocity-of-money/?fbclid=IwAR0vmv5ARZTAKNiqMwIrjaTsv9EApiF...

As a now retired episodic TV Assistant Director and a still-working location scout/location manager in Hollywood, I'm more than amazed at how good this movie is, despite my family connection!  It's hard to make something remarkable in a movie. Princess Cyd is remarkable.
You can download a complete aggregation of Reviews, Interviews, Articles and Pictures about Princess Cyd here (large pdf - have patience).
Https://mendel.locations.org/princesscyd
(This is a safe download - Via my personal location manager website)
("STAN" :is slang for someone who is a very zealous fan, especially of a celebrity or music group. Stan can also be a verb for liking something a great deal.

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