What is a Feelm?

The term Feelm was coined by my friend, Kevin. He commented that the movies Mark (another strange friend of mine) and I watched weren’t movies, they were Feelms (spoken in his incredibly terrible French accent!). The term stuck and we now use the term Feelm to describe any movie that doesn’t quite fit the Hollywood mold. Feelms typically aren’t Hollywood blockbuster movies, but there are exceptions. Two that come to mind are Pulp Fiction and The Matrix. Most of the Feelms you will see discussed on this site are of the independent nature like Donnie Darko and Memento.

We took Feelmdom to its next logical step by using an “e” rating system. The more “e”s when describing a Feelm the more Feelmier it is. For example the movie Station Agent qualifies as Feelm due to its cool storyline and independent feel, but the Korean movie Oldboy is a Feeeeelm because it is not only a great movie, but it is way out there with its incredible cinematography and bizarre storyline! Another great example of a Feeeeelm is Intacto!

Another litmus test if a movie is a Feelm or not is I will typically use this phrase when describing a Feelm to someone that likes a more normal diet of movies, “I really liked it, but I can’t recommend it because most people probably wouldn’t like it.”

My Disclaimer: Some of these movies really push the envelope and deal with topics that are inappropriate for children or for people who don’t want their buttons pushed. I was going to say people who are easily offended, but even people that aren’t easily offended may find topics that make them squirm. In other words, if you need to go see a shrink after watching some of these movies, don’t say you weren’t warned!