Plenty of big-budget Hollywood movies have been shot here in New Mexico ( Transformers, Terminator Salvation ), but we’ve also got our own homegrown film industry filled with talented writers, directors and actors. Here’s just a sample of some of the local indie efforts available on DVD.
American Meth
Occasional New Mexican Val Kilmer narrates this evenhanded look at methamphetamine addiction from filmmaker Justin Hunt, who worked as a broadcast journalist in Farmington, Roswell, Las Cruces and Albuquerque.
American Waitress: New Mexico
This working-class documentary examines the lives, attitudes and experiences of several colorful waitresses in Santa Fe and Albuquerque.
Army Of The Dead
Albuquerque stage and screen regulars Ross Kelly and Miguel Martinez are among the cast of this effects-driven horror film, which finds a university professor and his students battling the animated skeletons of ancient conquistadors.
Chicks, Man
Dating all the way back to 1999, this Albuquerque-lensed romcom from writer/director Jeremy Wagener is one of the earliest local indies out there. Unfortunately, the DVD is out-of-print; but diligent completists should be able to hunt up a used copy.
The Donor Conspiracy
Hey, look, it’s Ross Kelly and Miguel Martinez again! This time, they’re paired in a bloody comedy about some med-school students who stumble across a kidney-harvesting operation in their apartment complex.
Gimme Skelter
What if Charles Manson had a kid who grew up, formed his own cult and decided to wipe out a small New Mexico town? Find out in this thriller featuring Mark Chavez of The Pajama Men in a (mostly) serious role.
Horror In The Wind
Shot way down in Alamogordo, this sci-fi comedy wonders what would happen if scientists developed an airborne formula that could change the sexual orientation of everyone on Earth.
Necroville
Freely mixing Clerks, Ghostbusters and a dozen-or-so horror movie tropes, this comedy tracks a pair of slackers who land jobs exterminating zombies, vampires, werewolves and other supernatural pests.
Off The Grid: Life On The Mesa
This documentary profiles a community of radical hippie homesteaders who live in the middle of the New Mexico desert with no electricity, water or other social amenities.
Price Of The American Dream Ii
Less of a sequel to the 2001 original and more of a stand-alone, this drama follows the now-fatherless Muñoz family from inner-city Los Angeles to small-town New Mexico. Director Michael Amundsen won Best Drama Feature at the N.M. Filmmakers Showcase with this one.
The Stink Of Flesh
This 2004 no-budget zombie flick kicked off a wave of local horror efforts. It’s been released in Britain and Germany as well. Überleben unter Zombies , anyone?
Tortilla Heaven
This cute family comedy takes us to a tiny New Mexico town (Dixon, actually) caught up in the frenzy of a Jesus-faced tortilla.
