Favorite early digital films?

[Mike Krumlauf]

Interested to hear what some of your favorite films were from the early digital era. this includes mini dv, hi8, and early HD. Here are my top ten (in no order).

1.) Once Upon A Time In Mexico - Sony HDW F900/1
2.) November - Panasonic DVX100
3.) Collateral - Panavision HD900F (parts on the Viper cam and 35mm)
4.) Personal Velocity - Sony PD150 (pal)
5.) 28 Days Later - Canon Xl1 (pal with Optex HD B4 lenses)
6.) Dancer in the Dark - Sony PD100 (pal) [another DVCAM was used in the DSR series but i dont remember the model)
7.) Pieces of April - Sony PD150 (pal)
8.) The Blair Witch Project (partial hi8)
9.) 24 Hour Party People - Sony PD150 (pal)
10.) In This World - Sony PD150 (pal)

 

[El Director]

In no order-
Attack of the Clones
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Sin City
28 Days Later
Open Water
Once Upon A Time in Mexico

 

[KyleProhaska]

The Celebration from 1998 (Festen)

 

[robmneilson]

I love Hal Hartley's The Book of Life, which was shot with a sony handycam with a slow shutter (but still looks pretty good).

 

[Guest]

The Edukators - 2004 (Germany/Austria) pd150?
Iraq in Fragments - documentary dvx100
My Flesh and Blood - documentary pd150?
Once - 2007 Sony HVR Z1 (DP, Tim Flemming) (previously i mistakenly believed it to be shot on hvx200)
Inland Empire pd150 (david lynch)
Apocolypto (Genesis)
A Mighty Heart - 2007 (HPX500?)
Another Earth - 2011 (Ex3? Tail end of the camcorder era)
Valhalla Rising - 2009 (Red One, not sure if this counts.)
Ghosts of Cite Soleil - 2006 minDV?

And less influencial to me, but possibly worth noting:
Crank
Tape
Jackass

I haven’t seen Dogville, Manic, nor Idiot

Early “Always Sunny in Phildelphia” and “Flight of the Conchords” were dvx100.

Of the ones mentioned, 28 Days Later is way up on the list of influential and favorite. Though, the cinematography in “Iraq in Fragments” was the best stock lens miniDV footage out there. While “The Celebration” was perhaps the most innovative while still capturing the spirit of cinema..

 

[Mike Krumlauf]

Manic I will say is an AMAZING film.. one of Don's best performances.. Love everything by InDigEnt, seen it all. Inland Empire was great as well!

I will say, as corny as Sin City is, its visual sure do still hold up today!

 

[KMR]

Ciao (Yen Tan, USA; 2008) - HVX200
The Reception (John G. Young, USA; 2005) - DVX100 (I think...)

 

[Mike Krumlauf]

I will also state that Once Upon A Time In Mexico looks more filmic than most modern shot films today. IMHO