The new film “Tangerine,” opening in theaters Friday, doesn’t just stand out because it dramatizes the world of transgender prostitutes in Los Angeles, a milieu rarely, if ever, portrayed on screen.
It stands out because it was filmed by director Sean Baker entirely on the iPhone 5S.
These are five other movies that incorporated an unconventional approach to capture their stories:
“The Blair Witch Project” (1999) — The horror movie that ushered in the era of found-footage cinema was a radical experiment in 1999. The actors operated the camera, relied on improvisation and were given the next locations through GPS.
“Paranormal Activity” (2007) — The next generation of “Blair Witch,” the first “Paranormal” spawned a franchise through its innovative scares, captured with home video camera largely perched on tripods, a great use of time stamps and an emphasis on improv.
“This Is Not a Film” (2011) — One would be hard pressed to describe most cinematic works as brave but this documentary, made by Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi while under house arrest after being sentenced to prison for six years and banned from filmmaking for decades, certainly qualified.
“Wadjda” (2012) — The first feature shot in its entirety in Saudi Arabia is also the by the first female Saudi director, who made a great film despite significant cultural restrictions.
“Escape From Tomorrow” (2013) — Director Randy Moore shot this nightmarish, David Lynchian opus entirely on the sly at Disney theme parks.
