	Independent (indie) films have smaller budgets yet are the main source for new and original ideas coming out of the movie world.  Mainstream Hollywood seems content to create and recreate the same types of films that it has created forever.  Instead of venturing out of its safe, comfortable bubble of stardom and success, and coming up with new, adventurous ideas for stories, Hollywood has stayed true to its old formula.  This complacency in Hollywood leaves the majority of films exploring new angles, new ideas, new thoughts, new plots, and new storylines, in the hands of independent film-makers.  Many of these films never receive the attention they deserve because their budget is lacking, the marketing and publicity is scant if even present, and the distribution is extremely restricted because major studios are unwilling to release them.  A good example of a movie affected by these limitations is House.  Based on a book by two prominent Christian authors, the story was turned into a movie that was released to a limited number of theaters, despite having a few popular horror actors in it.  This film was mainly advertised to religious circles, which is a contributing factor to its lack of success in the box office.  The themes, plot, characters, and the idea behind the making of the film (being the first Christian horror movie) all make it genuinely worth seeing, but the unwillingness of major studios to market it made it inaccessible to wider audiences.  Another good example of an important movie held back by these limitations is To Save A Life.  This film has a message of non-bullying and acceptance that resonates with today’s youth.  Like House, this movie was mainly advertised among religious circles.  To Save A Life is another sad example of a good movie with an important message being lost amidst the storm of Hollywood mainstream films with familiar faces, names, plotlines, and better special effects.  It is as if mainstream Hollywood aims to choke off creative outlets in the independent film industry.  Creativity is only encouraged in the “new” ways that a film can tell the same old story, that is, with new special effects and characters.  But when all this kind of “flash” is pulled away from the story, it reveals the film as just yet another incarnation of an old film.  
As if this quelling of creativity is not enough, Hollywood adds insult to injury by depending upon celebrity actors and actresses to make bad movies successful in theaters.  They use the sex appeal of actresses like Angelina Jolie and Megan Fox to bring in male audiences.  They use shirtless male actors like Brad Pitt and Taylor Lautner, knowing that female audiences will be drawn to them.  Tomb Raider was decently successful in theaters despite its lack of faithfulness to the original story.  Why was it as successful as it was?  Because the big breasted lead character was played by Angelina Jolie.  Tomb Raider, according to Stephen Hunter, “stars Angelina Jolie's lips and breasts and, in a much smaller role, the actual Angelina Jolie herself. It is the perfect modern product: loud, banal, empty, frenzied, plasticized, flavorless, drab, violent in a bloodless way and sexy in a sexless way” (WA Post).  The Twilight movie series is similar in how it gains its popularity, although the success of the books is another contributor to the success of the films.  Hunky actors like Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner (who is shirtless throughout much of the Twilight movies) draw in the crowds.  Megan Fox’s Jennifer’s Body is another example of this effect on movies.  If a film casts a sexy star, crowds will flock to it, regardless of how unoriginal the movie actually is.  Many will watch the film without even knowing what it is about just because their favorite actor or actress is in it, therefore giving more money to a movie that does not deserve it.  
Despite the success of good book series and comic book adaptations, Hollywood is drowning in unoriginal ideas and creativity is being choked off by small budgets and unwilling studios.  The indie side of filmmaking is where creativity is thriving, but bigger studios are quelling this endeavor by passing over the opportunity to endorse and produce these original films.  The 21st century is starting off to be the “Stagnant Period” in film history. 
