"As Hollywood has continued to unreel action spectaculars with budgets as extravagant as their special effects, American film has at the same time been revitalized by the growth of the "indie scene." This burgeoning cinematic culture is distinguished not only by the ability of young film-makers to perform magic on a low budget, but also by the stylistic freshness and thematic originality of their work.

Stranger Than Paradise is a critical survey of that work - the films of the most talented, audacious, and influential American directors of the last two decades."--BOOK JACKET.