Baghead's Theatrical Release

Scene: Four struggling actors desperate for their big break hole up in a cabin to make the movie that will put them on the map. Trouble is, their screenwriting falls aside as they wind up dissecting their relationships in heady discussions over multiple beers and come-hither stares.

And that's when they realize that a creepy dude wearing a shopping bag might be stalking them.

Mark and Jay Duplass' "Baghead," which opened Friday, is pushing the dialogue-heavy film movement known as "mumblecore" closer to the mainstream. Also called Generation DIY or talkies, mumblecore has quietly emerged from the era of digital video and YouTube as a new wave of indie directors collectively paint a tragicomic portrait of postcollegiate life.

"It jumped off from documentary filmmaking, and reality TV has opened the door for this kind of esthetic," explains "Baghead" actor Ross Partridge, 40, from the East Village.

"Plus, technology has gotten cheaper, so people can make movies themselves. With [laptop] editing technology, it's like, 'All right, so what are you waiting for?'"

"It was a convergence of new technology and people feeling like movies didn't show how their lives were actually being lived," says "Baghead" co-star Greta Gerwig, 24, from East Williamsburg.

Mumblecore typically features a crowd of twentysomething navel-gazers passing time by agonizing over their quarter-life crises with a steady stream of chatter. Filming is done digitally using a lot of closeups, and the cast of unknown or unprofessional actors improvise most of their lines. The plot is dialogue-driven à la "Seinfeld," with characters discussing the mundane details of everyday life with comedic and unexpected results.

"It was so much fun, because it was like being on stage, completely improvised and alive all the time," gushes Partridge.

Just like the films themselves, mumblecore's evolution was unscripted. The low-budget DIYs surfaced during the SXSW Film Festival in 2005, where the Duplass brothers' "The Puffy Chair," Andrew Bujalski's "Mutual Appreciation" and Joe Swanberg's "Kissing on the Mouth" premiered, sharing a similar esthetic that the indie industry dubbed mumblecore.

"It's almost like a bunch of people were making movies a certain way before the name of them even came out," says Mark Duplass, co-director of "Baghead" with his brother, Jay.

And as proven by the IFC Film Center's "The New Talkies: Generation DIY" series last summer and "Baghead's" theatrical release, mumblecore is the film movement on everyone's lips.

Locally, the "mumblecorps" form a very close-knit community. Directors will collaborate - or even star - in each other's movies. Friends and relatives play walk-on roles or roll up their sleeves to pitch in on production work.

"In New York City, it's more of a network of friends," Gerwig says. "Somebody is always making a movie, so there's always something to help out on."

That's not to say it's all fun and games. Beneath the self-aware (and sometimes self-absorbed) characters and witty dialogue, true mumblecore movies also pack plenty of heart. The characters have flaws, but the cracks make them all the more believable, and their realizations move the story forward.

"I think there's a whole generation of filmmakers that are out there just trying to do it themselves and hoping for the success that Mark and Jay have had," says Partridge.

"At the same time, it still comes down to story, and that's what [sets] these guys apart. These guys to me are the future of what's going to happen with filmmaking."

For a better grasp of Generation DIY, check out these notable mumblecore movies:

The following is a list of Must Haves for those new to this genre of film. Start with these, then we will update you with the latest list of films.

"Funny Ha Ha" (2002): Considered the first mumblecore film, Andrew Bujalski's "Ha Ha" follows Marnie, a Boston college grad who struggles to kick her binge drinking and bad taste in men while trying to find a job and transition into adulthood. The critically acclaimed flick was shot with unprofessional actors on 16mm film.

"Mutual Appreciation" (2003): Director Bujalski becomes the DIY movement's darling with this black-and-white feature about four New Yorkers figuring out where they fit in the world. Justin Rice of the Brooklyn rock band Bishop Allen plays the protagonist. This scored Bujalski the jury award for best screenplay at the Newport International Film Festival in 2005.

"The Puffy Chair" (2005): Before "Baghead," brothers Jay and Mark Duplass exploded onto the indie scene with this offbeat road-trip comedy about a brother picking up a lounge chair he sees on eBay - a replica of his father's favorite chair - as a birthday present. The film screened at Sundance and won the audience award at the SXSW Film Festival in 2005.

"Hannah Takes the Stairs" (2007): Joe Swanberg directs the story of Hannah, a recent college grad in Chicago who crushes on two scriptwriters in the production office where she's interning during one brutally hot summer. The film stars mumblecore veterans Greta Gerwig, Andrew Bujalski and Mark Duplass.

"Quiet City" (2007): Aaron Katz's second mumblecore film (after "Dance Party, USA") skips around Brooklyn, where Atlanta native Jamie comes to visit a friend. After asking Charlie, a local, for directions, she ends up spending the next 24 hours getting to know him when her friend never shows. Mumblecore director Joe Swanberg also plays a role.