|
-ash(7.21.00)
Intro | Subtle Rebuttal
| Mail |
"Reviews" (+) |
"Reviews" (-) |
Feline
Drama
| UPDATE: 10.7.00
A number of people have written in advising me that i should never try
making a web page ever again. This is based on the assumption that is is
my first and only site. This is horribly untrue.
Also, some fellow recently mailed me complaining that this page consists
mostly of apologizing for this page and very little actual crtiticism of
Gummo. My new roommate is theatening to buy Gummo now so that means
i should be filled with hatred anew.
UPDATE: 8.16.00
True
Tales of Feline Drama
i realize i've been a little hard on Gummo fans, what with calling
them idiots and trashing this movie they like. So i'm going
to try
to give something back. You are so welcome. |
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Every time i try to get out they keep
pulling me back in again! |
| It should be made clear from the start that
i don't care what you think.
About politics...
or religion...
or music...
and certainly not something i take seriously like movies...
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Oh dear me, i've started right off with a lie. You know
i do wish it was true but i guess i do care what other people
think, or i wouldn't have made this page and i definately wouldn't
have responded to the flack i take over it. Because
it's not the the awfullness of the movie that drove me to make
this page. And as a token of that special spite
i'm not even going to read through this page before uploading it.
i can do this with impunity because i know the people
who'll write angrily won't have read the whole thing anyway.
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| What can i say? i'm sitting here at my computer sobbing, trying
to figure out how i could have left myself wide open for God to pull
another horrible joke on me. i finally got what
i wanted and it
is the worst thing of all, and now i'm
working on it again. Welcome to the New Gummo Page! |
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"Surely it's not as bad as all that" you might say, and you would be
right in that i'm exaggerating as usual, but it's bad
enough. My most popular web page sprung from my
least favorite movie. |
| Man, i'll never do this again, but if i did here are the likely
targets:
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The Big Hit
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Star Wars: Episode 1
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[the latter half of] Full Metal Jacket
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Urban Legends / I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
[double feature]
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Fast Times at Ridgemont High
i see a lot of bad movies and i hate a few of them, but these
ones did something special to get under my skin. |
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i may just as well elaborate on the origin of this Anti-Gummo
page since people are always asking me (never nicely).
Story time... i know this page is supposed to be about Gummo
(sucking) and not about me (sucking), but it's not my fault; it's those
people who keep writing me. If they'd stuck to the
movie instead of personal attacks i would have done the same, but
you've all drawn me in and i can't get out.
The Marvel Origin: Mild mannered Ashley Jhonen was working feverishly
on a movie review for his mild mannered web site when a meteorite
struck his dorm room, killing him instantly. Though Ash's
mind and body were utterly destroyed, destroyed THE MARVEL WAY even,
his computer was undamaged. The radiation and solar peptites
ran together with the blood and gray matter flowing free from
Ash's fetid corpse. They pooled together on the floor and slowly
began oozing toward the still humming hard drive. Before long
the ooze had crawled into the hard drive and corrupted
it.
Thus it was that the Anti-Gummo page was born, the grotesque
amalgam of a normal movie review and solar radiation from outer
space, all juxtaposed with the dying brain of one
Ashley Jhonen, still bitter about being cut down in the
prime of his life.
The HTML that composed the review grew and mutated until it became
an ungainly, brainless, pointless, mindless blotch.
The only question is would it use it's powers for good...or EVIL?
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| The Actual Origin: Ash is at
the video store with Bronwyn and Slobo looking for something
to rent when Bronwyn gets the idea Ash and Slobo
need to see Gummo.
They do.
A little less than a year later stumbles upon (you know how that can
happen on the internet) the Gummo page in the IMDB.
He finds a multitude of reviews that cause him
great stress. He looks around a little more and finds more
of the same. Sensing a great unbalance in the force he sets
about creating a page to right the wrong, if not making the
world a better place than at least making him feel a little better.
Things got out of hand. |
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That's not the whole story either. i once told a friend that
if his web page wasn't getting hate mail he was doing something
seriously wrong. i don't have the acting skills to
feign surprise at the angry responses to this page. i just wanted
someone to write. i'm so very lonely.
And also...
i just wanted to hurt them as badly as they'd hurt me.
And you know, i like to think that the main proof that
Gummo fans are a little out-there is how seriously they take this page.
Of all the letters i got no one seemed to notice that
it's intended to be humorous. i know i'm not a professional comedian,
but why would anyone mistake this for an academic dissection
of the film? It's not like that at all. During
the length of the page i never even spell out what
makes Gummo so bad. It's supposed to be self-evident. |
| What's new:
Newer, sleeker design. Still all one one page for
some reason. Oh yes, and one pillar of my disdain for Gummo
has toppled over. Since it's not possible for me to
cover every geographical area in America i'll have to
err on the side of caution and just ass-ume that there
really are places like Xenia, Ohio. Pst! The movie
is still terrible. |
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| Subtle Rebuttals |
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Clarification
i'm still hazy on why i choose to dedicate entire hours of my life
to describing how awful a small movie such as Gummo is. It
might be so that i can finally say, "I'm The Best!
at making fun of a really obscure shitty movie that everyone
already hates..." So far the response has been split
between people who are telling me what i already know ("Gummo sucks") and
people who are highly offended that i would dare to infringe on Mr. Korine's
artistic expression. It turns out that i hate Gummo because i don't
understand it due to the fact that my brain is just too damn small. At
this point i should probably point out my many towering intellectual
achievements, any of which alone could easily prove my Super-Smart stature.
But i can't remember any. As for Gummo, it leaves me with the
following feeling: "Yeah...and?" And nothing. It's a bad
movie by anyone's standards, you silly fuckers. And how dare those
bastards on the guestbook accuse me of only watching "big budget Hollywood
crap"? The gall, sir. The impudence. Now go get your
fucking shine box.
One last thing before i go, kids, please: STOP GIVING
ME YOUR HALF-ASSED DESCRIPTIONS OF WHAT "ART" IS. Also, stop telling
me what a relief Gummo is from all the Hollywood crap being churned out.
i know how much Hollywood crap is being churned out; i'm there in the
fucking theater. What you don't seem to realize is that a bad movie
with a small budget isn't any better than a bad movie with a big budget.
It's probably worse if it's pretentious crap, bastard. |
Regarding my recent guestbook signing and mail concerning this page...
Listen to me people: if you read this page and feel any urge to tell
me that Gummo is fine and i'm an idiot than chances are i already think i'm
much, much smarter than you and can therefore discount your opinion from
that point on. Here's a recent gem straight from my Hotmail account:
The most interesting thing about ignorant people is that they
are generally unaware of their ignorance. I do not doubt that this statement
will seem stupid shallow and pointless to you do to the fact that you are
apparently unable to percieve things beyond the surface level. I saw Gummo
as a reminder that our sanities are other peoples insanities. What do you
think?
First of all, is that really the most interesting thing about ignorant
people? Really? Also, your observation that
"ignorant people are generally unaware of their
ignorance" intrigues me. Are there people in your area
that commonly slap themselves on the forehead and say: "Man,
I am one ignorant fuck." Do you do this by any
chance? Maybe you should start.
Okay, apparently this fellow watched Gummo to establish in his mind
that some people are different from himself. What do i think?
i was recently thinking back to that dark day when i actually
watched Gummo (before i started strictly writing about it) . i
gazed at the cruel TV as it thrust these images in front of my frightened
eyes, and as the all powerful shittiness of the movie began to sink in i
thought to myself: Truly, this movie can't be as bad as my eyes are telling
me it is. i must use my brain and my wits to decipher some deeper meaning;
some method behind the madness. Lo, i came to realize there was none
to be found. i looked across the room at one of my film going companions,
one more literate then myself, and saw he was as baffled and disgusted as
myself.
So you see, fair, gentle readers, the reason i wear this mask of low browity
is because a movie like Gummo deserves no better. There is a time in
the life of any film fan when they feel saturated by the Hollywood machine;
the stars and the cliches and the formulas, all churned out endlessly year
after year to a chorus of dollars and Oscars. The familiarity grows
in the young movie fan until he or she begins to believe that anything
different is inherently good. This is a mistake.
i know. i've been there. But now i'm changed. So now i
guess my message to young viewers mistaking Gummo for anything but shit is...
FUCKING GROW
UP. |
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Evilness
Gummo: Thought Provoking?
It is indeed thought provoking. i found myself thinking, "Was
the holocaust such a bad thing, really? Because if Hitler had gone
'all the way' the entire cast of Gummo wouldn't have been around to capture
on film. Still, i must conclude that it was a bad thing, and many innocent
Jews and gays and gypsies would have been killed before Hitler got to the
White Trash's roots. i'll willingly take the pain of watching Gummo
over that. i hope those Jews appreciate it. Yeah, that means
you Mr. Spielburg. |
Sarcasm
i applaud Korine's triumphant attempt to do something NEW and DIFFERENT
with the film medium. It gave me a similar inspiration...why do people
on make movies on FILM? What about TOILET PAPER? For God's sakes,
it's so obvious... it's already segmented into "frames" for me, all i have
to do is draw lightly on each one with a pen (they could be in order or just
random; does it really matter?). Then i unroll it rapidly while shining
a flashlight against a set blank surface, making sure the TP is between the
flashlight and the blank surface, and BINGO-BANGO, i have a work of genius.
Of course, i would need to have retarded five year olds do the drawings
if i want it to match the level of brilliance Korine has already achieved
with Gummo. |
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Far be it from me to present a one-sided perspective on this site,
so here's a rebuttal from Bronwyn:
[edited very slightly to protect my much-sought-after
identity]
Ahh, gentle readers. Ignore the caustic and harmful
words of your esteemed webmaster Ash J. Jhonen and his uneducated analysis
of the cinematic white trash masterpiece that is Gummo. Brought to you by
the same dude who did the recent nauseaum and uh..morbidly intriguing piece
that is "Julian DOnkey Boy" starring the ugly dude from Trainspotting and
playing in obscure theatres throughout seattle, that you my dearest [Ash]ie
(AKA Neblet, AKA. BTHM, AKA Squee something) cant see cause your stuck at
a fucking college you hate and wont visit me.
Damn you [Ash] and your infernal ways! You have the
balls to diss Gummo and you don't even mention me? Hmmm? The one that made
it possible? The one who with her own eyes saw you make funny faces throughout
the entire bathtub scene? YOU LAUGHED AT THE FUCKING DOG INPALED ON AN ANTENNA.
And the cat shootings? C'mon [Ash]nie....::Sniff::
What about the good times huh? ALl that pizza? All
that ketchup? Did none of that mean anything to you? HuH!!! Answer me goddammit!
I know youre there, geek eyed and shocked behind your computer screen to
the left of your beloved AMISTAD poster. Ok ok. Riddle me this zombie boy,
what about Liquid Sky huh? That movie fucking "rox" I have good taste dammit!
Good taste! I introduced you to Heathers fer Chrissakes! I wore black before
it was cool! I can tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue! (not really
but i need to make myself feel better somehow.)
-Bronwyn |
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| My Wonderful Mail |
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Not really "hate mail," it's more indignant than hateful. i'm posting
it here because it's mine, you hear? All mine.
A word for everyone who took the time to write:
You know, the first few thousand times i was called an idiot
it hurt. It hurt real bad. But then the
first grade was over, summer started, and i
didn't care anymore. When
second grade started it didn't bother me so
much and by Middle School i didn't even notice.
And it's not like you don't have enough to work with. Besides the fact
that it's obvious most of you didn't read the entire page, none of you
bothered to go to my other pages. How dare you call me ignorant
when you couldn't take the extra ten minutes to read my other shit? Face
it, you're only good at being film snobs. |
| Here it is, the Official Anti-Anti-Gummo Hate Mail
Parody. Note: It's not funny. These people are
very serious.
| Hello,
You are an ignorant fool who knows nothing of art or culture.
How dare you make judgments regarding a piece of art. Especially
since it's not yours. Gummo is a very personal film and is
therefore much better than anything made in California, such as Godzilla
or Independence Day. Furthermore if you CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH
maybe you should just stick to the megaplexes. And though I judge as
incapable of movie criticism I deem myself qualified to give you personal
advice, and my advice to you is to GET A LIFE and stop saying you don't like
movies. Why would you make a page like this? I will not
have my elite tastes questioned. The fact that Gummo garnered
such a strong reaction is proof that is a great work of art, even though
by this logic if I shot myself in the foot that too would be a great
work of art.
Sincerely,
Snobby in Britain |
Now that you've read this you really don't need to read the rest. |
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| Name: NightHeat
I doubt you know anything about art, but the fact that "Gummo" inpsired such
dedication and willingness to trash it means Harmony did his job. I'm not
offended that someone doesnt like "Gummo". Everyone is entitled to their
opinion. I'm offended by your ignorance. Stick to Blockbuster and the multiplex,
we dont want people like you around OUR scene stinking it up with good old
fashined typical ignorance.
Name: bobildeepeg
Let me begin by saying get a life to the creator of this page, those who
have signed this guest book, and myself. Why would a grown human being dedicate
his life to spreading out anti gummo messages. This website won't change
anyones opinion on the movie either they'll like it or they won't, apparently
you didn't. Another thing, I highly doubt that creating this website can
make someone a fag, gay, or a "computer whore".
Oh, if only i was a "computer whore." Whores get paid.
Name: N/A
No offense or anything. But what exactly is some one of your towering
intellectual stature doing dedicating a website to the poor quality of a
movie, I do agree Gummo is a worthless piece of shit but if you are so god
damn smart why do you waste your time watching Gummo( or episode 1 for that
matter). Don't try to point out the fact that I have terrible spelling to
me. Another thing,I do relize that I am being somewhat hypicritical in wasting
my time telling you to get a life, but, what are you gonna do.
Name: Mahnikah
I don't give a shit about some critics opinion of the movie. I think I'm
perfectly sane enough to develop my own damn opinion on a few disturbing
events pieced together in one long,save-the-children commercial.
Name: Jiles the White
Get a life...you are fucking stupid.
Dammit, i want to disagree but all the evidence supports his argument.
You haven't heard the last of me, Jiles the White!!!
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Name: Casper
Apparently this film really offended this person who made the site. Its a
movie for Christ's sake and what right do you have to trash someone elses
work. As you're site says...Grow the fuck up.
Name: dEELoNe
listen you fucking faggot, any fucking peice of shit that spends his days
hitting keys on a keyboard is in no place to judge another persons creation.
it is blatantly obvious that you are a friendless fucking computer slut,
probably uglier than any member of the gummo cast. get fucking life you worthless
fucking cunt. or kill yourself. fuck you ugly.
Name: Dee Pimp
I think the writer of this site is the stupid person in this fucked up world.
Gummo is one of the greates movies I have ever see. I have to go out and
buy this god sent movie. Just because this movie doesn't have the greatest
plot in the world, what movie does now a days. Kids is the greatest movie
to ever be released on film and so is GUMMO. If you or anyone else seem to
think any different about this brillant movie, well I guess all I have to
say to you is go to hell. The person who made this page is gay. If you have
any thing to say to me about my comment e-mail me then well talk. Thank you
for your time.
Name: Einstein
....You..the maker of this page, are truly and utterly ignorant. I can't
even begin to describe how shallow, unintelligent, and flat out fucking stupid
you sound with your attempted review. Get a damn clue. This page is pathetic
as is the creator. Thanks for the opprotunity to put truth to your page.
Name: Jen
I think it's pretty goddamn pathetic that you have so much time on your hands
to feed an anti-Gummo page. Why don't you get off your soapbox and shut the
fuck up? If people want to watch Gummo, they obviously like it, and nobody
needs your fucking attitude for liking it. Who the fuck are you to decide
what art is? Get a life.
Name: sarah
You need to grt a life. If you dont like a movie then you dont like it. you
dont have to go make an "anti" site about it. i thought Gummo was the most
beautiful, realistic movie i have ever seen,and maybe you are just too narrow
minded to see it.
Mind...too...narrow...aaah...arrrggh...can't...fully...appreciate...unwashed...trailer
trash...ungawah...is this...the end...of psuedo-critic man...? |
| it seems to me that you get angry about things for the wrong reasons
for example attempting to ridicule somebody for possibly believing an urban
myth rather than actually deconstructing the film and putting forward an
informed opinion. being the polar opposite of such films as "life is beautiful",
"gummo" works well. There is no need to have a story as such because it does
not concern itself with beginnings and ends. To compromise the film with
an beginning or an end, to place those kinds of hollywood restrictions onto
it, would stiffle the horror and uneasy feeling which make the film so strong.
having the balls to say fuck you to countless "godzilla" style failures and
trying to do something a little different should never be belittled.
Is "gummo" a work of art? that depends on context. If you put it in an art
gallery then it would be. Is it a good peice of art? that is for the people
to decide.
p.s saying that "army of darkness" is a masterpiece of film making will always
detract credibility from your statements.
i never said AoD is a masterpiece. Even though it is. Hail
to the king, bitch.
The most interesting thing about ignorant people is that they are generally
unaware of their ignorance. I do not doubt that this statement will seem
stupid shallow and pointless to you do to the fact that you are apparently
unable to percieve things beyond the surface level. I saw Gummo as a reminder
that our sanities are other peoples insanities. What do you think?
first thing i thought when i saw this page was, whoah!!!this dude needs to
get a life i read the whole page and still feel the same p.s. Speed
was a shit movie if you disagree then everything you say has no merit, not
like it does anyways
Oh?
but i admire you for speaking your mind and giving gummo more internet publicity,
because what would a great movie be without people that hated, hell you're
gonna make this movie a legend!!!!!!hahahahaha
For the record it's not 'great' movies that have a lot of people
hating them, it's 'controversial' movies. Though they occasionally
intersect you should still avoid getting those two mixed up. And
for anyone else who was thinking along similar lines, i assure
you that my effect on Gummo's populairty will be negligible. i wish
it wasn't so.
Sure after watching Gummo I was very confused like you were, the thing that
confused me more is how some one can spend so much time putting up a web
page designed to try and make fun of people who enjoyed a movie that you
simply did not like.
God-like stamina is the answer.
You think watching Gummo was a waste of time...what about the time i spent
reading your mindless bullshit filled web page. The only reson i continued
to read was to find out what kind of pathetic dick nose would care so much
about trying to persuade others into agreeing with their bad taste in movies.
Any movie that can piss someone off the way gummo pissed off you, needs to
be praised! Did it ever occure to you that the director could have expected
people to dislike his film so he took the film to the extreme to further
pisss off poeple like you?
Pissing off hard-core film fans is probably a bad policy for any
director.
An opinion is a opinion, dont try to force your views on others. As far as
making a statement against a movie, next time just return the fucking movie
a day ahead of time or some shit... Dont make a fucking "Anti" page every
time you dislike a movie...
Your friend, Nutsack
You, sir, are a disgrace to scrotums everywhere.
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I think you are entitled to your opinnion, even though I disagree with
it. I don't mean any disrespect or anything offensive with this email, and
I want you to excuse my english if it is mis used because it is not my first
language.
I think that basically, the difference people who like Gummo, or don't like
Gummo, are the people who are touched by it and the people who just don't
care about it. I for instance, hated KIDS, but I wanted to give Gummo a chance,
and it may sound silly, but the bath tub scene, for me, was one of the most
beautiful, intimate moments ever captured in cinema, although people seemed
to think it was a stupid pointless scene.
In the other hand, Schindler's list failed to gain my attention because,
first of all, I've always found Spielberg's narrative style very dull, even
in his action movies (The first two Indiana Jones movies are for me, impossible
to watch)...he uses too many directorial cliches for my taste and when he
adds that artificial feeling to the movie, I find it hard to feel empathy
for the characters, even though in theory those would be things that would
move me, I don't like the way he handles it. I think Schindler's list was
helped enormously by John Williams' score, which really movies me, specially
when I hear it without remembering the movie.
In addition, I think that Korine's direction is a little more visceral, which
I think is something modern cinema lacks. I haven't had a chance to see Julien
Donkey-Boy, because I live in Mexico and it's hard to get obscure movies
in here (even at places like Blockbuster).
I am not a film schollar or anything, but I am interested in studying film,
and as an aspiring filmmaker, I would like to give the benefit of the doubt
to Harmony Korine, simply because it's a bold movement, to do a movie that
you know not a lot of people will see, and stick to your vision anyway. I
think in that sense, he is truly a brave filmmaker, and therefore, I think
his contribution is valuable to the world of movies. That's what I think
anyway.
We need brave filmmakers, specially now that Stanley Kubrick isn't with us
anymore.
As long as we're on the subject of people for whom English isn't
a first language i might point out that this is the most/only coherent
letter i've gotten. It's the only one that tried to justify it's
claims with proof other than my own stupidity, which i appreciate. And
speaking of Mexican teenagers, you know Miguel from
Fat Chicks in Party
Hats? He gets way more competent hate mail than i do. Do
you get this Gummo fans? You're being outdone by a bunch of fat chicks
and fat chick lovers. i hope you're proud of
yourselves.
I am glad that you made this website, because now I can see how ignorant
people can be. Harmony has written the greatest novel which I have ever read,
a screenplay to a highly acclaimed movie, and directed not one, but two of
the most beautiful movies in my life, and even though you may find these
to be appalling, I find these works to be works of true genius, as they show
the beauty, as well as the horror of real life. Now you may have your opinion,
and you may not like Gummo, and I respect that, but you should not turn others
away from this beautifully magistrated work of true vision. Everyone
should see Gummo, and even though some may despise it, others, such as myself,
will see the greatness, and the humor in such an offbeat movie. It
has truly changed the way which I will judge movies from the moment which
I saw it, It raised the bar.
Sincerely,
Zack
i have just two words for this guy and everyone like him:
Jap Scat. It's
this...WACKY...thing they do in Japan that involves feces consumption
and, later, ejaculation. Some people like this and i don't make any
attempt to understand them. Now, can everyone see the correlation to
Gummo? i hope i'm not being too obtuse.
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Reviews that started
it all |
| And now i will commence with The Pain. And what is The Pain? In
the Princess Bride (another one of those damn "plot movies") it's having
your hands, feet, nose, and eyes cut off. In my world it's reading
the words of sincere sounding people calling Gummo a work of art, and worse,
"brilliant," "genius," etc. |
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I'm sick and tired of critics and others putting down people for enjoying
this film as if they were in fact caught in some game of self deception.
Surprise!!! This film does not follow a traditional narrative structure.
If you can get past this, perhaps you might enjoy the film afterall. Those
expecting a plot, don't. It is that simple. This is a post-modernist poem
which paints a portrait of poverty, moral bankruptcy and ignorance. It also
offers an untraditional representation of aesthetics. Then again, maybe it
doesn't... . Put your own meaning into the film; don't take my word for it.
No danger of that, friend!
While I'm not about to call this a masterpeice and rank it up there with
Star Wars or The Godfather, this was a thoroughly enjoyable film. I wasn't
expecting much, and some scenes were long and boring, but I don't regret
watching it. It seems the main purpose of the film was to show nothing but
trashy people doing trashy things. It's scary because there are people who
really live like this. It was disturbing and kind of enlightening at the
same time.
Have you never heard of trashy people before? What? You
didn't know the ins and outs of retard prostitution? |
| Like a good anthropologist, Harmony Korine presents the various characters
in Gummo without criticizing or placing value judgements on them. . .
He didn't? Let me try. Um...they are human garbage.
Yes!
he just lets them be themselves. By doing this, Harmony is actually doing
something quite revolutionary in filmmaking. . . by letting his actors improvise
their scenes, he allows the actors to express themselves without worrying
about whether or not the director approves of their "acting." So, in a sense,
Harmony Korine is trying to bring a new "realism" to cinema, without the
restraints of either cinematic techniques (i.e. lighting, camera angles,
setting up the scene) or the dictatorial control of the director.
Thank God. That old style "realism" employed by Martin Scorsese
and his (OLD OLD OLD) ilk was really getting crusty.
So, that, in essence is why Gummo is such a breakthrough movie. Perhaps so
many people hate Gummo because they're not used to seeing such a revolutionary
movie. As Freud once said, "we hate that which we don't understand."
Thanks for clearing that up, but i see it everytime i look between my
legs on the crapper.
So, open up your mind, and I'm sure you'll see what a great film Gummo is.
Yeah, a lobotomy would help...oooh...bad joke.
A guy I know, more of a friendly acquaintance than a friend, raved to me
about Gummo. "There's this scene," he said, "when this bunch of people kick
the crap out of a chair, nothing else happens in the scene, and it's brilliant,
because the chair ... is ... life."
I watched it and he was telling the truth.
Sometimes, oftentimes, i feel stupid. But people like this make
me feel smart. i don't know why i don't appreciate it.
I've never seen a movie like this. It is a new and refreshing way to see
art and I appreciate and applaud that. Rent it, buy it, have some friends
over, order some burritos and watch it. When you are finished watching it,
discuss it in detail. Explore what just happened.
Who farted? What did it mean?
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This is what I call an "effective" film. This is the kind of film that
really stirs people to feel something, whether positive or negative. Anyone
who doesn't feel anything while watching this is probably complacent and
those who despise it are too narrow-minded to view things outside of their
little bubble. This film was shocking, depressing, and thought provoking.
And the scene where a drunk Harmony Korine comes onto a midget is one of
the most hilarious I've ever watched, although there are more than a couple
memorable lines and scenes in this movie.
Maybe my least favorite pretension; the pretension that if you make
something shocking, something that "stirs you", it's something good. Or
art. Or anything at all. Here's an experiment. Take a shit.
As big or small as you want. Now, film it. You can film
it for a few minutes and call it a short or for two hours and have yourself
a feature film. Now, at your next family reunion, show it! Are
they shocked? Stirred? Yes?! IT'S ART! YOU ARTIST,
YOU!
This is a rather disturbing view into what unfortunately is real life for
too many people. The total emptiness and shallowness of the characters could
leave you thinking what is the point, but really it inspires me to strive
to avoid the pointlessness exhibited here and make the world better for those
around me. Worth seeing, but definately not for the easily offended.
That's me; easily offended. i always get offended when someone
tries to shove 2 hours of shit down my throat, than wants me to take them
seriously as an artist.
Put some David Lynch, some Errol Morris, and a whole lotta Diane Arbus into
the ink bottle, shake well and pour, and the Rorschach ink blot you'll get
is Harmony Korine's GUMMO. I've just read all the User Comments here, and
these are apparent: Obviously GUMMO *is* art, because so many people hate
this movie and so many people love it. Just like art.
Really? Than we can safely say that all forms of pornography are
art. What about nigger jokes? Alot of people love 'em...but i
think i've made the point already.
Those people who hated this movie and, therefore, object to it being called
"art" are those kind of people who must like "nice art" like pretty seascapes,
happy clowns and - yuck - "crafts."
You're on a roll, man! Don't stop now!
It will also be fun to remind these sort of people of Hitler's campaign for
"moral art:" it was all mundane. (And look at the genuis of "immoral artists"
such as Kirchner and Max Beckmann.)
i was wondering what the connection between Gummo-haters and Hitler
was. Still, i think Harmony Korine has more in common with the big
H, didn't Hitler try to be an artist too? Oooh...low blow...but not
low enough.
This is what I call "Rorschach Art." That is, meaning found in random "ink
blots" on the page or, in this case, on the screen. In my case, I found myself,
for some subconscious reason, identifying with the Bunny Boy. I don't know
why, but I felt something familiar in this guy. That's great art.
Ah. Glad we got the issue of what is and isn't great
art settled. Whatever reminds this guy of himself.
I can't help but notice that from the comments the people who didn't like
it seem quite "p***ed off" by the film. Hummm..........
Two hours gone, and plenty of morons calling it brilliant. Who
wouldn't be pissed? Of course, i tend to piss off easily. i don't
know what these other people's excuses are.
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A slight remedy: Here are some people talking about what a
piece of shit the movie is. It's not needed if you saw
it for what it was or if you'll take my word for it, but if
you read what the idiots above had to say it might help to remind you that
there are sane people left in the world.
Note: It would have been better to use a regular film critic's opinions,
but no real critic will condescend to reviewing Gummo. Go
figure. |
| Memo to Mr. Korine: a movie should have something, whether it be plot,
dialogue, characters, or images, that is more interesting than a typical
boring day in a typical boring life. If there was a point, it got left on
the cutting room floor, where about half the footage here should have joined
it. There were moments, but they were few and far between. Maybe the title
is the point: we never saw Gummo Marx, and we never should have seen this
movie.
What was the point here? How many cat torture/mutilation sequences can a
viewer see before not caring? What does this film have to do with the town's
tornado destruction which occurred 20 years prior? How many exceptions in
society can be crammed into one film and deemed a valid social commentary?
Rent Gummo, and see if you can come up with the answers to these and other
titillating queries which might cross your mind during your film experience.
This film is trash, but I'm reminded of an old saying my Grandmother loved
to throw out, "It may be trash, but just remember, trash floats on top."
Apparently, in relation to the fact Gummo is an award winning film, my
Grandmother was correct.
Though some people may have found this shocking, it could have put me to
sleep. Why should I watch a movie that has characters that I could just as
easily find down the street? I shouldn't, but unfortunately, I didn't realize
that beforehand. I feel like writing Harmony a letter saying, "For God's
sake, be original"! I really don't know why people liked this, or even if
they didn't, were so disgusted by it. It just kinda left me with the feeling
of having taken a couple Valiums and some hard liquor.
I saw "Gummo" a year and a half ago in Nashville,TN at the Belcourt Twin
Cinema where it first opened. I must say that I was completely and utterly
embarrassed by it. How can anyone in their right mind call this art? It is
complete and utter crap. Does anyone really know what this movie is about?
Well, I do. This movie is about nothing. Xenia,Ohio? Please, give me a freakin'
break. All Harmony Korine did was go back to his hometown, Nashville, and
find a bunch of helpless people and capitalized upon their horrid lifestyles.
I actually knew one of the young men in the film. Remember the cross dressing
teenage boy? Well, that's actually what he is.
I saw "Gummo" a year and a half ago in Nashville,TN at the Belcourt Twin
Cinema where it first opened. I must say that I was completely and utterly
embarrassed by it. How can anyone in their right mind call this art? It is
complete and utter crap. Does anyone really know what this movie is about?
Well, I do. This movie is about nothing. Xenia,Ohio? Please, give me a freakin'
break. All Harmony Korine did was go back to his hometown, Nashville, and
find a bunch of helpless people and capitalized upon their horrid lifestyles.
I actually knew one of the young men in the film. Remember the cross dressing
teenage boy? Well, that's actually what he is.
"Gummo" is not an original idea. All it is is a series of bad home movies.
One more thing, I don't know if anyone read Gus Van Sant's little ode to
this piece of s***, but after reading his praise for these bad home movies
called "Gummo" I lost all respect for the man---not that I already hadn't
after seeing "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues". Anyhow, for those who liked "Gummo",
I feel sorry for you.
i don't. Ok, maybe a little. i'm a sympathetic guy, what
can i say?
"Gummo" is not an original idea. All it is is a series of bad home movies.
One more thing, I don't know if anyone read Gus Van Sant's little ode to
this piece of shit, but after reading his praise for these bad home movies
called "Gummo" I lost all respect for the man---not that I already hadn't
after seeing "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues". Anyhow, for those who liked "Gummo",
I feel sorry for you.
Though some people may have found this shocking, it could have put me to
sleep. Why should I watch a movie that has characters that I could just as
easily find down the street? I shouldn't, but unfortunately, I didn't realize
that beforehand. I feel like writing Harmony a letter saying, "For God's
sake, be original"! I really don't know why people liked this, or even if
they didn't, were so disgusted by it. It just kinda left me with the feeling
of having taken a couple Valiums and some hard liquor.
This film is absolutely abysmal. Unless you want to see 2 boys whipping a
dead cat, a little girl who wants to be Burt Reynolds or a boy dressed as
a rabbit sitting on a toilet playing the accordion, avoid this cac. Truly
disgraceful how this mess ever got made. I bet the director was just extracting
the urine to prove that the critics will embrace any old drivel. I would
rather watch Burn Hollywood burn on slow motion 4 times on the trot that
see the trailer for this rubbish again.
I rented Gummo simply for the direction of Harmony Korine. He seems to be
a young rising star, and KIDS was a good (shocking) movie. How disappointed
I was after viewing Gummo. The only way I can explain this is to say that
this movie attempts to be "bizarre"- it is transparent. PLEASE stay away.
No plot, no meaning, and a lot of "images" that make you think you are missing
something. The only thing you will be missing is the two hours of your life
you wish you had back! Sorry Harmony, you missed the mark.
This is not so much a film as a series of posters to plaster on the walls
of student flats. A sad, badly thought out mish-mash of vaguely connected
images, designed presumably to highlight the grimness and all round pointlessness
of existence amongst the urban poor of America. From the opening shot of
a young boy in a pink rabbit hat, complete with ears, urinating on passing
cars, through some random nonsense about killing cats, having sex with the
educationally sub-normal
Hey, what is this politcally correct bullshit?
and generally being miserable and dirty, all the way to the end credits,
this film has nothing whatever to recommend it. When compared to similar
low-budget films as Kevin Smith's "Clerks" or (perhaps more appropriately)
Cheryl Dunye's "The Watermelon Woman", which also features a mixture of filming
methods and has a similar semi documentary air, "Gummo" falls badly behind
the pace. No plot, no obvious scripting, poor editing and shooting and truly
dreadful bits of acting combine to make this the shoddiest attempt at film-making
I've seen in years. Clever, if somewhat obscure, title though.
Just when I happen to be in the hopeless depths of a personal writing drought,
along comes a movie such as Gummo to remind me that virtually any arrangement
of black text on white paper can be parled into a big-screen film. This film
has somewhat of an identity crisis. On one hand, there are some frank and
gritty documentary-style interviews which wonderfully review rural personalities
in Tennessee (where the filming occured) rather than Xenia, Ohio as we are
supposed to beleive. Any Southerner would know those weren't Ohio accents..hehe]
On the other hand, the drama segments attempt to loosely weave a story by
sampling snapshots of local life, albiet through some rather bland acting.
Some scenes are obvious attemts at avante-garde by presenting some mundane,
detached action which continues for what seems like forever (i.e. eyebrow
shaving scene, bunny-kid playing accordian). Gummo could have been a good
movie had it been aided by an interested script writer and a decent editor.
Perhaps the dramatic parts should have been removed altogether and this film
turned into a respectable documentary.
I tried very, very hard to find some value, some meaning, some entertainment,
some something in "Gummo". I couldn't. I really didn't like "Kids", but I
hoped that Harmony had improved some. Eh, I was met with disappointment.
"Bunny Boy" seems like he should have some meaning, some deep (or even some
superficial) symbolism. It's not there. Look for yourself. He's a blank.
Most memorable scene: Just how disgusting can a bath be?!?
See this one, anyway, just to see how bad an honest effort can be.
The director should've been a photographer as he seems to make a point of
framing these "sort of people" into the depth of poverty for which they live
and ,as result, extrude some sort of unique character. The result turns out
to be very well photographed poor, freakish sorts who we're supposed to be
rivited by their extreme, unabashed behavior.
Well, even with the well exposed imagery, the characters are thinly written,
despite their unwieldy behavior that's supposed disturb the rest of us decent
people. It's really nothing short of bad taste on behalf of the director
in the way he chooses to expolit those less fortunate into some sort of art
film.
I love strange, off-beat films, but this one is just inane.
What attracted me to this film was the horrible reviews it got; I wanted
to see for myself what a terrible film it was. Now that I have, I can confirm
what a sick, depraved, disgusting film this was. I thought I lived in a town
overpopulated by thoroughly trashy rednecks until I saw this film; two of
the notably unappealing characters murder innocent cats and sell their corpses,
all of the "children" (some as young as five) are gratingly foul-mouthed,
ignorant, and violent, and many of the film's extraordinarily distasteful
scenes seem absolutely interminable(that means never-ending). Utter trash
in all categories; the absolute worst film I have ever seen, and I would
venture to say that writer-director Harmony Korine(screenwriter of the
atrociously exploitive 1995 flick KIDS), is the absolute worst excuse for
a filmmaker, and an insult to our great film industry. As inexcusably filthy
as this film is, it was originally intended to be more disgracefully disgusting;
it had to be edited to avoid its original NC-17 rating. Maybe that version
will appear on video or DVD for the surprisingly many of this anti-movie's
fans. I give this movie ZERO out of ****, and even that may be too high a
rating.
You can't expect to be taken very seriously when you describe anything
as "filthy," a term my mother employs frequently. Still, there's plenty
of truth here. More than in Gummo, if that's even saying anything. |
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What the @#*! happened? After seeing KIDS I couldn't wait to see what
screenwriter Harmony Korine had in store next, boy was I disappointed. Not
only is this the worst film of the year, it is one of the most pathetic films
ever made. The only thing you'll find here is disgusting white trash
participating in unappealing situations. Boys kill cats, sniff glue, and
smash things. Girls shave their eyebrows completely and put tape on their
nipples. I swear, that one kid, I think his name is Solomon, is so annoying
you wish you could hit him. If you see this, watch KIDS immediately after
so you don't lose total respect for the director. Quote: "Life is great,
without it, you'd be dead" - Solomon
i actually find that somewhat funny...damn me.
Awful. It's one of these movies that the hipper than thou crowd will say
is "way cool". But believe me, it's not. Film maker Harmony Korine goes out
his way to show you every kind of freak living in a small town in Ohio. And
for all the freaks that are paraded before you the movie turns out to be
a bore. It's also a waste of actress Chloe Sevigny's talents.
This film is absolutely abysmal. If I had to rate it it would get -10 out
of 10. Unless you want to see 2 boys whipping a dead cat, a little girl who
wants to be Burt Reynolds or a boy dressed as a rabbit sitting on a toilet
playing the accordion, avoid this cac. Truly disgraceful how this mess ever
got made. I bet the director was just extracting the urine to prove that
the critics will embrace any old drivel. I would rather watch Burn Hollywood
burn on slow motion 4 times on the trot that see the trailer for this rubbish
again. It didn’t even need an appearance by Steven Seagal to take the
crown!!!!!!!
Not very moving words, but i can feel his pain nevertheless.
There is a distinction between technical experimentation and content. The
key is in producing a well-balanced blend of both. Gummo failed miserably
here.
Remember the banjo playing boy in Deliverance? He smiled away as he played
his instrument, but when the music ceased, so did his smile -- It was an
astoundingly disquieting scene. Perhaps Harmony Korine saw this sequence
too many times, and subconsciously made it his goal to bring all viewers
fears of what exactly was in that boy's head to fruition through the creation
of Gummo's character, Solomon (curiously similar in appearance). Perhaps
the shift between really thinking about complex, dark unknowns and having
someone hit you over the head with TOO MUCH of a contrived known - -so much
so that you can no longer think -- was simply unnecessary. I think so.
Solomon's mother serves him canned spaghetti on a tray while he's sitting
in excrement-infested bathtub water. She proceeds to wash his filthy hair,
splattering shampoo onto his plate while he eats. She buys him a chocolate
bar and throws it in the tub water. He eats it, while drooling some of the
brown water.
An autistic woman (not an actress) is obviously convinced she should shave
her eyebrows off before the camera. A mentally disturbed woman (also not
an actress) is cast as a home and bed-bound prostitute, pimped by her husband
as a source of entertainment for himself as well as the young boys who frequent
his home. An albino woman chats on about her adoration for Patrick Swayze.
"Swiiiiip!" go the glue sniffing, zoned out boys whips against a hanging
cat carcass. "Pop!" goes Solomon's bb gun as he shoots an elderly, vegetative
woman in the foot, just to make sure she can't feel anything before his friend
pulls the plug on her life support system. Add the fact that small children
are cast in these and other lurid scenes, and it makes you wonder why Social
Services wasn't there to crack down and remove these kids from the homes
of parents who would consent to letting them "act" in such a film.
Yeah, that's pretty much it right there. Thanks. |
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| Please let me be...everything i have to say i've said or thought
i've said but never actually wrote down. C'mon, we all got what we
wanted...i got to make you mad and you got to feel superior to
someone...everybody is happy.
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special thanks to T.B.A. and everyone else who
wrote in
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