Have you ever seen Clark’s segment from the film destricted? It’s called Impaled, it’s Clark just sitting in a small office space interviewing young people (mostly boys late teens early twenties) about their pornography habits, then he chooses one of the boys and shoots an unsimulated sex scene with him and a woman he brings in. It’s non narrative, kind of is a distillation of Clark’s more fetishy side. I wrote a thing last year about Clark and the type of boys he often featured, Uncensored New York paid me for it but never ran it. Kids does have the cheesy moralism but the look of it is pure Clark, sweaty kids, drugs and stupid violence. Another Day in Paradise is maybe his most underrated movie.
Matt, great comment, thank you. I have not seen destricted, but having read your description, now I need to! Sorry "Uncensored" New York appear to have done just that ... hope you find a home for it soon!
Definitely the best Clarke film, I haven’t seen it for over 20 years, since my DVD was nicked in a burglary but reading this has rekindled my interest, so I think I will have to shell out… Nice writing!
Fuck it, just ordered it up from Grindhouse --- along with Korine's "Trash Humpers" (sorry), which is essentially the same "plot" as "Julien Donkey-Boy," just weirder for no particular reason, which is the kind of self-indulgence that works in spots. The Florida socio-economic underbelly is an endlessly fascinating netherworld hiding in plain sight --- whole different kind of film, but I think Sean Baker captured the essence of it pretty well with "The Florida Project," which is overhyped by the art-film crowd, to be sure, but still worth a watch even if it's nowhere near the heights he hit with "Tangerine." Clark's one of a kind, though, no denying it, and yeah, there's no way "Bully" would get made today.
L. Scott Jose scratches the surface of the economic forces at play -- a crucial aspect nearly always neglected in true crime narratives, aside from some minor guff about reduced chances or limited horizons. I'll check out the Sean Baker films you mention, cheers. And good for you supporting Grindhouse. I recommend his Sunday night show on YT. Especially if, aside from boutique Blu-ray releases, you have any interest in Christian heavy rock. Or LIKE the fact that HE likes it. Which is pretty much my standard defence for anything!
Baker's an interesting filmmaker, "The Florida Project" is set in one of those seedy roadside motels people live in down there, "Tangerine" is about --- and stars --- trans hookers on Hollywood Boulevard, it's got a touch of "Gummo" to it in that apart from a Clu Gulager cameo it's all "real people" rather than actors, fortunately that's where the comparisons end because it has an actual (gasp) narrative structure and Baker's "unprofessional" cast can actually act. Side note, for mind-melting Christian "art," Grindhouse also stocks the Ormond Family box set from Indicator that Jimmy McDonough put together, From Hollywood To Heaven : The Lost And Saved Films Of The Ormond Family," totally insane "Christ-sploitation" from back before the QAnon/Alex Jones crowd made essentially the same kind of stuff a boring billion-dollar cottage industry, and far (and I do mean FAR) weirder than anything any self-consciously "outre" film school grad ever cranked out.
I was slightly underwhelmed when I saw it on video back then, as I thought it was more "mainstream" than Ken Park, which I had seen earlier (at a film festival with no prior warning). Been looking for it, though.....
Have you ever seen Clark’s segment from the film destricted? It’s called Impaled, it’s Clark just sitting in a small office space interviewing young people (mostly boys late teens early twenties) about their pornography habits, then he chooses one of the boys and shoots an unsimulated sex scene with him and a woman he brings in. It’s non narrative, kind of is a distillation of Clark’s more fetishy side. I wrote a thing last year about Clark and the type of boys he often featured, Uncensored New York paid me for it but never ran it. Kids does have the cheesy moralism but the look of it is pure Clark, sweaty kids, drugs and stupid violence. Another Day in Paradise is maybe his most underrated movie.
Matt, great comment, thank you. I have not seen destricted, but having read your description, now I need to! Sorry "Uncensored" New York appear to have done just that ... hope you find a home for it soon!
indeed, Clark's "Destricted" segment is a beautiful thing....
Definitely the best Clarke film, I haven’t seen it for over 20 years, since my DVD was nicked in a burglary but reading this has rekindled my interest, so I think I will have to shell out… Nice writing!
Thanks for the kind words, and enjoy the show.
I wanted to move to Florida after watching it.
Fuck it, just ordered it up from Grindhouse --- along with Korine's "Trash Humpers" (sorry), which is essentially the same "plot" as "Julien Donkey-Boy," just weirder for no particular reason, which is the kind of self-indulgence that works in spots. The Florida socio-economic underbelly is an endlessly fascinating netherworld hiding in plain sight --- whole different kind of film, but I think Sean Baker captured the essence of it pretty well with "The Florida Project," which is overhyped by the art-film crowd, to be sure, but still worth a watch even if it's nowhere near the heights he hit with "Tangerine." Clark's one of a kind, though, no denying it, and yeah, there's no way "Bully" would get made today.
L. Scott Jose scratches the surface of the economic forces at play -- a crucial aspect nearly always neglected in true crime narratives, aside from some minor guff about reduced chances or limited horizons. I'll check out the Sean Baker films you mention, cheers. And good for you supporting Grindhouse. I recommend his Sunday night show on YT. Especially if, aside from boutique Blu-ray releases, you have any interest in Christian heavy rock. Or LIKE the fact that HE likes it. Which is pretty much my standard defence for anything!
Baker's an interesting filmmaker, "The Florida Project" is set in one of those seedy roadside motels people live in down there, "Tangerine" is about --- and stars --- trans hookers on Hollywood Boulevard, it's got a touch of "Gummo" to it in that apart from a Clu Gulager cameo it's all "real people" rather than actors, fortunately that's where the comparisons end because it has an actual (gasp) narrative structure and Baker's "unprofessional" cast can actually act. Side note, for mind-melting Christian "art," Grindhouse also stocks the Ormond Family box set from Indicator that Jimmy McDonough put together, From Hollywood To Heaven : The Lost And Saved Films Of The Ormond Family," totally insane "Christ-sploitation" from back before the QAnon/Alex Jones crowd made essentially the same kind of stuff a boring billion-dollar cottage industry, and far (and I do mean FAR) weirder than anything any self-consciously "outre" film school grad ever cranked out.
Top recommendations and comments, thank you. My credit card will take a well-deserved hammering.
I was slightly underwhelmed when I saw it on video back then, as I thought it was more "mainstream" than Ken Park, which I had seen earlier (at a film festival with no prior warning). Been looking for it, though.....