Gummo

Alright, let's see where everyone stands on this one... people are constantly split on this movie—half the crowd treats it like some untouchable cult masterpiece, while the other half just spits on it, calling it mindless garbage. I stumbled upon it a few months back quite by accident, and honestly? It left me with this incredibly intense, bizarre impression that I can't quite shake. I actually dig how it’s put together; there's this raw, almost pseudo-documentary vibe to the whole thing that really works for me. What do you guys think? Is there anyone even here who's actually sat through it?

I’ve always been a fan of Harmony Korine, so I really enjoyed this movie. It isn't exactly groundbreaking, but it’s got a great vibe.

Am I seeing things...



... a Gummo topic?!

🙂

Terry Mendoza80 said:What are your thoughts? Assuming anyone here has actually seen it...

I saw it—back when I was just a kid—and I practically had to bribe my mom into feeding me spaghetti in the bathtub, plus some chocolate on the side 😁



Hands down, the best film by Harmony Korine.

🙂

I don't know, maybe I'm totally off base, but this is what we're really waiting for:



😍😍

EDIT:

The American Bergman, just better 😍.

Since we’re already on the subject of Harmony Korine—honestly, I’ve been meaning to sit down and actually watch Julien Donkey-Boy. I only just heard about the film recently, and now I’m genuinely curious about it. I’ll have to track it down somewhere soon...

driftingeagle27 said:The American Bergman, just... better 😍.

Look, Harmony Korine is solid—really solid within the landscape of American cinema—but let's not get carried away by comparing him to Bergman... he's good, sure, but maybe even 😁 Julien Donkey-Boy might actually be the superior film

Benjamin Thompson66 said:Harmony Korine is solid, honestly one of the best in American cinema right now, but let's not get ahead of ourselves by comparing him to Bergman... 😁

I've never really been much of a Bergman guy myself, but I'd say this hits much closer to my own vibe 😛.

Benjamin Thompson66 said:Maybe Julien Donkey-Boy is actually the better film

I haven't quite found the energy to sit through it yet, but I will, and I have a feeling Werner Herzog—who I'd bet on over Bergman any day of the week 🙂—is probably playing a huge role in this one.

I feel like there was already a dedicated thread for Gummo at some point—but hey, maybe I’ve got that wrong. Either way, I'm glad we've got one again. 🙂 I really love this film from one of my favorite directors—someone who’s actually one of the few left today who isn't afraid of being ugly or taking massive liberties for the sake of art. Mind you, I sometimes feel like people credit Harmony Korine with way more lack of structure than he actually intends—after all, an old critic once pointed out that Harmony isn't exactly some "narrative revolutionary"—but there’s just something undeniably exciting about his drive to shoot movies that feel completely unhinged. 🙂 Sometimes it lands perfectly, sometimes it misses the mark entirely—but it rarely hits that sweet spot in between.

Unknown

Christian Taylor3 said:So, what’s actually the best Harmony Korine film? Is there even a right answer to that?

[Sheldon mode on]Not quite, my friend![Sheldon mode OFF]
🙂
Gummo is a good flick—interesting enough, with a few scenes that really stick in your brain (yeah, that spaghetti scene is definitely up there, though the cat stuff isn't exactly easy to forget either). But if you ask me, Harmony Korine’s true masterpiece remains Julien Donkey-Boy. It’s beautiful, devastatingly moving, and absolutely brutal all at once. Plus, it features one of the best performances I've ever seen in a movie; Ewen Bremner earned my lifelong respect with that role. Honestly, when I first watched Julien Donkey-Boy, I was halfway through the film convinced he actually *was* the character he was playing. The guy is just incredible. 😍It’s one of those films that just makes you feel tiny—like, completely insignificant and powerless in the grand scheme of things. You’re left with nothing to do but scream into the void, really. Not to mention, "morning chaos, eternity chaos..." has basically become my permanent email signature at this point. 🙂 I’d love to believe that Harmony Korine will actually outdo himself one day and make something better—truly great—but honestly? I think that's only happening in some parallel universe.

Look, I can live with people praising Gummo all they want—I’ll even give them a pass on that—but I draw the line at those hideous smiley faces. Seriously? 🙂

Unknown

driftingeagle27 said:The American Bergman, just better. 😍.

Bergman? Why even bring up Bergman? If you ask me, those two are practically polar opposites. 🙂 Bergman was a thinker—a true philosopher who used film as little more than a backdrop to broadcast his moral and ethical stances. Harmony, though? I don't think morality keeps him up at night, and he certainly isn't interested in philosophy as a formal pursuit. His whole deal is intuitive—he just captures what he feels and believes the audience needs to experience, prioritizing raw sensation over everything else. Watching a Bergman film is a bit like reading a masterpiece of literature; watching Harmony is more like being thrown into an intense, visceral experience where you feel things deeply without needing to overanalyze them. 🙂
Or am I just totally off base here? 🙂

Amanda Lopez50 said:Bergman? Why even bring up Bergman? To me, those two are basically polar opposites 🙂 Bergman is a thinker, a philosopher who uses film as nothing more than a backdrop to broadcast his moral views and deep convictions. Harmony Korine doesn't seem to give much of a damn about morality, and he definitely isn't interested in philosophy as a concept—he’s all about intuition, just throwing out raw experiences he thinks the audience needs to witness and feel first and foremost. Watching Bergman is like reading some highbrow masterpiece, whereas watching Harmony Korine is like being thrown into an intense experience where you just feel things without overthinking it 🙂
Or am I totally off base? 🙂

Honestly, it was just a random thought that crossed my mind, but hey, it's a decent enough starting point for a conversation.

I generally lean toward cinema that actually hits you and keeps you engaged rather than some camera-based lecture or essay. I want to be thinking *after* the movie ends; while it's playing, I just want to live through it.

Plus, both Harmony Korine and Bergman are pretty obsessed with... people; the human condition 🙂. And the quality of life.

driftingeagle27 said:If I'm not mistaken, both Harmony Korine and Bergman are pretty obsessed with... people; the human condition, 🙂. And the quality of life.

Fair point. But to me, they approach it in completely different ways—though maybe I'm being too harsh on Bergman? I mean, he's always hailed as one of the greatest directors, whereas to me, he feels more like a philosopher or a playwright.🙂 🙂
Anyway, I'm glad to see Harmony Korine's aesthetic actually resonates with some of you here.🙂

Unknown

Amanda Lopez50 said:[Sheldon mode on]Not quite, my friend![Sheldon mode off]
🙂
I think *Gummo* is a solid enough flick—it’s interesting and definitely packs a few memorable punches, like that spaghetti scene which really sticks with you, though the cat sequence isn't exactly easy to forget either. But if you ask me, Harmony Korine’s true masterpiece remains *Julien Donkey-Boy*. It’s this gorgeous, devastatingly moving, and honestly just brutal piece of filmmaking. Plus, it features one of the most beautiful performances I've ever seen; Ewen Bremner absolutely won me over with that role. I remember watching *Julien Donkey-Boy* for the first time and being halfway through before I even realized he wasn't actually playing himself. He was just that incredibly good. 😍It’s one of those films that just leaves you feeling incredibly small and completely powerless in your own life—the kind of movie where all you can do is scream into the void because there's nothing else left to say. Not to mention that "morning chaos, eternity chaos..." has basically become my permanent email signature at this point. 🙂 I’d love to believe that Harmony Korine might actually outdo himself one day and make something truly great, but honestly, I think that kind of breakthrough is only happening in some parallel universe.

Look, I can live with people praising Gummo all they want, but I absolutely cannot deal with those hideous smiley faces. 🙂

Like I said, absolutely. GummoNothing about this was an accident. Julien Donkey-Boy I watched this maybe two or three years ago, and honestly, calling it a movie feels like a stretch. It’s more like... an experience you regret having. Honestly, someone should probably just pass a law to ban it from existence. 🤷 Now I feel like I actually understand how Dante envisioned the deepest, most agonizing stretch of hell—that specific layer where the torment just goes on forever without any end in sight. It’s probably for that reason that this Harmony Korine flick doesn't... Never. I'm passing on this one. Not interested. Gummo It’s a completely different vibe altogether, honestly; I find myself circling back to his work every single year. That's exactly why those "terrifying" smileys you sent me actually make sense. 🙂)

Fair enough 🙂 though for me Julien Donkey-Boy will always be sitting comfortably in my personal top 10 favorite films 🙂

No point, I gotta sit with this and let it sink in for a few more days.

Unknown

Amanda Lopez50 said:Fair enough. 🙂 Even if it ends up being my problem... Julien Donkey-Boy I’ll probably always keep this one in my personal top ten. 🙂

Unknown 🙂

Unknown

driftingeagle27 said:It’s probably a waste of time, but I guess I’ll have to sit through it for a few more days anyway.

Not a chance in hell. 😁 I'm just kidding, so take a look and let me know what you think. Anyway, don't forget to check out... Mr. LonelyAside from Gummo, this is easily his second best work.

🙂

Personally, I regret ever sitting through that movie... 😛
To me, it was just utterly repulsive and completely pointless... 🤷

I know I originally started this thread specifically to dive deep into *Gummo*, but honestly—I can’t help myself—I have to mention that I just finished watching *Julien Donkey-Boy*. I’m still sitting here trying to process everything and sort through my initial impressions...
🙏 Regarding Ewen Bremner—

That movie is the only one I can remember actually making me throw up. 😢

Gummo!!!



I freaking called it!

🙂

Just finished watching Julien Donkey-Boy.

It’s a solid flick. Reminds me of those old radio dramas they used to play back when I was a kid, something like All in the Family. Just raw glimpses into the daily grind of an American family.

The big draw is obviously having one of my absolute favorites—not that the pretentious cinephiles would call him anything else—crushing it in one of his standout roles. 😵

The real issue for me is Chloe Sevigny; honestly, I can't shake the feeling she's just some obnoxious girl with zero actual substance, someone who only manages to stay in the spotlight because she has this uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time. 🤷

driftingeagle27 said:Honestly, the biggest headache we’re dealing with is Chloe Sevigny.I can't even remember if it's spelled Chloe or chloë, but honestly, I’m struggling to shake this feeling that she’s just a pretty face with zero substance. It feels like she’s one of those people who lacks any real, standout qualities that would actually justify being a public figure, unless you count her uncanny ability to show up exactly where the cameras are pointing at just the right moment. 🤷

🤔 What exactly is your problem with Chloe Sevigny? 😁 (By the way, there are actually two dots over the "e," it’s not quite the same thing). If my memory serves me right, in... Julian She really nailed that role—it was honestly such a poised and mature performance, a total standout. Pearl was just something else. ES had been watching... Boys Don't CrySo, what? Now everything there isn't good enough for you either? ☕

Gummo! 😍 Check out that video above; there's just no arguing with it. It's absolute, undeniable proof, and honestly, everyone loves it—from the kids and teenagers all the way up to the local nuns. Even Simon Cowell Gummo is probably a fan. Gummo Honestly, it’s easily the best movie out there.

🙂