Gregg Araki

Started by Pastor Parsley, June 24, 2003, 05:41:35 PM

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socketlevel

i like your analogy gordardian, it's true his films get very tired.  they are good for grade nine stoners who think it expands their minds.  weird for the sake of being weird never works and is quite pretensious.

in regard to the "the player" maybe i wasn't clear.  my intentions with such famous characters i proposed would act to subversify the audience's interpretations of all "famous" individuals.  the audience isn't surprised by the behavior of the characters in "the player" because they already expect most "stars" to be assholes.  it was good that altman exposed this quality in certain actors, but it is however a common belief.  i'm interested in situations much like the character in "Nowhere," in which the audience has a certain threshold of what to expect when an actor plays themself on screen and then destroying that belief system.  this is done by making the characters do horrible acts, not just simple degrading acts.

this technique could also be inverted, in which the actor who is generally considered an asshole, or has some other well known problem (ie. collin farrell's drug addiction or charlie sheen's sexual expliots) and make them a redemable character.  this would change people's belief systems (both ways) and enable them to realize and open their minds to a different reality of hollywood then is normally depicted.  it's funny because we normally get a picture of what hollywood is like based upon the fabrication of hollywood itself.  it's just a big smoke screen of the most immature people in the world.  why should we care so much?  i think "Nowhere" helps defunct such meathods of creating "Idols."  and so does "the Player," but a futher unearthing of such truths could be realized.

it's interesting how the root of your name is godard, godardian.  i'm assuming that you are a huge fan of his work and if so you would have one of the best understandings of what i'm getting at.  we can look to his film "Contempt" and see that he too likes to play with reality (of course this isn't the only film that he explored such issues).  Fritz Lang plays himself to show the savior of cinema in this film and the audience pays special importance to him because of this.  he is playing himself.  i find this notion very interesting and effective.  tell me what you think.

-sl-

ps. i'm sorry for my shitty spelling
the one last hit that spent you...

godardian

I understand what you're saying now... you mean an actor playing themselves, but playing against type (whether type be fact or fiction- playing with the public perception?). I like that idea, too. Even though Tom Cruise wasn't playing himself in Magnolia, I loved that he was willing to play someone so flawed and really unlikeable the majority of the time- the one the audience would recoil from first, even if he's not the ultimate "bad guy."
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.

socketlevel

very true, cruise's character is like that, but his story is about redemption and forgiving his father.  his character is interesting because he ends up becoming what his father used to be, the very thing he loathed.  the cycle is complete and his character might be able to break the cycle in his life after the credits role.

while i do give cruise credit for his portrayal of frank t. j. makee, there is one major difference between his character and the character in "Nowhere."  Frank is a horrible person at the beginning of the film but seems to have redemable characteristics at the end.  In "Nowhere" Jaason Simmons' character is portrayed in a positive light, then is later exposed for who he truly is.  part of what aids this character's initial judgement in the audience is the fact that he's playing himself.  we, the audience, automatically think he's a good guy because we could never imagine him doing such a horrible act.  so well into the plot we are blown out of our fucking seats by his predatory behavior, that's amazing!  and very effective storytelling.

adaptation touched on this with susan orlean's character, because we know she's a real person, we would never expect her to be capable of murder at the end of the film.  the only thing is it would have really blown me off my fucking seat if susan orlean had played herself in that role.  too bad she's not an actor.

-sl-
the one last hit that spent you...

Stefen

So I watched Splendor tonight. I didn't really dig it. I liked Nowhere but havent seen it since I was 13 years old. Splendor bugged me because it mixed drama with comedy in the wrong kind of way, oh well. I liked nowhere so I will watch Arakis other stuff.
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

godardian

The horrible Araki is going to be doing a film of a pretty bad book, Scott Heim's Mysterious Skin. I can wait.
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.

MacGuffin

Araki promotes 'Skin'

Directly across the street from the DGA's headquarters on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, filmmaker Gregg Araki is sitting at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, discussing his latest film, "Mysterious Skin." Araki is not a member of the DGA; but, he notes, someday he might join.

Working outside of the mainstream for much of his career, Araki has eight edgy, independently made films to his credit. In such movies as "The Doom Generation," "Nowhere," "The Living End" and "Splendor," he has explored characters living on the edge in story lines that have sometimes been odd and often intense, quite frequently sparking their share of controversy.

Araki's "Mysterious Skin" is very much in that tradition, though it also marks a departure for the auteur. For one thing, it is the first time he hasn't worked on his own original material, instead choosing to adapt the critically acclaimed novel by Scott Hein. It tells the often unsettling, emotionally charged coming-of-age tale of two boys whose lives steer in opposite directions following one summer when, as 8-year-olds, they were molested by a baseball coach.

The film, which is courting distributors, will be unveiled at the Venice International Film Festival in Italy and the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival.

The filmmaker acknowledges that the material as well as some of the scenes in "Skin" might be considered provocative and risky by some, but that isn't what excited him about the project.

"When I read 'Mysterious Skin' years ago, it made me cry," Araki says of the book, which he brings to life onscreen with the assistance of potentially career-boosting performances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Brady Corbet. "I understand that some of the film can be uncomfortable or hard to watch, but the reason I had to do the movie is because of the journey these two characters go through.."

The film follows Neil (Gordon-Levitt) down a road of drinking, drugs and prostitution, while Brian (Corbet) blocks out memories by developing a whole alien-abduction fantasy -- hard-core Araki fans will know that it's not the first time aliens have figured into one of the director's movies.

Casting "Skin" -- which also features Elisabeth Shue, Michelle Trachtenberg and Bill Sage as Coach -- convinced Araki that its subject, though often unspoken, is not uncommon in society. "What happens in the movie is so much more common than anyone can imagine," he says. "It sheds a light on something that should at least be talked about, but it doesn't offer any solutions -- there aren't any solutions. But for me, the story in the film is brave and confronts something that people would rather not talk about."

Perhaps that's why he says he's more proud of "Skin" as a finished film than any of his other work, citing its "raw and authentic" feel. "People have always tried to accuse me of trying to be shocking for shocking's sake, but the shocking elements in, say, 'Doom Generation' came from a really sincere place," he says. "Same with this movie. It has elements that are unsettling, but the material transcends those darker elements. There is nothing gratuitous; it's all in the service of the story. And though I'm not afraid of controversy, I don't go actively to seek it out."
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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MacGuffin

Tartan, TLA Get Under Araki's 'Skin'

"Mysterious Skin," the new film from Gregg Araki ("The Doom Generation"), will be arriving in U.S. theaters in May.

Tartan Films USA and TLA Releasing have partnered to jointly acquire North American rights to the feature, which stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt , Brady Corbet, Elisabeth Shue and Michelle Trachtenberg. The film had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival and its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Based on the novel by Scott Heim, "Mysterious Skin" explores the hearts and minds of two very different boys who turn out not to be as different as they appear.

Tartan and TLA will release the film theatrically in May and on DVD in fall 2005. Under the companies' exclusive agreement, TLA distributes all DVD and video product from Tartan Video.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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Ghostboy

I watched The Doom Generation this morning, and thought it was decent - it was pretty funny, and had a retro 90s feel that made me like it more than I might have had I seen it when it first came out. I think the thing that I liked the most about it was how he labeled it so overtly as a 'A Heterosexual Movie By Gregg Araki' in the opening credits. Having not seen his two previous films, I wonder if that's not a response to them - as well as a joke in and of itself, since the movie has so many blatantly overt homosexual tones.

Stefen

Has anyone seen myserious skin yet? I've heard the book wasn't very good but this film has caught my interest. There seems to be an onslaught of direct to video fare with tag lines of "Can a regular gay guy find love in the big city?" and then a picture of a man forefront pondering something and behind him on each side a firefighter bronzed out and a waiter holding snails on a server carrier. I don't think any of them are good and maybe it's a trend that has always been there but I never noticed. I think Araki really strives to make movies for all people but gets caught up in trying to create interesting homosexual characters but ultimately fails. I think mysterious skin may be different though, the book is intriguing to say the least. Sounds kind of like Bad Education in a way.
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

Ghostboy

It has its own thread.

Stefen

Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

MacGuffin

'Smiley' girl: Faris high on Araki comedy
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Anna Faris is starring in "Smiley Face," a stoner comedy being directed by Gregg Araki. The film, which begins production this week, is being produced by First Look Studios' Henry Winterstern and Kevin Turen along with Anonymous Content's Steve Golin and Alix Madigan.

The story, penned by first-timer Dylan Haggerty, centers on a young actress and hopeless slacker (Faris) who, after she inadvertently ingests her roommate's pot-laced brownies, attempts to manage her day as it goes awry through a series of misadventures.

Also cast in the film are John Krasinski ("The Office"), John Cho ("Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle") and Jane Lynch ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin").

International presales for "Smiley Face" are being handled through First Look International.

First Look is looking at the film as a way to diversify its slate, which this year includes the Nick Cave-penned "The Proposition," starring Guy Pearce, Danny Huston and Ray Winstone; Larry Clark's "Wassup Rockers"; and the Wes Craven-produced horror movie "The Breed."
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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MacGuffin

'Smiley Face' Turns Into A Frown: Anna Faris Comedy Going Straight To DVD
Flick will only make one theatrical appearance, despite strong Sundance reception.
Source: MTV

CULVER CITY, California — Eight months ago, Anna Faris' newest film played to standing-room-only crowds at the Sundance Film Festival, prompting the star of the high-grossing "Scary Movies" series to admit she'd never heard so much laughter during a viewing of one of her flicks.

Over the summer, under-the-influence R-rated films like "Superbad" and "Knocked Up" ruled the box office, seemingly setting the stage for the next great stoner comedy. But now, those looking forward to "Smiley Face" should brace themselves for news that will leave them with a frown: What could potentially be the next great cult comedy is getting dumped onto DVD.

"It might get a small release," the actress revealed when we caught up with her recently, barely holding out hope. "For sure, it will be out on DVD in a few months."

At the risk of breaking the news not only to fans of R-rated comedies, but also to Faris herself, the studio holding the rights to "Smiley" has confirmed that it plans to quietly show the film in one Los Angeles theater, and then release it straight to DVD in January.

Perhaps you're wondering why the MTV Movies team would waste its energy writing about the sort of DVD burial that happens in Hollywood every day, and you're right to do so. The answer is a simple one: "Smiley Face" remains one of the funniest films we've seen in 2007, and it deserves better.

"I just love playing characters," Faris said of her taking on the role of Jane, the first notable female cinematic stoner to follow in the proud tradition of Cheech, Chong, Rory Cochrane in "Dazed and Confused," Brad Pitt in "True Romance," Harold, Kumar and the "Half-Baked" gang. "I got to wear pajamas every day, which was awesome."

The flick co-stars such fan favorites as John Krasinski, Adam Brody, Danny Masterson and Danny Trejo, and is the first straight-out comedy directed by indie darling Gregg Araki. Its irreverent plot kicks off when the clueless Jane accidentally eats an entire plate of pot cupcakes in the morning, only to realize that she still needs to complete such simple tasks as paying her bills, going to the dentist's office and backing her car out of its parking space.

In January, "Smiley Face" seemed like a sure bet to break out Faris, who portrays Jane with an eye-opening mix of physical humor and utter lack of vanity (she spends much of the movie crawling around on bathroom floors, scarfing down munchies and wearing baggy outfits that make Krasinski's crush on her all the more hilarious). Much like "Harold & Kumar," "Dazed" or "Dude, Where's My Car?," instantly quotable catchphrases assail the viewer in rapid succession, as do offbeat scenes that are rewarded with repeat viewings.

Yet, despite recent theatrical releases for DOA duds including "Captivity," "I Know Who Killed Me" and "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters" — released on 800 screens by First Look Studios, the same company that owns "Smiley" — no one is willing to take a chance on a breezily original flick that makes you laugh hard.

"You've gotta come with me," Anna Faris shrugged, referring to the one-theater release. "You've gotta help me pack the theater."

With a gutsier studio behind the film, and a half-decent publicity campaign promoting a major release, Faris probably wouldn't need our help.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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RegularKarate

It totally deserves to go straight to DVD... what a horrible piece of crap this movie was.  So incredibly unfunny... all the humor is built around bad played-out stoner jokes.

Pubrick

hahaha, hedwig, i can't believe you were looking forward to this.

fool!
under the paving stones.