Gregg Araki

[Pastor Parsley]

I just saw Nowhere, the only Gregg Araki film I've seen.  As the credits rolled all I could think of was 'If someone is willing to finance this film, I must be able to convince someone to finance mine."  It was a tremendous boost to my confidence.

I don't know anything about him, but he must have some serious connections in order to get the actors and money for this film.  Does anyone know how he managed to pull it off?

I'm trying really hard not to say what I think of Nowhere, the title says it all.

[Ghostboy]

He was a Sundance kid, from the same school as Tarantino. Nowhere was his fourth film, so he'd established some clout by that point. But I'm probably shouldn't say anything else about him until I've actually SEEN one of his movies (I've seen parts of The Doom Generation, but that's it).

[modage]

"no me gusta. "

[Cecil]

i love nowhere. and seem to be the only one here. doom was okay, it had its moments.

araki had allready garnered critical acclaim with "the living end" and "totally fucked up." even "doom generation" got a cult rep.

he has a new film in the works. might be good, might suck. but im looking forward to it. only thing known about it is the title "mysterious skin" maybe its based on this book http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060926864/102-6223765-1951318?vi=glance

[godardian]

I really don't like Araki, but if anyone wants to revive the Queer Cinema item by moving this discussion there, that would be swell. Just a suggestion.

[cowboykurtis]

araki is worth nothing.

[Rudie Obias]

boo!

[chainsmoking insomniac]

He was a Sundance kid, from the same school as Tarantino. Nowhere was his fourth film, so he'd established some clout by that point. But I'm probably shouldn't say anything else about him until I've actually SEEN one of his movies (I've seen parts of The Doom Generation, but that's it).

Christ, he did The Doom Generation....*clasps his hands over his mouth as he stifles a dry heave.....*

[MacGuffin]

he has a new film in the works. might be good, might suck. but im looking forward to it. only thing known about it is the title "mysterious skin" maybe its based on this book http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060926864/102-6223765-1951318?vi=glance

You are correct, Cecil:

Gordon-Levitt & Corbet Creep Into Mysterious Skin
Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun) and teen newcomer Brady Corbet will star in the lead roles in Gregg Araki's indie drama "Mysterious Skin."

The project, which is shooting in Los Angeles, also stars Elisabeth Shue, Michelle Trachtenberg, Bill Sage, Jeff Licon and Chris Mulkey.

Based on the novel by Scott Heim, the project is the story of two boys who meet when they are 18 and discover a common past that has shaped both of them in different ways. The story takes place in New York City and Kansas.

Shue plays the mother of Gordon-Levitt's character, Trachtenberg portrays his best friend, Sage stars as a baseball coach, Licon plays a friend of both boys at different times, and Mulkey portrays the father of Corbet's character.

[analogzombie]

The Doom Generation was the movie for me that said "Hey, you can do anything you want and someone will like it." I like TDG, and NoWhere. Splendor I hated. Maybe I like a couple of his films b/c it was an early exposure to the world of indie filmmaking, but I like them all the same. Heavily stylized and filled with cheesy imagery, perhaps it's a gimmick but I have copies of both those movies. i think it's just a love-it or hate-it thing. But damm Parker Posey was funny in TDG!

[Stefen]

I've only seen Nowhere. it was one of those movies that I liked. But always watched bits and parts of it at different times. I have a couple of his flicks in my netflix queqe I think.

[analogzombie]

Nowhere seems to be a continuation of the themes established in The Doom Generation. I think this is why only these two Araki films appeal to me. The Living End, and Totally F**ked UP don't appeal to me at all. as for Splendor, it seems kind of a glossier Araki movie. perhaps an attempt to cross over out of obscurity, like Kevin Smith's Chasing Amy. At any rate it didn't work for me.

[Rudie Obias]

i hate hate hate hate hate gregg araki!!!!

[socketlevel]

he's over rated (the director) but i do think an oscar should have gone to the guy who played logan on baywatch for his role in Nowhere.  that was a ballsy move on his part!  just think of it, he played himself in the film... then raped a girl mid way through the story.  career suicide for sure, but i'll give him cred none the less.  i just didn't see it coming.  he was counter to what anyone would expect from an actor playing him/herself in cinema.  usually actors are to cautious to endanger their image and it seems he took a huge leap with this role.  any thoughts?

being a film student, i always wanted to write a script in which famous actors play themselves and do really horrible things.  it would have a paramount subversive effect on the audience.  that would put an original spin on the subjectivity of reality within cinema.  Charlie kaufman would do a good job with it because it's the next leap from the "Being John Malkovich" and "Adaptation" shtick.  for example, just imagine all the cameos in robert altman's "the player" painted horrible pictures of themselves.  i'd fucking love it!  that's what i'm waiting to see in a film!

-sl-

just remember if anyone rips me off, you read it here first.

[godardian]

for example, just imagine all the cameos in robert altman's "the player" painted horrible pictures of themselves.  

In a way, isn't that pretty much what did happen with a number of those cameos...? Or did I misinterpret?

Gregg Araki's films are cheap cinematic hucksterism; I find that they're roundly awful, very slick and glib and pointless, even on a purely aesthetic level (the only level you could begin to even think about tolerating them on, since the acting, writing, etc are abysmal). He's like a one-joke drunk guy at a party who also happens to be a grad student and therefore believes everything he says is of the utmost significance. Ugh. He should pay me to watch his movies!