Gummo (1997)

Directed by Harmony Korine Cinematography by Jean-Yves Escoffier

Gummo (1997)

The director series will consist of me concentrating on the filmography of all my favorite directors. I will rank each of their films according to my personal taste. I hope this project will provide everyone with quality recommendations and insight into films that they might not have known about. Today’s director in spotlight is Harmony Korine #6 - Trash Humpers (2009) Runtime: 1 hr 18 min Aspect Ratio: 1.78 : 1

Follows the lives of a small group of sociopathic elderly people in Nashville, Tennessee. Verdict: The least accessible of Korine’s work that tests the patience of even the most devoted of Korine’s fans. A truly nightmarish exercise in utter depravity.

#5 - Gummo (1997) Rutime:  1 hr 29 min Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1 Film Format:  35 mm

Solomon and Tummler are two teenagers killing time in Xenia, Ohio, a small town that has never recovered from the tornado that ravaged the community in the 1970s. 

Verdict: A delightfully dirty introduction to Korine’s twisted mind. Korine writes and directs his feature debut in such a way that makes you feel like you need a bath afterward. It shows signs of promise for Korine’s future but isn’t his strongest work. 

#4 - The Beach Bum (2019) Runtime:  1 hr 35 min Aspect Ratio: 2.39 : 1 Film Format: 35 mm

An irreverent comedy about the misadventures of Moondog, a rebellious stoner and lovable rogue who lives large.

Verdict: Korine’s funniest and most audience-friendly film. It also happens to be the easiest of his films to watch in terms of sheer entertainment. He grows as a writer in this film by creating a variety of otherwordly, seedy characters. It’s the most fun I’ve had at the movies in a long time.

#3 - Julien Donkey Boy (1999) Runtime:  1 hr 34 min Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1 Film Format: 35 mm

A portrait of the effects of schizophrenia on family life is the central focus.

Verdict: A haunting and slightly heartbreaking addition to Korine’s oeuvre. Also one of the very best of the films that came out of the Dogme 95 manifesto. Julien Donkey Boy is a dizzying journey into the dark recesses of a mentally damaged subconscious that never lets up.

#2 - Mister Lonely (2007) Runtime: 1 hr 52 min Aspect Ratio: 2.35 : 1 Film Format: 35 mm

In Paris, a young American who works as a Michael Jackson lookalike meets Marilyn Monroe, who invites him to her commune in Scotland, where she lives with Charlie Chaplin and her daughter, Shirley Temple.

Verdict: The most sentimental and humanistic film that Korine has ever released. It’s a tale of identity crisis mixed with the aching pangs of existential loneliness. A group of outcasts that commune together and find a sense of family that the outside world failed to provide. A completely endearing film that I find to be just about perfect.

#1 - Spring Breakers (2012) Runtime: 1 hr 34 min Aspect Ratio: 2.35 : 1 Film Format: 35 mm

After four college girls rob a restaurant to fund their spring break in Florida, they get entangled with a weird dude with his own criminal agenda.