Thursday, September 17, 2009

Guest Review! Harmony Korine's Trash Humpers!

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I have a very very special treat for y'all today. Very! And speaking of a very, my very good friend Bri got the chance to see a movie this past weekend on which I have blogged about in the recent past, and I demanded she tell us what she thought. Demanded! And so she did. Everybody welcome her with open, non-molesty* arms!

Thanks to JA for inviting me to guest blog. Little old me! It's a daunting task considering the subject as I am invading JA's space on the "interwebs" to review the latest project from Harmony Korine, lovingly and appropriately titled "Trash Humpers." I broke out of town last weekend and traveled to our neighbors to the north and the Toronto International Film Fest, where I caught a screening with Harmony himself introducing the movie and answering some questions after.

A good amount of "Trash Humpers" is just that, our four main characters never seem to tire of humping trash cans, though their amorous ways sometimes lead them to light posts, trees, and on one occasion a prostitute singing "Silent Night".... but really that was just a hand job... oh and once in a while they kill someone...but I digress.

While introducing the film, Korine said that he wanted the audience to think of the movie as a found object, and that he wasn't sure if "Trash Humpers" is actually a movie at all. It is a movie, and it's inexplicably entertaining and incredibly engaging considering it is almost completely devoid of any plot. Remember "Choose Your Own Adventure" books? If John Waters and Michael Meyers furiously humped a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book, "Trash Humpers" would be the aborted fetus. I know that makes absolutely no sense, but neither did the movie and I still liked it. The movie scares you because it exists, and once you leave the theatre and go home you can't shake the idea that those trash humpers could be peering into your window on your street... they could be humping YOUR trash can!

At the end of the day here is the golden rule about Harmony Korine and his work - either you get it or you don't. And if you don't get it don't ask me, any of his other fans, or the man himself to enlighten you, because we won't. Harmony was asked for the meaning or inspiration behind the movie, and all he could be coaxed into to saying was that he wanted to make a movie about people humping trash cans. He totally succeeded.

Well now I really must see this movie right now. Thanks, Bri!

* She may request that you use your molesty arms,
but it is not up to me to assume such things.
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This sounds interesting, I hadn't heard anything about it before. I love Julien Donkey Boy! Korine is an original. Thanks to the guest critic for this! great review!